Blogging takes dedication

As I said several months ago, I am not a good blogger. I have not had an original thought in two months....kidding. I have finished up lessons for Teen VBS 2011 and working on Spring Teen Discovery 2010. In addition to that we had camp, back to school things and our own Discovery. Surely that explains it. No original thoughts this time either. But in the words of General Mac., I shall return.
Oh, if you would like to read my latest Pastor's Pen then check out www.westwoododessa.org

I admit it, I am not a good blogger. It has been almost a month since my last post. My wife broke her foot around the last of May and could not drive and needed to be off of it a lot. So many of our plans were put on the shelf until she became more mobile. Thankfully, she did not have to have surgery and is now out of that “Frankenstein boot.” One good thing, she could not sneak up on me. That was a joke in case you did not catch the levity. Along with preparing the manuscripts for 2011 Teen VBS, getting ready for our own VBS and my battle with the squash bugs, I have not had the time for blogging.

Speaking of squash bugs. In my last blog I mention that they are evil. At that time, I had only seen the evidence of their presence. I foolishly referred to it in the singular. Boy was I mistaken and evil is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to describing these creatures. I finally saw one, destroyed it and gave it only a casual thought. However, not only did I begin to see more stems cut off, but also I saw leaves beginning to turn yellow and start to shrivel. Then I saw them....literally hundreds hiding under the leaves, at the base of the plant, on the fence next to the plant. After discovering there seems to be no effective method of getting rid of them except hand-picking them from the plants, I resorted to a method my father-in-law used...soapy water. It does actually kill them, but there were so many of them.

As I sprayed the plant, the enormity of the task quickly became apparent. Wave after wave of them came out from behind leaves. Okay, now here comes the analogy. I really did see a comparison with fighting those bugs and the work we are doing as churches and as individual Christians. Fighting against evil seem just as daunting a task as getting rid of squash bugs. About the time you think you are making headway, a new wave of evil hits. Then there are times when the task appear too big, and you consider giving up. It even seems you can hear the Devil say we are no match for him. The truth is, we are no match for him on our own. However, we have read the end of the Book and we know who wins.

I have a feeling, unfortunately, I know how the squash bug battle will turn out, but I have the first Adam and the fall to blame for that. However, the “last Adam” will give us the victory in the battle against evil (1 Cor. 15:57).

It's evil! The squash bug, that is. It struck again, during the night. Four stems surgically severed about 3 inches from the ground. Fortunately, I had harvested the zucchs that were ready. Little beans are appearing on the bean plants (which is the best place for them to be, and pods of okra are coming on). My initial venture at gardening seems to be successful. Every plant I have has veggies on it. This I consider a success.
That is probably not of a great interest to others, but isn't that what a blog is all about?
Well, I've made the blog connection this morning.

My blogging has apparently taken a back seat to other activities. In addition to helping around the house and assisting my wife while she is recovering from a broken bone in her foot and my normal pastoral duties, I am in the process of writing the material for Teen VBS 2011. The manuscripts are due the first of July. I also am writing the material for Spring Discovery 2010. So, blogging is not at the top of my priority list.

Also vying for what little time I have left in a day is my first attempt in a looooong time at having a garden (for my gardening experience read my Pastor's Pen @www.westwoododessa.org). My gardening project this year is a modest one. I have one zucchini plant, one yellow squash, three tomato plants, two bell peppers, two okra plants (big whoop) and about a dozen bean plants. Now that you know the intimate details about my garden, I will tell you that even with this modest attempt I am sort of proud of myself. I started it about five weeks ago and so far nothing has died. The zucchs have come in first and we have harvested 4 so far. I am patiently (well maybe not so patiently) waiting for the tomatoes to get here. Sort of like watching for water to boil. Yet in defiance of my diligent dusting of insect poison there is a problem lurking among the leaves. Recently each morning, I have found stems sticking up in the air with their tops surgically severed. The evidence is there...I have a squash bug on the loose. The only remedy, as best I can determine, is to find the critter, pick it off the plant and destroy it. Pick it off...no problem! Destroy it...no problem! Finding him...now that's the challenge. So far, he is winning. Any suggestions?
Okay, gotta go. I have to give a squah bug a drink.

ISN'T IT AMAZING?
Haven blogged in a while. Life gets busy and time passes swiftly. Here it is summer already. The rains (showers) have finally come, at least for a brief time. Dry is normal for West Texas, but this year it seems to be unusually dry (or at least in our area). Recently, however, afternoon thundershower and storms brought refreshing rain.

Isn't it amazing how God's ways work so better than man's. It should come as no surprise, though. We can water our yard for several days with no apparent results. Then after giving up the hopes of reviving a crispy brown lawn a shower comes along and then... voila! over night the yard turns green.

Why shouldn't that be the case, God has been doing it that way since the beginning, well the rain part didn't start until the time of the flood. The point is that God's ways are always best whether it's watering the earth or dealing with man.
Just another thought off the top of my head.

WHEN WILL GOD'S PEOPLE LEARN— OR WILL THEY?
The Old Testament records the fickle history of the nation of Israel, a history of spiritual peaks and valley. One catastrophe of national proportion would be followed by a turning to God and spiritual revival only for them to fall into sin. Over and over this cycle repeated itself. In the New Testament one finds the accounts of disciples like well-known John Mark and the apostle Peter to lesser known Demas who had moments of spiritual peaks as well as dismal personal valleys.

The fluctuations in the spiritual fervor of believers is not to be unexpected. In the Lord’s message to the Laodicean church, Jesus said, “thou art neither cold nor hot’ (Rev. 3:15). Jesus said that this church was “lukewarm” (vs. 16). In this passage, the Greek word translated “lukewarm” mean tepid and implies being unenthusiastic or halfhearted. On a Fall Saturday afternoon, I watched a youth football game. The sports complex was filled with hundreds of screaming parents watching their children playing ball. We live about four blocks from the YMCA sports field and during ball season on Saturday mornings I can stand in my back yard and hear the shouts of enthusiastic parents yelling in support of their child and his or her team. Odessa is a sports-minded town. It is the home of Friday Night Lights. The fall that I moved to Odessa, I asked the church to schedule a revival. I was told that it might not be wise to plan a meeting during football season. I was determined that I would not let football interfere with revival services. The first few nights were great. Then on Friday night only a handful of people showed up. Needless to say I was very disappointed that church members would place football before their church. Even today, ECAs (extra curricular activities) often take precedence over mid-week services.

You would think that when God's people experience difficult and discouraging circumstances, they would want to renew the covenants they made with God rather than forget them. Do we not know this grieves the Holy Spirit? Paul wrote, “grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption”(Eph. 4:30). If we know we should not do this, why do we do it?

Apparently it is easy for Christians to identify basic problems and the issues associated with them, but they are at a loss as to why they allow ourselves to become involved. However, regardless of continual warnings, believers fall into the same pattern again and again with pastors unable to offer a fool-proof method to keep it from happening.

Being aware of and watching for the onset of spiritual weakening problem are perhaps the best dynamic methods of defense believers have to keep from repeatedly making the same disappointing and damaging mistakes that turns them into part-time Christians. In their secular life, a person may have a part-time job, or they say they do this or that on a part-time basis, but spiritually God never intended for His children to be part-time Christians. A servant is at the disposal of his master all the time, and in the New Testament believers are called servants. When it comes to their relationship to God, He wants them to be alert and available for His service all of the time. Considering the price with which believers were purchased, is that too much for Him to ask? How one answers that question reflects the kind of Christian he is. When will God's people learn that He does not want their ability as much as He wants their availability?

Well, I have been away from a Internet connection for nearly a week and a half. No email's, no blogs, no Internet . Not even a cable connection for a TV. Only a pair of rabbit ears that would bring in a signal only if the wind was in the right direction.

We are on the way back home. I should be settled back in the groove by this time tomorrow.

Visiting family was great but it kept us busy.

Thanks

I thank those who offered prayer in behalf of my wife and mother-in-law. Mary does not have to have surgery. She will have to wear a boot for 6 to 8 weeks. We received word this morning that her mother may not have had a heart attack because there is no sign of damage. They are giving her a stress test this morning and if everything is okay, they will release her to go home.

Thank you again.

In my previous post I said that many times Christians ask, "Why this?" "Why me?" "Why now?" Children of God are not immune to crises. We face as many of them as non-Christians. Well, that is the truth. As we wait for Mary's doctor's appointment to see the extent of the broken bone in her foot and whether or not she will have to have surgery, we received word that her 93 year old mother had a light heart attack this morning in Alivn, Tx and is in the hospital.

Here my wife is a broken bone in her foot, facing the possibility of having to have surgery and her mother is in the hospital with a heart attack. You can imagine how she feels...how I feel. After we received the call, the first thing Mary did was say, "Come here" and patted the couch beside her. "We need to pray." We did. We prayed for God's will in the situation, we prayed that God's hand would be upon Suzie and that if it was in His will to allow her to come home from the hospital. We prayed for our own strength and we prayed that Mary would not have to have surgery on her foot. It is very easy to write as I did in the last post that nothing happens to God's children that does not come by His throne. The testing comes when it happens to you. We are saddened at the news, but if God was in control of my not being away when Mary fell, we know He is in control now. Those who read this, please join us in prayer about this matter.

God knows what is best. I was scheduled to be in Lawrence, Kansas this weekend. However because of the effects of a storm, the dedication service was postponed until June. This morning, my wife tripped, fell and broke a bone in her foot. At the present time, she is on crutches and cannot put weight on her foot. Had I been in Kansas, she would have been in a very difficult situation.

I feel bad that she broke her foot, but I am thankful that I am here to take care of her. Many times we wonder why circumstances and situations happen the way they do. Our plans get canceled or changed around in ways that are either disappointing or inconvenient to us and we say, "Why this?" "Why me?" "Why now?" Children of God are not immune to crises. We face as many as non-Christians. There is, however, a difference. In every situation, God is already there. As children of God, nothing touches us that does not first come by His throne. Because He knows us, he knows our plight. We must simply obey Him, commit our lives to Him and trust Him for the consequences.

Shades of 12 years ago....this morning Mary tripped, fell and broke a bone in her right foot. Twelve years ago, she stepped off a curb, twisted her ankle and fell. The fall shattered her left ankle and required metal clamps and screws in her ankle and in the bone above. Today's break does not appear as bad, but it is her right foot. She will have to go to the orthopedic doctor to find out if she has to have surgery. Hopefully, she won't. From what I can determine, the healing will require about 6 weeks.

The prayers of those who read my blog are appreciated.

NO TRIP THIS WEEKEND

I had planned to be in Lawrence Kansas this weekend with Blessed Hope Baptist Church (Mission) for the dedication of their property and renovated building. Some storm damage to the basement has made it necessary to postpone the dedication until June 6th.

The work is progressing very well and Bro. Ledbetter is doing a great job as the missionary pastor.

I had looked forward to being with Blessed Hope, but I always miss being with our church, and there is always plenty to do here. We will try it again in a month.

LABELS
I noticed a warning label on my wife’s hair dryer. The label read, “Do not use in the bath tub.” My question is, has that been a big problem? The label on an electric drill reads, “This equipment not intended to be used as a dentist drill.” Well, if the dentist didn’t charge so much I wouldn’t have to.” After reading a list of silly labels that evidently are meant to be dead serious, it makes me wonder if someone somewhere doesn’t think we are a society of absolute morons. Are we so ignorant that we have to have instructions spelled out in detail?

One would assume that anything labeled rat poison should not be messed with. Yet, some advertising copy writer felt it necessary to issue a warning informing people that the product has been known to cause cancer in rats. All I have to say about that is “Well duh!” A friend of mine use to talk about people who could read a sign board and still take the wrong road home. There are people like that and you just have to speak to them in a language they understand. Now that I think about it, there are times when I may be like that. I hope it’s not too often.

I think, and this is my opinion, the world has grown soft when it comes to talking about sin. To gloss over the fact that we have this problem, society has adopted the practice of calling sin by what it feels are less archaic names. Some says they make bad choices or moral misjudgments. Others say human beings have defective genes. Others excuse themselves by referring to their mistakes. Shakespeare said, “a rose by another other name would smell as sweet.” I say, a skunk by any other name would still stink. Call it what you want to call it, but sin by any other name is still sin.

If you would like to read the rest of this article check out the Pastor’s Pen on our web site.
www.westwoododessa.org

I just found this among my clippings while preparing a sermon. Thought someone might enjoy it.

If a man would be a soldier, he’d expect, of course to fight;
And he couldn’t be an author if he didn’t try to write.
So it isn’t common logic, doesn’t have a real true ring,
That a man to be a Christian doesn’t have to do a thing.

If a man would be a hunter, he must go among the trees;
And he couldn’t be a sailor, if he wouldn’t sail the seas.
How strange for any member of a church to think that he
Can stay from worship and a worthy member be!

When you join associations, you must pay up all your dues;
And you pay for all you purchase, from your hat down to your shoes.
There are social clubs for women, and the same for men and boys,
But the members all expect to pay for what each one enjoys.

Then how is it that the members of a church can sit in pews,
And expect some few to run it without others paying dues?
The costs of operations must be met in church the same
As in home or corporation or in work of any name.

Let us honestly consider why this difference we find,
Between our church relations and every other kind.
Our business obligations MUST be met, the laws provide;
But the church is not insistent, so we let the matter slide.

May we undertake our duties, for our Lord
With such measure of devotion as accords with His own Word.

In our human obligations thus are recognized, why then
Surely God should have our service now and evermore.
Amen.
—Rev. Henry Anstadt D. D.

LORD TEACH US TO PRAY
Third

The Holy Spirit teaches us that to pray as God would have us to pray we must pray in the Spirit. That is what Paul said in Ephesians 6:18, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.” Jude said it too, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost” (Jude 20). How do we do that? How do we pray in the Spirit?

Acknowledge the fact that the Holy Spirit dwells in us (1 Cor. 3:16)
Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30)
Be filled (or controlled) by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18)

My fifty-four years in ministry have taught me a lot of things, and thankfully I am still learning. One area especially I am continually finding rich nuggets of instructions is prayer. I am no expert on prayer, and I have need of someone teaching me, that is why I call out, “Lord teach me TO pray.”

LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY (con't)
Second:
The Holy Spirit teaches us that we are not to pray with a selfish spirit. The apostle James wrote, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:3). If we are totally honest, we have to admit that often we pray selfishly. We pray for things that would make our lives easier. We pray to be removed from unpleasant situation. While David did say, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Psalm 37:4), and we may wish to be removed from a troublesome situation. However, we should keep in mind that there may be times when God allows us to be in the situation we are in for a reason. Joseph told his brothers that they had meant selling him into slavery for evil but God meant it for good so that he would one day be able to save many lives including theirs. We should be careful and consider that praying to have our situations changed could be a selfish prayer. Perhaps it would be better to pray for grace sufficient to endure our struggle. When the Holy Spirit is able to teach us to pray unselfishly, our prayer life will be healthier and stronger and effectual.
(Third point coming)

LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY
When it comes to praying, it seems we all have problems with our requests, or at least the kinds of requests to present. We have difficulty in phrasing the requests we do make. Then, we have the problem of the motive for our prayers. Paul condenses the problems into one statement, "We know not what we should pray for as we ought" (Rom. 3:26). However, our lack of knowledge in how to pray should not silence our prayers. Instead, like the disciples we need help. That help comes in the form of the Holy Spirit who not only wants to teach us to pray but also takes our prayers and makes “intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom. 8:26). Without this help, we will have a powerless prayer life. There are three things that come to mind that the Holy Spirit teaches us about praying. Here is the first.

1. He teaches us that we should not expect our prayers to be answered if there is unconfessed sin in our lives. The Holy Spirit inspired David to write, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:17). Does that mean God requires sinless perfection of us? No. If He did none of us would ever have his prayers answered. What God requires of us is confession and repentance. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 28:13, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
The Holy Spirit teaches us that to pray as we should we must confess sin in our lives.
(Second and third lessons taught by the Holy Spirit to follow)

PRAYER
Isn’t one of the purposes of a blog to give an individual a forum to express his opinion about a specific subject, vent a pet peeve or just to put something in print? Is it possible for bloggers to face the same problem with their blogs that speakers face when speaking — starting one’s mouth (keyboard) before engaging his brain. To put it another way, starting a diatribe, making a statement or drawing a conclusion before thinking it through. The plain ole truth is that the process of thinking things through takes too long and besides that it takes the fun out of ranting.
This blog is not intended to be a diatribe or even an attempt to start an argument. Like the title of the blog, it is a thought off the top of my head. Just the same, I might need to put on a full set of body armor as I venture into a subject that some might feel is a personal matter. Here goes...

Where does it come from? How do you get it? Is it developed through practice or does it just happen? What in the world am I talking about? That vibrant, theological, steeple in the throat, talking though stained glass, often holier-than-thou voice that resonates from a person who recites, oh I mean leads, in public prayer. Do I have your ire up yet? Settle down, I’m talking to myself, too. Years ago, my music minister like to tease me about my “prayer voice.” He pointed out something about which I was not aware. He said I would begin my prayers in my deep, mellow “radio voice,” and then as I proceeded with my prayer the frequency of my voice would rise until it reached my normal pitch. This makes me wonder whether unconsciously many think that the WAY they pray affects the effectiveness of their prayers.

Take a journey down the aisle of most Christian bookstores and you will find many books that offer to teach you to pray in a way that guarantees God will answer. Can any of them make good on this claim? In my opinion, the answer is no. Think with me for a moment. The disciples had followed Jesus, heard Him teach and watched Him as He ministered to people. They were even there in His intimate moments when He talked with His Father. On one occasion after listening to Him pray, they came to Him and asked, “Lord, teach us to pray like that” (my words). You can read them for yourself in Luke 11:1. Notice, the disciples’ request was “Lord, teach us TO pray,” not “Lord teach us HOW to pray.” Keeping in mind that our prayers are not for the purpose of impressing others but rather our desire should be to communicate with God. we do not need to learn HOW to pray as much as we need to learn simply TO pray.

The time I have allotted myself to blogging has expired and I must get to the office — lots of work to do this morning. I will continue my thoughts on prayer the next time. What do you think so far?

I’M NOT GOING TO BE DISTRACTED
It is almost May and the year will soon be half over. Time passes quickly, and we have seen how events that have serious and far-reaching circumstances can happen quickly. As a child, although I believe them, I wondered how things about which the Bible spoke could possibly happen. How would people so easily accept dramatic changes in world governments, or how a one-world society could replace the sovereignty of individual nations (of course those were not my actually words back then). Yet here we are, apparently dealing with those very issues.

As a pastor, I must keep focused on the “main thing” and not let these circumstances distract me. In the twenty-first century, Jesus’ commission to His churches is still to win the lost, to baptize the saved and to teach them the “all things” that He taught (Matt. 28:19,20). I understand that while methods may change, the message doesn’t. However, I am afraid if we are not careful, and without realizing it, we may let our methods become more important that our message. It is possible for those of us who pastor smaller churches to look at larger churches and say, “If we could do things they way they do maybe our attendance would grow.” We go out and attend seminars and lectures and buy books that are going to absolutely tell us how we can pump our people up and increase the size of our congregations. While we know attendance is not our primary goal, we can’t seem to help judging success by it. When preachers get together, one of the first things they ask one another is, “How’s your attendance?” or “What are you running?” Most of us do it, and I have to admit I do too, sometimes. That, however, is not the most important criteria for judging a church’s effectiveness.

I am not writing this because ours is a small church. Would I like to see our auditorium full? Sure I would. Would I like to deal with the prospect of having to build a larger building? Wouldn’t mind it at all. Am I disappointed when our attendance is low? Certainly. I would bring people kicking and screaming into the service if it were possible. Three thousand souls were saved on Pentecost because there were at least three thousand people there when Peter started to preach. I would love to see more people in our services, but regardless of our attendance, people have been saved, families added to our church and individuals have grown stronger in the Lord. I consider that effectiveness, therefore, I am not going to be distracted by the crazy conditions of the world but continue to preach Christ and Him crucified.

GREAT EASTER SERVICES
Our "Son-Rise" service was great. We had one of our best attended services in several years. The singing was enthusiastic, the worship was inspiring and the fellowship was sweet. Afterward, the men served a great breakfast of pancakes, sausage and bacon. This was the 20th "Son-Rise" service I have enjoyed with our great church I will be posting pictures of it on our website (www.westwoododessa.org) in the next day or so. In the morning service, our new young puppeteers gave their first puppet presentation and it was very good. At the close of the service, four people, three adults and one young man, came forward professing Christ as their Savior and requesting baptism. Sunday evening we observed the Lord's Supper. What a great day.
I have started to work on a message I will present at the dedication of our mission's new house of worship in Lawrence, Kansas on the weekend of May 2nd and 3rd.

SON RISE SERVICE
Saturday night and I am thinking about our "Son-Rise" Service in the morning and our 10:45 service. We have our "Son-Rise" Service at 7:00 A.M. and then afterward the men cook and serve pancakes, sausage and bacon for a time of fellowship.
Our Sunday School time begins at 9:45. In the past, by the time the kitchen crew has finished cleaning up, it is almost 9:45. Most of those who come to the service come in casual clothes so they go home and change. It has made for a low Sunday School attendance in the past. Last year we dismissed Sunday School and started our worship service at 10:45. It seems our people who attend Sunday School appreciated that change.
I was wondering if anyone else who has a sunrise service does the same thing or am I belng too accommodating. I am interested in hearing comments.
Speaking of comments. If you happen to read this blog, would you take time to at least say you stopped by. It will help me know how much time to "spend" blogging.

PRAISE THE LORD
The water damage incident that happened at the church back in February has turned out to be a blessing. The insurance covered carpet replacement for our east wing (offices) and auditorium. Then we voted to purchase enough extra to carpet the west wing as well. In the meantime the ceiling fans in our auditorium all went out about the same time, soooooo, we are getting new fans. That would make our lighting look outdated, soooooo, we are purchasing new lighting for the auditorium as well. This will give us a totally new look. Thankfully, the Lord has supplied, and we are able to do all this without going into debt. God is good.

I appreciate Bro. Marlin’s comment on my previous post. In that post, I mentioned that from a human standpoint the developing conditions in the world frighten me. Perhaps I should have explained more clearly what I meant. Spiritually speaking, I am not pessimistic about the future nor does it frighten me in that respect. That may seem to be a contradiction to what I said before. Let me explain. I am optimistic about my future in Christ. I am not a political scientist. I have difficulty understanding any kind of long-term significance of so-called stimulus plans or political maneuverings. My understanding of the ups and downs of Wall Street can be put in a thimble as evidenced by the fact that the small amount I had invested is now much smaller.

So not being able to comprehend all of the political and economical ramifications of the events unfolding around me, I have to use an old bowling expression to illustrate how I feel. When I bowled a bad game and I reached the seventh frame, my team mates would try to chide me by saying, “better get it together, it’s not looking good and you’re about to run out of paper.” That meant, that I was quickly approaching the tenth, or the last frame, and the game was about to be over. In all my years, I have never seen as many disturbing and inexplicable circumstances happening so quickly. While I respect my preacher bothers who believe otherwise, I hold the pre-tribulation position without apology and without intentions of argument. Simply put, I am not looking for the tribulation, I am looking for the evacuation. I am not looking for the antichrist, I am looking for The Christ Himself. When writing about the Lord’s return and the events surrounding it, Paul said, "Wherefore comfort ye one another with these words."(1Thess. 4:18). I can't say with any confidence that the secular future looks promising. In fact from a human standpoint it looks frightening or at best formidable, but Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled."(John 14:1). That’s what I am doing. I am not a pessimist, I like to think I am a realist.

I am not happy with the situations that are developing in our country and around the world. From a human standpoint, they frighten me. I grew up hearing my parents and grandparents talk about the Great Depression. Over the years, I have listen to our leaders say when speaking of such a national catastrophe, “Never again.” Yet, that does not appear to be the case. Overnight it seemed that millions saw their 401Ks and their IRAs evaporate, the value of their houses plummet and our national economy teeter on the edge of disaster. If that were not enough, the headlines warned that countries like Iran and North Korea were thumbing their noses at the free nations of the world by developing nuclear weapons and then threatening retribution against any nation that tries to interfere with their menacing pursuits. News of the possibility of dangerous solar flares, wayward asteroids and global warming further spread doom and gloom.
New leadership appears to be leading our nation down a slippery slope toward what could become dangerously close to socialism. All this leads Christians to wonder if we are in danger of losing our valued freedom of worship. Truthfully, since I am not a prophet I do not know the answer. I have my opinions, but they could be wrong, too. However, I do know what the Bible says. Paul wrote, “there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God” (Rom. 13:1). Solomon wrote that God said, “By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth” (Pro. 8:15,16). Our country’s situation and the situation of the world has not taken God by surprise. Many times in the Old Testament, God has stated that He is the one who raises up kingdoms, appoints them for His purpose and allows their rulers to come to power. When we become concerned about our government and those who are responsible for national decisions, we should confidently rest in the words of Daniel, “And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding” (Dan. 2:21). All in all, I think our present situation should cause us to pray with John, “Even so come quickly, Lord Jesus.”

SPRING BREAK IS OVER
No Discovery meetings this week so we took a Spring Break trip to be with family. Seems like I remember when I could make a 500 mile trip with no problem at all. Well, things have changed. Various parts of the anatomy do not tolerate such a trip anymore like they use to, at least without a break. Getting there and back now takes up almost as much as our time with loved ones. Probably has something to do with age.

Well, we are back now and looking forward to our services Sunday.

HOW TO FIND TRUE HAPPINESS
In preparing a message on true happiness, I found this quote, “It takes three things to be happy, good health, selfishness, and stupidity, and without stupidity the others are useless.” The quote was not what I was looking for, but what really amazed me was the number of books that contained this statement. However, buried deep in some of the references was a quote by other psychologists who said there are indeed three things that are required for happiness. They are work, love and hope. "Humm," I thought, "that's more what I am looking for."

In Psalm 2:12 the Psalmist says, “Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” Blessed is the Hebrew word 'esher and means “how happy.” David said, “How happy are all they that put their trust in him.” Using the words of the psychologists to refer to the biblical concept of happiness along with the psalmist's words, in an abbreviated form, I mention three things we Christians need to find true happiness.

WE NEED SOMETHING TO DO.
I suppose everyone can find something to do besides their jobs that will keep them busy. Some fish, hunt, play golf or bowl. Others, however, keep busy doing things that are destructive. While these things keep people busy, none of them produce lasting happiness. However, Jesus gives us things to do that will bring true happiness.
1. He says believe in Him. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me” (John 14:1)
2. He says work for Him (v. 12) “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
3. He says ask of Him (vv. 13-14) “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”
4. He says obey Him (v. 15) “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
These four things are works we can do that will produce real and lasting happiness

WE NEED SOMETHING OR SOMEONE TO LOVE
1. Jesus says love God. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matt. 22:37).
2. Jesus says love Him. “For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me” (John 16:27), and we show our love for Him by keeping His commandments” (John 14:15).
3. Jesus says love one another. Jesus said, “These things I command you, that ye love one another” (John 15:17).

WE NEED SOMETHING FOR WHICH TO HOPE
This hope is not like, “I hope I have something left in my 401k.” Rather the hope of which I speak of something for which we look with anticipation and with a settle assurance. All saved people have the hope of heaven. It is a surety.
1. Peter said we have the hope of all that the Father has given us. Peter wrote, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3).
2. Jesus said we have hope of our future home. Jesus promised, “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you” (John 14:2).
3. Paul said we have hope of Jesus' glorious return. Paul wrote, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
Remember David said, “Blessed (how happy) are all they that put their trust in him.” In a world of gloom and doom, along with these three ways to find true happiness are three others...we should trust Him, try Him and prove Him.

BTW, JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD
I dialed a number incorrectly the other day. The man whose number I dial called back to see if the call was for him. I had a friendly chat with Alan Hale from Houston. In the course of the conversation he mentioned that he had read my blog and that he, too, had a web site. He also mentioned that he had a book. The book is a list of 30,000 words each with its Spanish equivalent. He asked me if I would mention it in my blog.

This is not an endorsement because I have not ordered the book. It seems like it could be a useful tool for anyone who might be traveling to Mexico or who just wants to become familiar with Spanish as a second language. From what I can tell from the web site, it does not contain anything offensive.
The web site is www.magicvocabulary.com

THE ART OF PACING

I can't believe that I haven't posted anything since last Wednesday. Time passes fast when you're having fun. Actually, time passes fast whether you're having fun or not. So to uphold the integrity of blogging, consider this subject "Off the top of my head."

I wonder how many pastors have said, "If I could just get all of our people in church on the same Sunday, we would have a church house full." I have said it many, many times. Recently, my wife asked me if I had considered the opposite of that. What if all our people decided to be gone at the same time?" I had to admit that I had not thought of that. Just another thing about which to be concerned.

Regardless of what programs or campaigns I use, how fervently I pray or how many visits I make, I must be realistic and realize that I cannot MAKE people attend. I could resort to a well-used tactic and try putting a guilt trip of folks (believe me I have done my share of that), but I have learned that guilt trips either don't work or they backfire and produce a negative reaction.

So how do I handle such situations? I will continue to be concerned. I will fret to myself. I will keep preaching the Bible, praying, warning and encouraging our people, and before every service I will practice something I have developed into an art form, something I have done for as long as I have been a pastor...I pace. Whether or not it does any good, I walk the sidewalk until its time for the services to start looking for the people to come.

Don't ask me where all that came from. Oh I know, we are to pray and not worry, and I do pray, and I know that worrying is showing a lack of faith. So instead, I just get concerned and wonder how other pastors feel when its almost time to begin services and there are not as many people there as they would like.

DEALING WITH REALITY...Cont.
Hebrews 11 lists men and women who are heroes of faith. Some were noted for what they accomplished while others suffered persecution and endured incredible hardships. These passages confirm that Christians are not excluded from experiencing both good and bad times in life

David, the man after God’s own heart, experienced times when life was really good. He also mentioned times when his enemies attacked him and life was less than pleasant. David knew what it was like to face both the good times and the bad times of life. How did he do it? How did he stay positive? David said that “in the day of my trouble I will call upon thee” with the assurance that God would answer him (Psalm 86:7). David also acknowledged God for the good times and said, “thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee” (Psalm 63:3).

As Christians, we may well be facing the most difficult times we have ever experienced. I am praying that will not be the case, but there is no promise to the contrary. Regardless of whether the times will be good or bad, Peter wrote, “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6,7). Paul said, “Rejoice evermore” (1 Thess. 5:16) or as we sometimes say, “Praise the Lord anyhow!”

If you place a piece of clay in the sunlight, it will soon become rock hard, but place a wax candle in the same sunlight and it will become pliable and melt. In each case, the result is not so much from the sun as it is from the make up of the clay and the wax. The clay resists the effects of the sun and becomes hard and unyielding. The wax, on the other hand, yields itself to the rays of the sun and melts in its warmth.

In bad times, we can rebel against the Son and become hardened like clay, or we can yield to the Son and melt like wax in his warmth. If we are called on to face difficult times, which will you be...clay or wax? Will we become hardened and bitter or yielded and pliable in God’s hands? The decision is ours.

DEALING WITH REALITY
Regardless of whether one is saved or unsaved, he finds life is made up of good times as well as bad times. Most people accept the reality that there will be bad times in their lives, and sometimes you hear a person say, “Oh, I take the good with the bad.” Then you wonder how serious they are about that statement. You wonder, do they really?

Realistically speaking, one of two things usually happens when the bad times come. One is, a person will become bitter and start to ask why God isn’t doing something to relieve the situation. With the economic downturn, the evaporation of savings and the gloom and doom forecast of a deep recession, you are apt to find many Christians looking to heaven and saying, “God, why are you letting this happen?” Some in intense bitterness, throw up their hands and say, “What’s the use? What has serving God gotten me?”

Or the other thing that can happen is that in difficult times, dedicated Christians will draw closer to God. They realize that a wise person is one who recognizes where and in whom his strength and safety lies. Bear in mind that Christians are not promised a life of satisfaction but rather one of contentment. David asked when would he be satisfied. He answered his own questions by saying, “when I awake, with thy likness” (Psalm 17:15). On the other hand, Paul wrote, “I have learned...to be content” (Phil. 4:11). We see that contentment is learned in the present, while we attain satisfaction in the future.

Like Paul, we should understand that on the road of life, there will not always be green lights and blue skies. Rather, life runs the gamut of experiences from bad to good and these are common to everyone. Paul describes these experiences with the words of contrast— abased (humbled, brought low) / abound (buoyed on and up); full (supplied in abundance) / hungry (to crave); abound (to have a superabundance) / suffer need (to be destitute). Paul said there were times when his life was really good, and then would come times when things were really bad, but through it all he had learned to be content regardless of how life flowed. How could Paul possibly say that? Here’s how. He said, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phi. 4:13). He could not do it on his own.
(To be Continued)

Our 14th annual Faith Promise Missions conference is over, and what a great series of services we had. Our speaker. pastor Allen Hagood, was top notch with to-the-point messages about missions and about trusting God to supply our Faith Promises. On Thursday and Friday nights, Tommy and Sherri Drewett blessed our hearts with music and then their ministry was further enhanced when they were joined by their son Shawn on Saturday for a Drewett Family reunion. Jim Slocumb lead our singing with his usual gusto. Then to top it off, on Sunday morning our Faith Promise Commitments totaled $85,880. For those who doubt the effectiveness of Faith Promise giving, last year at the end of our conference we received $65,000 in commitments and during the year God provided us with almost $75,000 in offerings.

The only downer during the conference was the problem with the Drewett’s vehicle. Apparently, the in-tank fuel pump went out. The church voted to have it repaired for them. However, we don’t know how long it will take to have the vehicle repaired and get Tommy, Sherri and Shawn back to Louisiana. I will tackle that tomorrow (Monday). For now, I am enjoying the blessings of today.

It has been a busy week, and it's not over yet. We began our Faith Promise Conference tonight. Bro. Allen Hagood preached a great message. Tommy and Sherri Drewett did a great job and so did Bro. Jim Slocumb.

The spirit of the service was great. I am looking forward to the service tomorrow (Friday) night and then to our commitment service on Sunday morning. With the economic condition like it is in our country, and in our world for that matter, the faith of our people certainly will be challenged. Rather than be pessimistic, we should thank God for giving us an environment that will allow Him to show us what He can and will do.

I have no reservations about extolling the blessing associated with Faith Promise mission giving. After practicing it for 40 years, I can personally testify that it is a method of giving that enables a person to give more to missions. Why? Because God will respond in a positive way to the faith of His people.

Faith Promise mission giving is a voluntary way to take part in God’s program of world evangelism. The plan may not be for everyone. As a pastor, I tell folks that they must decide for themselves whether or not they want to participate in the program. Those who do are blessed. Those who don’t, I feel, miss the blessing.

When it comes to getting ready for a special event like a Missions Conference, regardless of having a To-Do list (literal or in your mind), I always have a feeling in the pit of my stomach that if have forgotten to do something. Hopefully, I am not alone. Surely, I am not alone. This is a dead give away that time management is not a strong point. When it comes to my schedule, an old saying comes to mind–The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.

Thursday, our church begins its 14th annual Faith Promise Missions Conference. Pastor Allen Hagood of Star City Arkansas will be our featured speaker. Tommy and Sherri Drewett of Pineville, Louisiana will be our special guests to provide their special style of music. They will be joined by their son Shawn on Saturday for a reunion of the Drewett Family. Bro. Jim Slocumb, director of Texas Mission Development will lead our music. We invite Bro. Jim to be with us every year. Our people love him.

I never fail to get excited when it is time for our missions conference. God has honored the faith of our people by supplying their faith promises in some amazing ways, and I have no doubt that He will do it again this next year.

We held our first Marriage Enrichment seminar Saturday. Under the leadership of my wife, the ladies have been conducting Ladies Seminars for several years now, and they have been very successful and enjoyed by many ladies of the church. After teaching six weeks of lessons in our couples Sunday School class, the class members ask about the possibility of having a Marriage Seminar. So I began to plan one for the Fall, but time constraints and some other activities caused us to postpone it. Finally, things came together.

Thinking we had a final on the number who would attend, my wife and I assembled the materials and prepared for Saturday. On Friday we received a call from a couple asking if it was too late to sign up. They came and joined right in. We met Saturday for three hours, had lunch as a group at a local restaurant and returned to the church for two and a half more hours. We had a great day with positive comments from everyone. To top it off, the young couple who signed up on Friday along with their three children were at church today.

All the couples who attended committed to participate in the 40 day Love Dare. I have heard that there are possibly others who did not attend the seminar but plan to participate in the Love Dare. I plan to ask the couples to network as a group to encourage one another during this 40 day journey.

HIS LAST COMMAND...OUR FIRST CONCERN
The last few days have been very busy. Our church will be involved in a Marriage Enrichment seminar Saturday and then we prepare for our 14th Faith Promise Missions Conference. God blessed this past year by providing the largest amount the church has ever given to missions, at least from what I can determine. I know many times a pastor will say things like that meaning since he has been the pastor. If our church has given more in the past before I became the pastor, I apologize for any overstatement of the facts. The $75,000 for missions had to be from God, our congregation is not that large.

With the economy in the shape that it is in, the challenge will be greater this year. Faith Promise giving is not based on outward circumstances and situations. The more difficult the times, the challenge becomes greater for people to truly rely on God, but that is what Faith Promise is all about. I fully believe that God has never asked His people to do anything that He has not promised to supply what they need to accomplish the task. In Philippians 4:19, Paul states that God supplies all our needs “according to” His riches, not out of His riches. There is a difference. In providing “according to His riches,” God has no problem abundantly supplying “all” that we need to accomplish His work. Since the context of this passage is Paul thanking the Philippian church for once again helping him financially, the verse gives assurance that God’s work done God’s way will not lack God’s supply.

Some practice Faith Promise giving, others speak against it, but say what you will about the Faith Promise method of Mission giving, it has taken our church from giving $8,000 a year to missions to $75,000 and all the while our general offerings have been adequate to meet our local needs. For almost 20 years, our church has operated debt free, with the exception of a couple of years when we financed the purchase of a van. I praise God for His provision.

(Continued from the previous blog)

When investigating a crime scene, forensic experts begin a search for evidence. Primary in their investigation are fingerprints. Just as criminal or civil investigators look for fingerprints in a systematic search for evidence, when one searches for evidence of a divine Creator, he should look for God’s fingerprints on His creation. They are everywhere. David wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (Psalm 19:1). What can be consider fingerprints of God?

First consider the finger print of physics. Have you ever heard of Occam’s razor? This is a principle attributed to a fourteenth century logician that in simple words states, when multiple theories vie for consideration, select the one that presents the fewest assumptions and presumes the fewest hypothetical entities. Over the centuries, men have written volumes in an attempt to explain and account for all the laws of physics that function to sustain not just a planet or even one creature with no sentient capabilities, much less an entire universe. Yet, an examination of the explanations available find that many of them are at odds with each other and cannot agree on how the cosmos came about. On the other hand, the Bible states clearly in ten English words, “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth“ (Gen. 1:1). Apply Occam’s razor, the simplest solution tends to be the best one.

Consider the fingerprint of astronomy. David said, “The heavens declare the glory of God.” The late Carl Sagan, astronomer and astrobiologist, once referred to the earth as a “lonely speck in a great enveloping cosmic dark.” Sagan was a staunch supporter of skeptical inquiry and humanism. He believed the earth was merely an average, unassuming pile of rock that spins without purpose around a less than remarkable star in a forsaken part of a run-of-the-mill galaxy surrounded by, in Sagan’s words, “billions and billions” of more impressive galaxies. More than once, Sagan stated his belief that there “has to be” hundreds of thousands of planets that support intelligent life-forms. Unashamedly, he announced that to believe the Earth is unique in the universe borders on lunacy. A mere cursory search on the Internet will reveal that Sagan was not the only one holding such a view. Not a few physicists boldly assert that no reputable scientist believes in biblical creationism.

Thankfully, “The Bible stands like a rock undaunted,” and its truth remains unruffled. Lee Strobel quotes Nobel Laureate Arno Penzias, “Astronomy leads us to a unique event, a universe which was created out of nothing, one with the very delicate balance needed to provide exactly the conditions required to permit life, and one which has an underlying (one might say “super- natural”) plan.” The earth is not a less-than-average, non-descript planet. The earth is unique in the universe with a sun that is far from average. Even its place in the galaxy is uncannily positioned for life. The earth has all the right balances, all the right cycles of air and all the proper temperature and water —a situation totally unique in the universe. With a more complete examination of facts rather relying on rhetoric and conjecture reveals the fingerprints of God all over the cosmos.

Further, there is the fingerprint of consciousness to consider. UNIVAC 1 was the first American computer produced for commercial use. UNIVAC 1 used 5,200 vacuum tubes, weighed 29,000 pounds and occupied more than 350 square feet of floor space. This computer, awesome for its time, was dedicated on July 14, 1951. Fifty-eight years later, computers have become unbelievably smaller and have increased astronomically in their processing ability, so much so that some robotic scientists to prophesy that by 2050 the computer’s ability to think will surpass that of man. Yet, no computer can or will be able to acknowledge God as Creator, Father and Savior.

I wrote this article last summer to address the question, “Are there ways to teach young people the truth about the existence of God and counteract the false information they are receiving concerning God and creation?” (My paraphrase of the question.) My qualifications to write such an article as well as my sources of research are limited. However, I am not at a loss. I have a source that is irrefutable, it is the Bible. I close with this observation, God's existence does not have to be substantiated by man, and neither does the Bible. Therefore, Christians do not have to rely on blind faith to refute humanism and evolutionary theories. To coin a phrase, “The truth is out there!” God said it, and that settles it regardless of whether man believes it.

Sometime last year someone asked me the question, “How can we counteract the false information our young people are receiving concerning God and creation and teach them the truth?” (My paraphrase of the question.) In my Pastor’s Pen newsletter I presented some thoughts on the subject. I want to share that article again in several segment of my blog.

In an article I read recently, a writer stated that the Bible was ever so slowly attacking and eroding the walls of the bastions of materialistic humanism. To me, the suggestion seems to picture the Bible leading a charge from the outside against the strong, seemingly impenetrable fortresses of a philosophy that is at odds with theistic principles. I say it is an incorrect picture of the Bible for a number of reasons. One is that the Bible is truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Instead of mounting feeble attacks against unbelief and unrighteousness, rather it stands as a strong tower of ethics, morals and godliness unmovable against the onslaughts of evil. When considering the character of the Bible, I think of a children chorus that says:
The Bible stands like a rock undaunted
’Mid the raging storms of time;
Its pages burn with the truth eternal,
And they glow with a light sublime

The Bible stands though the hills may tumble,
It will firmly stand when the earth shall crumble;
I will plant my feet on its firm foundation,
For the Bible stands.

The principles inculcated in the pages of the Bible are being assailed from every direction. On television, in the movies, on the printed page and even in the classroom, our children are exposed to propaganda that contradicts the Bible by attributing the universe to an accident and tracing man’s origin to a pool of primordial soup. Concerning the universe and man, humanism says chance, the Bible says creation. Concerning the Bible, humanism says fake, God says fact.

Unbelief has reached pandemic magnitudes. At the heart of the global outbreak is age-old the attempt to shake man’s confidence in God’s existence. To accomplish this undertaking, atheist, agnostic, humanists and other unbelievers justify their position by proposing that the universe and all that is in it originated spontaneously and that the life-forms that resulted began a process of evolution that eventually produced the human family. The theory of evolution did not originate with the English Naturalist Charles Darwin, who at the age of fifty-one, published the renown The Origin of the Species. Darwin’s thoughts were the results of his extensive travels collecting specimens of what he felt established proof of evolution. So anxious to find something which would establish their conjecture that man arrived on earth as an accident and then evolved over million of years, those who wanted to rule God out of man’s life fed on Darwin’s ideas like sharks in a feeding frenzy. Then for years, the concept of evolution as man’s origin grew in popularity until what at first was presented as a theory began to be taught as fact.

In spite of the lack of definitive proof of its authenticity and a mounting number of prominent scientist who are now embracing creationism, many continue to accept evolution as the accepted answer to the existence of man,. Even Christians are not excluded from this number. So what is wrong with accepting what world opinion seems to believe is the only intelligent explanation for the material universe and all that is in it? Consider the words of eminent evolutionary biologist William Provine of Cornell University quoted by Lee Stroble. In a debate, Provine stated that if Darwin’s theory were true, it produces five inescapable conclusions:
1. there is no evidence of God
2. there is no life after death
3. there is no absolute foundation for right and wrong
4. there is no ultimate meaning for life
5. there is no such thing as free will
(The Case for a Creator, Lee Strobel, pg 18)

Evolution is THE popular world-view because it negates a responsibility and accountability to a holy God for one’s actions. The acceptance of the biblical account of creation puts God in the picture where He belongs and provides the only logical explanation for the countless intricacies of cosmos. The world does not want this accountablility.
(Continued)

How often do you hear people talk about time. “I don’t have enough time!” “Give me a little more time.” “There just isn’t enough time.” The truth of the matter is that regardless of how much we wish for more, all of us have the same amount of time. When we use it up there is no more. Face it, there are only twenty-four hours in a day. Regardless of how we would like to have more, no way man. It is simply not going to happen. So, why do we have so much trouble with time? Where does it go?

One of the things that plagues our families, our churches and even our jobs is what we call busyness. Try engaging someone in a decent conversation and before long they are telling you about all the things they must get done and how little time they have to do them. There’s housework to do, the kids’ soccer games, grocery shopping and the list goes on. I read of someone who had an expression for it. He said people are as busy as a fiddler’s elbow. In 1982 Dr. Larry Dossey wrote about “the obsessive belief that one’s time is getting away, that there isn’t enough of it and that one much peddle faster and faster to keep up” and called it “time sickness.”

Is there something wrong with being busy? Isn’t it better to be lazy than to be slothful? Busyness is not the problem. The problem is what are you busy doing. The bee is praised, mosquito is swatted. Why? Because fruitless busyness is destructive. Busyness can destroy are at least severely damage a number of things.

Busyiness can be destructive to a marriage. Research shows that, on the whole, married people are healthier and happier than unmarried people. However, research has also shown that busyness can produce stress fractures in a marriage. Busyness interferes with conversation and conversation is vital to a good marriage. Often the home becomes so busy that husbands and wives feel more like traffic controllers than spouses and parents. Research reveals that on the average a couple spends less than three minutes of meaningful conversation in a typical day. A person spends more time than that talking to a bank teller. With all the things most families have going on, there is seldom time for meaningful conversation.

Busyness is destructive to plain old every day fun. By the end of the day most family members feel like hamsters in a wheel and that is a shame. Life does not have to be a drag. Solomon said there is “a time...to laugh” (Ecc. 3:4). He also wrote, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine” (Pro. 17:22). Lord Byron commented on this by saying "Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine." However, busyness will rob a person of joy and take the fun out of life.

Busyness helps to identify priorities. People talk about not having enough time to do everything. In such cases, what is it that these people usually get accomplished? You can be sure it will be the things they feel are the most important to them. Christians should carefully evaluate the things they feel are important. Jesus spoke f priorities when He said “seek ye first the kingdom of God.” If not approached with the right attitude, busyness can in opposition to this principle by distorting priorities and making even the strongest Christian occasionally forget what is truly important. Jesus told us "occupy" till He comes. That means to keep busy doing His work. So, remember the question is not are you busy, but rather what are you busy doing.

IT'S WEDNESDAY...

and that means mid-week services– Discovery and Adult Prayer Meeting. That also means I should be well on my way to having my messages for Sunday ready. The operative word here is SHOULD. Truth be know, I don’t. Things happen andyou have to adjust. Besides dealing with the mini-calamity at the church (showing the clean-up crew where things are and waiting for the insurance adjuster), at the house we were in the process of putting up crown molding, new baseboards and painting. That work was interrupted or delayed a number of times.

My wife was not a happy camper. She says it seems that every time we start a project that should normally take a day or two, it turns into a week (or more) because it never fails, I get called away right in the middle of it. I can understand her frustrations. I believe the Lord will have special rewards for pastors' wives--some for putting up with us and others for the many times they have had to put their own plans on hold. I can go weeks without getting a call that requires that I drop everything, but let me begin something here at the house and it seems the calls start. I’m sure I am not the only one who experiences this sort of thing. Sunday is our anniversary, so I am going to work extra hard to try and get this home project finished before the weekend.

This just may be my only post for today. We are taking the day off from the painting and stuff, but I still must prepare an ad for the paper, print some cards to send out, go over my message for tonight, work on the lessons for our Marriage Enrichment seminar and get started writing one of the lessons for fall Teen Discovery. Whew! I got tired just writing all that.

THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL WAS NOT A TRAIN
Things are looking up. The clean-up crew that arrived last night has completed the process of draining every molecule (or at least it seems) of moisture from floors, carpets, walls and ceiling of east wing of our main building.

This afternoon they began disinfecting the area and next will professionally clean the carpets. The adjustor arrived a hour early and within two hours the insurance company called to check how things were going. The insurance company said they would make sure things were taken care of, and they would take care of all the things we need. Of course, all these things remain to be seen, but at this point, things are going much better.

Sorry, I couldn’t come up with anything more exciting than this. Maybe something will come to mind sooner or later.

Help is on the way...I think
I spent the morning trying to get in touch with our insurance agent, attempting to set up a temporary office, calling our insurance agent, hooking up a phone, calling our insurance agent and reinstalling our office computer. I finally heard from our agent. Then I started waiting for the main office to call back, then more waiting for the water/moisture removal people to call and finally waiting to hear from the adjuster. Eventually, by about 3:00, all of them contacted me. According to the moisture removal company, one team would get here about 7:00 P.M. They said they will call me and I will meet them to open the church for them to set up their equipment. The second team will be here in the morning. I specifically told them I did not want to have to get up in the middle of the night to let them in. "No problem," the man said. Well, it is after 7:30 and I haven’t heard a word. If I have to leave the house and go to the church at 11:00 I am not going to be a happy camper. However, help is on the way...I think.

I realize that little items like this do not contain earth shattering information and perhaps do not merit using valuable time reading them, but I really would like to know if anyone reads them. In fact I would like to know if anyone is reading anything that I post. If you can figure out how to leave a comment, please do. I will look forward to hearing from you.

The waters asswaged

“And the waters asswaged!” The carpet was not completely dry this morning, but it was getting that way. The odor was there, but it was not too bad. I feel all the carpet will have to be replaced. I also feel that the sheet rock at floor level will have to be cut out and replaced. Now we are waiting on the adjuster to come. All the office work and phones will have to be handled from home (my secretary’s and mine).

We had a great service this morning. Several weeks ago after the morning service, a young mother asked if she could talk with me in my office. She told me she had joined a church when she was young, but she was sure she had not known what she was doing. She told me that something happened two years ago that changed her life. She was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She had since lived with it for two years because she felt she was too young to have surgery. In December, her doctor told her she should enjoy Christmas with her kids because it would most likely be the last one she would have. It was then she realized she was not prepared to die. There in my office I explained the plan of salvation to her and she asked the Lord to save her.

She told me she had a tumor the size of a baseball and numerous smaller ones in her intestinal track. The doctors said they could probably remove the large one but doubted they would be able to do anything with the smaller ones, there were just too many. At that time, she was preparing for several more chemo treatments before having surgery. We have mentioned her in prayer at every service and had her on our prayer chain.

This morning, she presented herself to the church for baptism and gave a fantastic testimony. In her last visit to the doctor for tests, they found the baseball-sized tumor had decreased to the size of a nickle or time. All the smaller tumors in her intestinal track were gone. We had a shouting good time. This young lady is a single mother with three beautiful children. She will still have surgery and have to take a few more chemo treatments as a precaution. We will baptize her next Sunday. After that service, the water and wet carpets no longer seemed that important.

Water, water everwhere

Water, water everywhere. Three inches of it, anyway. That was what met our deacon when he walked into the church office late yesterday afternoon. We installed a new water fountain a couple of weeks ago, and Friday afternoon something went wrong— evidently. At some point, a connection broke allowing who knows how many gallons of water to spill into the east wing of our church building.

That is where our offices are located with the computers, copier and our secretary’s brand new really fine looking desk and office furniture. While there was plenty of water in my office, my desk has pedestal-type legs so it was okay. A couple of pieces of electronic equipment and a box of books didn’t do too well.

After finding all the water extracting companies in town were busy, we spent the next three and a half hours vacuuming water and moving furniture and equipment. We did the best we could and then after setting up as many fans as we could find, we closed up for the night. When I opened the door this morning, I was met with the recognizable smell of heavy humidity and wet carpet. Things still had not dried out. If the humidity lingers, I am now wondering if people in the service in the morning will think they are worshiping in a chapel by the sea. All that would be missing would be the cry of the sea gulls. However regardless of the circumstances, being in the presence of God is always wonderful, and in that case all will be okay. Pardon me now while I go and locate my galoshes.

Recently, I talked with a young preacher who expressed to me his discouragement about his ministry. I shared with him an article I wrote in 2005 to the church I pastor. The article was on the anniversary of my fiftieth year in the ministry. I pointed out to him that the blessing of ministry far out-weigh the discouragements that come along the way. I want to share an updated version of that article here.
August of 2005 represented a milestone for me, so indulge me in a little reminiscing. One night in August of 1955, I walked down the aisle of the Missionary Baptist Church on South 15th Street in Corsicana, Texas. I took Bro. Riely Dale by the hand and said, “Bro. Dale, God has called me to preach.” That was [now] fifty-four years ago and it began a journey that has been exciting, occasionally disappointing, sometimes downright discouraging but always fulfilling. I tried to think of a song that would reflect on my ministry. As hard as I tried, nothing came to mind at first. Then I remembered a children’s song that sums it up very well. It says, “Praise Him, Praise Him, Praise Him in the morning, praise Him at the noon time. Praise Him, Praise Him, Praise Him when the sun goes down.”
As I think of my life and my ministry, I can easily divide it into the same segments mentioned in this song. I surrendered to preach as a young man. When I publicly announced my call, I was preparing to enter my senior year in high school. God’s Word played an important part in my life even as a young boy. A lot of years have come and gone, so all the details are a bit fuzzy, but perhaps I can remember some of the outstanding ones accuractly. Even before I felt God’s call, I had a special interest in studying the Bible. When I was a freshman, in the evening after I finished my homework, I would turn the radio on and listen to a broadcast that originated from Chattanooga, Tennessee. I remember it quite clearly because the program began with the announcer quoting Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” The program was called “It’s Dynamite.” The speaker was Dr. Lee Robertson, then pastor of Highland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga. I did not know who he was. In fact, I was not even a Baptist then, but his messages were powerful, and I would sit with my Bible and follow along while he preached. His messages aroused my interest in a more than casual study of the Scripture. It was then that my friendship with Joe Evans led me to begin attending the youth fellowship at the Missionary Baptist Church in Corsicana. The youth minister was Kenneth Bazzar, who was then, as I recall, a recent graduate from the Seminary in Little Rock. Bro. Bazzar’s teachings enlarged my understanding of the Bible even more and introduced me to the scriptural precepts of Baptist churches. I was saved when I was nine years old, but I did not start attending a Baptist church until I was about fifteen. I joined the church and was baptized by Bro. Dale. It was not long until I could not put my questioning off any longer. I went to Bro. Dale and ask the classic question, “Bro. Dale, how does a person know he is called to preach?”
I will never forget Bro. Dale’s answer. It is one I still give men who ask me the same question. He said, “Weeks, if you can see yourself doing anything besides preaching and if you can get by without preaching, then get by without preaching.” That’s all he said.
I remember it as plain as though it were yesterday. I went home and literally threw myself across my bed. I had never felt God’s call stronger. Oh, it wasn’t an audible voice, but it might as well have been. I covered my head with my hands as though I was trying to shut it out. My mother saw me and asked what was wrong. I told her “I think God is calling me to preach.” All she said was, “I’m not surprised. Just make sure.” I don’t think I ever tried to run from God’s call. However, I just couldn’t understand why He would call me. I got sick just thinking about getting up in front of the class at school to give a book report, but to get up before a congregation of people seemed impossible. However, I told the Lord that if that was what He wanted me to do then I would do it, but He would have to be responsible for the outcome.
Those early years were filled with many blessings. My friend, Joe Evans (who has just recently gone to be with the Lord), had also surrendered to preach, and often we would travel to appointments together. He would usually preach, and I would lead singing. We attended seminary and roomed together with his brother-in-law Dr. Ray O. Brooks who is now the president of Texas Baptist Institute and Seminary. During my seminary years, I would drive home every weekend to preach at Providence Missionary Baptist Church where I served as pastor. I call those years “the morning of my ministry” and I give God praise for them.
After I graduated from Texas Baptist Institute in May of 1960, I was called to pastor a young and fledgling church in Alvin, Texas. If I remember correctly, there were twelve or thirteen people counting myself who attended the first Sunday I preached there. I feel the ministry at Alvin was a fruitful one, and I still treasure the friendships I made while I was there.
In the years that followed, I became the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Magnolia, Arkansas. God blessed in those years as well. In 1968 I was called to pastor the historic Union Avenue Baptist Church in Bogalusa, Louisiana. I was humbled and honored for that privilege because many notable preachers had preached from behind that pulpit. While at Union Avenue, I had the honor of being the president of the Bogalusa Bible School. The school served the southeast Louisiana area and offered a full range of Bible studies taught by a number of very capable pastors. Following my ministry at Union Avenue, I became the pastor of Ardella Baptist Church in Lakeland, Florida. While there, I was asked to join the faculty of Florida Baptist Institute and Seminary. It was while I was at Ardella that I was introduced to the Faith Promise plan of missionary giving. God blessed me in a very special way by giving me the opportunity to share this principle with churches all across the country. The calls from churches inviting me to hold mission conferences became so numerous that I felt God was leading me into this ministry on a full time basis. In 1974 I resigned Ardella Baptist Church to start a ministry I called MISSION POSSIBLE which continued until about 1980. With more and more pastors and churches becoming familiar with the Faith Promise concept, the requests for my services gradually diminished until in 1980 I accepted the position of Music Minister and associate pastor of Alvin Missionary Baptist Church under the pastoral leadership of Bro. Darrell Streeter. It was during these years that God gave me two fine sons and a wonderful daughter. These years I call the “noon-time” of my ministry, and though there were some heart-breaking disappointments during this time, I praise God for His blessings.
In 1990 God called me to pastor Westwood Baptist Church in Odessa, Texas. This has been a wonderful period of my life. I have had the privilege again of teaching in a seminary and receiving my doctoral diploma, continuing to serve as a writer for the Baptist Sunday School Committee of the American Baptist Association and being allowed by my church to continue holding Faith Promise Conferences when invited. During these years God has blessed my wife, Mary, and me with four grandchildren and others here at the church who call us Papa and Granny. I am aware that the morning and noon time of my ministry have come and gone, but I can truthfully say that I am still praising Him even as the sun goes down. I am in no way intending to be negative or gloomy by saying this. At seventy, and after fifty-four years in ministry, I fully realize that I have more years behind me than I have in front of me. If that is not the case, then I am certainly going to live to be a very old man. However, I am not looking for the undertaker, I am looking for the Upper-taker.
Someone asked me when I planned to retire. The thought of retirement is not something I am entertaining. Oh sure, there are times when I get tired in the ministry, but I can honestly say I have never gotten tired of it. Yes, I have been hurt a number of times. I have been disappointed quite a few times. I have never gotten rich, and I don’t think I have ever been over-paid (although the jury may still be out on that). But through it all, God has always provided. After experiencing a Sunday or two of disappointing attendances, there might be a fleeting moment when not having to worry about empty pews or tight budgets might look awfully tempting, but then I think of what Bro. Dale said so many years ago...”Weeks, if you can get by without preaching, get by without preaching.” Then when I think of what it would be like not being able to stand behind that sacred desk and deliver a message from God’s Word, I realize I am not ready for retirement. But if or when the time comes that I cannot function properly and become more of a hindrance than a help, I will step aside and find another way to PRAISE HIM WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN.

Wooo hooo !

Yea! I received a comment, and it was a nice one too. My problem now is, I don’t know how to respond with a comment to the comment sender. So to the dear person who left it, thank you, I appreciate your kind words.

I had planned to write something for the blog tonight, however, that won’t happen. Instead, I finished writing a Teen Discovery lesson. As a result, I have experienced a brain-drain and there is nothing extra left. Maybe tomorrow.

By the way, since I am new at this blogging thing, if anyone drops by and reads my tid bits, be they serious or inane (the tid bits, that is), let me know. I would like to know who actually takes time to read what I have written.

Oh BTW, Westwood has a web stie. It is www.westwoododessa.org. I invite you to check it out.

SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT LOVE AND VALENTINE’S DAY.

So many people today are hurting. Regardless of whether its marital problems, financial difficulties or impaired health, they all contribute to the hurt so many feel. Another source of pain comes from the lack of love. This kind of pain eats primarily at one’s emotions. Lack of love is so overwhelming that it can even contribute to a number of physical ailments.

Surely you remember this line from a once popular song, “All the world needs now is love, sweet love.” Love is a needed commodity in the human family. Generally speaking, the world has a distorted view of what constitutes real love. We say we “love” new clothes, new cars, certain songs or junk food. The world even refers to illicit sex as “making love.” The world does need love, sweet love, true love, but it needs the kind of love that comes from God. Without a doubt, the greatest “love” verse in the Bible is John 3:16 that says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” While Valentine’s Day is not a biblical observance, none the less February 14 continues to be celebrated as a day for expressing love. With all the attention that is given this day, what better time to consider some thoughts about the greatest love mankind has ever known— the love of God.

How exciting it is to know we are loved by the creator of the universe. The One who scattered the billions and billions of stars and planets into space is not only aware of you and me, but also He passionately loves us. The truth is that we are not mere carbon-based sentient life forms. We are living creatures made in the image of God. God’s great love for us is seen in how intimately connected He is to us. He knew us before we were born. The psalmist wrote, “My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret...Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:15,16). Luke 12:7 informs us that “even the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Luke 12:7). John tells us that He first loved us (1 John 4:9).

Though we should cherish God’s love all the time, in all likelihood, the time we appreciate God’s love the most is when we suffer disappointments and feel dejected and forsaken. If it were not for the reassuring love of God, more people probably would drop out of the Lord’s work and pull away from His people just to lick their wounds. When troubling times come, God in tender love reminds us that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb.13:5). Isn’t that just like God? It should not be surprising, because His love in an everlasting love. In the Old Testament, Jeremiah wrote, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love” (Jer. 31:3).
Don’t misunderstand me, experiencing God’s love will not automatically turn your life rosy, but knowing that you have a God who loves you and is concerned about you will make your life worth while.

As exciting as knowing and experiencing God’s love yourself is seeing it manifested in the life of someone else. Seeing others change from a life of disobedience and running from God to one of learning and growing close to God is truly an amazing sight. When a person experiences God’s love, his life should change. He should begin to attend church regularly. He should begin reading his Bible. His relationship with his family should start falling in place. The more he experiences God’s love, the more he will want to become active in the Lord’s work. When we do not see these characteristics in a person’s life, we have a right to wonder whether or not that person has actually experienced the amazing love of God. Jesus said that those who love Him will keep his commandment (John 14:15).

We have a loving God. We enjoy the benefits of His love. As we think about these benefits, how often do we stop and consider the million others who have not experienced it. Why then are we guilty of not spreading that love around? I hope it’s not because we are so selfish or greedy that we want to keep God’s love to ourselves. We may let many things that keep us from actively sharing this love. Things like pride and selfishness sometimes get in our way. Activities may take precedence in our lives and our priorities get out of kilter. We simply must not let selfishness rob us of the joy of sharing God’s love with others.

How do we share God’s love? One way we share God’s love is by being a friend. Regardless of who they are, everyone needs a friend. A friend is someone who stands by you through the most difficult times. A friend is someone who will be by your side when everyone else goes away.

Another way to share God’s love is by sharing your faith. Remember the public service commercial that say, “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk?” Spiritually speaking, “Friends don’t let friends go to hell.” We share God’s love by introducing others to Jesus. You also share God’s love by praying for others. On two occasions, Paul encouraged the Thessalonians to pray for him and for his companions (1 Thess. 5:25; 2 Thess. 3:1).

As Valentine’s Day approaches and people think more and more about the subject of love, Christians should think of the greatest love mankind has ever known, and formulate ways they can share it.

In my first blog I didn’t mention that in addition to writing, I also like to play the guitar. Actually, I just pick at it (a bit of guitar humor). A couple of years ago, I have found several guys who like to play, too. We get together just about every Tuesday night and jam for a couple of hours. It’s a therapeutic thing for me.

My parents gave me my first guitar for Christmas when I was about thirteen. During the next year, they may have thought it was the most unwise thing they had ever done. No instructions came with the instrument, so for about a year my “playing” consisted of striking the strings and pretending I knew what to do with the fingers of my left hand. I think it was out of desperation that my mother ordered a Wayne Raney Learn To Play the Guitar in Five Minutes book for me. From that little paper-back book, I learned the basic chords of C, F and G. Later, I learned G, C and D. However, I have to admit that after over a half-century I still haven’t gotten a whole lot better. Well, maybe a little better, and since I have not aspired to a career in Nashville, my present ability level will have to do. I enjoy playing, and if I don’t abuse the ears of others around me too badly, that is really all that matters isn’t it?

There is something I have learned these past couple of years playing guitar with these guys. Actually, I have known it all along, but let’s say the experience has made it more real. For many years, I played the guitar by myself. I never played with a group or with anyone else for that matter. It was just me. I would often get frustrated at what I felt was my lack of ability. However, when I started playing music with others, I found I could play better than I imagined. The other men helped me, encouraged me and challenged me to do better.

Life is like that. God made us that way. The Bible says, “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.” Because we are social creatures, we need association and fellowship with others of a kindred spirit. Through these associations, we gain strength and encouragement. Solomon said, “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Together, the embers of a fire can burn white hot. They can cook a meal or heat metal until it is malleable. However, separate an ember from other coals and it will soon grow cold and useless. When Christians fail to associate with other Christians, they lose their warmth and usefulness for the Lord. Someone once made this observation to me, "It seems my life revolves mostly around my church and the people I know there." To me, that does not seem such a bad thing. We need fellowship and interaction with other Christians, especially those in our church.

I don’t know if playing my guitar with these guys has really made me play better. However, I do know that being with them has made playing the guitar more enjoyable. When it comes to serving and worshiping God, I can worship any place, any time, however, I know that worshiping Him with fellow Christians in church makes it even more enjoyable.

I suppose anyone who reads this can tell that I am just experiment with this blogging thing. This particular entry is perhaps nothing more than an exercise in free writing. I hope to get better. IF THIS APPEARS TWICE IT IS BECAUSE I WAS EXPERIMENTING WITH EDITING A PREVIOUS POST.

If you will be kind, leave me a comment. Remember guitarists are sensitive creatures, and so are preachers.

Just giving it a try

Blogging. I have been reading about it and reading the blogs by others. This is a toe in the water for me--not that I don't have enough to do. Some preachers I know like to play golf, a passtime that is not my cup of tea...too much walking. Some like to fish, but unless the fish bite within the first 15 minutes, I'm out of there. Me, I like to write. I didn't say I was good at it, I just said I like to write.

I am not sure of all the ins and outs of the medium or this particular blogging site. I assume there are advertisements that appear some place nor do I know what those advertisements are about. If I feel they are unacceptable, I may just disappear.
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It may take me awhile to figure out how to access this site. After I post this, it is very possible that I will forget how to get back. If that is the case, see the last phrase in the last sentence in the paragraph above.

Now to figure out how to let people know about it.