Free Indeed!
7/4/2005 7:22:12 PM
Independence Day!!! How blessed I am to be able to spend this day with friends and family. There are soldiers overseas who can't do that today. I appreciate their sacrifice and ask God to bless them and theirs this day. I will never forget how others have paid the ultimate price for my freedom. And on a deeper, more permanent level: I will always thank my God for the One who paid the ultimate price for humanity...Who set me free from the bondages of sin and death! I am truly free!

The London Attacks
7/7/2005 8:33:05 AM
The terrorists struck London today. My theory is that the word had been given by the higher-ups in the ranks of terror that the winner of the Olympic bid was to be bombed. Some say there wasn't enough time to plan for that scenerio, but of course, the planning has been going on forever. There are terrorists cells in all of the major cities who were finalists for the Olympics: New York, Paris, Madrid, Moscow, and London. There is an argument that the cells placed in New York were activated on 9-11 and in Madrid last year. Also, a lesser reported attack in Moscow could have been the result of such a cell. Perhaps the only cells remaining were in Paris and London, who were fighting neck to neck to win the Olympic bid for the year 2012. London won the bid. If new cells aren't already in place for those other cities, that leaves only Paris, from the list above, with an active cell ready to go. As my mind ponders all of these things it occurs to me that we live in a very brutal, violent world that is spiraling out of control. We need a savior. We need a man who can establish peace in our midst. Sadly, we will turn to the wrong man before the right one comes to save us from ourselves. Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Griping And Complaining
7/8/2005 8:12:24 AM
I often complain about my duties as a pastor. I hate when I do that. It robs me of so much: the joy of giving, the treasures accumulating in heaven, and the gift of making others smile. It seems to be something that is deeply rooted in my flesh. I even notice a pride thing at its core. By voicing my complaint about all the good deeds I am doing I draw attention to those deeds and their sacrificial nature. It’s like saying, “Look everybody; I’m doing all this good stuff even though nobody appreciates it.” If true love doesn’t keep a list of wrongs done, with which to attack others, perhaps it shouldn’t make a list of rights done with which to brow beat others either. Personally, I believe that my “doing” is mostly a selfish gesture on my part anyway. If I wasn’t doing, I would be thinking, and that is unacceptable for me. I handle my own issues much better by dealing with yours. It isn’t spiritually or mentally healthy, but there it is. The truth of the matter is I need these people much more than they need me. So I will shut my mouth and stop my complaining forthwith—or as soon as I find the time to work on that. 

No Altar Call?
7/11/2005 3:21:41 PM
As a minister of the Gospel, I have always felt a little slighted when I hear people say something like: "Church was so good last night that the preacher did not even get to preach." Oh, I think, is my preaching that bad? Of course, I realize what is being said: The Holy Ghost moved in such a way that the old routine of singing a few songs, taking an offering, hearing a special, preaching a message, and having an altar call got scrambled because God took over for our tradition and delivered something very fresh in a sovereign way. Fresh anointing from above sets people free. The very presence of God is going to obliterate our plans almost every time. There is nothing wrong with structure. We sing, we preach, and we pray to reach out to God. It's just that when God is already manifesting Himself, guiding or changing a service, the structure is obsolete. He is the structure. He is the substance. Lately, the way we do things has been less stringent. Last night, the presence of God was so strong from the very beginning of the service that the people just couldn't stop shouting and testifying of His good works. What was structurally strange about last night is that we did not have a traditional altar call: We, instead, slipped right back on the musical instruments and began praising our God with all our hearts. I overheard someone say, "Church was so great tonight that we didn't even have an altar call!!!" Suddenly I was struck by the essence of what is meant by such statements: When God shows up in such a palpable way, our traditions, which are designed to conjure up His presence, are not always necessary. Wouldn't it be wonderful to one day hear someone say, "Church was so great last night that we didn't even have church!"

Harry Potter....Again?
7/15/2005 3:32:43 PM
O.K. One more time for those who are so easily caught up in the world's thrill for rebellion against Godly morality: God is not pleased with those who use enchantments and witchcraft. Those who deal with familiar spirits or wizards and teach their children to do so are only angering God.(2 Chronicles 33:6) Please, Christian parents, read the book before you let your children read it; then examine the Bible's instruction. Make an informed decision about allowing your children to participate in activity that angers God.

Under Attack!
7/20/2005 10:59:05 AM
No matter what you do, some people simply aren’t going to like you; they aren’t going to appreciate the effort you give; they aren’t going to consider you a totally awesome man. Laura and I were on the business end of a good chewing out by a former member who decided it was high time we learned just exactly what our faults were as ministers in the church. Laura doesn’t take that sort of thing as well as I do in the short term—though she deals with it much better than I in the long term. I am always intrigued to watch the hair rise on Laura’s neck and see her cock her head as she prepared to respond to someone who has bush-whacked her like that. She sets the record straight in a very few words that find emphasis in the reddening of her cheeks. When the attack turned to me, I decided that my course of action would be to simply apologize, no matter how outrageous and untrue the accusations may be. Actually, the accusations weren’t entirely unfounded. Nobody is perfect, you know. My apology was sincere. Letting people down, disappointing them based upon the expectations they have for me, is excruciating. I don’t think she was expecting me to apologize. It disarmed her. In fact, she wants to come back to our fellowship. She is high maintenance, as far as members go, but if she is willing to give it another chance I am more than willing to offer one. After all, this isn’t my Kingdom. I just serve here. Truth be known, she doesn’t really think those horrible things about us. She never really did. She is just a depressed, lonely woman who needs companionship but has chased everyone away because of her negative attitude, which is brought on by her depression and loneliness. She is only reaching out, if awkwardly, for someone…anyone…to help her. I don’t do miracles, but I know a Man who does. Let’s see what He can do!

Fellowship
7/25/2005 9:13:09 AM
Last night we had a house warming for a new couple in our church. You should have seen their eyes light up as they opened gift after gift after gift. This is a couple who hasn't had a whole lot go their way in life. They were overwhelmed by the generosity of the people of our church. The fellowship was much needed. Children were laughing and adults were talking: Everyone was eating! It was a wonderful time in the Lord.

It's My Turn Now
7/27/2005 8:49:11 PM
My life is about to change! My entire experience is suddenly about to be altered by the Hand of Almighty God. All my excuses are being swallowed up in the grace, mercy, and provision of the Lord this day. It's my turn to shine. I can't even speak about it yet. Yet, it is all I think about. I tend to be a blabbermouth anyway. I don't know exactly what to blabber if I wanted to. I just know this: My prayers concerning my personal walk with God are being answered as you read this entry.

 Misery
7/30/2005 3:31:41 PM
Something about misery: it is a greedy mistress who refuses to be put off. I keep trying to find a way to represent hope to people, but some people just have none to cling to. The tears can be blinding. The fears can be paralyzing. Some people just can't be happy. God give me the wisdom to understand that. To not blame myself when they do not put off misery for joy. To not give up on them in the meantime.