Liberty Fellowship - 37th Wedding Anniversary!

Debi and I left IMMEDIATELY (notice my stressing immediately) after service Sunday to catch a 1:15PM flight to Atlanta, GA. We were on our way to Liberty Fellowship’s annual summer conference in Lake Junaluska, NC. We rented a car (reserved economy - they upgraded us to a convertible no additional charge - we must look like convertible people!) and drove the 3½ hours through the beautiful NC Mountains including the Great Smokey Mountains. This is familiar territory to us having grown up in Bristol VA/TN.

The presbytery will be meeting during this time and it is a very important meeting. I can’t say much now but will share with you soon why I am asking you to pray for me and God’s wisdom. I know I can count on you.

1 Tim 3:2(TLB)For a pastor must be a good man whose life cannot be spoken against. He must have only one wife, and he must be hard working and thoughtful, orderly, and full of good deeds. He must enjoy having guests in his home and must be a good Bible teacher.

Please notice the above emphasis on ‘one wife.’ Debi and I will celebrate our 37th Wedding Anniversary while there on July 3rd. I am delighted that I can live with the ‘wife of my youth’ and that we have maintained a great healthy and heavenly marriage all these years. She is a complete joy to me and one that I don’t take for granted. God has used her to help mold and shape me into the man that I am today. I esteem her highly for the Lord’s sake. Debi, I love you and thank you for loving me and forbearing with me all these years. May God grant us many more to come!

We finish our Presbytery meeting on Friday morning and we will drive back to Atlanta staying the night and then flying back to Arlington on Saturday. I will be in the pulpit next Sunday.

In light of this week being July 4th, I want you to know that Jesus Christ has set us free and free indeed. We are to die to sin and live to and for Him. We are no longer under condemnation. You can't get any cleaner but you can go deeper!

Dietary Issues?!?

A doctor was addressing a large audience.

"Red meat is bad for you," he told the audience.

"Soft drinks corrode your stomach lining."

"Chinese food is loaded with MSG."

"High fat diets are disastrous."

"No one knows the long-term effect of germs in our drinking water," said the doctor.

"But one food is the most dangerous of all and I bet every one of you has eaten it at least once. Can anyone tell me which food causes the most problems for years after you eat it?"

An old man in the front row raised his hand and softly asked, "Is it wedding cake?"

I know, wives are going to dislike me, but such is life! Besides it is funny and can go both ways!

F.T.U.C.C.U.S.A.

Great humorous commentary on the church goer and his wants!

Update- Pastor Phillip Miles Released!

This is an update on a previous post.

From the church website:

Monday, June 23, 2008

Pastor Phillip Miles is being released! The court of appeals deliberated for 10 minutes after arguments were made and reduced his sentence and ordered his immediate release from prison. We hope to have Pastor Miles home in the next several days. Thanks to all for your prayers and support.

My House Will be His House! Pt 3-

3. He had a plan for his family. Being priest of the family is not enough. The Godly father must also have a plan for the spiritual life of his loved ones. Joshua said, “…we will serve the Lord.”

A father must strive with God’s help for family unity. When Joshua spoke his voice rang with the sound of unity: “me and my house.” There was togetherness. And I believe that the reason that unity was there was due to his Godly character, his example. His faith was genuine, authentic and as a result his family said, in essence, “Whatever you say, dad, we will agree.

Joshua was determined at least to establish a spiritual oasis with his family. In such an oasis, spiritual giants are grown.

The family will usually follow the parent, especially the father. Someone has said, “A boy loves his mother, but will follow his father."

There is a touching story about a humble, consecrated pastor whose young son had become very ill. After the boy had undergone an exhaustive series of tests, the father was told the shocking news that his son had a terminal illness. The youngster had accepted Christ as his Savior, so the minister knew that death would usher him into Glory; but he wondered how to inform one in the bloom of youth that he soon would die. After earnestly seeking the direction of the Holy Spirit, he went with a heavy heart through the hospital ward to the boy’s bedside.

First he read a passage of Scripture and had a time of prayer with his dear child. Then he gently told him that the doctors could promise him only a few more days to live. "Are you afraid to meet Jesus, my boy?" asked his devout father. Blinking away a few tears, the little fellow said bravely, "No, not if He’s like you, Dad!"

Dad's, let's strive to be the best!

My House will be His House! Pt 2-

Continuing with my Father's Day 2008 message on Joshua.

2. He was Priest in his home. He acknowledged his responsibility for the spiritual life of his family. He spoke for his family; he declared their intent.

-A priest cannot function unless he is in close contact with God.

-According to the Bible, the family was designed to be the basic educational unit (Deut. 6:6-9; 11:18; Eph.6:4). It is the father’s duty, then, to make sure his children know how to be saved and how to walk in the ways of the Lord.

-The greatest thing a father can pass on to his children is the love of God. We all know that love begets love. In chapter 3, verse 11, Joshua urges Israel to make love of God their special aim. If we would give love we must first receive it. And if we are to pass it on to our children and grandchildren, we must first absorb it and then demonstrate it.

There is this story of a little fellow, frightened by lightning and thunder, who called out one dark night, "Daddy, come. I’m scared." "Son," the father said, "God loves you and he’ll take care of you." "I know God loves me," the boy replied. "But right now I want somebody who has skin on." As I have lived my life in front of my family, I have endeavored to be this above all else - God’s love with skin on.

-As priest of the home, the Godly father is also a man of prayer. He goes to God often on behalf of his family, asking for wisdom and courage for himself, and protection for his wife and children. Job is an example: “Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, ‘Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.’ This was Job’s regular custom” (Job 1:5).

Part 3 will follow tomorrow.

My House will be His House! Pt 1-

“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:14-15

On Father’s Day 2008 I turned to the final chapter of Joshua. You all are familiar with the quote I used. Joshua was 110 years old, served Moses for 40 years, and now had been leading the children of Israel in the promise land for 25 years. His task is done. The land has been conquered, divided up and given as inheritance to the tribes to settle and prosper in.

Joshua was a great leader for the nation of Israel. But he was also a great leader for his family! I noted 3 things that he did as a father:

1. He was the leader in his home! He was the leader of his household. He did not abdicate that nor lord it over his family. He was a man of courage, integrity, and conviction. Joshua knew that a nation was only as strong as its Fathers. Joshua knew that the father holds in his power the security of today and the potential of tomorrow.

If as fathers we choose to ignore the God-given responsibility we have been given, we unknowingly are sowing seeds of wickedness that is destined to confront us. A.B. Simpson called this the “wickedness of weakness” when we men refuse to fulfill our place as the leader of our household. Yet I have seen this abdication time and time again of fathers.

I have spent my years here at the Vine encouraging men to be the leaders in their home. I can’t make men be that- but there is this ‘wickedness of weakness’ I have watched time and again as strong willed women have led their family out of the Vine and other churches followed by their husbands saying “Yes, dear.” These men acquiesced without one ounce of backbone to stand up to their wives and be the leader of the home that makes those kind of decisions!

God, please let men be men and fulfill their destiny you have for them!

Parts 2 & 3 to follow with other 2 things that Joshua was as a Father.

Keeping Your Monitor Screen Clean-

We clean the outside our our monitor screen and this pug cleans the inside for us!

Oil Crisis Solution!

OPEC sells oil for $128.00 a barrel.

OPEC nations buy U.S. grain at $7.00 a bushel.

Solution: Sell grain for $128.00 a bushel.

Can't buy it?
Tough!

Eat your oil!

thanks Dawn

Absurdity #35- PC Police Try to Silence Resturant Owner-

A Philadelphia resturant has been cleared of a discrimination complaint triggered by the owner's sign telling patrons, "This is America. When ordering, please speak English."

The controversy began in October 2005 when owner JoeyVento put up a small bumper-sticker size sign.

On June 12, 2006, the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations launched a discrimination case against Vento. It alleged the sign violated the city's Fair Practice Ordinance by discouraging the business of non-English speaking people, including, most importantly, Hispanic-speaking immigrants.

Vento said, "I'm an American of Italian descent, but I don't go around telling people I'm an Italian-American. I always say I'm American-Italian. If you are a true American, then put America first."

Vento said, "You have to assimilate here so the U.S. becomes your first country."

Vento said he always took the sign positively.

"To succeed in this country it helps to speak English. It's as simple as that."

"This is a great victory," said owner Joey Vento.

I'll say!!!

Pastor Phillip Miles - Bullets Get You a Russian Jail Cell!

Travelling overseas in some countries is always a risky proposition. What you carry with you is always open to scrutiny. There are many things that I would suggest that you not take with you - add bullets to the list!

To know more about this and keep an update of Pastor Miles' appeals. go to Christ Community Church website and click on 'News Update.'

I have known his dad Houston for many years. Let's pray for them all and especially for Pastor Miles release and his wife, Lynn, to be encouraged and comforted.

Speaking Up and Paying the Price!

Do you remember Bridget Bardot? You do???? Aha, caught you!

Well, the 73 year actress and animal rights activist was just fined $23,000 for making anti Muslim comments. France is home to Europe's largest Muslim community, estimated at five million people.

It seems that she wrote France's interior minister (current President Nicolas Sarkozy) that Muslims should stun animals before slaughtering them during the Aid al-Kabir holiday.

So what is wrong with that? Nothing. But here is what she said that got her fined:

"I've had enough of being led by the nose by this whole population which is destroying us, (and) destroying our country by imposing their ways."

Bardot already has four convictions on similar charges. In 2004 she was fined 5,000 euros for inciting racial hatred in her book "Un Cri Dans le Silence" (A Cry in the Silence).

One against 5 million - great odds.

When will it happen here? Will you be that one?

Drunk Drivers - STAY HOME!!!

Jennifer and Neil - Katie's parents.

A beautiful wedding - family leaving in a limo - head on collision with a drunk driver -

The drunk driver, 24 year old Martin Heidgen, had at least 14 drinks before he got on the freeway speeding in the wrong direction.

What happens is gruesome - not for faint of heart!

This story is so tragic, I won't do it justice. I'll let you read it (mature audiences only)

This is so wrong!!!!!

This is why I don't condone drinking! You never know when you will become the killer!

Too Close For Comfort?

Michael Roach, 55, trained in the same Tibetan Buddhist tradition as the Dalai Lama, and became a monk in 1983. Monks must take strict vows of celibacy. So what’s wrong with that? Well, Michael and Christie McNally, 35, a Buddhist teacher, took vows to be never more than 15 feet from each other. No problem though as they claim that they are celibate too.

However, within the traditional Buddhist religion living with a woman whether celibate or not is a scandal. Talk about gender divide and separation!

So how do they do that? Half of the year, it's fairly simple, since they both live in a tiny, 22-foot yurt (or tent) in the middle of the Arizona desert, where they read books at the same time and follow each other like shadows. (They first moved there to do a silent retreat, so from 2000-2003, they lived in complete, silence and meditation.)Things do get a bit more complicated when they travel. For example, if they can't get seats next to each other on a plane, they simply refuse to board. If one gets up to go to the bathroom, the other must follow and stand outside the door. Now that is togetherness to the max.

I don’t know if you should try this at home. What do you think?