REFLECTIONS OF A HOOSIER

Tom Brady talking to God...

2010-01-24T12:55:00.000-05:00

Tom Brady , after living a full life, died. When he got to heaven,
God was showing him around. They came to a modest little house with a
faded Patriots flag in the window. "This house is yours for eternity,
Tom ," said God. "This is very special; not everyone gets a house up
here." Tom felt special, indeed, and walked up to his house.

On his way up the porch, he noticed another house just around the
corner. It was a 3-story mansion with a Blue & White sidewalk, a
50-foot tall flagpole with an enormous Colts logo flag, and in every
window, a Colts towel. Tom looked at God and said
"God, I'm not trying to be ungrateful, but I have a question. I was an
all-pro QB, I hold many NFL records, and I even won a few Super bowls
God said "So what's your point Tom ?" "Well, why does Payton get a better house than me?"

God chuckled, and said: " Tom , that's not Peyton's house, it's mine." GO COLTS!!!!

2009-09-05T21:51:00.001-04:00

Brother Allen Preaching last week at 180...

2009-06-07T13:33:00.000-04:00

Clayton is Selling "Grey Squirrel" on Ebay

2009-05-26T22:50:00.003-04:00

Below is an email from Clayton King, those of you that have been to Crossroads Camp will really get this. I can still see Allen Murray singing that song in my sleep. Pretty funny, anyway Clayton has put it for sale on ebay to raise money for India. What a great cause for a great ministry. Go check it out in the link below.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/ eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item= 250432169087

Friends,

We love the gospel, and we have a heart for missions around the globe, and we are willing to do whatever we can to raise support and awareness for what God is doing globally. With that in mind, after untold years of magical appearances at Crossroads Summer Camps, we are retiring our camp mascot and YOU or your youth group can own him.

This is the original Grey Squirrel who swishes his bushy tail, who can crinkle up his little nose, and hold a nut between his toes. He has brought the mail to Crossroads Summer camp for many years and it is now time for him to retire. Church groups are allowed to bid on Grey Squirrel, and he will come to live in your youth room...FOREVER.

He has many office skills that could come in handy for your youth group. He can use Microsoft office, we are trying to convert him to use a Mac. He loves the copy machine. He is potty trained. He can make a mean cup of coffee. And he still loves to deliver the mail.

All proceeds will go towards Crossroads Worldwide Missions in India. So start collecting money and bid on this piece of Crossroads History!!! We will let you know who is the highest bidder and we will cover the shipping to get him to you.
Thanks for supporting our ministry.

Here is the link to view grey squirrel on ebay...he is only on there for 10 days so BID NOW!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/ eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item= 250432169087

Clayton King and the Crossroads Staff

704-434-2920

crossroadsworldide@gmail.com

www.crossroadsworldwide.com

Crossroads Worldwide, 307A East College Ave., Shelby NC 28152

My Beautiful little girl!

2009-05-21T09:21:00.001-04:00

Every time I see a picture of my little girl it melts my heart. She is so precious to me and it is just proof of how much God loves me and how I am blessed!

S.C. Highway Patrol investigates

2009-05-15T22:48:00.001-04:00

S.C. Highway Patrol investigates

http://www.winchesternewsgazette.com/articles/2009/05/15/news/motorcyclist.txt

weekend death of Winchester man

By GEORGE SALSBERRY
gsalsberry@lowcountry.com

The South Carolina Highway Patrol is searching for a witness who can help them determine how a Winchester motorcyclist lost his life on I-95 Sunday morning.

Jason Holt, 30, of Winchester, passed away May 10 in a motorcycle accident in Walterboro, South Carolina.

Colleton County, S.C., Fire-Rescue Director Barry McRoy said an I-95 motorist called the county's 911 dispatch center at 3:21 p.m., Monday, after he had spotted a motorcycle lying in a water-filled ditch abutting the northbound lanes near mile marker 52.

The call brought a response by the highway patrol and fire-rescue. They found the motorcycle but could not find any sign of the rider.

“The area where the accident happened is overgrown and the water is dark and murky,” said McRoy. “It made spotting the motorcycle from the road difficult.”

Firefighters searched the wooded area around the accident site and used pike poles to feel around in the approximately four feet of water without success.

The highway patrol officers ran the registration on the motorcycle and it came back to Holt, 31. They then used that information to locate a family member of Holt and learned Holt had been missing since Sunday.

Colleton County Assistant Coroner Richard Carter said he had been informed that Holt had been supposed to met with people in Knoxville, Tenn., and had not arrived. Family members had then began their own search.

Two divers from Colleton County Fire-Rescue were put into the murky water to continue the search. They checked around the crash site and then widened their search, locating Holt's body about 35 from the motorcycle and 25 feet into a culvert that extends beneath the interstate.

Carter said although an autopsy was conducted Wednesday at the Medical University of South Carolina facilities in Charleston, the cause of death is still pending. “There is still more investigating to do,” he said.

Carter said the time of death had been set at approximately 3 a.m., Sunday.

Lt. G.B. Peralta Sr., commander of the highway patrol's troop six headquarters in North Charleston, says the patrol believes another motorist might have contributed to the accident that resulted in Holt's death.

“We believe that the motorcyclist may have been struck or was forced off the roadway,” Peralta said. “If you have any information regarding this collision please call the highway patrol at 1-843-953-6010.”

The Press and Standard

Walterboro, S.C.

How He Loves Us...

2009-05-07T12:38:00.000-04:00

How He Loves Lyrics

He is jealous for me
Love's like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
and I realize just how beautiful You are and how great your affections are for me.
Oh, how He loves us so
Oh, how He loves us
How He loves us so.

Yeah, He loves us
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves.

So we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If grace is an ocean we're all sinking
So heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss and my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way

That he loves us,
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves

He loves us,
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves

[Whispered]: Well, I thought about You the day Stephen died and You met me between my breaking
I know that I still love You, God, despite the agony
...they want to tell me You're cruel
But if Stephen could sing, he'd say it's not true, cause...[voice breaks]...

Cause He loves us,
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves

Yeah, He loves us
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves

Spurgeon on Galations

2009-04-25T12:07:00.000-04:00

CHARLES SPURGEON — SERMON NOTES

216.

"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For every man shall bear his own burden."

GALATIANS were apparently fond of the law and its burdens. At least, they appeared to be ready to load themselves with ceremonies, and so fulfill the law of Moses.

Paul would have them think of other burdens, by the bearing of which they would fulfill the law of Christ. We are not under law, but under love. But love is also law in the best sense. The law of Christ is love. Love is the fulfilling of the law. "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." Lest this principle should be presumed upon, he mentions the principle of individual responsibility. "Every man shall bear his own burden?' I. COMMUNITY. "Bear ye one another's burdens?" 1. Negatively: It tacitly forbids certain modes of action.

We are not to burden others. Some take a liberty to do so from this very text, as if it said, "Let others bear your burdens," which is just the reverse of what it urges.

We are not to spy out others' burdens and report thereon.

We are not to despise them for having such loads to bear.

We are not to act as if all things existed for ourselves, and we were to bend all to our own purposes.

We are not to go through the world oblivious of the sorrows of others. We may not shut our eyes to the woes of mankind.

2. Positively: We are to share the burdens of others:

By compassion, bear with their former sins (verse 1).

By patience, bear with their infirmities and even their conceit (verse 2).

By sympathy, bear their sorrows (verses 2-3).

By assistance, bear their wants (verses 6, 10).

By communion, in love and comfort, bear their struggles.

By prayer and practical help, bear the burden of their labors and, thus, lighten it (verse 6).

3. Specially, we ought to consider—

The erring brother. Referred to in verse 1 as "overtaken in a fault?" We must tenderly restore him.

The provoking brother, who thinks himself to be something (see verse 3). Bear with him; his mistake will bring him many a burden before he has done with it.

The brother who is peculiarly trying is to be borne with to seventy times seven, even to the measure of the law of Christ.

The greatly tried is to have our greatest sympathy.

The minister of Christ should be released from temporal burdens, that he may give himself wholly to the burden of the Lord.

II. IMMUNITY. "For every man shall bear his own burden." We shall not bear all the burdens of others. We are not so bound to each other that we are partakers in willful transgression, negligence, or rebellion. 1. Each must bear his own sin if he persists in it.
2. Each must bear his own shame, which results from his sin.
3. Each must bear his own responsibility in his own sphere.
4. Each must bear his own judgment at the last. III. PERSONALITY. "Every man ... his own burden." True godliness is a personal affair, and we cannot cast off our individuality. Therefore, let us ask for grace to look well to ourselves in the following matters: 1. Personal religion. The new birth, repentance, faith, love, holiness, fellowship with God, etc., are all personal.
2. Personal self-examination. We cannot leave the question of our soul's condition to the judgment of others.
3. Personal service. We have to do what no one else can do.
4. Personal responsibility. Obligations cannot be transferred.
5. Personal effort. Nothing can be a substitute for this.
6. Personal sorrow. "The heart knoweth its own bitterness."
7. Personal comfort. We need the Comforter for ourselves, and we must personally look up to the Lord for his operations. All this belongs to the Christian, and we may judge ourselves by it. So bear your own burden as not to forget others.
So live as not to come under the guilt of other men's sins.
So help others as not to destroy their self-reliance. Pithy Brevities

An old anecdote of the great Napoleon records that, while walking along a country road attended by some of his officers, he encountered a peasant heavily laden with faggots for fuel. The peasant was about to be jostled aside as a matter of course by his social superiors, when the Emperor, laying his hand on the arm of the foremost member of his escort, arrested the whole party, and gave the laboring man the use of the road, with the remark, "Messieurs, respect the burden."

Let him who expects one class in society to prosper to the highest degree while others are in distress try whether one side of his face can smile while the other is pinched. — Thomas Fuller

There is a proverb, but none of Solomon's, "Every man for himself, and God for us all." But where every man is for himself, the devil will have all. — William Secker

"Every man shall bear his own burden"; this is the law of necessity. "Bear ye one another's burdens"; this is the law of Christ. Let a man lighten his own load by sharing his neighbor's burden. — T. T. Lynch

There is a gateway at the entrance of a narrow passage in London over which is written, "No burdens allowed to pass through." "And yet we do pass constantly with ours," said one friend to another as they turned up this passage out of a more frequented and broader thoroughfare. They carried no visible burdens, but they were like many who, although they have no outward pack upon their shoulders, often stoop inwardly beneath the pressure of a heavy load upon the heart. The worst burdens are those which never meet the eye.

Bishop Burner, in his charges to the clergy of his diocese, used to be extremely vehement in his declamations against pluralities. In his first visitation to Salisbury, he urged the authority of St. Bernard, who being consulted by one of his followers, whether he might accept of two benefices, replied, "And how will you be able to serve them both?" "I intend;' answered the priest, "to officiate in one of them by a deputy." "Will your deputy suffer eternal punishment for you, too?" asked the saint. "Believe me, you may serve your cure by proxy, but you must suffer the penalty in person." This anecdote made such an impression on Mr. Kelsey, a pious and wealthy clergyman then present, that he immediately resigned the rectory of Bernerton, in Berkshire, worth two hundred a year, which he then held with another of great value. — Whitecross

With many, personal service in the cause of humanity is commuted for a money payment. But we are to be colliers in the campaign against evil and not merely to pay the war tax. — "Ecce Homo"

Bear One Another’s Burdens (Gal 6)

2009-04-25T12:02:00.001-04:00

Galatians 6

Bear One Another’s Burdens

¹Brothers,^a]">[a]^A)">(A) if anyone is caught in any transgression,^B)">(B) you who are spiritual should restore him in^C)">(C) a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. ²^D)">(D) Bear one another’s burdens, and^E)">(E) so fulfill^F)">(F) the law of Christ. ³For^G)">(G) if anyone thinks he is something,^H)">(H) when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴But let each one^I)">(I) test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. ⁵For^J)">(J) each will have to bear his own load.

⁶^K)">(K) One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches. ⁷^L)">(L) Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for^M)">(M) whatever one sows, that will he also reap. ⁸For^N)">(N) the one who sows to his own flesh^O)">(O) will from the flesh reap corruption, but^P)">(P) the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹And^Q)">(Q) let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap,^R)">(R) if we do not give up. ¹⁰So then,^S)">(S) as we have opportunity, let us^T)">(T) do good to everyone, and especially to those who are^U)">(U) of the household of faith.

World Biggest Burger!

2009-04-23T22:58:00.000-04:00

In America the challenge to create the world’s biggest burger is one that is taken very seriously indeed. It began with the imaginable 6 pounds of meat used to make the â€˜Olde 96erâ€™ at Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub in Clearfield, Pennsylvania.

Denny Leigey Jr., owner of Dennyâ€™s Beer Barrel Pub says his world’s biggest burger building race began all the way back in 1991 with a 2 pound offering to compete with another local diner. This local race led to a 3 pounder in 1993 but things really got going when Denny began competing with not so local diners.

In 1998 his daughter went to college and came back with tales of a 4 pounder being served at a restaurant - Denny could only respond in one way, he had to beat it. The result was the massive Olde 96er which used 6 pounds of meat, one large onion, two whole tomatoes, one half head of lettuce, 1 1/4 pounds of cheese, top and bottom buns, and a cup each of mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, relish, banana peppers and some pickles.

Since its launch on to the menu, the Olde 96er has drawn attention from all over the world. The pub itself challenges eaters to finish the burger within 3 hours to make it onto the Dennyâ€™s wall of fame and receive the burger for free. Many challengers have tried to eat the burger within 3 hours and most have failed, including veteran competitive eating star Eric â€˜Badlandsâ€™ Booker.

Badlands made his gallant attempt in June 2004 and managed to down the burger - but it took him over 7 hours to do so. Although he was the first person to eat the Olde 96er in full, the challenge to eat the burger in one 3-hour sitting was still unmatched. In January 2005 came an unlikely challenger - 100lb college student Kate Stelnick.

Kate Stelnick took a five hour drive from New Jersey when she saw photos of the giant burger online. She prepared by not eating for 2 days and wearing loose clothes. She came and she conquered. She ate the Olde 96er on 2 hours and 54 minutes. Another petit female, Lori Weiss, managed to meet the challenge on her 4th attempt in July 2005.
Leigey said he was pretty sure somebody would meet his world’s biggest burger challenge, though he didn’t have a petite woman in mind. “I wouldn’t have made it if I didn’t think it was possible,” Leigey said.

News of Dennyâ€™s Olde 96er has spread all over the world and has led to new challengers to the thrown of world’s biggest burger.

The Baloo Burger Co. of Glasgow, Scotland has even had its attempt at making the world’s biggest cheeseburger with its Baloo Big Burger which uses 7 pounds of meat and will set you back a huge $125. But the real challenger to the thrown is the Clinton Station Diner, New Jersey which created the Zeus in 2005 that also used 7 pounds of meat.

Once again, Dennyâ€™s was eager to hold the accolade of world’s biggest cheeseburger and could only respond in one way - the result was the Beer Barrel Belly Buster. This mammoth creation consists of 11.5 pounds of meat, 25 slices of cheese, 1 full lettuce, 2 onions, 3 tomatoes and 25,000 calories. This would set you back a modest $34.99.

And the challenge? To eat this creation within 6 hours. The prize consists of $350 cash, burger is free, a certificate of achievement, photo on the “wall of fame,” and a t-shirt. It is unlikely that someone will meet this challenge - but many will try. Believe it or not the Beer Barrel Belly Buster is not the current thrown holder, the big burger race has one final leg.

The Clinton Station Diner has introduced the Mount Olympus burger which, wait for it, uses 25 pounds of meat and its total weight is over 50 pounds. Taking over 1 hour to prepare and costing $99 the challenge that goes along with the burger is for a 5 person team to complete the burger within 3 hours. Dennyâ€™s response? Queue the out of this world Beer Barrel Belly Bruiser. Using two 25 pound beef patties, 4 pounds of cheese, five heads of lettuce, a couple of onions, a cup of peppers, a jar of relish, smothered with loads of ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise. Nobody can deny that this is the world’s biggest burger.

Denny created the Bruiser just for a bit of family fun and doesnâ€™t challenge anyone to eat it in full. The burger stands 34 inches tall and easily feeds groups of 35 to 50 diners. It takes an understandable 4 hours to make and must be ordered 24 hours in advance, and the price? A mere $179.

Dennyâ€™s Beer Barrel Pub has entered the 50 pound burger in to the Guinness World Records and is awaiting there approval to crown the Beer Barrel Belly Bruiser as the world’s largest commercially available burger.

My Class

2009-04-22T12:02:00.001-04:00

I love my class at PVES. It has been a great year so far, I can't believe it is almost over.

1976 The University of Indiana completes an undefeated season by beating Michigan to win the school's third NCAA crown.

2009-04-20T21:00:00.000-04:00

Preacher+Pops.jpg (image)

2009-03-29T01:49:00.000-04:00

Preacher+Pops.jpg (image)

Can 2,000 People Still Be Saved At One Time?

2009-03-17T15:55:00.002-04:00

"Can 2,000 People Still Be Saved At One Time?" This is the question that Clayton King asks. I believe the Gospel is still that strong. It is like the movie Field of Dreams "if you build it they will come". Well, I say "if you share it they will come". Check out the Article below to see what God showed Clayton King.

We are not living in the book of Acts, the West has become post-modern and post-Christian, church attendance is declining, and Billy Graham is no longer doing stadium crusades. So can 2,000 people still get saved all at once? Evidently, they can.

I just saw 2,000 people repent of their sins and publicly profess their faith in Jesus Christ.

The backstory: The event was the TN Youth Evangelism Conference. It was held in downtown Nashville, with just under 12,000 attendees. Last Thursday night, I sensed the Holy Spirit challenging me to pray an audacious prayer, reminding me of the 1,500 people who trusted Christ in Beaumont, TX in January. I confessed to The Lord that I did not have faith to pray for 2,000 people to be saved. He would not let me go. He kept bothering me, telling me that the gospel works and that if I would just believe Him, He would show off.

I reluctantly submitted to pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and I did, indeed, ask God to give me the faith to believe that 2,000 people would begin a journey of salvation on Friday night. I prayed fervently, and began to notice that the more I prayed, the more I believed God would do it, and the more sensitive I became to the lostness of the people around me, even in the airport and the hotel.

I preached from Romans 10:8-10 a very simple message on what is required of us in order to be saved. According to Paul, we have to believe in our hearts that Jesus is raised from the dead and we have to confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord. I told them they were not allowed to rededicate. I did not want any Christians to make a re-commitment. I was only going to extend an invitation for people who had never repented, never believed, never been saved, never met Jesus personally.

Instead of doing a typical Baptist invitation (heads bowed, eyes closed, music playing softly, lights down with nobody looking), I had all the lights on, all eyes open, no music, and everyone looking. Then I challenged them to do exactly what Paul commanded the church in Rome to do for salvation. If you really believe that Jesus Christ died for you and was raised from the dead, and you are willing to repent or your sins and trust Him, then...

STAND UP. OPEN YOUR MOUTH. CONFESS "JESUS IS LORD."

I did not allow anyone to clap or shout or say amen. The room was totally silent. One by one, people began to stand up and declare their faith in Jesus. You should have heard it...voices filling an auditorium with thousands present, confessing the Lordship of Christ in front of earthly and heavenly witnesses. God had answered my prayer.

Afterwards, I met lots of people. A 51 year old chaperone was saved. A 29 year old youth pastor was saved. And 3 of the security guards were saved. There are 2,000 new names written in God's book, people who have begun a lifelong journey of salvation.

The gospel works. W e don't have to dumb it down, we just have to declare it with boldness, love, and conviction. The Holy Spirit does all the work in people's hearts because Jesus did all the work on the cross.

Pray for all your new brothers and sisters in Christ who have a new heart, and new life, and a new destiny. Pray for the churches, youth ministers, parents and pastors who will be a part of discipling these new Christians, and pray that over the next 50 years, this army of young believers would grow and mature, serve and go, and change the world with the gospel.

For Christ,

Clayton King
www.crossroadsworldwide.com
www.claytonking.com

Crossroads Worldwide, 307A East College Ave., Shelby NC 28152

Rush speaks at CPAC

2009-03-01T10:19:00.002-05:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/28/rush-limbaugh-at-cpac-dou_n_170792.html

The above link is a video of Rush Limbaugh speaking at CPAC. If you did not get to see it I would suggest you watch the whole video. I watched it last night on CSPAN, very inspiring for the conservative movement (I almost got a tingle in my leg).

9 Marks of a healthy Church

2009-02-28T14:43:00.003-05:00

A few months ago a really good friend of mine passed this website along to me. http://www.9marks.org/partner/0,,314526,00.html I figured why not read it? So as I got reading it further I really felt like those "9 Marks" were very important to the health of a growing church. Do we as a Church (the body of Christ) want to continue to grow? Then we need to encourage our Churches to follow these nine marks. I'll put the list Below, please check out the website above to read much more.

Our Values Are on the Brink of Collapse

2009-02-24T18:10:00.002-05:00

Our Values Are on the Brink of Collapse

Tuesday, February 24, 2009
By Glenn Beck

Everyone is talking about trying to save the banks, but the one thing they're missing is that in order to save the banks or the Big Three or any other company, we must first rescue something else from the brink of collapse: our values.

Despite what Ben Bernanke or Timothy Geithner tell you, we do not have a liquidity problem in this country. There is no shortage of cash. But there is a major shortage of the currency more important than the almighty dollar and that's honor, honesty and integrity.

On Monday night, JP Morgan announced a catastrophic cut in their dividend, from 38 cents a share to five. And guess what? Right after the news hit, their stock went up. Why? I think it's because investors reward honesty and integrity.

But it's not always easy to do the right thing. Take Microsoft, for instance.

The software giant was recently forced to lay off about 1,400 people — the first layoffs in company history. Unfortunately, due to an accounting glitch, they overpaid severance to 25 workers by an average of $4,000 to $5,000 and they shorted another two dozen people. Microsoft made good with the people they underpaid and asked the ones they overpaid to pay them back the difference.

So far, so good — common sense, right?

Well, Tuesday we learn that Microsoft has now decided to let those who were overpaid keep the extra money. Why? Because the story was leaked to the media that Microsoft was asking for workers they fired to pay back $4,000 to $5,000.

Some would argue that this makes sense from a business standpoint. Bad PR is pricey and $125,000 is just a tiny fraction of their almost billion dollar advertising budget. It's completely inconsequential to them — unless you happen to care about values.

Regardless of what Microsoft says, those employees should still give the extra money back. It's the right thing to do; it was never theirs in the first place.

And to Microsoft: Shame on you. Shame on you for putting public relations above principles.

No one ever said that living with honor and integrity would be easy. But the true test of character is not only the decisions you make when no one's looking, but it's also the decisions you make because everyone is looking.

Tuesday night, all eyes will be on President Obama and he has a choice to make. He can talk about the stimulus package and all of the great things it will do or he can take a deep breath, look us all right in the eyes, and admit that no financial recovery will ever be possible in this country until we first recover our principles.

What do you think? Send your comments to: glennbeck@foxnews.com

— Watch "Glenn Beck" weekdays at 5 p.m. ET on FOX News Channel

I would tend to agree with most of what Glenn is saying. We have had a lack of Values that continues to get worse over the past several years. We need to get back to putting God first in our Country when we make decisions instead of putting this theory that we can make everybody happy. This theory of Political Correctness, and the Socialist Philosophy of "Spreading the Wealth around" is not what this country was formed on. We are on a slippery slope and we need to think of what this is going to do to our kids.

Come on folks take a stand against this way of thinking. We cannot just stand back and say this is going to fix itself anymore. We have got to be committed to helping take a stand against this Collapse of Values!

REFLECTIONS OF A HOOSIER: Glenn Beck: U.S. dollars in circulation skyrocketing

2009-02-24T10:17:00.000-05:00

REFLECTIONS OF A HOOSIER: Glenn Beck: U.S. dollars in circulation skyrocketing

Reflecting on Kentucky...

2009-02-16T17:39:00.007-05:00

Today as I got home and was able to reflect on everything that happened while we were in Kentucky this past weekend. As I was looking at the pictures and sharing them with Jenilee I was reflecting on all that God had done through us. It was great to see the fruit of our labors. We helped so many people that could have never done the work themselves, and knowing that brought a great deal of joy to my heart. After I was done sharing the pictures Jenilee said to me "thank you for helping those people with the trees" and gave me a kiss. This brought me to tears because my 3 year understood serving and putting God first. Even though she missed me she was glad I helped somebody else. Please keep praying for these people and that all of the seeds that we planted will grow. Check out pictures from the trip here: http://www.criesfromthewasteland.net/Cries_From_the_Wilderness/Photo_Albums/Pages/Stanford,_Kentucky.html#grid

Glenn Beck: U.S. dollars in circulation skyrocketing

2009-01-30T23:05:00.000-05:00

Why Preach the Cross?

2008-11-27T22:14:00.000-05:00

WHY PREACH THE CROSS?
November 22nd, 2008 (from www.claytonking.com/blog) This seems to be the underlying question among so many younger Christians today, particularly those in college who were raised in church and are now in theology classes where they are taught to question everything they have ever heard, read, or been taught.

Recently at a regional seminary, there was a great debate in a class on the cross of Christ. The professor informed the class that the traditional, orthodox teaching on the cross (that it was brutal and bloody and necessary for our salvation and for God's wrath against sin to be averted and satisfied) was antiquated and outdated. The professor then said that the cross was simply an example of a willingness to serve humanity; an example Jesus gave us to follow so that we might live the rest of our lives serving others.

This is correct insofar that the cross beckons us to die to selfish desires, shallow materialism, and arrogant pursuits. But is that it? Is that all? Is the cross MERELY AN EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW?

Maybe we should ask the apostle Paul that question. He made the cross of Christ the central element of his gospel message. Consider what he said in Colossians 1:20 when he stated, "...hrough Him to reconcile all things to himself on earth and in heaven, making peace through His blood, shed on the cross."

If the cross is merely an example to follow, then Paul missed he point by emphasizing the blood of Christ too often. The fact that the blood of Christ is made central simply points to the unjust brutality of His murder, the debt that had to be paid as required by Old Testament law, and the severe nature of the crucifixion of Christ on calvary. I don't believe the blood was magic, as some ancient sects would have declared. But I do believe it was perfect; perfect in a way that allowed God to accept it as a sacrifice worthy of all His forgiveness and grace. The blood magnifies the cross, and the cross is paramount to our preaching and living the gospel.

It is counter-intuitive to our human nature to put such importance on such a gross, disgusting and unsettling theme. But that is exactly the reason why we MUST preach the cross of Christ; the very nature of that cross is to unsettle us, to disgust us at the reality of our own sin and wickedness, and to see how very serious God was about dealing with our sin and reconciling us to Himself. And as strange as it seems to our post-enlightenment brains (which tell us to preach common sense and make people feel good), when we preach the cross and make a big deal out of the scandal of His crucifixion and resurrection, God mysteriously touches hearts and minds and lives are undone, convicted, changed and regenerated.

Without the cross there is no Christianity, no hope, nothing to believe in, and nothing to live for. Without the cross, Jesus is not the Christ and becomes a lunatic claiming insanities about Himself that He never proved. And if that is the case, we are hopeless. But by His work on the cross, we have life, God proves His love for us and His perfect way of dealing with sin, and Jesus is glorified and magnified as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Thank God for the cross!

Why Obama? Why???

2008-11-13T12:36:00.002-05:00

I can agree that it must be important to African Americans to see someone rise to the position of President. A good friend of mine told me that the reason he was black had had no significance to how he voted. In fact we discussed the fact that people voted only because of that and not because of the issues. I am a Christian! Not a part time one, but a full time one. The special significance to me is to protect the sanctity of life. That is more important to me than any color of skin, sex, or party. The issue of life and the fact that we can not play God! When Obama said "it was above his pay grade" when asked about when life was considered sacred that is when he lost my vote. Yes, am a Republican, but first I am a follower of Christ. When are we going to get past all of this racial stuff. That has been a problem this whole election. Just because I didn't vote for Obama or agree with him as president doesn't make me a racist. How can anyone who calls themselves a Christian support killing babies. I have heard many people talk to me about going to church or about being a Christian and yet they voted for this guy. Someone please help me to understand how there is a more important issue than this!

Nice little example for the Obama lovers...

2008-10-27T16:44:00.001-04:00

http://forums.hannity.com/showthread.php?t=1043901

Yesterday on my way to lunch at Doe's, I passed one of the homeless guys in that area, with a sign that read "Vote Obama, I need the money."

Once in the Doe's my waiter had on a "Obama 08" tee shirt.

When the bill came, I decided not to tip the waiter and explained to him while he had given me exceptional service, that his tee shirt made me feel he obviously believes in Senator Obama's plan to redistribute the wealth. I told him I was going to redistribute his tip to someone that I deemed more in need--the homeless guy outside. He stood there in disbelief and angrily stormed away.

I went outside, gave the homeless guy $3 and told him to thank the waiter inside, as I had decided he could use the money more. The homeless guy looked at me in disbelief but seemed grateful.

As I got in my truck, I realized this rather unscientific redistribution experiment had left the homeless guy quite happy for the money he did not earn, but the waiter was pretty angry that I gave away the money he did earn.

Well, I guess this redistribution of wealth is going to take a while to catch on, with those doing the work.

Missions Minded

2008-09-28T00:45:00.002-04:00

http://derik100.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=348890

The above link is to a podcast from a message I delivered earlier this year for our Youth. The message was interconnected with missions which seemed to be our focus this summer. Our students traveled all the way to Jamacia and gave of themselves to further the kindom. We need to make our workplaces, schools, and our neighborhoods our mission field. This is what God has called us to do.

"Whom shall I send? Who is sufficient? Such a degree of courage for God and concern for the souls of men as is necessary to make a man faithful, and withal such an insight into the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven as is necessary to make a man skilful, are seldom to be met with. Such an interpreter of the mind of God is one of a thousand. None are allowed to go for God but those who are sent by him; he will own none but those whom he appoints. It is Christ's work to put men into the ministry. Here I am, send me! Lord, give me commission and full instruction; send me, and then, no doubt, thou wilt stand by me.” - Matthew Henry

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV)

Spot Festival

2008-09-27T09:53:00.002-04:00

Today I am going to go to the NC Spot Festival. I am excited about eating some good fish. As I was looking on the website about it I saw this. (Local lore says that spot are the fish that Jesus used when he fed the multitudes with loaves and fishes. The actual "spot" on the fish is supposedly where Jesus left His fingerprints when distributing the fishes.) Now keep in mind this is only lore, if fact a very good friend who will remain nameless said this was crap. All the same how cool would this be if it were true. The aw and mystery of God! The questions that we ask do not always have answers. I will reply with more later!

"Reimage"

2008-09-27T00:11:00.002-04:00

Well let me explain this "reimage" thing. As most of you know I am techy. Well last week at work I was given a palm to use. This not only works for me in the techy world, but it also meets my OCD standards for being more organized. So anyway I went about hooking it up and installing the software. It was funny everyting came up fine on the computer and fine on the palm, but it would not "hot sync". This is what the two devices do to talk to one another. Well I tryed everything I could think of, short of throwing it. I even called the tech Queen at our School, and she could not get it either. We both knew what this meant, in our little world this means there is a glitch and the only fix is to "reimage" it. This means everything I had installed would be gone, start from scratch. Here is the thing I was reluctant to do this because I didn't want to give up all that was already installed and start over. Even though the reward for doing this was great, by getting the palm. In the end I did it and lost it all, and started over.

What is my point? Well I know that was a long explaination to get here, but I wanted you to understand the sacrifice and reward involved. I think this is the same strugle many of us have in our lives with Jesus. We spend all of this time trying to hold on to parts of our lives that we don't want to give up. The reward for being a Christ follower is greater than all of the sin we continue to endulge in, yet we hold onto it and tell God we are not ready yet. We make excuses about why we are not ready. This is preventing us for "hot syncing" with God. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Mat 10:38 I read a great little book several years ago called "my heart in Christ's home". It talks about your walk and how it is broken up into rooms of the house. I won't go to far into this, so you can read it for yourself. The point is that we need to give God all of the rooms in our house and follow him. So in my techy world I would say God wants to "reimage" us. He wants to clean out all of those files and have us give them all to him as a sacrifice, and the rewards are growth in our relationship with him. Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. Isa 40:28

Knight Rider

2008-09-24T23:19:00.002-04:00

Tonight I had to stay home from church because Jenilee had a fever (Jenilee is my daughter if you didn't know). So since I was at home on a Wednesday night for the first time in a while, I decided to see what was on TV. I watched a couple episodes of the Andy Griffith Show. Man I love that show, because everything was so much simpler then. After that was over I figured I would flip back to Fox News and go do a few things. Then I remembered that I had set the DVR to record the new Knight Rider. So quickly I flipped there very excited about the show that I loved as a kid. Let me tell you if you did not see it that it was great. I will be recording the whole series to watch later since it comes on on Wed. night. As I was watching and loving the cool graphics that the old one was missing. I wondered does this make it better than the original? Well, the answer is no! Because the original has been around since the 80's and it had the Hoff. I must admit it was rather flashy and I was quite drawn in to it, but it still doesn't stack up to the original.

I think sometimes in our pursuit of the flash and bang that draws people in soetimes. What they really crave is the original Gospel. Lived out and breathed through us the congregation of believers, this is most relevant way to share the Gospel! For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (Rom 5:10)

Sitting at Port City

2007-07-23T09:39:00.000-04:00

This has been an interesting morning indeed. I have been feeling God at work in my life and the feeling that there is a disconect with God in our community. Can I say now thaat God is showing me something different this morning. This morning I came to Port City Java to meet with Pastor Derik. As I entered I smelled the always unique smell of fresh roasted coffee. I heard the conversations of bussiness deals going down as I approched the counter. This is a usual moring in here. Derik was running behind so I went to the counter and ordered my fresh cup. After that I searched for a seat that two people could sit down and talk together. Then it happened God showed up where I least expected him too. As I sat in this seat near the front of the coffee house, I heard conversations on both sides of me not of business, but of God. Not only were they "churchy" conversations, but no they were much deeper than that. As I slowly sat down to pull out my laptop and work on my talk for Wed night. I could not help but to keep listening to there conversations of God at work in there lives. So now I am blogging this right now to tell you that God can even show up for a "cup of coffee"!

Pray for our troops

2007-03-25T16:25:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone, I just wanted to encourge you to pray for our Troops and our Country. Today after Church we were going out to eat with John and Amy Loyd. Now as most of you already know John is a member of our US Military and has served his Country overseas. Well, on our way to Chucky Cheese at the intersection of College Rd. and Oleander I saw protesters. I was wondering who is protesting on a Sunday? I was so embarrassed when I realized that they were protesting the War in Iraq. One of the signs a lady was holding even said, "who would Jesus Bomb?" No matter what these crazy protesters do we need to remember our troops in our prayers and remember what all they have done for us. Just like this time of year we remember what Jesus has done for us!