Not cool...
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Monday, January 27, 2014
Misusing the Word "Hate"
I’ve just reached the tipping point with our culture's use of
the word “hate.”
The last straw came with the uproar over the nomination of
Joni Eareckson Tada’s song “Alone Yet Not Alone” (from the movie with the same
name) for an Oscar.
For those who don’t know who she is, Joni is a quadriplegic,
paralyzed from the shoulders down, and is confined to a wheelchair. She has become an accomplished painter using
a paintbrush with her teeth, and has authored more than forty books.
She is also a Christian.
She is also a Christian.
Gasp!
The nomination has received numerous negative reactions that
have nothing to do with the song. It has
to do with the fact that she is a believer and the song is tied to a
faith-based film.
Film.com immediately said the film was being endorsed by “anti-gay
hate group activists.” The Boston Globe
chimed in with a headline, “The Oscar that Stinks to Heaven.”
As I said, this was my tipping point.
The word hate used to mean just that – hate! Nowadays it means
anyone who disagrees. Even worse, it
means anyone who is a follower of Jesus Christ.
I must say that the using the word “hate” or “hater” in this
way is shrewd. It brings to bear every volatile
emotion against those who have been labeled “haters” – even if they're not such,
but just simply disagree.
It’s a shrewd move, but it’s also a false move. Here’s why:
It cuts-off at the knees the word “admonishment” – which means
to address, to confront, to challenge, to
stir.
I don’t hate someone just because I disagree with them. Actually, it might be a demonstration of my
concern.
To label someone a “hater” (just because they disagree) is to take a very powerful word and dilute it, then misapply it.
To label someone a “hater” (just because they disagree) is to take a very powerful word and dilute it, then misapply it.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Observations on Worship
Jesus said... "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23-24).
And here's a quote from actor Brad Pitt: "I didn't understand this idea of a God who says, 'You have to acknowledge me... you have to say I'm the best, and then I'll give you eternal happiness. If you won't, then you don't get it.' It seemed to be all about ego. I can't see God operating from ego, so it made no sense to me."
Can we talk about worship?
1. When we worship God, who is perfect and flawless in every way, we are simply showing our intelligence and good taste. We watch someone spend a hour at the museum of art, pausing in front of framed paintings and sculptures to take in every detail, and we conclude this person is cultured, educated, and wise, or something like that.
When we bow before the God of the universe, we are doing a lot of things, but one is revealing ourselves to be a person of good sense. It makes sense to acknowledge God, the Creator of all.
1. When we worship God, who is perfect and flawless in every way, we are simply showing our intelligence and good taste. We watch someone spend a hour at the museum of art, pausing in front of framed paintings and sculptures to take in every detail, and we conclude this person is cultured, educated, and wise, or something like that.
When we bow before the God of the universe, we are doing a lot of things, but one is revealing ourselves to be a person of good sense. It makes sense to acknowledge God, the Creator of all.
2. Although God seeks for true worshippers, He does not need
it any more than the moon needs another crater. He’s totally complete within Himself. If the whole
world became true believers overnight, it would not add one thing to God.
And if the entire world became infidels, it would not take one iota away from
God. He is I AM.
While God doesn’t need our worship in order to be complete, our
worship is still a duty – something we owe to God. But it is a duty we
can perform cheerfully, knowing that, in doing so, we are participating briefly
in the life of heaven.
3. Humans long to worship. God has
created human beings in such a way that we long to give ourselves over to
something or someone. If it’s not directed to Him, we’ll devote ourselves
to something else (i.e., materialism, pursuit of pleasure, self, false
religion, etc).
4. There are good ways and wrong ways to worship God. When Jesus said “worship in spirit….,” I take that to mean
that "our spirit” is involved in worship, not just our bodies. It’s
more internal than external. After all, God is a Spirit and we connect to Him on that level. And to “worship in truth” involves the
revelation of Jesus Christ according to the Word of God.
The Scripture is overflowing with teachings concerning bad
worship. Isaiah 1:10-15 and Malachi 1 comes to mind.
5. The carnal mind cannot comprehend true worship. Not
even all Christians get it. Sometimes you
will hear someone say, or even pray, “Lord, help us to get something out of the
service today.”
Think of it as a paradox. Here’s why:
When we come to church – that is, when we come to a worship
service on the Lord’s Day – and believe the goal is
to “get” something or “receive” something ourselves, we will always leave
empty-handed and frustrated. We will walk out of the door critical of the
preacher, the music, and the teachers, all of whom failed to meet our needs.
Sound familiar?
The fault is not with the preacher and the others. God has
not equipped them with the power or ability to change your life and meet your
needs. You are expecting of them what they were never intended to give,
expecting what they cannot do.
The essence of true worship is GIVING. We give glory and
praise to God, give Him ourselves, our hearts, our time, our offerings, our
prayers, and our faithful obedience. We lay ourselves bare before Him in surrender.
And when we leave the service, we are charged. We have
touched the Lord and been touched by Him.
This happens only when our focus is on Him first.
6. All of us worship poorly in this life. No matter what style or system of worship you use (even
free style), we do it poorly. It’s difficult to worship One you cannot
see.
If we “see through a glass darkly” (I Cor. 13:12), and “do not
know how to pray as we should” (Rom. 8:26), then it follows that everything else
we do in the service will be incomplete at best. “I know in part and I
prophesy in part” (I Cor.13:9).
But we should not let that stop us from worshiping. Just
because I cannot do something perfectly doesn’t’ mean I should stop doing
it. I’m a parent and a grandparent, imperfect at best, but I’ve
gladly thrown myself into these roles. Likewise, I’m a Christ-follower
and not a very good one, but I’ve gladly thrown myself into this role as well.
I will keep striving to worship Him in spirit and in truth as best
I can.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Caught This Morning - One Hour After Sunrise - 27 Degrees
A friend of Jonathan's caught these five Speckled Trout this morning about an hour after sunrise. The sixth fish on the far right is a mullet he actually caught with a lure! Can you believe it?
The fish are on fire right now. The cold weather and low tides have them schooling in deeper holes where the saline level is higher.
I didn't gain permission to use this photo, so that's why I cropped the top.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Fishing on MLK Day
Me and Renae at sunrise. 30 degrees. Lots of ice. Water was slick as glass. 15 fish before the day was over.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
First 5 Casts = Five Speckled Trout
My oldest son, Jonathan, went fishing this morning just before daylight. It was 28 degrees. He caught 13 speckled trout before sunrise. These were his five keepers that fell within the slot limit. (He caught several that were over 20 inches, but had to release them).
This is a picture of the sunrise he was able to enjoy looking over Escambia bay. It's an unfiltered shot with no special effects. Oh yea, that's a picture of the lure he used; a suspending twitch bait.
We love Florida, especially living in NW Florida.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
On Liturgy and Being Liturgical
“Therefore,
brethren, stand fast, and hold the
traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle" (2 Thessalonians 2:15).
Many
of you at PCC have never heard of Liturgy (Lit–ur–gee) or even know what it
means to be a liturgical church.
Basically it means to observe certain traditions or practices in a
worship service. Most are Biblical, some
(I think) are man-made. Words like formal,
formalism, rites, or observances come to mind.
Liturgical
church services will often include elements like an order of service,
pre-written prayers, scripture readings, reciting familiar phrases, and a consistent (if
not predictable) church service which many find comforting. Of course,
it will also include Communion and Baptism services.
While
we have never used the word “Liturgy” at PCC, you have been exposed to it because
we incorporate certain liturgical elements in our church services. For instance, when we receive communion I almost always quote the Apostles Creed.
From time-to-time we will close our Sunday morning services by singing
the Doxology (usually acappella – that is, with no music). Aside from being full of good doctrine and Biblical
theology, singing the Doxology without any musical instruments just sounds
good. There’s something special about
hearing nothing but the voice of God’s people (without a screaming guitar riff)
that ministers to me on a deeper level. Beyond
that, I also use Numbers 6:24-26 as a closing Benediction from time to
time. It’s very traditional, time honored, and feels
good.
These are just a few examples of liturgical elements that we use at PCC.
These are just a few examples of liturgical elements that we use at PCC.
For
some, however, the idea of being liturgical means “dead traditionalism” or “religious formality”
that has no life, and lacks the Holy Spirit.
Not
so fast.
Let
me offer another perspective.
Many
people who attend liturgical churches believe they can actually “experience”
Christ or the Holy Spirit in the elements of the service. I agree.
And
why not?” You experience the Holy Spirit in a communion
service, right? What about a baptism service? Sure. What
about in a scripture reading? What about
in public prayers? Sure.
God
hovers over these things.
Believe
it or not every church has a liturgy. It
is simply an order of service which they follow. Some are more formal than others. That’s all.
Non-liturgical
churches do the same thing when they follow their predictable order of service each week (i.e, two
songs, a prayer, a sermon, and all done within the allotted time frame). The main difference between the two – in my
observation – is that one group prefers prior planning (to ensure God-honoring excellence)
while the other group is often more spontaneous in nature, and
chooses to assign “whatever happens” to the Holy Spirit.
My
observations aside, it is clear that America’s youth are leaving churches in droves. Could it be that many churches are so “hip”
and “cool” that their lack of Biblical traditions fails to anchor youth to the Church? Furthermore, many of those who do remain in our pews - particularly the older generation - long to be connected to the traditions of the forefathers because it's simply so reassuring.
Christianity
today has become a touchy-feely religion of precious memories, sentimentalism, and
cultural trends. It’s like angel food
cake; soft, spongy, and unsatisfying.
I
think sacramental hunger exists in the heart of every believer – including those
who attend PCC. We may not understand
what it is, but it's there on some level. We are
wired to experience God.
Speaking for myself, I sense the presence of the Holy Spirit more often and on a deeper level when things slow down enough in the worship service that I'm able to actually reflect and think about the elements being offered (such as scripture, the words to a spiritual song, communion, etc).
Speaking for myself, I sense the presence of the Holy Spirit more often and on a deeper level when things slow down enough in the worship service that I'm able to actually reflect and think about the elements being offered (such as scripture, the words to a spiritual song, communion, etc).
Doug
Holmes, a good friend of mine and pastor of Christian Life Church in Milton,
wrote, “One of my daughters visited a hipster/clever
church recently and told me something like: ‘I can’t drink enough caffeine to
keep up with this church. My week is so hectic
that I need a slightly slower and more predicable pace.’”
I
get it.
I
think most adults, including younger ones, would rather experience a worship service that includes certain traditional elements of Christianity rather than
the fast-paced, screaming nature of today’s designer pop-gospel.
PCC
follows a liturgy, just like every other church. I would just like to see ours become a bit more deliberate.
I'd also like to know what additional insights my pastor friends of liturgical churches could offer to explain what it means to "experience Christ" in the elements.
Thoughts?
I'd also like to know what additional insights my pastor friends of liturgical churches could offer to explain what it means to "experience Christ" in the elements.
Thoughts?
Garden Enjoyment
For me, there’s something very
enjoyable about being in my garden. No
matter how stressful my life is, puttering around in the garden seems to bring
calm. When growing season rolls around, I
will make time for my garden every single day without fail. It just feels like something I need.
And maybe I do.
I hope spring comes early this
year.
After a very cold winter I am
ready to get started in my spring garden.
It will still be couple of months before I can plant warm weather vegetables,
but that doesn’t mean I’m not busy right now.
This is the time of year that I
look through seed catalogs, brush up on planting dates, make decisions about
what I’m going to plant, and plan the garden layout.
In mid December I planted garlic
and onion – just before the cold snap. I
covered them with straw which helped them survive – just barely.
Yesterday I bought 100 lbs of
seed potatoes. I will begin planting them
at the end of January, in succession over several weeks to control the harvest –
I don’t want everything coming in at once.
I’m excited about planting
peppers too. This year I will plant
Cubanelle peppers in volume. They are a
hot pepper, but very mild. They are at
the bottom of the Scoville Scale – just above bell pepper. To give you an idea, their rating is 100-900
units, whereas a Jalapeno pepper is about eight thousand- to-10,000 units.
FIVE BENEFITS I EXPERIENCE FROM GARDENING:
STRESS RELIEF. Gardening relaxes
me. I can feel the stress simply melt
away when I’m busy in the garden. Having a positive outlet for stress is good
for my health.
I EAT WHAT I GROW. Whatever
is in season makes up the bulk of my diet at the time.
This is the time of year I eat a lot
of greens. Dark green leafy vegetables are,
calorie for calorie, the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. They are rich in minerals (iron, calcium,
potassium, magnesium) and vitamins, (K, C, E, and B). Greens are packed with fiber and low in carbohydrates,
which explains why they have little impact on blood sugar levels.
I do the same in spring, summer,
and fall. Whatever is in season is what I’m
eating.
Here’s the point: Consumption of home grown vegetables and less
processed foods means more nutrients, antioxidants, and less toxins going into
my system. Win-win.
EXERCISE. Lifting plants,
raking, digging, and hauling… it all requires full-body activity that is labor-intensive. Sometimes it’s even strenuous. Either way, it engages me in productive,
healthy work. Breaking a sweat in the outdoors
strikes me as being a more sensible way to get exercise than driving to the gym
and mounting a machine for a workout… and having to pay membership fees to do
it. Another win-win.
HOME-GROWN TASTES BETTER. It
really does. I’ve always heard people
say this, but never really believed it.
My attitude was, “so what?” Now I
know.
Vegetables and fruit found in the
grocery store are grown for a “long shelf life”, which means they are GMO’s
(genetically modified organisms), are saturated with chemicals, and have thick
tough skins. Furthermore, the longer a vegetable
or fruit sits on the shelf the more the internal sugars and starches change –
making it taste even worse. Then you
have to pour on sugar, salt, and all sorts of other flavor enhancements just to
get it down.
Home-grown, on the other hand, is
usually eaten fresh and is bursting with flavor. Backyard blueberries don’t need whipped cream
and added sugar to excite my taste buds.
The sweetness of the natural fruit itself explodes on the palate. Even backyard broccoli tastes sweet.
SHARING. I like sharing what
I grow with family and friends. Feels
good.
Monday, January 13, 2014
McVictims
The New York Times suggests calling it the McVictim Syndrome
– the rush to find a scapegoat for America’s obesity epidemic. We’re getting fatter, so we must find someone
to blame.
McVictimization teaches Americans to think that obesity is someone else’s fault – and therefore, someone else’s problem to solve.
The truth is, in the vast majority of cases we just eat too much and make poor choices.
But finding a scapegoat isn’t unique to the obesity epidemic. It’s become one of our most cherished crutches for any problem we encounter. i.e., We make a bad choice, by our own free will, and we look for someone or something to blame as if we are merely the victims of circumstance.
But finding a scapegoat isn’t unique to the obesity epidemic. It’s become one of our most cherished crutches for any problem we encounter. i.e., We make a bad choice, by our own free will, and we look for someone or something to blame as if we are merely the victims of circumstance.
It’s my parent's fault…
It’s the school's fault…
It’s the preacher's fault…
It’s the government’s fault…
Ad infinitum
By convincing yourself that you are a victim, you
are guaranteed to have no progress, no healing, and no victory. If you continue
to cling to the belief that the problem can’t be your fault, you will never
create lasting change in yourself.
Your flight from personal responsibility will
prevent you from putting the bit in your mouth, yanking the reins, and going to
work on controlling your life and actions.
Your best chance of getting better is to stop blaming others.
You have to own it. All
of it.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Mr. Keyser Update
Mr. Keyser has been admitted to a room at West FL Hospital after spending a good part of the day in the Emergency Room and undergoing a number of tests.
They have ruled out a stroke, and a number of other possible causes for his fainting spell. He will undergo more tests tomorrow.
Renae and I were able to see him in the hospital this afternoon. He is doing much, much better. His color has returned, he's alert, and appears to be well.
Thank you to everyone who responded so well in the service today. And a special shout-out to Polly B. for staying with the Keyser's all day long.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
The Existance of Earth and Man is Evidence
"When I consider the heavens, the work of Thy fingers… what is man, that
Thou dost take thought of Him?” (Psalms 8:3-4)
The existence of Earth is evidence of the existence of
Heaven.
From all that scientists are learning every day, we find
ourselves overwhelmed by the vast distances of space, the intricate and specific
requirements necessary to produce and sustain life on any planet, and the
mind-blowing odds that such a place as Earth could even exist anywhere in the
universe.
And yet, here we are calmly discussing football scores, worrying
about what clothes to wear tomorrow, and denying the existence of God.
Living in the most amazing spot in the entire universe, most
of mankind takes it all for granted, assuming this is just the way it is and
never pauses long enough to look up into a star-lit night to contemplate the obvious - that Heaven is just as
likely as Earth is.
Nevertheless, here it is and here we are.
Choosing to disbelieve in spite of the overwhelming evidence
all around us that God is real and Heaven is a certainty, the unbeliever has to
RAMP UP THEIR PROTESTS.
They increase the volume of their criticism, point out any
flaws in the lives of believers, and turn up the tempo of their shrillness in
the hope that doing so will quiet their fears and calm their knocking knees.
It will not.
Self-worship will betray its victim in the end.
And nothing will satisfy the human heart more than believing
in a living God except by faith in Jesus Christ – the One though whom we know
God.
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Sunday Mind Dump - January 5, 2014
Solid day.
Although the weather was pretty miserable outside, lots of people braved the elements to be in service on this Lord’s Day.
Attendance was way up from last week, even though it’s still a little shy or normal attendance.
Also blown away by people’s generosity today.
Still have lot’s of sick folk. We encourage them to say home if they or their children are sick.
Kicked of the new series – A Good Soldier of Jesus Christ – based on the book of 2 Timothy.
We covered only the first five verses – it’s the way the scheme of thought flows in the text – but, boy was it ever powerful. We covered the importance of encouragement (encouraging others), what it means to have sincere faith, the benefit of multi-generational faithfulness in the family, and spiritual adoption (mentoring).
We also had a very strong section when I spoke directly to the fathers – and why they are commanded by God Himself to be actively involved in the spiritual formation of their own children.
Everyone seemed to be really interested in these ideas. Many were leaning forward their seat. At times is was very quiet… so quiet that it unnerved me a little bit.
I think the quieter it gets the more people are contemplating and listening to the spiritual impressions being made upon them.
With the first five verses of the introduction behind us, the door to the entire book is wide open and next Sunday we are off and running.
The book of 2 Timothy contains some of the most potent and riveting passages in the New Testament.
I would encourage you to read ahead each week to familiarize yourself with the content. That way the Sunday morning message can build upon your own study. You’ll grow so much more that way.
We have a great church. There are so many good things happening right now.
Sure not everything is perfect, and many things need to be improved. But we have a solid church, and a happy congregation.
Sure not everything is perfect, and many things need to be improved. But we have a solid church, and a happy congregation.
Funny thing is, I used to stress out (a lot) about the things that are less than perfect. I also used to stress when people expressed an urgency to “fix things.”
Now, I’m over that. I figure it’s God’s church, it’s His mess, and He always comes through.
I am now able to rest in that.
Now, I’m over that. I figure it’s God’s church, it’s His mess, and He always comes through.
I am now able to rest in that.
2013 was a great year for me personally, and for PCC. I believe 2014 will be even better. I’m putting more into God’s Hands and letting myself off the hook for everything else.
There’s nothing more rewarding than to see God do His thing in His timing.
Other Stuff….
The temperatures are going to be very cold over the next couple of days – lower than what we typically experience in NW Florida.
I think it’s going to kill my garden.
Winter greens (collards, turnips, kale, etc) can handle freezing weather, even a little ice. But they cannot handle 16 degrees.
I guess I’ll go over and pick most everything, cook it, and put it in the freezer for future use. Otherwise, I’ll lose most of it to the elements.
I’ve had good success with turnip roots this year. Just lucky I guess. We have really enjoyed them.
Cindy, I have another bunch with your name on them if you would like them.
Fishing…
On the upside, I might be able to scoop some mullet with a dipping net this week.
:-)
Friday, January 3, 2014
This Sunday - New Series Begins
I always love kicking off a new teaching this series, and
this Sunday – the very first Sunday of 2014 – we are beginning a new one.
Paul wrote this letter to pass the torch to a new generation
of church leaders. In doing so, he emphasized
the importance that believers need to endure hardness, stand strong, and be
solidly grounded in Christian service.
It’s easy to serve Christ (or attend church) for the wrong
reasons: because it’s exciting,
rewarding, entertaining, or personally enriching. Yet, without a proper foundation, people find
it easy to quit in difficult times.
That’s probably why we see so many defections from the faith nowadays –
superficial commitment.
The tone of this book is strong meat, almost military in
nature. In it you hear language like:
“Stir up the gift of
God within you”…. God has not given us a spirit of fear… Hold fast to sound
doctrine… Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ… If we deny Him, He
will also deny us… Study to show
yourself approved unto God… Flee youthful lusts…. Men shall be lovers of their
own selves… Endure afflictions… Fight the good fight…. Keep the faith… God will
judge the living and the dead…
This is a far cry from the soft wimpy version of
Christianity that is so popular today. Somewhere
along the way we have dumbed-down the definition of what a real believer looks
like. Today, a good Christian is not
known for being a soldier, but known mostly for meekness, sensitivity,
passivity, mild manners, sentimentalism, and being sweet. The Christian
life has been reduced down to an invitation to a passive lifestyle. It’s like angle food cake – soft, spongy, and
unsatisfying.
That’s why we are going through the book of 2 Timothy
verse-by-verse, so we can learn what the Bible actually says!
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
A Personal Update
House Plans and Set
Backs
Since selling our home back in August, it’s been a roller
coaster for us in many ways.
It was no small effort to move – and we have personal
possession scattered over three locations until we get our new home built.
The home design process have been much slower than I
expected. We thought we had settled on a
plan, but after we staked it out on the ground at our home site (to get a real
feel for the dimensions), we put a hold on the project and went back to the
drawing board.
Then Renae got sick with thyroid issues and high blood
pressure. One doctor said she was on the
verge of a stroke. On top of that she was diagnosed with
having a goiter on her thyroid and borderline diabetes.
Consequently, she took a medical leave for 3-4 weeks in
November.
Then our draftsman fell and broke his hand, meaning he could
not draw house plans for us for at least a couple of months.
Then I got sick in December with a severe case of the flu
that lasted most of the month. Then my 3
month old granddaughter got the flu (with other complications) and had to spend
3-4 days in the hospital. Very
frightening.
In addition, there have been 3 deaths in the church that I’ve
had to respond to.
All of this created a slow-down on the development of our
house plans. However, now that the
holidays are over we have resumed our efforts at making a decision. A decision I hope we will arrive at in the
next week or two.
We are very excited about building our home and ready to
pull the trigger.
The Holidays
We have really enjoyed the holiday season this year. Thanksgiving, the month of December,
Christmas Week, and New Years have been very relaxed and family-oriented.
It’s also been very good to spend time with friends, whose company we
enjoy.
The simple things in life make it more meaningful to me.
I kept my Christmas spending on budget this year – mostly buying for the the
kids and grandchildren – which I enjoyed doing.
I’m also glad that I won’t be having a bunch of large bills
coming due in January. This
enables me to get off to a good financial start for 2014.
Next year, Renae and I plan to have family gatherings in our
new home over the holidays.
Money
Speaking of not having a bunch of bills come in at the beginning of the New Year, I have written five articles about debt and some basic money-management principles. They are posted just below this blog entry.
Money
Speaking of not having a bunch of bills come in at the beginning of the New Year, I have written five articles about debt and some basic money-management principles. They are posted just below this blog entry.
Garden
My fall garden is coming along very nicely. I planted Kale, Mustard, Broccoli, Cabbage,
Carrots, Radish, Collards, and Turnips.
For whatever reason, the collards and turnips have done the
best. They have thrived. And we have eaten plenty of them over the holidays beginning at Thanksgiving.
I get very excited when I grow things successfully.
The week before Christmas I planted onion and garlic. They are coming along real nice and I hope to
harvest them in May of 2014. (Garlic and
onion need about 5 months to mature).
I planted about 50 garlic and 300 onion.
Within the next couple of weeks I will be planting
potatoes. I have two years experience
with Red Potatoes, but this year I would like to add Yukon Gold Potatoes for a
variety.
I’ve had real good success with potatoes so far, so if
anyone would be interested in planting potatoes in your own garden and would
like my input, I’d be glad to offer what I know.
I’ll even offer my tractor.
Just know this:
Potatoes are easy to grow. The
reward is well worth the effort.
I am planning my spring garden right now: tomatoes, potatoes, cucumber, squash, pepper,
and field peas. Very, very excited.
I’m hopeful that my blueberries, muscadine grapes, and fruit
trees will produce good this year too.
Church-Related Stuff
Very thankful to Gene Tharp, Greg Gill, Gary Weiborg, and
Philip Polk who assisted my with the pulpit ministry in 2013.
Their contribution to the Body of Christ and the PCC family
was enormous. And it was helpful to me
personally.
2014 will see even more improvements in the pulpit ministry. This aspect of our church is really beginning
to shape up.
My next sermon series will be from the book of 2 Timothy.
2014 will also see series on:
- The Ten Commandments
- The Life of Abraham
- The Coming Collapse of America
- Why I Am Committed to Teaching the Bible
We are anticipating a serious upgrade in the children’s
ministry area of PCC. There are some
very valuable volunteers who need to be affirmed; a few people who have no
heart for the ministry that need to be removed; and a number of enthusiastic
newcomers who will be deployed.
Good things are in our future.
Fishing
I’m dying to get back on the water. I went fishing early in December, but got
sick and that ended my fishing trips for the month.
Net fishing, rod-and-reel fishing – makes no difference to
me.
I now have six cast nets.
I have two 10’ nets, two 8’ nets, and two 6’ nets. This is a mixture of bag nets, brail nets, bait
nets and mullet nets.
I’ve been practicing over the last year too – on the water
and in my front yard – and I can throw all of them effectively.
Although I missed the fall run of mullet, I’m still hopeful
to catch a spring run.
When I do, I’ll be forwarding a bunch of them to James W.
who is reported to be the grill-master for smoking.
Same-Sex Marriage
I’ve
always been pretty silent on the subject of homosexuality out of respect for personal friends and members of PCC who have family members who are gay. My practice has been to simply let the
Scriptures speak for themselves while I teach through the Bible. After
all, most Christians already know that the Bible says on the matter and me getting on a soap box and harping on the subject wouldn't be helpful.
However, with the incredible surge of effort and success by homosexual activists, along with the help of the government and a sympathetic media to push their agenda, my silence is no longer a virtue.
It's everywhere. It's in-your-face. It won't go away. It grows. It won't be silent. And it can't be ignored. So it's time for me to say something about it.
I will be writing an article and posting to this blog. Soon.
However, with the incredible surge of effort and success by homosexual activists, along with the help of the government and a sympathetic media to push their agenda, my silence is no longer a virtue.
It's everywhere. It's in-your-face. It won't go away. It grows. It won't be silent. And it can't be ignored. So it's time for me to say something about it.
I will be writing an article and posting to this blog. Soon.
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