What should we do.....

I am at home and I click on my email and see I have "367" spam messages. Personally I usually look to see if I recognize names in the spam section before opening the site. As I scroll down looking I notice not one not two but about half a dozen times the same spam is showing up. It is a site that says something like this, "Russian Brides". I was not expecting what I was about to see. It wasn't nudity but it was as close as you could get legally. I immediately hit the delete forever button I have on my computer. I got to thinking and I know how Satan works. Are you quick to hit the delete button or.....

When times are rough in your home life, guys, do you feel you have a right to just tease yourself with these sites that satisfy a visual sinful lust that attacks us all. When you are alone in a hotel do you say to yourself - Hey no one will ever know and look at the ads and follow it up with a search of the Internet for other more provocative sites. I am finding that more and more of us Christian young men and men are falling prey to suggestive emails initially but which leads to much more. We are victims of the justification for ourselves and so we give ourselves a free pass. Hey I deserve this or that because of my circumstances.

I have always felt strongly about two things only because when growing up I saw just the opposite of what was right when it comes to how you should treat women and especially if it applies to your wife. I have, I mean zero tolerance, for a man who will hit his wife. That is the most atrocious thing a man can do (women should not hit men either by the way). I also have no respect for men who look at pornography and call it a need. I have had two youth pastors in the last 31 years I am aware of who actually told their wives that they had to have the pornography to satisfy their needs physically. Ladies if that is the case, you need to pray, and give the ultimatum it is either me or the screen and if you choose the screen that means the highway until you get help and "change" happens.

This is a "loaded gun" we are playing with and we think no one should speak out boldly and call men to righteousness and name the sin and call for change. The only way we are going to see homes restored is for us to stop the sin of lust and change to love for God. It is all about how much I love God. It is not about how much I love my wife even. How much I love God determines how I treat my wife as a Queen or not. Now, is it easy not to give into temptation. No. We all battle the daily barrage of television, the Internet, the printed page and so much more, but a real man for Jesus will stand up and be counted as a man that will not give in. I, you, our brother, could fall tomorrow if it were not for the powerful grace that we have to have to say no to temptation. Say no if you have been saying yes. Clean up your mind with Bible verses, read it, clean up your computer and press the delete for ever. If you don't you are a two timing weasel, that is in danger of the justice of God if you don't change. My "Russian Brides" site is deleted every time now that I know what is happening. How about you. REAL MEN LOVE JESUS. I speak the truth in love.

Kicking Off the Summer

Welcome to the official start of summer with the arrival of the month of June! Be safe, be witnessing, and be here – some great days are definitively on the horizon. Not only have people moved into our area (within a two- to three-mile radius of our church), but other churches have gone through major building and remodeling of their buildings, as well. I am not including ours in that mix yet, but hopefully soon, and in the Lord’s timing we will see “Building By Faith” off and moving! The Building Committee is still at work. May I also report to you that soil samples have been taken, the preschool building is getting a thorough remodeling, and every inch of property is being used.

Vacation Bible School is the single most effective tool of Evangelism, still today. Join every way you can in helping to make a difference in the lives of boys and girls. Unfortunately, sometimes we shoot for numbers of salvations, when the numbers we impact are far greater, and when the seed is planted, God gives the increase. The dates are June 9-13, from 9:00 AM – noon. See Chad Ortner or Beth Griggs to help make a difference and have some fun while you’re at it.

Madison Baptist Association News: Many in our church probably are not aware that I serve as Chairman of the Personnel Committee of the Madison Baptist Association. With that position I am a part of the leadership team that looks into matters as tasked by the Association. I enjoy serving and helping any way I can, and all of you, our members, know your pastor to be very conservative. Unfortunately, our committee made a recommendation and I made a motion to “clarify and enhance” an already established practice within our Association. Some people on the outside looking in only got half the picture so, I was labeled… I made a motion to add that the “Senior or acting Senior Pastor” should only be a man. Some interpreted we were condoning that ladies in other positions could be ordained pastors, just that ladies could not be ordained Senior Pastors. This is far from the truth!

Whether you realize it or not, we have six churches in the Association with ordained female pastors serving in some capacity. I have never, in 30 years, had a lady ordained in any role of pastor in a church I have led or served in. Not even ladies serving as Deacons, and we have churches in our Association which practice this as well. Our intent was not to make it permissible for ladies to be ordained, but to clarify, as we were asked to do by the Executive Committee. It was going to happen eventually; that a church in our Association would call a female “Senior Pastor.” (Ephesians 4:11-16) The word we added to protect, by the way, was the very word that was used to cause a variety of interpretations.

To our church family and those who have heard people “talk” outside the church (which is called “gossip” in the Bible), this is a good lesson in Biblical reconciliation: go to the person you have a problem with, or maybe heard something about, before making too many comments. Feathers are hard to pick up after a wind storm. I must add one comment: this is not negative toward ladies serving in churches - God forbid! Were it not for some of you ladies being leaders in most churches, there would not be much accomplished that the entire church receives credit for. But it is specific in Scripture that the office of Pastor is for a God fearing, humbled man of God who understands, in my opinion, that it is only by the grace of God he is what he is, anyway.

June 1st in the 11:00 AM service, our students will be moving back to the sanctuary on a regular basis! If you have enjoyed being at the 9:30 service, June 1 would be a good time to consider doing so again if you’d like, as to even out the attendance in both.

Regarding last weekend's yard sale, thanks for all who have helped to raise funds to move our current office building to another location on our property. We appreciate you serving so well. The unofficial results of our garage sale to relocate the church offices are continuing to come in. I say “continuing,” because a van and a camper are still on the auction block. As of today we have approximately $4,000, without the two large items.

Finally, thank you for your patience, your prayers, and your service in my absence while in the hospital. I am not completely well and further tests are needed, but I am better than I was. I was severely dehydrated and still have stomach nausea, so pray for us daily.

It's Been a While!

It sure has been a while since we last spoke, or I blogged and you read my writings, “Oh you know what I mean”. It seems like forever ago. I sat down in my office at my computer and I have some time that I haven’t had in about six months. It really seems weird or different somehow because it feels like I’ve been on a trip and have just returned. It feels like I went to sleep and woke up and now I’m back in reality. It really feels strange. I love my daughter Melissa and our son in law Josh so much . They are the ones that must feel like they have been in a cave somewhere and all of a sudden walked out and here we are again. Savannah our granddaughter… what can I say about her? She is super fantastic in every way, what a blessing to have her in our lives. I just like to look at her and stare; watch her every movement and then just enjoy her affection to “Pap Paw.” She can have anything she wants!!! (Right now, anyway!)

When I wake up from this last six months I am thankful for my wonderful church family. No one has been as gracious as you have. Some of you have done nothing, you thought, but by just being there you have helped us cope. Some people don’t understand if they are not here on Sunday I actually do miss them . I physically look in every way I can to find out why they were not here. Sadly, when I look at pictures some people are not here any longer and that makes me hurt on the inside. They are loved, you are loved but maybe something has gotten in the way. It’s been a while but I will be checking and trying to locate out missing persons in our fellowship. Our teachers are and should be doing that, our Deacons are and should be doing that. Our staff is, and should be doing that. And I know I have to delegate but I miss some of our people and when you love your church it is difficult to see one missing. I know what is happening, someone says, “It’s been so long. My presence doesn’t matter”. It matters for my benefit and yours. You get blessed by the word and music and I get blessed by having the opportunity to minister to you and see you and hug you and let you know you are special. Just because you are you.

Wow! Time flies. The Scripture has it right: it moves fast James 4:14. I was talking with someone the other day and they said they would be 50 this year and I thought, “I’m 50 and will be 51 in July.” Wow! Now I know some of you don’t believe that because I don’t look it…..Careful, I can see and hear you in there. Yet I don’t feel 50 or 51 for that matter. I feel like I am about 40 or about to turn 40. So it must be true the new 50 is the old 40. I look in the mirror though and things change. I say to myself, “You’re 50”. I told Karen and you may have heard me say it, I want to totally enjoy the next 20 years until that age that everyone talks about even the Bible talks about: 70. I pray I get there if the Upper-Taker doesn’t come first but I hope I make it as far as God want s to use me for Him. I want to be found faithful until He says your time is up. Did you hear about the lady in a boat, the other day cruising on the water and all of a sudden a stingray jumped out of the water and hit her and killed her instantly upon the force of impact? That might happen one in a billion times. Yet it obviously was her time to leave this world.

Enjoy today! Let God’s promise of I will never leave you or forsake you be your fuel that keeps you going. He is faithful and He will be a faithful companion all the way til the “stingray” comes or whatever it is He is faithful. It is only that I know what I know that has sustained me through such great hours of pain, anger, disappointment, disillusionment, tears, why, and all the other. Life is very short. For our precious Victoria Leigh Wilhoit it was less than six months, who knows how long it will be for you or me or a special friend or a loved one or the next person you meet? I was driving down the road the other day and a man’s picture advertising his business is located on a bill board. Several days earlier I recognized him as the man on the billboard but this time hi picture was in the obituary. His picture is still up on the billboard but he isn’t here. I talk a good talk about this enjoying every moment and being happy but I must admit it is hard at times still. I haven’t arrived I guess is what I am saying. But I do know the answer and in fact my devotional thought I was reading this morning was exactly what I am dealing with. It talked about to find contentment is to find Intimacy with God. I can fight against trusting Him by self sufficiency, anger, fear or what ever it might be but the bottom line is we need intimacy with God and the more I love Him and the more I place my trust in Him the more I am able to heal.

It’s been a while, but hopefully I’m back to writing, sharing, and encouraging you (and me!) along the way. God Bless and have a great day!