Below is my monthly newsletter article to members of Immanuel Baptist Church. I pray that it is a blessing to all.

Economic times are the worst since the Great Depression or at least that is what is being touted on the television. While I agree that the economy is challenging and tough, the question that looms in my mind is, “What should the response of a disciple of Christ be?”

Some in our church have lost their jobs by being laid off. Others are having their hours cut back. Yes, for my brothers and sisters in those situations, times are the worst that they have experienced in their life. Yet, God’s word gives us hope. Times were tough for the Christians that Peter was writing to in his first epistle. They were also facing loss of income and even worse, loss of life because of their faith. Still, Peter sought to encourage them by pointing them back to their salvation. He did not want them to get discouraged in their present situation, but reflect on what the prophets before them saw, yet did not experience. The Messiah had come and delivered grace through the cross. Their sins were no longer stumbling blocks to their eternal destiny. Things of this world were but a pittance compared to eternal glories that awaited the followers of the One who suffered for them.

Today, while people will lose their jobs and possibly their house and belongings, we as followers of Jesus will never lose the most precious thing given to us, the salvation of our souls. Remember, if God is God (and He is), then who or what can be against us? It is my prayer and hope that Immanuel Baptist Church will support our fellow believers as the tough economic times affect us all. But still, I pray and hope more fervently that these times will cause us to better appreciate the grace that has come to us.

This is a picture from Six Flags of the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium that is still under construction. This is for all you Cowboy fans.

It’s a bit crowded, but the family is having a great time.

I have seen this skit a bunch of times, yet it still cracks me up!

Tonight was pastor appreciation nite for our AWANA ministry. The kids made me several cards and thanked me for being their pastor. I truly love these kids and pray that God will to do a wonderful work in their lives.  I especially appreciate the work of the many volunteers.  It is them who deserve appreciation before me.

As I began my studies for the day, I read this from Richard Baxter’s, “The Reformed Pastor.”  Lord, please show me my sin and its effect on your church so that I may repent and bring glory to your name.  May we all feel and see the weight of our sin and its effects on churches we have been called to shepherd so that we may repent before great harm occurs to the saints.

Too many who have undertaken the work of the ministry do so obstinately proceed in self-seeking, negligence, pride, and other sins, that it is become our necessary duty to admonish them. If we saw that such would reform without reproof, we would gladly forbear the publishing of their faults. But when reproofs themselves prove so ineffectual, that they are more offended at the reproof than at the sin, and had rather that we should cease reproving than that themselves should cease sinning, I think it is time to sharpen the remedy. For what else should we do? To give up our brethren as incurable were cruelty, as long as there are further means to he used.

We must not hate them, but plainly rebuke them, and not suffer sin upon them. To bear with the vices of the ministry is to promote the ruin of the Church; for what speedier way is there for the depraving and undoing of the people, than the depravity of their guides? And how can we more effectually further a reformation, than by endeavoring to reform the leaders of the Church? For my part, I have done as I would be done by; and it is for the safety of the Church, and in tender love to the brethren, whom I venture to reprehend – not to make them contemptible and odious, but to heal the evils that would make them so – that so no enemy may find this matter of reproach among us. But, especially, because our faithful endeavors are of so great necessity to the welfare of the Church, and the saving of men’s souls, that it will not consist with a love to either, to be negligent ourselves, or silently to connive at negligence in others. If thousands of you were in a leaking ship, and those that should pump out the water, and stop the leaks, should. be sporting or asleep, or even but favoring themselves in their labors, to the hazarding of you all, would you not awaken them to their work and call on them to labor as for your lives? And if you used some sharpness and importunity with the slothful, would you think that man was in his wits who would take it ill of you, and accuse you of pride, selfconceitedness, or unmannerliness, to presume to talk so saucily to your fellow-workmen, or that should tell you that you wrong them by diminishing their reputation? Would you not say, ‘The work must be done, or we are all dead men. Is the ship ready to sink, and do you talk of reputation? or had you rather hazard yourself and us, than hear of your slothfullness?’ This is our case, brethren, The work of God must needs be done! Souls must not perish, while you mind your worldly business or worldly pleasure, and take your ease, or quarrel with your brethren! Nor must we be silent while men are hastened by you to perdition, and the Church brought into greater danger and confusion, for fear of seeming too uncivil and unmannerly with you, or displeasing your impatient souls! Would you be but as impatient with your sins as with our reproofs, you should hear no more from us, but we should be all agreed! But, neither God nor good men will let you alone in such sins. Yet if you had betaken yourselves to another calling, and would sin to yourselves only, and would perish alone, we should not have so much necessity of molesting you, as now we have: but if you will enter into the office of the ministry, which is for the necessary preservation of us all, so that by letting you alone in your sin, we must give up the Church to loss and hazard, blame us not if we talk to you more freely than you would have us to do. If your own body were sick, and you will despise the remedy, or if your own house were on fire, and you will be singing or quarrelling in the streets, I could possibly bear it, and let you alone, (which yet, in charity, I should not easily do,) but, if you will undertake to be the physician of an hospital, or to a whole town that is infected with the plague, or will undertake to quench all the fires that shall be kindled in the town, there is no bearing with your remissness, how much soever it may displease you. Take it how you will, you must be told of it; and if that will not serve, you must be told of it yet more plainly; and, if that will not serve, if you be rejected as well as reprehended, you may thank yourselves. I speak all this to none but the guilty.

Not only can I post from my iPhone, I can also now easily enjoy all the facebook features with my iPhone.

iPhones are awesome!

My grandfather turns 93 today. Throughout my childhood I treasured the times I got to visit with my grandparents. Since my mother’s parents had already passed, I especially enjoyed when I had the opportunity to see my dad’s parents. I recently heard the song in the video and it got me to thinking about grandpa and all he had done in his life. He was born in 1916 in a little town in Arkansas. By the time he was ten, he had moved in a covered wagon from his birthplace to Eastern Oklahoma and his father passed away.

From that time he and his mom went from farm to farm trying to survive by picking cotton or anything else that would grow. He told me that at night when they could not find a barn or some shelter, they would find some hay that was stacked in piles to cover themselves for protection from the elements. Grandpa was a man formed from his culture. Oklahoma was in many ways still wild and he told me once that there was one man whom he would always fight. They didn’t have to be mad at each other, but if they saw each other, they would fight. Sometimes the other fellow would win and sometimes grandpa would win. Years later, grandma and grandpa were sitting in church when the wife of the other guy walked over and introduced herself. I asked grandpa if he went over to say hello to the other man. Grandpa answered no and when I asked him why he said that he was afraid the other feller would want to fight again.

He did various jobs as a young man including, from what my father told me, running moonshine in the hills in Eastern Oklahoma. Years later his call name on the CB radio was “Ridge Runner.” He met grandma and his life of running shine was over, especially considering that grandma’s dad was the local sheriff! It was during the depression that he started a dairy farm near Zeb Oklahoma. Things were progressing pretty well until the government came to his front door one day and told him that his land was no longer his. Camp Gruber was installed to prepare troops to for WWII. But the government was nice (sarcasm inserted) enough to help him, since he was now jobless, and they drafted him into the Army. He served our country in Southeast Asia and I have the little New Testament he carried around with him for four years. Upon returning home, he moved the family to Detroit and worked in the automotive industry until he retired sometime in the early 1970’s. During that period he and grandma raised four children. He also built their very own house with the help of my dad and uncles. It still stands to this very day. After retirement, for nearly twenty years, he and grandma traveled the United States until Alzheimer’s was getting her best. He was her primary care giver until she went to be with the Lord in 1997.

Grandpa left school in the second grade because he needed to work and help support the family. Later, though, he learned to read on his own and one of his favorite authors was Louis L’Amour. He was a self taught man and could figure out almost anything. When it came to cars, he could listen to the engine idle and tell you what was wrong. One of my cousins (who was great with cars to begin with) was having trouble with his carburetor. Grandpa told him to try a couple of things and viola, it was working good as new. Dad tells me of when he went back to school and while he was working on a math problem, grandpa just gave him the answer. Dad asked him how he knew it, grandpa responded that he did not know how he figured it out, but he gave dad the correct answer.

The best gift grandpa has is telling stories. He can grab your attention and keep it for hours. When I have the time to visit, I sit and learn from him. Through his stories, I gained wisdom that I never could have gotten on my own, but I won’t gain what grandpa experienced in his life. It is almost as if we can only see things like the pictures of times past, in black and white. That generation lived a roller coaster. About ten years ago I was talking to grandpa over the phone and I made the statement that maybe we needed another great depression to shake up our country. His response was that he wouldn’t wish a time like he lived through upon anyone. He lived the Great Depression in color, I have only seen it in black and white photos. Again, his wisdom taught me.

Grandpa passed a good name to my father and my father to me. I can only hope that when my name is passed to my son and his son (if the Lord wills), that they will have a name as good as the one I got. Happy Birthday grandpa.

It is newsletter time at Immanuel. I thought I would share my thoughts this month to the fair people of Immanuel Baptist Church with the blogging world.

In an episode of Little House on the Prairie, Charles Ingalls (the father) is making high quality tables and selling them in a near by city. A friend of his, who is helping him in this endeavor, dies of a heart attack. Charles begins to take account of his life and feels he needs to make his mark on the world. A business arrangement later, Charles is making that table in the big city full time. He feels that he can become a great craftsman and leave his mark that way. As his table gains popularity, a businessman buys one of Charles tables and begins to mass-produce it at a cheaper price. This puts Charles out of business and his opportunity to leave his mark is stolen.

All of us desire to leave something behind to be remembered. Unfortunately, as generations come and go, gravestones will become unkept and future generations will not know our names or who we were. This, of course, does not mean we fail to do our present responsibilities of loving our families and friends. Marks can be left that way, but as Charles Ingalls found out, other marks will take our place.

Even though Paul left a mark in his church planting and letter writing, he never sought to leave any mark of his own, but to only glorify Christ. He knew this world was passing, but he also knew of a Savior that would never pass. So Paul focused on that everlasting mark, the mark of forgiveness, mercy, and grace. If one reads the epistles of Paul carefully, it was not his mark that he left; yes he did leave a mark, but the mark of Jesus was foremost in his life.

What mark are you leaving behind? Is it one that has family and friends focusing on you or is it one, like Paul, which points to the Savior who deserves our utmost? When you leave, will people remember you for what you did, or will they look to the Savior you served? Jesus is the Mark that will never fade, go out of fashion, or be forgotten. He is the everlasting mark that brings eternal life. No one can steal His mark from Him nor can anyone steal Him from you. Focus on leaving Jesus to your friends and loved ones. His love will never fade.

In a recent interview on Fox and Friends (Sorry, unable to find the video as of yet, but to see another interview click here), Jim Brown was asked some questions concerning the inauguration of Barack Obama. For those who don’t know, Brown is considered one of the finest running backs the NFL has ever produced. This web site has listed some of his stats:

Brown played only nine seasons for the Cleveland Browns — and led the NFL in rushing eight times. He averaged 104 yards a game, a record 5.2 yards a pop. He ran for at least 100 yards in 58 of his 118 regular-season games (he never missed a game). He ran for 237 yards in a game twice, scored five touchdowns in another game and four times scored four touchdowns. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards in seven seasons, scorching opponents for 1,527 yards in one 12-game season and 1,863 in a 14-game season.

Brown also was smack dab in the middle of the civil rights movement of the fifties and sixties. In the interview on Fox and Friends, he commented that he had such leaders as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X in his own kitchen. Both men were his friends.

Concerning the election of Barack Obama, Brown was asked what today’s inauguration meant for African Americans and the opportunities for them in our country. In his response, he said , “There are no excuses.” What he was saying is that opportunities are there for African Americans who are willing to work hard to achieve. Remember, this is a man who lived through Jim Crow, the deaths of two friends who were fighting for the equal treatment of blacks in this country, and his own personal fight for that equality. Today he sees something different in America that was not available to African Americans in times past. That difference is the freedom and opportunity to succeed.

Jim Brown is in many ways what I term, “old school.” Watch the YouTube video above and you will see what I mean. But he recognizes that the “old school” which prevented blacks from succeeding is over. Today, the excuses are over.

It is my hope and prayer that we will no longer divide over the color of our skin, but that we will all be satisfied with the term “American” to describe who we are. And to take this a step further, it is my ultimate hope and prayer that those who trust Christ as their Savior can stop dividing upon the color of one’s skin, but that we can all be one as God has intended.