The guys at the Museum of Idolatry just keep finding these gems proving Paul’s words in 2 Tim 4:1-4. Their latest YouTube edition is below.

I also pass on the scripture that was posted with this video and a couple of others to make it easy, simple and plain. It seems pretty plain to me.

Matt 23:33 “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?

Matt 25: 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44 “Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45 “Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

2 Timothy 4:1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

There is a faith and trust factor involved in salvation.  It is important to remember that salvation is applied to those who put their faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins. You can rationalize God’s mercy to grant forgiveness to anyone (you, me, Hitler, Stalin, any murderer or rapist) or you can believe as the Bible teaches that our sin will condemn us to an eternal separation from God (Rom. 6:23), yet God’s love impelled Him to demonstrate love in His Son (Rom. 5:8).  The choice is yours to follow the lure of tickled ears or face up to the facts that we have all sinned and we need forgiveness.

I post this video for all men and women who have stood in the gap to keep us free to live and worship in this country.  I especially thank those who are currently serving and pray for the families and soldiers in Ft Hood who have been affected by this terrorist act.

If anyone is still out there, I am dusting off the cobwebs of this blog.  I have been producing a lot over at SBC Today and I neglected this site for too long.  I plan on posting some more of what I am doing in my life, namely working on my dissertation, my renewed commitment to a healthier lifestyle, and how God is dealing with me as I seek His transformation in my life.

I have changed a few things including posting my tweets.  I will be updating more later, but for now if anyone reads this, I am thankful.

Psalm 112:1

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!