Seder, Horseraddish, Candles

This week we are in VBS mode. We are going full speed with Group's Jerusalem Market Place. One of the things that we have expreienced was a Seder. From the photos you can see that I did not like the Horseraddish. During the Seder, my daughter whom I love, Remington was able to correct me and guide me. Yes, an eight yr. old was able to remind her pastor-father of things that he had fogotten about. She reminded me that I had forgotten in the beginning to have a woman light the candle. "Not only a woman," but she went on to tell everyone that she "was not to have had any children and needed to cover her head and she was to bring the light to the World like Mary brought Jesus, who is the light to the World." I was proud, but I must admit she did not learn that from me. No, she learned that from Amy Downey of Tzedakah Ministries. She must be soaking up everything that Amy teaches her, becuase I got the feeling my little girl thought there were some other points that I forgot. Oh you may may wnat ot ck out Amy's blog too -Mystery solved with Messiah Jesus

My Daughter

I love my daughter. I am glad that I have been able to share Christ with her. I praise God that He let me counsel with her after she made the decision to be a Christ follower. I can think of nothing cooler than when I baptized my daughter and was able to call her my Sister in Christ. I love that after she knew Christ as her Savior she wanted others to know Him to. I loved that one when I was witnessing to a family member, she asked what she could do because she “knew about this stuff” (having a relationship with Jesus). I love how she serves at Church and does not complain. She just sees Christian service as they way everyone is suppose to live. I love that she passes out the visitor cards because our adults can't seem to remember to do it. I really dig how she is patient when I run into someone who just has to talk to me. I love how she goes on visitation with me. I love how she smiles. I love how she prays. I love that she forgives and that she does not understand that all people at Church don’t act like Christ. I love that she ministers at eight years old and pray she still will at a hundred and eight. I love how she leads others. I love how she inspires me – to be a better father for her, a husband so she will know what a Godly one looks like and a Christian for her to model her walk after. I love that girl who thinks she has to have coffee like the grown ups do and who said I am Sister Chick now to her mom after becoming a believer. I love that she sings for the Lord and weeps when I ask her what she would do if they told her she could not love Jesus any more. I love that fact that she feels the Holy Spirit and she has great joy. I love the way she is so young and talks sermon notes. That she studies the Bible and seems to be able to remember every Bible lesson she has been taught. I love the fact the cares about her unsaved classmates and the unsaved Jews. I love that she likes me more when she is sick and she always wants to go to town with me. I love her to the core. I love her little snore when she gets overtired. I love that she traveled for over two years in a van across Texas allowing me to preach in a different pulpit every weekend, yet never complaining. I love how she looks great in a dress as well as in a t-shirt and shorts. I love that she smiles all the time. I love that she gets great grades and loves to sing. I love that she has suffered a lot for ministry and never said a word. I love that she cares about others and cares about Christ. I love that I don’t have to worry about her knowing Christ, because she already has established that relationship. I love that she is fine with just a little but knows how to act with a lot. I love how she wears a ring that I gave her that will not be taken off till a Godly man places a wedding band on that finger. I love the fact that she is a girly girl but she still loves God’s creation. I love my daughter, completely and totally. I pray for her often and amazed by her continually. I can’t wait to see what God will do with her, the lives she will help change the soul she will share Christ with, the man she will marry and the children she will raise.

or is it the honor of Greyskull?

1 Chronicles 7:24 His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon as well as Uzzen Sheerah.

Can u maintain'a wat u've obtain'a

Steven Furtick is the pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. He posted a power post (or atleast to me) entitled Can you maintain what you’ve obtained? on January 8th, 2008.

One of my mentors taught me this valuable lesson. I’d like to pass it on to you: The key to experiencing the blessing of God all the days of your life is learning to maintain what you’ve obtained.

That’s good stuff right there. And it will do us good to unpack it with
a couple of examples.

Example #1: A young man who thinks he is called to preach gets called on by his senior pastor to fill in for him one Wednesday night in March. He has 3 months to prepare, so by the time his big moment comes, he knocks it out of the park! All the senior adults tell him he’ll be the next Billy Graham, and a small group of single adults swear that his preaching is better than the Preacher Bob’s. Don’t stick your chest out yet, big boy. Who cares if you hit a home run one time? What’s your batting average going to looklike over the course of your ministry? Can you bring the goods and serve up a fresh Word from God 40 or more Sundays a year?You obtained success with one sermon … Can you maintain a ministry of impact for a lifetime?

Example #2: A couple spends $35,000 and 7 months of intensive (and for the guy, grueling) planning to have the perfect wedding. The bridesmaids’ dresses were stunning. And the filet mignon at the reception was killer. Good for them. So you obtained the perfect wedding…Can you maintain a healthy marriage? After she’s many sizes beyond ever fitting into that $2000 wedding dress again, can he love her for what’s inside? If his career trajectory takes a turn for the worse with the economy, are her hopes and dreams still on solid ground?

You get the point.I close with a quote that summarizes the principle. I heard an older pastor say it to a younger pastor after he’d really rocked the house at a youth crusade: Ability will put a microphone in your hand. Integrity will keep it there. hat will you do to maintain what you’ve obtained?

Preach! Bro. Preach. Those are true life lessons for all you TLC watches.

Glorietta - Part 1

The day after Christmas, when others were returning gifts or trying to find batteries for their electronics. we were getting in our vehicles to make the trip to Glorietta, NM for skiing, snow and the Sword of truth (had to have another "S"). Our first leg was from Diboll to New Harmony Baptist just outside of Lindale. Our friend Melody from Crockett, TX had come up the might before to spend the night to make the trek with us.

We got to Lindale and the rest of my crew - Melody, Denise (my wife), and Remington (my daughter) left me with Grady McDonald the youth pastor at New Harmony. They went on to Amarillo where they would spend the night in a nice comfy bed at a motel. This was great because we discussed theology, church growth, vented our frustrations, traded great ideas, got to tell corny joke, ragged on each other and discussed hot topic Scriptures. We probably did some important things, but i can't remember them! oh yeah, bought a key changer as the worship pastor had to decline, got the spin360 tracks and PowerPoint's ready, packed some gear, picked and fueled vans for the 55 person trip.

Some time around midnight we got the whole crew on the road and found every gas station and restroom starting in Lindale, TX and ending in Glorietta, NM. This was a wild ride. lots of unique things happened on our way to the summit!

Nice ...

Temperature Rising


from Jumaine Jones at Limeade…quenching the leadership thirst

I’m in the middle of preparing for Sunday’s message. We will be looking at Ephesians 5:21-33. I was truly awestruck as I read of how Christ sanctifies and cleanses her bride by the Word. As husbands, we owe it to our wives to wash them with God’s Word. We can’t prepare a great meal on Sundays, and leave our homes famished. As the head, the husband establishes the spiritual temperature in the home. Where lives are hurt, the water is too hot. Where there’s distance and lack of intiamcy, the water is too cold. Where there’s unconditional love and true devotion, the water is warm. There’s nothing like having a warm, loving atmosphere!

why the Gospel is important

nuff said

Bringing sexy back to the Church

The week @ Church, we talked about sex. You should have seen the faces. Some people decided to not come even because of the topic. Thisis the overview of what I said. I know I said more, but I don't have those notes.

• We removed the kids this morning for a children’s worship experience, not because we are going to be graphic, but so they don’t ask you questions when you look so nervous and so you can give full attention to Scripture.


• There will be very little application or how to, we will not be giving you a put tab “A” into slot “B” kind of sermon.


• I will not be sharing personal testimony or giving cute illustrations. We look at the Scripture and let it guide us now matter who scary it is.


• Take a trip down to the local grocery store and you will see magazine after magazine with articles about sex. Women’s magazines, Men’s magazines, automobile and even music magazines are filled with sex.


• Turn on the television and you will be bombarded with inappropriate ideas of sex.
  Flip the TV off and the radio on and you hear songs like Salt b’ Pepa singing “let’s talk about sex baby, lets talk about you and me” Or how about Color me Badd with their song about song called I want to sex you Up. Those are some older ones an I understand that David Allen Coe had some that the Cowfolk like that are very raunchy in there lyrics. And Justin Timberlake had is song where say he is bring Sexy Back.


• They world is educating us and our young people on sex, but this is not right. This is not the way it should be.


• God created it but for the most part His Church is quit on it. It is time that the Church let God bring sexy back so we approach sex the right way, because if all the Church does is point their collective finger and tell you how not to have sex, then who will teach them what it the right way to have sex.


• So here is the deal - Singles people are having sex while Married couples are not. We pray teens are not having sex, but their grandparents are since the invention of the little blue pill. Viagra had changed the age range of sex lives


• In truth sexual transmitted disease statistic are rising the fastest in the senior population because they are having sex. So this message is for all of us.

Gen 2:21-5 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

• Gen 2:21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. We see the Work of Creation being continued in God’s creation of a wife for Adam in from of Eve.


• Gen 2:22 The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. As Jehovah has removed the rib, He has created the most beautiful woman that Adam had ever seen. Then he brought this stunning creature to Adam. We see God playing suitor here.


• Gen 2:23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." This is now bone of my bones – Eve was something that Adam had longed for and God had provided.

• John Calvin put it this way, He said “Adam indicates that something had been wanting to him; as if he had said, now at length I have obtained a suitable companion, who is part of the substance of my flesh, and in whom I behold, as it were, another self.”


• Adam is in complete understanding that Eve is not only part of his body, but she is a part of his life.

Gen 2:24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

Leave and cleave is how we have traditionally talked about this.

• Be leaving they are making a public commitment of loyalty of their love.


• By leaving they are making a commitment to intimacy.


• For Real intimacy to happen there needs to be alone time if you know what I mean.


• Real Sex needs real privacy –away from family and work and kids and what have you.


• Become one flesh –they joining of two, the tender, God glorifying love between husband and wife.


• This is the union of two souls being knit together


• The Hebrew word behind this means to intertwine or to mingle together.


• This is intimacy, closeness and understanding


• Intimacy needs communication. When there is poor communication there is poor physical relations.


• Even the world know that sex is communication- they use the euphemism – that they “knew them Biblically”


• To know some one you have to have communicated with them


• Communication is talking and it being in contact, being in touch


• 1Co 7:3-5 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. (4) The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. (5) Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.


• We need to be wary of not having intimate relations between husband and wife because not only do you belong to your spouse, but we are warned that Satan will use it marital celibacy as a weapon of evil.


• Paul says this because, if natural lustful man is left alone he will defile the marriage bed some how some way.


• Pro 5:18-19 - Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth. As a loving deer and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; And always be enraptured with her love.


• 1Co 6:18 - Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.


• When you flee, you need to run right it the arms of your spouse.


• Paul encourages sex between husband and wife because of the intimacy, because of the communication, because of the please and because of procreation.


• Gen 2:25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.


• Read S.O.S. 7:1-10


• This is a wisdom book in the Bible, the guy who wrote proverbs, Solomon, wrote this to.


• Hebrew teenage boys were not allowed to read this. Some people wanted to remove it from the Bible, other people try to say that it is about Jesus and the Church


• Son 7:7-8 make this hard to believe, yet we always say we believe the Bible is literal
  
  Don’t forget the closeness and intimacy of our marriages is a representative of the deeply personal relationship we are to have with the Lord spiritually.
  
  Go and honeymoon again and return to an intimacy between husband and wife that honors Christ and His death.

OH, BTW

Today is my birthday and I am now officaly 31.

Getting My Praise On

This weeked was a great one. This is what happened

• Saturday
• I say my daughter play soccer and do an awesome reverse kick at just the right time to make a big play.
• I asked a local man that had surrendered to preach but has not been allowed to preach to fill the pulit next weekend
  
• Sunday
• Baptized a young man by the name of Zane with the heater in the baptistry out. invigorating.
• Preached on parents and children in the morn and church re-emergring in culture in the eve
• Had members stay at Church for hour and talk. They are excited and so am I. There is a great sprirt of fellowship.
• Had a lady, all but surrender to teach a Sunday school class. I think she will, it seems that the Lord is working on her. Besided she is too cool not to teach and he has the Bible brains to do it. I look forward to seeing her grow by leading. Btw, we have five Sunday school classes and we have never had more than two that anyone can remeber.
• Taught Sunday school to youth. Dealt with stuff in thier lives and showed the Bible really does apply to what is going on. Everthing from Prom to dealing with Grandmothers.
• We also had a lady return to worship that has been in the hospital. God care for us is amazing.
• Monday
• Had a member do some work at the Church with our being harrassed and he served with a sense of delight - worked on septic system, fixed the light in the baptistry, tried to fix the hating element and he even mowed the church lawn. Awesome guy. He and his wife are too cool and they really dig Jesus and His Word.

I know I am leaving something out, but it might be because of praise overload. You know, when you are just too blessed.

Getting My Praise On

This weeked was a great one. This is what happened

• Saturday
• I say my daughter play soccer and do an awesome reverse kick at just the right time to make a big play.
• I asked a local man that had surrendered to preach but has not been allowed to preach to fill the pulit next weekend
  
• Sunday
• Baptized a young man by the name of Zane with the heater in the baptistry out. invigorating.
• Preached on parents and children in the morn and church re-emergring in culture in the eve
• Had members stay at Church for hour and talk. They are excited and so am I. There is a great sprirt of fellowship.
• Had a lady, all but surrender to teach a Sunday school class. I think she will, it seems that the Lord is working on her. Besided she is too cool not to teach and he has the Bible brains to do it. I look forward to seeing her grow by leading. Btw, we have five Sunday school classes and we have never had more than two that anyone can remeber.
• Taught Sunday school to youth. Dealt with stuff in thier lives and showed the Bible really does apply to what is going on. Everthing from Prom to dealing with Grandmothers.
• We also had a lady return to worship that has been in the hospital. God care for us is amazing.
• Monday
• Had a member do some work at the Church with our being harrassed and he served with a sense of delight - worked on septic system, fixed the light in the baptistry, tried to fix the hating element and he even mowed the church lawn. Awesome guy. He and his wife are too cool and they really dig Jesus and His Word.

I know I am leaving something out, but it might be because of praise overload. You know, when you are just too blessed.

Real Kids - Luke 2:39-52

Luke 2:39-40 So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. (40) And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

• We find the “Parental Commission”
• All adults have this maxim to live out
• not just Parents,but Grandparents, Aunt, Uncles, adopted aunts and uncles anyone who have a relationship with a child
• We have a Mimi – you saw her last week she is an adopted aunt. If Denise or I ever die, this is who will inherit our little bundle of joy. She was there when she was born, she care for her, spoils her, weeps for her, disciplines her, and is family as far as I am concerned.


• We are to help our Children grow and became strong in spirit, be filled with wisdom and the grace of God.
• This is our thesis -
• To help our Children grow and became strong in spirit, be filled with wisdom and the grace of God
• Why are we talking about this … simple … we tend to be focused on the non-eternal goals for our children
• Academics
• Sports
• Dating even
• These items do have a level of importance, but secondary if not tertiary to what Scripture has listed. They come in a distant second.
• If our children win every spelling bee, ball game, decathlon, competition, U.I.L. Event, and tournament what does it mean in eternity?
  
  • There are no trophy cases in Heaven
  • No rewards for ribbons and medallions
• We concentrate on the here and now and forsake the eternal and ever after. We teach our 2nd graders curveballs and skip the commandments. This has to stop and it must happen today.

Luke 2:41-2 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. (42) And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast.

• We are to raise our children in the ways of the faith just as Jesus’ parents did.
  
  • Eph 6:4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
  • We must follow the tracing of Christ and show them the way.
  • The Shema – Deut. 6:1-9 “Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, (2) that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. (3) Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you—‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’ (4) “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! (5) You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. (6) “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. (7) You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. (8) You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. (9) You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
  • If we are not living the faith, the how are they going to see it, and hear it and learn it?
  • I repeat - If we are not living the faith, the how are they going to see it, and hear it and learn it?

  Luke 2:43- 45 When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; (44) but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. (45) So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him.

• Jesus did not have a perfect set of parents and he turned out just fine. So you do not have to be perfect
• But try to not lose your kids at the mall. I have lost a niece or two in my days.
• I try hard to keep an eye on Remington at the store or out in public.
• If I care some much about her temporary, physical outer body that will decay in the ground, how much more should I can about her eternal soul that Jesus lost his life and shed his blood for?

Luke 2:46-9 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. (47) And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. (48) So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, your father and I have sought You anxiously.” (49) And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”

• Help our children be about the their Heavenly Father’s work
• 3Jn 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
• No greater joy than children walking in the truth
• We should delight when our children are walking in the Lord
• We should pleasure when the kids we are entrusted with live in the truth
• When they don’t we need to be miserable and on our knees and beg God, grovel if you will, and petition God for your Children
• Pray for the Kids
• Mat 19:14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
• As a church are we doing this?
• Are we hindering the children from coming to God?

Luke 2:50-2 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them (51) Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.(52) And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

• Psa 127:3-4 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.(4) Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.
• What heritage do we have if our children are like bruised fruit? Our children become rotten with sin, they are spoiled with transgressions. Are they a reward to you or glorifying to God?
• Can we say are children fly true like a well made arrow.
• Are we handing these Children that God has entrusted us with, with the same accuracy of a warrior does an arrow. Or our we helping them to fly straight, to hit the target and become a bull’s eye with their lives