Happy St. Pat's

A note from my wife's blog....Happy St. Patrick's Day

Kenneth came home today! Hey!!! Lord willing he wont be going on any more trips without me any time soon.



Did you know that Patrick of Ireland didn't really drive out all the snakes but he WAS a great missionary for the Lord? Recently I read a very interesting article about him in Baptist Vision. According to history, during his ministry, thousands came to know the Lord and Ireland (and the world) continues to remember him today. The Catholic church has claimed him, of course, but truthfully he was a really missionary hero!



Snapped this picture recently in the yard. Hanna & I (at least Hanna's toes) say, "Happy St. Patrick's Day!"

The Word of God

Amos 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
Amos 8:12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.

There are many people that refuse to hear the word of God. However just because they are doing it doesn’t mean that I am going to. The Bible speaks in this passage a famine of hearing the Word of God. Now I know and you know that we have the Word of God. It has not changed nor will it ever change, but the famine prophesied here was not a famine of the Word, but rather hearing the Word.

I do not want to turn a deaf ear to what God has to say to me. I want to be than ever to Him, in order that I do not miss anything He has to say.

The other night I was watching Andy Griffith. Ernest T Bass was trying to enlist in the Army, and the instructor was going to give him a hearing test so he said “stand by me and repeat what I say” so Earnest stood there and repeated every word so he made his voice to get softer and walked away Earnest was supposed to stay put but instead he followed him. He said I told you to stand there and he said if I would have done that I might not have heard what you were saying. That is exactly the way I want to be with God. Get as close as I can so that I do not miss one word that he wants me to hear.

1Sa 3:19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

God help me to listen more closely to what you have to say.

Dark Places

Devotions 3/12/09

Reading Lamentations 1-5

3:6 He hath set me in dark places! This verse declares that God actually allows you to go through dark times in your life to further you walk with Him. In the day that Jeremiah lived I am sure it looked like there was no hope just like some of life's situations. Things may look impossible but we must always remember that God is still in control of all things.

Purposes for being set in a dark place:

1. To Mature you in the Lord
   
2. To make you useable
   
3. To allow your light to shine in the dark
   
4. Etc…
   

Paul and Silas found themselves in a dark place and in the end God got the glory and they went free

Daniel found himself in a dark place and in the end God got the glory and he went free

The three Hebrew children found themselves in a dark place and in the end God got the glory and they were promoted.

Elijah found himself in the cave (dark place) and in the end God got the glory and he went free

Has God put you in a dark place? If he has do all that you can to give Him the glory for what He is doing in your life.

Lesson learned

Today I have learned my lesson. My teacher was my daughter. I learned that it's not always easy to trust your father but that when you do you are able to enjoy the trip a whole lot more.

This morning my little girl didn't want me to go up to my office, so I asked if she wanted to go with me and she nodded in agreement. Hanna will turn two on the 22nd of this month, so she is at the age, where she doesn't want to be carried she want to walk (praise the Lord I thought she never would get to this age).

Well we have a very steep ramp which goes off of the porch and into the garage, which Hanna is afraid of. I took her hand and said daddy's got you come on she just stood there studying the ramp as if it were a bull ready to buck her off.... Finally I was able to coach her into taking a step but she still wasn't very sure about it. But with each step her confidence was growing and she knew that I indeed, had her the whole time.

Spiritual Application: Sometimes in our lives God asks us to do things that we are unsure of. Then he takes our hand and tells us I will never leave you nor forsake you, but we like sheep are still very unsure of the whole thing. But with each step it gets easier and easier to trust Him. I don't want God to carry me through all of life's difficulties I want him to lead me through them so that when the time comes for me to put full trust in Him I will know, know, know the he has "had me all the way"

Illionois Pastor Shot to death in Church!

The stranger walked down the center aisle in the middle of the service, Pastor Fred Winters — welcoming as always — stepped forward to greet him, police said.

But after the two exchanged a few words the visitor pulled out a pistol and started shooting, according to Illinois State Police Director Larry Trent. The first bullet hit Winters' Bible, exploding it into a cloud of confetti that made some congregants think they were watching a skit. Another bullet pierced the pastor's heart, killing him.

So ended the 8:15 service Sunday morning at First Baptist Church of Maryville, Ill., a congregation the gregarious Winters had expanded over 21 years from a few dozen to about 1,500.

Regardless of the gunman's identity or motive, the murder was the work of the devil, said Jeff Ross, a lay minister at the church: "Who else would do it? Someone who wanted to stop his message."

After the man fired four shots at Winters, witnesses told police, his 45-caliber semiautomatic pistol jammed. He then stabbed himself with a 4-inch knife and slashed two parishioners as he was wrestled down.

Please be in prayer for the loss of this family!

Connecting with your Missionaries

In the day and age that we live in we are able to connect with our missionaries more effectively than ever before. So as I was pondering on thoughts that I could write I thought this would be a practical help for some pastors, layman and lay-women.

• Email them frequently


• Check out their Website


• Call and ask them Questions


• Sign up for their blog and newsletter updates


• Put them on your Sunday school's prayer list


• Send them Birthday cards and Anniversary cards


• Get a Skype account and call them while on there mission field

There is no excuse for not connection with your missionaries, other than the fact that you just do not care.

Pastor's Retreat

God has done a work in my heart that I cannot explain. God has truly met with me and taught me some things. I want to live in such a way as to please my Savior.

I want to say how thankful I am to Vision Baptist Church for hosting the Pastor's retreat.

• Thank you for the great food


• Thank you for the great place to stay


• Thank you for the great teaching


• Thank you for the great fellowship