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

Train up a Child

I wanted you to see this picture which caught me by surprise! My daughter Hanna is very observant child weather for the good or for the bad. One day we were sitting in the living room of our house and my mother in law told the cat no. Well it wasn't too much longer before my daughter told the cat no. By the way what you do in secret your children will do in excess… unless the Lord intervenes. But this is the picture that every preacher wants to get on camera.

"Eph. 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

Victory Baptist Church

We had a great service with Victory Baptist Church in Natchez, Mississippi. Pastor Vroman was gone to a pastor's school in Texas. He called and asked if I would fill the pulpit while he was gone. I went and preached on "Winning the Race". It seemed that the Lord blessed many of the people said that they appreciated the sermon (that could of just meant that they felt sorry for me).But they gave me a love offering. Amen!

Thank you Victory Baptist Church, for intrusting me to fill the pulpit while in the absence of your pastor...

Happy Valentine’s Day

Today I celebrate my Valentine's Day with the one I love, my wife Kristy. I wish that I could say that my wife gets all the credit that she deserves but it's not true. No matter how perfect of a husband you and I are we will never know how valuable our wives are.

It is hard for me to comprehend how that my wife would follow me all over the country, listen to me preach, and then tell me that I am her favorite preacher… Wow God is so good to me. I imagine that if you thought real hard about your life you would find out that God has been good to you too.

Happy Valentine's Day

My wife's blog

You can follow this link to go to Kristy's blog to see more pictures of Hanna.
http://goodgiftsmatthew711.blogspot.com/

Hanna Pictures

Updated Pictures

Pastor Clark


Dr. Halsey ( BIMI Rep)

Here are some updated pictures from the Missions Conference in Fayetteville, NC. This was Bethel Baptist first ever Missions conference. Please pray that there commitment will exceed their pastor's expectations.

Grand View Pines Baptist Church

We had a great service with Grand View Pines Baptist Church Sunday morning. Pastor Decker was more than gracious to take me out to eat at the local Mexican restarant. Thank you pastor for all you do for the Lord.

Thank you GVPBC, for the great prophets chamber you allowed me to stay in.

Visit there website here!

http://www.grandviewpinesbc.com

Just doing my Job!

I always make it a point to let our military know that I appreciate what they do for me, my family and my country. I hope that this will challenge you to do the same.

As I was updating my blog at Pope Air Force Base this morning a man came and sat down in front of me and I said good morning, I appreciate your service to me and my country. He replied with a smile I am just doing my job. I was thrilled to know it was not a dread for him to do what he is supposed to do.

I wonder how many of us gripe and complain about having to pass out tracts, about not being able to go to the movies, about having to go to church. When what we should say is we are just doing our Job the list goes on and on. Things we can and cannot do.

While soul winning I am sometimes told what you are doing is a good thing, No I am just doing my Job.

Are you doing your Job?

Bethel Baptist Church

What a great start to Bethel Baptist Churches first ever Missions Conference. I am glad to report that we had great attendance. Dr. Halsey presented Missions in a very

• Interesting way
• Challenging way
• Encouraging way
• Convicting way

Thank you Bethel Baptist for having us as well as taking great care of us.

Mcdonough Baptist Tabernacle

Well for the first time I will admit I have preached the worst sermon ever in my life. I preached about the blood of Jesus. I studied, I prayed, I used the Bible, but for some reason or another I did terribly.

And I found my mistake, I prayed that God would show himself through me. Hide me behind the cross of Calvary. I have no idea what happened I got up there shared my heart and they took us on for support.

It is obvious that in and of myself I cannot gain or get support so therefore I just let God do it for me. I know some of you are more spiritual than I am. But I finally discovered that it's not all about me getting to Kenya but it is about Him dying for mankind.

Praise the Lord!

1Pe 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

• Thank you for the prophet's Chamber
• Thank you for allowing me to preach
• Thank you for the great love offering
• Thank you last of all for obeying the Lord when He asked you to support us...

Me, What can I do?

As a child I can remember the feeling of helplessness. I wanted to help others but I didn't have the resources to help anyone. As I grow older I feel much more helpless, but the one thing that I can do is pray.

Jeremiah 33:3

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Murder in Kenya!

Nairobi — Police in Nairobi are holding two men suspected to have been involved in the murder of veteran Consolata missionary priest Fr Giuseppe Bertaina on January 16.

Brother Kenneth Wekesa of the Consolata Institute of Philosophy where Fr Bertaina was administrator confirmed to CISA that one of the suspects was arrested on Sunday and the second one on Monday.

Police are looking for two more suspects, he said. The woman who was arrested at the Consolata institute on the day of Fr Bertaina' death is still in police custody.

In Cuneo where the Italian missionary was born the local Catholic weekly dedicated its latest edition to the slain missionary, including a story on the testimony of his sister, Dominican nun Sister Carla Bertaina.

"When I learned of the news of the murder, it was very difficult to accept the manner in which my brother died. I can't imagine the violence of this act. Now with the help of God I am at peace because He gave him all of His help in that moment. He has thus crowned his life as a missionary, giving all of himself to his brothers and sisters," his sister said "Certainly Our Lady of Consolation, to whom he was especially devoted, protected him and comforted him. He wanted to be buried in the land he felt was his own: here, he said, is my family," Sister Carla explained.

Fr Bertaina was buried in Nyeri in central Kenya last Friday.

This story should make us get on our knees and pray for the Country of Kenya. It is not every day that you hear of people being murdered for their faith. There are Independent Baptist missionaries who may face the same opposition we need to pray.

Just like this man who was killed, anyone who does not put their faith and trust in Jesus will die and spend eternity in Hell. Are you ready? Is your family ready? Are you friends ready? Are your country-men ready?

We are so ready to be on the field and share the good news of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. Will you pray that God will allow us to get to field at just the right time.

Any man that be in Christ he is a new creature, behold old things are passed away, behold all things are become new...