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The Curse Of Feminism

 "Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." Genesis 3:16

Feminism is women's desire to usurp the rightful rule of the husband in marriage. The desire for your husband statement is not about a physical yearning for physical contact, but it is a desire to take the man's place as ruler. Feminism has nothing to do with equal pay for equal work. It has mostly to do with taking man's place by any means possible. To them, the end justifies the means.

Boys are not slow to develop by nature. They are victims of a deliberate practice to make boys feel slow and stupid and socially immature in school. Boys natural abilities and inclinations are stifled by female teachers and principals as they try to curtail boy's normal development and try to feminize boys to make them act like girls.

Porn is not a man problem. Porn is a tool created by evil women to seduce and lure men away from normal sexual activity. To undermine healthy marriages with a fantasy world of images and videos and women who sell sex instead of sharing it. Porn is a finely polished weapon used to destroy men, marriage, and family.

Men can easily live without marriage. God created a system where women attract men by their looks and their actions in order to help men find them as a wife. Finding a wife is a good thing. Making men feel stupid for looking for one is a woman problem. Feminism is contrary to human nature. Girls want to get married. Feminists are girls who for some strange reason have decided that marriage is awful.

We have reached a point in society where, if a girl wants to get married, she will have to work harder to get a boy to overcome his fear and find her. Feminism has made everything harder for everyone.

Girls deep down inside know that exposing their bodies is no  way to attract a man. Only prostitutes use their exposed bodies as a sales pitch.

Isn't God smart, how He understood what happened in the Garden and how He, in Christ, made a way for us to be restored to our natural place in the world.

Peace, safety, and contentment only come when we live our lives by God's plans, not the world's.

Lessons From The Mountain

 "Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and he was transfigured before them..." Mat.17:1-2

Pastor, in his Sunday School this morning, talked about the mount of transfiguration. I want to point out some things that were not in his lesson.

First, you run with the runners. Young and immature pastors sometimes make the mistake of discipling the whole church. Every sermon is hard hitting. Every person is expected to act like the guys who feel called to preach. The same standards of commitment and dedication are held up for all to adhere to. And if you fail, you are a loser.

Let me tell you a little secret. In any church planting church there is a tiny group of guys who are all in and they want to be pastors. They have to pay the price now for future success. They have to move beyond being saints to being leaders. They are expected to do more because to them much will be given. Most of the people in any church are good folks who are faithful to attend services, to pray, and to give. They may find a job to do that suits them. They will be with you for years, supporting your faith and your vision. These folks are worth their weight in gold.

Second, I see the wisdom of pastor Jesus in this story. Why did Jesus only choose those three men and not all of the disciples? As a wise pastor, Jesus knew who could benefit the most from this experience. A pastor who disciples men must be skilled is working with men as they are to help them get where they want to be. Jesus, who knows our hearts, chooses men based on criteria that common people do not understand.

Run with the runners, walk with the walkers, crawl with the crawlers, and together we will all get to Heaven.

Pray for your pastor. He always needs wisdom.

Love Your Enemies? 2Kings 6:18-23

 "Now when the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, my father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them? But he answered, you shall not kill them..." 2Kings 6:21-22

There are people in all walks of life who think that violence is the answer to every conflict. They see a creature that frightens them and their first reaction is to kill it. They meet people who are different than themselves and their first thought is to hurt or even kill them. The king of Israel, once Elisha had led the army of his enemy into the city, wanted to kill them all.

What stood out to me today in this story is found at the end of the story. Once the raiders had been fed, they were sent back home. And we read this verse.

"So the bands of the Syrian raiders came no more into the land of Israel." 2Kin.6:23

There is a time when violence may be necessary. Judgement must begin at the house of God. But, if we are to live out the Christian life, maybe we need to dial back our hostility toward those we do not understand.

"You have heard that was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your father in heaven; for He makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and He sends rain on the just and on the unjust." Matthew 5:43-45

It seems that Elisha practiced what Jesus preached long before Jesus preached it.

Why We Marvel at Evil Things?

 "I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. But the angel said to me, why did you marvel? ... And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life...."Revelation 17:6,7,8

The word translated as marvel is the same word in the Greek in all three verses. It is the Greek word thaumazo. This word basically means to be amazed at, to wonder at, to be surprised. It is to see something that shocks and surprises and amazes you. The word marvel is closest to the original meaning.

So what did John see that surprised him and made him stare in wonder when he saw the woman, Mystery Babylon? Did he see something that excited him? Did he see something beyond what he expected to see? Was Mystery Babylon beautiful to behold? Was she grotesque beyond description? John saw something that surprised, and astonished and made hm wonder at what he saw. I suspect that she was beautiful.

Whatever it was, the angel with John challenged him and asked him why he marveled at her. In verse 7 it says, why did you marvel? And then the angel proceeds to tell John about the nature and future of this evil woman. He makes a strong point by saying that only those not in the book of Life will marvel at Mystery Babylon and the beast that she rides upon. 

Angels seem to be unaffected by things that tempt us. And they know what we face and what we must be aware of and the connection between the physical and the spiritual.

Bullinger says that this word involves what he calls a supernatural prodigy. Mystery Babylon, like her sister Jezebel, was able to seduce men by her make up and the outward mask of beauty. This text warns us that there is something ugly and dangerous behind that pretty face and alluring figure. The mother of harlots and abominations is lurking there.

"And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." Rev.17:5

Bethlehem Star

 The star that led the Magi to the infant Jesus. Was is a natural star that moved, or was it a supernatural star? There are some who make the connection between stars and angels. They use Revelation 1:20 to make that point. It makes sense to me.

If we believe science, stars are massive and distant, they are not points of light as we see them. To move a star around in the night sky would be possible to God, but it would defy the laws that keep the universe in balance.

I think that the way the star appeared, and moved, then vanished, and reappeared, tell us that this was a supernatural manifestation. I believe that the star of Bethlehem was indeed an angelic being sent to lead these men to Christ.

Not everything that happens in the natural world can be explained by scientific laws or rules of physics. This star is something that I think needs to be understood as a spiritual thing that was there to help announce, locate, and confirm the birth of Christ by the virgin. God doesn't need technology to accomplish His purpose on earth. The Holy Spirit makes the internet seem like a plaything for children.

A Book Of Words

 "For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear." Prov.30:21

Sometimes we read the Bible and we think that we understand what it says. That is how this verse is to me. But then I wondered, what does disquieted mean and what does it mean to bear?

The word disquieted is the Hebrew word ragaz. It literally means to be angry or to cause a disturbance. It is a word that is not commonly used in the Bible. Here are two other places where it is used.

"Then Samuel said to Saul, why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up?" 1Sam.28:15. When Saul contacted Samuel by the witch at Endor.

"Their redeemer is strong; the Lord of hosts is His name: he shall thoroughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon." Jer.50:34

One translation of the word is perturbed. There are things that people do that upset God and His creation and His people.

To bear is the Hebrew word nasa. It literally means to bear, to bear up, to carry, to lift up. It is the idea of lifting. This word is commonly used in the Old Testament.

"If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shall bear it."Prov.9:12

"The spirit of a man shall sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?" Prov.18:14

The bible is a book of words. To rightly divide the word of truth you must learn how to define and apply words.

Memories

 Memories are funny things. Some people thrive on memories. Some people avoid memories. But one thing that I noticed is that memories are very personal. Your memories are yours. It is how you remember what has happened in your life. It may involve other people and places and things and events. But you remember only your perspective on what happened. It is your personal story.

People talk about memories like they are important. But unless you share a common bond, your memories are just stories to others. One thing that I noticed since Kathy died is I have no one to talk to about certain people or things or events that I remember. She would remember, I remember, but as you age fewer and fewer people share those old memories.

This is one reason why I choose to live life looking forward, not backwards. I am interested in what is next, more than what used to happen. I value friends and family for their love today, not what they used to do.

There are times here that I will be talking to someone and I will remember something. But, I bite my tongue and do not say what I am thinking. Other people's memories are like fiction to me, and I just figure that my memories are fiction to them. I can see in a person's face when what I am saying is not connecting with them.

We never lose our memories. It is important to remember your story and to cherish your personal memories. Just remember that it is your story, the way you remember it, and it is more important to you than to anyone else.

God Still Speaks

 "And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse." Malachi 4:6

Pastor Eric was preaching Sunday night and he mentioned this verse. The Lord spoke to me out of this verse. It had nothing to do with the sermon being preached.

Family is fundamental to human life. We were never meant to live alone and to live independent, solitary lives. We are social creatures who are at out best in community or family. A man or woman can successfully live a single life. But in marriage, on God's terms, life becomes better and fuller. According to the God who made us, it is not good to be alone. That means that it is better to be with others both in church, and in work, and in family.

One of the worst things that happened during the covid panic was the social isolation that was forced upon us. Unable to gather or assemble for anything. Unable to hug someone out of fear. Despair was born out of isolation.

Another thing that I see is that family is what holds back the curse. Uniting fathers and children is the way to avert the curse on the earth. The curse of sin is broken in family. The curse of loneliness is broken in family. The curse of barrenness is broken in family. Put the family in order and society and nature come back into order. Note that God says, lest I come and strike... The curse can be averted.

God still speaks to those with ears to hear.

Time Out

 I am going to take a break from doing anything with this blog. It will still be here. I just won't add any more to it for a while. No sense writing if no one is reading what I write. And no one follows me here and never has.

Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes?

 George Jones sang a song called Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes a while back. He was singing about the world of country music and who was going to be the next wave of big stars impacting that world. 

In our Fellowship I see a generation that is quickly growing older and aging in their ministry and it won't be long before more of this generation passes from the scene. And it makes me wonder, who is going to fill their shoes? Pastor Greg has filled the shoes of his father. Who will fill his shoes? Other men will rely on their disciples to take the reigns of their ministry. But the key ingredient is who will answer the call today to become the leaders of tomorrow?

Leaders are not made in a day. It takes years of actual experience in all facets of ministry to become a leader. You have to be a pastor first. You have to be a discipler of men, planting churches. You have to know how to deal with rebellion and church splits. You have to know how to raise and how to manage large money. And you have to be found faithful no matter what.

My prayer is that God will raise up men who will be the next generation of pastors and leaders who will  take our Fellowship into the future. 

The third generation does not have to sell the farm. They can enlarge it and improve it.

The Long Goodbye

 Grieving is the long goodbye. You spend years, or even a lifetime, getting to know someone. You will in time be closer to your spouse than even to your mother. You did not just live with them, you shared a life with them. You did not just have a wedding, you had a marriage. Marriage is not 50/50. It is both of you giving all that you have for the success of the marriage. All of the love, all of the forgiveness, all of the peace, all of the mercy that you can muster.

When you have invested a lifetime with someone, and they die, you are not going to be over it in a week or two. It will take years to unpack what you have accumulated. Not to mention the areas that are too painful to even touch that will have to wait until the time is right to address them. That is why grieving is the long goodbye.

I gave all that I had to give over the 40 years that we were married. I am not sure that I have anything left to give to someone new. It takes all of my strength to just take care of myself now, and it is coming up on 11 years ago that she died.

I am amazed at those who loved, lost, and love again. How do they do that? How do you love someone and then turn around and love someone else?

For me, faith is similar. How could I love the Lord for all of these years, and then even think about turning away from Christ to serve another God? There is no long goodbye with Jesus. Enduring to the end is my goal.

I pray that if you are married, that you will give yourself to your spouse like you will be married forever. If they die, I can help you survive that.

Does Christmas Make You Cry?

 One thing that makes Christmas unique of all of our holidays is the way it can tug at your heart strings. A sentimental Christmas story can bring a tear to your eye like no other story can. There is a longing at Christmas that you feel no other time of the year. There is a sense that anything could happen this time of year.

People who are new converts or immature believers do not understand this. To them everything is about Jesus and what he did for us. But when you have been saved as long as I have you find out that there are other things that, at least in this lifetime, have weight and are important. Heaven is more pie in the sky in the sweet by and by for me. Christmas is the time when the absence of someone who used to be there gets very intense.

There is a joy at Christmas. There can be an acute loneliness at Christmas also. This is why Christmas affects our emotions more than any other holiday or celebration. When is the last time you were moved to tears by a Sunday morning sermon? I have been moved to tears by Christmas commercials just today.

This is why I say, let Christmas be Christmas. And let the story of Jesus' birth be told on Sunday. 

One more thought. If you are a widow, and Christmas does not make you cry, then I suspect that your love for your now dead spouse was not very deep or very strong. Mourning is the outward proof of your inward love and devotion. Grieving is proof that you loved. 

Widowers: The Under Served Segment of Society.

 They tell us that there are over 3 million widowers in the US at any given time. They also tell us that over 400,000 men per year become widowers in the US. Every year. Why are widowers, whether recently widowed or being a long time in that condition, so under served and under appreciated and not cared for in general?

We assume that men do not need help. That men are strong physically, mentally, and emotionally. That men are problem solvers. That is why when asked how they are doing, they always reply, fine.

Even the Bible is silent about widowers. It has plenty to say about widows and how to minister to them. But nothing is said about widowers. 

I guess we men who are in this condition just need to cowboy up and deal with life as it is and leave all of the crying and slobbering to the widows. Unless the statistics also tell us how many widows there are for every widower and they give us some advice on how to bring these two lonely groups together.

Just saying.

One final thought. Do not put a married man or married woman in charge of ministering to older single people. Only those who are there know what we need.

The Royalness of God

 I heard a statement today about the royalness of God. This was spoken by a British man from the context of rule by a king. In America we do not have a king. And so any idea of royalness is lost on us.

Pentecostals also have little regard for royalty or royalness regarding God. We hold God in very loose and familiar terms. He is our father and our friend. We talk to him about the most mundane subjects and we believe that God not only hears, but he cares.

One thing that familiarity robs us of is the awe and wonder of God. We lose sight of his grandeur and magnificence. We never say woe is me! Like the prophet said. We would dance in worship if dancing was not frowned on in our Fellowship. We would not fall on our knees or lay prostrate before God ever.

I am not advocating that we need a king to understand how grand and glorious God is. But our thinking almost reduces God to our terms and our understanding.

What we do we do well. But with God I think there is more that we have not considered or thought about just yet. God is a great king and he deserves not only our obedience, but also our respect and our admiration and our sense of wonder.

A Hallmark Moment

 As you get older, Christmas is less about gifts and more about romance. This morning, in keeping with the Hallmark tradition, we had a wedding in church. Jasmine and Dominic got married during our Sunday morning service.

I can think of worse ways to celebrate Christmas. I pray that God will bless this couple and give them joy and peace and prosperity. And children!

Christ And Christmas; Really?

Christian people go to great lengths to make Christmas be linked to the birth of Christ. I won't go into the theology of when Christ was born. But, in fairness to both, why can't we celebrate Christmas as Christmas and honor Christ for his virgin birth? 

The virgin gave birth to a son, it was announced to shepherds in the field nearby, and celebrated by the magi some time later. The story of Christ coming to save us is a stand alone story. It needs no holiday to commemorate it. It is a uniquely Christian story. Like Easter. 

Christmas is Christmas. It is celebrated on December 25th. It is about family and fun and presents. It is about food and music and memories. Christmas could have universal appeal if it wasn't tied to the Christian faith.

The book of Acts and the epistles do not mention or focus on the birth of Christ. They focus on his resurrection. We are the ones who make a big deal about something the very first disciples did not care about. He came, and that was important enough to them.

There is no sin in celebrating Christmas at home or in church or in society. Reminding the masses of Christ is important at any time.

A long time ago, religious leaders tried to Christianize a secular holiday. They called it Christmas. Do your own homework on this.

I choose to celebrate Christmas as I know how. And on any given Sunday morning I will be in church worshipping my savior Jesus Christ, who is alive and active today. Amen!

If you want to put Christ in Christmas, do a Christmas pageant. Make it a musical. Bring joy to our world.

It Takes Very Little Effort To Appreciate People.

 Some pastors seem to appreciate the people who make the effort to come to a regular service. They make an effort to greet them and to shake their hands. They make themselves available to the folks there to minister to them before and after service. Sometimes they are busy or distracted. Sometimes they have to run off right after services to travel. But it is obvious that they appreciate you.

Pastor Mitchell often, right after prayer meeting, would go around the auditorium to greet those who came in while he was praying. Then he always positioned himself inside the main entrance to greet people as they came through the door. He did not engage in long conversations with folks unless they had a question for him or a prayer request. It was obvious that he appreciated you being there.

Last night as our service started I realized that out of the pastors sitting on stage, only one of them had shaken my hand and said hello to me before service. And no one said a word to me after service either. To me, this is pastoring 1.0. Greet people and shake their hand before service to the best of your ability. Manny can do it, why can't you? Act like you are glad that we came. Even if you don't feel like it, do it. 

Most people require very little effort to make them feel welcomed and appreciated. 

Preach The Word!

 The word for today is preach the word. We are a preaching Fellowship. When we gather in church services we sing, we worship, we pray, and those are all important. But the highlight of the service is when someone preaches. We hear the word preached, we have an opportunity to respond to what is preached, and we are changed by what is preached.

Evidently not every church values preaching like we do. Some mega churches are all about worship. Some mega churches are all about money. Some mega churches are about fame and media influence. Some mega churches are about political power. We are about preaching the word of God.

Someone has said that truth is hard on church growth. Truth preached can have a detrimental effect on big crowds on Sunday morning. But truth must be preached by those who in eternity will give an account for how they preached.

Pray for your pastor that he may have something to say when he preaches, and that he will say it in a way that people want to listen to what he says.

The Fake World We Watch

 I have decided that everything that you watch on social media is fake. It is staged, with actors playing roles. Whether on You Tube or on Instagram or on any social media platform. It doesn't have to be AI to be fake. 

I grew up on television. Everything you watch on tv is staged or fake. Even real life events take on an air of being not real when broadcast on television. Film is the same. It is all fiction, even if it is based on a true story. 

When we watch video on social media we are watching content from the darkened imagination of sinners who, while not deliberately trying to deceive us, often do just that.

No one in real life behaves like the fiction we watch does. No one is that cruel or insensitive. No one is that pretty or handsome. 

So the question is, can you discern between true and false, between real and fake? Is the content you are watching making you want things that you ought not have, or is it making you draw closer to the Lord Jesus?

Until The End Comes

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." Mat.24:14

For a long time when I read this verse I interpreted it to mean that one day the last person on earth will either get witnessed to or get saved and that will trigger the rapture. This verse has been used to motivate the church to get busy in evangelism because we want to bring Jesus back.

I have changed my mind about this.

First, the day and time of the rapture is already set on God's calendar. No one else but God knows that date. But God knows and it will happen on that exact day and at that exact time. Nothing that we do in our small world will affect when the rapture happens.

Second, This verse preaches a stronger message to the church. It is a message of faithfulness. We are given a job to do and we are to faithfully carry out that job. Period. Our job is to preach the gospel. To win souls, disciple young men, and to plant churches. We have no other job. Everything else we do is to support the primary task, and to encourage those who go and those who send.

Faithfulness is our primary responsibility as Christians. Faithful to the Lord, faithful to our local church, faithful to our spouses, faithful to preach, pray, and propagate the gospel.

The verse tells us that we need to be doing what we are called to do up until the end comes. 

Final thoughts. We will leave things unfinished. We are never called to win the whole world. We are a light to the world to testify against it that they are living in darkness.

Heaven

 When the Bible says that eye has not seen nor has ear heard, I used to think that meant that in Heaven nothing would be familiar and we would have nothing to compare that to. But I am beginning to think that Heaven will be beyond what we can imagine, but there will be familiar things and people there.

After Jesus was raised from the dead, in his spiritual essence and glorified body, he knew people, he knew places, He was recognized by his friends and followers, although not at first. The laws of physics did not seem to have any affect on him. Like the angels, he could travel and be in places and reveal himself to his friends.

I think that we will know people in heaven. I think that we will meet people in Heaven. I think that we will join the great cloud of witnesses that keep an eye on us down here. I still do not believe that animals will be there. Heaven is for people, not pets.

The closest thing that I can compare Heaven to is like an AI image. It it almost too real, too perfect. And like in a video game, we will be able to do things that defy physics and are almost unbelievable.

How will we know Jesus in Heaven? By his eyes. And by the prints of the nails in his hands.

Call Them

 I had just posted on Twitter how that some days my phone never rings and I get no texts. When out of the blue my phone rang. I had a nice chat with an old friend. 

When you think about someone, call them. You never know if they are lonely or feeling alone. Your call might tip the scale in their favor.

Fly, Run, and Walk

 Tonight, pastor Rubi preached an encouraging and useful message to us. He used Isaiah 40:31 in his text. I saw something that he did not preach on in this verse. Here is my take on pastor Rubi's text.

"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

The Holy Spirit puts flying first, running second, and walking last. This seems out of order at first. Shouldn't you walk, then run, and then maybe fly?

I see this as three stages of the Christian life.

First, you fly. Salvation is a great experience. The weight of sin is removed and you feel lighter than air. Everything is fresh and exciting. The burden of sin is gone. You are truly a new creature in Christ. And if you, like me, get filled with the Spirit and speak in tongues at the same time, well, hang on to you hat. The God of miracles is real and alive and working in my life.

Second, you run. One day, and it differs for everyone, you try to fly and you can't. So, you start to run. Running has it's own rules and benefits. Running will take you places. Not as high or as fast as flying, but you are still making great progress. You are still covering new ground. You still feel strong and fit. But you wish you could still fly. You are running after God and you are running after your calling.

Third, you walk. One day in the Christian life, you learn that a lot of your life is walking by faith in a faithful God. When you walk you notice details that you do not see from the air or even while running. It is a slower pace, though you are still moving forward. It is while walking that you find out what is important. You find out what you can and cannot do. You no longer think about flying, but you do rejoice at those who soar overhead. You can encourage those running after their calling. And you can be an example to your fellow walkers.

Faith to fly is easy. Faith to run is hard work. Faith to walk is like breathing. Anyone can walk and stay on the path until life is over or the Lord returns.  The key is to wait on the Lord. He will renew your strength.

Enduring To The End

 When I was first saved, everything about the Christian life was brand new. Church three times a week? Sure! Witness and outreach? Of course! Give tithes and offerings? Why not! Answer an alter call? Almost every service!

Time moves on in life. I am not a teenage new convert anymore. I have seen things, and done things, and experienced things that some of you have not even thought of. And through it all, I'm still here. Still saved. Still serving. Still hopeful.

It's those who endure to the end who are saved, not those who are excited with new convert enthusiasm or zeal. Enduring is something only done by those who have been around a long time. Enduring is done by those with both victories and defeats on their resumes. You are not enduring without testings and trials and battles and losses. Anyone can be saved when everything is coming up roses. But when you have endured the dark clouds and storms of life you have enduring faith. When your prayers are answered you rejoice. When you pray and nothing changes, you endure.

"I have been young, and now am old..." Psalm37:25

"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many shall grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved." Matthew24:12-13

A Pattern To Consider

 In Philippians chapter 2 I see something that makes me wonder at it's significance. In verse 1 the word "if" is used four times. 

"Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy."  It's almost like the apostle was questioning in his own mind whether or not, after all he had been through, if it was worth it.

Then in verse 2 he gives a prescription that would calm his troubled mind. 

"fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind."

There was something that could be seen at work in the life of that local church that would comfort and assure him that indeed it was not in vain and yes, it was worth it.

Then in verses three through eleven the text gives instructions on things we are to do as believers in Christ. He uses the word "let" four times.

Let nothing be done through ambition or conceit.

Let each one esteem others better than himself.

Let each one not just take care of himself, but help others also.

Let this mind be in you that was in Christ.

Verses six through eleven expounds on having the mind of Christ. So that seems to be the most important thing for us to possess.

Patterns are important. I believe the Lord shows us these patterns to help us know what is important.

A Missed Opportunity

I got taken for a ride tonight. I sat at home, waiting for a package delivery that never came and indeed ought to have not come. The delivery company told me it was on a truck and being delivered today. That surprised me. Then it was by 3:30 pm. Then it was by 8pm. By 10pm I had watched pastor Joe Campbell minister to the men. I missed it in person, but I did watch.

So that proves that I ought to have just gone to church and forgot about a delivery happening that I had to sign for.

Pastor Campbell preached on being faithful. Faithful in every area of life, and especially being faithful to God. We may not be able to do a lot of things. But anyone can be faithful. You do not need to have talent or skill to be faithful where you are.

Pastor Campbell and I go way back. I talked to him Sunday night. I would have liked to see him again tonight.

 It was a missed opportunity for me.

Dropped, and Redeemed

Last night pastor Joe Campbell ministered on being dropped. Like dropping a baby on it's head. Or being dropped by someone you love. He used Mephibosheth as his example. How his nurse dropped him leaving him crippled.

The name of this young man means literally from the mouth of shame. Evidently, when he was born, his parents felt an overwhelming shame and they put that on this son. Mephibosheth lived in Lo Debar. This town's name means literally, no pasture. It was a place where you went if you had nowhere else to go. It was the end of the road. No future living in Lo Debar.

David lifting up Mephibosheth and making him like one of the kings sons is a picture of how God deals with us once we are saved. Jesus makes us sons of God with all of the rights and privileges that come with that.

Pastor Campbell brought a great word to a needy people last night. 

While it was a blessing to be a part of the Prescott church for many years, I felt that after my wife died, the Prescott church dropped me. I never felt so lonely and alone as I did living there. Very little support. Feeling isolated and alone. Suffocating in memories.

So I live here now. I have never been so appreciated and accepted and encouraged as I am here. SA is my home now.

Our Job is Clear

 "For when they say, peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape."1Thes.5:3

It is interesting to me that a woman in labor is used to illustrate the rapture of the church. Here are a couple of thoughts that I had.

First, every pregnant woman, as the time to deliver her baby gets close, packs a bag to take with her. As it gets close, she gets ready. But, the baby will come whether she is ready or not. When her water breaks it is too late to pack a bag. Get off your feet and get to the delivery room at the hospital.

Second, the due date is never a mystery or a surprise. The doctor or midwife is not holding back the due date just to keep you in suspense. They want to help you and prepare you for a healthy delivery. When you call the doctor, she is expecting you. She is not hiding this from you.

I believe that the day of the rapture is set. That day and time is on God's heavenly calendar. No one knows when that day is. God is not trying to trick us or hide useful information from us. God knows how easily we get distracted by things like times and seasons and days and dates.

We have work to do. Blessed is the church who is doing what they are supposed to be doing when the rapture happens.

"And he said to them, it is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses unto me...to the end of the earth." Acts1:7-8