April 2008 #2

VICTORY IN JESUS – In the last “Musings” I touched on the matter of clapping and shouting. Another event comes to mind. Shortly after taking the task of restoring the work of the church at Commercial Point I was called by the local pastor of the Free Will Baptist Church. They were about to close their doors and the pastor called to see if there might be some possibility of recommending the few remaining members attend our services. Before he could do so he had a question for me. I knew what he was going to ask and sure enough, the question was, “Do you teach eternal security?” I answered in the affirmative and his immediate response was, “I was afraid of that, I can’t recommend that our people attend your church.” It was just minutes after his call that I received another call from an elderly member of his church asking the same question. This dear Christian lady and her husband were hoping they could attend our church in the area where they lived. I laughed and told her that we did believe in and teach eternal security. I also asked she and her husband to visit our services and assured her that they would be welcome, adding that if she could accept the fact that I was a true believer in Christ believing in eternal security, I could believe that they were true Christians not believing in eternal security. She too laughed and decided to visit our services. They eventually joined out church, promising that they would not make this difference an issue. Anyway, after all that and getting back to my point, every time we sang “Victory In Jesus” her arm and hand would be extended and held there the whole time we sang it. No one else held their hand up and no one seemed to mind that she did. I knew she was simply expressing her faith and victory in Christ as her Savior. The practice has come from earlier days when she had been a part of the “Holiness Movement.”

AN OFFERING OF CANNED VEGETABLES – Strange things happen in churches. When I was at Rustic Hills Baptist Church in Colorado Springs an unusual woman started attending shortly after I had arrived as their missionary pastor. This was also before I had convinced the people to try using an offering box rather than pass the offering plates. When the offering plate was passed the woman put a can of vegetables in the plate. The usher could hardly believe his eyes and it about broke him up. I was told about this later and we wondered what that was all about. We didn’t know whether she didn’t have any money to give or if it was just one of those eccentric acts. She didn’t attend our services very many times and perhaps sought some other church that might fit her tastes. The three or so years that I pastored that work, before they were able to call a regular pastor, there was never a Sunday that we didn’t have visitors. It was a very unusual area with lots of people moving in, besides several military bases that changed their people around regularly.

HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND AS PARENTS – An elementary school in Reedsburg, Wisconsin schedules a “Wacky Week” on their calendar. One day was planned for a cross dressing day where boys were encouraged to wear girls clothes and the girls were to wear boys clothes. How would you react if your children attended that school? It has raised a lot of discussion in town and from a lot of outsiders as well. I don’t know if it would have raised as much fuss many years ago but today where we have so much promotion of homosexuality, cross gendering and people having surgical procedures to change their sex, it puts forth a wrong message. To me it seems like another occasion to try and disrupt Biblical premises when God created the order of men being men and women being women. God created us in His image to fulfill His purposes. To rebel and to promote something else eventually brings GodÂ’s judgment. Immorality brought the flood and Homosexuality brought judgment in Abraham and Lot’s day with fire and brimstone. With prayer and the Bible out of the schools and adding this kind of nonsense they are moving children’s thoughts in the wrong direction. My, how we need to pray for our nation! It is little wonder that so many Christian families are home schooling to protect their children from a liberal school system.

MC DONALDS – Over the years I have eaten a lot of McDonalds burgers and breakfast sandwiches but that has come to an end. Like the Ford Motor Company, McDonald has decided to promote the homosexual agenda. The American Family Association has sent out the following: “According to McDonald’s CEO Jim Skinner, McDonalds will aggressively promote the homosexual agenda.”… “The company gave an undisclosed amount of money to the NGLCC in return for being recognized as a major promoter of the homosexual agenda. In return, NGLCC placed Richard Ellis, vice president of communications of McDonald’s USA, on the NGLCC Board of Directors.”… “Ellis was quoted as saying: “I’m thrilled to join the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce team and ready to get to work. I share the NGLCC’s passion for business growth and development within the LGBT community, and I look forward to playing a role in moving those important initiatives forward.” With homosexuals being less than ten per-cent of our population I wonder why businesses will jeopardize their businesses by take up this these immoral causes.

GRANDSON BEN IS HOME – After nearly three months in the hospital and a heart transplant Ben left the hospital on Wednesday morning. Praise the Lord! It has been a long siege for him and the family. For those who may not know, my grandson is the music director of a church in Stayton, Oregon. How long before he can get back to his ministry I haven’t heard yet. Please continue to pray for him as he regains his stamina. / Ben’s little boy Logan is doing pretty well with his chemo treatments though he has had some nausea from it. They alternated between treatments by infusion and oral chemo. / Ethel, my daughter in law has not gone back to work yet but is doing much better. I do appreciate your prayers for them. / Ben and Meaghan bought an older home just before his heart put him in the hospital. The price was something they could afford and near the church where they minister but it had problems. There was no heating system and they were trying to heat with wood. With all the dampness in Oregon and a leaky roof a mold problem developed when they were away at the hospital in Portland so long. Their church is trying to help them correct those problems and for now they are staying with his mother. Pray they can get worked through these additional difficulties.

SPRING HAS FINALLY ARRIVED – Our daffodils are in full bloom and the buds are coming out on the trees and shrubs. I was ready for it. I donÂ’t know whether spring or fall is my most favored time of the year but I do know I don’t care for the cold winters. Some are fortunate enough to go south for the winter but that is not an option for us. We have lots of small branches to pick up before we will be able to crank the mower up.