July 2008 #3

SPECIAL EVENT FOR BETTY – Betty’s family from Kentucky along with those here in Ohio came for a weekend cookout. The girls did all the planning and the work to provide something Betty has wanted to do for a long time and it was finally accomplished. Some came early and had to leave before the meal and others remained to eat and visit. I think the total attending was about 28. Daughter Debbie, granddaughter Erin and grandson Nathan stayed until Monday. Betty was so excited she couldn’t sleep Friday night and went to bed Saturday night exhausted but blessed.

POLITICAL COMEDIANS – Comedians have always made fun of politicians but there seems to be some disparity as to whether McCain or Obama gets the most attention. The comedians readily joke about McCain’s age. It seems the fear of receiving criticism over the race issue causes them to go much easier on Obama. An example of jokes relating to Obama bring “Messiah” type jokes and one that should really offend Christians is when they refer to Obama as “Jesus Christ but with a better jump shot.” I find it despicable and highly objectionable (offensive) when these types of references are made. Such disrespect for our Savior and to make such associations with a politician of any party or race only speaks to how low today’s comedians have become. Sad, sad day!

OBAMA’S EUOPEAN TRIP – Following Obama’s political trip to Iraq and Afghanistan he included stops in Israel, Germany and elsewhere. I had the opportunity to listen to his Berlin speech to some 200,000 people, the largest crowd he has drawn to date. What came through to me was his Globalist and Internationalist position. His theme related to “tearing down walls between Christians, Jews and Muslims,” as well as between other various national situations. He also made a comment that “the vast majority of Muslims are peace loving.” One statement he made was, “People of the world, this is our time.” He also made the comment that “Palestinians and Israel both seek peace,” but I understand that some comments made while there didn’t set well in Israel knowing that the Palestinians want a total destruction of Israel. The thought that came repeatedly to my mind as I listened, was that should this man become our next president, he would surely lead us much closer to the One World Program that the antichrist will direct during the Tribulation. Though he professes to be a Christian, I am confident that he has no real understanding of the Scriptures and how his position will feed into the prophetic revelations of the Bible. He is a tremendous and articulate speaker who is able to say much without revealing much. Having given his position on Iraq and Afghanistan before taking his trip only verifies his mind was made up before the supposed investigative trip was taken.

HOME MISSIONARIES & PASTORS – Dr. Charles Woods recently included some ideas he felt would be good guidelines for a church-planting missionary if he been one. He was right on with his thoughts but it is not my intention to include his list here but it did bring to mind the many times over the years when pastors told me that they wouldn't’t know how to go about starting a church. By the same token I could return the thought, “I wouldn't’t know how to pastor a large church.” Regular church pastors often misunderstood the church planters ministry, even those who sat on mission boards. Home missionaries pastor small churches that they are called to plant or establish and in many ways it is different from pastoring an older and larger church. In reality, I started out my first church in my own ignorance, learning as I went along, not being with or under any mission agency. A major difference that comes to mind is entering the endeavor with out the means in hand for a functioning church, where a pastor is called to a work with a salary, a building and people in place. Too many home missionaries are handicapped by not having their full personal support. Nor do they have the funds needed to purchase property, a building and equipment to run it but that comes along as the work is developed. Thankfully, mission agencies today are doing better in holding the line and requiring that home missionaries obtain their support before taking on the task. Sometimes some individual missionaries will take up the task on their own, thinking they can always get a job to support themselves. Often it is the wife working to support her husbands ministry. It can be done but it is a hindrance to their task and a very slow process that all too often fails or struggles for years.