Protesters

On the way back from the beach tonight I witnessed a rather large gathering of Palestinian protesters . I feel cultured. I am not sure of my opinion on the bombing of the Gaza Strip but I do know it only took one event (9-11) for the USA to pick a country to blame. One does have to admire Israel for the amount of patience they have demonstrated over the past years. We are living in scary times. Pray.

Street View

For those of you that still read this I would like to encourage you to pick up a Windows Mobile powered device. After you do so go to www.google.com?ggm on your phones browser or to Google Mobil on your computer and download google maps for you phone. If you have done so and have not gotten the recent update that includes street view than I highly recommend you update the program. I just did and am amazed. Google has gotten me out of some tough spots around St. Louis and street view will only be a further aid. The next time I am north of the Arch in St. Louis, I will not only be able to look out at the bombed out buildings through the window of the truck but be able to confirm that I have ventured into the DMZ of St. Louis via my Tilt.

By the way North St. Louis is only second to East St. Louis but you have to cross a bridge to get to the east. North is far to easy to wander into in my opinion.

Arnold church of Christ

We have a new program at the Arnold church of Christ. Over the next couple of weeks and months we will be updating our technology department. With this update we have started a blog that I will be posting on. The blog address is http://arnoldcoc.blogspot.com/ and you can link to it from this page. Josh Robinson, our new preacher is responsible for this so you all should thank him. He will also be posting on the blog and already has. So head over to the Arnold church of Christ blog.

Iraq War

After viewing this video I was literally stunned. I have spoken to several men who have been to Iraq and know a couple personally and have heard the same thing this guy is saying. I do not post this in support of McCain but it is defiantly anti Obama.

I think it would be more meaning full if it didn't have the little "support McCain" slogan attached to the end but it is none the less powerful.

You can view the video here

After you view the video I hope all will realize the truth to this. It is true of our country but also true of our Christian walk with Christ. No victory comes with out sacrifice.

Paul tells us in I Thessalonians 4:11 esv "that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your own hand as we commanded you." Also see Titus 3:1. Remember the persecution the first century Christians had to go through and suffer by the Roman government. I struggle with verses like this in the bible that are telling me to be respectful and obey governments that may or may not be in step with the bible. I know that God's law is higher than man's (Acts 4:19-20) and should obey God first. We are charged with the duty to respect the governments that rule over us (Rom. 13:1-7) but keep to the law of God first.

Having that said, if you are a Christian and slander our governing authorities (this included both Senators from Illinois and Arizona, Democrats and Republicans, past, present and future Presidents). Combining what the bible says about respecting authorities and participating in our constitutional rights of protest, freedom of speech, and voting rights is possible. It is possible if we do it with respect. I feel the above linked video is respectful; but slander, crude jokes and such are not.

As a Christian my first prayer is just what Paul says in I Thess. 4:11 (as quoted above). If we keep our same freedoms of worshiping God the way he tells us and continue to have a whole host of other freedoms than we should count our selves blessed over most countries in the world.

Obama for President

I would not say that I am a McCain fan or even a supporter but I am certainly not an Obama supporter. I received this link in an email this morning and I am appalled. I do not believe every thing in the speech given by Obama is entirely in context (I may change my mind after viewing the complete speech) and certainly do not agree with all the narrator says. However, it is extremely upsetting to me to see one who claims to be a “Christian” and yet deals so crassly with the Word of God.

This is a sign of the times and how far the world has slipped in its morality. However, I would encourage you to study, pray and realize that we still live in a country where we are free to worship God not how we choose but how He (He being God) would have us. We are also to live as God would have us live. As long as we have these freedoms than we are more blessed than many of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ around the world and should thank God daily for them.

It is ok to be upset by this and by the fact that the two choices for the presidency are so poor this go around but remember to count your blessings.

Please let me know what you think after watching the video.

http://www.youtub.com/v/4FCNKwHRCQM

You could simply google "call to renewal video" and watch a series of youTube videos or go here to read the complete manuscript.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

A night with the Cards.

American Health Care

Just a thought. I know there are a lot of holes in this argument but here it goes...

Health care should be manditory in the USA. If you don't have any you will still be treated but will be slaped with a fine (just like neglecting to have car insurance). If you fail to pay then your wadges are garnished or thrown in jail. I realize not all can aford insurance but I truly believe health care cost will drop if hospitals did not have to over charge insurance companies to compinsate for those who did not have insurance or did not pay. It is ludicrous that I have to pay hundreads of dollars to compinsate for those who demand service then walk out on the bill. Why is car insurance mandatory but not health care. Keep in mind I did not say; nor do I anticipate ever saying, the government should provide it. Try that one on.

Work

Summer is quickly coming to a close and it has really gon by fast. So much has happned it is hard to believe I made it through.

To start the summer off I directed a week at Bible camp and the week went better than I could have asked for. There were around 40 kids and several studies resulted from the week. Judging by how another congregations week went shortly after ours, we wrer truly blessed. By the way, they had two snake bites (Copper Head and Rattler) and a twisted leg.

Three weks after camp we had the annual teen campaign that has been a tradition since the 70 (started by the legendary Mike King). There were 16 teens and 8 adults. We went to help out 4 Mile Hill church of Christ with Vacation Bible School. We knocked around 1000 doors in three days then helprd out 10 families with various jobs. This too went far better than I hoped. Most of the success goes to my brother Casey for setting up housing, food and jobs.

Finally, Arnolds VBS was last week and everyone sems to think it wentwell. I thought it was a VBS but the kids had a good time and the Gospel was taught and that is all you can ask for. (i'm not saying it went bad it's just hard to judge success sometimes when an event lik that takes place because everything is so spread out.)

What a summer!

Phelps is my new hero. He kicked butt in the 200m relay then 50 minute later spanked everyone in the 400m.

He is up three gold medals. I bet he gets all 8 he is comeating in.

I love the Olympics!

As Wayne and I perused the mall tonight with our Lady's I came across this sign in front of a bathroom. I find it funny and slightly inappropriate.

I found a way to keep this thing a little more up todate than what I have ben doing. Which means I will probably be posting a few mor pictures than what I am used to. I don't know if any one still reades this but at least it will make me feel beter.

How does this work?

The Life and Times of Joseph, the Encourager

Many know of this man named Joseph, but know him by another name, Barnabas (Acts 4:36). We read here in Acts that Joseph was called “son of encouragement” by the apostles, which means Barnabas. Immediately, his name speaks volumes of the man’s character because it was not his given name, but a nick name given to him by the apostles of the Lord.

From the word go, this Levite from Cyprus (Acts 3:36) was a giving man. We are told in the next verse that he sold a field and gave the money to the apostles to distribute as they saw fit. What an example for both the believers of his day as well as for us.

The next time we here of Barnabas is in Jerusalem aiding a fellow Christian (Acts 9:26-27). The man he was helping found himself in quite a predicament. The man Barnabas helped was Paul; the persecutor formerly known as Saul, who relentlessly imprisoned and murdered members of the church but now turned Christian. When all others wanted to avoid this murderer of Christians, Barnabas went out on a limb to reach this new born babe in Christ. What a leader, example, and encourager he was.

Barnabas accompanied Paul on many of his missionary journeys until an argument caused them to go their separate ways. In Acts 13:13, Paul and Barnabas left for another mission trip with John Mark, who was Barnabas’ cousin, but for some reason Mark turned back. It was not until Paul and Barnabas were planning another trip that there was a disagreement between the two friends. Paul wanted to leave Mark behind but Barnabas wanted to take him. Even apostles argued (Acts 14:14) and even fell short and sinned (Gal. 2:11-13).

This is not the end of our story, Paul, Barnabas and John Mark were eventually reconciled in 1Cor. 9:6. Through out the book of Acts, we see this man Joseph popping up, risking his life for the sake of Christ (Acts 15:26) and called “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and Faith” (Acts 11:24). You see, no one remembers a man named Joseph from Cyprus, but every one remembers Barnabas the Encourager. By the power of Christ and His blood, Joseph was transformed into this man who encourages still so many today. What is Christ transforming you into (Rom. 12:2; 2Cor. 3:18)?

Anyone Up for a Little Global Warming?

I came across this article http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,339831,00.html on global warming and found the FACTS amazing. I have though for years that it is crazy to think that little ol' me could effect the climate of the entire world. The evidence presented here would support my theory. The only reason I would like an alternate fuel source is money. I really am tired of paying over $3 a gallon. I'm tired of paying over $2 for that matter. If gas prices dropped to about $1.30 you wouldn't here another peep out of me.

Here is another link with a few more interesting facts http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/3570 . I like the point that Miller made in paragraph three. You should take the time to at least read past the moose picture. He even gives teeth to his points by quoting or referencing his research. I especially enjoy the thumbing of the nose at all the tree huggers that think by driving a hybrid will save a few weeds (these are Andy’s words not Millers). Don’t get me wrong, I love the out doors but God created the earth for our enjoyment not the other way around.

Please feel free to comment about either or both articles or about my ramblings. If you agree let me know, if you disagree still let me know I just won’t be as excited.

Jude

On Wednesday night we started something new in the teen class. We will be studying Jude but with a twist. There is going to be very little lecturing going on and a lot more hands on activities. I was reading in The Gospel Advocate Magazine a while back about Youth Ministry and got, what I thought to be a great idea. The author was writing to the fact that the youth does not know how to read the bible and understand it for themselves.

I feel this to be true, especially for most of the kids in the youth group I work with. If I were to ask most of them to prepare a lesson on the book of Jude they might do a decent job of the basics but have no idea how to get at the meat of the text; and why should they, they don’t know how and have never been taught how.

The idea I got from GA was to write a thank you note to the author of one of the NT writers for writing their church. In this case we will be writing a thank you note to Jude for writing us. I think it will not only give them a better understanding of what the letter is talking about, but also help them grasp the idea that Jude was a real person who really wrote a letter and it has meaning today. Yes Jude is a tough book but that just means there will be plenty of meat for the group to dig into.

Also, last night, and probably for one or two more Wednesday nights, we will be looking at how to use some of the resources materials available to them to get at the meat of the Word. Last night I showed them how to use an Interlinear Bible with a Greek Lexicon, Naves topical Bible, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, Vine’s Bible Dictionary, and a couple of commentaries. Yes, I know, it sounds like a load of fun for a bunch of teens on a Wednesday night but they shouldn’t wait until collage to learn how to read the bible for them selves. Plus I’m not so sure if I trust most of today’s “Christian” Universities to teach impressionable students how to read the bible.

I got a phone call from a girl who used to attend here who is now in collage. She goes to a private but non Christian school. She told me she was not ready for what she is now facing. She had no idea there were so many different ways of believing the bible and often times finds she has no answer to the questions being posed to her. She said, for instance, she never knew why people always talking about instrumental music and never really understood why it was such a big deal. After being at collage a couple of weeks she sees that it wasn’t the church that was making it a big deal but everyone else and that her teachers in bible class were just trying to prepare her for the up coming challenges.

Far too often this is the case with our young people. They find out too late that what they were being taught really does matter.

So, on Sunday morning in the High School class, we will be studying about Christian evidences and look at many of the challenges they will be facing in the very near future when they leave home to go off to collage. I am excited about the study and hope the teens really grasp the urgency of the matter. One of the scary things to me is that at the end of the summer most of the teens that are going to collage will be going to Harding or Freed instead of a public school. You see at a public school you know exactly what you are getting but at Harding or Freed there may be a sense of security that could lead to destruction.