A Dangerous Question – Does Satan Exist?

My wife and I were channel-surfing last week when we came upon a program which literally shocked us to our bones. We watched in awe as one of the ministers we admired many years ago literally speak words that so totally opposed our beliefs, it was beyond our understanding.

One of our favorite gospel artists was Carmen, but we haven’t listened to him in a very long time. Tastes change, and our certainly did. We still listen to his music if we happen to hear it, and remember some of the songs which made him so influential years ago. We haven’t kept up with him over the years, so we don’t even know what he’s doing these days.

Carmen’s pastor, at least when we were keeping up with him, was a man named Carlton Pearson. My wife and I used to love listening to Carmen’s CDs when Carlton would show up and sing along with him. Oh, those were some good times. No doubt about it, Carlton Pearson is full of talent.

On the 26th of March, 2009, there was another Face-Off aired on NBC, which just happened to be the first one I’ve ever seen. The Face-Off took place on the 20th at Mars Hill Church and was hosted by ABC Nightline’s Dan Harris. It was quite shocking, to say the least. The four panel guests were:  Deepak Chopra and Bishop Carlton Pearson facing-off against Pastor Mark Driscoll of the Mars Hill Church and Annie Lobert, founder of the Christian ministry “Hookers for Jesus” about the existence of the Devil. All I can say is, “Wow!” There sure was a lot of hot air coming from the first two on the panel.

I know what I believe, and am convinced both God and Satan exist. Understand, I do not worship Satan, but give honor and glory to God my Father, and his Son, Jesus Christ. I believe in the power and majesty of the gospel of Christ and am persuaded the Spirit of God still works in the lives of people who are saved by faith in the shed blood of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Now, it’s your turn. Do you believe the devil, or Satan, is real? Please answer with thoughtful reasoning. Thank you.

The Promises of God are Sure – Part 2

There have been several positive responses to the first part of this two-part message. It is encouraging to know how the Lord blesses people as we faithfully preach the eternal word of God. You must know this fact: God honors his word, and blesses those who call on him by faith.

In order to understand where we are, let us continue from 2 Corinthians 1. All scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise stated. For the sake of clarity, I would like to quote the foundational scriptures again:

8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, [2] of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

It is plain to see by now how much the Lord loves us. God uses situations in our lives to help us grow and mature. God has no pleasure in his children remaining weak in faith, never becoming powerful men and women of God. We must not become so satisfied with our Christian walk that we sit in our easy chairs and quit pressing forward in the name of the Lord.

• I Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
• Hebrews 6:1-4 1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits.

In case you haven’t heard yet, God loves you.Time will not permit, nor is it in the scope of this message to convince you of the depths of God’s love. Know this one thing, though, God is not the figment of man’s wild imagination; he is eternally God, there is on one else like him. Look at the words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 3:14-21:

Prayer for Spiritual Strength

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family [3] in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Here is the crux of the whole matter, which is found in 2 Corinthians 1:20:

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

Did you really catch what Paul said? He plainly declares all God’s promises are yes in the Lord. Many people have the idea God will only grant us things we need and never anything we want. That’s not what the word of God teaches at all. Look at Luke 17:6, which declares: “And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”

There are four wonderful blessings God grants to the believer in verses 21-22. These blessings are ours because God establishes his promises to those who believe in him. Understand, we receive these blessings by faith, just like we receive anything else the Lord wants to give us. Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. [5]

He establishes us in the faith. One of the most powerful chapters in the word of God is Hebrews 11. It describes the Rollcall of Faith – people who lived their lives by the faith of God. Ordinary people called on God, and they expressed their faith in the Lord in extraordinary ways.

The epistle of James describes how people should direct their lives in faith. Look carefully at the following scriptures:

Faith Without Works Is Dead

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good [1] is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

For further study, look at Genesis 22 for the incredible story of Abraham, and Joshua 2 for the story of Rahab. I believe your eyes will be opened when you see the faith these two incredible people had. It should give us incentive to put our complete faith in the Lord – his promises are sure!

He anoints us with power. What incredible power God promised to those who believe! Power to walk with him, power to preach his eternal word, power to witness of life. Thank God for this wonderful gift.

• Luke 24:49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
• Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
• Acts 5:12-16 12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
• 2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to [1] his own glory and excellence, [2]

He seals us with the stamp of ownership. I am so thankful I belong to God. I don’t even belong to myself any more; the Lord purchased me with the blood of his Son, Jesus Christ.  I am his, and he is mine. Friend, there is nothing more important than for us to know who we belong to. Thank God forever, I am saved by the power of God through faith in the blood of Christ.

• Ephesians 1:13-14 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee [4] of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, [5] to the praise of his glory.
• Romans 8:16-24 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?

Now, get this down into your spirits and make sure it becomes real to you. If God owns me, it is his responsibility to take care of me. You don’t expect your neighbor to take care of your car tuneups, do you? You don’t believe your best friend should come into town and maintain your home. The reason is simple, you own your car and house, and it’s no one’s responsibility but yours to care for them.

• Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
• Matthew 6:25-34 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? [7] 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

He gives us the spirit of sonship. We do not join the family, we are born into it through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. We are born into the family of God from above; it is a supernatural birth granted to all who call on the name of the Lord for salvation. Thank God for his mercy and grace. Because of it, all who cry out to God for salvation are granted this most marvelous gift.

• Romans 8:14-15 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons [5] of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
• Galatians 4:4-7 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
• Ephesians 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us [2] for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

I hope you realize one thing – The Promises of God are Sure!

My Birthday Post

It finally arrived, but was not really asked for. These things come once a year whether you want them or not. Mind you, the alternative is not something I really want, but one day we will all face the reality of death.

Honestly, when I was much younger, me being 56 never even entered into my thoughts. In fact, people that old were just …. old. As I’ve grown older, I’ve realized 56 is not terribly old; there’s still plenty of life left in this older body, and if the Lord will grant more grace, there’s still plenty left to do.

I’ve been planning on taking my pet mongoose to the coffee club today; it should be lots of fun. I wish you could be here with us. Larry, if you’re reading this, just hop in your Learjet and come on over. BTW, I’ll also take some Boston Butt BBQ to share with those unfortunate souls who didn’t buy one a couple of Saturdays ago. It’s so good!

It’s not difficult to give thanks to the Lord for all the marvelous things he’s done in my life. I’m so blessed with a wonderful wife, twin daughters and a son-in-law, grandchildren, a great church, good friends, good health, and, most of all, salvation given by a loving heavenly Father. No doubt about it, I’m a blessed man.

Romans 11:33 declares:

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

The Promises of God are Sure – Part 1

This message was preached yesterday at Liberty Lighthouse Church of God in two parts, morning and evening services. In these times of uncertainty, it is comforting to know God’s promises are sure; he will not fail to provide for those who put their trust in him.

Foundational Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 (ESV)

8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, [2] of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

Paul addresses this letter to the church of God in Corinth, along with all the saints in Achaia. Timothy is his traveling companion on this trip, and the Apostle Paul wants the church to realize the tremendous blessings awaiting them as they labor for Christ. In fact Paul declared that as they shared in his sufferings, they would also share in the comfort the Lord would grant them. What wonderful promises God has for us.

Look at three important aspects of this amazing ministry:

Burdened beyond their strength: Troubles were so many and the burdens were so severe, there was not enough strength in themselves to handle them. Have you ever been under such heavy burdens you felt there was no use going on? It’s as if they saw what was ahead of them, but there was no more strength left to complete the task. In other words, you go as far as you can go, yet there’s still more awaiting you, even after you’ve put everything you had into the battle. Life is not always easy, and some of you reading this need to understand how much the Lord wants to help you.

They despaired even of life: I’ve been there, too. There have been times in my life I just wanted to throw my hands in the air and quit. I’ll just wave the white flag of surrender and get it over with, but that’s not the answer. Life comes at us hard most of the time, and it can get to be quite overwhelming. Many think the best way is to run off into a corner and hide from everything; it just doesn’t work that way. The Apostle Paul faced more storms in his life than most, and one in particular ought to encourage us to see hope is near.

Paul was on his way to Rome to appear before Caesar, when the ship he and other prisoners were in sailed into a great storm called the northeaster. The storm was so bad, the captain decided to allow the ship to be driven by the strong winds. It was a terrible situation, but Paul had been assured by the Spirit of God he would testify about the Lord Jesus Christ before the seat of Caesar. What God promises, he is well able to fulfill. Look, though, at Acts 27:13-20 to see despair that troubled this mighty man of God:

The Storm at Sea

13 Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. 14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. 15 And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, [2] we managed with difficulty to secure the ship’s boat. 17 After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, [3] and thus they were driven along. 18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. 19 And on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.

Sentence of death on them: Thirdly, they felt as though a death sentence had been imposed on them. Can you imagine trials so hard you felt as though you were going to die? Surely, we have all faced things in our lives which were so overwhelming, we didn’t know whether or not we could make it another day.  How dreadful that feeling must have been for Paul and Timothy. Knowing their work was over and their lives were going to end must have been incredibly painful for them, but all was not lost.

Paul wrote something we all must realize, if we are in Christ. God is working on our behalf, and allows us to go through trials and temptations in order to strengthen our walk with him that we might grow into mature Christians. Paul declared the sentence of death came in order for he and Timothy to quit relying on themselves. What they needed to do, and what we must do, is quit thinking we can live our lives by ouselves – we need to put our trust and confidence on our heavenly Father. 2 Corinthians 1:9 declares: Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.

Did you really see what Paul said? He called what most of us do when we leave God out of our plans a deadly peril. I don’t know about you, but that’s a pretty serious claim on Paul’s part. Let me put this in language that should hit us where the rubber meets the road: if is death to us when we depend on ourselves instead of being led by the Spirit of God. I realize many people don’t want to acknowledge that, or give God that much room in their lives, but I believe Paul was right on in this statement.  If we only rely on ourselves, we will surely be disappointed. Look at the parable Jesus told in Luke 18:9-14:

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed [1] thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

We must set our hope in God, depending on him to take care of all our need:

Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:25-34 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? [7] 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

God’s answer to those who ask in faith believing is not yes, no, maybe or possibly. It is an emphatic “Yes!” For the Christian whose faith rests in the Lord, for those who ask in faith believing God’s promises, the answer is nothing but “Yes, child, I will.” Oh, the riches of being a child of God. My father knows my need and supplies according to his great grace and power.

Trust in him today, and know what he promised he is well able to perform.

100th Post With Questions

Yesterday marked the 100th post of my first and only blog – From Preacherpen’s Desk. It has been both challenging and fun over the last several months, and I have learned quite a lot about the wonderful world of blogging. There is no way to thank everyone who has stopped by and left comments on subjects of interest; it is appreciated more than you know.

It’s easy to see From Preacherpen’s Desk isn’t in the top tier in relation to statistics. At 2:41 PM today there had been 22,566 pageviews and 608 approved comments. It’s more than I ever thought possible, but far from where I want to be.

I will not attempt to recognize everyone who has made a positive impact on my blogging experience, with one exception. Larry from My Take and Doc from Two Cookies a Day sort of took me under their wings and helped with several issues that initially plagued me. Thanks are definitely in order. I haven’t seen Doc since December, but Larry is still blogging with the best of the bunch.

Ideally, my goal is to show the contents of this blog to a large audience from diverse backgrounds. I do not have only one group of readers in mind; rather, the topics range from the gospel of Jesus Christ to politics and several others in between. There’s really enough here to satisfy a wide range of needs; it is not a repository for every topic under the sun, and never has been.

Over the last several months, I’ve visited so many blogs and lost count a long time ago. Most of them were informative and provoked thought in me, while others made me wonder how peope could even think the way they do. There are several sites on my blogroll and my RSS readers is loaded with those sites I frequent. The net is a marvelous thing, don’t you think?

Here are some observations about my blogging experience so far (in no particular order). I’ll try coming back here occasionally to add to the list:

1. There are some brilliant people who love to blog.
2. Most of the blogs I visit have that “welcome mat” feeling – everyone is allowed to come in and leave comments.
3. There are incredible people all over the world who blog and have a common connection. I am so blessed to have met some of the nicest people on the planet. Thanks for being you.
4. Interacting with our community of bloggers is sometimes easier than talking with people face-to-face. Really, it shouldn’t be that way, but it is, nonetheless.
5. Some bloggers suffer from the “I’m the center of the universe” syndrome. You leave thoughtful comments on their blogs, but they never return the favor.
6. Some bloggers are quick to take offense and let their comments overload what would otherwise be a sensible conversation.
7. Some bloggers have little or no sense of protocol. By that I mean some things which should be taken care of privately are thrown out in the open for all the world to see.

One of the questions plaguing me now is: how do you get people to comment on your blog? Perhaps I didn’t make it clear from the beginning that people are welcome to read and leave comments. Of course, there are boundaries and common sense is the order of the day. Profanity is not allowed in any way. Offensive language is not allowed, either. Basically, this is a Christian site, and is meant to reflect the morals of a Christian walk.

Another question: how do I make this site a better experience for those who visit? As you can clearly see, there is a variety of subject matter to browse through. Hopefully there is something here which will grab your attention enough for you to stop and read. Blogging is a personal venture, and this blog reflects my personality. I am not going to change who I am, but I am certainly teachable.

Thank you for dropping by my little slice of the net. You are welcome here any time. Come often and bring friends with you.

Pastor Ron

Fellowship and Boston Butt BBQ – Can You Smell It?

I haven’t posted anything new since our daughter got married. She and her new husband are doing well, and our grandchildren are excited about moving in to their new digs. It is a time of change for all of us, and quite a new experience, to say the least.

Our church loves to get together for fellowship and fundraisers, and throwing meat on the smokers is one of our favorites. This is the third time we’ve had a Boston Butt BBQ, and each time the people who helped in any way really enjoyed themselves; it’s something we can really sink our teeth in. If you’ve never had Boston Butt BBQ, you really don’t know what you’re missing. It is, without a doubt, some of the best meat I’ve ever eaten.

A friend of mine, and a former church member living in Georgia, first turned me on the the experience of cooking on smokers over ten years ago. When I first got to that little church in East Georgia, my idea was to do something other than the typical chicken dinners so many churches have done for many years. One of the men suggested we smoke Boston Butts and sell them – not dinners or plates – the whole pork roast. A great idea just got better.

The smokers are converted hog feeders which have been modified by adding braces and wire for the meat to sit on. There is an opening on each smoker in order to tend the fire and regulate the heat. Our church has four smokers; if we had four more, we could fill the demand, especially if we cook ribs along with the Boston Butts. One of our customers thought we should cook chickens, too, and that’s not a bad idea.

We start the fires no later than 5:30 in the morning, and are usually done with smoking the meat by 1 in the afternoon. You have to be careful with pork, making sure it’s completely cooked. We use a meat thermometer to ensure those roasts are thoroughly cooked. There’s a motto around here “The meat will be done right or it won’t leave the premises.” Our people just want to do their best when dealing with the public, and I heartily concur.

I suppose the most difficult part of smoking all the meat is maintaining the fires. Once they get going, all we use is a small portion of green oak along with hickory, if it’s available. We don’t season the meat at all – that’s best left up to the individual who takes it home. Waiting on the meat to get done is akin to waiting on the coffee pot to finish brewing. If you’re thirsty, it’s almost torture to wait. Isn’t there an old saying “a watched pot never boils?”

Tickets are pre-sold in so know how much meat to order, and that has worked out well for us. With the four smokers we have, the maximum number of roasts we can smoke is already set. After this last BBQ, we have already figured out the number of slabs we can smoke, too. Are you getting hungry?

The Word of God talks about fellowship in 1 John 1:3-7. It is quite obvious the Lord wants his people to fellowship with each other, and I believe that is lacking in many churches. This is an invitation to encourage one another and to enjoy life together. Webster’s Dictionary defines fellowship as a: community of interest, activity, feeling, or experience b: the state of being a fellow or associate.

1 John 1:3-7: 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

Walking in the Light
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and John do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

My people understand how important it is to have fellowship with one another. We really enjoyed the interaction with those who dropped by the church to pick up their Boston Butt orders, and no one was in a hurry to leave. The Bible also tells us if want friends, we must be friendly. There were people from all walks of life who came by to spend some time with us.

I was pleased some of the guys from “Club Mobil” came by and visited a while, too. There were people from area churches who bought BBQ and when they came by, we talked about the goodness of God and a variety of other subjects. There is something wonderful when people gather around a table to eat – I wish you could have been there.

My friend Larry thought about having me FedEx one of the roasts to his house, but I just don’t think that would have worked very well. One thing this browser is missing is the “smellovision” plugin. The whole neighborhood smelled like pork roast.

It’s a Boy!

Now, hold on there. Before you get too excited about this older couple and a new baby, it’s not like that. Admit it, the title had you going, didn’t it? Everybody loves babies, and you almost can’t help yourself when you see the sign of what might be the announcement of a brand new baby coming into the world.

In the words of our brand new son-in-law (spoken just today) “you’re not losing a daughter, you’re gaining a son.” I’ll just tell you right now, we’re keeping our daughter and gaining a son in the process. Sure, she’s changing her residence, but my wife and I are not getting rid of her at all. We love her dearly, and love her husband, too.

He and our daughter have been seeing each other for about two years now, and I think that’s enough time to begin knowing someone. Our daughter and her husband have a life ahead of them, and we want the best for them. Sadly, we have seen so many couples call it quits after just a short marriage, and it is sad beyond words. Our hope is that they grow old together and live in the fear of God all the days of their lives.

Our daughter is the mother of two amazing children – our grandchildren, who we love with all our hearts. They have lived us nearly all their lives, and we are so thankful to be such a big part of their lives. We are not alone as grandparents who have grandchildren living under the same roof with them, and I’m quite certain others will carry on the tradition after these two darlings leave our house.

Our son-in-law is taking on a big responsibility with a wife and two young children to care for. He seems fit for the task at hand, though, and will quickly learn what it means to be a provider for a family of four. He loves our grandchildren, and they love him. That’s a big part of the battle, and I commend him for the responsibility he has taken on.

My wife and I have lots of adjusting ahead of us, too. What will we do without our daughter and grandchildren in the house with us? I’ve been getting up every school morning for several years and taking the little ones to school, and oftentimes picking them up in the afternoon. That’s not going to part of my routine any more, and I miss it already. I won’t hear “Pappy, can I get on your computer?” unless they happen to spend some time with us, and that better happen a lot!

You know, one of the things I’ll miss the most is getting ready for church, and walking across the street together. Now, they’ll still be part of our church, but it will be different not seeing them get dressed before service each time. That part of our lives is so important to us, but it will just be different, not gone.

My wife and I hope and pray this new family will allow Christ to be the cornerstone of their lives. We raised our twin daughters to know Jesus as Lord and Savior, and our son-in-law was raised that way, too. As parents, we must allow our children to grow up, but we never stop praying for them and hoping they will serve God with all their hearts. As a new family, it is so important to put Christ first in all they set their hearts to accomplish.

Would you help us pray for our family?

Porkology – Saying One Thing, Doing Another

You’ve all heard the old saying, “do as I say, not as I do.” Another saying is the title of this post, and we’ve all probably had some experience with it at some point in our lives.

While looking at news headlines this morning, I was struck with the idea Mr. Obama wants to cut wasteful spending. Well, that seems honorable enough, and would be an excellent idea. If he were to ask the average citizen how to accomplish such a task, he would get many brilliant ideas, and if he were to implement some of those ideas, he would surely meet his goals.

An article by Philip Elliott explains how the president is outlining a plan which is supposed to cut back on wasteful spending, and that it would save tens of billions of dollars. I’m quite certain that would be well received by Americans if the savings were spent on reducing the ever growing deficit the president keeps piling on.

President Obama’s  target seems to be how government contracts are awarded. He has a point, and Uncle Sam needs to take care how he spends taxpayer money. It’s not a bad thing to reign in out-of-control spending habits, but to say he will do that while allowing recent pork spending is preposterous.

My contention with this article is the hypocrisy exuding from Washington politics. On one hand, let’s fix government contracts, but this is after the president broke campaign promises not to approve pork spending. The last I checked, there was more pork coming out of the White House and congress than most people could possibly imagine.

What was it President Obama said while making speeches to easily-swayed Americans: “And when I’m president, I will go line by line to make sure that we are not spending money unwisely?” Do you see the hypocrisy I’m referring to?

The new spending bill, $410 billion worth, has 9,000 earmarks totaling $5 billion. I don’t care what anyone says, that’s a lot of pork. According to this article, there are some ridiculous earmarks, and I quote:

So far the new bill includes a $5.8 million earmark for an endowment and building for the Ted Kennedy Institute for the Senate, $1.5 million to study seals at a scandal-ridden Alaska sea life center, nearly half a million dollars for the extremist Mexican group National Council of La Raza and $200,000 for a tattoo removal program.

I don’t see any pork reform going on, despite Mr. Obama’s rhetoric to the contrary. Let’s face the facts – Uncle Sam spends way too much money on useless projects and government contracts. I’ve said this before, but one way to save loads of money is to pay members of congress and the senate what they are actually worth. If that were to happen, the majority of them would be writing checks each month from their own pockets, having to pay for the privilege of taking up space in Washington.

One more thing: wouldn’t it be a nice touch if the president would quit blaming the economy on the former administration and just get to work fixing what is in play right now? That would be wonderful.