The Good Fight

A web page for families

2010-01-12T12:20:00.003-05:00

I've just come across a great web page for Christian families. I am always on the lookout for good spiritual materials to disciple my own children. I particularly like missionary stories. The web page I've just come across is called Wholesome Words. It has a children's section with about a dozen missionary stories for kids. It also has a section of much more detailed missionary stories for adults and teens. I recommend you check it out here.

Sermon Series

2009-11-23T22:01:00.006-05:00

Biblical Parenting for the Twenty first Century
This is the title of our current series. We are just getting started and it will take us into the new year.
Some people might think that Biblical parenting, i.e. using the Bible's principles for raising kids, is just plain outdated and won't work today. We are going to see that the Bible way is the only way that really works. God made us and He knows what we need. Every time man tries his own way it ends badly.

Join us for this series. We'll try to record and post the messages online as well.

Thanksgiving Dinner Ministry

2009-11-23T21:50:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow volunteers from the church and a few from the community will be delivering 25 turkey dinners to folks who are a little hard up this year.

This is the first year for this ministry and I've been excited to see how folks have responded. Honestly the hardest part has been locating people that could really need a meal. It always seems that many of the most needy will never come asking. But through the passing out of fliers, contacting of newspapers and paying for one news ad, we've found 25 people in need of a meal.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we must be known for our kindness, love, and hospitality. The early Christians were known by there love and we should be also. May God receive all the glory from this ministry.

The Day the Preacheer Skipped Church

2009-11-23T21:22:00.003-05:00

This past Sunday I skipped church. It was the first time in many many years that I was not in church on Sunday morning. I guess you could say that I took a sick day.

I could have easily come to church even though I was a little under the weather, but what would be the point, my voice was nearly gone. I figured that if I couldn't talk I couldn't give my message. Even if I could have managed to deliver my message, who would want to be around a sickie. No I don't have the swine flu, Deb can attest, I haven't squealed one time. I don't have a fever, or chills, or any flu symptoms. I just have a bad cold that got in my throat and robbed me of my voice.

But thanks for all your prayers, they mean much to me.

Fun with teens after Bible study Wednesday

2009-11-06T22:48:00.005-05:00

First we played a game --- eat the sour gummies as fast as possible.

Then I had four Snickers bars left over from another event. Since we had 12 teens I had to find away to give them away. I told them what whoever would beg like a dog could have one.

Harvest Rally

2009-11-06T22:27:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago our teens attended the Harvest Rally on a farm near Harrisburg. Despite cold rainy weather, nearly one thousand teens were in attendance. NLF showed up with ten teens.
The rain kinda ruined a lot of the games, but the preaching by Morris Gleiser was A++.

Beautiful Creation

2009-10-05T17:59:00.005-04:00

"The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.
Day unto day uttereth speech,
and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
There is no speech nor language,
where their voice is not heard."
Psalm 19:1-3

Last Saturday I had the chance to go out into the woods.
The leaves are changing and the beauty is almost breathtaking.
These picture were taken near my mom and dads were I grew up.

Stevenson Monthly Update

2009-08-26T09:35:00.002-04:00

The Sevenson's have an update on their web page. See it here.

Missioanary Update - McLean's

2009-08-26T09:25:00.002-04:00

The McLean's have posted their monthly update. See it here.

Also see their excellent web page and blog from Wales, here.

What happend this past week

2009-04-29T12:23:00.008-04:00

Last Sunday Missionaries Daniel and Karen Deverna spent the day with us. They are preparing to minister in Japan. Malachi is 16 months old and Karen is expecting again in July.

On our regular Thursday workday about a dozen people came out to work around the church and start getting ready for VBS. Bob power washed the deck, John mowed the grass, Judy painted trim in the auditorium, and several ladies painted signs for VBS. Anyone and everyone is welcome to join us on Thursdays for fun work around the church.

On Sunday we celebrated the two years we've had with the Crocketts. It was their last regular Sunday with us, but our loss is another Church's gain. We wish them the best and I will write a post about them very soon.

Social Networking - Good or Bad?

2009-04-29T12:06:00.002-04:00

Dr. Paul Chappell has this great message on this topic.

http://www.paulchappell.com/2009/04/25/the-blessings-and-pitfalls-of-social-networking/

An exciting week is approaching

2009-04-29T11:56:00.005-04:00

This coming Sunday, May 3 will mark the first of what we hope to be many weeks of evangelistic meetings. This year our Evangelist team is the Mike Pelletier team. They bring with them the Murray's who lead in music and assist in children's ministries. Untold numbers of individuals have come to Christ for salvation and cleansing through these types of meetings over the years. We are praying for God to bless us in a special way this year.

Links to some great sermons

2009-02-12T10:42:00.006-05:00

The first set comes from the men's retreat last weekend and the speaker is Mark Kittrell. The second sent is a collection of some of my favorites. I think everyone should listen to all of them. They are all excellent.

Evangelist Mark Kittrell
David's Purpose
David's Blunder
David's Mighty Men
David's Passion. This link is different. I could not upload it because if its' size. The link takes
you to the Independent Bible Church sermon page. You'll find many good sermons there.

Steps to personal revival. Bonus! This message was preached at the Independent Bible Church the Sunday after the men's retreat.

Music from men's retreat

Favorite Sermons you'll never regret hearing!

Dr. R.B. Ouellette. Don't know name of sermon but it is good.
Mike Pelletier. How Hot is Hell.
Tom Farrell. "How to get a man to Jesus"
Tom Farrell. "The Most Important Decision."
Tom Farrell. "Fill the House"

Men's Retreat was great blessing

2009-02-10T10:40:00.003-05:00

This past weekend our men attended the men's retreat hosted by the Independent Bible Church of Duryea. Mark Kittrell was the speaker and the messages were fantastic. We had nine guys attend in total, but there were over 130 men at the retreat. All who attended agreed, anyone who couldn't come missed out on a lot. Here is a link to were the messages from the retreat can be heard.

Great trip to NYC

2008-12-13T14:55:00.007-05:00

Last Saturday a group of us from church went into New York City for a little fun. Just a few photo's here for you enjoyment and their embarrassment.

Training for the big race

2008-09-23T08:29:00.004-04:00

I've been training all spring and summer preparing to run a half marathon. That's 13.1 miles for all you couch potatoes. There are a lot things to be learned from athletic training and some of them greatly illustrate the Christian life.

The apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:13-14 "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, (14) I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Paul was pressing for the finish line spiritually.

I want to list just a few ways that running a physical race is a lot like running the spiritual race.

1) I haven't trained anywhere near as diligently as I should have.

A person in training for a race of this length should train five or six days a week. Now, I'll be honest, I've only averaged about three days a week and sometimes only two times a week. Sometimes I'm just too tired physically to go out and run. Other times I want to run but there are just too many obligations to meet and not enough hours in the day. Still other times my body is not too tired and I have the time, but mentally I just can't get up the umph to go out and run four, five, or six miles.

What is the result of this lack of training? Quite obviously I'm going to be a hurting man on race day! My finish time won't be as fast as it could be, AND I'll be in much more pain than would have otherwise been necessary. Training matters.

I think the spiritual parallel here is clear. We know we should spend much time training our hearts and minds spiritually, but if we just go to church on Sunday's for an hour or two, that ain't much training for a big race. Daily training is necessary. A little bit nearly every day over a long period of time. If I pray and read my Bible and draw close to God every single day, I'll be prepared for the bigger races (test and trials) of life. If I only spend time with God two or three times a week, I'll not be as well prepared.

Just like I need to train physically nearly every day to be in optimal physical condition, I must train my heart and mind spiritually everyday!

2) Sometimes (OK a lot of times) I just want to quit!

About a week ago I went on a 13 mile training run with Martin and Johnny from church. While running up a long hill about ten miles into the run I said, "OK I don't want to be a runner any more. I don't want to run that dumb race in October. I don't even want to finish this one." I was just plain whupped. I wouldn't have felt nearly so whupped had I run one or two more times per week over the past two months, but it was too late for that. Since I was running with two other guys, I didn't stop, but pressed on. I pressed on through the pain, the agony, the suffering, the regrets.... And I finished that day without stopping to walk or quitting altogether.

There are many many times we want to quit in our Christian walk. Let's be honest, the Christian race can be tough at times. I believe it's the lack of spiritual training on a daily bases that is often the problem. We just aren't as prepared as we should be. But even with training, races are tough and so are trials. I had two guys running with me the last time I wanted to quit and they pushed me on. In the spiritual race we have the Spirit of God living in us as well as other believers around us. There have been times during long runs when I didn't quit but I did slow down and even walk. That was OK because I got the rest I needed and kept going. I didn't give up. We can't give up in our spiritual race either. Get some rest, train better, get some support from God through prayer and from other believers, but don't quit!

I'll post some pictures and a report after the race in about a week and a half.

Church picnic last Sunday

2008-08-25T13:41:00.004-04:00

Global Warming is a Hoax

2008-08-15T07:53:00.003-04:00

Found these excerpts on a political news page for New Jersey. They don't list the source of the study, but it is in line with what I've been reading in many other places.

“There are many credible members of the scientific community who have questioned the theory of global warming, and now we have some scientists actually suggesting the earth’s temperatures may be entering a period of dramatic cooling,” said Doherty, R-Warren and Hunterdon.

According to recent news reports, a top observatory that has been measuring sun spot activity predicts that global temperatures will drop by two degrees over the next 20 years as solar activity slows and the planet drastically cools down. They suggest this could potentially herald the onset of a new ice age. Following the end of the sun’s most active period in over 11,000 years, the last 10 years have displayed a clear cooling trend as temperatures post-1998 leveled out and are now decreasing.

Earlier this year, John Coleman, the founder of The Weather Channel, stated that manmade global warming is “the greatest scam in history,” adding, “I am amazed, appalled and highly offended by it. Global Warming; It is a scam.” Coleman said the theory of global warming is based on fraudulent science.

Sermon: "Get Real Religion" James 1:26-27

2008-08-14T15:17:00.004-04:00

Sermon preached at New Life Fellowship Baptist Church on August 3, 2008

What is Real Religion? Do you have it or practice it? Listen to find out what God calls Real Religion and learn where you stand with God.

Sermon: Look At Yourself (James 1:22-25)

2008-07-30T12:35:00.003-04:00

Listen to sermon here.

Sermon preached at New Life Fellowship Baptist Church on July 27, 2008

Vacation Bible School a Blessing

2008-07-23T14:00:00.012-04:00

We just completed our fourth Vacation Bible School at New Life Fellowship. This year was unique in that it was the first time that we ran the whole program as a church with out assistance from other groups or churches. The first year after the church launched we were assisted by Neighborhood Bible Time. The next two years we were assisted by Pastor Pemberthy and the Stanfordville Baptist Church Youth Group.

I was particularly excited to see the way our own people banded together and worked so hard to make it all such a great blessing and ministry. We had individuals pouring many hours into decorating, advertising, preparing games and crafts, bringing and serving snacks, overseeing our verse memory, our VBS store, and just generally helping out by watching out for kids. Each day we had at least fifteen or twenty adults helping out.

In addition to all the adult help we were blessed to have our teens working throughout the week. It was a fantastic opportunity for our teens to generally serve and be used by God. Most of the boys helped in the games and recreation time. This was a much needed area. The boys also helped in the set up and clean up each day. The girls worked directly with the children and were divided up by age group. We had two girls with the the K-1st grade class, and in each or the other three classes.

Both the boys and girls helped out each day with the skits at the end. These skits are always a particular attraction for the kids.

Our theme this year was "All God's Creatures" and we had a contest each day allowing the children to bring in various types of bugs, frogs, lizards, snakes, and other critters. It was very interesting to see the little getting excited about collecting all the critters. (I'm sure all the moms are really pleased with me right now too.)

On Thursday we were privileged to have Pete from the Pocono Snake and Animal farm come to give a demonstration involving two live turtles, a live snake, and a live fox. The kids loved it but the exciting part was the way Pete taught the children about God's creation. Pete is a believer and he emphasized the Genesis Creation by God.

On Friday we drew our Bible lesson time to a conclusion with a salvation invitation. Over twenty children and at least on adult responded to the invitation. To God be the glory!

We are already looking forward to next year's VBS. Hope you can make it.

1 in 4 residence of NYC have herpes virus

2008-06-10T08:32:00.002-04:00

Nothing to worry about here folks. All this can be prevented if we just start teaching the next generation to practice safe sex. Oh wait, we've been doing that for twenty or thirty years haven't we. Hmmm, what could the problem be? Certainly it can't be that God wants people to get married and practice monogamous marital sex ONLY! Nah, can't be, because that would mean everyone would have to admit that there is a God, and evolution is a lie, and that there is such thing as moral absolutes. Nope, people should just go on living like dogs and expect the government to come up with some solution for them.

Here are two links to this story about herpes:
Raw Story link
Quote from story:

"The study, released Monday, says about 26 percent of New York City adults have genital herpes, compared to about 19 percent nationwide.

The department says genital herpes can double a person's risk for contracting HIV."

WCBSTV link

Great site promoting abstinence education - Good for Parents

2008-06-03T08:47:00.003-04:00

Here is a video from the site Parents for Truth. Watch the 3 minute video and check out the site.

Watch out for the phrase "comprehensive sex ed" in your schools. It means they will very likely be promoting sexual activity. There is no such thing as "safe sex" outside of marriage.

(To see the video go the to front page and click on the link.)

Christians and the Mortgage Crisis

2008-06-02T08:41:00.003-04:00

The following article is not mine. I found it on the church web page of Grace Bible Church, written by Pastor Tim Lovegrove. The web address is here.

Christians and the Mortgage Crisis

I am neither a legal nor financial expert, so I won’t even attempt to comment on those aspects of the current crisis in the housing market (please see the notes and link at the end of the article for resources). But as a pastor I believe there are crucial lessons for Christians from the current struggles. There are simple biblical principles that we are tempted to ignore:

Don’t gamble on tomorrow.

James 4:13-14a Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.

There is nothing wrong with profiting off of rising housing prices. There is some seriously wrong with gambling on tomorrow: “I know I can’t actually afford this mortgage payment, but since the housing values will continue to rise...” They will? James says: You boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil (4:16).

Seek God’s will.

Joshua 9:14-15a So the men of took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the LORD. ¹⁵ Joshua made peace with [the Gibeonites] and made a covenant with them…

As you navigate life’s challenges and make important decisions, you must always seek God’s will. If you begin to lean on your own understanding (Prov. 3:5), you may well make some disastrous decisions (if you don’t, it’s because of God’s mercy!). Whether you are listening to the counsel of the Gibeonites, a mortgage broker, or a realtor, you need to seek the Lord’s wisdom.

Save.

Proverbs 6:6-8 Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise, ⁷ Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler, ⁸ Prepares her food in the summer And gathers her provision in the harvest.

We have enjoyed an extended period of economic growth in America – a long period of summer and harvest. Meanwhile, our national savings rate has plummeted. After a couple years of negative savings, a March 2008 report indicated that Americans are now saving 0.5% of their income. In 1984, Americans saved 11%. We have no chief, officer, or ruler to make us save. Instead, our culture encourages us to spend and consume as much as we can and too often we have. We need to return to a basic God-given principle, so important that God ingrained it into the mind of an ant: save. Save during the summer and harvest, because winter will come.

Get the counsel of other believers.

Proverbs 15:22 Without consultation, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they succeed.

Because finances are a personal matter that we don’t often discuss with others, we often make major financial decisions completely on our own. This fits well with the individualism of our country; it also appeals to the Lone Ranger gene that most men have inherited. We love to make big decisions on our own. But it’s actually foolish. God says that we need counselors. When making a financial decision as large as a home purchase, we need to seek the counsel of other godly Christians. They can help us see our blindspots and admit some things we may be trying to ignore (that payment is too high, that mortgage is too risky, you don’t need that much house, etc.).

Invest in heavenly things.

Matthew 6:19-21 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The problem with the American dream is that you lose it all when you die. Some investments guarantee that you won’t lose your principle – but death guarantees that we all lose everything. You won’t take any earthly treasures with you for eternity. This ought to be an obvious investment decision: seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness (6:33).

Give.

Romans 12:13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

The importance of giving is all over the Bible (see Deuteronomy 15, Ephesians 4:28, I Corinthians 16:2-3, Gal. 6:10, etc.). The importance of giving is more than just a good character trait – it flows right out of the gospel: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich (II Cor. 8:9). Jesus death for our sin was the greatest gift ever. Our consumer culture has drawn us not only to save less, but also to give less.

Live within your means.

Proverbs 22:7 The borrower becomes the lender’s slave.

Saving and giving require living within our means. But in a culture with easy credit, we’ve lost our understanding of this basic principle: spend less than you earn. Through credit we’ve been able to leverage our way into the possession of material goods that we could never actually pay for. While savings and giving disappear, we can become slave to our lenders. Not literally; but financially, emotionally, and even spiritually. Debt can be a terrible master. We must return to living within our means.

In hindsight, those principles are fairly easy to see (though still difficult to apply). But what do you do if you are in a financial mess right now?

Humbly learn the lessons God is teaching you.

Proverbs 9:9 Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser, Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.

If you have violated some of the principles above, don’t try to shift the blame or persuade others that it’s not your fault. Even if you have been the victim of predatory lending or other financial scams, don’t allow yourself to develop a victim mentality. Keep your focus on what God is doing in your heart. You may need to confess specific sins to God related to these things. Humbly learn the lessons He is teaching you: God gives grace to the humble.

Leave vengeance with the Lord.

Romans 12:19 Never take your own revenge, but leave room for the wrath of God.

Many people have been led into poor decisions by greedy players in the financial and housing markets. Never take your own revenge. Focus on what God is doing in your heart and move on. Let God take care of the justice (I’m assuming, of course, that they haven’t done anything illegal. If they have, then you should certainly report this).

Do everything you can to keep your word.

Matthew 5:37 But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes ' or 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil.

A Christian should do everything possible to keep his contractual obligations. I am not an expert on the complicated legal and financial processes related to foreclosure, so I cannot deal with the specific details. But if you end up losing financial assets such as a home, do it in a completely ethical way. Consider Matthew 5:37 carefully before you let an agency coach you through voluntary foreclosure.

Hope in God.

Hebrews 12:11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

God often takes His people through dark days, but those dark days often lead to very bright days of blessing. While your financial situation may look miserable right now, the future may not be as scary as it seems. You may have to go through the pain of some major lifestyle changes; you may have to move; you may have to rent instead of buy. But God is lovingly superintending all of these things for your good and His fame. He loves His people, and does not withhold any good thing from those who walk uprightly. There is no need to despair: hope in God. I am not promising you financial prosperity: but you will find that peace and righteousness are more precious treasures than any financial prosperity you’ve enjoyed. Because we have such a great God, the future is bright.

Don’t confuse financial prosperity with spiritual prosperity.

I Timothy 6:6 Godliness with contentment is great gain.

Your net worth may plummet, but your life does not consist of your net worth: one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions (Luke 12:15). If God pummels our net worth while drawing our hearts to Him, that would be great gain. Don’t ever confuse financial prosperity with spiritual prosperity. I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord (Phil. 3:8).

GETTING HELP

For housing counseling and foreclosure help, you should immediately contact a HUD-approved housing counselor who does not charge for the services (charging for the services is a warning flag that this may not actually be a reputable counseling service). You can call 1-800-569-4287 or use the online search tool: http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/hcs.cfm

Update of the NY gay marriage situation

2008-05-30T11:07:00.008-04:00

I posted something yesterday about NY state passing regulations mandating that homosexual marriages occurring in other states be recognized as equal with legal heterosexual marriages. The following statement clarifies that this is in essence an unparalleled executive order from the governor. He is bypassing the legislature which just recently rejected a gay marriage bill. This paragraph is from a Family Research Council email update:

In New York, the judicial branch may have some competition in the race to redefine marriage. Gov. David Paterson (D), Eliot Spitzer's replacement, is inventing new policymaking powers for the executive office by issuing a statewide directive that same-sex "marriages" performed in other jurisdictions will be recognized in New York. Announced the day before California's Supreme Court ruling, the sweeping decision will impact as many as 1,300 rules and regulations "governing everything from joint filing of income tax returns to transferring fishing licenses between spouses." Under the order, same-sex couples who reside or work in New York will receive the same benefits as heterosexual spouses. Paterson described the decision as "a strong step toward marriage equality," instead of what it truly is--an attempt to circumvent the legislature and propel the state closer to gay "marriage" without voters' consent. Under Spitzer, a bill was introduced to legalize homosexual unions, but it never passed New York's Republican-led Senate. Paterson's office sees this as the next best thing. Although the order is the first of its kind in the U.S., other left-leaning governors will almost certainly follow suit. If you're a New York resident, please express your outrage by contacting Paterson's office at 518-474-8390 or by emailing him at http://161.11.121.121/govemail.

Homosexual Marriage is being Forced on America

2008-05-29T08:18:00.006-04:00

There is a certain portion of our nation with an aggressive agenda to force acceptance of homosexuality upon us.

A week or so ago the California Supreme Court overturned the California referendum banning gay marriage. A solid majority of the people had voted for the ban. The LA Times reports,

In 2000, 61% of California voters approved a ballot measure, Proposition 22, that said "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid and recognized in California."(read article)

Now the court said that the ban was unconstitutional. The same LA Times article states,

In a 4-3 decision, the justices rule that people have a fundamental 'right to marry' the person of their choice and that gender restrictions violate the state Constitution's equal protection guarantee

Isn't it interesting that all this is happening at the same time that the nation is outraged about polygamists in Texas where teen girls are married to older men. Don't get me wrong, I'm outraged about polygamist marriage and child abuse, but I don't understand why the crowd that supports gay marriage and other perversions of morality should be so upset. Since the obvious and normal, not to mention moral definition of marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman, and since they have declared that normal definition obsolete, what is there to stop other kinds of marriages from being accepted. There is no reason why in twenty years the courts won't declare marriage between a mother and her son to be legal, between a mother and her daughter, between a man and his dog. As long as it is consensual, there will be those who argue for twelve year olds to marry their grandfathers. The naysayers will say I'm being absurd, but then everyone in America would have said that the possibility of gay marriage being legal was absurd just twenty years ago.

The bottom line is this: In the absence of some acknowledged moral authority to govern our lives, right and wrong boils down to the weak compulsions of the flesh, majority decision in the voting booth, and personal opinions of appointed judges. Who do I want as my moral authority, a bunch of atheist judges who hate God and don't believe the Bible, or the authority of God and the Bible itself? I'll take God's Word.

The courts of the state of New York have declared gay marriage illegal. This has not in the least slowed the agenda of the pro gay movement. This article yesterday informs us that while the state can not perform gay marriages, it will be illegal to not recognize the gay marriage performed in another location. The article starts as follows:

Same-sex marriages legally performed elsewhere will be recognized in New York in response to a state court ruling this year, Gov. David Paterson's spokeswoman said Wednesday.

State agencies, including those governing insurance and health care, must immediately change policies and regulations to make sure "spouse," "husband" and "wife" are clearly understood to include gay couples, according to a memo sent earlier this month from the governor's counsel.

Gay marriage is not legal in New York, and the state's highest court, the Court of Appeals, has said it can only be legalized by the Legislature. But the memo, based on a Feb. 1 New York Appellate Division court ruling, would recognize the marriages of New Yorkers who are legally wed elsewhere.

So, while gay marriage is illegal in the state, a state agency will be breaking the law if they fail to recognize a gay marriage from another state and give health and insurance and other benefits to that couple. Presumably a person refusing to obey this court made law could face loss of job, fines, or who knows, maybe imprisonment! Something is vastly inconsistent and wrong when the state declares the marriage illegal but punishes those who fail the recognize the validity of it.

Well, Fight the Good Fight of Faith.

What's on my mind?

2008-05-28T13:43:00.004-04:00

What's on my mind today? Well I've just been reading the news and am getting an overwhelming feeling of being overrun by a giant machine. The machine is one of beliefs which are basically antithetical to mine. It's Darwinisms, humanism, atheism, . . . homosexuality, partial birth abortion, rising teen pregnancy rates, and materialism. I'd like to comment on all these things based on articles in the news lately. Hopefully soon.

Keep fighting the good fight!
Forward Ever, Backward Never

Expelled the Movie

2008-04-18T09:21:00.003-04:00

You won't hear me promoting very many movies. I'm not exactly promoting this one either, but it might be about the best thing in theaters in ... O.... about the last 50 years. I don't think it is in any way promoting Biblical Christianity. However, it is a documentary which wages war on one of Biblical Christianities greatest opponents - Evolution. The documentary is about how scientists and academics who dare to question Darwinism are "Expelled". In other words they are fired, denied tenure, denied publication, denied credibility. To the degree that it informs our public of the facts and creates an environment of free discussion as opposed to the blind lies taught our children concerning evolution, it could be a good thing. I'm not telling you to go to the movies, but if you just have to waste ten or fifteen bucks this weekend on a movie, waste it on this one... then let me know what you think because as interesting as this thing sounds to me, I won't be going.
Check out trailers here http://www.expelledthemovie.com/

Global temps down!

2008-04-04T07:37:00.008-04:00

I'm not going to try to hide this, I believe that the "global warming" hysteria is a bunch of political hype. Over the past few years I've read just about every article I've come across on the topic and it is clear to me that, at the very least, there are serious problems with the theory (being taught as fact - like evolution) that we are in a man made catastrophic global warming trend.

As I've stated previously, the biggest reason I'm not concerned about global destruction from global warming and ice melt is that I already know how the earth ends. Actually, it does end with global warming, but it is instantaneous burning up of the heavens and earth. However, according to my understanding of the Bible we are at least a millennium away from that.

Could God use or allow global warming to harm many people on the earth? Absolutely! But from the evidence of many, many, many scientists the globe is not warming because of man made intervention. I've got a collection of articles saved which point out the impact of the sun (sun spots), water current patterns, and wind patterns, among other things. Many world renowned scientists are writing about the impact of these things upon weather and temperatures. I'll be highlighting these from time to time.

What is interesting is the way those promoting the industry of "global warming hysteria" to the public and our children spin facts when it is convenient for them. They simply explain away the facts. Here is an article that came up today from the BBC News science department. (see it here).

First the article admits that the globe peaked in temperature in 1998. Then he tells us that the total global increase has been about 0.74 C this past century, but he then says that this year will only be about 0.4 C warmer than the average of 1961-1990. Now it seems to me that he is saying that we increased by 0.74 C, but are now only up 0.4 C. So we have had a net gain of .34 and the trend is moving back down.

He then gives a scientific explanation for the increase. He says that La Nina is to blame for this cooling. La Nina is a Pacific ocean current which has significant historical effects on cooling. Places like China have had record breaking cold this year because of La Nina.

Now let's think, the increase for the whole last half century, which has the world in hysterics, was 0.74 C, and La Nina, an ocean current cooled the whole earth by 0.34 C in one year. Is there really that big of a problem? Add to this some of the studies being done by real scientists on the impact of sun spots and other factors and I think we can all relax.

Despite the fact that the author of the above article essentially agrees with what I've just said, he ends by stating that he is confident that we are still in a warming trend and that in five years we will likely see record high temperatures. But of course he offers no science for that personal opinion.

Let me add this. While I think that there are numerous problems surrounding this issue, I do believe that as wise stewards of the planet, we should seek the most economic, clean, and safe means of energy possible. But remember, God gave it to us to be used.

Great weekend

2008-03-31T08:29:00.008-04:00

We had a work day at church on Saturday morning. A great bunch of guys and one gal came out to clear the overgrowth from the hedges along the church.

There was one pyromaniac in the group.
This is Jack McHale and this is a normal situation--sitting at my kitchen table with a fork and a smile. Jack has been a good friend and faithful servant with us in the ministry for many years.
One of his ministries is web master for our church web page. He only keeps the job because he really likes having "master" attached to his name. Gives him a feeling of power.

Church Teen Game Night

2008-03-28T23:24:00.009-04:00

Tonight I had the privilege of driving a group of teens from our church up to a game night at the Independent Bible Church of Duryea. It was a great night of fun and fellowship with believers. The kids played battle ball and relay games for about an hour and fifteen minutes and then had snacks. The evening ended with a few songs and a great message from my pastor, Dr. Al Cremard. He preached from Galatians 6 on sowing and reaping. I didn't take notes but I believe the four main points were 1) We reap what we sow. 2) We reap more than we sow. 3) We reap the same kind of fruit as sown. 4) We can't stop the process of reaping what we have sown. He then illustrated the truths with four true stories. Great night. I think our kids had a good time too.

A few pics of the kids tonight.

Here is Pastor Cremard, my pastor and the primary pastoral influence
in my adolescent and adult life.

Johnny Rivera, an excellent man all the way around, a growing Christian, and a good friend.
He has a real desire to serve God along with his family and they have been tremendous blessings to me. Johnny has recently been used of God in bringing two people to knowledge of salvation in Christ Jesus.

Society working to destroy our kids purity

2008-03-27T09:28:00.001-04:00

The following is part of an email news item I received from the Family Research Council (frc.org). It simply points out the wholesale mis-use of information prominent in our world. A study which says that condoms don't help protect from disease in a very reliable way is used to say just the opposite. (emphasis added is mine)

So much for truth in advertising! A full-page ad in major newspapers today sponsored by the Trojan company is loaded with misinformation about the effectiveness of condoms in preventing disease. The page leads off with the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) latest report about the number of teens (one in four) who are infected with an STD. "America is not a sexually healthy nation," the text warns. "We should evolve the way we approach sexual health in our country." Not surprisingly, the company's solution to the problem is supplying more of their product, which the ad implies would help eliminate diseases such as the human papillomavirus (HPV), chlamydia, herpes, and trichomoniasis. Trojan and their liberal sex education allies are out to persuade Americans that condoms make sex "safe." Not so, says the very government agency that Trojan quotes in its ad. On HPV, the CDC's official position on condom efficacy is entirely contrary to Trojan's. In its report to Congress, the agency plainly states, "The available scientific evidence is not sufficient to recommend condoms as a primary prevention strategy for the prevention of genital HPV prevention." While condoms may reduce the risk of chlamydia, herpes, and other diseases, it cannot eliminate the risk. Teenagers may be half as likely to contract various STDs if they use condoms correctly, but the problem is that few of them do. It's an established medical fact that teenagers' correct and consistent condom usage is much lower than adults', and the effectiveness of the contraception decreases even more as a result. Beyond disease, condoms are not even a reliable method for reducing teen pregnancy. About one in every five teens using condoms becomes pregnant within one year, according to the National Survey of Family Growth. Condoms are incapable of providing the protection Trojan claims they do. Once again, the industry is proving that it cares more about profit than prevention. It continues to astound me that our society is willing to tell kids to abstain from the dangers of drinking or smoking but not premarital sex. If America is truly committed to disease prevention, and the emotional well-being of our teens, then we must be committed to abstinence--the only method that works 100% of the time.

Lord, have mercy on our kids.

Getting Started

2008-03-27T09:17:00.000-04:00

This will be my third attempt at starting a blog. We'll see how it goes. My goal here is to toss out ideas and thoughts about things that impact our lives and things which may effect Christians in the world today. However, you may find items here for a simple laugh. I may direct readers to articles or news sources, or I may quote from them and comment on them. As long as comments remain clean and appropriate I will leave the option for replies open. Please feel free to respond.