This morning I was out in the garage fixing a bookshelf for my daughter, she is moving into a condo and we we’re helping her move and this bookshelf needed a back put on it.
So being the good father that I am, who always wakes up between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. I knew I could get this done before anyone got out of bed.

Great plan if I say so to myself!!!

So I made some coffee and went out to the “sanctuary for men,”    the garage.

It was raining and thundering and making all kinds of racket  a great time to be in my sanctuary and I was getting the bookshelf put together,  it was beginning to become a masterpiece, if I say so myself,  afterall, a man and tools is a artist at an easel Amen?

When my daughter (who spent the night) opened the garage door and asked what in the world I was doing that all she heard was banging from me?

I could hardly hear myself think over all the pounding rain and thunder but all she could hear was me making a little noise, since I’m always as quiet as a mouse you know!!!

It was 7:30,  time for humans to be out of bed anyhow.

In retrospect as I think about me in the garage working, should I apologise?

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

How dare she interrupt an artist in the mist of achieving greatness??

What would the 16th Chapel, or the Louvre look like if someone said “hey dude, your making too much noise!”

Yeah baby,  an artist with his tools making history!!!!

Next time,  I think I’ll start at 3:00 a.m. !!!

Yesterday we went down to preach at a small church who is looking for a pastor and we had a wonderful time together.

But can ya believe it, here we are all dressed up and my wife is looking hot, we get part way there when she announces that she forgot her bible!!

How devastating,  here we are suppose to be doin some impressin and she forgot her bible!!!  what would people think when the pastors wife leaves it at home????
Then to top it off, she forgot earrings,  I old her she would have to stay in the car!!  I’ll roll down the window for her!!

Can’t have my wife without her bible or earrings, what would people think??!!

We had to laugh because I can’t remember a time that she ever forgot her bible,  she might forget where she left me, but thats a whole nother story!!

They had a meal for us afterward where we had the chance to sit and get to know them. They reminded me so much of our first church that it wasn’t funny.

They were very informal and down to earth, farmers, factory workers and salesclerks. But they made us welcomed and asked if I would come back on the 20th and meet with their board and I agreed.

Where the Lord shuts one door with our plans of starting a church, he opens another door of opportunity, all you have to do is be willing to be used of God,  be faithfully walking with the Lord and he’ll do wonderful things in your life. And if this isn’t the church that we’re suppose to take, then he’ll have other things for us to do

As nice as the people were, it really isn’t about the people, its about serving the Lord and participating with him in his plan of spreading the gospel. People will pay you compliments and thats nice, but we’re sinners saved by grace and my wife and I know how much grace God has poured out on us.

I’m thankful they enjoyed us, but its not about us and no one should look at us and give us praise, we are to look to the Lord and give him praise.

This church is nothing attractive on the building end, they once had a school and built a gym and thats the church now, of course you can hold allot of people in it, but its so far out in the boonies, that theres not allot of people.

They don’t have a parsonage and so we would have to commute and hour and a half both ways which could pose a few problems at times since I work full time.

But if this is where the Lord wants us, then he’ll do what needs to be done and provide for us the means in which to do it.

I love a challenge and then watch how God puts it all together, it is an amazing thing to see how God pulls things together.

Are you participating with God in a ministry for him?  It can be anything if your asking the Lord to lead you in what your doing.

Theres preaching, teaching, praying, support of Gods work that needs participation in and all sorts of other things, pray and ask God that your willing to participate with him and to open a door of opportunity and see what he brings your way.

This week has been full of great joy as well as some disappointments, I’ll tell ya about the disappointment first. As you know we have been planning on starting a church, and everything was falling into place, until, the wife of my pastor friend decided that she didn’t want her husband to do this.

I couldn’t understand why not at first, but then I started to think about the times my wife didn’t want me to do certain things, and after all was said and done, she was right.

The Lord uses our wives in many ways to stop us husbands from making mistakes, and for whatever the reason, the Lord doesn’t want us to move ahead, so every thing’s on hold

But then,  I contacted a church that is south of us that needs a pastor and I told them that I could come and help them if they wanted, and lo and behold, they called me back the next day and we’re going there this coming Sunday Memorial weekend!!!

I couldn’t believe they got back with me so fast, this doesn’t mean they will call me as their pastor, because I’m the first speaker and generally they want to hear a few guys before deciding, but we’ll pray.

The other joys we had was our youngest son Keith,  finished high school and will go to ITT Tech starting next month in Web Development, we’re going to have his open house in a few weeks.

Our daughter Stephanie, also graduated from college yesterday, with a double degree we’re very proud of both of them

Its exciting to see them excelling and having plans for their future but also sad for my wife and I as we see them leaving us and moving on with their lives, but that’s the way its suppose to be.

The world that they will face is much different from when I started out, its uncertain the way things are moving but I know that the Lord promises us regardless of what direction our country is headed, if we walk faithfully with our Lord Jesus, he said he will never leave us nor forsake us. And that he will care for our every need.

We hope that we have instilled in them the faith to walk with our Lord, I’ve not always been the greatest father or spiritual leader as I should have been, but thank the Lord where I failed their Mom took up the slack.

My wife did a tremendous job home schooling and preparing them in order to be able to go on to college, I never did much with the schooling, my wife had it under control and I’m as proud of her as I can be.

I’ve got allot to be thankful for, God has truly blessed me with 3 kids that I can brag about if I want to, a great daughter in law , a handsome grandson and a great soon to be son in law.

I look back over my life and even if I didn’t do everything perfect as no one can, being saved and walking with the Lord can give you great blessings when it comes to your family. We may not have much money, but I’ve got a family that touches my heart, and I thank God for them.

I heard on the radio that there has been an increase of churches being planted in America where there has been a decline over the past many years.

And some of these churches are seeing more conversions and baptisms than old established churches are.  But just because theres been an increase of churches doesn’t mean that their all glorifying God.

In New York, across the street from where the Muslims took out the twin towers, theres a new Muslim Mosque being built that they want to dedicate on (you got it) 9/11/11.

I find this so offensive, but only in America can the enemy attack and then build a tribute to their work. Its as though they’re saying in your face America, we won and we’re taking over.

So, not every church that is being built is of God. If you look at what many of these churches believe on their websites, theres little if anything close to a gospel preaching church.  Most are very liberal and wouldn’t have a problem with a Mosque being built next door to their own church, they really believe there are many ways to heaven anyhow.

I’ve been getting very excited about planting a church south of us as I’ve told you in other articles, but there is always hurdles one must get over, and sometimes Satan does his best to deter you.

At this point we don’t know if we’re going to be able to move ahead or not, and we know as least for now, that we’re on hold unless I move ahead without my pastor friend.

So my wife and I will have to pray and see if God wants us to or not.

I know that church planting isn’t an easy task, at least one where you want the truth of Gods Word taught,  because I know that the world doesn’t want to hear it and our government isn’t making it easy since they are against true biblical teaching.

Just look at what they tried to do in a Georgia nursing home, since their food is provided by federal government, they said they couldn’t pray before meals!!!  Outrages,  but thats what liberals are,  anti-God and Americans are beginning to catch on, but is it too late?

Thats why so many liberal churches are on the increase, they’re not a threat, where theres no truth, theres no threats to liberals agendas of turning this nation into a godless nation (they may be closer than they realise).

But this is exactly why we need true bible believing, gospel preaching churches to rise up in America, we’re the new mission field, I believe its more important to reach our own citizens right now than ever,  before our nation collapses and hopefully turn things around.

Or if this is the time of Gods return, then reach people before its too late.

Satan doesn’t want us to start a church and he will use every means to stop us, so we’ll pray and seek Gods will and his help.

I’ve been reading a book that speaks about the love of God, and he asks the question, Do You Love Jesus Christ?

When you first ask yourself that question, right away you say to yourself, of course I do!

I grew up in church, I read the bible, sing gospel songs, pray, go to church gatherings etc etc.

All that is good and dandy, but do you love Jesus more than anything else in this world?

If you say yes, then what do you do for Christ to prove you love him more than anything in this world? I know, you go to church and read your bible and all those things I just listed.

But I’m afraid there are many who do that list, but they have never been born again, instead they have been indoctrinated into the faith.

This is what I mean by indoctrinated,  many kids grow up in church,  they sit there week after week, they know the bible stories, they know the songs,  they can recite verses and answer all the questions when asked.

But why is it,  when they get old enough to be on their own, many quit going to church?  Or if they do continue to go,  they have no desire or care to see people get saved?  Or if someone does get saved, they kind of shrug and say thats nice.

Wheres the passionate love for God?  Wheres the drive to see souls saved or for the church to grow?  Wheres the tears over sin?

Why is it when you go into a church its so cold toward you and if your a visitor, it doesn’t matter if you come back or not?

I believe its because many have been indoctrinated or Christianised into the faith,  they know everything about being a Christian, but they personally have never had a saving experience with Jesus Christ that saved their soul.

I’m convinced that if the rapture was to occur today, that every church would be open the following Sunday, perhaps (and hopefully) a few less, but opened just the same.

We need to ask ourselves, am I truly saved?

You should know when you asked forgiveness for your sin and received Christ, you might not know the exact time or day, but if you can’t recall it, you better examine why not?

If you don’t have a passion for Christ or for his people, if you don’t love God more than anything else, then perhaps your one who has been indoctrinated and not born into the faith.

Take some time to examine your relationship with Christ, are you one of his children, or are you in his house but your only renting?