This past weekend God took me to school in checking my motives and assumptions based on outward appearances.

I was privileged to be asked to speak at a men’s conference kick-off night and to extend the evangelistic message. When I got there the turnout was significantly below what had been hoped for by its organizers. The crowd in the worship center did not do justice to efforts exercised to make the conference have significant impact in the lives of men. Additionally the crowd leaned toward the middle age and up range, absent of many in the young adult category.

As if to apologize, one of the workers mentioned to me, “Well, most of the men here are probably already believers, so just motivate them in their walk.” I thought about that as I walked into the worship center. I wondered if he was right? Did I need to change approach? What if I gave an invitation and no one responded?

But something inside compelled me to keep the course. As I followed a friend who had spoken on leading as a godly man in the family arena, I decided to speak with everything I had…as though there were 10,000 men there.

The men were engaged. That were with me from the start. Their response was both refreshing and invigorating. And I was blown away when at the time of the invitation to accept Christ just under 10% if those present responded. When I challenged men who felt a critical need to take their walk with Christ to the next level the floodgates broke. In moments the alter was full with men both accepting Christ and renewing their walk with Him…and backing up into three aisles!

And God reminded me, “Don’t ever look on the outward appearance and assume you know what I will do!” What a great reminder! Never to despise small beginnings. I hope the conference organizers were as thrilled with God’s work and faithfulness as I was. After all, He had just who he wanted there, and that which He had purposed He did! Lesson learned!!

Jesus said that one of the characteristics which would distinguish the Christian community was the fact that they would be known by their love for one another. Was that characterization to be limited to the first century…or was it to be for all centuries…including ours?

As I watch the newspapers and communications pieces used in the Christian community these days I am grieved that too often this standard seems to have been jettisoned. Today leaders are criticized left and right publicly, often sans the effort of following Matthew 18 when dealing with problems. Many blogs seem much faster and focused on finding, and spreading, what they think is wrong more than what they think is right. And often, in rather ruthless fashion. I’m sure that many outside the Christian community sometimes wonder, “Why would I want to be a part of that, when I see that kind of reaction in my world on a regular basis?! What is so different?” And I think they would have a point.

A man said to me not too long ago, “In my opinion the Christian community has moved from shooting its wounded, to wounding its walking!” I was grieved to hear such a commentary…yet I fear he is right. I pray a movement of God stirs in the Christian community in the near future and compels a return to all of us being known for our love more than our criticism, and following Matthew 18 when, indeed, a difference or problem arises. That’s sure how I, for one, want to be known…not the other way around.

It was a fishing trip that took a long time to become reality….57 years to be exact!

Hunting and fishing in the glorious outdoors can be the context of a lot of things…exercise, adventure, the thrill or victory, the agony of defeat—but perhaps one of the most important elements is family relationships.

I experienced that first hand.

Years ago on the west coast of Virginia three little boys were born in stair step fashion to a young couple. The wife and mother was a gentle and loving lady, appreciated and valued by those who knew her. The husband and father, on the other hand, was known for his restless ways and heavy drinking more than anything else. And like most alcoholics his frustrations were taken out on those closest to him.

It was while the third of the boys was still in the womb that the mother was discovered with cancer. In today’s world, with abortion on demand, it is probable that the baby being carried would have been sacrificed. After all, pregnancy is tough enough by itself…but add cancer, and…! But carry the baby she did. But the trials weren’t over with a birth, because life took up where it had left off. Drinking. Bad scenes, Short tempers. And a weakened wife and mother. It would be eleven months after the birth that she couldn’t keep going any more…a dying became easier than living. That left a father with three things he hadn’t necessarily wanted, and definitely hadn’t planned for. And life went from bad…to worse.

Over the ensuing months the boys were handed from hand to hand and place-to-place…with no place called home. Finally separated, the boys went to new homes—the older two to one home, and the youngest to another following handoff after handoff. And from that moment on the boys didn’t know each other existed, having been young enough to have only vague recollections about their beginnings.

Sixteen years would pass until the story surfaced. All three had become young adults, with the youngest preparing to graduate from high school and the older two already in college. As the truth bubbled to the surface, three boys found themselves staring each other searching desperately for words, yet not knowing what to say.

I remember it well because I was the youngest boy.

Eighteen, nineteen and twenty…and nothing to say. That was the first meeting. And having been raised as an only child I had watched MY THREE SONS and EIGHT IS ENOUGH wishing that I had some brothers and/or sisters. And now, here they were.

Though we got to be in each other’s weddings, the bond that only seems to come when you grow up with each other just didn’t happen. While we kept in touch, life got in the way. College. Families. Careers. Living in different places across the nation.

But just recently we made it happen. With a lot of planning, plenty of delays, some cancelations and a strong dose of tenacity we accomplished our first vacation ever-together-as brothers. And it only took 57 years! With the help of a friend’s wonderful boat, we spent two days off of the east coast of Florida having our lives mesh together amidst salty sea air, the stench of bait, the rocking of the boat and the threat of rolling storms. We laughed. Told stories. Caught up on each other’s journey, victories and defeats, dreams and disappointments, and hopes and plans for the future. And in the midst of it, we managed to catch snapper, bonita, grunt fish, king and topped it off with a swordfish!

And despite the missed years, long delays and dearth of shared experiences, our lives merged into a bond of brothers. Because, there may be few better places to forge relationships than hunting and fishing in the incredible God-crafted outdoors.
Defenses come down, efforts are shared, laughs are plentiful, skills and patience are learned and honed, and victories are shared. Now that forges powerful relationships! I will long remember the days in which separated brothers were forged into a family!

And by the way, don’t wait 57 years to share such times with your kids or grandkids….regardless of their ages, or yours, It’s a legacy you don’t want to miss passing on!

I just came across this and thought it to be worthy of reproducing….

NEW PREAMBLE TO THE CONSTITUTION
The following has been attributed to GA State Representative Mitchell Kaye from

‘We the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help
everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid more riots,
keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior, and secure the blessings
of debt-free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great-
grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt ridden, delusional. We hold
these truths to be self evident: that a whole lot of people are confused
by the Bill of Rights and are so dim they require a Bill of NON-Rights.’

ARTICLE I:
You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV, or any other form
of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one
is guaranteeing anything.

ARTICLE II:
You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on
freedom, and that means freedom for everyone — not just you! You may
leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc.; but
the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.

ARTICLE III:
You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver
in your eye, learn to be more careful; do not expect the tool manufacturer
to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.

ARTICLE IV:
You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most
charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we
are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of
professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of
another generation of professional couch potatoes.

ARTICLE V:
You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but
from the looks of public housing, we’re just not interested in public
health care.

ARTICLE VI:
You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap,
rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don’t be surprised if the rest
of us want to see you fry in the electric chair

ARTICLE VII:
You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat,
or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don’t be surprised
if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you
still won’t have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure.

ARTICLE VIII:
You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to have a job,
and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take
advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid
before you to make yourself useful.

ARTICLE IX:
You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you
have the right to PURSUE happiness, which by the way, is a lot easier if
you are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those
of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.

ARTICLE X:
This is an English speaking country. We don’t care where you came from,
English is our language. Learn it or go back to wherever you came from!

ARTICLE XI:
You do not have the right to change our country’s history or heritage.
This country was founded on the belief in one true God. And yet, you are
given the freedom to believe in any religion, any faith, or no faith at
all; with no fear of persecution. The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST is part of
our heritage and history, and if you are uncomfortable with it, TOUGH!

What do you think?!

Dickens said, “It was the best of times…it was the worst of times.”

While that may describe our economy, our government and many other issues today, I want to pose another thought: Many of the best times of our lives turn out to be the scariest times!

I was reflecting on a trip I took to Switzerland a while beck to speak. During the day I was captivate by the paragliders I saw jumping off of the surrounding Alps. Seeing that you could sign up to take a leap I couldn’t take it anymore after about three days and announced to Cheryl (my bride) was was going to put my name on the dotted line.

To my amazement, she piped up, “Me too!” And since she hates risk more than most anything in life, I was dumbfounded. But off we went to the adventure of a lifetime.

Traveling in a rickity bus to about 4500-5000 feet up a steep road along the side of the mountain, I wondered if we would launch off…still in the bus! But arrive, we did. Got suited up. And then our respective pilots told us, “When the wind is right we’ll say Let’s Go! and when we do take off running, and when we come to the end of ground, keep running. Then sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.” A WHAT A RIDE IT WAS!!! It will be branded into our memory banks for the rest of our lives!! Yet, running off of that cliff was one of the scariest moments you could ever have.

I bet David felt that way staring down ‘ole Goliath! Or how about Joshua facing the walls of Jericho? Or Daniel and the lion’s den? And how about Moses confronting Pharoah demanding, “Let my people go!”

Life just works that way. So, the next time you face unnerving circumstances, just throw your shoulders back…lift your chin…take a deep breath… and remember, this could be one of the greatest moments of your life!

In the recent MISS USA pagent Carrie Prejean, Miss California, may have lost the crown due to her answer to judge’s Perez Hilton’s question regarding same sex marriage. A gay himself, Perez forced the known Christian Prejean into a no win situation when he questioned her if every state should pass Same Sex marriage.

In that moment Miss California had to determine if she would answer politically correct…and probably win the pagent, or if she would honor her faith, values and principles and give Perez exactly what he asked for-her opinion. Thankfully her faith, values and principles won out over her ambition! She stated clearly and with distinction her belief regarding the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman for life. Yet she hastened to quickly add that she was not trying to force her beliefs on others…merely stating hers.

What an example to today’s youth…and adults for that manner. It’s exactly what we need more of…leaders who will stick to their faith, values and principles regardless of the cost. And the crown? She lost it. BUT, she won the prize of integrity, honor and class. While the crown may have been lost, the future was secured as doors will be thrown open with opportunity because she was true to herself. May her tribe increase!

I think the days ahead will prove to be increasingly difficult for those with sincere Christian faith. I have said for several years that I see the days coming when, increasingly, the word “persecution” for the Christian with be spelled “p-r-o-s-e-c-u-t-i-o-n” as the courts will be used increasingly to put Christians in a pressure cooker. Laws will tighten…regulations will squeeze out…judgments will be rendered…and difficulties will increase for those who unflinchingly stand on their Christian beliefs in the face of human secularism an political correctness.

The present administration is watering down the term “a person of faith” in a similar manner to how “born again” got watered down under Jimmy Carter.

And violence is increasing against the realm of faith. My friend Ted Baehr just recently listed a sobering and staggering list of violence in Christian settings….
• February 18, 2009: A man committed suicide in front of a cross at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California.
• November 23, 2008: A gunman killed his estranged wife in a New Jersey church as Sunday services let out.
• November 1, 2008: A Cincinnatti minister, Rev. Donald Fairbanks Sr., was killed while he was attending a funeral in Kentucky.
• July 27, 2008: Two people were killed and six wounded in a shooting rampage at the church in Knoxville, Tenn.
• December 9, 2007: A man kills two young adults at the Youth with a Mission (YWAM) base before driving to a Colorado Springs church and opening fire on the congregation just after church was let out. A total of 5 people were killed, including the gunmen.
• August 12, 2007: A lone gunman opened fire in a Missouri Micronesian church, killing a pastor and two other churchgoers.
• May 20, 2007: A standoff between police and a suspect at a Moscow, Idaho church ended with three dead, including one police officer.
• Oct. 2, 2006, A man in Lancaster County, PA., killed five girls and then himself at an Amish school.
• May 20, 2006: Four were killed by a man at Jesus Christ Church in Louisiana.
• Feb. 26, 2006: Two people were killed at Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Michigan by a man who later killed himself.
• April 9, 2005: A 27-year-old died after being shot at a church in College Park, GA..
• March 12, 2005: A man walked into the services of the Living Church of God in Milwaukee and open fired immediately, killing seven people.
• Oct. 5, 2003: A woman opened fire in Turner Monumental AME church in Kirkwood, GA., killing the pastor, her mother, and herself.
• March 12, 2002: During Sunday Mass, Peter J. Troy fatally shot Rev. Lawrence M. Penzes and parishioner Eileen Tosner.
• Sept. 16, 1999: Seven young people were killed when a man opened fire during a prayer service for teen-agers at the Wedgewood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas

The days ahead do not promise to be easy, but will surely clarify who isThe time is coming when to take a stand will really mean something in America. I plan to be there. See you there with those who aren’t ashamed of the Gospel!

This last weekend I was fortunate, and honored, to return to a church I pastored in the 1990s. I was looking forward to getting there, as my wife and I drove from Atlanta to Tampa. Rain had hit us in driving sheets for several hours as I we drove south through Georgia. Finally, in the southern-most Georgia region the rains stopped, but the dark clouds hung like a wet blanket accompanied by an oppressive humidity.

But we still looked forward to getting with friends from years back and laughing, hugging, and reflecting.

It was as we approached the Bruce B. Downs interchange in north Tampa that Cheryl shrieked, gasped and covered her mouth in shock looking at the oncoming traffic on the other side of the highways median. Hurtling through the air was a car, flipping over and over, hitting the ground…only to bounce high into the air again, to once again crash to the ground and roll…before coming to rest upside down.

Shocked, we realized we were witnessing a tragic accident and we needed to act quickly. Cheryl grabbed the phone and called 9-1-1. I pulled our car over and dashed across the interstate to do whatever I could. Being the second person arriving at the upside down vehicle, I checked for gas leaks while two other men removed the door window and felt for a pulse on a young woman, who just moments earlier had probably been enjoying life on her way to some pre-planned activity, or to see friends or family, or to a meeting or engagement…who knows? But, suddenly–and tragically–life had taken a tragic and unexpected turn. Without moving her, one of the men with obvious training for emergencies made sure she had a pulse and could breathe, even though she was unconscious. And shortly…though it seemed an eternity…the emergency vehicles were there. The police and emergency technicians took over and I got in our car with Cheryl…and we drove on with heavy hearts. Wondering, “Whose daughter was she? Was she married? Who was in her family?” …and praying that God would be with her, and with teh medical personnel who would untimately care for her at the hospital.

And we were soberly reminded how quickly life can change and be altered. unexpectedly..how very precious every moment is…and how valuable each day with those we love a care about is. We would learn several days later that the young lady tragically died. Our hearts ached for her family and friends who experienced such a tragic, premature end to life.

So today, be sure and tell someone you love and care about and tell them how special they are to you!

take time to tell someone close to you what you admire most in their life!

tell someone who has made an impact on you that they have done so, and how, and what
it means to you!

thank God for the gift of life and commit to savor it and enjoy it to the best of your ability!

After all, we have no guarantee of tomorrow.

And in view of that, if life suddenly ended for you today…or tomorrow…have you come to the place in your spiritual journey that you know FOR SURE what would happen with you? That’s what the message of the Bible is all about!

DO YOU MISS RONALD REGAN THESE DAYS WHEN YOU READ THE PAPERS, WATCH THE TV NEWS, OR HEAR THE LATEST REPORTS?

JUST REMEMBER THE STRAIGHT FORWARD MANNER WITH WHICH HE HANDLED ISSUES!

‘Here’s my strategy on the Cold War:
We win, they lose.’ – Ronald Reagan

‘The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’ -Ronald Reagan

‘The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they’re ignorant; it’s just that they know so much that isn’t so.’ – Ronald Reagan

‘Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.’ – Ronald Reagan

‘I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress.’ – Ronald Reagan

‘The taxpayer: That’s someone who works for the federal government but doesn’t have to take the civil service examination.’ – Ronald Reagan

‘Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.’ – Ronald Reagan

‘The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program.’ – Ronald Reagan

‘It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first.’ – Ronald Reagan

‘Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it’ – Ronald Reagan

‘Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed, there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book.’ – Ronald Reagan

‘No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.’ – Ronald Reagan

‘If we ever forget that we’re one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.’ – Ronald Reagan

OH, HOW WE NEED THAT KIND OF LEADERSHIP THESE DAYS!!!!!

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This was an article from the St. Petersburg Times Newspaper. They asked readers “How Would You Fix the Economy?” I thought this was the BEST idea …..

Patriotic retirement:

To heck with pouring BILLIONS of dollars into the economic bailout plan. With an estimated 40 million people over the age of 50 in the work force, just pay each of them $1 million apiece in severance with the following stipulations.

1) They must leave their jobs. Result: Forty million job openings – Unemployment fixed.

2) They must buy NEW American cars. Result: Forty million cars ordered – Auto Industry fixed.

3) They must either buy a house or pay off their mortgage. Result: Housing and Banking Crisis fixed.

SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN TO ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!