Dave's Blog

Stopping the killing of innocent children in Ohio

2012-01-16T10:41:00.001-05:00

On Sunday Jan 29th we will have the director of Ohio PersonhoodUSA speaking at our church. He will be talking about the plan to have a referendum on the November ballot this year to change the Ohio constitution. Here is my condensed version of the wording for this amendment: “Personhood will apply to EVERY human being at every stage of biological development starting with fertilization.”

In order to get this on the ballot they need to collect 385,245 signatures. We are going to have the referendum petitions available on that Sunday for people to sign if they wish. Even if you can't come you can still collect signatures for the next few months anywhere; work, sporting events, malls, etc. You must follow all the rules for the signatures to be counted.
1. Must be registered voters to sign
2. Each page can contain voters from only ONE
county
3. Only nine signatures per page. Then the
person collecting the signatures has to sign a
back page.
This is a great opportunity to get involved in something that truly has the chance to stop the abortion industry. If this does get on the ballot Planned Parenthood will wage a gruesome campaign by spreading misinformation. They stand to lose a lot of money since in 2010 they received $500 million of YOUR tax dollars to kill almost 400,000 babies.

PersonhoodUSA has a great information website www.personhoodusa.com
They will be targeting at least ten states this year. It would be good to read up on this website to get ready to answer some of the lies that will be spread.
1. This amendment will NOT make the birth
control pill illegal.
2. This amendment will NOT make In Vitro
Fertilization illegal.
3. This amendment will NOT make the
progesterone only pill illegal.
4. This amendment will NOT make it illegal to
save the life of a mother whose pregnancy
could cause her death.

Good parents can have bad kids

2011-12-03T10:00:00.001-05:00

I have been working on this Sunday's sermon. We are going to be talking about the parable of the prodigal son. I am going to take a different approach to this story that Jesus told. We will be talking about the whole experience of being a parent and what do we do when we see our children making bad choices. How do we handle the fact that we are not the best parents? Who is this father in the story really? Hope you can make it, I promise it will really, really, really help you. Bring a friend.

Special Guest Time Traveler at church tomorrow!

2011-07-02T16:56:00.001-04:00

I made contact with our special guest, time trraveler. It took awhile to get our 'flux capacitor' working but it is good. He will be with us at both services tomorrow. You don't want to miss him. Also since it is a patriotic weekend, free coffee and cookies for all our military people who wear their uniforms to church tomorrow. I just went out and bought a cool patriotic shirt just for church. See you all tomorrow!

GOBA Day Six PM

2011-06-25T18:11:00.001-04:00

Blow out one, mile twenty.
Blow out two, not too funny.
Mile forty, took a spill
Went and pedaled up the hill.
Pain in leg not too bad,
Wanted to finish, gave it all I had.
Shin swelled up like a balloon,
Crossed finish line none too soon.
Ambulance ride, emergency room,
X-rays chased away the gloom.
Nothing broken, just big bruise,
Biker safe, GOBA news.
A little early heading home
End of ride end of poem.

GOBA Day Six AM

2011-06-25T18:07:00.003-04:00

Sometimes to me it seems
Rides like this are a dream.
Farmland animals roaming free
Great scenery my eyes to see.
Such awesome people we do meet
Every hill they do beat.
Bikes of every sort are here
Threatening storms they don’t fear.
Over sixty many are
Travel here from very far.
Age does not slow them down
Fountain of youth they have found.

GOBA Day Five PM

2011-06-25T18:07:00.001-04:00

Move over as I pass,
Young guy out of gas.
Move over number two,
Lost cleat out of shoe.
Move over number three,
Old guy bleeding knee.
Move over number four,
Air in tire is no more.
Move over number five,
Chain broke on this drive.
Move over number six,
Cable snapped need to fix.
Move over seventh rider,
Drop that weight you’d be lighter.
Move over number eight,
Lunch is served can’t be late.
Busy day for Mr. SAG,
My bike is good, I am glad.

GOBA Day Five AM

2011-06-25T18:05:00.001-04:00

In my mirror I could see,
On my left passing me,
Many bikers from the fold,
Making me feel quite old.
But in the end truth be told
All who finish get the gold.

GOBA Day four

2011-06-25T16:51:00.001-04:00

Rolling hills, lots of fun,
Wind at our back till we were done
Cool temps, overcast skies
God must have heard our cries.
Crossed 200 miles today
Now on my mat I will lay.

GOBA Day three

2011-06-25T16:48:00.001-04:00

Thoughts of quitting in her head
Such a word should not be said
David’s chant “Get on that bike,
This isn’t a hike.”
Tears rolling down her cheek
So much fun for a whole week.
Someone’s brain has a leak!

GOBA Day two

2011-06-25T16:47:00.001-04:00

Sixty miles day is done
90 degrees in the sun
Back in camp now time to rest
One more day we passed the test
Tomorrow’s 6AM will come too soon
Start at 7 break at noon
Get back on bike pedal more
Another 60 on this tour.
When we’re done stories to tell
New friends we met, and bikes to SELL!

GOBA Day one

2011-06-25T16:46:00.001-04:00

Flat roads all around
Heavy breathing only sound
Aches and pains they abound
Big smile, not a frown
First biker I did pass
Now I know I won't be last!

GOBA Day three

2011-06-25T16:43:00.001-04:00

GOBA Day Two

2011-06-25T16:40:00.001-04:00

GOBA Day One

2011-06-25T16:37:00.001-04:00

Flat roads all around
Heavy breathing only sound
Big smile, not a frown
First biker I did pass
Now I know I won't be last!

A kindness repaid

2011-06-13T10:23:00.001-04:00

Today's reading in Genesis chapter 24 is about a small kindness being repaid. Abraham's servant is on a mission to find a wife for Abraham's son, Isaac. He traveled back to Abraham's relatives but when he arrives at the outskirts of the city he prays a prayer. “Oh God I don’t know who you want to be Isaac’s wife, can you show me a sign? I am here by the watering well, when the young ladies come out to water their animals, I will ask for a drink and if she gives me a drink and then offers to water all of my camels (He had ten camels with him) then I will know she is the one you have chosen.” Quite a prayer! So while he was still praying this prayer, Rebekah came out and he asked her for a drink. I wonder what went through her mind right at that moment. She must have had the thought, “Go ahead and give this stranger a drink and hey, what the heck, go and water all of his ten camels.” That was the moment of decision. She could have brushed it off and thought, ‘No way, that is a lot of work.” But instead she went ahead and gave the man a drink and then offered to water all of his camels. She had no idea she was the answer to his prayer. As a result of her kindness, she was asked to be the wife of Abraham’s son, Isaac. She accepted and became part of the great heritage of the nation of Israel, part of Jesus lineage! A small kindness repaid. Never miss the opportunity to be a blessing to someone when you feel that urge. How do you know what the results might be, or what impact it might have on that person.

Is the world ending tomorrow?

2011-05-20T16:41:00.001-04:00

If we are still here on Sunday, May 22nd then Harold Camping is a 'false prophet.' Don’t miss this Sunday’s sermon. We will be taking a break from our sermon series on the "Seven Deadly Sins" as we talk about this preacher who is predicting the end of the world this Saturday, May 21st. I will be going over some rules to follow when you hear someone teaching about the ‘end times.” We are living in very interesting times for sure, just like Jesus said we would. False prophets abound and we must beware!!!

57 years old today

2011-04-28T04:11:00.001-04:00

Fifty seven years is a lot of time
But I am thankful, I feel fine.

With family and friends I am rich
Serving others, I found my niche.

Grateful am I for what God has done
Forgave my sins, left not even one.

And now what does the future hold?
A lot more years, till I say “I’m old.”

I have so much left to do and say,
Better start now while it is still day.

Thank you to each and every one.
You’ve blessed me so, and helped me run

The rest of my life you are part
I love you all, with my whole heart.

Blog title...

2011-04-18T23:27:00.001-04:00

Well Passion week is here again. A few things to keep in mind. This is a good time to spend some extra time in prayer. Our ‘Upper Room’ prayer center is open all this week from 6 AM to midnight. It is a great place to spend some time in prayer. Lots of things in that room that will inspire you to pray.
On Friday you might consider skipping breakfast and lunch and fast instead, and if you can stop around 3PM take a few minutes of quiet time as you meditate on what Jesus did on the cross.
Keep your eyes open for that person God wants you to invite to the Easter Service. We are going to have a great celebration Sunday as we water baptize a bunch of people and take our miracle Easter offering for the Free Wheelchair Mission, share in corporate communion and read about the glorious events of that first Easter morning!

Sealed for eternity

2011-04-18T11:26:00.001-04:00

Today’s reading from Revelations 22:11 states, “He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.” This is basically saying that when we die, we are sealed. Jesus talked about this in Matthew chapter 25, when He explained judgment day. He said the goats will be on the one side and when He rebukes them for their ‘unjust, filthy’ lifestyle, rather than repent and ask for forgiveness, they try to pass the blame back onto Jesus. They claim they ‘didn’t know.’ Ignorance of what is right is never an acceptable excuse. What Jesus is saying is that people who chose to live a lifestyle of selfishness and rebellion will be sealed in that lifestyle. They won’t even consider repenting when they are judged. This helps explain why there is going to be a Hell. People who reject God in this life, will also reject Him in the hereafter. There is no ‘second chance’ or repenting at the judgment seat. We make that decision now, every day. Who are you serving? Who have you surrendered your life to? Our daily decisions become who we are and when we die we are sealed in that state. Make the right choice today and chose to serve Jesus. It will become who you are and will secure your eternal destiny.

Does God really care about our environment?

2011-04-04T12:15:00.001-04:00

Today’s reading in Revelations 11:18 God will ‘destroy those who destroy the earth.” This is a reference about the time of Judgment that will eventually come upon the earth. At that time, every human being will be held accountable to God for what they have done with their lives and there is a specific reference to those who have destroyed the earth. Since the 1960s, there has been a lot of controversy about man’s relationship to the environment and nature. A movement has developed that seeks to place the value of the environment above the needs of man. Many refer to this movement as environmentalism or some of you might be more familiar with the term “tree huggers.” I realize there is a lot of variety in this movement from the environmental terrorists to conservationist who seek to preserve wilderness areas. But I believe most environmentalists hold to similar core values. This environmental movement is primarily a reaction to businesses that have exploited the environment for man’s greedy and materialistic pursuits, by clear cutting entire forests without any effort at replanting, without any care for the damage to the wildlife, or to dumping wastes in our rivers, streams and lakes, or to strip mining mountains and leaving the remains without any concern for soil erosion, or for releasing toxic fumes into our atmosphere. There are some things being done to our environment that ought to get people upset. Do you think that God cares about people who destroy His creation or who deliberately destroy our environment by polluting our rivers, or who destroy our forests, or who pollute our air? Well according to this passage a day of judgment is coming for those who destroy the earth! We need to be careful that we are not abusing our environment. We need to be more conscientious of our consumer mentality and our continual desire for more and the lifestyle that promotes destruction to our environment. We don’t need to become environmental terrorists or fanatics, but we should be living a bit more intentional about our use of the environment and be more aware of what kind of ‘carbon footprint’ we are leaving. Man’s rule and dominion over the earth is that of a steward or a caretaker, not a reckless exploiter.

No Fear

2011-03-07T11:33:00.001-05:00

Today’s reading in I John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.” So many people live their lives in fear. They are afraid of the future; they are afraid of getting sick; they are afraid of financial disaster, and so on. Now to be sure, there are some fears that are good to have. We should fear a hot stove; we should fear going too fast in a car; we should fear poisonous snakes, and so on. But this verse is talking about a lifestyle of unhealthy fears. We are told that ‘perfect love’ casts out this kind of fear. When a person experiences being loved it builds a sense of security and confidence. John is telling us that when a person experiences the incredible love of God it brings a sense of confidence in living. We don’t have to fear the judgment day; we don’t have to fear the future; we don’t have to fear people. We know we are loved by God, and we can be confident that He will take care of us, no matter what happens. Let God fill you with His love, then you can truly live a life of ‘no fear.’

The two parts of forgiveness

2011-02-28T10:36:00.001-05:00

Today's reading from I John 1:7-8 states, “If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Many years ago God opened this passage up to me and it has been a life verse ever since. When we come to God and confess our sins, He forgives us, not because He is just a nice guy, He forgives us because 'it is just.’ This means that God’s laws demand that when we sin someone has to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus offered to do this on the cross. When we sin, God’s law is met and the penalty is paid in Jesus. It is like a person who breaks the laws and is declared guilty has to go to jail. But instead of that person going to jail someone else goes in his place. Most of us know this part of forgiveness, but the second part is even more exciting. Since we have been forgiven, God ‘cleanses’ the record. He erases the offense. It is as though it never happened! Even in our country if a criminal pays for his crime by going to jail, his record follows him wherever he goes, not so with God’s kingdom. Once we are forgiven, God ‘cleanses’ the record. When a Christian understands this, it brings such freedom and liberation from the weight of guilt. How good it is to know that God has not only forgiven us, but He has the ability to erase the offense from the books. We actually can stand before Him as ‘righteous.’ I believe this is a small insight into judgment day as well. When we stand before God on that day, it is going to be like the angels will put a DVD of our life on for everyone to watch. But since all of our sins have not only been forgiven, they have been ‘edited’ the movie will only show a life of perfection! Incredible. Now for sure some people’s DVD’s will be short, like the thief on the cross, and some may be quite a bit longer, like maybe Billy Graham’s, but no matter what, it will be an awesome experience. Not one of our sins will ever show up on that DVD, if we have confessed it to God and have received His forgiveness and cleansing!

Florida Bicycle Trip THE END

2011-02-13T16:14:00.001-05:00

Seven miles and it's done
Mike and Mark their bikes still run
My bike is on the rack
On the road I can't go back
Left leg on the mend
Can't seem to make it bend
A great trip this has been
Like all good trips it now must end!

Floriday bicycle trip Day Four Last Leg

2011-02-13T16:12:00.001-05:00

Last leg of the trip
When we finish take a dip
Charlie horse twitch and shakes
Even aches inside my aches
Farthest south we can go
Then head north to the snow.

Florida Bicycle Trip Day Four

2011-02-13T15:53:00.001-05:00

Back spoke broke
This is no joke
Tried to fix but tire went flat
Not much could do with that
Reserve bike off the rack
Heavy frame hard on back
Today's the day
I know people pray
Almost took a nasty fall
Truck bumped me against a wall
The hand of God was clear to see
Only the 2nd bike could have saved me!
Lots of rocks, lots of gravel
Made it very hard to travel
My bike slipped out from under me
Sent me flying, skinned my knee
Hardest ride of my life
Should be home with my wife!

Florida Bike Trip Day Three after lunch

2011-02-10T18:20:00.001-05:00

Half hour lunch break
Lots of carbs to partake
5 hour energy drink
Legs like gears in sinc
Crossed the everglades today
Quite a sight I have to say
Roadkill everywhere
Drivers don't seem to care
4 turtles and 92 snakes
3 alligators not fakes
14 birds on the ground
Even one large hound
Twenty miles yet to go
Energy now can't run low
Won't complain at least no snow!

Florida Bike Trip Day Three

2011-02-10T18:17:00.001-05:00

Flat tire on the road
Forty miles feeling old
Heat bearing down on me
Sweat makes it hard to see
Half way and its noon
Lunch break coming soon
Sleep tonight will be sweet
My legs will be beat.

Florida Bike Trip Day Two

2011-02-10T18:10:00.001-05:00

Brown snake on the road
Not just a harmless toad
Quickly did it try to strike
Pedaled fast on my bike
Now resting on my bed
Glad that I'm not dead!

Florida Bike Trip End of Day One

2011-02-10T18:09:00.001-05:00

Day one now is done
Wind and heat stole the fun
Alligator made us run
So glad I had my gun!

Florida Bike Trip Day One

2011-02-10T18:08:00.001-05:00

Florida is in full bloom
One the roads there's no room
Pedal hard and fast we must
On eachother we will trust
Soon our 1st day will be done
All in all we're having fun.

Is Jesus returning May 21, 2011?

2011-01-24T16:25:00.001-05:00

Apparently there is some religious cult that has posted a billboard on the east side of Columbus that says “The Lord Returns May 21, 2011” and then it gives some website to go to for more information. I went to that website and read their material. I have been a Christian for over thirty years. I have studied and read the bible from Genesis through Revelations over 20 times, teaching through it several times. I have studied literally hundreds of hours on the ‘end times’ and preached many sermons on the prophecies regarding the end times. I have in my library over 30 books that I have read on the subject of the last days prophecies. I have studied and taught out of Ezekiel, Revelations, Daniel, the primary end time books of the Bible.

These people are WAY OFF, they are teaching heresy, and need to be avoided and rebuked. They are teaching things that are absolutely contrary to what the bible says about ‘knowing the day and the hour of Jesus’ return.’ About every ten years or so, since I have been a Christian there has been some group that rises up and tells everyone that they have ‘discovered’ the day and the hour that Jesus will return. Then that day and hour comes and goes and nothing happens so they rework their prophecies and twist the scriptures some more and keep on going in their deceptions. This is so wrong; I cannot tell you any stronger. These people are 'false prophets’ and need to be avoided. They are an embarrassment to our Christian faith and will bring shame to the name of Jesus when their declared date comes and goes.

Jesus made it very clear in Matthew 24:36, “No man would know the day or the hour.” Whenever someone or some group comes along and tries to twist this passage around to show that Jesus really meant ‘we would know the day and hour' a red flag should go off in any thinking person’s mind! False prophets make their move on the whole idea of having some ‘secret’ understanding of the scriptures that no one else has. I have a sermon I would be glad to send you titled, “Five rules to follow when studying end time prophecies.” It can be a real help when dealing with groups like the one who put up that billboard. Just let me know if you would like for me to email it to you. Hope this helps.

I am surrounded!

2011-01-17T11:39:00.001-05:00

I am surrounded! In my reading today I came across this passage, “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1. We are surrounded We are surrounded by men and women who have made following God their one passion in life. Their lives can be such an encouragement to each of us as we are faced with our daily challenges. Hey, if they could make it, so can I! Oh the power of being a good example. Take advantage of all the good examples that you can find in the Bible. Take a look at the lives of all the heroes of the faith mentioned in Hebrews 11. They faced incredible challenges and overcame incredible odds because they kept their focus on God. Because of their faith in God they were able to do the things He told them to do. Not only do we have great examples from the past, but we have great examples alive today, men and women who are walking it out all around us. This is one of the great benefits of Christian fellowship. Gathering together with other men and women of God and sharing our experiences is such a great opportunity to encourage others and to receive encouragement. Thank you God I am not on this walk alone, I am surrounded!

Why should I go to church every Sunday?

2011-01-03T13:15:00.001-05:00

Today's reading out of Hebrews 10:25 is "Do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." This is a reference to a regular gathering of God’s people. I am amazed at how many people don’t have any hesitation when it comes to skipping church. 'I am tired, the weather is too cold, I have a lot to do today, I don’t feel good, etc.' Many Christians today attend church on average about two times a month throughout the year. What we need to realize is that gathering together on Sunday is the one great opportunity we have each week for God to breathe new life into us. Sure we can seek to do this on our own, but God has made us in such a way that we do best when we are in community with others. People who miss church regularly tend to miss out on the blessings of God. It is that simple. I can say without a doubt, one of the best things I have ever done in my life is to make sure that I was in church every Sunday. Even before I was a pastor, attending church was important to me. It was my opportunity to truly connect with God, open my spirit up for healing, direction, challenge, encouragement and so on. Actually I am fifty six and if I do the math correctly I have been in church every Sunday of my life except four Sundays. That would be about 2946 Sundays I have sat in God’s house. give or take a few when I was too young to know! I am grateful for each and every one of those opportunities and I can think of many of those Sunday’s where I had a true encounter with God’s Holy Spirit. Even on the Sundays which just seemed normal I know I exercised my spirit and left there stronger in my inner man, better able to walk out my work week. Make it a point, establish this as a non-negotiable, attending church every Sunday will always be a part of your life. Your life will be better for it.

Be strong in grace

2010-12-13T11:56:00.001-05:00

Today's reading in 2 Timothy 2:1 says, "Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." I was challenged, "How can I 'be strong' in grace?" I think the reality for most Christians is that we don't even know what grace actually is. Often we get it confused with mercy. Here is a simple way to remember the difference between justice, mercy and grace. If I do something wrong, God will send me to my room. That is justice. He may come to my room and say, "Well I am going to let you off the hook this time. You don't have to stay in your room." That is mercy. Or He may come to my room and say, "Hey, let's go get some ice cream and talk about what you did wrong." Now that is grace! If I am going to be 'strong in grace' that is going to require at least knowing what it is and then when God shows me grace, to accept it and rejoice in it. For some that may be difficult because they may feel like they don't deserve it. We don't that's the point! Here is another way to distinguish between mercy and grace. Mercy is not getting what I deserve and grace is getting what I don't deserve. Grace, grace, grace, oh thank you for grace. It makes life so rich and exciting!

Christmas contentment

2010-12-06T11:55:00.001-05:00

With the shopping of the Christmas season in full swing, this morning’s devotion seemed to jump out at me, I Timothy 6:6, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” It seems that every year I find myself in the midst of asking my children and my wife and even myself, ‘what do you want for Christmas?’ Now, while I don’t think there is anything inherently wrong in wanting to buy things for people you love, sometimes that question seems to awaken an incredible desire for ‘things.’ I want some new clothes, I want a new BBQ smoker grill, I want a new large screen TV, or I want a cooler faster more powerful computer and so on. I do know that God is a father and He likes to give His children things and He is happy when we are enjoying the things He provides for us. My challenge, though, is how to keep that balance between being happy with everything that God has given to me and yet still wanting to get some new things. I believe this verse holds the key. Contentment means to be emotionally satisfied with the things we have. Yet the word comes from the Latin word ‘continere’ which means ‘restrained.’ It means to be content, a person still has desires but those desires are kept in restraint. They don’t consume our thoughts, nor can those desires steal our current state of being emotionally satisfied. Being truly content, I believe, can only happen when a person has experienced the powerful presence of God’s Holy Spirit in their lives. Until that happens, a person will be driven to find that something that is missing in their lives and will never know contentment. But once a person has opened their hearts to God, we need to learn how to keep our desires in check. May God give us the strength, wisdom and ability to be content with what we have, and to be able to keep our desires for new things in check.

Being thankful for ALL things?

2010-11-01T11:07:00.001-04:00

My reading this morning was in Ephesians 5:20. It says â€œgiving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.â€ I felt prompted to stop and just meditate on all the things I was thankful for. As I was doing this a few things came to my mind that I was not thankful for. So I began to pray and ask God how could I be thankful for â€˜allâ€™ things, since there were some things that I was not happy about in my life. I sensed the Holy Spirit challenge me to find something I could be thankful for even in those situations that were difficult. I began to think of things that I could be thankful for, grateful at least that the situations were not as bad as they really could have been, relationships that maybe were not as good as they could be, but at least there were some good things in that relationship to be thankful for, health that maybe wasnotperfect but still grateful that I was able to do all things that I could still do. In the process of doing this I felt a true sense of the presence of God and actually a birth in my spirit of a seed of hope. Maybe these things were not as bad as I had thought and even if they were, there was hope that they could get better. Complaining starts first in the mind and then finds its way out of our mouths. When we complain it is almost like pronouncing a curse. When we are thankful in our minds that thankfulness also finds its way out of our mouths. Being thankful, though, is like speaking life into situations. It drives away darkness and despair. This month at Vineyard Community Church we are going to be putting up a â€˜wall of thanks.â€™ I challenge all of you to take time to write things on that wall that you are thankful for. Be thankful for â€˜allâ€™ things, both the good and the bad. Every time the temptation to complain in our minds springs up, ask God to help you find at least seven things to be thankful for in that situation. I believe God will honor this and bring new life in places where ther once was only despair.

What is it like to pastor at the same church for 32 years?

2010-10-19T13:16:00.001-04:00

I study the Word and I pray,
So I can help to point out the Way.
Meetings with people throughout the day,
Counsel to those whose nerves have frayed.
Encourage the staff to work and pray,
Careful at home to do what I say.
Loving my neighbor, come what may,
Building a church thatâ€™s here to stay.
32 years have passed us by,
Many things still yet to try.
A brand new life people have found,
A joy to know theyâ€™re heaven bound.
Friends and families have been made,
The poor receive financial aid.
Righteousness has been declared,
For the hurting we have cared.
The Bible here, has been read,
Try to obey what God has said.
Songs and music we do love,
Giving praise to God above.
And now to the future we must look,
With guidance weâ€™ll get from His Book.
God is in control of this church,
Vineyard for the lost will always search.
From this path we will not fall,
Till that day we hear His call.

Don't miss this Sunday service as we have a special time of thanking God for His grace over the past 32 years with water baptisms, testimonies and celebration!

When are you good enough?

2010-10-18T11:10:00.001-04:00

There are many people today who call themselves Christians who think that if they are good enough, when they die they will go to heaven. I believe this is the true dividing line between those who have had a spiritual awakening and those who have not. Many people are what I would call â€˜culturalâ€™ Christians. They grew up in America, went to church for a period of time and feel that makes them a Christian. When asked about going to heaven their standard answer is, â€œI am a good person. I believe God will let me into heaven when I die.â€ The problem with this kind of thinking is that the Bible makes it perfectly clear, â€˜no one is good enough to earn their way to heaven.â€™ In Ephesians 2:8-9 we read, â€œFor by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.â€ Salvation is a gift from God. No one will ever be able to do enough good works to earn their way to heaven. Each one of us has committed sins and we cannot do enough good works to offset the bad things we have done. Even though we may think we are not as bad as some people, the fact is we have all sinned! This is why God sent His Son Jesus to earth, so that He might pay the penalty for each one of us. What a relief to know that I can be assured of my salvation because of what Jesus did, rather than thinking I have to keep doing good works in hopes that they will erase all my bad works. Now I can live my life doing those good works not because I hope they earn me a place in heaven, but out of thanksgiving to God for what He has done for me. â€œFor we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, that God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.â€

I know what you are going through

2010-09-13T13:40:00.001-04:00

Todayâ€™s reading in 2 Corinthians 1:4 â€œBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.â€ No one likes to go through hard times, but when we do and we are comforted with Godâ€™s comfort, it does equip us to help others that may go through the same thing. God allows pain in my life to give me a ministry to others. There are many reasons that problems occur in our lives. There are many reasons we go through hard times and get hurt. Sometimes it is caused by our own bad decisions, sometimes it is caused by other peoplesâ€™ bad decisions and for no reason of our own. In any case, since God is supreme He could always just step in and prevent bad things from ever happening to us, but He doesnâ€™t. Now why is that? One of the reasons God allows pain in my life is to give me a heart to help others. It makes me humble, sympathetic, and more sensitive to othersâ€™ needs. The truth is, pain prepares you to serve. When others are troubled needing our sympathy and encouragement we can pass on to them the same help and comfort God has given us. Who can better help an alcoholic or a drug addict than somebody who struggled with alcoholism or drug abuse? Who can better help somebody dealing with the pain of abuse than someone who was abused themselves? Who can better help somebody who lost his job and went bankrupt than somebody who lost his job and went bankrupt? Who can better help a couple of parents who have a teenager, whoâ€™s going off the deep end than a couple who had a teenager who went off the deep end? God wants to use and recycle the pain in your life to help others, but you have got to be open about it and honest. If you keep that hurt to yourself, youâ€™re wasting it. As we go through the healing cycle and feel the presence and love and forgiveness of God we are being prepared to help others do the same thing. As we learn how to get victory over certain struggles that we have faced we are being prepared to help others. God never wastes a hurt, neither should we. Letâ€™s share Godâ€™s great love and comfort with others.

Do this in memory of me

2010-08-30T11:22:00.001-04:00

Whenever someone dies a tragic death, people often say, â€œYou will not be forgotten.â€ Many times a special fund is started in that personâ€™s name or parks or buildings are named after them. On the anniversary of their death or on their birthday often people will take a few minutes to remember the life of the person who passed. There is something in each of us that yearns to be remembered after we die. This in some way meets that desire to know that we have lived a life that was meaningful and made a difference. My nephew Titus Reynolds was killed in action in Afghanistan on September 24, 2009. Barth Cotner from Cotnerâ€™s Funeral Home had a mural painted on the side of his building along Main Street. It is sort of a historical wall painting and as part of it, he included the portraits of several military people who were from Reynoldsburg, who died in action. He included my nephewâ€™s picture. Now every time I drive by that building I salute my nephew. It is sort of my way of saying, "Thanks, Titus. You will not be forgotten.â€ In Luke 22:17-20 when Jesus ate His last meal with the disciples, He instituted what we now call â€˜communionâ€™ or the â€˜Lordâ€™s Supper.â€™ It is interesting that when Jesus shared the bread and the wine He asked them to â€œdo this in remembrance of Me.â€ Jesus wants us to remember Him. Jesus wants us to remember the tragic death that He died for us. Every time we partake of the bread and wine we are basically saying, â€œYou will not be forgotten Jesus.â€ Every time we partake of the â€˜Lordâ€™s supperâ€™ we are saying, â€œJesus your life and death made a difference in me.â€ I donâ€™t know how often we are supposed to partake of communion but I like taking the bread and wine every Sunday as we celebrate the life that God has given us. It helps me to get focused again on what is meaningful and important, and it reminds me again of what Jesus did for me. â€œJesus, You will not be forgotten!â€

Can I eat a Big Mac to the glory of God?

2010-08-23T10:24:00.001-04:00

Todayâ€™s reading is in I Corinthians 10:31, â€œTherefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.â€ What a liberating passage of scriptures this is. Instead of living some kind of divided life, part of it doing things that I think â€˜are to the glory of Godâ€™ and part of it â€˜just stuff I doâ€™ Paul says everything I do can be to the glory of God. So if I am cleaning the house, or washing the car or eating a big Mac I can do it to the glory of God. According to what we read here, everything we do can be sacred if we learn how to do it to Godâ€™s glory. One of the great hindrances to living a balanced life is the common habit of dividing our lives into two areas: the sacred and the secular. We think there are some things that we do that are pleasing to God and help us to be more spiritual and then we think there are things that we do that are not really spiritual, sort of worldly. Yet we read here that Paul says we can do â€œall things to the glory of God.â€ This makes my entire life meaningful. My work is meaningful if I do it to the glory of God, doing laundry is meaningful if I do it to the glory of God, cutting the lawn, going fishing, singing songs, visiting with my friends, playing a sport and even going to sleep can all have significant meaning if I understand that everything I do can be devoted to Godâ€™s glory. Wow, letâ€™s live it up today and do it to Godâ€™s glory!

When people are rude

2010-08-16T13:09:00.001-04:00

This past week, we heard about the Jet Blue Airline steward, Steve Slater, who blew up on a passenger who was giving him a hard time. As soon as this story hit the internet, tens of thousands of people responded, most of them applauding him for what he did. I donâ€™t condone what Steve did. In Proverbs 12:16 we read, â€œA foolâ€™s wrath is known at once, but a prudent man covers shame.â€ He is a professional and should be able to handle rude passengers without blowing up. I have heard since this incident that he has been under a lot of pressure with a very sick mother. So this rude passenger must have been the last straw for him and that is sad. What intrigues me though is the incredible support he has received from people all over America. It seems to have touched something in many people, especially those in the service industry. They are just plain tired of being treated disrespectfully and having to deal with rude people. Letâ€™s make sure we are not part of this problem. Letâ€™s make sure we go out of our way to show honor and respect to people who serve us, such as grocery store clerks, waitresses, repair men, and anyone we come in contact with. Letâ€™s make the effort to address them by name and treat them as though they are valuable. Even if we are not happy with their service we should never yell at them or treat them disrespectfully. The Bible teaches that every man is made in the image of God and that God has crowned each of us with glory and honor. Letâ€™s agree with God and treat people the same way God does.

All things work to my good

2010-08-09T09:34:00.001-04:00

Romans 8:28 is one of the great promises of the Bible. Over my years of reading the Bible I have chosen this to be one of my â€˜lifeâ€™ verses. â€œAnd we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.â€ As we go through life sometimes things happen to us that are difficult to handle and hard to understand. We may face a challenging sickness, stressful relationship, financial difficulty or some other demanding situation. How good it is to know that we can take every situation to God and ask Him to fulfill this promise in our lives. It isnâ€™t always what happens to us that determines our future but how we respond to what happens to us. If we will give God an opportunity to get involved in all of our life situations, ask Him to show us how we should respond or not respond we can be assured that ALL things will work to our good.

Animal rights or animal respect?

2010-08-02T12:09:00.001-04:00

In Proverbs chapter 12:10 we read, â€œThe righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.â€ Animals are to be treated with respect, but there is a difference between animal respect and animal rights. The PETA organization pushes for â€˜animal rights.â€™ They feel that animals should have the same rights as humans. They feel that it is wrong to eat animals, to use animals for research, to put animals in zoos, or to wear animal furs. They call all of this animal cruelty. Christians should be concerned about animal cruelty but need to distinguish between animal respect and animal rights. All animals should be treated with respect. This is what the proverb is talking about â€˜to regard the life of his animal.â€ But the Bible clearly teaches that ONLY man was made in Godâ€™s image and animals are not equal to humans. A righteous person would not treat animals cruel, but to raise animals for consumption by humans is not cruelty. Is it animal cruelty to use animals in medical research? No, as long as the animals are treated with respect and are being used to help advance human life. Is putting an animal in a zoo, animal cruelty? No, as long as the animals are treated with respect and are used in advancing human life. What about dog fights, cock fights, or bull fights? I would say these border on animal cruelty. These animals may be treated with respect but their suffering is for human entertainment. Much of our commercial animal industry such as chicken farms and cattle yards borders on a total disrespect for animal life. These animals are not allowed any access to fresh air, or an opportunity to free range. They are kept in dirty conditions and only raised in the bare minimum space. They are filled with unhealthy growth hormones just to get them fatter. I am convinced that organic farmers and Amish farmers are closer to what this proverb is talking about. â€œA righteous man regards the life of his animals.â€ Why do you think People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are the spokespeople for animals today? Is it possible they are filling a void that should be filled by Bible based believers?

Turning the world upside down

2010-07-26T09:56:00.001-04:00

When Jesus went about preaching the ways of Godâ€™s kingdom many of the things He said were so unique and opposite of the way people thought. Jesus said, â€œThe first shall be last,â€ and â€œIf you want to find life you have to lose your own life,â€ and â€œGive and it shall be given to you,â€ and â€œThe meek shall inherit the earth,â€ and many other spiritual truths. Truly Godâ€™s ways are not our ways. When the disciples took Jesusâ€™ teachings out to the world in Acts 17:6 they were accused of â€œturning the world upside down!â€ It may seem that Godâ€™s ways are upside down to our ways, but the truth is, Godâ€™s ways are really â€œturning the world RIGHT SIDE UP.â€ The more we learn to apply Jesusâ€™ teachings to our lives the more our lives will be right side up.

From god to a bum!

2010-07-19T13:26:00.001-04:00

Reading today in Acts chapter 14 and Paul is used by God to heal a man and the people think he is a god and want to worship him. He stops them and says he is just a man like them. Then a short time later the people are influenced by the Orthodox Jews and decide that Paul is no longer a â€˜godâ€™ but now he is a heretic and they stone him! So much for deriving your self identity from others. How important it is to always keep the opinion of others about you in check, be they good or bad! We need to find our identity and our self worth from God alone.

It takes faith to believe a miracle

2010-07-05T12:02:00.001-04:00

Many times I have had people say to me, â€œI would believe in Jesus if He would perform a miracle right in front of me.â€ In my reading today I was reminded of the fact that even though a person may see a miracle take place right in front of them, it still takes faith to believe it was a miracle and that it was done in Jesus name. In Acts chapter 3-4 we read about Peter healing a cripple man in Jesusâ€™ name. Many believed on Jesus as a result of Peterâ€™s preaching and this miracle, but in 4:14 we read that the religious leaders recognized that a miracle had taken place but still chose â€˜not to believe in Jesus.â€™ Their pride would not let them admit that they were wrong and in need a Savior. Ultimately a personâ€™s heart has to be open and willing to believe in Jesus by faith. Even if you see a miracle or hear of a miracle you still have to chose whether to believe it or not. Miracles and signs and wonders are not primarily done to help people believe they are done because that is what the Kingdom of God is all about, restoring and healing broken people. God is not using peopleâ€™s sickness as a means of advancing His kingdom. He brings healing and deliverance because He loves people.

GOBA fighting the hills

2010-06-24T16:31:00.001-04:00

Monster hill 1, mile six. Goliath stood tall, to all he would call. â€˜You canâ€™t come up here. In you I strike fear.â€ But up we must go, everyone must know, every hill can be beat if you just peddle your feet.

Monster hill 19, mile 25. Up at the top I saw a mirage. Two angels in white waving me on. â€œYou can make it. You can make it.â€ Peddled hard wish I was fit. When I got to the top wiped the sweat from my eyes, what do I see? Two ladies from â€˜Snowy Creameryâ€™ fresh milk they gave, off I went another hill to pave.

Then came Monster hill thirty three, thought for sure it would brake me. I looked at the top up in the sky, overwhelmed I began to cry. Off I went, legs totally spent. Half way up I started to shake, â€œOh Lord whatâ€™s it going to take? Reached into my pack, out came a bottle of 5 hour jack. Up to top, not going to stop. Fist lifted high, point to the sky, laughing out loud, over you I have vowed. â€œOld hill thirty three you canâ€™t beat me!â€

Monster hill 40 mile 61, looming ahead another hill I did dread. Nothing left to give, looks like this hill must live. Up you I must walk, ashamed I canâ€™t talk but wait what is this? Red arrow donâ€™t miss, â€˜take turn to the right.â€™ I guess old hill 40 was not my fight!

The real mummy!

2010-06-16T13:31:00.001-04:00

I thought it was interesting in my reading today, John 19:40, that when Jesus was taken from the cross and put in the tomb, He was wrapped in 'strips of linen.' He wrapped like a mummy. No wonder it says in 20:5, that when John looked into Jesus tomb and saw 'the linen cloths' lying there 'he believed.' He was looking at an empty mummy case. The only way that could have happened was a supernatural resurrection! Too bad most of the time when you see pictures of the Easter tomb, they show a sheet laying on the ground! Jesus was the first mummy that came back to life!

Coffee Myths busted tomorrow!

2010-05-15T17:37:00.001-04:00

We are going to skype a real barrista from Australia tomorrow at church for our 'Expresso Yourself' sermon series. He is going to tell you things tomorrow that will forever change the way you 'do coffee' and the way you espresso yourself. Don't miss this!

Sunday Sermon, cool illustration

2010-05-07T14:18:00.001-04:00

Got a cool idea for an illustration for this Sunday. I hope it works and no one has a heart attack. If it doesn't work it was Chip's idea! Be there!

How much money is a mother worth?

2010-05-04T23:24:00.001-04:00

So I am working on my mother's day sermon and I am wondering if a mother received the same of amount of pay for working at home as she would in the work force, what would her pay be?

Mother's Day Information

2010-05-04T13:55:00.001-04:00

I am working on my Mother's Day sermon. I am trying to figure out how much a mother's salary would be if she were doing the kind of work she does at home in the work place. Any suggestions?

Cell phone etiquette

2010-04-23T14:15:00.001-04:00

Don't miss this Sunday's sermon, part two of "Expresso Yourself." Be sure to bring your cell phone to answer the text poll. We will be talking about people being rude, and especially cell phone etiquette. I can hardly wait.

Why is 'rude the mood' in our country today?

2010-04-20T09:07:00.001-04:00

I am working on this Sunday's sermon series "Espresso Yourself" This Sunday's topic is rudeness. I am just curious why do you think rudeness is on the rise in our culture?

Just changed my Easter Sermon!

2010-04-02T21:51:00.001-04:00

Well I had my Easter sermon done, slides, video, and text poll all done, but today God really touched me as I was doing some family devotions for Good Friday as we read Psalm 22. So I changed my sermon, get ready for an awesome service this Sunday. I am so inspired!

Spiritual showers

2010-03-30T21:16:00.001-04:00

Acts 3:19 "times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."
If you have never experienced a 'spiritual shower' you need to go to the 'Prayer Room' at Vineyard Community Church this week. It is open from 6:00AM to Midnight. Spending an hour there is like a spiritual shower. It is sooooo refreshing. You walk out there feeling so clean!

Sweet presence of God's Holy Spirit!

2010-03-28T16:49:00.001-04:00

Just left the Prayer Room, totally awesome. Wow, you can just feel God's presence in that room. You don't want to miss this experience. What a great way to prepare our hearts for this coming Sunday, as we celebrate Jesus resurrection. It is so easy to stay there and pray for an hour, it just flies by. Very moving and refreshing. Planning to be there every day this week.

Guest Speaker on Sunday

2010-03-26T21:33:00.001-04:00

Just a reminder we are going to have a great guest speaker this Sunday from the West Virginia Vineyard. He will be talking about the Free Wheelchair Mission and the impact it has had on their church, his family and even the city of Wheeling. Don't miss out, be there.

?It never right to do wrong to do right.?

2010-03-09T12:44:00.001-05:00

Don't miss this Sunday's sermon as we look at the danger of 'semi-obedience.' All of us face pressures in life; time pressure, peer pressure, or financialy pressure, to do things 'half way, kind of, good enough' but we shall look at the consequences of these kind of decisions as we study the life of King Saul in I Samuel 15. Hope to see you at church Sunday.

Church ON for tomorrow. We don't cancel!

2010-02-27T20:16:00.001-05:00

Just a FYI. We are having church tomorrow, don't stay home. You will miss a totally awesome Sunday service, a great sermon about authority and how to appeal to a higher authority when in disagreement. For those who brave the snow, we are having FREE COFFEE AND DONUTS. See you tomorrow. Rumor has it that there is going to be a 'massive snowball' fight in the parking lot after the 11:00AM service!

The Secret to a long and happy life

2010-02-23T18:00:00.001-05:00

Wow, I am so excited about this Sunday's sermon, "The secret to a long and happy life" as found in Ephesians 6:1-3. We will be talking about the results of respecting all authority as well as how to properly appeal to a higher authority when you are in disagreement. This is some really really good material. Hope to see you at church on Sunday even if you disagree with me!

Famous Kisses of the Bible

2010-02-11T21:34:00.001-05:00

Don't miss this Sunday's sermon. In honor of Valentine's Day we will be taking a look at some of the more famous kisses in the Bible. Man when we are done, you are going to want to go out and kiss somebody!

Tim Tebow Ad

2010-02-08T21:32:00.001-05:00

I think I figured it out. After watching that ad about a dozen times I realized that Focus on the Family busted all those close minded, bigoted women's groups. They purposely leaked information that was supposed to be in the ad. The women's groups made a big fuss about it, generated a ton of publicity and then when the ad came out, it didn't say anything about abortion, at all! So everyone said, "That was it? Why were those women's groups making such a big fuss?" It just showed how biased they are and how they support censorship of anything they opposed. Way to go Focus on the Family. You one upped the media and the liberals this time, brilliant!

Teaching your children to work

2010-01-23T16:20:00.001-05:00

Well tomorrow we will be talking about the whole idea of children and chores and allowances. Should be an interesting sermon. I am excited about this opportunity and pray that it will be a blessing to you all. Our text poll question is: "Children should be paid to do work around the house." You have three choices: Never, Frequently, Sometimes. Don't miss Sunday's sermon!

This Sunday Service Extreme Makeover

2009-12-29T15:41:00.001-05:00

It is only Tuesday and I am already excited about this Sunday's service. I just finished my rough draft for this week's unsung hero, the little maid who helped Naaman. Wow she was awesome and we don't even know her name. Plus, this Sunday we go to our "Sunday Service Extreme makeover." I can't wait. Don't miss this. Let me know what you think.

New Sermon Series "Urban Legends"

2009-10-27T20:34:00.001-04:00

I am so excited about this new sermon series, "Urban Legends" Last week we looked at the Urban Legend, that there are many ways to God. This week we are going to look at another legend, "The Bible is full of mistakes." Plus I will be sharing about this cool email I got from some lady in Nigeria who wants to give me a few million dollars and it is only going to cost me a few thousand. Now that must be true, couldn't be an urban legend or some myth could it?

Sgt Titus Reynolds Funeral Today

2009-10-10T20:02:00.001-04:00

I want to say thank you to all those who were part of the funeral procession today, Saturday October 10th as the body of my nephew Sgt Titus Reynolds was transported from the Reynoldsburg Nazarene Church to Glen Rest Cemetery. It is hard to put into words how overwhelming it was to see so many people lining Main Street, waving flags and saluting as the car procession drove by. To see Reynoldsburg High School teachers and students and the band, the Turo Township Firemen, the Boy Scout troops, the Reynoldsburg Post office, and so many businesses and people I did not even know, standing along the street made me realize how great it is to be part of a community. I want to say a special thank you to the Reynoldsburg Police Department and the Patriot Riders for giving of their time to escort the funeral procession and to Barth Cotner for all you did. Thank you to the Army soldiers and the VFW for the honor and respect they showed. Thank you to the many friends and church members who also came out and showed your love to us. Reynoldsburg you made me proud and you truly helped bring some healing to a grieving family. I don’t think I will ever forget what I saw today. May God bless all of you for your kindness.

Pictures from today
http://ping.fm/rTtAb

Titus my nephew is a hero

2009-10-02T17:27:00.001-04:00

For those of you who may not have heard, my nephew Sgt. Titus Reynolds was killed on Thursday September 24, 2009 while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, in Afghanistan. I am so proud of him and his family for their willingness to pay the ultimate price to defend our freedoms. I am so sorry for the pain that his passing is causing his family and relatives.

My son Michael was in Washington DC this summer and met with several organizations that are serving in the Mideast and found out just how much our military is currently doing in both Afghanistan and Iraq. They are rebuilding these countries as well as bringing freedom from persecution to the Christians who lived in these countries. Our servicemen are truly making a difference. Women are no longer being oppressed and children who were being trained to be terrorist are now getting an education and being taught religious tolerance and democracy. I am proud of our country and all of our servicemen.

Titus’ body will be flown to Rickenbacker Air Force Base tomorrow, Saturday, October 3rd and brought to Cotner’s Funeral Home. For anyone who is interested, people will be gathering along Main Street starting at Cotner’s to honor him. Cotner’s will be providing flags to wave. If you would like to be a part of this, be there 3:30PM. There will be a viewing on Friday night, October 9, 2009 from 5 to 8PM and the funeral will be on Saturday October 10th at the Reynoldsburg Nazarene Church at 10:30AM.

Hot Lips

2009-09-08T16:08:00.001-04:00

Get ready for this Sunday's sermon, "Hot Lips." I will be needing some volunteers to test some of the world's hottest sauce. We will be talking about getting on fire for God as we go through the 'Woe, Lo, and Go" mode of Isaiah chapter six. Don't miss out this Sunday as we celebrate Biker/Hot Rod Sunday. If you have a friend that is unsaved be sure to bring them to church.

Why Am I Still Sick?

2009-08-15T09:50:00.001-04:00

This Sunday we will be exploring the topic of healing again. We will be looking at some of the most common reasons that people don’t get healed. Even though we won’t ever have a full understanding of this wonderful gift of healing, it is worth our while to study God’s Word to see if there is anything that we can do to help facilitate the flow of healing into our bodies. Sickness was never part of God’s plan. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and for the consequences of our sins, on of which would be sickness. I hope you can make it to church tomorrow because this material can be a real help to keeping you from looking like the picture on my facebook!!!

Keep asking

2009-07-27T09:31:00.001-04:00

Recently I had to work on my backup sump pump in the basement. The backup worked fine but the warning alarm was not working. I went to Home Depot to see if I could buy that component. I could not find it so I asked a clerk. He told me that he did not sell that component by itself that I would have to buy the entire unit for $150. I asked him if he knew where I could by that component buy itself. He said to call the manufacturer. I called the manufacturer. They told me that did not even make that model anymore, that I would have to buy a new unit and replumb the system. I asked them if I could speak to the service department. The man in the service department told me that he couldn’t help me. But I asked him if he knew where I could buy that component by itself. He did not know. I asked him if he knew where I could buy that unit in used condition. He did not know. I then asked him if he thought I could rewire that component to make it work. He said, “No.” So in frustration I asked him what he would do. He said, “Well, I would buy a $10 battery operated water alarm and attach it to that system!” I went back to Home Depot bought that $10 battery operated water alarm and it took me two minutes to attach to my system. Everything works fine now. Sometimes you just have to keep asking!

Less is more

2009-07-14T16:44:00.001-04:00

One of the great lessons in life is to learn the truth that ‘less is more.’ This is a universal truth that applies to every area of our lives. If you are a musician, the sooner you learn this, the better you will be and your band members will appreciate you. If you are a preacher the sooner you learn this, the better and shorter your sermons will be and your congregation will appreciate you. If you are a parent the sooner you learn this, the happier your children will be, since they won’t have to listen to long speeches. We need to learn how to communicate more effectively by using less words and getting to the point quickly.
The trick is to always leave people wanting more instead of giving them so much they can’t take anymore. “Honey is good but too much makes one sick.” We need to learn how to leave out the parts that people aren’t listening to anyway. Brevity is power. Do less but do it better!

I love this country!

2009-07-04T19:30:00.001-04:00

Red, White and boom last night, worth fighting the crowds for, gun rally this morning, then picnic at Jesse and Hannah's, then Reynoldsburg parade, now finishing my sermon for tomorrow, then church tomorrow, then picnic tomorrow night, then off to the Mad River for a week long trip with a bunch of men and boys. Man does it get any better than this??? May God continue to bless America!

Another Triathlon? Whose with me?

2009-06-30T16:03:00.001-04:00

Well I am thinking, is there anyone out there who would want to do another Triathlon with me? There is one in Logan. It is called the 'World's toughest triathlon." Man, that sounds like a blast! I have heard that there are no flat spots. It is all hills. It is on Saturday July 11th. This is the last one this year that is held on a Saturday. I will do it if someone will do it with me. And who knows I might retire after this one! Did I say that before?

Join the TEA Party this Friday July 3rd

2009-06-26T16:08:00.001-04:00

This Friday, July 3rd there will be a “Taxed Enough Already” rally on the state house lawn. I am planning to go to this and be a voice ‘crying in the wilderness!” It starts at 4PM and I don’t want to go alone, so I am wondering if anyone else is as concerned about what is happening to our government and would like to go along with me. Let me know. We are planning to meet in the church parking lot on Friday July 3rd at 2:30 PM. By the way this is the same night as Red, White and Boom, so let’s plan to just stay and hang out. If you would like more information you can go to www.teapartyday.com.

Over the years I have been to many rallies of this sort and I should just warn you that sometimes they are not the best organized and they can bring some pretty crazy people out of the woodwork. But that being said, I still think it is worth going to. Just the presence of many people at these rallies will be a statement. As of today there are 1,300 cities in the country that are holding these rallies. Also you might want to be prepared to make a statement in case someone from the newspapers or TV stops you and questions you. There is a lot of good information on the tea party website I listed above.

Maybe you could bring a sign. Here are a couple of ideas: “STOP GIVING MY MONEY TO THE BANKS,” or “NO MORE TAXES” or “NEW GOVERNMENT TAX FORMS ARE SIMPLIER, “How much do you make? Send it all in!” or “NO MORE DEBT” or “WE NEED A NATIONAL SALES TAX, NO MORE INCOME TAXES.” Hope to see you there!

Stormin' the Beach

2009-06-13T18:03:00.001-04:00

Okay I am ready to ‘storm the beach’ tomorrow for the Wendy’s Triathlon at Alum Creek Beach. I have everything packed. Stuff for the ½ mile swim; goggles, swim suit, and towel. Then stuff for the 18 mile bike ride; helmet and special cap, knee braces, sun glasses, backpack fluid carrier, goop, socks, sneakers, bike with number attached, wear swim suit and special VCC team shirt. Then stuff for the 5K run, although I will be walking; nothing extra, except drop the bike and helmet and backpack and take off. I think I am ready, hope I'm ready and feel I'm ready. Even though I won’t be setting any world records tomorrow, I am excited about doing this event.
Well I have to get to sleep by 8 o’clock so I can get up at 4AM, leave by 5AM and check in at 6AM and get ready to start at 7AM.
I ask myself, “Why do I do this stuff?” And then I just laugh! I don’t know, it just makes life a little more fun. I like a challenge. It gives me something to work towards. Helen Keller got it right when she said that, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” I don’t know if this will be my last but if it is, then it will be my best. Then again I heard about another one down in Logan next month, it is listed as the “World’s Toughest Triathlon!” Now that sounds like a challenge!!!

To cheat or not to cheat

2009-06-10T12:39:00.001-04:00

Well, that is the question that the seniors at Centerburg High School had to deal with this past month. Apparently many, if not most of them chose to cheat. I have to admit that I have been tempted to cheat at times in my life while going to school and one time I did actually plagiarize someone else’s material for a report. It is amazing to me that I still remember that incident even though it was almost 40 years ago. I believe we all know that cheating is wrong, yet sometimes we fall because of different pressures and sometimes we cheat. What I think made this situation different was that it was ‘public’ rather than just one individual doing it. The Bible teaches that there is a major difference when we do something wrong and because of shame we keep it private, compared to doing something wrong and having no shame and doing it publically. Private wrong doing should be dealt with privately, but sometimes public wrong doing needs to be dealt with publically. Even though it was a very harsh punishment that the school board gave by cancelling the graduation, I believe it was right and I think it should have been supported instead of undermined by the parents. I think the school board sent a very strong message to the young people of that community that cheating will not be tolerated and that there would be consequences. I am pretty sure when this issue comes up again, and I am sure it will, students will speak out against it, which is the right thing to do.

What Is Your 'If Only?"

2009-05-25T08:01:00.001-04:00

We are all created with so much potential and with so many gifts and if it weren’t for our ‘if only’ we would all go so much farther in life. “Moses was such a great leader, ‘if only’ he could have controlled his anger, he would have gone into the Promised Land.” The problem with our ‘if only’ is that most of us don’t ever really see it for what it is, or if we do, we tend to minimize its impact on our lives. “Mary would be such a great secretary ‘if only’ she didn’t talk so much.” “John would be such a great person to hang out with ‘if only’ he would use some breath mints!” “Joe would be such a great drummer “if only’ he didn’t play so loud. For many of us the difference between mediocrisy and greatness is our ‘if only!’ One of the great challenges in life is to find out what our ‘if only’ is or maybe what our ‘if onlies’ are. The trick is to have people in your life who love you enough to tell you what they are. Although, even if you have some great people in your life, it usually takes an invitation by you, an opening so to speak, before even your best friends will share what your ‘if only’ is. The amazing thing about our ‘if only’ is that everyone else seems to know what it is except us. So if you are wondering what is holding you back, or what you need to do to get to the next level, take someone who knows you out for a cup of coffee and ask them what is your ‘if only.” It may hurt a bit but if you listen and make the effort to attack that ‘if only’ life can get really exciting!

Barak Obama and 'my fair lady' (Notre Dame)

2009-05-19T09:45:00.001-04:00

Barak Obama and ‘my fair lady’ (Notre Dame)

Well ‘my fair lady’ Notre Dame has fallen from grace, with their invitation to President Barak Obama to come and speak at their graduation ceremony. Not only was it offensive to have him as the guest speaker at this ‘supposedly’ Catholic college but they went even further by giving him an honorary law degree. Listening to the president of the college speak and then to President Obama I was struck with sadness. They have both decided to trivialize the killing of innocent children into just a debate that is not something that we should get upset about. I wonder if the President was an avowed racist or ‘homophobic’ if Notre Dame would have invited him to come and speak at their school? Of course not, because those are values that the liberals hold dearly and are not willing to compromise on. But when it comes to saving the lives of unborn children we are all told that we should be willing to listen to those who support this practice and be willing to have open discussion.

I am sad to see that the Catholic Church lacked the oversight and spiritual authority to put a stop to this invitation. This school has acted in open deviance to the stated doctrine of the Catholic Church on the value of all human life and no one, bishops nor the archbishops have called them to account for this. This is a sad day for our country as we see another spiritual institution fall to the social pressures of our day. May God forgive our country for this terrible tragedy and may He raise up strong men and women to help put a stop to this moral decay.

"And It Came To Pass"

2009-05-04T12:07:00.001-04:00

In Genesis chapters 37 to 41 there is a great story about a man named Joseph. As a young man, age 17, he was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. While in slavery he was accused of trying to rape his master�s wife, which was false. As a result of the accusation he was thrown into prison. While in prison he served the other prisoners. One day he noticed that two of them were a bit down and he took the time to stop and ask them what was up. As a result of this small kindness Joseph interpreted their dreams. One of the men was the Pharaoh�s butler. Two years later, we read in chapter 41:8 �that it came to pass� the Pharaoh had a dream that no one could interpret. The butler told the Pharaoh about Joseph. That day Joseph woke up as he had for the past 14 years, a slave, and he was going about his business of serving others when he was called to come before Pharaoh. He interpreted the Pharaoh�s dream and the Pharaoh said in 41:38 �Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?� He chose Joseph to be his assistant to manage the affairs of Egypt to prepare for the famine which Pharaoh had dreamed would be coming in seven years. That night Joseph went to bed the second most powerful man in Egypt!

It is so incredible to think that Joseph woke up that morning a slave in prison and went to bed that night the second most powerful man in Egypt. How fast things can change, in one day! The question is, are we ready and are we sowing good seed to give God something to work with? If Joseph had not taken the time to encourage the two prisoners one day in jail, he would never have been called before the Pharaoh to interpret his dreams. It is also significant that even though Joseph had been mistreated and falsely accused; it appears he did not carry bitterness or unforgiveness in his heart. Or else the Pharaoh would not have said, �I can see the Spirit of God is in this man!� No matter what you are facing, no matter what you are going through, remember things can change in a very short time. �It can come to pass� today, but until it does change, make sure you are sowing good seed, giving God something to work with.

Today I turn 55

2009-04-28T07:56:00.001-04:00

Today is my birthday. I am grateful to so many people for making my life so rich and full. I am thankful to my parents for raising me right. I am thankful to my wife for her devotion and commitment to me and my children. I am thankful to my six children who put a smile on my face (at least most of the time!) I am thankful to my extended family for their support and encouragement. I am thankful to the family of Vineyard Community Church, you have let me be the pastor of the greatest church for my entire career. I am grateful to the many friends I have made and the great times we have had together. But most of all I am truly grateful to God who took the time to rescue me when I was a lost and wandering 19 year old hippie! Wow what a great life!

Way To Go Susan Boyle!

2009-04-20T11:02:00.001-04:00

Well if you have not viewed it yet, better get to it, the whole world is watching this lady on YouTube. The Internet has not seen anything quite like Susan Boyle, whose online popularity is headed straight to the history books. The video of Boyle’s performance in the reality show “Britain’s Got Talent” has set the world record for the number of views in one week and shows no sign of slowing down.

I do have to admit I was totally taken off guard by her performance. I have seen other auditions on American Idol and from the looks of this lady I was expecting something embarrassing. Wow was I wrong! Her seven minute performance produced a full range of emotions in me, first humor, then shock, followed by warm appreciation and then a dash of self reproof. The question is why? I guess it is because it made me recognize how quick I am to judge people by their appearance. Even though I know that is wrong, I realize that I still do it and I feel bad about that. When she was on the stage and answering questions you can hear all the people laughing, and I was one of them, but we were not laughing with her, we were laughing at her! Well a performance like Susan is always a good wakeup call and to quote one of the commentators, “it was definitely a moment when the meek inherited the earth!”

Her performance also made me feel good as well. It is good to see an underdog come out on top. Sometimes we get so caught up in being professional and wanting everyone to look good and wanting everything to be so together, then along comes someone like Susan Boyle and it does rock your world a bit. I think what also touched me was the song she chose “I dreamed a dream” from Les Miserables, a heartbreaking ballad about unfulfilled dreams. She seemed to be singing it from her heart and to everyone watching her it seemed like the time for her dreams had truly passed her by. Yet as we can see from this performance, a person’s dreams should never be given up just because no one else believes in them. So long as we are alive there is still a chance. It is never too late to become who we are supposed to be. We should be ashamed of the cynicism most of us wallow in, expecting talent only from glitzy packages. What a neat moment in media history.

Hope as well as talent beam from this video and this woman. And oh, we need both so much. Thanks, Susan you rang the bell for those like yourself who keep on believing in their dreams. I am happy for you and for your success. I am thrilled, touched and grateful for Susan Boyle. God bless her!

Open-minded?

2009-04-14T10:41:00.001-04:00

I have had a few discussions lately about people being ‘open-minded.” I am wondering about the truth of this term and how important is it to be open-minded? For some people being open minded is their goal in life, but I think that is because some people are just afraid of ‘absolute truth.’ It is good to be open-minded but it is better to find ‘absolute truth.’ For instance Jesus was not open-minded when it came to salvation. He clearly said that He was the only way to heaven. People who value open-mindedness more than absolute truth would be offended at that kind of statement. But I find it comforting that there are absolute truths that can be found. I think we should all be open-minded when we are not sure of a specific situation but once we find out the ‘truth’ I think the time for being open-minded about it is over. Actually some people value being open-minded about everything so much, that they actually become closed-minded to the idea that there is ‘absolute truth!’

Also, I wonder how ‘open minded’ anyone really can be. We all carry with us, our world view which is developed by our own values, experiences, family upbringing, economic status and religious beliefs. So no matter what we hear, we have to process that information through our own world view. In a sense we are all biased and make decisions based on our biases. We should always be open to hearing new ideas, respect those who hold views different than ours, and be willing to learn new things. We should make every effort to try to hear both sides of every argument. But in the end we need to make some conclusions about life and about our eternal destiny. I for one, do not want to live my entire life, being ‘open-minded’ and never knowing what awaits me after death. For me that issue was settled with Jesus resurrection. How about you what are your thoughts on being open-minded?

It is official! VCC now has a Triathlon Team

2009-04-06T16:36:00.001-04:00

It is official! VCC has a triathlon team

Yes that is correct. As of this past week we now have nine guys registered to participate in the Wendy’s Utrafit Triathlon on June 14th. We have officially started our training with Saturday runs and Sunday bike rides. You are all invited to come along if you wish. We rode thirty miles yesterday and I am a bit sore today! But hey, that is what it is all about. Now some of you may be asking, why do this? Good question, to which I can only answer, just because it is there to do and I love challenges. Actually, though, I truly believe that we should all be doing something to keep ourselves healthy. Whatever that is for you, that is fine, but we should all be doing some kind of exercise if we intend to keep ourselves fully fit for God’s use.
People in general are living significantly below their health, performance, longevity and quality of life potential. As one physician stated it, “We die too long and live too short.” It is our choices much more than genetics, age or gender, that determine health and quality of life. Good health and wellness are not defined as the mere absence of disease, but rather refer to mind, body and spirit operating in harmony, with a full and balanced expression in every major area of life, physical, emotional, relational and especially spiritual. To make wellness-promoting life choices is to live as God intended and as God calls us to live.
A while back I took an online test on a website called “Livetwo100.com. It asked about 1,000 questions, what did I eat, if I worked out what kind of exercises, how many miles I drove a day, what kind of vitamins I took, how my relations were with my wife and children and with my extended family, how I handled stress, and so on, hundreds and hundreds of questions. When I was done I pressed a button and then it gave me an estimate of how old I would live to be and then it even offered some suggestions on things I could do to add some more years, like if I stopped drinking caffine that would add ½ year, if I stopped taking vitamins with iron in it that would add ¼ of a year and so on. So do you want to know how old I am supposed to live to? It said I would live to be 90 years old. But I am protesting that estimate, out of the 1,000 questions I was asked, not one of them asked me about my faith in God. I did a Google search on religious belief and long life. What I found confirmed what I already believed to be true, walking in faith towards God will add years to your life.
For instance; loving and serving others can help you live longer, according to a study from the University of Michigan of 423 older couples for five years. It found that older people who lend a hand to friends, neighbors or relatives, even if it is only helping around the house, reduce their risk of dying by nearly 60% compared to those who never offer help to anyone. The survey’s conclusion, “Our results strongly suggest that helping and loving others makes a difference in terms of health, and adds years to a person’s life.” Jesus said the second great commandment was, “love your neighbor as yourself.” So walking in obedience to Jesus’ command will add years to your life. But what was most astonishing was that one person in four said they had done nothing to help anyone else during the entire five years. They hadn't offered to feed anyone's goldfish, water someone else's plants while they were away, or help a friend or relative. Even a simple act like picking up their neighbor's newspaper would have allowed them to answer in the affirmative. Here is another one. If you regularly attend church you are 29% more likely to live longer. An analysis of dozens of previous studies that suggested longer lifespans for churchgoers was done by the National Institute for Healthcare Research. The studies covered nearly 126,000 people. The report said: “We think this analysis pretty much establishes that church attendance extends a person’s life. The correlation of religious involvement and mortality exists.”
Here is one more. Churchgoers live up to seven years longer than non-attenders, a University of Texas study has found. Researchers found that life expectancy rose when the number of church services attended increased. Those who attended every week had a life expectancy of 82 years. This dropped to 79 years for those who attended less than once a week, and for non-attenders it dropped to about 75 years. The research clearly shows church attendance extends a person’s life. So I am adding another ten years to my survey which means I should be living to be 100 years old!
Maybe you are thinking, “So what, who cares how long you live, what matters is what you do with the years you have.” That is very true, just living long is not enough, it is what we do that really matters. You’ll have to admit though, that you can do more for Kingdom of God if you live long and you live healthy. But I can assure you that God is interested in us living long and living healthy. He speaks about it in many places in His Word. In Exodus 20:12 we read, “Honor your parents and it will go well with you and you will live long.” He is promising us a long and healthy life if we would honor our parents. When we talk about living long it is with the assumption of a long and “healthy” life. One that is productive even into old age. In Psalm 92:14 we read, “They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.” This is God’s will for your life. That you live to an old age and that all your life you stay fresh and green! Psalm 91:16 “With long life (length of days) will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.” God is very interested in how we care for our bodies so that we live long healthy lives. “May God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” I Thess 5:23-24.

Live long!
Ps. Dave

How close are we to the end?

2009-03-22T17:03:00.001-04:00

The Signs of the Times

Never before in the history of the Church have there been so many unmistakable, definite signs pointing to the time of Christ’s return. There are so many signs that are happening that to cover them all would take months. I would like to mention just a few of the more outstanding and more important signs, which have recently been fulfilled. It is the prophecies of the Bible that make it the most unique book in the world and why it is so different than any other holy book. Even though there are people who will scoff at the mention of “end time” prophecies because they think nothing has changed. We know things are different now than they were one hundred years ago, than they were fifty years ago. With the re-gathering of the Nation of Israel in 1948 after almost 2,000 years of being scattered the end time clock began ticking. Jesus said the generation that saw this re-gathering would be the last generation. Peter prophesied about an end time nuclear war. He said in the end of the ages, God was going to rain down fire on this world and that the “elements” would actually melt with a “fervent heat.” This is something we can now understand with the invention of nuclear bombs. Revelation 13 talks about the ‘mark of the beast’ and already that technology is here with many thousands of people already having chips implanted in their hands and arms all over the world right now. The prophet Daniel in chapter 12 said that two signs we could look for in the ‘time of the end’ would be an increase in knowledge and that men would be traveling all over the earth. “But you Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book until the TIME OF THE END; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” We are living in the midst of the greatest knowledge explosion since the beginning of the world! There was a knowledge explosion when Guttenberg invented the printing press in the 1400s. Up until that time all books had to be hand written. This one invention caused a tremendous increase in knowledge throughout the world by making books more available for people to read. Within one hundred years, books, newspapers, and magazines could be purchased and read by the average citizen, whereas before most could not afford a hand written book and could not even read it. Then four hundred years later, electricity was discovered and men began to send information electronically through telegraph, and the telephone. Then came the radio, and the television and there was another knowledge explosion. But nothing has caused such an explosion in the history of the world in spreading knowledge like the computer, seventy years later, which has only been available in PC form for less than thirty years. Even the fax machine seemed to help people have greater access to knowledge. Then in the last thirty years we have seen the development of the internet. Right now we have at our disposal all the knowledge of the entire world. We can have access to all the libraries in the world! Now we have the wireless and cell phones, so we can have access to all this information from anyplace on the earth. We are in the midst of the most incredible knowledge explosion this world has ever seen. Information about everything is coming with unbelievable speed.

Think about this, all knowledge had to be transferred by handwriting then in 1440 the printing press then about 400 years later, 1878 Thomas Edison finally puts electricity to use with a light bulb and generators and almost at the same time Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone and telecommunications were born. Then seventy years later, in 1940’s we have the invention of the computer then thirty years later, 1970’s the internet invented, and then in last 10-15 years, we have the cell phone and the wireless. New ideas are coming almost every year! (1,400 years-press, 400 years-electric, 70 years-computer, 30 years-internet, 10-15 years-wireless/cell, anyone see a pattern???)
Many of you might remember how we ‘increased in knowledge’ just 25 short years ago. If we wanted to do any kind of research, we had to go to the library or we needed an up to date set of encyclopedias. If we went to the library we had to flip through card catalogs to find some books or magazines that had the information we were looking for. If I wanted to find some information for a sermon it would take hours and hours and days just to find it. Now if we want some information all we have to do is log on to the World Wide Web and its’ there! Communication technology is moving forward so fast, that electronic equipment is outdated now in less than one year! Take the CD for instance; on this little 4 1/2” plastic disc, we can store more information than is contained on your entire bookshelf! Or, the same disc can contain your favorite music or even movies. I remember when I thought the cassette tape was a “big” deal! And we are already seeing the CD go out of date, with MP3’s and IPods. What about our cell phones, just look at what has happened with them. My cell phone I have right now has all the information loaded on it that I have on my computer! And if I want I can take pictures with it! I can go in the internet with it, send emails, text messages, and buy and sell stock!

We are living in the super technology generation. Daniel was told to seal the book until the time of the end. He was told how we would know when the end was near. There would be an explosion in knowledge. We seem to be at that point. You can go to the store and buy a calculator for fewer than ten dollars. Then, in ten minutes, one person can do calculations that used to take a thousand men working thousands of hours to complete! While we cannot name the exact date of the Lord’s return its nearness may be known by the signs of the times. We are near, are you ready?

Pastor shot while preaching on Sunday

2009-03-10T18:24:00.001-04:00

On Sunday night I heard the news that a pastor was shot and killed in his church in Maryville, Illinois. It happened right during the Sunday service. It is a bit shocking to hear this kind of news and I do feel so sorry for that family to have to go through that tragedy. It does make me think about my safety. News stories like this tend to produce copycats, crazies who are so desperate that they will do anything to get on the news. I really do not fear dying, and actually that would not be a bad way to go, martyred for Christ, but I would prefer to live rather than let some sicko gun me down. So here is my thought. I know that sometimes we do crazy things at our church, but one crazy thing we will NEVER do at our church is to pretend someone is coming in to shoot me or anyone in the church. If anything like that ever happens I would urge everyone to react quickly to take the assassin down. I know there are people who carry weapons in our church and I am comfortable with that. My prayer is that we will never have to deal with this kind of issue but if we do, let us do it with confidence and without any hesitancy.

I realize that some Christians are not comfortable with the whole idea of self-defense. I can assure you that defending yourself and those who are defenseless is truly taught in God’s Word. The topic of self defense is often a very emotional issue, especially among Christians. Many feel that a Christian should always turn the other cheek. While we know that Jesus did teach about turning the other cheek, the Scriptures also have much more to say about this topic of self defense. This is an area where we need to be sensitive not only to the Scriptures for guidance but especially be aware of the particular leading of the Holy Spirit and the voice of our inner man.

Jesus said in Matt. 5:38-39, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” What did Jesus mean by this? The first thing to do if you want to under¬stand what a person meant is to see how he acted. Did Jesus literally turn the other cheek to His enemies? Did Jesus ever resist evil men? In Luke 4:29, when Jesus preached the gospel for the first time in His home town the people got so angry they tried to kill Him. They grabbed Him and dragged Him to the top of a hill and were about to kill Him. Now I ask you, at that moment, were they His enemies? Were they “evil people?” Was this not a perfect opportunity for Jesus, “not to resist, and to turn other cheek?” Yes, but did He? No. What did He do? He escaped. He probably did something supernatural as He walked away through the crowd. This shows that Jesus did not mean for this teaching of “turning other cheek” to always be taken literally in every case, since He did not turn the other cheek in this situation! There are times to flee!

In John 18:12, we read where Jesus was being accused before the High Priest and the Sanhedrin Counsel. Were they His enemy? Was this not evil? After He was arrested, He was taken before the high priest and questioned. Jesus appealed to the Jewish law that forbade “self incrimination.” He said, “I spoke openly, get witnesses to speak.” Then He was slapped on the face. This would be the ultimate test, to turn the other cheek. Did Jesus turn the other cheek? No, He rebuked the high priest. “If I spoke evil tell me, if I didn't you have no right to hit me. It's against the law.” I believe He spoke this with great emotion, loudly. This also shows that there is a time to defend oneself by appealing to a higher authority. It could be an adult, the police, or the law. You can at least defend yourself verbally! Paul also defended himself in the same manner many times by appealing to a higher authority, see Acts 22:1

In Matt. 21:12, we read about when Jesus cleansed the Temple of the money changers. He actually did this twice! Were the money changers evil? What did Jesus do? In John 2:13, we are told that He made a whip and whipped them, kicked over the tables and drove out the animals. This is interesting because this surely was not Jesus’ first time in Temple. He had been there many times before and yet did nothing, but on two occasions He was moved in His spirit and drove them out physically. Do you think He repented of this afterwards? This shows us a key in applying the teaching of turning the other cheek. In order to apply it properly, one must be in constant touch, with the Holy Spirit. There is a time to resist evil and lash out against it and a time to not resist it. We are surely to forego personal vengeance and retaliation motivated by animosity, hurt, pride, and resentment. Yet we are clearly allowed to resist evil where questions of justice, righteousness and truth are involved, and to protect the oppressed, as well as, to prevent continued action of evil.

In Matt. 26:53, we see Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Here we see Jesus literally fulfilling his own words of “turning the other cheek,” and not resisting evil. The crowd came to arrest Him. We need to notice a very important attitude that He had when He did this. He said, “I could call for a legion of angels if I want to,” but He chose not to. The fact that Jesus had the power to resist and win but chose not to use it makes this a gospel act, a Christian trait. He was not afraid or intimated. He could have called for the angels and wiped out the crowd. But He chose not to, for the sake of the kingdom of God. We learn from this that “turning the other cheek” because you are afraid of fighting or afraid of losing, is cowardliness and not in any way Christian. If we are to turn the other cheek, we must do it from the standpoint of being stronger and choosing not to use our strength. In the book of Revelations 21:8, there is a list of the kind of people who will be cast into the lake of fire. The list includes murders, the sexually immoral, liars, unbelievers, idolaters, etc. At the beginning of this list, it says ‘cowards’ will also be cast into the lake of fire. The old KJ says the fearful. God does not respect cowardliness. Turning the other cheek because we are afraid of losing does not please God.

It might be wise to teach our children some form of self-defense so that they know they can win and then have the choice of turning the other cheek. I have taught all four of my sons and my two daughters how to use a gun, and how to defend themselves. I told them that if they were ever in danger to use their skills to defend themselves.

So what does “an eye for an eye” really mean?

Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, but I say unto you do not resist evil, turn the other cheek,” in Matt 5:38. He was quoting from the OT Law. The Law taught the limit of justice was an eye for an eye. You could not go beyond that. Many interpreted that to mean you should always get a person back, or get even. It was by no means evil or sin to demand justice in the O.T. or to defend yourself, nor is it today. Jesus was teaching that if it would accomplish some good it is better to forgo “an eye for an eye,” but He surely was not saying that it was wrong to defend yourself. That would make the teachings of the OT wrong. You can demand justice and defend yourself and it is not a sin. If loving a person means never to punish then it would be wrong for a parent to spank their child. Love can be expressed in discipline as well as mercy. If being merciful to a person is not producing any good and you are still being harassed you can demand justice, not out of vengeance or hatred but in accordance to the laws of justice.

David in the Psalm 144:1 and 149:6-9 said, “Praise be to the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.” “May the praise of God be in their mouth and a double edge sword in their hands to inflict ... punishment on the people ... This is the glory of all his saints.” Requiring justice was taught in the O.T. and so was loving your enemies in Exodus 23:4-5. In II Kings 6:14-23 we read the story of the prophet who captured an entire Syrian army and was told to feed them and send them back to their homes. He was told to do them no harm. When demanding justice, we need to be able to do it with a right heart toward God. It is not something that should be repented of, but rather we should thank God for the strength to do so. Remember, God will demand justice on the last day. He will not be turning the other cheek. I Tim 5:8, which reads, “If anyone does not provide for his own, especially those of his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. This providing would seem to include the protection of our family as an obligation not a choice.

Four Biblical Steps of Self Defense
1) Flee persecution when possible.
2) Appeal to a higher authority.
3) Turn the other cheek, but do it in strength, not as a coward.
4) Resist evil with limits: To uphold justice, stop spread of evil, protect the weak

Romans 12:18 “If it be possible, as much as lies within you, live peaceably with all men.”

Genesis Chapter 18 Ten Righteous Men Could Have Saved Sodom and Gomorrah

2009-03-09T11:51:00.001-04:00

In chapter 18:32, God said He would have saved Sodom and Gomorrah if He could find ten righteous men, but He could not! We sometimes think our cities and our country are bad, but we at least have ten righteous people in our cities. With 1,000 Christian churches in Columbus, we can at least conclude there are at least 50,000 to 100,000 righteous people in our city. Think of how bad it would be if we did not have even ten righteous people! Apparently there were only four righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah; Lot, his wife, and two daughters. Lot’s wife was killed as she turned back, Lot was a drunkard and the two daughters committed incest with their father, Lot. Pretty low standard for righteous if you ask me! Wow, how bad was Sodom and Gomorrah?

Genesis Chap 17 Why Circumcision on the EIGHTH day?

2009-03-09T11:47:00.001-04:00

In chapter 17:12 God told Abraham that circumcision should be done on the eight day. In a book, None of These Diseases, written by a doctor he tells that on the eighth day of a child’s life, the fibrinogen level in the blood is at its highest level it will ever be in the child’s life. Fibrinogen is the clotting agent in the blood. So when a child is circumcised on the eighth day, it heals the fastest because of the high level of fibrinogen. Now how could Abraham have known this? It is always interesting when ‘modern’ science catches up with the Bible!

Why the act of circumcision? It shows that we are unclean from birth. The organ of procreation must be cut and cleansed. This is speaking of the fact that we are born in sin and must be redeemed. It was to be a symbol of the need to be cleansed. In Deuteronomy 10:16 we read, “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked.” In Deuteronomy 30:6 we also read, “Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your seed, to love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, that you may live.” The New Testament equivalent to this would be water baptism.

Genesis Chapter Fourteen The First Tithe

2009-03-02T12:39:00.000-05:00

In verses 18-24 we read about a man named Melchizedek who was the priest of God Most High, who came and blessed Abraham as he returned from a great victory. In verse 20 we are told that Abraham gave him ‘a tithe of all.” There are many ideas as to who this Melchizedek actually was, but what I am interested in, is the fact that Abraham gave him a tithe. How did he know to do this? Why would he give him 10%, instead of 1% or 2%? We don’t find any teaching about this in previous chapters. I believe this is because the concept of giving 10% did not originate with the Law of Moses; it was something that was around from the beginning. I believe this is an eternal principle that men of God have followed from the beginning. Those who try to say that tithing is OT usually say that because they don’t have the revelation that tithing is an eternal principle, like the need for forgiveness of our sins, or the importance of only worshipping the one true God. These are not to be divided into OT and NT principles, they are principles that we should live our lives by. Tithing is based on the principle of ‘first fruits.” God always asks for the ‘first fruits” and in Romans 11:16 we are told, “For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.” If the first fruit is holy then all that follows after will be holy. Giving ten per cent to God, through His church, is an important truth to live by, which if we do, I believe all of our finances and possessions would be blessed by God.

Genesis Chapter Nine 'Was man vegetarian?"

2009-02-09T11:42:00.001-05:00

In Verse 3 we read “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you.”
We know from Genesis 1:29 that God created man to be a vegetarian. When did man begin to eat animals? It is not clear when man began to eat animals. Some think that since Abel offered animal sacrifice that he was eating animals, but it does not say that. It is possible that some men were eating animals before the flood, but I don’t think the followers of God were doing this. But after the flood we find God giving mankind permission now to go ahead and eat flesh. Why this changed I am not sure but I am glad it did!

Genesis Chapter Nine 'be fruitful and multiply"

2009-02-09T10:55:00.001-05:00

In Verse 1 we find God giving Noah the command to “be fruitful and multiply” The same command that was given to Adam. The question is, “Is this command still in effect today! And what does “multiply” mean? I am not sure, but it is interesting when we consider what people are being told today, that we should NOT multiply because there are too many people on the earth! It would make sense that when there were just a few people on the earth that there was a need to ‘multiply.’ But when did that change? What is the number that this earth can reasonably sustain? I don't believe that the world is being overpopulated. That is one of our typical media myths that the Christian church has bought into like so many other myths. If we took all the people on the earth today and gave them three square feet how much land would they take up? Less than half of the city of Jacksonville Florida! All the people in the world, could be given 1/3 acre of land which could provide enough to support themselves and they would all fit within the continental United States, leaving the other five continents empty! There are 52.5 million square miles of land area in the world, not including Antarctica. The problem is not a lack of resources, but greed.We have been told that the greater the population density the lower the standard of living. Japan has a population density of 800 people per square mile, yet they have a higher per capita income ($4,450) than India, which has 511 people per square mile ($140). West Germany’s density is 636 per square mile, the United Kingdom’s is 593, and both have a higher per capita income than India. It is obvious that population density itself does not necessarily mean poverty. Let’s look at India with its population density. It does not lack food. It lacks the one true God. Every one of their sacred cows eats enough food to feed 7 people. There are two hundred million sacred cows in their country. If they would just stop feeding them, they would have enough food to feed one billion, four hundred million people. They have enough food to feed 1/4 of the world's population!Dense population does not mean poverty. Greedy governments and false religions cause poverty. This world has plenty of resources to handle the population and its growth.

Genesis Chapter Four

2009-02-02T17:41:00.002-05:00

In Verse 5 we read "but God did not respect Cain and his offering and Cain was very angry." Apparently there was something wrong with Cain's attitude. It became manifested after he was confronted. How often that is true with us. People appear so spiritual, but if anyone dares to confront them about anything and they get all huffy. I remember one time a lady came to our church all spiritual and wanted to play the tambourine and she was totally distracting the worship. I had one of the ushers tell her she needed to stop. She got all huffy and left. One other time a young man played his guitar at a prayer meeting. It was terrible. The next week when he came I took him in the office and told him he couldn't play his guitar. He got all huffy and left. I think it is always the true test of what is in our hearts when we are challenged or confronted for something we are doing and then we see how we react. Apparently Cain was not as spiritual as he appeared!

In verse 17 we read that Cain knew his wife. Many people are stumbled by this and ask where did she come from? In chapter 5:4 we read that Eve had lots of sons and daughters. Since the average life span at that time was over one hundred years she would have had a lot of sons and daughters. The marriage of sisters and brothers was unavoidable in the early stages of the human race, but was later prohibited in the Mosaic Law. By the time Adan and Eve died it is easily conceivable that there were thousands of people living and by the time the flood came some have done the arithematic and have come up with the possibility that there were at least 3 billion living on the earth! If married at 25, and by 35 had 4 children, by 70 your children were married and had their children. In 5 generations there would be 96 people. In 10 generations there would be 3,070 people. In 20 generations there would be 3,150,000 people. In 30 generations there would be 3,220,000,000. That would be approximately 2,400 years which would be around the time of the flood.

Genesis Chapter Three

2009-02-02T17:39:00.000-05:00

It is interesting in Verse 8 that after Adam and Eve sinned, it says that they "Hid themselves" The guilt of sin drives us from God. Our own sin seperates us from God. It seems God is always searching for us, but our own sins push us away from God. I am so glad that He never gives up chasing after us, like a good parent!

In Verse 9 it says that God asked "Where are you?" This is not the call of an arresting policeman, but the sob of heartbroken father who has lost his child. How would you feel as a father if when you came home your children ran and hid from you! This is how God felt and this is how He feels today, when our sins drive us from Him. This is what is so bad about sin, the darkness that it causes, makes us run from the glory of God. He doesn't change but we do when we sin.

Genesis Chapter One and Two

2009-02-02T17:35:00.000-05:00

Genesis is one of my favorite books. It lays the foundation for the entire bible, everything we believe has its roots in Genesis. Starting with the literal creation story. God actually did create everything in six twenty four hour days. I have yet to meet an educated person who actually read good scientific research on creationism and still believed in evolution. Only close minded people can continue to believe in the theory of evolution once they do the research. Check out answersingensis.org if you have an open mind and want to truly do some research on the science of creationism. How about this: we know where we get our month (moon rotates around the earth) we know where we get our 24 hour day, (earth rotates on its axis) we know where we get our year (earth rotates around the sun) So where do we get a seven day week? Why not a five day, or an eight day week? It started with the creation story, with God establishing a healthy way of living, 'six days shall you work and rest on the seventh" God rested not because He was tired, He rested to give us an example.