Timothy, I have been serving the Lord through Youth ministry for 15 years now. There have been some great times filled with laughter and joy. There have also been some very sad times filled with tears and heart ache. I have had the privilege of studying and teaching God’s Word to some great students. It was my prayer that these students would find a faith that would last throughout all eternity. However some have strayed from the truth of the word and have started following the ways of man. The Bible warns us about following this path. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”-Proverbs 16:25
Seeing those you have loved and cared for going down this path is so hard. It hurts me in the deep recesses of my stomach. This kind of pain is the pain I felt as I watch my father dying of cancer. I wanted so badly to do something but I wasn’t in control. Timothy, pray for those who have strayed. Pray God would open up their hearts once again to the truth of His Word. Timothy, keep the faith and teach those under you to do the same. Hold on to this faith because we live in a world where what we believe seems like foolishness. It will become increasingly harder as time marches on but never give up. Never quit even when all seems lost.
M
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Life
Timothy,
This past week was one of the hardest of my life. I held a baby weighing 3.5 pounds in my arms at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital for two hours as the parents got some much needed rest. While Mollie was struggling to survive there in my arms I prayed with all my soul that God would heal her little heart. She was born with Trisomy 16 a condition where only one to two percent of babies make it to term. As I looked at her body it was unbelievable how perfect she looked on the outside. All of her little fingers and toes were so small and her skin so soft. As I held her I was reminded how the doctors had encouraged the parents to abort early in the pregnancy and I wept. Mollie passed on to be with Jesus just before noon on Thursday. I performed the funeral on Saturday and as I spoke the words of comfort that the Lord provided I wondered how it would have been if the parents had taken the doctor's advice. They would have never gotten to hold Mollie and felt the smooth touch of her skin next to theirs. Mollie would have never known the love of her wonderful parents. From the very moment she was born someone who loved her held her in their arms. Timothy we must never compromise when it comes to defending the right to life for these defenseless precious children. Pray with all your might that God will grant Tom and Brenda the measure of love they will need in the coming days as they mourn the loss of their baby girl.
This past week was one of the hardest of my life. I held a baby weighing 3.5 pounds in my arms at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital for two hours as the parents got some much needed rest. While Mollie was struggling to survive there in my arms I prayed with all my soul that God would heal her little heart. She was born with Trisomy 16 a condition where only one to two percent of babies make it to term. As I looked at her body it was unbelievable how perfect she looked on the outside. All of her little fingers and toes were so small and her skin so soft. As I held her I was reminded how the doctors had encouraged the parents to abort early in the pregnancy and I wept. Mollie passed on to be with Jesus just before noon on Thursday. I performed the funeral on Saturday and as I spoke the words of comfort that the Lord provided I wondered how it would have been if the parents had taken the doctor's advice. They would have never gotten to hold Mollie and felt the smooth touch of her skin next to theirs. Mollie would have never known the love of her wonderful parents. From the very moment she was born someone who loved her held her in their arms. Timothy we must never compromise when it comes to defending the right to life for these defenseless precious children. Pray with all your might that God will grant Tom and Brenda the measure of love they will need in the coming days as they mourn the loss of their baby girl.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Choice
We live in an interesting time Timothy. It is a time when War is compared to abortion. People say we need to get our troops home as soon as possible. They acts like these men and women have been forced into the military with no choice in the matter. The act like they are being used by the government to accomplish it's evil mission against their will. Take it from a former soldier these men and women chose of their own will to serve their Country. They took an oath.
"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." (Title 10, US Code; Act of 5 May 1960 replacing the wording first adopted in 1789, with amendment effective 5 October 1962).
They chose to place their names in the blank and chose to serve their Country with honor. Now to the abortion issue. The baby in the womb has no choice. If given the choice to live or die I am sure they would choose life. We have placed in the hands of humankind a choice only God Himself should make.
This brings me to the issue of our current President Elect. If you say you are pro-life and voted for Him you are not pro-life. Of the two choices for President this year McCain has been clearly more pro-life than Obama. If you say it will not make a difference because abortion will continue under any administration you are fooling yourself. Obama says if given the opportunity he will sign the Freedom of Choice Act into law. This will lift any state ban on partial birth abortion and make it possible to abort babies at any stage in the pregnancy.
So Timothy if anyone tries to equate war with abortion it just doesn't hold up under scrutiny. God has called us to stand for His Word not our wallets. I hope you will stand with God and be a voice for the millions of babies that have been murdered for the cause of choice.
"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." (Title 10, US Code; Act of 5 May 1960 replacing the wording first adopted in 1789, with amendment effective 5 October 1962).
They chose to place their names in the blank and chose to serve their Country with honor. Now to the abortion issue. The baby in the womb has no choice. If given the choice to live or die I am sure they would choose life. We have placed in the hands of humankind a choice only God Himself should make.
This brings me to the issue of our current President Elect. If you say you are pro-life and voted for Him you are not pro-life. Of the two choices for President this year McCain has been clearly more pro-life than Obama. If you say it will not make a difference because abortion will continue under any administration you are fooling yourself. Obama says if given the opportunity he will sign the Freedom of Choice Act into law. This will lift any state ban on partial birth abortion and make it possible to abort babies at any stage in the pregnancy.
So Timothy if anyone tries to equate war with abortion it just doesn't hold up under scrutiny. God has called us to stand for His Word not our wallets. I hope you will stand with God and be a voice for the millions of babies that have been murdered for the cause of choice.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Timothy today I ministered to a family as I gave the eulogy for the first time as a minister. I did not personally know the 86 year old man that passed but I felt like I knew him from the conversations I had with his grandson Corey.
People are so interesting. Today a wife who decided after 60 years of marriage that it was time to leave her husband and live her life attended his funeral. For the first time I experienced the long term effects of divorce.
A family broken, children divided over who caused the divorce and two people left to live life alone. The youngest son asked me how he was suppose to react as he saw and spoke to his mother for the first time in seven years.
Seven years of silence. A son abandoned by his mother for her pursuit of life. I wondered as I looked at this woman old and feeble if she had experienced what she set out to find? Seeing that she is alone and does not have anyone to share her life with I would have to say the answer is no.
We are so blind Timothy. Blind to what is real and what really matters in life. God wants us to experience all the great things that come with living life on this planet, but we are blinded. We exchange the real for the counterfeit and when we are left empty handed we wonder why God is punishing us? We need to wake people from their slumber Timothy. Sometimes I wish God would blind the world like He did Saul. Then maybe with the world around them blotted out they would see for the first time a Savior who loves them.
People are so interesting. Today a wife who decided after 60 years of marriage that it was time to leave her husband and live her life attended his funeral. For the first time I experienced the long term effects of divorce.
A family broken, children divided over who caused the divorce and two people left to live life alone. The youngest son asked me how he was suppose to react as he saw and spoke to his mother for the first time in seven years.
Seven years of silence. A son abandoned by his mother for her pursuit of life. I wondered as I looked at this woman old and feeble if she had experienced what she set out to find? Seeing that she is alone and does not have anyone to share her life with I would have to say the answer is no.
We are so blind Timothy. Blind to what is real and what really matters in life. God wants us to experience all the great things that come with living life on this planet, but we are blinded. We exchange the real for the counterfeit and when we are left empty handed we wonder why God is punishing us? We need to wake people from their slumber Timothy. Sometimes I wish God would blind the world like He did Saul. Then maybe with the world around them blotted out they would see for the first time a Savior who loves them.
Friday, January 18, 2008
New Year Same Old Story
Well here we are again Timothy a new year. New is of course in the eye of the beholder. What is new in your life from the year prior? I mean it seems like we are all living life in this wheel that continues to go round and round. After a while we lose track of how many times we have gone around and then one day the wheel stops. When this happens we realize we have wasted most of our lives doing nothing. We really don't make a difference in the world around us. We are like generations that have come before us leaving life without changing the world. I believe the mass of people who claim to be Christians are asleep caught up in the wheel of life where only the blur of the wheel is seen. We must wake them Timothy! Wake them to the wonder of life and the joy of living a life in Christ. Where each day is a new and spectacular adventure with the creator of the universe. This year Timothy do something new! Something you have never done in your life but have always wanted to do. Experience the joy of your salvation my brother and don't let the enemy bring you down. Let us pray the prayer of the psalmist, "Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death."
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death."
Monday, June 25, 2007
Where Did All The Christians Go?
Timothy,
I have been thinking a lot about the church and how far we have moved from scripture. We live in a world where the church is the mirror image of the world around it. We seem to be no different. Why? I think one reason is we have forgotten the mission of Christ. Jesus lived a life where He thought of others before He thought of Himself. He feed those who were hungry, healed those who were sick and dying, and brought hope to a people with no hope. Today our churches are more worried about what is going on inside the church building and less and less about the world outside their church walls. We are focused on budgets, buildings, and bull. I learned yesterday that the executive director of the KBC makes over $160,000 dollars a year and it made me sick. It is not just the KBC that has salaries that are unbelievable; many of our churches pay their pastor over this amount. My question is why? Why does anyone need that much money? Is it to feed his family? Is it to buy a home, or pay the bills? No I don't think so. I think it is to live the American dream to take all you can, die with all you can, and forget the rest of the world. If others can't make it then it must be their fault. They must have a flaw or they would be able to make that much money too. Jesus did not tell us to get rich contrary to popular belief. This is not supposed to be your best life that comes later. Jesus did not tell the disciples to go into the world and create a mega church. He told them to make disciples and to do that by teaching them all that they had learned under Jesus' teaching. Tell me Timothy maybe I am wrong but have we continued to teach what Jesus taught? As I look at the Sermon on the Mount I bow my head and pray for forgiveness for the way we live. Pray Timothy that the church will once again remember the mission that Jesus has given us to save our world.
I have been thinking a lot about the church and how far we have moved from scripture. We live in a world where the church is the mirror image of the world around it. We seem to be no different. Why? I think one reason is we have forgotten the mission of Christ. Jesus lived a life where He thought of others before He thought of Himself. He feed those who were hungry, healed those who were sick and dying, and brought hope to a people with no hope. Today our churches are more worried about what is going on inside the church building and less and less about the world outside their church walls. We are focused on budgets, buildings, and bull. I learned yesterday that the executive director of the KBC makes over $160,000 dollars a year and it made me sick. It is not just the KBC that has salaries that are unbelievable; many of our churches pay their pastor over this amount. My question is why? Why does anyone need that much money? Is it to feed his family? Is it to buy a home, or pay the bills? No I don't think so. I think it is to live the American dream to take all you can, die with all you can, and forget the rest of the world. If others can't make it then it must be their fault. They must have a flaw or they would be able to make that much money too. Jesus did not tell us to get rich contrary to popular belief. This is not supposed to be your best life that comes later. Jesus did not tell the disciples to go into the world and create a mega church. He told them to make disciples and to do that by teaching them all that they had learned under Jesus' teaching. Tell me Timothy maybe I am wrong but have we continued to teach what Jesus taught? As I look at the Sermon on the Mount I bow my head and pray for forgiveness for the way we live. Pray Timothy that the church will once again remember the mission that Jesus has given us to save our world.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
How Deep Is Your Love
Love Your Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, [8] what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Jesus sure has some wild ideas about how we should treat each other. Here in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus talks about love. We as Christians cannot love like everyone else in the world does. Our love has to go deeper. Tonight I asked the youth if they loved their parents, friends, brothers, sisters, and me. They all raised their hands and affirmed that they in fact did love all those that I had mentioned and then I asked if they loved Osama BIn Laden and no one raised their hand. The fact is that we cannot change our world until we love our greatest enemy as much as we love our greatest friend. Think about it Timothy and let me know what you think.
MC
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, [8] what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Jesus sure has some wild ideas about how we should treat each other. Here in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus talks about love. We as Christians cannot love like everyone else in the world does. Our love has to go deeper. Tonight I asked the youth if they loved their parents, friends, brothers, sisters, and me. They all raised their hands and affirmed that they in fact did love all those that I had mentioned and then I asked if they loved Osama BIn Laden and no one raised their hand. The fact is that we cannot change our world until we love our greatest enemy as much as we love our greatest friend. Think about it Timothy and let me know what you think.
MC
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