Need A Boat? Want to Help a Good Cause too?

The boat pictured here has been donated to the South Roaoke Baptist Association to be used to help raise funds to supply a vehicle for Pastor Sigwayne in Swaziland. Pastor Sigwayne has been keeping one of our new works there going and now his transportation has failed.

This hand crafted river boat with trailer, boat, motor and trolling motor has been appraised at $1,900.00. The boat itself is new; the motor is a 25 HP Johnson. The boat is ready to go with all registrations.

We will be accepting bids until September 15th. We you please help us spread the word and invite people to bid by calling 252-756-4332, or emailing srba@suddenlinkmail.com. Full payment for the accepted bid must be made.

Depressed About Heaven?

Recently I purchased Randy Alcorn’s new book, Heaven. I’ve read about 5 chapters so far and am finding it to be quite good, though I am just now getting to the real meat of the book. Well, I haven’t actually read it, I’m listening to it on audio CD. By the way, if you’re a slow reader like myself, this is a GREAT way to digest some wonderful books. Just pop them in the old CD player and listen to your heart’s content.

Something that I discovered in this book that I find amazing is just how many people seem to have a not-so-pleasant view of heaven. If fact, while doing his research for this project, Randy came across a great many people, who even though they believed they were going to heaven, didn’t seem all that excited about going. Why? Because they think it’s going to be boring and lifeless. A great many people have the idea that all we’re going to do is float around on the clouds and play the harp. Others think that heaven is just going to be one very LONG church service. I must confess, that if that was truly all heaven was going to be like, I’m not so sure I would be excited about going either. Of course, then people feel a little guilty because they “know” in their heart, they should be excited to go. Many then think that somehow they’re just not as spiritual as those pious individuals who are truly longing to go. Even in the church, Randy discovered that a great many people get depressed when they think about heaven. In fact, he has even spoken to some pastors, who get depressed when they think of heaven! Sound absurd? Well, maybe a little, but I believe I understand where they are coming from.

So, what has caused this terrible problem among God’s people? Biblical ignorance. To put it plain and simple, we, as the church, have not really taken the time to delve into the word of God to discover what God has revealed about this place called heaven. To site an example of this, in one particular systematic theology textbook, which is over 700 pages in length, only 1 page is about heaven?! That’s not a typo… only ONE page about heaven. Absolutely unreal, but it’s true. And so, since we really don’t know what God says about heaven, all kinds of false ideas have been brought in to fill in the gap, like gaining wings and playing harps.

Unfortunately, many theologians and pastors believe that heaven is one of those things about which God has kept secret from us. They unfortunately believe that it is a total mystery and that we really can’t know anything about it. Well, it’s true there is a lot we don’t know… but on the other hand, there is a lot we do know. We just haven’t take the time to dig out the truth that God has revealed in the Scriptures. And when you stop and think about it, would this not be a pretty clever strategy of Satan, the enemy of God… to keep the best that God desires to offer to mankind shrouded in mystery and confusion? I mean, if Christians aren’t looking forward to it and aren’t excited about it, why would we be very motivated to tell anyone how to get there? To tell you the truth, after hearing the first couple of chapters of this book, which is about what I’ve been talking about, I’m about ready to plan a sermon series on the topic of heaven, which at some point down the road, I may just do.

But you know, in my opinion, even if God had not revealed one thing about heaven to us, could we not still be looking forward to this incredible place simply by knowing the character of our God? Considering how much God’s loves us, and how much He desires to bless us, and how incredibly artistic and imaginative He really is (by observing the world around us) shouldn’t we able to trust our great God to know that whatever He has in store for us will be a million times better than anything we have experienced so far? I believe so. Friends, I don’t know if you’re one of those people who really don’t get excited about heaven or not, but let me offer a couple words of encouragement as I close. First of all, don’t feel guilty for not really being excited about heaven, if all you know of heaven is the lies from Satan and the world. Second, take some time to reflect on the wondrous creation that is all around you, and remember that as wonderful as this place is, it is still marred by suffering, death, and sin. However, one day its going to be re-created (or resurrected) and it’s going to be just as it was meant to be in the beginning. The Bible says in Revelation 21:1, “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.” (NKJV) Friends, I can promise you, heaven will not be disappointing or boring; it’s going to be more wonderful, more exciting, more adventurous, more beautiful than our minds can even imagine. Take some time to see what you can discover from God’s word what He says about heaven.

p.s. the pic at the top is just some clipart I found on the internet.

Feeling Sorry for Christian Teachers in Public Schools

I’ve never been a teacher, so I’m not exactly sure how it works... if it is mandatory to join or whether teachers are extremely pressured to join the National Education Association. But I do know that most public school teachers are members of the NEA. Which is why I entitled this post what I did, because for Christian teachers in the public schools, there must be a serious tension within them, trying to be faithful Christians and yet having to be members of the NEA as well.

Why would I say such a thing? Simply because of the all the radical Anti-Christian positions that the NEA itself takes. Just the other day I was reading an article about the NEA’s most recent annual convention that took place in Washington, D.C. over the 4th of July weekend. The convention attracted some 9,000 delegates. Before the actual convention started, delegates sported all kinds of buttons with provocative slogans such as: “Gay Marriage causes Global Warming only because we are so hot,” “Hate is not a Family Value,” “The ‘Christian Right’ is Neither,” and “Gay Rights are civil rights.” Now, if that wouldn’t make a born again Christian a little uncomfortable right off the bat, I’m not sure what would.

But what about the actual business of the convention? What kinds of resolutions were passed by this noble convention of public school teachers? Well, first of all, all kinds of resolutions were passed that have absolutely nothing to do with better education. Resolutions supporting the state-hood of the District of Columbia (what is that about?), a “single-payer health care plan” (i.e. government run), gun control, and even the ratification of the International Criminal Court Treaty (yeah, this is really what public school teachers should be focus on)

So, did the convention actually have anything to say about education in public schools? Unfortunately, yes. First, the NEA “fiercely opposes any competition for public schools, such as vouchers, tuition tax cuts, parental option plans, or public support of any kind to non-public schools.” That’s a real shocker!

“The NEA strongly opposes designating English as our official language even though such a designation is supported by more than 80% of Americans.”

Of course, the NEA opposes home schooling, unless of course the parent is a state-licensed teacher and is using state-approved curriculum. And speaking of home schoolers, the NEA doesn’t support home school students participating in extra-curricular activities at the public schools even though their parents pay school taxes too. Go figure.

Oh, but it gets a lot worse. For example, the NEA resolutions includes feminist ideological goals such as “the right to reproductive freedom” (i.e. abortion on demand) and “the use of non-sexist language,” i.e. censoring out all masculine words such as father and husband.

Are you troubled yet? Well, hang on because “the influence of the gay lobby is pervasive in dozens of NEA resolutions adopted by the 2008 convention delegates.” And just in case you don’t know, “diversity is the code-word used for pro-gay indoctrination in the classroom.” Some examples are as follows:

-“The NEA demands that ‘diversity-based curricula’ even be imposed on preschoolers.”

-“The NEA urges it’s members to offer ‘diverse role models’ via the ‘hiring and promotion of diverse education employees in our public schools.”

-“The NEA puts ‘domestic partnerships, civil unions, and marriage on an equal footing.”

-“The NEA wants every child, regardless of age, to have ‘direct and confidential access, without notification to parents, to comprehensive health education. That would include things such as learning how to use condoms for premarital sex, as well as social and psychological programs and services.’”
-“The NEA wants all sex-education courses, textbooks, curricula, instructional materials, and activities to include indoctrination about sexual orientation and gender identification plus warnings about homophobia.”

I guess you can see now why I entitled this post “Feeling Sorry for Christian Teachers in the Public Schools.” And if there was ever any doubt in anyone’s mind why my wife and I are seriously considering home schooling our own children, I hope this articles opens the blinds and lets the light in for you. Christian teachers… God bless you on your mission field; you are in my prayers!


All references and quotes for this post were taken from an article entitled “NEA Delegates Adopted Radical Agenda” by Phyllis Schlafly, a writer for the weekly newspaper, "Human Events."

Another Unbelievable Ruling by a Liberal Judge

(Taken entirely from the blog of Al Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky)

Another Chilling Precedent -- A Court Undermines a Parent
Posted: Friday, June 20, 2008 at 5:22 am ET

A recent court decision in Canada should send chills down every parent's spine. The ruling is so out of bounds that the news story sounds like a parody -- but it isn't. A Canadian judge ruled that a 12-year-old girl was "excessively" punished when her father told her she could not go on a school camping trip because she had broken rules for use of the Internet.

As the Globe and Mail [Toronto] reports:
First, the father banned his 12-year-old daughter from going online after she posted photos of herself on a dating site. Then she allegedly had a row with her stepmother, so the father said his girl couldn't go on a school trip.

The girl took the matter to the court - and won what lawyers say was an unprecedented judgment.

Madam Justice Suzanne Tessier of the Quebec Superior Court ruled on Friday that the father couldn't discipline his daughter by barring her from the school trip.

(To read the rest of this article click this link: http://www.almohler.com/blog_read.php?id=1173)

Sometimes they don't see it coming

Having Revival

This week we are having revival at our church. Well, actually we're having revival services. Only God knows right now if we are truly experiencing a revival. We may know later, but not now.

As I type this, I am aware that there may be some reading this blog who may be unsure what "revival" is. For our church and many other churches, "revival" is 1 or 2 special times of the year that we set apart to have anywhere from 3-5 extra services besides the normal Sunday morning and Sunday night. Most of the time, we invite a guest preacher to come in and preach for the whole week or however long the revival is scheduled for. The purpose of the revival services is for the church to be "revived" spiritually... recharged or renewed in spiritual fervor. It is a time of making renewed and fresh commitments to Christ. A time to really seek His face in extra-ordinary ways.

So far, we have heard two powerful, Spirit-anointed messages from our guest preacher, Cory Wilson. It doesn't take long at all to know exactly where Cory's heart is as a man of God, and to know that God is definitely speaking through Him. Sometimes I wish, we could return to the days like when Billy Graham was a young evangelist. There were times when he would go and preach in a city and they just kept right on having worship services and hearing the Word of God powerfully preached for weeks... just as long as they felt the presence and power of God. If I remember correctly, one time they had a revival in New York City that last 10 weeks!! Wow!!

Oh, how we need so desperately to be fed continually from the Word of God. I simply can't imagine, the change in people's lives and in the life of our church... if say for example, we had 1 hour of worship every night for a month. What in the world might God could do, if we as His people decided for one month... to turn off our TV's and to purpose in our hearts to gather together to worship Him through prayer, song, and the hearing of the Word of God! As I said, I absolutely can't imagine what God might do. We might just have another Great Spiritual Awakening as our country had in it's early years.

"Oh dear Lord God... give us more of You!! Our hearts simply ache to know You better!!
Thank you, Lord Jesus, who by means of your sacrificial death and resurrection, for giving us the privilege and capacity to approach Your holy presence. May your fame and glory be known around the world!"

NO, My Kids Aren't Spoiled! (haha)

In case, you can't tell... this is my wife spoon feeding my two boys while they sip their milk and watch TV. In reality, this doesn't happen a lot. But it sure made for a funny picture!! :)

The Difference in a Good Business and a Poor One

A few months ago, I joined this gym in Washington. I was going a few times a week. But recently I figured out just how much it was costing me in gas to drive all the way to Washington. Needless to say, I soon came to the conclusion that the cost of the gym membership + the cost in gas every week was just not reasonable for me to do at this time. So, today I went and cancelled the membership. I was on a month to month contract basis. All I had to do was give him 30 days and they would cancel the membership. But the guy who runs the gym (and may own it, not sure) told me that he completely understood and that he would not draft my account for April. Legally and technically, he could draft my account one more time, and he would be totally in the right to do so, but out of the kindness of his heart, he said he wouldn't.

The treatment that I received today was completely different from the treatment I received 8 months ago from a gym in Concord, NC. While we were in Charlotte I joined a gym called Xcel Xpress. I was under the same month to month deal there as I was here. But right before we moved away from Charlotte, I cancelled the membership. When I spoke to the manager, he said my account would be drafted 2 more times (2 more months) because I was supposed to give 60 days notice. Which first of all, doesn't make sense if it is month to month... and second, this is contrary to what I was told at the beginning, which was that I only had to give 30 days notice. But evidently when I signed the contract I didn't look close enough at the fine print. So, they charged me for 2 more months, even though I was living 4 hours away.

Fitness Unlimited cares about it's customers. If they ever open one in our town, I will definitely join again. But regarding Xcel Xpress, I wouldn't join that gym again if it was the only one around. I refuse to patronize any business that cons and deceives people that way. Thank you Fitness Unlimited for caring about your customers!

Why I Love Jesus

In eternity past, for some reason beyond my understanding, the Lord God chose me for Himself and set His love upon me.

Before I could even reply, God had chosen me and had set His love upon me.

Even after I had come of age, and I chose to live in rebellion and wickedness, God had chosen me and had set His love upon me.

Yet even after I was knowledgeable and had great understanding of His kindness, love, mercy, and grace, at times I still willfully chose to scorn Him, to live in rebellion, to spurn the grace and blood of Jesus Christ... yet God had chosen me and had set His love upon me.

I am the man I am today for one simple reason... God the Father set His love upon me. I am who I am because of the unbelievable and unimaginable grace of Almighty God!!

And this is why I love Jesus!!

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,  just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved."

Ephesians 1:3-6

Reminded of the Enemy

Recently, I was reminded that the church of the Lord Jesus Christ still has a real enemy that is watching very closely and is still very much opposed to any good thing that may happen.

Sometimes, I must admit, even as a pastor, I can get so caught up in doing all the things that the ministry requires (studying, preparing, visiting, counseling, discipling, administration, overseeing, getting a vision, guiding the ship, etc, etc....) that I can easily forget this is no ordinary work that I am involved in... this is spiritual work! A spiritual work that has real life & death consequences... a spiritual work that can't be accomplished without the power of the Living God working in and through me... a spiritual work with a REAL SPIRITUAL ENEMY who desires nothing but to see me fail and to see this church go belly up!

A Doctor doesn't have to think about a real, personal enemy out there who is watching and striving to undo any good that he may do.
A Business man doesn' thave to worry about a real, personal enemy who has work in his own company who is bent on seeing him fail miserably.
Bankers and Lawyers don't even consider in all that they do, that there may just be someone out there who is trying to block, stop, undo, and mess up the work that they are trying to do.
But as a Pastor... as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ... I must remember that all of this work is first of all HIS work, without Whom, everything is in vain anyway. But also, I must remember that I do have a real, personal enemy out there who wants me to fail and who wants to keep the church from doing what God has called us to do at all costs!