Three Important Words

It was said that Winston Churchill once rose to speak to a group of college students who anxiously anticipated a long eloquent speech. To their surprise, he only uttered three words. Those three important words were "Never give up!". Why did Alexander Graham Bell find the breakthrough that led to the invention and patent of the telephone? He never gave up. Why did Orville and Wilbur Wright succeed in building an airplane? They never gave up. Why did the United States of America win the Revolutionary War? They never gave up. When you succeed in seeing your dreams come true it will because you adopted these three important words...never give up!

Go Ahead and Laugh

Yeah to those who automatically get these postings through email, I misspelled the word learned. :) I said I leaned a lot my first week in grad school. I guess that's true too! To everyone else; well, you would have never known it had I not blew the whistle on my own self. It's just that when I edit it is too late for direct mail readers.

School School School!

I started graduate school this week. It is pretty cool! I am attending the University of Central Arkansas. I am enrolled in the College of Education's Master of Arts in Teaching program. I have learned a lot in my first week. I graduated from the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith with a BA in History in 2007. Ruth graduated from American College in 1988 as an Automated Office Specialist and from the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith with an Associate Degree in 2006. She is currently working on a Bachelor's degree in Christian Care and Counseling from ORU. We have 3 children in Booneville Schools; Grayson in 2nd grade, Katie in 9th, and Emilee is a senior who is working hard to prepare to attend UAFS to earn a degree in Early Childhood Education and become a teacher. Our next older daughter Sydnei, has attended UAFS for one semester and is preparing to go back in the spring to resume classes and work toward a degree in education and is thinking about becoming a basketball coach. Our oldest daughter has attended the University of Arkansas at Monticello for one semester and is now considering DeVry University to become a medical transcriptionist. Let me catch my breath. It is my desire to lead my family to pursue their goals and dreams. I hope I can leave a legacy to never give up!!! I am so proud of my family's desire to succeed. To God be all the glory!!!!!!!

Read and Response: Mega Churches

A mega church is considered to be a church averaging at least 2000 people on any given Sunday(according to wikipedia). Also according to wikipedia the Hartford Institute's database affirms that there are over 1,300 Protestant mega churches in the United States. I want to ask a series of questions and I hope that you will respond.
1. When you hear the term mega church does that illicit a positive or negative response from you?

2. Are mega churches carrying out the role of the new testament church according to the bible?

3. What can smaller churches learn to do from mega churches?

4. What can smaller churches learn not to do from mega churches?

5. Why do so many people flock to mega churches?

Please respond....

The Invaluable Measure of Faith

Romans 12:3... For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think [of himself] more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
There is absolutely no way that you can appraise the value of the measure of faith. Without faith there would be no hope and without hope we would all be miserable. Thank the Lord that God has given us the measure of faith! This means that everyone is born with the capability to believe in God and to believe in the power of prayer. What is the last thing that you exercised your measure of faith to receive? When was the last time? That's too long! The enemy of our soul does not want us to use our faith. he wants us to be controlled by our senses and through our emotions. He has been using the senses tactic ever since the garden of Eden. Genesis 3:6 says... And when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. Faith is a guard against the weakness of the senses. The bible says in Hebrews 11:6 But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. So we know that with faith it is possible to please God. Use your measure of faith, even on the small things. I challenge you upon reading this post to make a decision to use your measure of faith today on three different scenarios and see what happens. Remember, God is not moved by circumstances, he is moved by faith.

Updates and Testimonies

Ruth is doing much better. She even ran a little on her knee yesterday. She has definitely regained mobility after almost three weeks of pain, stiffness, and swelling. In Jesus name we believe for complete healing in her knee. Praise the Lord!!!

Now for an update on Neal's condition (after gall bladder removal surgery). As of last night he was doing well. He mainly has soreness from the laproscopic incisions. Neal's Dad, my brother Terry had been told that he had 70% blockage in his carotid artery after the first initial test. Last Wednesday he had an arteriogram which resulted in 0% blockage and following that he had a second test on his carotid artery. After several days of prayer, he now had 0% blockage in the carotid artery. Praise the Lord!!!

Sherry Hughes is currently taking chemotherapy treatments in Russellville. In 5 weeks, she is going to evaluate her progress. If she is not considerably better, she has made plans to fly to Italy to seek treatment from a doctor there who has an extremely high success rate for total recovery. I know a doctor who has a 100% rate. His name is Jesus. Sherry is also trusting in him for complete healing. Ruth was able to minister to Sherry over the phone yesterday evening, and in the conversation told Sherry that she was believing for her complete healing.

Prayer Requests

I have several prayer requests, so I thought I would dedicate this post to that purpose.
1. Pray for my wife Ruth Ann for total healing in her left knee. She has a Baker's Cyst and an extensive amount of calcium deposited in the miniscus area of the knee.
2. Neal Schlinker. He undergoes surgery to remove his gall bladder tomorrow. He is our nephew and is 28 years old.
3. Sherry Hughes. She has been diagnosed to be in stage 4 of cancer. She is one of our long time friends (and my brother Johnny's sister-in-law).
4. Judy Schlinker. She will undergo some heart tests in September. She is our sister-in-law and (my brother Terry's wife and Neal's Mother).
5. All the school kids. Most schools start tomorrow. Pray for their safety and success.
6.Sydnei and Hannah. Our two oldest daughters who need the Lord.
7. Johnny St. Cin. His heart only functions at about 33%. He is my father-in-law.
8. Me and Ruth Ann. We need a pastorate position or I need to find a a school teaching position!!! I have almost 30 years of experience as a minister but am also certified to teach Middle School subjects, but so far ( since my place of employment burned in March) we have not been able to find a pastorate and I have not been able to land a teaching contract. I know God has something in the plans!!!
Thanks for your prayers.
God Bless you.
P.S. Please vote on my poll to the right, regarding reasons for lack of church growth, while you are here.

Breakfast of Champions

For decades Wheaties cereal has touted itself as the "Breakfast of Champions". You have to agree that this is one of the greatest slogans ever. There have been many pro athletes whose photo appeared on the Wheaties box, adding them to the list of Wheaties promoters. Some examples are Bruce Jenner in 1977 (artist's rendition), Walter Payton in 1986, Michael Jordan in 1988, and Tiger Woods in 1998.
I want to look at another breakfast of champions. In the late 90's when Ruth and I pastored at The Friendly Church in Van Buren, Arkansas, our bible quiz teams in the church adopted the famous Wheaties slogan and had it put on their team t-shirts. Our 17 year old daughter, Emilee, still remembers those t-shirts and what their team motto was. I'm sure if we had a quiz manual she would still remember some of the questions, and most importantly, the answers found in the Word. I am thankful that she still reads the bible, even as a teenager. If you want to try a breakfast that is filling and will stay with you, not just throughout the day, but throughout the years, try the breakfast of champions, the Word of God.

The Power of Relationships

Relationships are very important. They are not only imperative for social pursuit, they are vital to spiritual progress. Paul built relationships with people. He viewed Timothy as his spiritual son. Timothy viewed Paul as his spiritual father. This proved to be very effective. Key relationships not only produce spiritual progress, they lead to spiritual success. The bible is full of other examples that prove the power of relationships; Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, David and Jonathan, to name a few. Moses groomed Joshua for leadership while Elijah left a double portion of miraculous power for Elisha. David showed mercy to Jonathan's son giving him a permanent place at the king's table because of the covenant relationship he had with the boy's father. In fact, all of these examples of relationship are covenant type relationships. In other words, they were committed to being there for each other no matter what. We must seek out covenant relationships in order to make it to our destiny in the Lord. If it was necessary for these biblical patriarchs, how much more is it needful for us?

Is Your House Ready For Jesus?

Guess what? Jesus is coming soon. Is your household saved? One of the worst tortures of hell will be the active memory; relatives remembering their family that went to heaven to be forever separated from them. It is a very sobering thought. It helps you to realize that you can never pray too much and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you can never say too much that might somehow or some way contribute to the salvation of a lost member of the household. In reference to angels, the writer of Hebrews said in chapter 1 verse 14, Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? We need to pray more fervently than ever for a fresh squadron of angels to be deployed to gather in our children and loved ones so that we can all go to heaven together. What a thought that after, say a million years of continuous praise and worship in heaven, we can join hands as families and stroll over heaven together without anyone missing!!!!!!! Praise the Lord and pass the prayer cloth.

Inspired After All

Check out what Job had to say after he had lost everything.
Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever! For I know [that] my redeemer liveth, and [that] he shall stand at the latter [day] upon the earth: And [though] after my skin [worms] destroy this [body], yet in my flesh shall I see God: Job 19:23-26
I would conclude that Job had things in the right prospective. Think about it. He had lost his sheep, oxen camels, servants, all 10 children, his health (stricken with boils form head to toe), and his wife had advised him to curse God and die. Then three guys come along to comfort him, of which Job says in Job 16:2b...miserable comforters [are] ye all. Job was in bad shape but after everything had befallen him, he was still upbeat about his knowledge and relationship with God. The word says, in Job 1:22 after the death of his children and the loss of his livestock, In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. I would say that he was inspired after all! I feel that we should strive to stay inspired. If God was good to us yesterday , he'll be good to us today. You don't have to second guess the goodness of God. If He was worth praising yesterday, he is still worth praising today. No matter what happens, the important thing to remember is "I know that my redeemer liveth!!!".

Golgotha

Take a few seconds to look at the photo of Golgotha that I uploaded onto this site. John 19:17 says this.. And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called [the place] of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: What a story! The best part of the story is that the story isn't finished. Jesus, our saviour, who bled and died there is coming back again! He is not just a fairy tale. He is more real than the air we breathe. I thnk about the words of that song that says..I just take one more look at mount Calvary, and it gives me the strength to go on. I want to give praise to the King of Kings who gave his all for me. He is worthy of all of our highest praise and every moment of true worship!!!

Endurance

Matthew 10:22 says this..."And ye shall be hated of all [men] for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved." In the Greek language the term endureth is defined as the following.
2) to remain i.e. abide, not recede or flee
a) to preserve: under misfortunes and trials to hold fast to one's faith in Christ
b) to endure, bear bravely and calmly: ill treatments
In the day and time in which we live I feel that people are losing their ability to endure. The misfortunes and trials of life are claiming new victims every day. Why? I believe that many people are trading endurance for an easy way out. It's so easy to say everything is going wrong and I don't think that I can take it any more. Consider the ant that spends hours building an anthill just to see it all washed away with a downpour, or worse, to see it tore down by a human being or animal. But have you ever seen an ant that just stopped moving and gave up? I haven't. Proverbs 6:6-8 says Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, [and] gathereth her food in the harvest. If an ant has it figured out, then why not humans? Trouble will come but we must endure. Persecution will occur, but we must endure. There will always be people that try to tear down everything that you do. But if you will endure, you will be enjoying the fruit of your labor and the warmth of God's love when the harsh winter arrives.