Matthew 7:21

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

Probably one of the most terrifying verses in all the Bible, especially when it is put with its context. The people saying it are people who have prophesied in Jesus’ name and have cast out devils in Jesus name. I get the feeling that those who hear the condemnation “I never knew you” will be shocked.

Really this verse solidifies what I hear when I witness out on the street. Many times people will tell me that they’re all set, but when I dig a little deeper even many who profess to be born-again haven’t the first clue who God is. The Jesus they claim they know is OK with their language, their sexuality, and their lies.

The only person who is in worse shape than a lost man who knows he’s lost, is a lost man who thinks he’s saved. False assurance is a dangerous notion, and so Paul exhorts us to put our own selves on trial. We need to hold our lives up against the word of God, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal our shortcomings.

I do not believe any born-again believer can lose their salvation, but I do believe that there are many people who claim to be born-again who will be numbered among thoses that hear those dreadful words “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

2Cr 13:5 - Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Matthew 6:24

“No man can serve to masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Webster's dictionary defines 'Mammon' as: 1) the false god of riches and avarice. 2) riches regarded as an object of worship and greedy pursuit; wealth as an evil, more or less personified.

How many Christians have been ruined trying to serve both God and money? How tarnished has the name of Christ been by televangelists that have been caught with their hand in the back pocket of those faithfully trying to serve God? How many have walked away from the faith because they were taken advantage of and used by someone serving two masters?

This is a warning to every Christian that we must be singly minded, with our affections, our devotion, and service directed to the One that it is due. David had his priorities right, and therefore his wealth was put in it’s proper place.

1Ch 29:3 - Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house,

Matthew 5:16

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

A few weeks ago I was teaching about being an example of the believer in “purity” and I used this verse as an object lesson. I lit a little candle inside a little glass, and turned all the lights off. I asked the kids if everyone could see the light from the candle inside the glass. I explained that this is a Christian who is letting his light so shine that others can see it, but then I started mentioning things that we do to that can dim the light that others see. I pulled out my “Sin Markers”…otherwise known as dry erase markers, and with each sin I marked the glass. Slowly the glass began to be covered with blotches of colors, and the light became less bright. The light never changed, but the way others saw it was changed.

When we allow sin into our life we obstruct the light of Christ in us. When we live in a way that pleases God, others see His work in us, and they end up glorifying God.

Eph 5:8 - For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Matthew 4:19

“And he saith unto them, Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”

So there are two guys in a boat casting their nets into the sea, and Jesus decides that they need a career change.

I like this verse because it is a clear direction with a promised result. It says that the part about us actually being fishers of men is in His hand. It’s He that makes us to be fishers of men; we just need to follow Him.

Sounds easy right?

Mar 8:34 - And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

1Pe 2:21 - For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

Matthew 3:8

“Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:”

I got to admit, that I may swing and miss on this one. This verse kind of confuses me, but my guess is that John was looking for evidence of repentance from the Pharisees and Sadducees. If I was to try and name these fruits I would look to the following verses:

Psa 51:17 – Contrition
2Cr 5:17 – A changed life
1Pe 2:2 – A desire for God’s Word

I’m sure there are more, but these are first that come to mind. The other thing that I immediately thought if was all the different kinds of “fruit” or “fruits” mentioned in the Bible. Here is a few.

The fruit of the Spirit – Gal 5:22
Fruits meet for repentance - Mat 3:8
Fruits of righteousness – Phl 1:11
Fruit unto holiness - Rom 6:22
Good and evil fruit - Mat 7:17

Matthew 2:11

"And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."
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When I read this verse I always think of Mr. Sunseri teaching the lesson to our first grade Sunday school class “Wise Men Still Seek Him”. The Holy Spirit records the wise men’s reaction to finding Him.

First they fell down - This is the reaction everyone will one day have in the presence of Christ as every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord!

Next they worshipped Him - From the fall until now man had worshipped anything and everything. They have worshipped the sun, the moon, the beasts, and fowls. They have worshipped the figments of their own imagination as well as other men. There is no end to what fallen man will find to worship, and yet only ONE is worthy of our worship.

Lastly they presented their offering to Him - Myrrh for a Prophet, Frankincense for a Priest and Gold for a King. Gifts that were costly, precious, and appropriate. When we see Jesus and respond correctly to Him, we too will offer our spiritual sacrifices.

1 Peter 2:5 - Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

The Sacrifice of Praise – Hbr 13:15
The Sacrifice of Thanksgiving – Psa 116:17
The Sacrifice of Self - Rom 12:1

Matthew 1:21

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from thier sins."

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The rescue mission of God's plan found in the name JESUS. From what I've read the name of Jesus is Yeshua which translates "Salvation" and the angel let's Joseph in on what God is doing. As I though on this verse I remembered the words from "Rock of Ages" and thought of what it means for JESUS to save His people from thier sins.

"Rock of Ages, cleft for me,Let me hide myself in Thee;Let the water and the blood,From Thy riven side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure; Save from wrath and make me pure."

Jesus saves from the eternal penalty of sin, but also the power of sin in our present life now.

Titus 2:14 - Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

My Mom (part 1)

Out of all the days since my Mother has been in Heaven, Mother’s Day is always the hardest for me. I have ruined the previous two for my wife by just being in a bad mood, and I was determined not to do it again this year. I really tried not to think about her on Sunday. I think I made it through not being such a jerk this year, but after Mother’s Day was over I felt I had missed something by not taking time to think about what an amazing Mom I had.

I really would like to post a few times about my Mom, but we’ll see how this goes. One of the things I’d like to post about is how I had the chance to lead my Mom to the Lord, and all the circumstances that lined up to that event. She trusted Christ as her Lord and Savior less than a year before she died. Any sadness I get thinking about her is totally selfish, as I know that she is better now, and more alive today than she ever had been here on earth. She is in the presence of Jesus, where there is fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore. I WILL one day be with them both! Glory!

I am horrible with remembering dates, so I don’t know when she was diagnosed with cancer, but I was living at home. I pretended not to hear her say it on the phone to a family member, and I think I convinced myself that I misheard…until she got my brother and me together to talk. I hope you never have that talk.

The doctors called her cancer “very aggressive” and she had to go in for a radical mastectomy, followed by all the treatment that you know goes with that, also followed by all the side effects. I know that she and my Step-Father held back a lot of information from my brother and me so I may have some details wrong. From what I remember she beat the cancer, and they did another radical mastectomy on her other breast I suppose as a precaution…I’m not sure. I remember many surgeries, and recoveries. I thought that would be it, and it was for a few years.

When it came back it did so all over her body. The doctors again began treatments and with that again came side effects. The last bout had her all over the place. She gained a lot of weight, and then dropped down to hardly anything. She went from being in a wheelchair to walking around fine. It was a crazy rollercoaster. I heard them say the word terminal but they never said it to my brother or me. I guess they figured we knew. We probably did, but it is amazing how your brain will let you think that means something else.

I knew though...

I knew by the way she held her grandkids, and how she just poured herself out. You could see that she was trying to give all that she could with the time that she had. I know that she made it so long because she fought! Man, she fought for everyday, to see us, to see her grandbabies, to see her husband. I think she surprised many doctors. She saw both Zakk and I get married, and she was there to hold five of the six grandkids, but with a weakened system and two bouts of sepsis the cancer finally got its foothold on her.

When I got to the hospital she was already very medicated, and we were told that she had between two weeks and two months to live. She was too medicated to really speak to anyone from that point on. I remember sitting in her room and trying to think of Bible verses to say to her. I sang quietly “What a Day That Will Be” to her. I quoted Romans 8:18 – “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” over and over. I don’t know if it was for her or me. I let her know that it was ok to let go. I know she tried to say “I Love You” to me, which meant more to me than anything. It was the last words she ever heard me say, and the last words I ever heard her say. She only made it the two weeks.

I got the call Sunday morning as we were getting ready for church. She had gone on to glory very early in the morning. She had not opened her eyes in days, but my Step-Father said that she turned her head, looked at him, and smiled as she drifted away peacefully. My wife and I got to the hospital and into the room, and to me it was really the most reliving thing to see her. To know that she was now absent from that body and present with the Lord was the most comforting thing I could imagine.

I remember my grandma sitting at the head of the bed weeping. I leaned over and hugged her, and said, “Imagine the church service Mom is at this morning!” That was my thought. I can’t remember feeling any pain throughout that whole time. All I remember is feeling gratitude to the Lord for saving her, and comfort knowing she is with the one who loved her enough that He took her sins upon His shoulders some two thousand years ago.

The thought of my Mother in Heaven has comforted me everyday since she has been gone, and most days it is enough to know that she is with Jesus, and I will see her again. Other days I get a little selfish and wish she was still here for me to hug, and hear my kids call “Hunny”. Mother’s Day is one of those days, but the last thing she would want is for me to get hung up on being selfish, it was so not her style. Mother's Day now is for the Mother of my kids, who, like my mom is one of the most selfless people I know. She is a wonderful mother to our three kids, and I love her more than I could say. She deserves a Mother's Day each week, and by the Grace of God I will not ever ruin another one for her... my Mom raised me better than that.

Bonnie Kay
“Hunny”
1953 - 2006

Takin' it to the Street

I just wanted to share some pictures of Street Ministry this week. We had an amazing time, and the Lord gave us many opportunities to have one-to-one conversations. I had a wonderful chance to give the entire gospel message to to guys, Castro & Max. Pray for these guys! Someone tried to interrupt and Dan J intervened and ended up witnessing to him for about 20 minutes. Dave R knelt by a man who has lost his wife, kids, job, health, and home to alcohol and shared with him the good news. Rich W preached an excellent sermon about finding peace with God and had some engaged listeners. Alex S was witnessing with an open Bible sharing scriptures. Andy H was home watching his kids, but I had this picture from the week before, so I thought I'd throw it up.

Out of the Box, Into the Market

Ok… I need some help again…criticism, suggestions, ideas all welcome. I just want to lay this idea out to see if it makes any sense to anyone else.

If you are familiar with the public market you know that it is the crossroads of our entire area. From the rural areas to the inner city those who live within driving distance come to shop at the public market.

I have been up there a few times to try and see what types of evangelism can be done. Passing tracts out one time I really noticed some coldness. My guess is that I was not the first to think of that and people are sick of it. Preaching could work, but then I started thinking of something Missionary Jim Tag had said that they did in Spain. He set up a book table and used it to generate conversations. So here’s the idea… how to do it, well I have no clue about that yet.

What if you got a booth at the public market to sell books? There are many books that would by nature generate questions or conversation. I think of “God Does Not Believe In Atheists”, or any of the Creation vs. Evolution books. Any books that would get people to ask questions or engage in debate could be used. Perhaps you could sell some books, but what about taking the conversations and turning them into witnessing opportunities? Do you think that could work? What about also having surveys and just offering a small gift for taking a survey, then using that to begin a spiritual conversation? My father-in-law uses surveys going door to door every Saturday. Do you think that could work?

Here are the main obstacles if it could work.

How much is it to get a booth?
How do you get enough books to sell, or decide what to sell? – Could you cooperate with another bookstore?
Who is going to man it?

Let me know any thoughts you may have

Acts 17:17 - Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.

Habakkuk 2:13,14

Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity? For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

New York, New York

So I knew that I would love the opportunity to go to spread the gospel in NYC, but I couldn’t believe how much I loved NYC itself. I LOVED IT! I loved the subways, the bus, the beautiful buildings towering into the air, I loved it all. I know I was in tourist mode so my goal is to back a few more times so I don’t love it so much. I’d go back tomorrow if I could. I could not believe all the people! The opportunity for street ministry there would be endless.

Anyways…With all the wonderful maneuvering that God orchestrated to allow me to go on this trip, I was excited to see what He was going to have me do down there. I really wanted to preach in Times Square, I wanted to pass out all my tracts, and I wanted to have some great one-on-ones. I really wanted to be used of God down there, but I soon found out what I’ve heard from many of my friends who have gone on short missions trips…the trip was more for them that for what they could do. Really it’s almost funny the arrogance of it all. God doesn’t need us, we need Him.

So I didn’t pass out all my tracts, and I didn’t preach in Times Square. I did have a good witness opportunity with a bunch of girls from England on a school trip, but it ended when the rest of their group called them back. God brought me down there to speak to me, and to encourage me. He used the preacher at Times Square Church, Carter Conlon, he used the preacher at Brooklyn Tabernacle, Jim Cymballa, He used the images that I saw walking down the street, and he used the people He sent down there with me. It was a wonderful time of worship and fellowship and ministry.

I would like to (in my free time) post a quick blurb about different parts of the trip as I can, even for me so I can go back and remember well, but free time has been hard to come by. I have a 5-7 page report to write, and a few tests to study for.

OK...I know this is dangerous ground to tread, but I am looking for your comments here concerning the comments of one of my heros, William Booth. Please leave your comments anonymous if you will.

The theatre in Worcester was crowded for the visit of William Booth on January 22, 1882. Even the General himself 'had great difficulty in getting in'. The door was smashed by the crowd still trying to gain admission after the place was full.George ' Sailor' Fielder, the Commanding Officer, had been put up to sing. He had been a sea captain with a voice that had often been heard above the roar of the waves. (Forty years later he still had ' a voice like thunder and gloried in open-air fighting'.) He sang his testimony in the words, ' Bless His name, He set me free.'

'That was a fine song. What tune was that? ' inquired the Army's Founder later.
'Oh,' came the reply in a rather disapproving tone, General, that's a dreadful tune. Don't you know what it is? That's " Champagne Charlie is my name".' That's settled it,' William Booth decided as he turned to Bramwell. ' Why should the devil have all the best tunes?'

An early pamphlet made the Army's position clear by saying that it' considers all music sacred when used with holy purpose'. For his Christmas message to War Cry readers of 1880 William Booth had already written: ' Secular music, do you say, belongs to the devil? Does it? Well, if it did I would plunder him for it, for he has no right to a single note of the whole seven. . . . Every note, and every strain, and every harmony is divine, and belongs to us. . . . So consecrate your voice and your instruments. Bring out your comets and harps and organs and flutes and violins and pianos and drums, and everything else that can make melody. Offer them to God, and use them to make all the hearts about you merry before the Lord.'

Getting There is Half the Fun

I guess the easiest way to do this is in little bites. First of all I want to praise the Lord for getting me to NYC, and I want to boast on Him for how He did it. When the trip was first offered, there was a man who offered to pay for me to go, but he has also helped me out so many times before that I didn’t feel comfortable with that. I fully planned on going to the Rochester parade to pass out tracts. A few weeks ago the man leading the trip explained that someone had to back out last minute so there was a train ticket and hotel already paid for if I wanted to go. OK, Lord! I’m going…well the guy who backed out had another change so he could go now. Did God still want me to go? Sure enough, as he came back on the trip someone else had to back out, so again train ticket and hotel provided by God! Just think of how that all worked. What a God! Then with ticket and hotel paid for I got the time off of work, and was all packed when at the last minute I had what was probably the worst toothache in all my life. Honestly my last post was written in such pain that I really didn’t think I was going. I e-mailed a few friends and took some Tylenol and finally around 1am went to sleep. Praise God I woke up and the pain was gone. It was sensitive, but it didn’t hold me back from going. Thank you for praying. God hears! From where I’m sitting it was just amazing to see God work out the details, and solve all the problems. He is a wonderful God.

Psalm 103:1 - Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Off to NYC...

OK… so here’s where I’m at. I’m leaving for NYC in about 5 hours! You’d think I can’t sleep because I’m so excited, and that I’m just restless because this will be my first time going away on a smite trip, and its St. Patrick’s Day in the Big Apple, so I just can’t sleep, but you’d be wrong. I can’t sleep because I feel like someone has hit me in the face with a baseball bat.

A few days…er…weeks ago I lost a filling. Not Fun! It has been on and off troublesome, but not “the cost of getting it taken care of” troublesome. Well…today it is “Grown man crying” troublesome. Yes, I know I should have had it taken care of days …er…um… weeks ago, but I didn’t. I put it off and put it off, and now I’m in so much pain I can hardly think. Oh did I tell you I am leaving for NYC in less than 5 hours?

Why am I telling you this? Well… I need prayers, and I figure this may an easy way to get the 5 people who read this to pray for me. I so do not want this to ruin the trip! I know I am supposed to go. This would be kind of neat if it didn’t hurt soooo bad. I mean think about it. I’m at a point where I can’t do anything, which is just where God likes us because the only option it leaves is for Him to show Himself in mighty to get me through.

Please pray for our team as we head down to NYC to sow the gospel seed with Little Red Book. Pray that tracts would get into the hands of some seeking sinners, and find some soft hearts. Please pray that God would be honored and glorified with everything said and done. Please pray for my tooth that this pain subsides, and pray for the families of the team. Thank You SO Much!

I will do my best to post about the trip when I get back.

When I consider thy heavens

Psalm 148:3b - ...praise him, all ye stars of light.

I know this is going to sound silly to some, and like I am searching for an experience to others, but believe me, the only reason I am sharing this is to glorify God.

I just got home from church, and missionary Ken Pitcher preached to us a message on glorifying God. He demonstrated through multiple verses that God is glorified, when we ask. Not when we ask for ourselves, but when we ask in order to glorify Him. That’s probably a very simple explanation of a great truth that Bro. Pitcher was teaching us, but it will suffice for my story.

On my way home from church after this message, I noticed how beautiful the stars looked. My eyesight is pretty bad and I don’t have glasses, but I can see the stars on a clear night. I get mesmerized by stars, and I often spend time looking up. The heaven do indeed declare the glory of God, and as I got out of my van at home I began looking up again. I reflected on Bro. Ken’s message, and even though it’s silly, I felt at liberty to ask God for a shooting star. Yes I know it sounds ridiculous, but forgive me for that. I am opening my silly self up here! I stared into the sky and quietly glorified my Lord for His work in creation, and for few minutes I just stood under the sky looking up amazed. I asked God in light of the message to show me a shooting start only so I could glorify Him for it, and I stood there…I probably started into the sky for five minutes, until the silliness of my request began to creep up on me. I started walking in to the house, and periodically peeked back at the sky, I began to silently speak to God and praised Him for the stars that I could see, and right before I turned to walk inside, where I was looking a shooting star streaked across the sky.

So what if it sounds silly! You call it what you want, but it was God answering a silly request in order that He might be glorified. Remember I know it sounds all sappy, but tears began to come to my eyes, and I praised Him for being Him!

I know that what I saw was from God to me, and that it doesn’t really translate well on a blog post, but I had to share.

Psalm 40:5 - Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.