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.