Someone Special

I was in the pizza shop a couple weeks buying a pizza. There was a young man at the counter talking to, what appeared to be, his friends working the counter. I stood in line and waited. He realized someone else was in line so he moved over and let me take my turn in line. I told them my last name and that I had a pizza ordered so they scurried to get it. The young man, now standing off to the side looked at me and said “I think I know you.” I looked at him and didn't readily recognize him. “Is your name Troy?” “Yeah!” He then told me his first name and then it clicked. I said his last name as a form of a question and he excitedly said “YES!” He was a boy in the youth group that my wife and I spent a lot of time with a few years after we were married. The rest of the conversation kind of went like this:

Me: How are you doing?

Him: Good. I just got married last weekend.

Me: Great, congratulations! How's that working out for you?

Him: Great.

Me: What are you doing with yourself?

Him: Just working in a factory, for now. (he named our local factory)

Me: I worked in that factory for three and a half years.

Him: I want to find something else...something different. I just want to be someone special.

Me: Don't feel bad, I still work at a factory.

They called my name with the pizza so I turned around to pay for it, hoping I could talk some more with this young man. When I turned back around, he was gone. I wanted to encourage him further. Maybe invite him and his new wife out to our place for dinner. Didn't happen, though. It just bothered me what he said. He just wants to be someone special. I struggled to understand what he meant. Maybe I read too much into it. What does he want to be, a doctor, a preacher, the President, a professional football player? What's his idea of special? A dad? I don't think he had much of one growing up. We each have our own definition of what makes a person special. I work with all kinds of people from doctors/surgeons to company presidents to engineers to machinist to janitors. Each one may or may not utilize their God given talents and abilities. Does their occupation make them special? Many would say it would. Look at our celebrities. Our sports heroes. Musicians. Does it make them special that they are good looking and can memorize a script or a song? Does that make their opinion on politics, world peace or animal humanity/rights more special?

I can remember in the '90's, when I was looking for a job, that everyone had to have a college degree to get a decent job. I can remember the school's commercials. It showed someone flipping burgers with their sad face on. Then, after attending their college, he wore a business suit to work and a happy face. I was always thinking, “yeah right, what geeky actors.” But I fell for it. They showed how that would make me special so I thought that might work. I now know that I am special, but in a different way.

I was reading an article in Popular Science (I know, now I'm the geek). It is in the September 2005 issue and it's ironically titled “Super Human”. On the front cover it tells that articles within this issue will show “How science will help us live longer, smarter, stronger” with:

• A better brain

• Artificial muscles

• Smart drugs

• External wombs

• and Cures for everything

Talk about a special person! It even has a centerfold picture of a “Fully enhanced HUMAN 2.0”. Their idea of some of the equipment near future humans might be stacked with, like micro-chips in their brain to help them retain thoughts/memories; titanium hearts; the newest artificial lung; artificial spinal discs; cellphones that are implantable into your teeth; eyes that can see new colors that we have never been able to experience before and on and on. Some of these things are near future if not already available. Some are farther off. One article tells about drugs that some manufacturers are already working on. These drugs would not treat an illness. Like an athlete that dopes up his/her body to get the extra edge in their competition, these drugs would dope the mind. They are memory and thought enhancing drugs. Some are very specific. Want to feel a little more religious? Pop a pill. Want to be a little calmer and sharper for the test or interview you have? Pop a pill. Some of these medications were originally developed for Alzheimer patients, but they saw that they could “enhance the mind” of healthy people. Don't think that I'm anti-medicine. I occasionally take Advil for an achy back or a headache. I even encourage medicinal repair work. Bad knee joint? Get a new one. Bad sinuses? Get them fixed. If it's broke, fix it. But if it's not broke, don't try to manipulate it to make it work faster, stronger, harder. I personally think we run to science and medicine too hastily. There are is so much we could fix (I believe) with diet, exercise and discipline. Wow, sorry about this tangent.

If we only used our God given gifts and talents to love others, to me that makes a special person. I told my wife the other day that the reason God gave us so many girls is because she is good at what she does. She is an excellent cook/baker/chef. The house is always clean. Those are gifts/talents that need to be shared with them. I am guilty of withholding my gifts. I personally can't think of any talents I have right off hand, but I'm certainly blessed with God's gifts. I typically I keep them to myself. What a shame. What a sin.

Just being a child of God makes me special. The brother of Jesus. Being His servant makes me special. Being a dad who spends time with his children makes me special. Being a loving husband makes me special. Being a friend makes me special. Helping someone in need makes me special. Sharing about God's goodness with others makes me special. Being a pilgrim in this world makes me special. Don't think that I bragging on myself. I don't have these areas mastered yet. Some of these areas are pretty weak in my life. My goal is to try harder in each area. And this is not an exhaustive list. I'm sure I'm missing things. I also know that many would not agree with what makes a person special. That's why I'M writing this on MY blog.

I hope that God puts me in the path of this young man again. I would love to talk with him some more. We'll see. In the mean-time, I'll try to be special!

God bless!!

“…holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Heb. 12:14

Fast Pace

I know that I haven't posted in a very long time. Our life has been very hectic lately. Summers always get busy for us, but this summer seems to be the busiest that I can ever remember. We have been working on the house (paint, flooring, etc...), cutting trees for heat this winter, working a lot, having a new baby, building things for new animals; you name it, it seems to be going on right now. It doesn't appear to be lightening up in the near future either. We have a minister coming in this week to our congregation to teach. He is supposed to be a great teacher/counselor about the church, it's structure and relationships within the church. I plan on attending at least a couple evenings to hear him. I could use the encouragement. I haven't felt too close to God lately. I know He hasn't left or forsaken me. It kills me to realize that we are so far apart and to know that it has been me straying. I can also see the toll it has taken on my family. When the children aren't encouraged in the Lord, they get to be not-so-likeable....like me. It's terrible to say that about the beautiful gifts that the Lord has blessed me with. Just being honest. I know it's my lack of training, love, discipline and time spent with them. It takes a toll on my wife. She is such a peach to put up with me. When I'm in a slump, she more than takes up the slack. I appreciate her very much and don't often let her know that. I also know that my busy-ness is not an excuse to stray from the Lord. Why is it that when things get busy, the Lord is the first thing to go? I shorten up my Bible and prayer time to squeeze something else in. The time gets shorter and shorter until it is non-existent. Why is it that the one thing that we need to hold onto with a death grip is the first thing to let go...and so easily? It really frustrates me about myself.
I hope to start posting more frequently. I can't promise anything, though. I came across this picture again and wanted to share it. This baby could have been one of our preemies. Tiny little thing with lots of dark, fuzzy hair. In case you can't read the caption under the picture, it says: "There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." Albert Einstein (1879-1955) That's all for now.
God Bless!!

Christian Classics

I picked up a book last night to start reading out loud to the family. It was "Eerdman's Book of Christian Classics". I hadn't looked through it for quite some time. It's a compilation of excerpts from Christian writers through the centuries. It also gives a bit of history on the way. I know that I don't agree with all of the writers within the book, but I like the book. It's like a "Greatest Hits" album. You can get all (some) of an artists best songs on one album, tape, CD etc. I don't have to go out and buy each of these books by these writers to enjoy some of their best work. I'm going to share some of it with you. I might share more of it in the future.

Like the Gospel-writer Luke, the unknown author of the letter to 'Diognetus' wrote to explain the Christian faith to a serious enquirer. Its recipient was probably a pagan of high rank, possibly the emperor himself.

The Letter to Diognetus - 150(?) AD

You can't tell a Christian from a non-Christian by where he lives or the way he speaks or how he dresses. There are no 'Christian towns', there is no 'Christian language', and they eat, drink and sleep just like everybody else. Christians aren't particularly clever or ingenious and they haven't mastered some complicated formula, like the followers of some religions.

But while it's true that they live in cities next to other people, and follow the same pattern of life as they do, in fact they have a unique citizenship of their own. They are, of course, citizens of their own lands - loyal ones, too. But yet they feel like visitors. Every foreign country is their homeland, and their homeland is like a foreign country to them...They are nationals of various states, but citizens of heaven.

To put it simply - the soul is to the body as Christians are to the world. The soul is spread through all parts of the body and Christians through all parts of the world. The soul is in the body but is not of the body; Christians are in the world but not of the world.

This letter makes me wonder if I am not too comfortable with living in the world. Do I consider myself a citizen of this world? My town? My house? How would I react if it were lost or taken away? Maybe the problem is more like the letter. I like the letter and what it says, but maybe I mix into the world too much. Maybe my language is too similar to the worlds. Maybe my patterns and lifestyles too closely resemble that of the worlds. Am I trying to fit in or am I trying to make a difference? Typically we are comfortable in a group that we are similar to. A guy doesn't feel comfortable in a room full of ladies and same with a lady in a room full of guys. The same should be our lives in the world. Yes, we physically appear like the world. I do think our speech should be different. Our dress should be different. Not to make the world feel uncomfortable, but because we are supposed to contrast the world. Light in a dark world. People shouldn't jump to the conclusion that we are Christians because of what we wear and what we say, but I think it should different. Not for the sake of being different, either. I know this sounds confusing. I would not allow my daughter to dress like what I see many eight-year-olds dress like. Do I feel like one of a few lifeguards in a world full of drowning people? I have the ability to rescue people (with their willingness of course), but would I rather sit on the pier and count them as they go down?
True, I know that I have citizenship in heaven. Yes, I have no other choice but to be in the world. I do have a choice of where I put my treasures. Here on this foreign soil or in the safe homeland? Am I too comfortable on this earth? Let me meditate on that.

God Bless!!

Church Update: Blessing Others

⁴⁴ And all that believed were together, and had all things common; ⁴⁵ And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. ⁴⁶ And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, ⁴⁷ Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. - Acts chapter 2.

I told you that I would keep you posted on how our church experience was going. So far I've been pretty impressed. I know that it doesn't matter how I feel about it, but I'm certain that it is a body that truly glorifies God by it's actions and love. It makes me think of the above passage. Not that it fits them perfectly, because it doesn't. This group (in the Acts passage) was there because Peter and the apostles led them to Christ. They probably had very similar doctrinal beliefs. The church we have been attending all came together after they had been saved. They had their faith/belief established prior to coming. It's not a huge fellowship: maybe 10 to 12 families. Each one with a different church background.

The thing is that they all respect each others background. They follow biblical guidelines where things are clearly spelled out in scripture. Things that are gray, they go the route of least offense. Example: communion is a touchy subject from denomination to denomination. Some insist that it's taken every week. Other groups take it once a month. Some take it quarterly and some annually. With having families from every denominational background, we probably have some that believe in each of these scenarios. The men got together and decided to offer it once a month. If you want to take it more often (every week) you could do it at home. If you didn't want to take it every month, don't take it. Nobody is offended if a family doesn't partake in the “passing of the elements”. This is the procedure agreed upon by the men of the congregation and confirmed by the elder. The path of least offense. Every man takes a turn preaching, usually leaving hot, gray topics alone. Each family respects each other families belief.

Another area is the help they provide. What really led me to this passage was verse 45. To my knowledge, no one from the congregation has sold all of their possessions, but they certainly see to it that every man that has need, the need is met. We had meals provided to our family for a week after the baby was born. People traveled from Michigan (probably 60 miles or more) Ohio and Indiana to make sure we had a supper meal (usually hot) every night last week. What a blessing! Someone even called on Saturday to ask if we wanted meals for the following week also. We also had friends and family from the area provide meals to us that was a huge blessing. I have also heard story after story of families helping out other families. We have a testimony time at church when people share what the Lord has done for them in the previous week. It's anything from someone tilling someones new yard while the family was away to working concrete for someone who needs a barn floor poured. The person tilling the yard just stopped by, tilled the yard and left without leaving a note or message or anything. They saw a need and met it. God truly receives the glory.

We have been having water pressure problems in our house. Water just trickled out of the faucets some days. I called a plumber and he said it sounded like a well problem. He gave me the name and number of a well digger. He told me before he hung up the phone that “it would probably be expensive”. I was perplexed. I know so little about wells, pressure tanks and plumbing that I was afraid to try to look into it myself. I mentioned this at church at prayer time. I asked that the church pray for God to grant me wisdom on how to deal with this. After the service was over, I was approached by six men asking me the symptoms of the problem. I explained. Two of the men asked if I was going to be home later. “Sure” I said. They stopped in and found the problem. I don't think we ever had as much water pressure as we do now. It was a simple fix and very inexpensive. I told them that I felt bad the one had to come from Michigan to fix such a simple problem (I would have never figured it out on my own). They blew it off and said they were happy they could help us save some money. Most of the men there are either farmers or construction workers. I'm convinced that between those two professions, anything can get fixed that's needs fixed. Families have loaned vehicles to other families for indefinite amounts of time. One family left the Amish belief. They were getting persecuted by friends and family. They were actually getting death threats from some. This body of believers helped to move them out of their house in the middle of the night to help protect this family. One of the other families let them move into an empty house they had until they could get themselves established.

I don't mention these stories to brag or puff anyone up. To my knowledge (unless my wife has given this web-site to them) none of this church knows that I write this. I say this because: 1) I promised to keep you updated on our church experience, and 2) to encourage that there are churches who still believe in the old fashion ways. Neighbors helping neighbors. Families encouraging families. One of the families offered their 21 year old daughter to stay with us for a week or so after the baby came to cook, clean and help with the other children. I have been pleasantly surprised by this fellowship. Not just because we have benefited from it. I could just sit back and watch and listen to the testimonies given about how God has used a certain family or how someone was anonymously blessed by someone else. Without getting too sappy, I'll just say that it truly warms the heart, and the glory goes to God!!

God bless!!

Where You Came From

My sister-in-law was here visiting yesterday and before she left, she said something that has stuck with me. She was commenting on the baby and my wifes delivery and she said (paraphrased): “Don't ever forget how God has delivered you. Don't be like the Israelites and forget where God has brought you.”

First of all, I could not forget God's goodness and mercy towards us. When you have a need and ask in faith for God to meet that need, He does. Even if it's not a need. He has filled so many “wants” in our life. What my sister-in-law said applies to each Christian. We should never forget where God brought us out of or how He did it. At this time, being so close to Susanna's birth, it means so much more to us.

We had Ross, our first child, about a year and a month after we were married. Pregnancy was great. Eshell (my wife) did wonderfully through it all. We went through Lamaze and learned the breathing and everything. The doctor induced her two days after her due date because her blood pressure was high. It's amazing that was ten years ago! He is such a big help to me!

Brookelyn came along 22 months after Ross. 11 weeks into the pregnancy, Eshell started bleeding heavily. The doctor told us that she was carrying twins and that she had lost one. He told her to stop nursing Ross as this was possibly adding to the complications she was having (which we now don't think had anything to do with it). She ended up delivering Brookelyn seven weeks early. She spent some time (I think seven days) in the NICU at Parkview hospital. That was difficult. Not only seeing our baby in the incubator, not being able to hold her, but seeing some of the atrocities in the NICU. I saw another preemie in there who was (thanks to the mother) addicted to crack-cocaine. The poor thing just constantly shook as it was withdrawing from the poison the mother polluted it with. Of all the time we spent at the hospital while she was in (we practically lived there) no one ever came to see that baby. The nurses or doctors were not supposed to disclose information about the other babies in there, but most of them shared pretty openly with us. Some mothers would go home after delivering prematurely and say “Just let me know when I can come an pick up the baby” and the staff would not see the mother until they called. Sometimes it would be days or weeks. We got Brookelyn home and she is developing into a beautiful young lady.

Dylan was another 22 months after Brookelyn. He was a surprise. Some of the same complications came. Heavy bleeding which led to bed rest and many visits to the ER for ultrasounds. I believe it was with Dylan that Eshell had a condition called placenta previa (the placenta is situated over the cervix). Dylan was born six weeks early and was in NICU for 11 days (I believe). Dylan now has two speeds: sleeping and 140mph. 100% boy! I love it!

Between Dylan and Abigail was another 22 months. Same old routine. We were seeing a specialist this time. Eshell developed a placental abruption (tear) with this pregnancy which caused more bleeding and more bed rest. The doctor kept telling us that with the last two babies being premature and the high possibility that this would be also, our odds of ever having a full term baby in the future were nearly impossible. It was recommended by any medical professional and most others (friends/family) that we stop having children. The delivery was not a good one. One nurse tried to “help” with our other children by offering to call social services to have them pick our children up. That wasn't much help in the midst of a terrible labor. They tried to turn Eshell's labor off by giving her magnesium sulfate. She had a terrible and unexpected reaction to it. First, it made her hallucinate. Next, it's effects were delayed. Her labor showed no signs of slowing down. She continued to have contractions for several hours. After they realized that it wasn't working, they thought they would just speed up the labor by giving her pitocin to increase contractions. Just about as soon as they gave it to her the magnesium sulfate kicked in. Her body was now trying to stop the labor. No need to worry, though. Then the pitocin started working and her body slowly started laboring again. It was miserable. She delivered Abigail seven weeks early. Abigail spent 13 days in NICU. Another lovely young lady.

We had been talking a lot about having a baby at home using a midwife. I didn't have much faith that that would ever happen. Given our history in childbearing, the future of home-birth looked pretty bleak. By this time, we were committed to letting God plan our family size. We had listened to all of the risks and had taken it into consideration, but like I've said in the past, I really felt that God was to be in control of every area of our lives. All of our children and Eshell were healthy. Early deliveries and hospital stays were inconvenient, but the blessing far out-weighed this. Needless to say, Eshell got pregnant again. We were going to a different family doctor at this time. A very godly man whom we respect very much. I may be wrong, but I think the first time we met him was with this first prenatal visit. We expressed to him our desire to have the baby at home if she could make it to full term. I was expecting a negative response. He had her file. He was looking through our past deliveries. Instead, he was very supportive of us. In fact, he prayed for us before we left the office. He laid his hand on Eshell's shoulder and prayed that God would heal her womb; that she might carry the baby full term, and that God would honor our desire to have the baby at home. Eshell's early pregnancy was pretty rough. A lot of sickness. She would wake up in the night to throw up. We made contact with a midwife and explained our situation. She was very informative. She explained her situation. She would not be able to deliver a baby any earlier than 37 weeks. That was our goal to shoot for. Several nights I would lay in bed with my hand on Eshell's belly and pray for healing and that we could meet the required 37 weeks. 37 weeks came and went. We had Grace at 39 weeks; 30 months after Abigail! What an amazing experience. The midwife let me deliver Grace as she coached me. Very moving. Needless to say, we praised God! We're still praising God. Grace is now 2 and a half and has four older siblings that wait on her hand and foot. They all get along great.

After such a positive experience with Grace, when we found out that we were pregnant again, we didn't even consult the doctor. We went right to the midwife. From the beginning of the pregnancy I felt so strongly that God had healed Eshell, I may have gotten arrogant. Her pregnancy went very well with Susanna. At around 32 or 33 weeks, the devil started planting some fear and doubt in my mind. This is when Eshell labored with our preemies. God strengthened us through this time and brought us to (almost) 39 weeks; another 28 months after Grace. Praise Him for His goodness!! Susanna and Eshell are both doing wonderfully. I know Susanna will bring us as much joy as the others have!

We have not forgotten where we came from or how we got here. We do remember God's mercy to us. He knows our needs and is mindful, but he also blesses according to our desires. I pray that God is blessed and glorified by this family. I thank Him for giving us the strength to press on when the trip looked dark and painful. He was with us each inch of the journey.

I know this post got a bit long. If you stuck it out till the end, I appreciate it. It's a peek into our personal (and usually private) lives, but it's a story that is worth telling. I hope somebody else may be blessed by it and, once again, God might be glorified by it. All praise to HIM!!

God Bless!!

Baby Knapp

My wife gave birth to Susanna Joy on friday afternoon. She weighed 7 lbs. 14 oz. and measured 20 inches long. What a blessing she is. The children are adjusting well. They can't hold and kiss her enough. She has other ideas. She would rather nurse and sleep. Rough life, I know. Baby and mom are both doing very well. I took this week off of work. I hope to be able to post a bit more than what I have been. Please keep us in your prayers as we are still adjusting.

God bless!

Whose Conviction Is It Anyway?

We heard a good message at church this weekend. It went along with something that's been on my mind for maybe a month now. He used Romans 14 as the text. The basic foundation of his message was that you cannot live under someone else's conviction. He elaborated on some examples from the text such as diet; specifically eating meat and honoring the “Sabbath”, whenever that might be. He certainly got into much more detail and used many more examples that I won't mention, but as I said before, the meat of it was that if you are living under someone else's conviction, you are binding yourself under law. This is an easy thing for me to do. I love to read or hear how someone got close to the Lord through some principle or some method. How the Lord is really blessing a family for their obedience in some area. I'm a man, I like road maps. I'm also an engineer, I like formulas. Show me the way. Point me in the right direction. I'm great at following instructions!

Your faith isn't quite like that. It's YOUR faith. I can't get close to the Lord on my parents' faith. My brothers' faith won't get me to heaven. I need to show the Lord that I trust Him by being obedient to Him. Not someone else's principles or convictions.

When we started getting close to the Lord, my wife and I searched out what was working in other peoples lives and tried to integrate it into ours. We weren't seeking the Lord. We were seeking men. We were seeking in the wrong place. We met a lot of godly people who really loved the Lord and were being used by Him. Regardless of how we mimicked them, it was someone else's life we were trying to live. We gave up a lot of things and took on a lot more. Most of the things we gave up were things that should have been given up. Some of the things that we took on was an unnecessary burdensome yoke. It wasn't until WE started seeking the Lord and His will and direction for our lives that He started showing us that the things we were doing were in vane. We had bound ourselves under someone else's law (or their conviction). A lot of the “convictions” we took on made sense. And like I said, it seemed to be working for these other people. Please don't misunderstand me, if the Bible is clear in stating something, we have no choice but to obey it. If something doesn't seem real clear in the scripture or the scripture describes something as being beneficial, allow the Holy Spirit to work in your heart and lead you in this area. I'm not sure why we would need prompted by the Spirit to do something with the promise of blessings or benefits, though (not that it's all about benefits).

One example was allowing the Lord to plan our family size. When we married, I told my wife that I wanted two children and no more. She wanted six. We settled on three. We started hearing about allowing the Lord to plan your family and I initially thought it was nuts. We started meeting more people with this mind-set. My wife was reading a book teaching this and she kept reading passages of it to me. Scriptures were being mentioned; “...be fruitful and multiply” and “Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them (children)...” I thought that maybe this is what “true Christians” were supposed to do. I jumped on the bandwagon. Although it didn't make me real popular, it did make me stand out. I thought I was pretty holy. I had the same “conviction” that all of these godly people did. What I actually had was their conviction! The Lord eventually touched my heart and told me that this is what He has for me and my family. I still felt more righteous than what I should have. I now had my conviction, but I thought everyone else should have my conviction. Not so. I love to see large families. I love to hear stories how God has touched the lives of those who have been faithful to HIS calling in this area. I didn't say everyone gets that calling though. Once again, don't misunderstand. I have a real problem with taking permanent measures to see to it that you don't have any more children. I don't think we should break our bodies for the sake of our own personal pleasures. It would be like me going to the doctor and asking him to take my tonsils out because they are taking up room. "I would kind of like that real-estate in there for something else". Sounds silly. To me, it is silly. It's silly to take our bodies and mutilate them for our own joy. The birth control pill is not okay either. It aborts your babies as opposed to preventing conception from taking place. If you want to control the number and timing of your children, there are natural ways of doing this. Just remember, God is still in control.

Some of the things that we added to or took away from our lives were a real struggle for us. We bounced back and forth. Like James says about the man praying without faith, being tossed to and fro like a wave of the sea. We finally had to step back and assess the situation. It was then that WE sought the Lord and searched out the scriptures. We waited on the Lord to give the go-ahead or the hold-back. He did both. Some things we gave up on. We concluded that the Lord was working on another persons heart by giving the conviction. It wasn't meant for us. Some things He told us to continue doing. When we got that confirmation, it was easier. The yoke became lighter.

One man I used to work with never wore a watch. He told me that he didn't think there was anything wrong with wearing watches, but he couldn't wear one. I asked him why. He said that he used to wear a real nice watch everywhere he went. He noticed how it really made him look nice. He began to notice it when he was worshiping the Lord. It was then that he realized that it was coming between him and the Lord. It sounds kind of weird and petty, but I admired him for that. If he truly thought that his watch was a wedge between him and his savior, he needed to get rid of it. I hope that I am half that sensitive to my own relationship with the Lord. I think that sometimes I'm oblivious to the large, obvious things that come between me and the Lord. May God soften my heart to this.

Just know that God loves us regardless of our lives. There is nothing that we could physically do to make Him love us more. He's already done the most He could do by sending His merciful Son to take our sins upon Him and become our sacrifice once-and-for-all. I do know that our obedience and our faith does please Him. If you see something in someone that seems to be working for them, pray about it. Take it to the Lord and see if it's something He would have for your life. Or if it's something that's blatantly obvious in scripture, don't even pray about it. Just do it! It's a pretty safe bet. Be open to the Lord's leading in your life. Do what He asks. And remember, He loves your brother as much as He loves you. Even if you are more holy.

God Bless!

“…holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Heb. 12:14

Simple Gifts

'Tis the gift to be simple,
'Tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
It will be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gained,
to bow and to bend, we shan't be ashamed
To turn, turn, will be our delight,
'Til by turning, turning, we come round right.

Simple Gifts was written by Shaker Elder Joseph Brackett, Jr. in 1848. It was first published in The Gift to be Simple: Shaker Rituals and Songs. Simple Gifts was a work song sung by the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing (more commonly called the Shakers, an offshoot of the Quakers). The bowing, bending and turning described in the song actually referred to the dancing that went along with many of their songs.

I sometimes catch myself feeling like the Shakers, Quakers and Amish. Keep it simple and basic. There is nothing wrong with a simple lifestyle, but I also catch myself finding comfort and security in this. I like to SEE that I'm doing something “for the Lord”. I know that many of the Amish today find security and comfort in their lifestyle. Why else would they continue in the inconvenience of no electricty...no phones...no automobiles if they didn't? Many of them don't act holy, but yet they continue with the outward appearance. I think many of them find their salvation in their lifestyle. Once again, I sometimes catch myself in this thinking. This thinking is not only inaccurate, but it is a sin and an insult to God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Reading through Romans this morning, I was reminded of my error. In Romans 4:4-5 it says: “⁴ Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. ⁵ But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” I know that my works do not save me. If anyone asked me that, I would 100% of the time say “NO, a persons works can't save them!” (or something close to that). Why, then, do I find comfort and security in simplicity? Is it pride and/or self-centered-ness? Deep inside of me, I can't deny that I truly believe that this is right. That a simple life is better then a fast-paced, hectic life. Spending time at home with my family. Becoming less dependent on others (by way of gardening, raising productive animals, etc.). Trying to remove distractions like television and movies and constant noise like what we might allow radio and music to become. I'm not saying that all of these things are bad. If you could find something edifying to watch or listen to, I don't see a problem with it in moderation. The problem is convincing me that anything on TV is edifying.

I guess what it boils down to is that, to me, this lifestyle is a gift as the song states. I wouldn't trade my home and land for a big city home any day. Yes, chores in the country take time and energy. The benefits far out-way the work any day. This is not my salvation, but it is truly a gift from God.

God bless!!

“…holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Heb. 12:14

Church Visit

We hadn't been to church since early December. I was extremely frustrated with the church we were attending and found out some things about the church we were visiting that really turned us off. I had preached at this visiting church once and some of the members (actually more like one person) seemed to really be seeking the Lord. We stopped going there for some things we found out that we could not over-look. I have kept in some contact with the one seeking soul. Anyway, we started having church at home. I was preaching sermons or lessons after we sang hymns. Every once in a while I would find a good article or sermon from the old-time preachers on-line and would read/preach that for our service. We even delved into our vast collection of teaching/preaching tapes and CD's that we've collected over the years and listened to some of them. All was well.

I really didn't know what the Lords' plan was in all of this. Were we to stay home and worship alone forever as a family? I doubted that. Were we to start inviting others to our little services? Maybe.

Then I started getting lazy. The sermon tapes were coming out every week as opposed to once in a while. I was putting very little effort into church service. It kind of lost it's excitement. I feel terrible admitting this. I felt like I was allowing my family to spiritually starve. My own spiritual life started to grow weak.

My wife told me about a fellowship that met about 30 miles north of us a while back. She had gotten a name and phone number from a friend of ours who heard about it. Last week I felt that now was the time to call and find out about it. I got enough information about it to decide it would be a place that my family should visit, and that's what we did last weekend. Quite interesting. I wanted to share a few highlights and things that I enjoyed about this congregation and the way they conduct the service.

First off, they have one elder. They openly admit that this is not the ideal situation, but this is who the Lord has called to serve at this time. The elder told me that he has the authority to make the ruling decisions in the church, but if he did this, he would miss out on much godly wisdom the other men bring to the church meetings. They have men's meetings twice monthly. The first is a business meeting where they discuss business matters, finances and what should be done with tithes (more on tithes in a minute). The second meeting is strictly a prayer meeting. The congregation is made up primarily of farmers. There is no fashion show. Just conservative (mostly if not all) home school families. I don't believe that they are a “registered” church. That might be why, when I asked about tithing, they requested that we give cash. “There's a can that you can put it in. We prefer cash. That way the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is giving. You keep your own records at home. You are accountable to God if and what you give.” I appreciate that. Then I asked what was done with the tithe. They said that when they meet together, anybody that has a need or knows of a need will be brought up. Communion was unique. A big focus of this church is that the man leads the family. The men are responsible for the spiritual state of the family. I agree with that. The communion service went like this. A man got up and had a devotion. We sang a song. Then we meditated. When each family was prepared, the husband/father got up and gathered communion for his own family. He served his family and himself and then returned the elements to the table. I liked that, too. Each man of the church takes a turn preaching in rotation. It figures out that every second or third month, you preach a week. The elder of the church preaches every first Sunday of the month. I like that. The money a lot of churches spend on a full time paid minister could be used to help those in need (in my opinion). At the close of the service, they have a type of prayer meeting. You separate into your family groups. A man is in charge of calling on each family. The husband/father speaks on behalf of his family and makes any prayer needs known. After the family expresses the prayer need, each family prays for the need of that family. They go around the room like this until each family has an opportunity to express it's prayer needs and has been prayed for. On most Sundays, there is a fellowship meal that follows.

My wife and I really enjoyed the service. It wasn't so much the sermon, but the atmosphere. We felt comfortable and welcome there. A change for our family. We will definitely visit again. It encouraged me, also. Something I haven't experienced in a while (except by my wife). We really liked the family focus and the way each family was involved. It certainly keeps it interesting. I'll try to keep you posted on how things go.

God bless!!

“…holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Heb. 12:14

Babes on Milk

I had an interesting conversation a couple weeks ago. If the person with whom I had this conversation reads this, I mean no offense by this. I enjoyed the conversation. Quite stimulating. It was regarding someone who “got baptized” one or two years ago. His speech and actions don't reflect a baptism of the heart, though. This was mentioned to someone, who right away threw up the “he's a babe in Christ on milk” argument. “He needs time to grow and mature in the Lord before he's ready for meat.” This has been an excuse I've heard so many times it's not funny. So many times it's used to try to cover for a sin(s) in a persons life. I obviously can't judge this persons heart. Only God can do that. But for someone to excuse his actions because he's a “babe in Christ”, I think is unacceptable. No where in scripture does it say that it's acceptable to do this. Where it does talk about being a babe and needing milk, it is a rebuke from an apostle (probably Paul). Hebrews 5:

⁹ And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; ¹⁰ Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. ¹¹ Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. ¹² For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

The author of Hebrews is not excusing their state of immaturity. He says that "we want to tell you all the things of Christ, but we can't because you don't listen. You should be teaching others about Christ, but instead you need to be taught AGAIN the basic principles of Christ." I know that we all grow in the Lord. I know that every day should be a new experience with Him. I also know that your life reflects that growth. You don't add Jesus to your life. You give your life to Jesus. He will change it. He will prompt you to give things up. I am a firm believer that at the time of salvation, you are immediately a changed person. Back to crucifying the old man theme. Aren't we lucky that it didn't take Paul two or three years to mature in the Lord. It said that he spent certain “days” with the disciples at Damascus. Not certain years. Right out of the gates, he was on fire. That was verse 19. In verse 20 “Straightway” he's preaching Christ in the synagogues.

I think the goal of too many churches is to get someone into the water or to repeat a prayer. I've met some manipulative preachers who convince people to say a salvation prayer. Then they don't understand why these people so quickly fall away. Many of them just think, we've got to get them baptized. From there, we can wean the world out of them slowly, as not to scare them away. Or, just let the Lord “work” in their lives. Don't reveal their sin to them. Let them figure it out for themselves. That's why these people are stagnant. Because we don't reveal their sin to them. We don't encourage them to seek the Lord. We don't encourage a walk in holiness. “Here, just put on Christ, this will get you through...Oh, that one doesn't fit? Try another one. You know, one Christ doesn't fit them all!” Sounds like nonsense, doesn't it? It's because it is nonsense! But this kind of thing happens all the time. We are afraid to encourage holy living for fear of scaring people away. I say scare them away. Maybe when they're ready for a real change, they'll come back. I doubt it though. They will find somewhere that will pamper their lifestyle.

1 John 1:6 says: If we say that we have fellowship with Him (God), and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

It's doesn't say “aged” or “established” Christians. It says if we claim to have a relationship with God or Christ, and our lives don't reflect that, we are liars. And even children know where liars go. Remember that even Jesus turned the rich young ruler away. He refused to give up something in his life. There was one particular thing in his life that he wanted to hold onto. I don't think that it was just about his money either. He told another not to take the time to bury his family member. If you want to follow Him, it's right here; right now.

There was a young man in the church that we went to in High School. All of his brothers and sisters and friends were baptized at a young age. He waited; and waited; and waited. When someone would try to pressure him, he would say that he wasn't ready. I would not encourage his attitude, but I did admire him a bit. He knew this was a serious decision. He knew that changes would take place. I feel bad for people who know they need to do it, but put it off until a later date. He eventually “took the plunge”. I haven't talked with him for quite a while to see how his life is going. Hopefully his wait didn't disappoint him.

God bless!

“…holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Heb. 12:14