Juliana Kamberger is Home

Hey Ya' All,

This little girl is Juliana Kamberger and the really exciting news is she is home from the hospital! After three major heart surgeries, she is back to being the happy little girl that all of us around here love.

God has been soooo good to the Kamberger's and though this process has been very trying, there is no way to look at all that has happened without recognizing the hand of God!

To God Be The Glory!

That's the way I see it!

I Remain,

Pastor Steve

After 84 Years, Making The First Move

My mind is reeling! I got a family in my Church that is moving a parent from where the parents lives now to where the family lives in North Iowa. No big deal, right, happens all the time. What has me on my heels is that I was told the parent has NEVER move in their entire life! The home in which they now life is the home in which they were born. They have lived in the same home/house for 84 years.

That set me to thinking ... Do I even know anyone that has never moved in the entire life? I posed that question to my Adult Sunday School class and only one person said that they knew of someone that was in this same situation. I'm curious, do you know anyone that has never moved in the lifetime? What is the societal ramifications of our transient nature?

This also made me think about my own life. Lynn and I have moved 8 time thus far in our lives, the first 5 moves were in our first years and a half of our marriage! How many times have you moved? I'm finding it is the little thing in life that fascinate me the most!

That is how I see it ...

I Remain,

Pastor Steve

John Grisham's "The Street Lawyer"

In my last post about John Grisham I mentioned that I was preparing to read "The Partner", however, Lynn thought that I would enjoy "The Street Lawyer", so I gave it a read.

As I got started I thought that this was going to be a story about how anyone who has money and a home is evil because there are those who are living on the streets. Not So. Grisham had his bit of social commentary but did not allow that to over ride the story of a guy re-evaluating his personal goals and ambitions.

One thing that did really strike me was that the entire story covers only 32 days in the life of the main character. Life is fragile and I'm learning, maybe recognizing is a better word, that our lives can be radically changed in an instant!

Overall, not a bad read, not quite the page turner that The Broker" was but still a good story. On to "The Partner"!

That is the way I see it

I Remain,

Pastor Steve

Elderly Princeton Couple Injured In Deer Attack

Elderly Princeton couple injured in deer attack
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
January 26, 2006

Princeton, Ia. — An elderly couple was attacked by a deer they apparently had been feeding, officials said.

Lawrence Carter, 80, and his wife, Beatrice, 74, both of Princeton, were injured Wednesday afternoon. They were taken to a hospital, but there was no immediate information on their condition.

‘‘It was an eight-point, 2-year-old buck that weighed between 150-180 pounds,’’ said Terry Nims of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.‘‘We don’t have any idea why it did what it did,’’ he said. ‘‘This is so rare.’’

Nims said he didn’t know whether the couple were gored with antlers or kicked with hooves or both.

‘‘I’ve seen them fight each other with paws and with antlers,’’ he said.

Nims said the deer appears to have been living in the area since it was a fawn. It was not fenced in and could roam at will. But he said it sounds as though the Carters were providing it with food.

Pastor Steve Says:

When will people learn! Leave the wildlife alone! No matter how cute and cuddly these animals look they are still wild. Deer, raccoons, owls, rabbits; if you find them and you "think" they have been orphaned, leave them ALONE! Don't "adopt" them, it is never a good thing!

"Oh, Honey, look at the little bear. It is soooo cute lets pet it. It looks sooo soft and cuddly." Use your head and God given common sense! Wild animals are not pets, leave them alone.

That is the way I see it!

That's Entertainmment

Once again I'm posting another article by Dr. Kevin Bauder. He is one of the leading thinkers of our day! At least that is the way I see it!

I Remain,
Pastor Steve

That's Entertainment
By: Dr. Kevin Bauder

It’s been a bad fortnight for biblical Christianity in the world of popular entertainment.

To begin with, NBC has launched The Book of Daniel, a situation comedy about a pill-popping Episcopalian priest. Troubles surround him: one son is homosexual and another is sleeping with the bishop’s daughter. His daughter gets arrested for dealing drugs. A sister-in-law has become a lesbian.

Through all difficulties, Daniel (the priest) is sustained by conversation with a smarmy character who is supposed to be Jesus. This “Jesus” gushes inclusivism and spouts wisecracks (“you can quote me”). He is a paragon of liberal (or postliberal) nonjudgmentalism.

One description of comedy is that its purpose is “castigat ridendo mores,” to “correct morals with laughter.” The expression is used for the tactic of dismissing an idea by ridiculing it. Such dismissiveness allows the comedian to avoid any responsibility for understanding and interacting with the idea.

That description neatly fits The Book of Daniel. It begins with a debased version of Christianity (liberal Episcopalianism). It then reduces even that version to an object of ridicule, not in order to restore a pure and strong version of the Christian faith, but rather to dismiss all Christianity as merely goofy. Christians have become accustomed to milder versions of this treatment: network television rarely uses Christianity for anything except comic relief of the depiction of bigotry.

The Book of Daniel, however, is more than an attack upon the faith. It offers a trivialized and comic depiction of the Lord Jesus Himself. This program directly attacks the person and character of the Lord Jesus Christ. I cannot think of a time when the networks have done anything more offensive.

By way of comparison, consider what would happen if NBC subjected a Muslim Imam to the same sort of treatment, perhaps showing him in conversation with an unctuous Mohammed. Muslims around the world would respond with more than protests and boycotts. Network executives would be tripping over themselves to issue apologies.

I’ve never been one for promoting boycotts and writing letters of protest. But I do know this: On my local NBC affiliate, The Book of Daniel has been sponsored by (among others) Burlington Coat Factory, Dairy Queen, and the Chattem brand Icy Hot. It will be a long time before I can bring myself to give money to these businesses.

As if The Book of Daniel weren’t bad enough, Brokeback Mountain is in the news again. The movie won, what—four?—Golden Globe awards, including best drama. According to the pundits, this puts the film on the fast track for the Oscars.

Brokeback Mountain is a dramatic “love story” about two cowboys (married men, both of them) who are also engaged in a homosexual liaison with one another. Its depiction of this homosexual relationship is dominated by the theme that “love is a force of nature.” In other words, love is love, whatever the object.

What Brokeback Mountain is trying to do (to all appearances, quite successfully) is to generate sympathy for the terrible difficulties of men who are swept away by desire for other men, but who are hindered in the indulgence of that desire by social conventions. It smuggles in the assumption that homosexual desire and heterosexual love are similar in quality, differing only in the objects to which they are directed. It also reinforces the contemporary prejudice that love trumps justice, so that the terrible fracture of a man’s sworn fidelity to his wife can understandably and naturally be absolved by his yearning for relations with another man. Rather than showing homosexual activity as the shameful and degrading thing that it is (as reflected in the proper term sodomy), the film presents homosexuality as an appealing manifestation of human intimacy and caring.

Nowhere is it more important for Christians to remind themselves of the distinction between sins and sinner than when dealing with homosexuality. All humans must be treated with dignity and respect simply because we recognize in them the value that derives from being made in God’s image. This applies even to sinful humans (all of us), including homosexuals. We must never allow the demonstration of human respect, however, to imply that we approve or condone sin. This is particularly true in the case of homosexuality. We must not forget that Scripture classifies homosexuality as “vile affections” and condemns it not only as wrong, but “against nature.”

We ought to have compassion upon homosexuals just as we ought to have compassion upon all sinners. What Brokeback Mountain is pleading for, however, is not compassion on those who have gone astray. This movie depicts homosexuality in such a way that it can no longer be rejected as an unnatural, vile affection. Rather, it informs us that “love is a force of nature.” The message is that sodomy is not shameful and degrading, but a loving way for one man to treat another. With this production, Hollywood has reached a new moral nadir. Even those who refuse to watch the movie will be affected by the cultural backlash.

It is disappointing enough when unsaved, worldly culture-mongers cannot see clearly on basic moral issues. It is even more distressing when professing Christians betray complete moral confusion. That is the case with the new movie from Every Tribe Entertainment, End of the Spear.

ETE is supposed to be a Christian maker of Christian films. End of the Spear is supposed to be the film biography of Nate Saint, the missionary pilot and martyr who gave his life to get the message of the gospel to the Auca Indians of Ecuador.

The problem (well, one of the problems) is that director Jim Hanon handed the role of Nate Saint to a man whom he knew to be a homosexual activist. Chad Allen has been a very public advocate of so-called gay marriage and gay rights, including the putative right of homosexuals to adopt children.

Why would a homosexual activist want to portray a Christian martyr? Here is a recent bit of Chad Allen’s personal testimony, extracted from a recent interview on Larry King Live: (I)f they’re going to speak about absolute transcendent truth, I need to tell you, I know absolute transcendent truth. I have a deep relationship with God and my understanding. It’s very powerful, and it’s taken its own shape and form. And I am very much at peace in the knowledge that in my heart God created this beautiful [homosexual] expression of my love…. These days I judge all of my actions by my relationship with God of my understanding. It is a deep-founded, faith-based belief in God based upon the work that I’ve done growing up as a Catholic boy and then reaching out to Buddhism philosophy, to Hindu philosophy, to Native American beliefs and finally as I got through my course with addiction and alcoholism and finding a higher power that worked for me.

Allen goes on to discuss his willingness to play the role of Nate Saint:

You know, I made this movie with a group of conservative Christians who do not agree with my expression of sexuality. But we said to each other, I will walk with you accepting your differences and we can create together. I will give you your space to respect you fully. They don’t need to take away from my freedom, I don’t need to take away from theirs. And I am so proud to have done that. That’s the kind of bridge-building I think we can get to…. You know, I had to sit down with that same God today and say, “Do you want me to go on this show? Do you want me to speak the things that are in my heart? And if not, I’m happy not to go. Do you want me to make this movie?” It’s the same God that I go to for every decision.

For Chad Allen, End of the Spear is an opportunity to advance his agenda of homosexual advocacy by “bridge-building” to a community that disagrees with him. It is an opportunity to “speak the things that are in [his] heart.” It is an opportunity to present the syncretistic, relativistic message of a New Age gospel.

People who have seen the film have said that it contains little or no presentation of the Christian gospel. In other words, there is little in the film that would contradict Allen’s position. People who already know the story of Nate Saint will probably read their pre-understanding into it, but non-Christians and naïve viewers are simply going to see Chad Allen. What Every Tribes Entertainment and Jim Hanon have done is to provide Allen with a platform from which to launch an attack upon the faith that is taught in the Bible.

Thanks for nothing.

Once again, I have to say that I am not in the habit of calling for boycotts. I cannot imagine, however, why any reflective Christian would want to pay money to view this debacle. If Every Tribes Entertainment hopes to garner a profit, let them get it from Queer Nation and NAMBLA.

Yes, it’s been a bad two weeks for biblical Christianity in the world of popular entertainment.

I'm Back!!!!

Sorry that I was gone for a few days but thing got just a bit crazy around here. On Wednesday the 18th it was confirmed that Lynn would need to get her gall bladder out ASAP. The surgeon said that Friday the 20th would be the earliest that he could do it so we made the plans very quickly! I took Lynn to the hospital on Friday at 11:00 AM for a 1:15 PM surgery!

As is common in the hospital, 1:15 turned into 2:15 and they finally came to get Lynn at 3:00. It was all said and done by 4:15 and Susan & I saw her again at about 4:50. Lynn, not handling the anesthesia very well, was very groggy for quite awhile. We finally left the hospital at 7:00 PM. With a stop at Walgreen's for a prescription and at Fareway for some jello packs we arrived home at about 8 PM. Lynn was going straight to bed and Susan & I ordered pizza!

The long and short of it is that Lynn is fine and recovering very well. And I'm back to drone on and on about what fires me up! Thanks for your prayers and notes!

I Remain,
Pastor Steve

Open Your Eyes & Open Your Bibles

Here we go again...another Hollywood movie that is aimed at the "Christian" community. First it was "The Passion of the Christ" then "Chronicles of Narnia: Lion, Witch, Wardrobe" and now it seems the new eye catcher is "End of the Spear".

There is a great deal of controversy surrounding this picture and you will need to use your critical thinking skills as well as your God given discernment before you get drawn into the "it's about God therefore it must be good" mentality that is so prevalent in Christian circles today.

I'm posting an article by Dr. Kevin Bauder and in it he references another article by Jason Janz. The article by Jason Janz is liked to in the Bauder article, you may want to click on it and read it as well.

You may be thinking that Pastor Steve is over reacting ... maybe, however, I believe that we must be like the sons of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 12:32 "...of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do..." As well as the those who lived in Berea of which Luke said "These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so."

May we understand the times in which we live and search the scriptures daily!

I Remain,
Pastor Steve

No Way!
By: Dr. Kevin Bauder

Jason Janz on www.sharperiron.org has published an article documenting that Every Tribe Enterainment has used a homosexual activist to play Nate Saint in End of the Spear, an about-to-be-released film biography of the famous aviator and missionary martyr. The actor and activist is Chad Allen. This is the same Chad Allen who debated John MacArthur on Larry King Live about the legitimacy of homosexuality, homosexual marriage, and homosexuals getting legal guarantees for the “right” to adopt children.

The director who cast him for the role (knowingly, as Janz clearly demonstrates) is Jim Hanon. In order to put Allen in the movie, Hanon secured the blessing of Nate Saint’s son, Steve Saint, who was also aware of Allen’s homosexual activism. Presumably the executives of Every Tribe Entertainment had to approve this decision.

Who are they? The CEO at Every Tribe Entertainment is Mart Green, who is also the perpetrator of Mardel Christian and Educational Supply, a chain of 21 Christian junk shops. The ETE president and the producer of End of the Spear is Bill Ewing, whose other credits include Charlie’s Angels (how can a Christian not think that Charlie’s Angels is pornographic?).

That's a great group of guys behind this film. If you wonder what this is about, the Every Tribe mission statement makes it clear. “We base our film choices on what we hope to inspire rather than what we hope to sell.” Seems pretty straightforward.

We needed to know what was going on. Attaboy, Jason.

We also need to respond correctly. Jason recommends sending a letter to Every Tribe Entertainment “with meekness,” expressing “deep disappointment” for the company’s “mistake.”

Huh?

I feel a bit as if Jason has run the ball 98 yards, only to be tripped up at the one-yard-line. It was a great run (really great), but I can’t help wishing he’d have gone another step or two.

Granted, we must not overreact. And it would probably be an overreaction to firebomb these men’s houses.

But what they have done is no mistake. It is a calculated strategy.

This is not a private peccadillo. It is a very public scandal.

It is a scandal because it promotes a man who is working hard to advance one of the most shameful and unnatural of human abuses.

It is a scandal because this concession to homosexual activism dishonors the memory of a Christian martyr (who himself would certainly have been scandalized by homosexuality) and ultimately brings reproach upon the name of Christ Himself.

It is a scandal because it panders to the evangelical appetite for amusement, furthering the confused perception that somehow the Christian faith can be turned into a form of entertainment.

It is a scandal because it exploits evangelical naivety and lack of discernment. Every Tribes Entertainment clearly assumes that American Christians can be induced to ignore moral incongruities and to part with their dollars simply because they are offered an amusing spectacle wrapped around a vaguely Christian theme. The production company is trying to huckster money from evangelicals that they should really be getting from NAMBLA.

Meekness? Once we have caught our breath, the only ordinate response is deliberate fury.

If this were a Matthew 18 situation, private pleading would be appropriate. It is not.

If this were a Galatians 2:11 situation, we would withstand these debasers of the faith to their faces because they are to be blamed.

If this were a 1 Corinthians 5 situation, we could simply deliver such ones unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, the “ones” including Messrs. Green, Hannon, Ewing, and (Steve) Saint.

I wonder, however, whether this situation does not fit the parameters of Galatians 1:8-9. Does this kind of confusion actually alter the gospel itself? I am tempted to think that it does—and does it deliberately, “with malice aforethought.” If so, then we know what is required of us.

Young Men Preparing for Life

On of the things that really drives me is the thought that somehow I might impact the next generation of Christian leaders. With that thought in mind, I ran across the following article & wanted to post it on my blog so that those young men that I know might see that the bar of expectation is set not by societal trends but by the never changing Word of God! May God give us men who are leaders!

I Remain,
Pastor Steve

Young Men Preparing for Life
By Israel Wayne


“Let no man despise your youth, but set an example for the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, and purity.” (1 Tim. 4:12) “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word.” (Ps. 119:9)

We live in a culture that has effeminized young men. Young men are rarely encouraged to be leaders in their homes, churches and society. As parents seek to raise their sons in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, it may be helpful to make a checklist to see how these future leaders are measuring up to the Biblical standard.

He must be blameless and have a good testimony. To be “above reproach” means the young man must have a Teflonª reputation. Though people may seek to make accusations about his moral character, he must live in such a way that nothing sticks. We are to live such lives among the pagans that even though they would seek to malign us, they would see our good deeds and glorify God. (1 Pet. 2:12) We must have “Sound speech which cannot be condemned, so that he who would accuse you may be ashamed, because he can find nothing bad to say about you.” (Titus 2:8)

He must be a “One-Woman Man.” Even prior to marriage, he should be demonstrating his willingness to save his heart for the one woman that he will marry. If, as a teenager, he has a desire to give his affections to as many females as possible, you can be sure these habits won’t break easily later in life! He should be resolute in his desire to be emotionally and physically pure until the day he marries his life partner. Fornication, uncleanness, filthy talk, ungodly imaginations, have no place in the Christian life. (Eph. 5:3-5, Prov. 6:18) The best way for a son to develop a pure heart is to observe the whole-hearted devotion of his father to his mother. “My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.” (Prov. 23:26)

He must be self-controlled. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Pet. 5:8) Temperance is a fruit of the Spirit, or an evidence of God living in his life. He must learn to control his body (Gal. 5:16, 24), his eyes (Ec. 2:14, Job 31:1, Matt. 6:22-23), his mouth (James 3, Prov. 10:11-32, Prov. 29:20) and his mind (Is. 26:3). A lack of self-control will result in sweeping poverty and broken relationships for as long as he lives. One of the best remedies for a lack of self-control is Biblical fasting. It gives the spirit a marked edge over the flesh.

He must be respectable and well behaved. Every young lady wants to marry a gentleman. She desires a husband who has good manners, and handles himself in a principled and honorable way. Young men should not be rude or unseemly in any way. They should respect others, treating older men as fathers, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters. (1 Tim. 5:1-2) The best test to know if a young man has victory in this area is to watch him with his siblings. Everyone can learn to treat guests well, but most men let down their guard with their family. He will not likely treat his wife better than he treats his sisters.

He must be hospitable. How does a young man act when company comes over? Does he slink off to his room and ignore them? Does he refuse to talk with them while he mumbles to himself and looks at his shoes? Does he enjoy serving and helping people? A sign of a good leader is someone who will look you in the eye, speak clearly, and converse intelligently. As opportunities arise he must meet each occasion with a desire to wash the feet of the saints. The root of hospitality is loving your neighbor and esteeming him better than yourself. In the context of your family there will be many chances to demonstrate this character trait.

He must be able to teach. He must be able to express truth through written and verbal communication. This is essential for any leader. “Holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine to exhort and convince the skeptics.” (Titus 1:9) A young man may be able to teach younger siblings, or smaller children. The primary ingredient, though, in being a good teacher, is being a good learner. If he doesn’t receive instruction in the right spirit, he won’t give it well either. For now he must be willing to learn, later he will teach.

He must be patient. A young man who is hasty will come to ruin. “The thoughts of the diligent lead to abundance, but everyone who is hasty will lack.” (Prov. 21:5) Patience is needed in waiting for a wife, in running a business (realizing you need to build slowly), in relating to people (especially a wife and children), and many other disciplines of life. 1 Tim. 6:11 reminds us that we must “pursue” or “follow after” patience. It doesn’t just happen. We must press into it. This will be one of the first and longest lasting struggles a young man will encounter. Only by prayer and diligence will he obtain this fruit.

He must be sincere and honest. Does he tell the truth, even to his own hurt? (Psalm 15) Does he walk before you with an open face, concealing nothing? What a testimony to be like Nathaniel, “in whom is no guile.” (John 1:47) Popular speaker Ken Davis often encourages young men to live with “Nothing to hide, nothing to prove, nothing to fear and nothing to lose.” This is not an encouragement to live recklessly, but righteously, realizing that when we live abandoned to God we have everything to gain and nothing to lose. You will have sweet sleep at night knowing your conscience is clear before God and men. (Prov. 3:24) On the negative side, Psalm 55:23 says a deceitful man will not live out half their days. Hit this one hard if you want your son to live past 40!

He must be tested (held accountable). People love to shirk accountability. We don’t like others meddling in our lives. Very rarely do you meet a young man who is properly submitted to Godly authority. Discipleship requires being mentored and instructed by those older in the faith. Every Timothy needs a Paul. The maturity desired in the young man’s life doesn’t occur over night. It takes many years of instruction. A young man who is still immature in the faith should not be released into a position of leadership. “But continue thou in the things thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim. 3:14-15)

He must be just and upright. A proper sense of Godly justice is essential. He must make decisions based on Biblical absolutes, not merely on personal preference or human emotion. He must abhor what is evil and cling to what is good. (Rom. 12:9) Anyone who is in the position of a shepherd, whether to his family or to other believers, must be a servant leader. He must not take advantage of people or “lord it over others.” (Luke 22:25-27) Dishonest weights and measures are an abomination to the Lord. (Prov. 20:10) He must desire truth in his inmost parts. (Ps. 51:6)

He must be disciplined. Being self-governed is vital for Godly men. They must have a clear vision, and direction for the path they choose. They need to know how to take responsibility for their actions. When a young man shifts the blame, tries to get out of his duties, or shirks work and commitment, he is too immature to be trusted. “The glory of young men is their strength.” (Prov. 20:29) “It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.” (Lam. 3:27) Young men must be willing to labor and to follow through with their commitments. If they can’t muster the ability to discipline themselves, parents must do it for them until the instruction becomes internalized. “Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.” (Prov. 19:18)

He must be clothed with humility. “God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.” (1 Pet. 5:5) The young man must be willing to admit that he still has much to learn. “The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.” (1 Cor. 8:2) He must realize that the pattern is for him to hold his tongue in the presence of age and experience. “I am young, and you are very old, therefore I was afraid, and did not speak my opinion. I said, ‘Days should speak and multitude of years should teach wisdom.’” He must know that any wisdom residing in him is from the Spirit of the Almighty. (Job 32:6-8)

He must be holy. This is the highest calling of all. Holiness is not something you do, it is something you are. From this state of “being” holy, come holy actions. Holiness is the condition of the heart from which everything else flows. It isn’t optional. “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” (Heb. 12:14) Being holy is possible only as we abide in God. Only His Spirit can make us holy. “But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. Because it is written “Be ye holy, for I am holy.’” (1 Pet. 1:15-16)

He must not be over-indulgent. Whether in food, recreation, material things, or any other area of life, he must show proper restraint. “For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.” (Prov. 23:21) In Deut. 21:20, when a teenage son was found guilty of being a glutton and a drunkard, he was taken out and stoned by the men of that city. Surely we must take seriously the Biblical admonition to be restrained. It may seem a small thing that a son can’t hold to his diet or to the patterns of eating established by his family, but if he can’t control himself in one area, he is in danger in all areas. A son who sneaks chocolate between meals may become a husband who stops at the bar or pornography store on the way home. The root problem must be solved.

He must not be violent or easily angry. Titus 3:2 commands men not to be violent, but to be “gentle, showing meekness to all men.” Our culture has a skewed view of masculinity. Where is the balance between being “macho” and being effeminate? It comes in bridled and restrained strength. Instead of glorying in his strength (Jer. 9:23) he is to use his might to worship God (Mark 12:30), not to harm others. (Ps. 11:5) “A mighty man is not delivered by much strength.: Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy.” (Ps. 33:16, 18)

He must not be quarrelsome. Some people love to argue! They enjoy disagreement, and love debating with others. There is a time and place for discussing ideas, but to constantly batter others with a verbal barrage is totally inappropriate for the Godly man. In 1 Tim. 6:20 & Tim. 2:16, we are told to avoid “vain and profane babblings” which lead to more ungodliness. Ask any wife and she will tell you that nit-picking and quarreling were not virtues she looked for in her husband.

He must not be a lover of money or material possessions. 1 Tim. 6:6-11 “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.”

He must not be selfish. Servant-leadership is hard to come by these days. Everyone wants to be “top dog,” but no one wants to scrub toilets. Jesus said, “The kings of the gentiles exercise lordship over them and they exercise authority upon them that are called benefactors. But it should not be so among you. Instead, let him who is the greatest among you be as the younger, and he that is chief as the one who serves.” (Luke 22:25-26) Christ, as our example, taught perfect selflessness. Only as we empty ourselves are we filled with His Spirit. We must esteem others as better than ourselves. (Phil. 2:3)

God, give us men! Obviously, we could expand this study to include every character trait known to the human race, but the few listed above are foundational. In order to have a functional society, we must, by necessity, have men who aren’t afraid to lead. They must be willing to reclaim their proper God-given roles, and stop delegating it to the women of our nation. Women should only be called to fill the place of women, they shouldn’t be expected to take up the slack for men as well.

As J.C. Ryle said in his book, Thoughts for Young Men: “What young men will be, in all probability depends upon what they are now, and yet they seem so easily to forget this. Youth is the seed time of full age, the molding season in the little space of human life, the turning-point in the history of man’s mind.”

The time is now to begin training for the future. You can’t wait until you are married to begin. No matter what age, a young man must begin to walk out the traits that will direct him for years to come. Following our Lord’s example, we must grow in wisdom and stature, in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:52)

John Grisham's "The Broker"

I just finished reading John Grisham's "The Broker". I thought is was a very good read. If you are a Grisham fan you will be drawn in right away, I really enjoy his writing style. And I enjoy his books when he is not trying to make social commentary.

I have read "A Time To Kill"; "The Firm"; "The Pelican Brief" & "The Client", I really enjoyed all of these books. But Grisham lost me on "The Chamber", just could not get drawn into the story and didn't like what I had heard was the conclusion, that the story was a vehicle for the anti-death penalty movement. I have taken some time away from Grisham and his works.

I have obtained a copy of his book"The Partner", I'll keep you posted on my opinion of this book when it is finished!

Are you a Grisham fan? Read any of his books? What's your take on him?
Let me know what you think!

I Remain,
Pastor Steve

That's A Wrap

Well we've finally put a wrap on our Christmas 2005! We just returned from a two day stay at the Kalahari Resort in the Wisconsin Dells. WOW, what a great time! we had a blast. They have an in-door water park that is HUGE; water slides, raft rides, lazy river and the largest wave pool in the Dells area.

Not something you can do every day in that is is kinda pricey but well worth every penny!

Check it out --- It was a blast!

I Remain,
Pastor Steve

Happy New Year 2006

There has been so much going on over the last few weeks I’m not sure where to start with all I want to chat about!

Let’s start with Happy New Year!!! In that line of thought I was thinking about the New Year and Proverbs 3:5&6. The Bible tells us in this passage: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” The Lord has really laid these verses on my heart and here are my thoughts…

We are told to trust in the Lord with all our hearts; trusting Him that He knows what is best and knowing He has only our best in mind. So many times we want to second guess the Lord and jump in to help when what we really need to do is just get out of the way and let Him be in charge! Let’s try that this year.

Lean not on your own understanding … Now there is a novel thought! We always seem to think that we know what is best; we know the answer to all of our own problems; we’ve got it all figured out, when in reality we don’t have the foggiest notion of what is going on or what to do about anything in our lives! I don’t know about you but I’m soooo thankful for a God who loves me and want only the best for me! Trying to comprehend the sovereignty of God and believing in it by faith allows me to just let God be God and stay in the middle of His will for my life and that is the safest to be in the entire world! Frankly, it is not for me to know and/or understand all that God is doing in my life my responsibility is to trust and obey!

Finally, “in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” This begs the question of yieldedness. Am I yielding my will to the Lord? The answer to this question is evidenced by how well we handled the last issue of the sovereignty of God. If you can somehow get your mind around the fact the God is in control of every aspect of out lives then we should be able to surrender or yield ourselves to Him and His Lordship. I know that there are times that we don’t like, understand or even want what God is doing in our lives. However, if you truly believe that God is in the process of conforming us into the image of Christ then we must get back to the first issue which is trust in the Lord with all our hearts!

No one ever said the Christian life would be easy but as we enter into the New Year, may we endeavor to live by the truth of Proverbs 3:5&6!

At least that's the way I see it!

I Remain.
Pastor Steve

You Know It's 2006 When...

YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2006 when...

1. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.

2. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.

3. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.

4. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone
is home to help you carry in the groceries.

5. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.

6. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first
20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn
around to go and get it.

7. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.

8. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. :)

10. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.

11. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.

12. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.

13. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.
AND NOW U R LAUGHING at yourself.

I Remain,
Pastor Steve