A Needed CHRISTmas Birth

By the time I finish this blog it will be CHRISTmas Eve, the time we celebrate the "birth" of Jesus.  Normally I would rant and rave on how this is definitely not when He was born (not even close) and how pagan WE, not the world have made Christmas, BUT not today.  As a matter of fact, this year more than any other in my life-time, we need Jesus to visit our homes with another "birth".

I have a friend who needs to be Birthed out of alcoholism, another friend needs to be Birthed out of prescription drug addiction, a family member who needs to be Birthed out of depression and I need to be Birthed out of my anger.

What I am saying is that when Jesus left Heaven to be born of Mary a virgin (and it was that way), to suffer and be crucified for MY sins and then to be raised again in fulfillment of the Scriptures, I was able to receive that new life by being what the Bible calls "Born Again".

John 3:1-7 NLT
(1)  There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee.
(2)  After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. "Rabbi," he said, "we all know that God has sent You to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with You."
(3)  Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God."
(4)  "What do You mean?" exclaimed Nicodemus. "How can an old man go back into his mother's womb and be born again?"
(5)  Jesus replied, "I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.
(6)  Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.
(7)  So don't be surprised when I say, 'You must be born again.' 

I have a list of people that I pray for their Salvation, starting with my friend Mike and ending with my Uncle Victor.  My prayer is that this CHRISTmas Christ will Birth them out of their sin and into everlasting life, that they would be free from the chains of sin!  Would you please agree with me in that prayer.  Send me your list and I will add it to mine.

Merry CHRISTmas to those whom are saved, and to those whom are not - it can be the GREATEST CHRISTmas you have ever known by calling on His name right now!

Romans 10:13-15 NLT
(13)  For "Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved."
(14)  But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?
(15)  And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!"

Share His "Good News" with those on your list...

ernie

Time For Real Gun Control

With the DISASTER of the Newtown Connecticut Elementary School Shooting, one group tries desperately to "capitalize" on the atrocity; "Demoncrats"!?  Oh,  I spelled it correctly.  Who said "Subversives" don't like "Capitalism"!?  Why is the "gun", not the person responsible?  If there are 300 or 20,000 gun laws on the books, how many are needed or enforced?  What about the 22 children attacked in China Friday by a knife wielding man?

Since terrorist to our nation use planes to commit their crimes, we should eliminate planes also?  Statistics show more people are killed and injured with cars than anything else.  Lets get rid of them and REALLY GO GREEN!  Forks for fat people, fingers for smokers, glasses for alcoholics, and so on and so on...
Actually, statistics show the most dangerous place to be is in the hospital?  Check out; How to Survive a Hospital Stay?  Do I even have to say it?

Since Socialistic Training Centres (public schools) house our most precious and most vulnerable treasure's, why would we not have faculty members who are competent in gun handling, carrying concealed on campus?  Relying solely on Law Enforcement is a mistake and I am a retired LEO.

It has never been God's plan for the government to teach, house, feed or protect the family.  Then who is responsible for the aforementioned?  It is time for each man, husband and father (single or widowed mom's too) to answer that question.

REAL Gun Control starts with OWNERSHIP, both physically and mentally.  Driving is a "Privilege" but Gun Ownership is "still" a Right in the United States of America (means something different each day - Aye).  "Possession" requires responsibility and "Carry" requires training for safety and appropriate use. If you are not willing to accept this, then gun ownership is not for you, even though this is a Right.  Kinda like "voting" as the last election has shown.  Did I just write that?  I need to learn to keep my pen shut.

BTW if you are in the middle of a gun fight, that is the WORST place to be because it means the fight is NOT OVER!  The only good thing is, you are still alive and you have the ability to end it or be ended by it.

When people are surprised at the "evil" of the Newtown School Shooting, we do not understand our sin nature.  Eliminating "things" does not eliminate the "evil".

 Galatians 5:19-25 NLT
(19)  When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,
(20)  idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,
(21)  envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
(22)  But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
(23)  gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
(24)  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there.
(25)  Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives.

Merry CHRISTmas from Wayne to Our KING!

Source: youtube.com via Brenda on Pinterest

Be Blessed my FriENDS
ernie

Merry CHRISTmas Miss Sherry!!!

The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve. He hadn't been anywhere in years since his wife had passed away. It was just another day to him. He 

didn't hate Christmas, just couldn't find a reason to celebrate. He was sitting there looking at the snow that had been falling for the last hour and wondering what it was all about when the door opened and a homeless man stepped through.

Instead of throwing the man out, Old George as he was known by his customers, told the man to come and sit by the heater and warm up. "Thank you, but I don't mean to intrude," said the stranger. "I see you're busy, I'll just go." "Not without something hot in your belly." George said.

He turned and opened a wide mouth Thermos and handed it to the stranger. "It ain't much, but it's hot and tasty. Stew ... Made it myself. When you're done, there's coffee and it's fresh."

Just at that moment he heard the "ding" of the driveway bell. "Excuse me, be right back," George said. There in the driveway was an old '53 Chevy. Steam was rolling out of the front. The driver was panicked. "Mister can you help me!" said the driver, with a deep Spanish accent. "My wife is with child and my car is broken." George opened the hood. It was bad. The block looked cracked from the cold, the car was dead. "You ain't going in this thing," George said as he turned away.

"But Mister, please help ..." The door of the office closed behind George as he went inside. He went to the office wall and got the keys to his old truck, and went back outside. He walked around the building, opened the garage, started the truck and drove it around to where the couple was waiting. "Here, take my truck," he said. "She ain't the best thing you ever looked at, but she runs real good."

George helped put the woman in the truck and watched as it sped off into the night. He turned and walked back inside the office. "Glad I gave 'em the truck, their tires were shot too. That 'ol truck has brand new ." George thought he was talking to the stranger, but the man had gone. The Thermos was on the desk, empty, with a used coffee cup beside it. "Well, at least he got something in his belly," George thought.

George went back outside to see if the old Chevy would start. It cranked slowly, but it started. He pulled it into the garage where the truck had been. He thought he would tinker with it for something to do. Christmas Eve meant no customers. He discovered the block hadn't cracked, it was just the bottom hose on the radiator. "Well, shoot, I can fix this," he said to
himself. So he put a new one on.

"Those tires ain't gonna get 'em through the winter either." He took the snow treads off of his wife's old Lincoln. They were like new and he wasn't going to drive the car anyway.

As he was working, he heard shots being fired. He ran outside and beside a police car an officer lay on the cold ground. Bleeding from the left shoulder, the officer moaned, "Please help me."

George helped the officer inside as he remembered the training he had received in the Army as a medic. He knew the wound needed attention. "Pressure to stop the bleeding," he thought. The uniform company had been there that morning and had left clean shop towels. He used those and duct tape to bind the wound. "Hey, they say duct tape can fix anythin'," he said, trying to make the policeman feel at ease.

"Something for pain," George thought. All he had was the pills he used for his back. "These ought to work." He put some water in a cup and gave the policeman the pills. "You hang in there, I'm going to get you an ambulance."

The phone was dead. "Maybe I can get one of your buddies on that there talk box out in your car." He went out only to find that a bullet had gone into the dashboard destroying the two way radio.

He went back in to find the policeman sitting up. "Thanks," said the officer. "You could have left me there. The guy that shot me is still in the area."

George sat down beside him, "I would never leave an injured man in the Army and I ain't gonna leave you." George pulled back the bandage to check for bleeding. "Looks worse than what it is. Bullet passed right through 'ya. Good thing it missed the important stuff though. I think with time your gonna be right as rain."

George got up and poured a cup of coffee. "How do you take it?" he asked. "None for me," said the officer. "Oh, yer gonna drink this. Best in the city. Too bad I ain't got no donuts." The officer laughed and winced at the same time.

The front door of the office flew open. In burst a young man with a gun. "Give me all your cash! Do it now!" the young man yelled. His hand was shaking and George could tell that he had never done anything like this before.

"That's the guy that shot me!" exclaimed the officer.

"Son, why are you doing this?" asked George, "You need to put the cannon away. Somebody else might get hurt."

The young man was confused. "Shut up old man, or I'll shoot you, too. Now give me the cash!"

The cop was reaching for his gun. "Put that thing away," George said to the cop, "we got one too many in here now."

He turned his attention to the young man. "Son, it's Christmas Eve. If you need money, well then, here. It ain't much but it's all I got. Now put that pea shooter away."

George pulled $150 out of his pocket and handed it to the young man, reaching for the barrel of the gun at the same time. The young man released his grip on the gun, fell to his knees and began to cry. "I'm not very good at this am I? All I wanted was to buy something for my wife and son," he went on. "I've lost my job, my rent is due, my car got repossessed last week."

George handed the gun to the cop. "Son, we all get in a bit of squeeze now and then. The road gets hard sometimes, but we make it through the best we can."

He got the young man to his feet, and sat him down on a chair across from the cop. "Sometimes we do stupid things." George handed the young man a cup of coffee. "Bein' stupid is one of the things that makes us human. Comin' in here with a gun ain't the answer. Now sit there and get warm and we'll sort this thing out."

The young man had stopped crying. He looked over to the cop. "Sorry I shot you. It just went off. I'm sorry officer." "Shut up and drink your coffee " the cop said. George could hear the sounds of sirens outside. A police car and an ambulance skidded to a halt. Two cops came through the door, guns drawn. "Chuck! You ok?" one of the cops asked the wounded officer.

"Not bad for a guy who took a bullet. How did you find me?"

"GPS locator in the car. Best thing since sliced bread. Who did this?" the other cop asked as he approached the young man.

Chuck answered him, "I don't know. The guy ran off into the dark. Just dropped his gun and ran."

George and the young man both looked puzzled at each other.

"That guy work here?" the wounded cop continued. "Yep," George said, "just hired him this morning. Boy lost his job."

The paramedics came in and loaded Chuck onto the stretcher. The young man leaned over the wounded cop and whispered, "Why?"

Chuck just said, "Merry Christmas boy ... and you too, George, and thanks for everything."

"Well, looks like you got one doozy of a break there. That ought to solve some of your problems."

George went into the back room and came out with a box. He pulled out a ring box. "Here you go, something for the little woman. I don't think Martha would mind. She said it would come in handy some day."

The young man looked inside to see the biggest diamond ring he ever saw. "I can't take this," said the young man. "It means something to you."

"And now it means something to you," replied George. "I got my memories. That's all I need."

George reached into the box again. An airplane, a car and a truck appeared next. They were toys that the oil company had left for him to sell. "Here's something for that little man of yours."

The young man began to cry again as he handed back the $150 that the old man had handed him earlier.

"And what are you supposed to buy Christmas dinner with? You keep that too," George said. "Now git home to your family."

The young man turned with tears streaming down his face. "I'll be here in the morning for work, if that job offer is still good."

"Nope. I'm closed Christmas day," George said. "See ya the day after."

George turned around to find that the stranger had returned. "Where'd you come from? I thought you left?"

"I have been here. I have always been here," said the stranger. "You say you don't celebrate Christmas. Why?"

"Well, after my wife passed away, I just couldn't see what all the bother was. Puttin' up a tree and all seemed a waste of a good pine tree. Bakin' cookies like I used to with Martha just wasn't the same by myself and besides I was gettin' a little chubby."

The stranger put his hand on George's shoulder. "But you do celebrate the holiday, George. You gave me food and drink and warmed me when I was cold and hungry. The woman with child will bear a son and he will become a great doctor.

The policeman you helped will go on to save 19 people from being killed by terrorists. The young man who tried to rob you will make you a rich man and not take any for himself. "That is the spirit of the season and you keep it as good as any man."

George was taken aback by all this stranger had said. "And how do you know all this?" asked the old man.

"Trust me, George. I have the inside track on this sort of thing. And when your days are done you will be with Martha again."

The stranger moved toward the door. "If you will excuse me, George, I have to go now. I have to go home where there is a big celebration planned."

George watched as the old leather jacket and the torn pants that the stranger was wearing turned into a white robe. A golden light began to fill the room.

"You see, George ... it's My birthday. Merry Christmas."

George fell to his knees and replied, "Happy Birthday, Lord Jesus"

Merry Christmas!!

This story is better than any greeting card.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND GOD BLESS!

Who Is to Blame for President Obama?

by Wretched on Wednesday, November 7, 2012 at 5:20pm

Little Johnny just threw a rock through his neighbor’s window.  Is the broken window the problem? No, it is a result of Johnny’s actions.  What caused Johnny’s behavior? Johnny thought it would be fun to smash ol’ Mrs. Hildebrand’s window.  Where did Johnny’s thinking come from? His beliefs; instead of believing his parents, he believed that rotten friend of his who goaded Johnny to, “Throw it, throw it.”

Bad results come from bad actions which are the fruit of bad thinking which is the result of bad beliefs.  If you ever witness a bad result, you can be assured that it is merely a consequence of bad actions, thinking and ultimately, beliefs.

That is why President Obama is a problem, but he is not the problem.  THE problem in America today is the church.  Permit me to persuade you.

If a liberal church focusses on the environment, who are they inclined to vote for?

If a progressive church defines marriage as “anyone who is committed to another person,”  do you suppose they will vote red or blue?

If a prosperity church focusses on healing and free money from God, who do you think they will pull the lever for?

Surprise, liberal, progressive and prosperity churches voted overwhelmingly for Barak Obama. Why? They are bad churches with bad teachers delivering false teachings resulting in heretical beliefs which inspire wrong actions that deliver horrific consequences.

Might I suggest, if we want to reclaim America we had better reclaim the churches first.  

The result of strong, healthy, Biblical churches is strong healthy faith which changes rotten thinking into righteous thinking which produces holy behavior generating good consequences.  If you don’t like the results of this election, don’t blame Mitt, the Republican Party or Chris Christie.  Blame the church.

But don’t stop there.  Instead of abandoning ship, doing home church or church shopping every Sunday, dedicate yourself to a local church to: fix it, serve it, fund it, cleanse it, help it, support it or reform it if necessary.  If we focus less on Washington and more on our local churches, the nation will be better off.

Please note: we should not clean up our churches in order to have more conservative political leaders, but that will ultimately be the result of strong, healthy local churches.  Besides, Christian church activism is what Jesus commanded, not political activism.

Thank You to Two Veteran's Inparticular

It is Veteran's Day 2012 and I wanted to say THANK YOU to all our Vet's and ALL the United States MILITARY, both whom have served and are serving and have giving the ULTIMATE SACRIFICE of their LIVES!

May we NEVER FORGET, NEVER!

On this day I could recognize my Dad, Father-in-Law, my oldest son Josh and several friends, however I just wanted to mention quickly two men whom served our Nation on two fronts;
First, both served (at different times) in The military as protectors of our Nation abroad.
Second, both served as protectors of our Communities as Law Enforcement Officers.

The first is Barry Trombley:  I met Barry at the Lake Worth Police Dept after he returned from serving in the Army.  Barry was big, loud and opinionated - I took to him immediately!  Through Barry I began to appreciate and love the men and women of our Armed Forces.  After working, watching and listening to him I realized I had missed a great opportunity to serve my country when I got out of school.  Barry was one of the best street cops I have ever met and had a heart as big as he was.

Next is Wayne Smith:  I met Wayne shortly after coming to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.  We worked together on the afternoon shift, and soon became close.  Wayne used to back me up a lot at work and to this day (both of us retired), Wayne still "has my back"!  He is a true Decorated Hero and loyal to this Nation and me.

I couldn't write about all whom served, but I just had to mention these two.  If it wasn't for both of them, I might not of made it to write this...

To the men and women of the United States Armed Forces, I love you and am honored to have known some of you.

Be Blessed today my friEND's to the end
ernie

What We Escape to Holds us Captive

It's Election Night 2012 in America and I was finishing my workout when I began to talk with the Lord.  I had prayed sporadically about this election and direction our nation was headed today and just started up a conversation with God again.  I asked Him what was keeping His people from a more dedicated life of seeking His Will, not just for our country but our lives?  Then the Lord revealed to me that I try to escape from the difficult things, circumstances, pains, times, persecutions or their perceptions.  I was self medicating!

People have been "self medicating" themselves with drugs an alcohol since their development.  What most don't realize is that the "average christian" also self medicates, we just use music, food, politics, sports, exercise, television, work and fellowship just to name a few.  There is nothing inherently evil about any of those mentioned, HOEWEVER...  I have been tricked into wanting to try and escape from or get some relief from my life around me when I should be running to the One who can deliver me from not just my circumstances, but the fear and apprehension they produce.

My escape is science fiction tv.  A century ago most of the distractions we use as people, whether of faith or not, did not even exist.  My Bride Carey, asked me the other day if I did not have Caleb (our youngest) to care for during the day, what would I do with myself?  I thought for a few moments and said I would volunteer at our church.  Whether I would or not is not the point.  The point is that I have been duped into putting more obstacles in the way of my relationship with God.  I haven't been escaping from my problems, my problems have taken me captive and I, again, have proven to be my biggest enemy.
(Eph 4:8 NKJV)
Therefore He says: "WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE, AND GAVE GIFTS TO MEN."

"Led captivity captive"; Through His crucifixion and resurrection, Christ conquered Satan and death, and in triumph returned to God those who were once sinners and prisoners of Satan.    John MacArthur

Rom 6:20-23 NLT
When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right.
And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom.
But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Do you want to be SET FREE?

Blessings
ernie

Watch This an VOTE!

Thanks for the video Stevo!

Blessings
ernie

Congressman West: The United States Is A CORPORATION

Are We REALLY Surprised???

"I AM ON OBAMA’S ENEMIES LIST"

This blog is excerpts taking from The Blaze.com.  It was written by and is about Wayne Allyn Root.  He is a Tea Party Libertarian conservative, Capitalist Evangelist, and serial entrepreneur.  He is a former Libertarian vice presidential nominee.  He is the best-selling author of "The Conscience of a Libertarian: Empowering the Citizen Revolution with God, Guns, Gold & Tax Cuts."  His web site: www.ROOTforAmerica.com.

As TheBlaze reported Monday, I’ve gone through an 18-month ordeal with IRS which I believe has been triggered by my vocal criticisms of this administration. While this may seem like a personal matter, America should hear when a small businessman–not a billionaire–with an unblemished tax record for 30 years faces this kind of prosecution. If a president can go after me because he doesn’t like my political beliefs, as I explain in this column, than no one is safe. Today it’s me, tomorrow it could be you.

My accountant remarked that in 30 years of dealing with IRS audits, he’d never heard of an IRS agent starting an investigation with a phone call to the taxpayer, then the taxpayer’s accountant, and then the taxpayer again. The IRS always sends a letter asking the taxpayer to call them. That was the tipoff something was out of the ordinary. My conversation with the IRS agent seemed odd as well.

The agent let me know that he understood that my accountant had the power of attorney and he was not allowed to speak to me. But he said he just wanted to speak with me once- because he was “my biggest fan.” He told me how he read all of my political columns (in the Las Vegas newspaper), and often listened to me on the radio (on CBS Radio, Las Vegas). Then he commented that he agreed with my politics and agreed with most everything I said. He said that he personally requested to be my auditor…and it was a great “honor” to be auditing me.

I hung up the phone and felt a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach. This was an unsettling conversation. It was clear to me that the IRS agent was trying to imitate “Columbo” (the detective from the 1970’s hit TV show). He was playing a game, trying to win my confidence, let my guard down, to hide a more sinister motive. I immediately thought to myself, “This agent is telling a story to try to throw me off the scent of what’s really happening- an attempt to persecute and intimidate a critic of President Obama, ordered by the Obama administration.”

My accountant called and said, “Wayne, it is so clear that this IRS agent is out to badly damage you. You must hire a top tax lawyer. This is like nothing I’ve ever dealt with. This not an ordinary IRS audit. You need legal representation right now.”

Soon thereafter I found out that my accountant of 25 years–one of the finest, nicest, men I’ve ever met in my life–had also just received an IRS audit notice. For himself. Only weeks after mine.

I got the message- this was an attack based on my political views. I researched tax attorneys and found the best one in the country. He agreed to handle my case. He looked over my tax records and assured me that he felt the IRS agent was 100 percent incorrect in his belief that any taxes were due. My attorney was also concerned that a review of the audit revealed an unusually aggressive IRS position.


As such, my attorney immediately changed venue to Los Angeles (where he is based) and appealed the case to IRS Tax Court in California. After almost 18 months of sleepless nights, lawyer bills I could not afford, accounting bills I could not afford, damage to my marriage and who knows how many years of my life reduced by stress, this past July we won a full and complete victory. Not a dime was owed. All of the IRS agent’s unreasonable assertions were thrown out. Case closed. 100% vindication. Complete victory.

Except the story isn’t over. It gets far worse.

I had FIVE DAYS to celebrate. Five Days to finally sleep like a baby. FIVE DAYS to feel my life was mine again, with no cloud hanging over me. Five days to hug my wife, with both of us exhaling and repeating out loud “No more IRS, no more cloud over our head, no more legal fees!”


Remember the famous lesson of the holocaust?

“In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn‘t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn‘t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn‘t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up.”


And I’m not a billionaire. I’m not wealthy at all. There’s nothing big to go after. This is not just a witch hunt, but a ridiculous waste of taxpayer money. Why would the IRS be persecuting (twice) a small businessman, who happens to have a vocal critic of President Obama?

The answer is my media megaphone...

If you were heard, would you be on Obama's "guest list" or "hit list"?
Blessings
ernie

Black Ministers Taking a Stand

Thank you my Brother in Christ Jesus!

ernie

Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus (By Jeff Bethke)

Christian Guide to Voting for Black & White

It is a shame that we (the church / God's people) are more divided than the political parties we identify with.  The political parties and there mis-representatives I will not blast, though it be easy to do, HOWEVER the church is going to get a mouthful.  So as we go forward (I hope) this blog is for Christians, not unbelievers or make-believers.  This is for the "Soundly Saved", the Redeemed, Chosen, Elect, Children of The King, the Bride of Christ;
1Peter 2:9 NKJV
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

"His own special people", called "a peculiar people" in the King James, doesn't mean strange, although we are acting that way, but means purchased and set part!  Are we?  Are you?

As a Christian we should vote, and at this time in our history there are only three main issues for the Christian.  Some say; Why should we vote, we can't legislate morality.  Your right, we can't, but we can and do legislate immorality at an alarming rate!  We are called to be Light and Salt are we not?
Matthew 5:13-16 NKJV
(13) You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
(14) You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
(15) Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
(16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. 

Light shows the way and Salt preserves.  Let us show overcoming abundant Godly living and preserve the character and heritage of our founding fathers.

Before I tell you the three main Christian issues, let me say this.  If you are a member of the "Black Church" (isn't it terrible that we have these divisions - just like the world?) and voted for a Black candidate solely on his color - you are a disgrace to The Church.  Conversely, if you are in the white church (don't the labels sicken you?) and voted against a Black candidate solely because he was black, you are a disgrace to The Church also.  Without going any further, here lies the problem with the people of God.

The issues are not jobs, economy, war, health care or trade relations.  Not for us.  We have a God whom has overcome all these things!
Hebrews 13:5-6 NLT
(5) Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you."
(6) So we can say with confidence, "The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?"

The issues are Abortion, Homosexuality and Israel.  Where does "your" candidate or party stand on these issues?  How is it that there is Separation of Church and State only if you are a Christian, or Conservative?  How can "Black Churches" be bused into one of the National Conventions without challenge?  Which party is supporting tax payer abortions and sex changes to inmates?  Which party is promoting same-sex marriage and ignoring the threats against those who stand up for what God says about this?  Which party changed it's speech to remove "God" from one of the statements and changed its wording to be more Pro-Israel?

WE have our Messiah and He will not share His Glory with anyone!

Darwin's Gift to Humanity by Ray Comfort

"Words of Comfort" - Ray Comfort's Blog

Darwin's Gift to Humanity

My name is insomnia, I keep you from sleep
I want to make you miserable; I want to make you weep
If you get away from me, I have a good friend
His name is Night-terrors and he will get you in the end

To wake up with the sweats with darting wide eyes
Panting and shaking with deep painful sighs
I also have friends called Sickness and Pain
Who's job is to kill you or injure or maim

They have small annoyances, like itches and aches
They want you to suffer and will do what it takes
There’s deafness and blindness and fears from within
That drive to the false refuge of whiskey and gin

There are pains in the neck and pains in the back
There are pains in head and pains that attack
The liver, the kidneys, the lungs and the heart
There are pains in the bladder that strike like a dart

There’s heartburn and acid that comes from the gut
And earache and toothache and pains from a cut
There's asthma, arthritis and a whole lot more
Terrifying diseases to put you at death’s dark door

There are ailments with names that are real hard to say
That are attacking and maiming thousands each day
There’s frightening cancers that eat at the brain
And others so painful they will drive you insane

So what hope can you give me if the fittest survive
The hopelessness of evolution can’t keep me alive
It’s unscientific, and was dreamed up by man
Who runs from his Creator whenever he can

We live in a world that has fallen from God
And when we feel these pains we should give a wise nod
And believe the Scriptures despite what men say
Who will stand before God and believe on that Day

They will get what they deserve, they loved lying and lust
And despised the cross and repentance and trust
They will wish that we warned them that God meant what He said
But swallowed the lie, when men are dead, they're dead

If you’re not born again, please listen to me
God offers eternal life, and it's completely free
Don’t ignore the warnings of life’s pains anymore
Because this place is Heaven compared to what's in store

I'm speaking the truth and deep down you know it
Life is most precious; make sure you don’t blow it
God so loved the world, He gave Jesus His Son
You don't need religion because the sufferings been done

So go save the whales and look after the trees
Lay off the salt and don't eat too much cheese
Eat plenty of fiber and die healthy and well
But die in your sins, and you will end up in Hell.

The "Real" Cause of Poverty

Well as usual, I commented on a FB post and was completely misunderstood (woe is me) even by one of my children.  Funny thing is that it was "just a thought" and nothing more.  I originally was going to private message my friend whom made the post but didn't - I AM AN IDIOT!  Now after a few hours of thinking thoughts through, I will further put my foot in it by giving a more detailed writing.

 Here it goes:

The statement made by my young and wise friend was;  Socialism exists because Christians have ignored their mandate to help the helpless.

My "thought", and that's all it was, was:  Jesus said that the poor will always be with us. You might say socialism exist FOR Christians to FULFILL our mandate to help the helpless? We forget, we were all helpless until we got saved. Just a thought...

Did you see the part where I wrote "might" and "just a thought"?

Lets first define Poverty, as my Pastor says; We use the same words, but are using a different dictionary.
poverty: (noun)
The state of being extremely poor.
The state of being inferior in quality or insufficient in amount.
The renunciation of the right to individual ownership of property as part of a religious vow.

Poverty is not caused from a lack of: money, jobs, education, opportunity, or desire, however these things mentioned contribute to its continued existence and growth.  Conversely if you have any of the fore mentioned things you tend not to be poor, but it is not a guarantee.  Before I tell you the root cause lets look at some truth about the poor.

Matthew 26:11  For you have the poor with you always, but Me (Jesus) you do not have always.

Jesus was not advocating poverty, on several occasions He tells a person to sell all they have and give it to the poor and to come follow Him.  It is not a sin to be poor and being poor doesn't make you saintly either.  I don't want to be poor nor do I know anybody that desires to be poor also.  I need to say the following in order to make a point, so cut me some slack here please.  Carey and I are givers, that is that we give beyond our tithe.  Giving starts just beyond the tithe, anything less is "tipping" according to Pastor Bob and you don't tip God.  He said that to me several years back when he saw what I was about to put into the offering.  I know some of you disagree with what I just wrote about tithing and that is ok.  I wrote about giving because many who through up the poor in the face of Christians like; If there is a God, why does He allow poverty?  My smart donkey retort is; How much do you give to the poor?  Let me stop writing and let scripture speak and you decide about "being poor";
Matthew 5:3  "God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for Him,  for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.


Matthew 11:5  the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.

Luke 4:18  "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, for He has anointed Me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, 

Luke 6:20  Then Jesus turned to His disciples and said, "God blesses you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours. 

These are just a few scriptures about the poor and there are many about receiving blessings because you give to the poor and AGAIN more about God telling us to take care of the poor.  So why doesn't the church eradicate poverty, because it can't!  The root of poverty is sin not lack.  Lack did not occur until sin was committed by Adam and Eve.  Personal sin can lead to personal poverty also but poverty as a whole is a result of sin.


Revelation 3:17  Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 

Jesus is writing this to a specific church which also is believed to represent the church as a whole, not every church or believer, right now!?
We are commanded to care for the poor, widows and children - we don't.
We are commanded to love our enemies and hate sin - we don't.


Revelation 3:19-20 NLT     I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.  "Look! I stand at the door and knock.  If you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

You can be a friend of God too.  I correct my son's and daughter's, my dad corrected me, now me and my dad are friends.

Blessings
ernie

To the Election and Beyond!

As the Presidential election draws closer, several sides look with great anticipation.  What sides you ask; Republican, Democrat, Left, Right, Liberals, Conservatives, Socialists, Capitalists, Theirs, Ours, Mine and Yours, just to name a few.

I didn't mention "Moderates" you say.  That is because I don't believe there are.  If you look back at candidates that have been labeled as such, they have been historically (in my short lifetime) liberal.  Not to disparage the "left", they might say, with good logic that these so called moderates were conservative?

The Bible refers to moderates as "luke warm", people whom are neither hot nor cold?  Today I think the term would be "wishy-washy"!?

Revelation 3:16 NIV     So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

What is really interesting is where this passage is found in the Bible.  Jesus the Christ is writing seven letters to seven churches and this is the last letter.  After this letter is the end of this chapter and the next act of God is the Rapture of His Church (Christians).   Laodicea was the wealthiest of the seven church cities.  The city was known for its banks, its manufacture of a rare black wool, and a medical school/system (sound just a tiny bit familiar?) that produced eye salve.  The hills had a very strange color.  The people took the clay from those hills and made it into a salve for the eyes and also the ears. This salve was shipped all over the Roman Empire.  Today the chemical analysis reveals that there is nothing healing in that clay, however some made a good living at selling it.  As civilized people today, there is still a lot of medicine on the market that won't do us a bit of good; yet we are buying it just as fast as we can.  This medicine comes in many forms but ironically it is designed to continually blind us from The Truth.

Revelation 3:14 NIV     To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation.   

"The faithful and true witness." This reveals that the Lord Jesus Christ alone is the One who will reveal all and tell all. This is the day when it is very difficult to hear the truth. We certainly don't get it through the news media or from the government. Both our educational institutions and the military are great brain-washing institutions. Whom can you believe? Well, there is One who is the faithful and true witness even in the days of apostasy. You cannot believe the church in many instances today; the liberal church has no message for this hour.  Dr J Vernon McGee

The election of the president is not our hope, it is the election of God's people and to be counted as one of them that will decide the fate of this nation.

2Ch 7:14 NIV     if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Psa 81:13-16 NIV

(13)  "If my people would only listen to me, if Israel would only follow my ways,

(14)  how quickly I would subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!

(15)  Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever.

(16)  But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."

Something to think about...

ernie

No Young Men?

This morning at church, the African Mission Team was asked to give a small testimony about our trip.  As many of you know, my youngest Daughter (Corina) became our first missionary to South Africa, specifically the outer parts of Cape Town.  Corina is also attending the Cape Town Baptist Seminary and will complete her first year in November.  Ironically, my oldest Daughter (Breana) is in South America for a month.  Breana is with Dre and his family which does help - especially since I am holding him responsible for her safety.  It is very difficult for me to have both girls on different Continents at the same time.

Our Mission Team returned on July9th and since then I have been struggling emotionally with what happened to me on the trip.  I have had much difficulty talking about it even to my Bride (Carey).  About a week after we got back I attempted to tell Carey something about the trip and began sobbing (not just crying) and out of my mouth came these words; "I can't believe I am going to say this, I want to go back!"

When I found out our Youth Pastor, Scotty Jarrard wanted each of us to speak, I made arraignments to be out of town for this mornings service.  After sharing my intentions to be out of the area to our Music Minister, Tommy Greene whom happens to be one of my closest friends, he made me feel lower than dirt by simply saying; "So your not going to be in church this Sunday?"  He said it with that southern draw of his which had a hint of "your an idiot" woven in there somewhere.  The next day (Wednesday) I told him I would be there because my Bride said so!  What a good "Help Meet".  After speaking with Pastor Scotty, he did say that he would not force me to speak (I don't ever have a problem speaking in public) but wanted me to share if possible.

This morning on the way to church I was messaged by Corina who told me she was praying for me and the service and she wanted me to speak.  JUST GREAT, now I have to do it...

As I listened to the others share, it was difficult to keep my composer, reliving what happened in my mind all over again.  When they finished Pastor Scotty looked at me so I went up and this is a short paraphrase of what I said;

I want to qualify what I am about to say.  I am one of ten people who went on this trip.  Our interpretations of what happened are based on several things like our genders, ages and life experiences to name the biggest ones.  Since I represent only 10% of the team, it is logical that I represent only a small number of the people in our church.  What I am about to say doesn't have anything to do with you, but it has something to do with - you.


When I was told I could go on this trip, I approached Pastor Scotty and said that the main reason i wanted to go was to see Corina.  Like any father, especially with both of my girls, I would do what was in my power to be with them.  Pastor Scotty then wisely said; "Don't you want to work side-by-side with your daughter on the mission field, doing what God called her to do?"  He was right.  I am a teacher and teaching god's Word for the last nine years has been the most rewarding thing for me, UNTIL I was able to work with my Daughter on the Mission Field.  Now my hope is that I will have the opportunity to not only work with Corina again but Lord willing, all my kids doing God's work.


About six months ago, we sent the one God chose as our representative to South Africa.  Six months later, we sent three men (a trinity) and seven women to the same place.  For those of you that are familiar with me, know my thing for numbers - especially significant Biblical numbers.  By the way, the tenth member of our team was a young girl named "Zoe".  Her name means "LIFE"!  The team accurately represents the church.  We had a couple which had no kids (but may have met them there), a couple that had children, a mother with her daughter, a single mother with her young daughter, a father (me) visiting his daughter, and a young lady (22).


There is some thing missing though - young men?  There are no young men.  Where are they?  Sadly this makes up several of the church's I have been in or know about.  Oh, there is young men in the congregation, but absent every where else...

ernie

South African Mission Trip: "Corina's Charge"

I'm praying for you all! This world is so much bigger than Blairsville, Georgia, and the USA. Your eyes have been opened to the reality that is plaguing the world: poverty, abuse, addictions, segregation, and ultimately the hopelessness people have without Christ!  You are now God's mouthpiece and the eyes of many who have not heard of or seen these things.  All the things you've experienced in the past few weeks will forever change you, and I pray that they will never be forgotten.  They aren't just experiences but knowledge of issues that are overtaking parts of the world!  I pray that reality will forever influence your decisions and perspective.... now GO & tell the world about what you've seen!  Speak up for those who have no voices and be Christ's ambassador!

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 
2 Corinthians 5:20


Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. 
Proverb 31:8

South African Mission Trip: "First Day Part II"

Written by Youth Pastor Scotty Jarrard;

First Day on the Mission Field Part 2

As we pulled up to Beacon Valley Baptist Church, I looked at the surrounding government built housing and was amazed at the location of the church. “What an awesome location for a Church”, run through my mind as I thought of all of the ministry opportunities for the location. Pastor Greg had shared with me earlier how Beacon Valley Baptist Church almost, well, never existed. When God put the vision in Pastor Greg’s heart to start a church in Beacon Valley, there was not a lot of property to choose from. They searched the area for the perfect place and in Pastor Greg’s words, “God led us to this property.” They went to the City Development Authority and put in the petition. After that, out of faith, they started cleaning up the property and praying over it daily. Pastor Greg told me that he had never been so confident in his life that, “This was the property that God was going to give them for Beacon Valley Baptist Church.” If my memory serves me correctly (and it doesn’t always), about a week later, he received a call from the development authority with some heart breaking news. At the time, there was not any property in the area zoned for a Church to be built. The lady from the development authority said that she would do some more research on the area and see what she could find. Pastor Greg told me that he was in utter disbelief. “I started to wonder if I had heard God right the first time.” In his heart, he knew that this was what he was supposed to do but his mind started to doubt and tell him otherwise. So Pastor Greg started to do the only thing he knew to do. He hit his knees and started to ask God to make a way. The next day he got another call. The lady started to confirm everything she had said previously. She told him there was no property in the area that was zoned for a church but, the area was in desperate need of a “Daycare Center.” She went on to tell Pastor Greg that the property he had put in the petition for would work for the “Daycare Center” and once the building was built, (hush, hush) the building could be used for anything, including a church. “God had made a way!” So, they started the construction of “Kideo Kid Educare Centre.” The center would serve the community as a “Christian Based” daycare center through the week and as a Church on Sundays and Tuesdays. This story still blows me away cause there has been so many times in my life that I have thought that I heard God wrong and sadly, just gave up. It kind of makes me wonder, what may of happened if I would have had more FAITH in God and not listened to the doubt in my head. Now, back to the mission work.

There were about sixty or so kids when we got to the church, and man, were these kids loving. We had kids who had never met us before, running up to us, jumping in our laps and asking us hundreds of questions. When we started the program, my heart leaped from my chest to see the churches older youth taking a lead role in the “Holiday Bible Club” (what we call VBS). As the youth started leading the children in some songs and worship, kids kept filing in through the doors of the Church. By the time the worship was over, we went from around 60 kids to 150+. There are churches here in the U.S. that are much bigger than Beacon Valley and they don’t have half the kids in their VBS’s that they did. It was almost as if God was saying to me at this point that, “I don’t care about the size of the Church, I care about the heart of the Church.” If there is anything that I can say about Beacon Valley Baptist Church it is, This Church Loves God and They Love Kids. This Church was not worried about their size, the curriculum they were going to us, or how they were going to pay to feed all of these kids. The only thing they were worried about was showing the love to others that Christ had showed to them. People, we can learn a lot from this. We think that it is about having the coolest program, the best music, and the biggest “jump houses” we can find to draw in all the kids we can when the kids could really care less about this stuff. Why are we running to all of these things when the best thing that we have to “draw in the crowds” is the “Love of Christ?” Think about it, at the end of most VBS, kids can’t remember half of the activities they did from the week but, they will always remember that teacher who took the time to love on them and open up God’s Word with them. They won’t remember what craft they built last year but, they will remember the people who simply noticed they were there. They won’t remember the songs that they sang on “Commencement Night” but, they will always remember that Deacon who took time off work to pick them up and bring them to church. How did our priorities get so out of whack? When it all comes down to it, these kids just wanted to be loved and know they matter. I think that in the U.S., we have come to the point that people would rather give their money to help fund the program and get someone else to actually do it but I guess you could say the same about missions. Don’t get me wrong, giving your money is important and God tells us to give (and if you don’t believe that, I have a verse for ya!). But, which is more important to you, your money or your time? Here’s how you tell, do you spend more time at work, or more time with your family? (Not trying to get in your business, just trying to tell ya what God showed me.) Two people that really stood out to me at Beacon Valley were Kurt and Morgan. These two men both took time off work just to help run this Holiday Bible Club. (Remember how few jobs I told you there were in the last post.) These two men really knew what mattered in life. Kurt has a job with the government and is going to school to be a social worker. Kurt grew up in the area and he knew the obstacles these kids were going to have to cross in their life, but he also knew they would not be able to do it unless they had someone to encourage them along the way. Morgan was a man, who like many, grew up in church and in his teen years, strayed away. Morgan told me they he got away from church when the world started being a bigger influence in his life than the church (think about that). One of his biggest fears was the kids in the area going down the same path that he had. Both of these men took time off from work to pour their life into these kids. They knew the importance of time because someone had taken the time to show them that they mattered and now it was time to give back. For all of us, it is time to give back. If every one of you will think about it, you can think of someone in your life who took the time to show you that you mattered too. There is a world of children who are hungry for attention and my question to you is, “Will you give your Time?” If the Church does not spend time with these children, the world will and all of the money in the world won’t get them back.

Kinda went off on a rant but thats what God showed me.
More to come (minus the rants)

South African Mission Trip: "First Day on the Mission Field"

Written by Youth Pastor Scotty Jarrard;

First Day on the Mission Field


Our first day on the Mission Field was a lot like well, like a lot of first. The first day of school, the first day of a new job, and even the first date all come with this sense of unknowing, hesitation, and even fear counter acted by excitement and anticipation all wrapped up in one little bundle. I remember that one of my biggist fears was worry that the parents of these kids that we are about to work with would think, “Well here come these Americans to show us everything that we are doing wrong.” (In case you didn’t get it, Heavy Sarcasm) I really did not want these people to think that we thought that we were better than them. While in my heart, there was the excitement of just trying to make a difference in these kid’s world. (Let’s face it; everybody wants to make a difference)


As we started the drive towards Beacon Valley Baptist Church, I Started to see a different side of Cape Town, something that we are just not use to in the U.S.. Men were standing in every intersection that we passed, selling everything from fruit & vegetables to car & cellphone accessories. Without even trying, I caught myself judging these men without even thinking about it. Like a second nature act I remember saying to myself, “I wonder where they stole that stuff from.” (Don’t judge me, I’m just being honest and be honest, you probably would of thought the same thing too.) It was amazing how fast God slapped me up side the head and was quick to remind me, “You don’t know these people.”
As we got further down the road, I started to notice a whole lot more. I saw one “City Work Crew” digging a ditch that looked to be about 500 feet long, by hand, to lay a new power cable between street lights. Another “City Work Crew” was picking up trash that littered the road side as far as the eye could see. I was amazed that these work crews were working in such a way. In the U.S. we have “detainee work crews” who do these jobs or at least, that’s the way we think. Next, we came upon an intersection where what looked to be about 50 men stood waiting with water jugs and tools. About that time, a city work truck pulled up to that intersection and a city employee started handing out reflective vest. Evidently, Pastor Greg noticed me staring at the situation and proceeded to explain to me that the men who were standing at the intersection were day laborers. Every morning, these men will come out to various intersections in hopes that someone would pick them up for a day’s work. I had seen this before when I worked in Atlanta and even used some day laborers before but I have never seen this on such a large scale. Intersection after intersection, men were line up waiting and hoping for work to provide for their families. Thats when I realized that those men who were picking up trash and digging that ditch were not city workers, they were day laborers who had been picked up earlier that morning. These men wanted to work and would do whatever they had to do to make a living. 


Along the way, we noticed dog houses, picnic table, and benches that were for sale on the side of the road. When we looked a little closer, we saw two men disassembling shipping pallets. These two men were taking the wood that they salvaged from these pallets and building those dog houses, picnic tables, and benches. And guys, these were pretty nice items at that. Pastor Greg went on to explain that there was a great shortage of jobs not only in the Cape Town area but also, all of South Africa. He told us that a lot of these people were also very skilled at construction, masonry, and pretty much anything that they could do to earn an honest living. 


Don’t get me wrong, I know that we have a lot of the same situations going on here in the U.S. but, nowhere near the scale that we see in Cape Town. I also know that in Cape Town, there are a lot of people who don’t want to work just like here in the U.S. My point is simply this, before you complain about the job you have to do, the hours you have to work, or even having to go in on your scheduled days off, Thank God for the job that he has richly blessed you with cause, there is ALWAYS someone in this world who has it worse off than you do.


Part Two Coming Soon.

South African Mission Trip: "Transition"

Written by Youth Pastor Scotty Jarrard;

Let’s try this again.


Corina was not the only one there to greet us. Pastor Greg, Dr. Davis (one of Corina’s professors and an IMB Missionary), Bother Lloyd and his wife were also there to give us a very warm and compassionate welcoming to Cape Town. After we got all of our luggage loaded (you would be surprised how much luggage 10 people can accumulate), we headed to the seminary that would be our home for the next 2 weeks. As we were driving down N2 (one of their interstates), Pastor Greg and Brother Lloyd were trying to explain to me the situation of South Africa and why things were the way they were there. All of that time I tried my best to listen to what they were telling me but I found it very hard to concentrate on the conversation due to all of the things that I was seeing. Everywhere I looked alongside the road we were traveling, there were these villages made up of make shift “shacks”. These shacks were made of everything from rusted tin roofing, plastic, pallets and pretty much anything these people could find. I remember saying to myself, “how could anyone live in these things?” Here in the U.S., we put our yard tools in bigger and better sheds than these people were living in. So many things started racing through my mind but the main things that stood out the most were some of the things that people had said to me and a couple of the members of the team. “Why are you going on a mission trip to Cape Town? Isn’t that a vacation spot?” and “Why are you going there when we have so many people in need here?” That is when it really hit me, “We are a spoiled and selfish nation!” I am not trying to down play the situation that our nation is in but the truth is, if you simply live in the United States, you are among the top 15% of the richest people in the world. The U.S. has never seen poverty on the scale that we witnessed in these 2 weeks. The U.S. is up in a whirlwind about 10% unemployment and yet, we were among township where 1,000,000 people lived in an area a quarter the size of the city of Blairsville and the unemployment rate was 92% (and believe me, unlike a lot of the people in the U.S., these people really want to work but I will talk about more of that later). Once again, I know that there are a lot of bad situations in the U.S. but, when it comes to a majority of South Africa, we don’t even come a close second.

When we finally made it to the seminary, it was far from what most of us had expected. The whole place was surrounded by a 7 foot tall fence layered with constantina wire (razor wire) on top of that, with 2 steal gates entering the area. On one side of us was a type of government housing and on the side was a Squatter’s Camp (that’s what they call the villages that I spoke about on the way from the airport) separated by the interstate. (To me, the accommodations were more than I ever expected and I don’t want any of you to think that we were in any great danger or that we are something great for staying in the area we stayed. Compared to some of the other areas in Cape Town, we were in a very safe area. I am just doing my best to paint a picture for you so that you can understand the things we witnessed on the trip.) Pastor Greg asked us to just settle in for the rest of the day and try to rest because he had a very busy time planned for us. 

As we all settled in, we gathered together and tried to make sense of the things that we had seen on the way to the seminary plus, we got to hang out with Corina which was AWESOME. It was really a blessing to have her there in place because she was able to help us make sense of things around us. She amazes me the way she has made herself available to God’s will and is truly be a servant to the people of South Africa. I can remember back a year ago when Corina told me that God was calling her to Africa and I would give anything if I could have told her then, what I know now. Corina was not called to South Africa, God created her for South Africa.


More to come!