Line Upon Line

I don't think God is overly impressed by the promises we make to Him. Yet, I know He is pleased when we believe and act on the promises He has made to us.

"Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
-- 2 Peter 1:2-4 (New Living Translation)

"But our High Priest has been given a ministry that is far superior to the ministry of those who serve under the old laws, for he is the one who guarantees for us a better covenant with God, based on better promises."
-- Hebrews 8:6 (New Living Translation)

If you desire more of God, you might try giving Him more of you.

"He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less."
-- John 3:30 (New Living Translation)

The stand-off in Montgomery, Alabama over the 10 Commandments monument came to a head this past week.

But the real issue is far from being resolved -- that is, the attempt to remove all traces of God from public life and view.

Love him or hate him, Bill O'Reilly hit the mark in his August 28th "Talking Points", which can be found here -- What's Really Behind the Controversy in Alabama?

I encourage you to read his commentary to get the big picture.

The next question is: "What can be done to turn this rising tide?"

I'll talk about that in a future "Line Upon Line."

"About the towels, we forgive you."

Holiday Inn has declared today, August 28th, 2003, "Towel Amnesty Day".

That's good news for any and all of you who have ever borrowed, stolen, annexed, appropriated, cabbaged, filched, heisted, hooked, lifted, nabbed, pilfered, pocketed, ripped off, swiped, or otherwise illegally carried off one of the well-recognized, trademark scripted towels.

Now, doesn't it feel good to be forgiven?

"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered."
-- Romans 4:7

Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?''

Jesus said to him, "`You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment."

"And the second is like it: `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.''
-- Matthew 22:35-40

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another."
-- John 13:34

Oh, that we were as passionate about obeying the commandments of God as we are about the display of them.

Just a thought...

by Randall Gearhart


This is a story about God's church.

Even though this story has a happy ending, it's still quite a sad story.

It's sad because God's church is broken.

It doesn't work like it's supposed to work. It doesn't do what it's supposed to do. It doesn't even look like it's supposed to look. To tell you the truth, it's in pretty rough shape.

I don't like God's church to be broken. It makes me sad. It makes me sad because it makes God sad.

Doesn't it make you sad, too?

I've been talking to God a lot about His broken church. I wanted to know if it could be fixed. I also wanted to know if there was anything I could to help.

God said, "Yes, it can be fixed." And He told me I could help.

Wow, that makes me happy!

But God also said He'll need lots more help to fix His church.

Hey, maybe you'd like to help God fix His broken church!

If you ask Him, maybe He would let you help, too. That would be great! Then we could work together to fix God's church.

That's an awesome idea!

It's good to know God's broken church can be fixed, but it's not going to be easy.

Nope, it won't.

It won't be easy because not many people really know what's wrong with it. They mostly just know something's not right.

There are others who don't even know it's broken. Now, that's sad.

Even worse, there are some who do know it's broken, but don't want to have to change anything to fix it. Instead, they just pretend everything's o.k.

That's really sad.

God said some things will have to change for His church to be what He wants it to be and do what He wants it to do.

Yup, that's what He said.

If God's broken church is ever going to get fixed and work right, some things have got to change.

But who knows what to do and who knows where to start?

This reminds me of Humpty Dumpty. You remember Humpty Dumpty, don't you?

That too is a sad story.

“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men,
Couldn't put Humpty together again.”

What a mess!

The king's men didn't know where to start. Even the king's horses couldn't lick the problem.

All those pieces. What goes where? Who knows?

If only the king's men could have remembered what Humpty looked like before his fall, then maybe they could have put the pieces back where they belonged.

Like Humpty Dumpty, God's church is in kind of a mess, too. It's fallen and it can't get up.

God's broken church needs help -- a lot of help!

It needs God's help.

Only God knows how to fix His broken church. Only God knows what it's supposed to look like. After all, it's His church.

If we knew what God's church was supposed to look like, then we could help Him fix it.

There's an idea!

Then God's church could be what He wants it to be, and do what He wants it to do. That would be simply wonderful. Don't you think so?

Come to think of it, God has shown us what His church is supposed to look like. He's shown us in the Bible.

Trouble is, we've been busy doing so many other things, that we haven't taken time to see what God's church is supposed to look like. If we had taken the time, we would have discovered that the church we know today is really very different from the New Testament church.

I wonder why God's church is so different today? I wonder what happened?

Do you ever wonder what happened to God's church?

Only God really knows.

By the way, I wonder what really happened to Humpty Dumpty. I wonder if he just lost his balance -- or maybe he was pushed -- or maybe he was trying to take his life.

I don't know -- do you?

All I know is he needed somebody to help him get it together again.

Likewise, it really doesn't matter how the church got broken -- we just need to do what we can do to help fix it!

Here's a lesson in faith we all need to learn.

The Rope

"I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."-- Martin Luther King, Jr. (from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., August 28, 1963)

I pray the dream becomes a reality -- soon.

"Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh..."
-- 2 Corinthians 5:16

A few months ago I was awakened early on a Sunday morning, picked up a notebook and pen, and began writing. Maybe something here will speak to your heart.

"It's true that the mind is a spiritual battleground. But it could be thought of as a playground -- and the devil has his favorite rides."

"Be aware of the times in which God speaks to you. For me, it is often in the waking moments."

"God loves you -- not for what you do, but for who you are."

"The devil is not a creator -- he is a perverter of the good things God has made."

"It took the Apostle Paul a while to figure this out, too -- it's all about trusting in the grace of God."

"Just about the time you think you've arrived..."

"Without God, you can do nothing of eternal consequence."

"Find one person consumed with a vision for God -- and I'll show you a thousand who could care less."

"Seek not sympathy from the crowd. The suffering of others is great sport for the masses."

"There's always at least one Judas in the crowd...that goes for Jezebel, too."

"You'll not know if your life has been successful until you hear, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.'"

"True faith is not a leap in the dark, or a step out onto thin ice. True faith rests firmly on the unchanging, eternal Word of God."

"Make sure your dreams are God's dreams for you -- your thoughts, God's thoughts about you."

"It's not only what you do for God that's important -- but why you do it."

"If you are led by the Spirit of God many will not understand you -- some will applaud you -- a handful will admire you -- and a couple will want to kill you."

"There are some things that God will speak to you or show you that are for you alone. Treasure them in your heart."

"If God has spoken it, He will bring it to pass -- but most likely not when or how you think He should."

"As you grow with God, you will be amazed that the more you come to know, the more you'll realize how little you really do know."

"The world buys opinions -- the wise seek Truth."

"Following Jesus is an adventure of faith."

"It's true...if you don't use it, you will lose it."

"To grow, eat. To grow strong, eat and exercise."

"The most profound truths are really very simple."

"'IF' is the biggest word in the Bible."

"There's always a reason people act the way they do."

"One of the scariest thoughts for the public speaker is, 'out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.'"

"Give most of your time to the most important things."

"Being led by the Spirit is the surest way to success and prosperity -- and persecution, too."

"There is one sure guarantee in this world -- God's love."

"Its one thing to believe in God -- another to trust Him."

"Many people find the way -- only a few walk in it."

"Criticism can hurt -- but praise can prove deadly."

"There is always time to do the things God wants you to do."

"The two most important things in life are knowing God's will and doing it."

"Never make lists of pros and cons. Instead, be led by the Spirit of God."

"God is not influenced by opinion polls -- and you shouldn't be, either."

"If you think God's not watching or listening, well, you just don't know God."

"The gifts that God has given you are not for you -- they are for you to give to someone else."

"The highest calling in life is that of a servant."

"It's not how you learn, but what you learn that's important."

"There's nobody else in the world exactly like you -- and that's probably a good thing!"

"Change is not always for the better."

"Things that seem of little importance to you, may be very important to someone else. Take time to listen."

"I am convinced that nothing in life happens when you think it should -- or ever turns out the way you imagined it would."

Have you ever had "one of those days" when nothing seems to go your way -- when everything you've done is undone -- when all the news is bad news?

All of us have experienced such days. Whether in business, family and other relationships, or our personal health and well-being, life can present us with many unexpected challenges.

The Bible records such a day in the life of David. He and his men had returned home from the field of battle to find that the Amalekites had burned their city, Ziklag, and had taken their wives and children captive. It is hard for us to imagine the emotion of such a moment, but in First Samuel we read:

"So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David's two wives had been captured. Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God."
-- 1 Samuel 30:4-6 (NIV)

If dealing with their loss wasn't bad enough, the sorrow of David's men turned to anger against their leader, and they began blaming him for their troubles, and talked of killing him.

Yet, when faced with all this, David turned to God, encouraged himself in the Lord, and found strength to walk through this trial.

When the world turns against you and things are crashing in on you, do what David did -- encourage yourself in the Lord! Begin to speak aloud of His faithfulness and goodness. Give Him thanks for His unfailing love. Reaffirm your faith in His Word.

Regardless of what you might face, you can encourage yourself in the fact that God is faithful -- and all things really do work together for the good of them who love and put their trust in Him. Remember, Jesus is always with you -- and will never forsake you.

Here's a lesson in love and forgiveness for you.

A 50-year-old woman in Germany says she's forgiven her 26-year-old boyfriend after he bit her nose off.

The woman, who has undergone six operations to build a synthetic nose, said, "I still love this man. He was just drunk."

Sounds somewhat familiar, doesn't it?

"Then Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.'''
-- Luke 23:34

That's the power of love.

Anyway, the judge -- in an attempt to take a bite out of crime -- wasn't quite as forgiving. He sentenced the man to 18 months in jail.

Chew on that a while, fella'!

Hey, maybe after he's released, this guy could get matched up and go a couple of rounds with Mike Tyson.

Now that might be interesting! You know, an eye for an eye -- a tooth for a tooth -- an ear for a nose...

I wrote to you last Thursday, August 13th after reading Stephen Simpson's editorial, "The Charismatrix: Looking for Reality That Makes The Mission Possible", from the latest edition of Charles Simpson's One-To-One magazine. (Stephen's editorial can be found here "The Charismatrix")

As Stephen, I, too, have been troubled by much of what I see in the Church (especially the Church on TV). I am also concerned by the tendency of God's people to believe everything they hear and to follow anyone who says they've got "a word from the Lord."

A number of years ago, Pastor John Osteen (who has gone home to be with the Lord), shared something with me that helped me understand this phenomenon.

Back in the early 80's I was President of the RHEMA Alumni Association. I was responsible for planning the annual RHEMA Alumni meeting. One year we invited Pastor Osteen to speak to the returning alumni.

In the morning meeting, Pastor Osteen quieted the crowd when he expressed his disappointment over the failure of some of the alumni to honor a commitment to him, after he opened his book table to those attending Kenneth Hagin's Campmeeting. Pastor John had told them that if they didn't have the money to pay for books and tapes, they could take them and send the money later.

According to Pastor Osteen, most everyone honored their commitment -- except for a number of the Bible school students and alumni.

After sharing his heart on this matter, he continued with his message.

When Pastor Osteen left the platform, I met him backstage in the guest speaker's room.

It was obvious that he was upset. But this time he was not upset with the alumni, he was upset with himself.

"I shouldn't have said anything," he said.

I tried to encourage him, saying, "Well, if that's what happened, they needed to hear it."

Then I asked Pastor Osteen a question: "Tell me, why is it that men and women who are called to be pastors and leaders -- and to be examples to others -- do such things?"

His response to my question came without a moments' thought.

"Because God chose the foolish things of this world."

And you know, it's true.

Many of the strange things going on in the Body of Christ -- things done "in the name of Jesus" -- are simply the result of foolish people doing what comes naturally -- acting foolishly.

But I'm concerned that a watching world is beholding this foolishness of man rather than seeing the character and nature of God. As God's people and His ambassadors to the world, we are called to show forth His glory and manifest His wisdom. You see, even though we were foolish when God chose us, He didn't intend that we should stay that way!

I guess I have a right to talk here -- because I was one of those foolish things God chose for the ministry. I was a nobody...going no place...to do nothing, when I heard His call. And, yes, I've done some stupid things, too. But, thank God, through it all I have learned the grace and patience of God, and His power to take foolish things (like me) and make them glorious.

"Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose those who are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important, so that no one can ever boast in the presence of God."
--- 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

I pray that God will help us discern the real from the religious so that we might worship Him and serve Him in spirit and in truth -- and show the world the greatness of our God. May God glorify us, so we might glorify Him.

As many of you, we were without power for a couple of days here in Port Huron, Michigan. No air conditioning, no fans, no lights (except candles and flashlights), no refrigeration (we ate the last of the ice cream before it melted completely...hey, we HAD to!), no TV (I missed FOX News Channel most, but at least we got power back in time to see the Lions lose last night), no computers, no internet...NO HAIR DRYER!!!! AGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!

The WET LOOK was back, albeit so briefly. Sorry you missed it. May it forever rest in peace.

Nevertheless, the Gearhart family survived the "Great Rolling-Cascading-All-Encompassing Blackout of 2003." And if you're reading this, you did, too!

(I have a theory that this outage was a sinister plot to disrupt the 9th Annual Woodward Dream Cruise. It's still only a theory, though.)

Now, back to the future...

For those of you who have emailed me, thanks for the comments...and thanks to all of you for taking the time to read "Line Upon Line."

I do pray that it will continue to enlighten, entertain, and encourage you!

I'm planning to get back to you in the morning with more "profound" thoughts and commentary...that is, "if the Lord's willing, and the creek don't rise!"

I always look forward to each new copy of "One-To-One", Charles Simpson's teaching magazine for believers.

Charles is a gifted teacher, minister, and leader of leaders.

Through the years, Charles' messages have echoed and confirmed many things God has been speaking to my heart.

Such was the case again this morning, as I opened this month's issue, while enjoying my Aunt Millie's Cracked Wheat toast (with butter and Smucker's Seedless Strawberry Jam), Carnation Instant Breakfast (cappuccino flavor...soooo good), and coffee (Gevalia traditional roast). YUM!

But, it wasn't an article by Charles that first caught my attention today --- it was an editorial written by Editorial Director, Stephen Simpson.

Here's a brief excerpt from Stephen's commentary, "The Charismatrix: Looking for Reality That Makes The Mission Possible." (This will especially speak to you who saw the first "Matrix" movie)

"Let's face it...we as charismatics are terribly prone to tangents.

Our image of what the Church ought to be has been often dreadfully warped by the media. And, by the media, I'm not necessarily talking about CNN. I'd rather not be more specific. And, no, I'm not talking about CBS either.

There is far too much of what my Grandma Simpson used to call 'strutting your onions' in charismatic Christendom today. Too many leaders getting together and playing "Can you top this?" with each other.

Too many preaching superstars on TV who take their fashion tips from the cover of the Sgt. Pepper album. Too much insider religious jargon being tossed around by folks who don't know sanctification from sanctimony. Too much hollering and thinking erroneously that some stronghold just fell down. Too many cutesy jingles masquerading as worship songs.

I call this condition "the charismatrix." It looks real. It feels real. It sounds real. But basically, it's just a pill that a lot of Christians have swallowed that substitutes noise for real revolution. We seem to have forgotten that the power of God has been given to move us forward in the mission."

Well, can anybody say, "AMEN!?"

I have been troubled for some time now at what I see portrayed as the "Spirit-filled life" and promoted as "The Anointing." The hype has intensified and accelerated, especially over the last few months. It has moved far beyond the sublime and is well into ridiculous.

Now, before you accuse me of being judgmental, I must say that each one of us has a responsibility to judge righteous judgment by the Spirit of God and be discerning of what is claimed to "be God" or is done "in the name of God."

If we are in "the last days" (and I believe we are), there will be great deception in the world -- including among those in the Body of Christ -- and many will be led astray.

I pray that God will help us to know the Truth and hold fast to it in these trying times.

Consider this wisdom from the Word of God:

"Only simpletons believe everything they are told! The prudent carefully consider their steps." --- Proverbs 14:15 (New Living Translation)

I encourage you to read Stephen's entire editorial here: "The Charismatrix"

More on this tomorrow...

"My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus the Master; now live him. You're deeply rooted in him. You're well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it!
--- Colossians 2:6,7 (The Message)

I've known people who are what I call "professional students." They spend their life taking courses, attending classes, and pursuing degrees, but they never seem to do anything with what they've learned.

What a waste!

If you've learned it, you need to live it.

This is true of the Christian life, too. As you've learned Christ, live Christ. Otherwise, what value is the knowledge that you've gained?

If you've learned of God's love -- share His love.

If you've learned of His patience -- be patient with others.

If you've received His forgiveness -- forgive others.

So, if you know it, JUST DO IT!

Here's an interesting bit of news from the New York Post...

"An armed Tennessee truck driver stopped his rig in the middle of a busy interstate, ripped off his clothes and ran around naked, police said. Deputy Jason Bobb, who arrested James Smith, 31, along Interstate 65 in Knoxville, has no idea why the trucker went bonkers. "When I said, 'Why don't you have any clothes on?' he said, 'Praise the Lord!' Bobb said."

Now, THAT'S what I call freedom!

Well, maybe not...

Have you seen the latest 60 million dollar advertising promo for the city of Las Vegas?

"What happens here stays here. Only Vegas."

Don't believe it.

"He sees you when you're sleeping;
He knows when you're awake;
He knows if you've been bad or good;
In Nevada -- or any other state!"

Come on...even Martha and the Vandellas know there's "nowhere to run, nowhere to hide."

"Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my every thought when far away.

You chart the path ahead of me
and tell me where to stop and rest.
Every moment you know where I am.

You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
You both precede and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to know!
I can never escape from your spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!

If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there.

If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.

I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night-
but even in darkness I cannot hide from you."

Psalm 139:1-12

"The night has a thousand eyes..."

There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.
-- Proverbs 16:25

A local pastor doing research for a college course paper asked me to contribute some of my thoughts about leadership. Here are his questions and my responses.

1. How long have you served in a leadership role?

I am presently heading Randall Gearhart Ministries and RCG Media after serving 13 years as the Director of Ministries of Life of Faith Fellowship in Kimball, MI. I am currently the President of the Board of Directors of Life of Faith Fellowship Church, Inc. and a member of the Board of Trustees of Operation Transformation and on the Board of Directors of Landmark Academy.

2. What other leadership roles have you held?

I was Youth Minister (Jr. and Sr. High) at Sheridan Assembly Christian Center in Tulsa, OK from 1975-1976.

I was President of Faith Ministries, Inc. from 1977-1978.

I served as Vice-President and President of the RHEMA Alumni Association.

I was an instructor at RHEMA Bible Training Center from 1978-1981.

I was founder and pastor of Dublin Christian Fellowship (now World Harvest Church) in Dublin, GA. (1981-1988)

I served as Chairman of the Georgia Fellowship of Churches and Ministers.

3. What are the greatest lessons you have learned through your leadership experience?

a. You're not going to please everybody...so don't try.
b. You can't lead people where they don't want to go.
c. Leadership is often a lonely place.

4. What three things would you advise every developing leader to do as a foundation for future success?

a. Have a strong personal relationship and on-going fellowship with God.
b. Work with or under a proven successful leader for a time
c. Read the writings and study the lives of successful leaders (both from the church and business world).

5. What was an area of failure that you gained personal significant insight to shape your leadership style and philosophy, and what were the top three lessons you learned?

Failure to recognize opposition.

a. Not everyone has pure motives.
b. The adversary works most effectively through people -- often those closest to you.
c. How to be cautious without being suspicious.

6. What are the three most important qualities a leader should possess?

a. Faith in God
b. Confidence in who God has created and called you to be.
c. An ability to understand, relate to, and communicate with people.

7. Who do you most admire as a leader? Why?

It's got to be J.C.!

Jesus Christ is the PERFECT LEADER and THE role model for leaders. No one else comes close. His life and ministry is a continual source of instruction and encouragement for me.

Now, if I had to choose someone other than Jesus, I have great respect for the leadership of President George W. Bush. He makes the tough decisions in the face of fierce opposition and personal attacks. He prays daily for God's wisdom. He is a team builder -- surrounding himself with gifted, knowledgeable, and experienced men and women.


Now, I suppose there's a few other things I've learned over the past 53 years...and God knows (and so do I) I've got a lot more to learn!

How about YOU?

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.
--- Henry Ford

I am convinced that the stock market is driven more by fear than it is by quarterly and annual reports.

Fear of the future...fear of layoffs...fear of shutdowns...fear of downturns...the war in Iraq...the price of oil...the conflicts in Afghanistan and Liberia...the nuclear threat in Iran and North Korea.

Fear can be a driving force...the deciding factor...a dream killer...a life-ender.

There's only one way to fight fear, and that's with faith.

Now, the strength of your faith is determined by your relationship with God and your confidence in His Word.

The Apostle Paul had this kind of faith...and he shared the secret of his confidence and hope when he wrote to Timothy from the darkness of a prison cell...

"...for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to safely guard all that I have given him until the day of his return." --- 2 Timothy 1:12 (The Living Bible)

God is faithful and His promises are true. He is a help and a shield to those who trust Him in times of trouble...and in troubling times. He really does care for you!

Think about these words from the prophet Isaiah...

"The Lord has said to me in the strongest terms: "Do not think like everyone else does. Do not be afraid that some plan conceived behind closed doors will be the end of you. Do not fear anything except the Lord Almighty. He alone is the Holy One. If you fear him, you need fear nothing else. He will keep you safe." --- Isaiah 8:11-14 (New Living Translation)

Now, doesn't that make you feel better?

What can I say?

Newly elected, unashamedly gay, Episcopalian Bishop Gene Robinson put it this way...

"I believe that God gave us the gift of sexuality so that we might express with our bodies the love that's in our hearts. I think that's true of marriage, and I think that's why we hold marriage to be a sacrament."

But, he added, "I just need to tell you that I experience that with my partner. In the time that we have, I can't go into all the theology around it, but what I can tell you is that in my relationship with my partner, I am able to express the deep love that's in my heart, and in his unfailing and unquestioning love of me, I experience just a little bit of the kind of never-ending, never-failing love that God has for me. So it's sacramental for me."

But what does the Word of God say?

"From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people, or birds and animals and snakes. So God let them go ahead and do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies. Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they worshiped the things God made but not the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever. Amen.

"That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relationships with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men and, as a result, suffered within themselves the penalty they so richly deserved. When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They are forever inventing new ways of sinning and are disobedient to their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, and are heartless and unforgiving. They are fully aware of God's death penalty for those who do these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway. And, worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too." (Romans 1:20-32)

Yeah, I know...homophobic, intolerant, judgmental, out of touch, etc.....

Whatever.

This is a sign of the times. The darkness will grow darker...yet in the midst of this darkness, God's people will shine forth in righteousness and truth.

Yes, there is forgiveness...if there is repentance. Yes, there is restoration...if there if first regeneration.

I pray that God will grant us grace know the Truth and walk in it in the midst of an ungodly generation.

P.S. Love the sinner...hate the sin.

Last Friday I attended a memorial service in Sarnia to honor and remember the life of Rick Mills. Rick passed from this life and entered the next after a long physical battle.

Most of you probably don't know Rick and his wife, Kathy. They both were a vital part of the congregation of Life of Faith Fellowship in Port Huron, Michigan.

I will remember Rick as a loving, caring, giving, and faithful man of God. When we building offices and classrooms in the former Skateport building, Rick and Ernie Ferrara would drive over the Bluewater Bridge from Canada after a long day on their jobs and work on the church building project. Often, Rick and Ernie would be the last ones to leave late in the evening.

In all my years of ministry I have known few people who were willing to give of themselves the way that Rick did. Knowing that God remembers our labors for him, I know that there is a great reward for the sacrificial offering that Rick made to God's people and to advance the work of His kingdom.

My prayers go out to Kathy and the family and friends of Rick Mills. Although he has left us for a time, the memory of his life will live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved him.

This recent Charisma News Service article sure brings back memories.

Observing that "churches are too segregated," the pastor of a black congregation in Shreveport, La., says his church will pay white people to attend services this month to increase the fellowship's diversity.

Greenwood Acres Full Gospel Baptist Church Bishop Fred Caldwell said he will pay $5 per hour for Sunday services and $10 an hour for the Thursday service, "The Shreveport Times" reported. The idea came to him during his sermon last Sunday.

"Our churches are too segregated, and the Lord never intended for that to happen. It's time for something radical," he said.

Back in the '60's, the "all-white" church that I grew up in in Flint, Michigan, paid a young black man to attend our Sunday services. While I agree that a racially diverse congregation is desirable, I really don't think this the way to make it happen. It seems far better to me that people would be brought together by the Holy Spirit rather than the promise of cold, hard cash. Taken to the extreme, I can envision "contract negotiations" and "signing bonuses" for those who are "paid to pray." While this might create an appearance of diversity, in the end it does nothing to create real unity.

I believe many churches appear "segregated" because of cultural, not prejudicial reasons. This is nothing unusual and should not be a source of undue concern. We are naturally drawn together with those who are "most like we are." Yet there are those who are so hungry for God's Word and His presence that they are willing to venture beyond the comforts of race, tradition, and culture, and join with others...red and yellow, black and white...to worship together in spirit and in truth.

Whatever the racial profile of our congregations, I pray God will help us stop judging one another by outward appearances and love one another in sincerity and truth! This is the message that the church needs to give to the world..."WHOSOEVER WILL, LET HIM COME!" The love of God sees no color; it only looks at the heart. When we start giving God's love freely to others, we will find a colorful mosaic of diversity in our unity in Christ.

Here's a great article from an unexpected source about the American Civil Liberties Union. It's worth your time to check it out!

The Most Obnoxious Group in America

According to an article today in The New York Post,

Surgeons have carried out the world's first human tongue transplant. The 42-year-old recipient was in good condition yesterday after doctors in Vienna removed his tongue, which had a malignant tumor, and replaced it with a donor tongue. The operation was a success but it's too soon to know whether the man will regain full use of his mouth and be able to talk normally.

Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue..." Much of the trouble we get ourselves into in this life is a result of the words we speak.

But a tongue replacement is not the answer.

It's out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks. That is, the tongue is controlled by whatever is filling our heart...and our heart is filled by the thoughts we choose to think.

We don't need a tongue transplant...we need to think on the right things...whatever is good and lovely and virtuous and pure. When we think the right thoughts, our tongue will speak words of life, health, and peace. Instead of your tongue getting you into trouble, it will get you into blessing of God!

With God's help, you CAN teach an old tongue new tricks!