Taking a break

This week is going to be a great time for Betty Jo and myself.  It has been a long time since we’ve had some time together to simply relax.  We’re going to get a way to the mountains this week before I get back to my normal schedule.  The summer and fall are going to be really busy on the road and at Liberty so this week is going to be awesome.  I had the chance to attend John’s church on Sunday–the first time I have been with him on Sunday in over a year.  Wonderful message and an awesome service.  His ministry at The Dwelling Place is growing again and I am thrilled to see it.  There was a great spirit in the church.  The Lord has His Ways!  Thanks for praying for us and loving us.

Family update

John and Amy and the kids, Jordan, Jonathan, Nathan, are doing fine.  The Dwelling Place Community Church continues to serve and grow in Wilmington and John is finding fresh direction and growth for himself, his family, and the fellowship.  Clyn and Joell and kids, Jacob and Emma are also doing well.  They are located in Summerville, S.C.  They continue to grow as a family and spirtually they are doing wonderfully.  Scott, Lisa and the kids, Victoria, Joseph, Olivia are growing and doing well in Delaware.  Scott is still the worship arts pastor at Eagles Nest Fellowship, and continues to do Higher Place on the road.  Betty Jo and I are still working with caring for two mothers in Wilmington as I serve Liberty Fellowship at Kill Devil Hills and continue to keep up my Maranatha schedule on the road.  These are busy and difficult times for us all–as they are for most folks in our country right now.  As a family we probably have felt more spiritually attacked than at any time in my memory and the financial pressure is heavy.  At the same time I have never felt more blessed and challenged by the Goodness of our Lord Jesus!  It is such a joy and blessing to serve Him.  Thank all of you for praying for and lovingly supporting us!

Beach Baptism

Yesterday afternoon we had the privilege of baptising about 20 teenagers and adults, mostly teenagers.  It was memorial day weekend and the beach was crowded despite rain all around us.  It was awesome hearing the group of about 60 or 70 cheering for each person as they declared publicly their commitment to Jesus.  The event wasn’t lost on the many other folks on the beach either, as they stopped what they were doing and watched the event unfolded.  It was awesome!  One of the high lights of the day for me was a man who came to Liberty Sunday morning  (brought by some friends who love him) wearing a bandana on his head.  It turned out that he was very sick and the bandana was covering his hair loss that  was the result of his treatments.  Long and short, he decided he wanted to be baptized in the ocean but his body couldn’t take the shock of being emersed.  The question I was asked was, “can he be baptized at the ocean withould being emersed.”  The answer was yes, Lord yes!  As he sat in a beach chair with the waves crashing on the shore and about 15 teenagers gathered around laying hands on him and praying, two of our elders scooped up water from the waves and poured it over his head as we baptized him in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Mark had declared his  life for Christ.  We got an incredible picture of him as he picked up his cane and walked slowly down the beach with a new found freedom.  You have no idea what yesterday meant to me, but I will tell you this–it took church out of the restaurant and turned it into a back yard bar-b-que! What a time in Jesus!

What a weekend

What a weekend this is going to be.  Friday and Sat I will be at the Ken Helser Men’s retreat and have the chance to speak Sat morning.  There are a lot of things that make this a special event, but much of it has to do with the fact that Scott and John will be there with some of our grandbabies.  See sons, play with gandchildren, talk to men about Jeus–that is awesome!  Then Sunday I get to preach at Liberty and in the afternoon we will have an ocean baptism with about 15-20 teenagers and 5 adults.  Is that cool or not!  What a Memorial weekend!

What a Day!

This morning at Liberty I started a 3 or 4 message series on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.  I am really looking forward spending the teaching time on Sunday mornings.  Following the Sunday messages we will start a teaching series during the week that will be more a exhaustive treatment of the Holy Spirit.  The series  during the week will last about 12-14 weeks.  We are in a time where we must uderstand and submit to the Lordship of Jesus and the Power and Work of the Holy Spirit in our lives personally and in our churches corporately if we are going to effective in our Father’s hands.  Persons in right relationships empowered by the Holy Spirit are a thing of beauty–its His work, we’re just His instruments.  Look around–it isn’t going to happen by might or by our power but it will done by His Spirit.  We will stand by kneeling, go out by pressing into Him, live by dying  to self, speak by listening, love because we were first loved by Him, all this and more because the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us!

The Joy of Obedience

I was out early this morning , about 6, on the beach catching a view of the sea gulls.  I was treated to a school of porpoise that just seemed to hang out in front of me, and I was struck by the incredible freedom that they seemed to enjoy.  Their element is the water and they thrive in it.  “When the Son sets you free, you are free indeed….and it is for freedom that you are set free.”  The joy of obedience is that it sets us free to thrive in our element.  This  world is a place of freedom as we walk in obedience to Him and His Word.  Obedience allows God to take our uniqueness and release it freely in the world for His Glory.  Ultimate freedom is found in full surrender to Him.  Have a blessed day!

Mom

This mother’s day had a little more emotion in it for me this year.  Mom had an automobile accident this past week and I feel especially blessed to still have her with me.  She is 90 and going strong.  Thank you for praying for her following the accident–she was cut and bruised, but is doing fine.  Her car didn’t fair as well since it is totalled–but thank you Jesus Mom is ok.

Cambridge Meeting

Kenny and I were in Cambridge, Md for a wonderful time in Jesus with our friends Jay and Brenda Hurly.  Jay pastors Grace UMC in Cambridge and we were there to celebrate the erecting of a tabernacle in Cambridge in the early 1900s.  A group of men, around 500, erected a 2000 seat tabernacle in one day–one day!  Is that unreal or not.  Billy Sunday held a crusade there in 1916–It was an honor and privilege to be invited to share this moment with friends.  We saw the Holy Spirit move in tremendous ways–the Spirit of Praise and the Presence of the Lord were awesome at each meeting.  Folks from different churches as well as many pastors came together to exalt Jesus.  I really believe the fruit of this meeting is going to be the igniting of a major revival in the area so please pray for all the pastors and their people that as they experience Pentecost in their churches that evangelism will take place in the market place.  The harvest is ready people!  Pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send laborers.  Glory to Jesus!  Thank you Jay and Brenda!

Prayer–talking with your Daddy is a good thing!

This morning as I was walking and trying to cooperate with BJ’s desire for me to get my body in better shape I found myself praying for a couple of old friends.   The Lord prompted me to call and offer a blessing to them and encourage them in their day.  In  recent months I haven’t had much contact with these guys  so I know the prompting came from my Father.  It was a good thing for them and for me.  Talking with our Father produces some good stuff –isn’t it  really awesome that the God of the whole universe is our Dad!  James 5:13 says , “Is anyone of you in trouble? He should pray (talk to his Daddy).”  Have you done that today–He’s waiting to hear from you!

Scott and John

Thank Jesus they are helping me become computer literate, and maybe now I can blog with regularity and maybe even have something to say!  Ain’t God good!  His Name Is Jesus and He does all things well!