Sunday, August 31, 2008

How To Surive The Storm




















This pastor's Sunday Morning thoughts as Hurricane Gustav moves close to the Gulf Coast. We send out our prayers for those in the storms path. I send out a special prayer to those United Pentecostal Churches, their pastors and church families that will suffer due to this storm.


Genesis 7
1And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
2Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
3Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.
4For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
5And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.


Intro…
• Gustav is bearing down on the Gulf coast
• This is a big storm
• 3 Days of water and non perishable food
• Fill your tank
• Batteries and candles
• Board up
• Cash
• Evacuate


Sometimes we are warned ahead of time a storm is coming
• Other times we are surprised

Noah had such warning and he was given instructions for survival..
• He preached and warned others
• He obeyed what he was told to do
• He survived and his family along with him
• The Word of God is an instruction manual to help each of us and our families survive
• The man of god is placed in our lives to sound warning and direction
• The family of god is there to provide support and prayers and love

Storms are inevitable
Matt 7:24Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.


Two men with the same storm and options
• One built on sand and fell
• One built on the rock and survived

Foundational truths that cannot be ignored
• New birth
• Personal commitments of prayer and the word
• Separation from the world
• Stewardship acknowledges that all I have is the Lord’s

Paul found himself in a storm not of his choosing
• He was placed in the ship as a prisoner
• He was in the ship because of the work of God
• The ship was breaking apart because of the storm
• Angel appeared and said stay in the ship
• Stay in the ship

The Disciples were in the storm
• The Lord had sent them into the storm
• He was asleep
• They thought they were going down
• They cried out to Jesus

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Sarah Is Our Girl!!!



























In one morning the face of American politics changed....

This lady is incredible with an impeccable record....

Not only that she is a classy lady....

It is very nice to see a lady in a dress with hair piled on her head in this position.....

Senator McCain impressed me with this decision....

But Sarah needs no help in the impression department...

I can hardly wait to see her charm Biden and Obama right before she rips out their throats......

In my opinion....

Sarah Palin might be the American version of a Maggie Thatcher or a Golda Meir.....

Blessings....

rks

Friday, August 22, 2008

The Folly of a Novice



Paul said in I Timothy 3:6......

Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.....

It seems that many young men love this verse and forcefully assert themselves in areas they should never do so.....

You see, some men qualify themselves after a year or so of pastoring or having preached a couple of revivals etc......that now they have arrived on the market of the ministry.....

And they have, but still are new arrivals.....

Now my young friend before you fire off epistles at me just bear with me and take a little walk.....

Paul's mention of the novice was not for the benefit of an established ministry but for a beginning one......

Too many have started well but something hindered them....

The zeal of a young leader combined with the just enough experience to be dangerous many times turns into mindless bluster......

And of course now that one has some sort of position in ministry he has to listen to no one.....too bad......

This poor sap has discovered unbeknownst to himself the folly of the novice.....

And so he ignorantly waves around verses like 1 Tim 4:12.....

Let no man despise thy youth .....

And blusteringly communicates the fact to others that I have arrived and you will not despise me.....

Again failing because of the folly of the novice that Paul was not writing for the young man to bristle and bluster about his own youth....

But rather he was encouraging young Timothy to not give anyone reason to despise him.....

Timothy, do not run off at the mouth and get caught up in the folly of the novice and cause others to have no respect for you.......

But Paul offered an incredible remedy for the folly of the novice in 2 Tim 4:5.....

But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry......

My dear brothers....

Sadly younger ministers set out to prove themselves and forget they are not to prove themselves but prove their ministry.....

The folly of the novice sets the lad in a process of proving who he is ....

This is unnecessary to all and only creates baggage the lad will drag for a long time....

Younger brothers.....

Be careful in all things......take the hard knocks.....win a soul.....and let your ministry prove itself.......

And the folly of the novice will not be charged to your account....

Blessings...

rks

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Computer Twubbles














I bought myself one of these Monday!

Here is the story.....

I have been using a Gateway laptop for about three years.....

It was old and slow.....

About 6 months ago the left screen hinge broke around the case......

To remedy this I duct taped the case.....

You can only imagine the mess.....

And the ridicule I get when I put that thing on the pulpit to teach from on Wednesday nights.....

So at a family meeting at lunch Sunday I informed the family of my intentions to treat myself to a new laptop on Monday......

The vote was unanimous that Dad deserved a new laptop for being such a stellar guy......

I was getting the lap top if the whole bunch would of voted against me!!!

So I bought the Toshiba pictured above and spent three days moving files and getting it just right.....

Ah what a laptop.....

Heaven had kissed earth.....

Then Wednesday afternoon late I decided to load a bible study software CD onto the new laptop.....

No worky!

Turns out the DVD player is dead in the laptop..........

So I get another new laptop on Friday!!!

And three more days moving files etc.................

The old Gateway might of been duct taped together but she never let me down........

Blessings...

rks

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

She's A Lady























Mr & Mrs Smith you have a little girl!

Twas the message from the social worker who was handling our adoption case with the hospital....

Tracie hopped around the kitchen and I shook myself in wonder....

Redonia Leigh came into our life twenty two years ago today.........

From the little baldheaded toothless wonder to the beautiful lady she is today she has been a joy.....

My little baby girl is without doubt a most beautiful young woman.....

That has consecrated her life for service in HIS kingdom.....

I am so very proud of her....

Happy Birthday Doni....

Monday, August 11, 2008

What if I'm REALLY thirsty?
















The email read this morning....

It came to the "more info" email address linked to our Got Thirst website.....

We purchased 10,000 bottles of this water to give away to our community and store it in a container on our parking lot........














But the question hung today waiting on a response.....

What if I am REALLY thirsty?

The question could be sincere or a hoax....

How do I reply to this one?

I asked the Lord for wisdom and articulation.....

My response:

Thank you for asking! We here at The United Pentecostal Church of Conroe feel that we have something to offer to anyone who is “thirsty” for more of the Lord. We strongly feel that there is a spiritual quenching for any who desire more of him. The reason for the site is to simply provide a picture for people to see that we care for our community. You discovered the most important part of the site that was the info link. Thanks for writing and if we can be a blessing to you please do not hesitate to contact us further. May HIS blessing be with you and your thirst be soon quenched in HIM.

I am convicted and thrilled at the same time...

Thrilled for the question....

Convicted by the question......

But to my new friend out there in the cyber world who dropped by the Got Thirst website today......

There really is an answer for the thirst in your soul.....

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled......

I am praying for you out there today.....

Blessings....

rks