He's My Brother

At the close of service last night the phone rang and my brother's wife said Andy has had a heart attack....

I am on the way.....

He's my brother....

I drove 150 miles in the middle of the night....

He's my brother....

Sat up all night....

He's my brother....

I might be here for a day or two but it doesn't matter....

He's my brother.....

We are all piled into his hospital room....

He's my brother....

The financial office just came and told him what all this is gonna cost him....

I told him I was so sorry this was gonna cost him so much.....

I told him he was on his own this time...

Why not?

He's my brother....

Thanks all for your calls and prayers...

Blessings....

rks

NOTE: After further testing Andy did not have a heart attack but rather some sort of upper GI situation. Blessings...rks

The Harvest Is Bigger Than Me....

There is no shortage of harvest.....

Again today Tracie and I plunged ourselves.....

Along with a few others from the church into the harvest.....

Folks there is no shortage of harvest....

I have a new conclusion....

The only reason there is no harvest is because there are no laborers.....

I am living proof....

For too many years I have been a professional full time senior pastor that directs the ministries of the church but have kept myself secluded in the magazine office.....

I was not a laborer in the harvest....

Neither was CUPC.....

No longer is this the case.....

I am plunging myself into the harvest.....

As a result I have the revelation.....

There is no shortage of harvest.....

Tomorrow Tracie and I have 44 personal visitors coming to church.....

I delivered all kinds of cakes and cookies to visitors from last week.....

We will see the New Birth miracle tomorrow......

But with the excitement I find myself dealing with the logistics of the harvest......

And without doubt....

The Harvest Is Bigger Than Me.......

I told my prayer group tonight.....

We are taking on something bigger than we are....

We do not have transportation to facilitate those who wish to come.....

We do not have adequate classrooms for those that are coming...

We do not have adequate teachers and workers to facilitate those that are coming....

We do not have adequate finance to deal with the logistics of this harvest....

I am like the little ant in the picture.....

This harvest is much bigger than me....

It is bigger than CUPC....

But this harvest is not my harvest....

It is His....

So he will provide transportation, classrooms, teachers, workers and finance......

All he wants me to do is to go to work.....

All he wants me to do is drive my van route tomorrow....

All he wants me to do is deliver the gospel message and let the word do its work....

All he wants me to do is deliver more pound cakes and Splenda cookies.....

All he wants me to do is get out into the field....

He will take care of the other issues.....

RKS cannot carry the harvest....

Tracie cannot carry those cookies.....

But if those cookies need carrying....

Kent and Tracie are gonna go after it.......

The Harvest is Bigger Than Me!!!

But not Him!!!

Blessings...

rks

Fanatastic Friday

I got beat by a nine year old twice at horse today....

What a day!!!

Tracie and I stopped by Sam's on the way to the office and bought some pound cakes to give away today....

Arrived at the office to find several packs splenda oatmeal raisin cookies...

A pan of brownies still warm...

Some sort of chocolate cookies waiting on us.....

Today and tomorrow is visitor follow up day from Easter.....

Tracie and I are delivering cake and cookies personally to say thank you to our many guests....

I played a couple games of horse with a nine year old named Cameron who got a kick out of the big white guy talking trash back to him......

Got to talk with an ex con who promised to come to church with me Sunday...........

I was able to enjoy the Pied Piper today...

Tracie can attract more kids and mommas.....

We were able to visit for a few moments with our new friend Katrina at her apartment.....

We had two families tell us today they were changing their membership to CUPC because everyone was so friendly.....

They indicate a change in membership....

I am planning on a different kind of change....

Sunday the Holy Ghost is going to settle into the sanctuary and some of these beautiful people will receive the New Birth......

I wish Sunday was here already!

Tonight I take Tracie on a date....

Life gets no better.....

Blessings....

rks

Oh Yes!

Pardon me folks....

I need to shout!!!!

Here at CUPC we have been involved in an all out evangelistic thrust...

We held several Easter Events and had approximately 900 attendees....

We were blessed for about 15 or so families to visit our Easter Day service that we have met while in the streets....

But today...

Katrina....

One of those we baptized in the street walked into our office and needed prayer.....



Katrina coming out of the water!

Oh Yes!!!

Tracie and I prayed of course and we continue to rejoice....

Katrina has promised to be in church Sunday and Tracie and I will be going by her house on Friday!

Is it possible for a pastor and wife to be more excited about souls and revival after all of these years?

Oh Yes!!!

Thing Seeker or Kingdom Seeker?

So Preacher Man....

Yesterday's post stirred you up....

I am happy about that!

The absolute key to personal revival and moving into the harvest is found in one verse...

Seek ye first the kingdom....

And all these things shall be added unto you....

We live in a day when preachers want the things without pursuing the kingdom...

We want revival....

We want our ministries to be successful....

We want to be respected and accepted....

But some are not willing to seek the kingdom first...

But rather seek the things....

And wish we had the kingdom.......

Preacher Man....

If I made you upset yesterday....

You will be more so today.....

You want your ministry to be fulfilled and successful?

Are you tired of sitting in that pew with little hope of preaching this week?

Or next?

Are you fourth string preacher?

Do you know how to talk shop with the other reverends at the dinners following the conferences you attend?

Do you have the fashion and poise of Pentecost down?

Do you have all the mechanics of appearance and image figured out?

Yet....

You are unfulfilled...

You are inactive...

You are a pew sitter.....

You are not accomplishing anything in the kingdom...

But you sure have a nice car and suit and house and 401k and trophy wife and cute kids....

But no ministerial significance....

You are probably seeking the things rather than the kingdom....

Kingdom Seekers usually get the Kingdom and the things....

Thing Seekers get the Things but seldom the kingdom....

How about it Preacher Man...

You got that nice house and stuff...

But Sunday you hate yourself....

That calling inside of you clangs very loudly when that other guy is preaching on Sunday...

But you have yourself trapped into the American Dream of house and finance and provision for your family...

You have got so busy providing for your family...

You have forgotten that He is really the provider.....

You have a call....

He is the provider...

Simple....

You have forgotten....

Your are not of this world....

You are to operate in a different dimension and economy than that computer guy next door....

You are a God called preacher....

And you will be forever miserable until you find His Kingdom....

Problem is of late...

You have been seeking your own kingdom....

Or maybe your wife's......

But there is hope....

You can still seek His Kingdom....

You can still seek His Righteousness....

He has not forgotten you...

Have you Him???

I am praying for you today....

And don't forget my friend Scott has a church with people and building and finance that really does need a pastor........

rks

Solution for Revival

Pastor we have to talk.....

I have heard this of late several times....

We do not have enough workers in Sunday School....

We need more singers....

The ushers are shorthanded....

Nursery workers.....

Youth staff.....

Conroe Christian School....

Musicians.....

Pastor we need help...

What are we gonna do....

Last week my response to a overly busy department leader....

I love these problems.....

I think for a moment I was misunderstood and then a big smile came with understanding.....

It could be worse couldn't it, they said.....

I have come to a conclusion of late....

There is no shortage of fields to work in....

There is no shortage of harvest....

There is no shortage of people that need help....

There is no shortage of souls....

The shortage we are facing in the church today is simply but one....

Laborers.....

To many complacent professional believers who really are not interested in the work involved for revival.....

Layman......

Move into the harvest and find yourself more fulfilled with life than you have ever been in the past....

Preacher Man....

There is no shortage of opportunities....

There is no shortage of preachers....

There is a shortage of preachers willing to go and share the good news....

There is a shortage of preacher's wives willing to make the necessary sacrifices to allow their husbands to move into the harvest.....

We have way too many preachers working career jobs rather than allowing God to move them into the harvest....

Pastor Man....

Release those preacher men you have invested into the harvest.....

God will give you more to replace them....

Be careful though....

Releasing those preacher boys might force you back into the harvest and that might mess up your four vacations per year and golf three times per week....

I know...

I have had to release two full time staff families this year....

My friend Scott Phillips recently took oversight of a church 50 miles from where he pastors....

Nice group of people...

Nice little building....

Fair amount of income....

No pastor....

Nobody wants the church....

Scott took it and has freshened up and prayed some folks through the last couple of months....

Still no pastor so Scott continues to pastor it until......

Until........

Where are the laborers???

Preacher Man.....

We have way too many preachers who are waiting for some old guy to die off and give them a free church....

You can wait for years until you are mature and able to handle something....

You can wait and one day be called pastor of a nice little congregation....

Or you can move out into the harvest while you are young and strong......

You will still be waiting to be called pastor of the handed over church long after the folks in the harvest are calling you king and daddy and father in the Lord......

You can be one of those professional conference attendees that goes to all the preacher dinners and eats the free chicken with the other preachers who actually built churches and are paying for the free chicken at the meeting....

You can wait until...........

Or you can get out into the harvest....

Win some souls...

Build a church....

And buy that chicken for the next generation of wantabe preacher boys.......

And then you can with clear conscience beat them up for being scared of the harvest.....

Do not be afraid....

The Lord of the Harvest indeed is Lord of all....

Jesus said there was no shortage of harvest...

Just laborers....

And He is the Lord of the Harvest...

And he is Lord of All....

Will you allow him to be Lord of your ministry?

He will take care of you and your family..........

I will be praying for you...

rks

Easter's Afterglow

I think today I suffer from Post Easter Stress Disorder...

I am tired...

How do all you other preacher guys take Monday off?

I am back at the desk....

Basking in Easter's Afterglow....

Oh yes...

The cross is empty....

The sanctuary is dark....

Candy wrappings can be seen laying around...

Somebody will have to clean the place up today....

We had resurrection here this week....

It looks as if we will have somewhere between 850 - 900 unique Easter Event attendees....

This is quite a record for us...

The good people all had to get up and go to work today...

So did I....

But I ponder the events of Easter and resurrection and redemption....

I think we had resurrection here this week....

The resurrection was in me....

Easter '08 was resurrection time for this pastor...

Hopefully I will stay resurrected and not crawl back into my tomb....

Blessings...

rks

Easter Egg Delight

Folks today was an Easter Egg Delight for this pastor...

Now I know there are lots of folks who might not agree with Easter Eggs and the Easter Bunny....

But today I do....

Today on Tracie and my van route we had about 24 young'uns that came to the church event...

Better yet....

When we got to the church with our bunch of hoodlums....

There were 8 families already there who were at our event last weekend at the Martin Luther King Park!!!

8 Families that got themselves there....

Tracie and I were thrilled to have over 50 visitors directly related to our event last week visit our church campus today.....

Folks....

I'll take 8 Families in my Easter Basket any day....

Any day we get 50 visitors on campus is a good day....

And these 50 do not include the other regular kind of visitors that show up on such days.....

8 families and 50 visitors is my kind of day.......

Tomorrow bodes to be a great day at CUPC...

Blessings...

RKS

Good Friday was a Good'un

Friday was a good one...

One Good Friday....

Up early for devotions and computer time....

Took my morning walk...

Tracie had breakfast for us and the visiting Alba family...

The phone rang and my tired soldier preacher man, Bro Broadway was not doing good and back in the hospital to a stop at Veteran's Memorial Hospital was added to the day....

11:15 left the house to fill the car with gas and me with a coffee..

11:30 we arrived down in Dugan for Tracie to round up and rally her kids for the Easter Egg hunt on Saturday....

It is a joy to watch her play Pied Piper in the neighborhood....

She starts walking and before long she is surrounded by kids and their mommas....

Young and old alike love her....

Charles (the apt manager) and I spent about a half hour scoping out our next function in the complex...

I wished I had a camera to take a pic of Tracie playing four square with about six apt kids...

Tracie can't play any kind of ball and those little black kids were having to take it easy with her but she was game and they love her down there....

You should have seen her dressed in an all black dressy suit with high heals on with a passel of kids and mommas following her....

My job was to follow her around in the Lexus...ha

Friends you cannot imagine the thrill and joy we feel when we go into that part of town and realize we are Jesus to those people...

Charles and I were giddy with excitement to consider what God is doing in the neighborhood....

Charles told me that the entire neighborhood is talking about what happened in the MLK park last weekend....

I gave Charles a sneak preview of something....

Next Sept or Oct we are going back to MLK park with this campaign....

Miracle in the Park...

We will feed at least 1000 and give at least 100 gifts away....

And I will be preaching about the Miracle in the Park and will call for prayer for the sick....

After repentance group wide...

Prayer for the sick...

The Holy Ghost is gonna fall......yes....................

Back to Good Friday....

1:00 we left the neighborhood to make a couple of stops looking for a Father of the Groom suit and drive to the hospital to see Bro Broadway....

3:30 Arrived at hospital and had a phenomenal prayer with Bro Broadway. We reminded the angels to keep him safe.....

4:15 left hospital to drive to 140 miles Lufkin for the Holiday Youth Convention and see my parents...

6:15 arrive at restaurant to treat Mom and Dad to a birthday dinner....

7:45 Holiday Youth Convention. That Joel Urshan boy is quite a preacher....

10:30 Starbucks in Lufkin

11:30 head 120 miles south back to Conroe...

1:30 arrive home and crash.....

Twas a Good Friday....

God is good to us as we prepare for our Saturday outreach and time back down in Dugan....

Blessings....

rks

The Preacher Man and the Tax Man...

Preacher Man....

How are you and the Tax Man getting along?

This is a personal question I have begun asking groups of preachers wherever I go....

I get the same answer everywhere....

Heads are nodded very spiritually....

Throats are cleared and chairs eased back.....

Nobody wants to say or admit anything.....

Facts are though....

Many preachers struggle with taxes and the IRS....

Rightfully so....

We work hard and put it all on the line....

We pay church bills before we pay our own....

We do for others in lieu of our families...

And on April 15th many are unable to really take care of the tax man....

Hence payments and penalties and fears all pile up....

I asked the Lord for help with the tax man several years ago and he did.....

Lord, will you help me and my church to become audit proof?

He led me the right kind of professionals that make tax season a joy....

And I promised him I would help as many other men as would listen......

Preacher Man....

You will read this and feel the horror of knowing you have IRS issues....

You have felt yourself paralyzed because you know you really have done nothing wrong...

But you have not done things right either....

I have a word of encouragement and help for you today...

There is help for you....

There is hope for you....

April 15th can become the same joy to you it is for myself and countless others.....

One preacher began to weep with relief when I began to speak with him on this subject....

Kent I owe $50k in taxes and don't know what to do....

Another man had $97k in taxes and penalties but found help.....

Preacher Man....

There is a way out for you....

You do not have to carry the load and pressure you have carried.....

And to you that might want to ask who do I think I am and why do I speak in the manner I do on this subject.....

Here is the answer....

I have mentioned this subject in many groups of preachers as I described earlier....

But in every group I have discussed this with there is at least one that has IRS issues.....

Preacher Man.....

You do not have to fear the Tax Man....

There is hope for you taxes...

There is hope for your church....

There is hope for your ministry.....

Preacher Wifey......

You do not have to walk in fear and dread the hatchet of the Tax Man....

Make your Preacher Man husband do something about it....

Email me if I can help you rks@conroeupc.org

You do not have to live with this dread another day....

I have promised the Lord that I would connect as many preachers to help in this area as he would allow.....

He has blessed me to help several just like you.....

Blessings...

rks

Five Professionals Every Preacher Needs....

I got a phone call from my tax guy today that prompted these thoughts as I drove down the freeway...

There are five professionals every preacher needs in his life...

None save one need be Apostolic or even christian.....

They are as follows....

Pastor...

The theology of a pastor needing a pastor speaks for itself.......

The preacher who cannot submit himself to a pastor himself will have unbelievable issues....

Banker...

Every preacher needs a banker that believes in him....

I personally go into the bank at least three or four times per week...

There are others on staff who can make deposits etc, but I want that banker to see me as often as possible....

I might need him one day....

Accountant....

Every preacher needs an outside adviser handling his taxes and structuring the finances of his ministry.....

Lawyer...

Street lawyering is a thing of the past.....

Every preacher needs a good lawyer he can call on........

In this day of specialized law he might need to have more than one lawyer he can call upon....

Doctor.....

Every preacher needs a doctor who he will listen to and follow orders....

Too many of us feel we are invincible.

Each of these professionals are imperative to the preacher today.....

Preacher man....

Listen to these men in your life....

Obey them....

Do not pull the God card on them.....

Even if they do not have truth or proclaim Christianity....

They are professionals and you need them...

Blessings...

rks

Faces of the Park

Faces...

Of people who came to the park....

Faces of people who do not know Jesus....

Faces of .....

Confusion....

Bitterness....

Loneliness...

Addictions

Abuse...

Neglect...

Dependencies....

And scores of other bondages...

Faces from my town...

From my community....

From my park....

Who for a brief moment felt the presence of the eternal one....

The dealers and druggies were in charge of the place Friday night...

Saturday...

Jesus came to the park....

And the people danced in the streets...

We worshipped as several spoke in tongues.....

Angels rejoiced as a husband and wife were baptized...

I shouted and wept....

In the park....

I was overcome with emotion as I watched so many walk from the neighborhood...

Scooters, wheelchairs, bicycles and tennis shoes were the main mode of transportation....

Nearly 500 faces in the park...

Face to face with Him....

The chicken dinners and toys became irrelevant when He came....

One dear lady's reply was this when asked if she wanted chicken....

I'll get chicken when the band stops playing....

Her hands in the air...

Her face beamed with joy in the Park....

This park is my park....

These faces have become my faces....

If I am the angel of the Lord to the city....

Then I am the angel to....

These Faces of the Park....

So this Saturday....

I am going to buy some chocolate pies and go visit some of my new...

Faces of the Park....

Blessings....

rks

Brief MLK Block Party Update

Whewwwwww I am tired!!!

Here is a brief report from out MLK Block Party....

Approx 500 in attendance...

We gave away 1000 bottles of www.gotthirstconroe.com water....pics will be up in a day or so....

2 baptized....

7 or so talking in tongues in the street....

One backslider came walking up and said Pastor its time and lifted her hands and was restored...

CUPC was great...

It doesn't get much better than baptizing and infilling and dancing in the streets...

I'll make a full blog with pics later....

I am going to get some supper and to bed early....

Blessings..

rks

T minus 1

Here I stand amid gifts we intend to giveaway tomorrow…..

Tomorrow I will stand amid hungry souls who have nothing to give….

But stand ready to receive everything…

My faith is incredible as I realize the anointing that will descend into the Martin Luther King park….

Yesterday I saw an old retired minister in Sam’s and invited him to the park Saturday….

I told him I needed altar workers and if he would come I would buy lunch….

Tracie and I were in Wal-Mart and all the registers around us came to a halt when Tracie began telling the people what we were doing with all that chicken….

She told them we are giving chicken dinners and gifts to the community….

She didn’t tell them we were also giving them Jesus…

She didn’t have to…

He settled into the Wal-Mart line and told them himself…..

As we pushed the two big carts out of the store there were at least 25 pairs of eyes following us….

Wondering…

What is with these people?

If they only knew….

Constrained by love…

Compelled by burden….

Determined by love….

Emboldened by the Holy Ghost….

Walking in the power of the Spirit…..

Powered and passioned by Him…

Our community does not need more police cars….

Social programs…

Rehabs…

Politicians…

Or the enticing words of man’s wisdom…

Rather….

Our community needs a demonstration of the Holy Ghost….

With man’s wisdom…..

Once an addict always an addict…..

With the delivering power of the Holy Ghost….

A new creature in Christ and old things are passed away and everything is new…..

I write with the unction on the Holy Ghost….

This community will hear a sound it has not heard Saturday….

There will be an incredible display of the Spirit…..

Expect the miraculous…

We will not be intimidated….

We will not be bound….

We will be bold in the Holy Ghost….

There will be signs and miracles in the park……

Keep praying CUPC family…

Thank you prayer partners from around the world…..

Preacher man….

As you read this remember….

You go in the power of the Holy Ghost…

You are God’s gift to your city…..

You walk with anointing that no other man in your town walks with….

You are the angel to your city….

Go with power….

Go bold…

Go with anointing….

I speak against any spirit of intimidation that would press you preacher man into the corner of timidity and fear…

You come out of that corner and walk in the Holy Ghost in your town….

You are God’s man…..

Go in Him……

Go in Jesus Name…..

Blessings…

rks

T minus 2 and Counting

Saturday we host a block party in the Martin Luther King park in the heart of Conroe...

This particular area is the worst in our community...

We have been working and planning this for months....

Tracie and I are in the neighborhood several times a week....

CUPC has joined us in prayer and fasting and giving to the project....

Pictured above are about 70 give-aways that range from stuffed animals, remote control cars to cell phones we will be giving away....

Tracie and I had a blast yesterday shopping.....

In two different stores people asked us what we were doing and when we began to talk about the project everything came to a halt and people wanted to know if they could come....

In one instance a lady followed us out to the church van and asked more questions and promised to be there with her kids...

After all she said....

I only live a few blocks away......

Yes...........................

Something is changing in me....

For several years I have had the privilege of not having to worry about the details of projects....

But this is changing....

This has become my heartbeat and I am personally involved in it up to my ears....

For weeks we have planned.....

Yesterday we shopped for give-aways...

Today I go buy chicken....

Today I buy the supplies for 700 chicken dinners....

Today I go buy the tank and set up the baptistery we will be using...

Today I replace the amp we blew while preaching in Tall Timbers apartments....

Today I move 40 cases of http://www.gotthirstconroe.com/
water so we will be able to give away 1000 bottles on Saturday...

Today I spend time in prayer for the event...

Today again I ask for his anointing on myself as I speak to the heart of community....

Today I will make the call and ask a good man to do the honors of doing the baptisms....

Today I make sure we have sufficient altar workers....

Today I go back down to the park and spend time praying....

Even as I write this I have tears because I know....

I know, I know, I know...

He is in this and has already dispatched angels and anointing for Saturday.....

CUPC keep praying and working....

Tracie our dreams are coming true....

Jesus please use us....

I know there are hundreds of people who read this blog daily from around the world.....

I humbly ask you to remember us in prayer this week...

Blessings....

rks

Tonight We Enlarge....

This week I traveled to the funeral of a dear mother of the church...

Evangelist Victor Alba travelled with me to drive....

On the way back he put in an Anthony Mangun sermon in which Bro Mangun mentioned his father preaching through the tablernacle...

A comment about the brazen altar woke me up and has held me at attention for the week...

Of late I have been pressed to rebuild, repair, make larger the altars in my life...

The comment which captured me was this...

All of the furniture of the tabernacle could fit into the brazen altar...

I drug out my Search for Truth bible study to remind myself some things...

The first stop in the Tabernacle was the altar of repentance and sacrifice...

The second the brazen laver or place of washing...

Upon entering the tent one would fist see the candlestick which was fueled by oil(the spirit) and created light...

The shewbread was directly in front of the door and was for the sustenance of the priesthood...

To the right would be found altar of incense to send the sweet aroma of prayer and worship up to HIM...

Beyond veil in the Holy of Holies was both mercy and glory....

My arrested attention became captured with the simple thought from Elder Mangun....

If all the furniture of the tabernacle could fit inside the brazen altar...

If I want more washing....

If I want more light and oil of the spirit...

If I want more sustenance...

If I want more prayer and worship....

If I want more mercy....

If I want more glory....

Then I had better build a bigger altar in my life....

For the larger the altar...

The more cleansing, light, sustenance, worship, mercy and glory I will be able to handle....

Tonight at CUPC we will not worry about cleansing or light or sustenance or worship or mercy or glory...

We will spend time in the altar endeavoring to expend our altar so all the good stuff can fit in our personal consecrations and devotions to HIM....

God Bless....

rks

Who Reads This Stuff Anyway?

RKS Upclose went up just six weeks ago....

Remarkably at least for me yesterday the blog had its 5000th visitor....

In this time I have had hits from every continent....

Over 25 countries...

Many emails from friends, new friends and old friends......

Thanks to all who come regularly.....

You know who you are.....

Thanks to every friend who has come to visit with me.....

If we were not friends when you clicked on this site I am glad we have now changed that.....

Blessings

rks

One Incredible Weekend

Where does one start after one of the most incredible weekends in the history of CUPC....

First off today I became the van driver and had to leave the good folks of the church fellowshipping in the foyer as I rushed to take my riders home...

I got tickled today because I remembered the day I got kicked off the school bus in the 6th grade and now I am the bus driver.

What in incredible privilege to lead this church in soul winning...

Saturday we formed six teams and blitzed the area of Conroe known as Dugan...

Dugan is the hell hole of our city...

But we have taken it on and are finding the people are so glad we are there....

We touched over 500 families and homes Saturday...

It is always fun to give away our bottled water.......















We should have new pics posted to our Got Thirst website by Monday night http://www.gotthirstconroe.com/

And then on Sunday afternoon I spoke at the outside service in the Tall Timbers apartment complex...











Tracie is my personal Pied Piper...





The Holy Ghost fell today...

Our people responded incredibly to the preaching and so did the neighborhood.....

One lady had told Tracie and I a couple of weeks ago when we visited her apartment that she hated Pentecost....

She hated everything about Pentecost....

She hated us....

She hated anything and anybody that was like us or Pentecost....

Today she was sitting front and center at the service and as the preaching went forth she began to weep and some of the ladies were able to pray with her......

She might have hated us but she responded to the love of Jesus Christ....





















Before I preached I asked the sound man to turn out little Roland amp around so it would face some of the residences more directly because I felt like I would be preaching to some of the folks in their apartments....

As I spoke people began to come out of their apartments and listen to what was being said...

The family below came out the front door and and before the preaching was done were sitting on the bottom step of their staircase....




We preached them out of their house but not accross the parking lot....

Yet....

The other direction from the apartments is an old trailer park and folks came out of the trailers to here the preaching....

In another direction was another lady that came out of her house that adjoins the complex and sat and listened....

To see all the people come out and Debbie (the hate lady) break and cry reminded me of the power of preaching all over again.....

And we blew the little Roland amp in the process. Yippee, we have been needing to invest in a portable sound system......

Charles the manager of the complex was stirred and has invited us back in May to do it again...





















We also have been given liberty to take our children's ministry team into the complex in the month of April....

Please remember CUPC in prayer next week as we host a block party at the Martim Luther King park....

MLK is the armpit of Dugan and yesterday while in the park we were able to give away about 100 bottles of GotThirst water.....

I will be preaching about the man with the withered hand from Mark 3 and each of us should offer our withered things to God....

Thank you CUPC family for catching the vision of "investing in community" and giving enough last night to pay for the MLK event!

Pleasant Surprise

I was informed this evening that I needed to give the church a few moments during the service tonight for a presentation...

CUPC flashed up the pic above on the screens and honored Tracie and I for our 17 years here in Conroe...

Bro Chris Ferguson represented the church and made some very nice comments and as always the church family was gracious...

Our time in Conroe has been a journey of joy....

Thanks CUPC.....

Pray for Megan

Megan Pounds is a 20 year old young lady in our church who has undergone two heart transplants...

Megan was able to be in both services Sunday against doctor's orders and I was able to pray with her...

She is back in the hospital tonight dealing with rejection issues.

I know this blog is read by hundreds of people every day...

Would you call Megan's name in prayer that she will cease rejection of this second transplanted heart.

Megan...

When you read this know that Pastor loves you and your family...

God Bless....

Tribute to a Weary Soldier

Veteran's Memorial Hospital...

Room 3b-298...

Soldier Rev Guy C Broadway...

Enlisted 60 years in the Lord's Army...

When I stepped into his room today he held his head just as the soldier pictured here...

Pastor he said...

I think it is about over...

I have fought a good fight....

But my faith is struggling today...

I watched as tears ran down his face....

Pastor, pray that I don't lose the faith right here at the end...

The devil is telling me things.....

I do not want to lose out now.....

Here I am at my weakest and he is attacking...

So I prayed against fear, anxiety, tormenting thoughts and the reality of the enemy's deceptive ways....

And we invoked angels round about the room to guard the old soldier as he rested....

Battle weary at 83 years....

Peace walked into the room....

As I left I stopped at the door I stopped and spoke to what I could not see....

Angels....

I am leaving you in charge of Bro Broadway....

So I left the hospital and made my way to Sis Broadway's side and prayed the same prayer with her at home...

I offer this tribute to the old soldier while he is still in the fight...

He will not need my tribute once he crosses over...

The Lord will offer one then.....

17 Years Ago Today

10 a.m. March 5, 1991...

I looked at my flock of eight for the first time...

Pastor R Kent Smith on his first day!

I had tiptoed through raw sewage to get into the side door of the ragged building...

The flock that had been meeting for six months held few promises...

A pulpit made out of an organ bench since the organ didn't work...

A yellow painted piano...

Seven orange benches...

Tracie took the three kids to have Sunday School....

Leaving me with five in the congregation...

Prime Time Pastor Hour...

The message...

X Is Not Equal to X....

Drawn from the algebraic principle the something is always equal to itself.....

Yet with God all things are possible....

And my flock of eight would not stay eight...

It didn't.....

Today we have touched thousands...

Ministries and staff...

Blessings and finance....

Monday morning early I remembered that the first Sunday in March was our first day in Conroe....

This year the first Sunday in March came and went without our remembering what day it was...

But we did see an incredible display of the Holy Ghost and souls saved...

What better way to forget to celebrate...

But as I sit alone in my cottage room overlooking Lake Buchannon while on a retreat I remember....

The seventeen years have flown by....

I would not trade a second of the journey....

Well.....

Maybe a few of them...

God has blessed...

The first Sunday standing behind the makeshift organ bench pulpit.....

This Sunday I stood behind a most ornate custom built one...

The message seventeen years ago was not so different from the one Sunday night...

Shake This Place!

And the place shook with the power we couldn’t muster that Sunday in 1991...

But I knew...

If I could somehow lead the little flock into the realm of faith and the supernatural...

The little flock would not stay so little....

And His blessing would settle upon us....

Tracie, Redonia and Trent.....

Thanks for sticking with me even in the toughest of times...

Tracie you and I alone know the tears, hurts, sacrifice and joys along the way....

Trent and Doni....

No one knows of the times in your teen years you both emptied your checking accounts into the church...

I know...

But so does God...

Is it any wonder people hand you money like they did this week?

God has blessed your sacrifice....

His blessing upon you is really a blessing upon me...

CUPC family....

Every one of you has a special place in my heart...

All you ex CUPC'ers who read this....

You as well are special to us and I want to go to heaven with you......

And Lord...

Thank You for everything...

I hope You find me worthy...

You humble servant...

rks

Disconnect

Today our good friends Craig and Dana McCracken are traveling to Conroe and we in turn will be travelling to the Canyon of the Eagles Resort for a retreat. It is our plan to disconnect from life and spend time with these wonderful friends. The pic is the Lodge where we will be staying.

God has been so good to us here in Conroe. From the humble beginnings 17 years ago to the vibrant church family that offers so many ministries. I continue to marvel the goodness of the Lord and the spirit of service so many CUPC people offer back to us and HIM.

But this week Tracie and I endeavor to disconnect from the church and connect with each other and friends. God Bless..rks

An Altar With My Name On It

I preached this a couple of years ago but felt impressed to recyle today. Was quite timely for CUPC. Tracie stepped in and left a personal testimony of her first real altar experience as a young person. Thanks Doni for "fixin" the pic. Enjoy....rks

Jacob was a man in perpetual motion…

Strife was his even inside Rebecca’s womb…

Striving for what was not his…

Esau’s heel, birthright and blessing…

He grabbed for Rachel but gripped Leah …..

He struggled with Laban for Rachal and the spotted cows…

Finally his constant striving found him running from his troubles again straight back to where the trouble began…

Struggling with an angel in the middle of the night…

But in all reality Jacob struggled with Jacob…

Who is the man you wrestle with when you are all alone?

Wrestling with himself he came face to face with divinity…

Marked for life he refused to turn loose until he was blessed…

What is your name?

My name is Sneak Supplanter Conniving Manipulator…

But you can call me Jake…

Jacob left the encounter Israel…

A Prince with Prevailing Power…

Israel left the encounter the man he had always wanted to be….

He made things right with his brother…

And built a house in Shelem…

Shelem was the place of completion…

Things were now almost complete in his life…

Israel lived in a new place …

Israel had a new name…

Israel had a new way of thinking…

Israel needed a new altar…

And he erected there an altar, and called it Elelohe-Israel Gen 18:20…

He called his altar The Mighty God of Israel…

For the first time in his life Israel worshipped at an altar he had built for himself…

He did not name it The Mighty God of Abraham…

He did not name it The Mighty God of Isaac..

But today he put his name on his altar...

The Mighty God of Israel...

Building an altar with ones on name on it is so necessary…

If I can build an altar with my name on it I will be in business with God…

I need to leave my tear stains on that altar…

The oil from my hands need to darken it and leave smudges…

If I can but crawl myself up to it and pile a rock or two...

If I can but leave a scratch on it...

If somehow I can leave my name etched on it saying that I was here and this altar is mine...

If I leave smeared blood on it that will be fine...

For I know...

My daddy's altar won't work for me...

Grandaddy's altar will be of no effect...

I must build one myself...

And it must have my name on it...

RKS