Dangerous Decorating Day Demons

This pile of boxes and mess is where my recliner should be but the Decorating Demon is loose at our place.....

Tis a rough day around here....

Next door at Popsie and Grammy's I had to provide a little marriage counseling because the Decorator Demon is over there as well......





Look at this pile of "stuff" that I dare not get close too....

There are tables and tables and tables of this stuff where I normally sit and read or blog.....

This person pictured below is the person that I trod softly around today.....

She got me up early today and has made me go in the attic and drag all this stuff down.....

But I want the world to know that on this Dangerous Decorating Day I have maintained a good attitude and the Demons have been minimal....

Except over at Gram's and Popsie's......

But just wait til tonight....

The Demons will all be gone....

The lights will be twinkling....

All the Radko and Old World will be working their charm....

Christmas music will fill the dimly lit living room....

Tracie will be back....

And I will be more than happy to sit by her and hold her hand and tell her how pretty everything is and drink hot chocolate ......

And I will also be able to tell her how happy I am that she came back....

Because...

I am afraid of that Dangerous Decorating Day Demon......

Blessings.....

rks.....

BTW......

Please pray for me after Tracie reads this blog....ha

And tonight I promise for the sake of my marriage I will post a real pretty pic of her Christmas tree.....

8 hours later....

As promised....

The pic of the Holy Christmas Arrangement....








FTR.....

If this post dissappears later today you will know that the DDDD is not happy with my loving comments...

rks

Family, Friends, Feast & Fellowship

Here it is 9 p.m. Thanksgiving evening......

I sit in my Lazy Boy recliner with the laptop and desk....

With my little grandpuppy Bishop asleep on my shoulders as I post.....

I rejoice in a great day....

We had a wonderful day with my family along with Wendell & Linda Elms as well as Dee Dee Cooley and her kids.....

Dee Dee is my newly adopted Thanksgiving sister since she has shown up the last couple of years for dinner....

Dee Dee I want the Blackberry Bold for Christmas since you are now in the family....

The Elms are true Christians and we always enjoy our times with them....

Food.......

No more need be said.....

But my daughter n law Calah passed muster with her cheesecake and potato whatchamacallit.....

The drive today with Tracie was very relaxing....

My siblings are always a joy to be with....

Mom & Dad you continue to be the greatest......

As I sit here and Bishop snores in my ear....

I feel a snore coming myself....

Truly we are blessed....

Blessings...

rks

Thanksgiving Mercies

Greetings to my blogosphere friends this Thanksgiving morning....

Truly I have much to be thankful for...

Tracie, you are the love of my life and I am truly thankful for you....

Redonia is my favorite.......

Trent is my favorite...

Calah is turning out to be my favorite and I am so thankful she took Trent off my hands....

I am proud of all three of you kids and rejoice that you walk in truth....

I am thankful for my parents and family who injected a love for the kingdom into me and for the heritage passed down.....

The home God has given Tracie and me is more than we deserve.....

CUPC continues to be my passion and those of you who comprise her mean more than blogs can say. I am deeply thankful for each of you......

Surely He has allowed His mercy in my life.....

The President in the pic above has granted clemency to the turkey....

This turkey (RKS that is) is not worthy of the grace HE has shared in my life.....

I am deeply thankful to HIM today for mercy....

For family....

For church....

Health and goodness.....

And each of you who follow this blog....

Surely goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life....

Therefore I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.....

Blessings....

rks

BTW....I must not forget my new little grandpuppy Bishop......

Be Content

My friend Mark Pryor has the following on his blog The Journey today.....

He that is discontented in one place will seldom be content in another. ~ Aesop

I have seen more than one good saint of God struggle with this....

Jacob the supplanter was never content....

He came out of his mother's womb grappling his twin's ankle and was never contented with his brother's blessings or even his father in law's flocks...

A personal experience years later with an angel left him crippled....

And changed......

Friend of mine, Paul said it this way....

Be content whatever condition you find yourself in....

Jealousy and envy only cause for heartache....

Accept yourself and your giftings and limitations for what they are and allow yourself to be all you can be for HIM....

You will be amazed with what he can do with you when you accept who you are.....

Blessings...

rks

The Day of "The Bishop"

Today, November 21, 2008....

The Bishop came to live at our house....

A follower of this blog read my secret desire and emailed me saying she was a breeder of poodles and had the perfect poodle for me.....

Thank you Debbie for this most wonderful gift....

She emailed me weekly about his progress and today Tracie and I drove to adopt our grandpuppy....

Bishop's first day in the ministry was a taxing one....

He left his cage of five black poodle puppy buddies and went straight to the hospital and then to the doctor's office and then by the rental car place and church....

Then a quick stop by the house where he met his new sister Redonia and then Bishop was off with us to pray with a family that will lose their baby soon if the Lord does not intervene....

Then Bishop went to Impact (college & career) for an outing and back to the church to check on the bible quizzers and now home....

As I began writing this Bishop was laying on my tummy while I typed on the laptop but has since moved and is snuggling on my shoulder behind my neck and is snoring....

Quite a first day for a six week old poodle puppy.....

The AKC papers will read, The Bishop Smith.....

Bishop will be the Puppy Pastor here at CUPC.....

Dewey Pounds a long time member of CUPC has been asking for Puppy Church for years and now his desire is a reality....

Bishop is completely black with three white spots on his chest and when I get his red collar he will look like a bishop in black suit, white shirt and red tie....

Fine Puppy Pastor Bishop will be.....

I intend to teach Bishop how to preach and take offerings......

Then when Bishop learns all his Poodle Puppy Pastor responsibilities....

I will teach him to blog.....

rks

The Young Reverend & Wife

Last evening the daughter n law Calah asked me why there was not a pic of her on my blog....

I was ashamed of myself....

I am proud of Trent & Calah....

They are serving here at CUPC in several capacities and will be going to meet the Texas District Board for credentials in 2009....

The hand of the Lord is upon them and this dad's heart is excited for their future....

Trent started preaching very young...

The first time was around 10 and as a young teenager he was asked to preach several times...

At 15 he spoke at a sectional rally and more invitations began to come....

At this point this dad said no more until you are ready.....

So from 15 to 21 I have not allowed him to preach here...

I did not want him to get caught up in developing a ministry before he had time to mature and develop himself....

Oh I know that in the time lapse he probably did not develop as much behind the pulpit as he could have....

Pastors would call and ask for him to preach and I never told Trent of the invitations...

But this preacher daddy wanted the lad to be able to make full proof of his ministry and to not let immaturity and normal teenage antics take away from his future...

He spoke for CUPC Sunday night while I was gone to the general conference...

I saw the video of it last week....

I am pleased with where he and his wife are today.....

But I am more excited for what I see him becoming as a man and minister....

I will never regret making him wait...

I will never regret not pushing him.....

However...

His submission to this process is the true secret of his future....

I am proud of you T & C.....

Dear Old Dad....

The God Syndrome

Yesterday the doctor looked at the beautiful child born with an extra chromosome…..

Doc told us that the child should not be here and we had no clue what would be happening in the next few days…

Then the good doctor offered revelation….

God is in control of this one and we will just have to wait and see what he chooses to do….

Bingo for the doctor…

Too many times I have observed physicians try to play God….

I’ve watched preachers do it too….

I had to learn a long time ago that I am not God and only God can handle some things…..

I had to be delivered from the God Syndrome….

Later in the day yesterday I listened and observed another young minister and his wife as they suffer with the symptoms of this spiritual disorder…..

I watched a pastor pronounce the blessings of God upon a sinful relationship that God could never bless….

I observed an aspiring minister think he was able to work miracles with church members who had chosen to become unsubmitted and refuse pastoral counsel…..

I have marveled when ministers excused and condoned sin….

I have been amazed when observing ministers strive to be lords over God’s heritage…

I have shaken my head in amazement as I observed ministers play God with people’s lives…

Those desiring ministry must be delivered of the God Syndrome…..

The nature of an Apostolic ministry places a Man of God in the position of having to speak for the Lord….

Sadly we get caught up in ourselves and speak for ourselves and declare it the Word of God…..

How can God bless what he cursed in his word?

And one more word on the subject…..

Too many ministry families have sat at home waiting on Dad to get over his self appointed God Syndrome and wish they got a smidgeon of the attention from Dad that the rest of the world gets…..

Been a many a PK lost because Dad thought he had to be God……

Blogger friend…..

May I humbly suggest that you measure yourself and actions against the Word of God….

Before you make decisions concerning someone’s life ask what does the Word of God say…..

And before you place your family on the sacrificial altar of ministry and watch them be consumed with your symptoms……

Please remember you are not God….

Do not play God…..

Instead…..

Humble yourself and allow Him to take away the symptoms….

And submit yourself to His will and look at yourself the way He does….

Whatever you do….

Do not allow yourself to be consumed with the God Syndrome…..

For the man who is seized with the God Syndrome more times than not loses his life and ministry to the same sins he played God with….

Blessings…

rks

Shortcuts, Detours & Dead-ends

My morning devotion led me to the passage in Matthew 20 where the mother of James and John presumptuously assumed her babies were worthy of more than they were....

Mom presumed her babies were above the other boys.....

And they should sit in the places of honor on either side of the Lord when he came to his kingdom....

The Lord was careful to tell Mom that the positions she was asking for her babies were not intended for them....

However He also included that because she was overly presumptuous that her boys would suffer persecution.....

But the matter did not stop there....

Rather this presumptuous naivety of a self centered mom would effect the boys negatively in that the other diciples would grow angry with her sons.....

The unfolding scenario is simply the overly aggressive desires of a presumptuous mom was going to cause undo suffering in her children later in life....

To compound the problem....

The mom's aggression was clothed in spiritual desires.....

Why do we parents become blind to the weakness of our own children....

Why do we parents become blind to our own weakness.....

Tracie and I had a personal rule while our kids were young....

The rules always applied to them and never never never would we ask for personal favors for Redonia or Trent....

We felt shortcuts in childhood only made for long detours in adulthood.....















My blogger friend....

The principle shared here is true for each of us....

Shortcuts are never shortcuts....

Rather dead ends....

That cause undo suffering in the future of those whom travelled them.....

Blessings...

rks

Miracles Happen

HIS miraculous power is still available......

Last week CUPC spent time in prayer and fasting in faith that the Lord would visit us with his greatness....

HE did not disappoint us....

But then he never does.....

One of Tracie's van kids got his finger pinched in a folding chair and was hurt pretty bad in Sunday School.....

Tracie was called out to check on him.....

The teacher said he saw bone and obviously the finger was broken.....

Tracie prayed and suddenly the little guy started wiggling his finger and said....

Jesus is in my finger!!!

From broken finger and exposed bone to a little wiggly finger that Jesus had taken residence in!!!

I continue to marvel at his amazing miraculous.....

We also prayed for a couple in the service who gave birth to a beautiful little girl this morning....

Sadly due to genetic disorder she is not expected to be with us long......

When the doctor came back to the room this afternoon and the family was still holding the little bundle he told them he was surprised the baby had not died yet.....

NIC nurse told the mom a few moments ago that she thought we just might have a take home baby!!!

We do not know the outcome of this little girls struggle with Edward's Syndrome yet.....

She has a long road in front of her if she even survives....

But we prayed for the mommy and daddy in the altar yesterday....

The daddy was speaking in tongues.....

The mommy soon will.....

And for now....

We hold the miraculous.....

Prayers.....

rks

I Watched a Miracle....

The week after hurricane Ike Pastor Greg Hord from Sanddusky Ohio emailed me and asked me to help facilitate his offering of $2k to a man or ministry in the Ike zone who had suffered....

I said yeah right and didn't pay a whole lot of attention even when Pastor Hord continued to ask me who he could help.....

Then last week I sat across the lunch table from a young man and heard the Lord tell me....

Do you remember that offering that Pastor Hord is trying to send you to give to someone?

Yes Lord.....

Get it for this young man......

Yes Lord....

So I emailed Bro Hord and he mailed me a check for $2k....

Tonight I had the joy of handing a $2k miracle check to a young man who had a tree fall in his house during the storm with no insurance....

His family has been severely misput over the last few weeks.....

The miracle was enroute for weeks before it was handed to the young man....

What a God....

What a miracle.....

I was blessed to watch it unfold and blessed even more to be the one to see the disbelief and tears and watch the young man call his wife and say....

Baby your not gonna believe this.....

After all of these years I still marvel at HOW God works and HOW He continues to remember those that feel forsaken and forgotten.....

Who could ever doubt him.....

Blessings...

rks

Life After The Church

Today I found myself remembering those that have drifted from the CUPC family and even the truth....

Today I wept for those we introduced to truth yet have chosen a different path.....

Then this evening I came across this cartoon.....

How does one adjust from a life in the truth to living outside the umbrella of HIS protection....

We once prayed a young person through that dealt with "voices" but a single trip to an Apostolic altar sent "them" away....

Then the wonderful young person chose to not walk in truth and the message came back to us that "the voices" were back and were having to learned to live with.....

How does one learn to live without the power of HIS spirit once they have been accustomed to it.....

Tonight I am stirred for the souls of the backslider....

Perchance you read this.....

Please remember this pastor is praying for you and will never give up on you.....

I pray that you find you back to the Father's house....

For we have kept a fatted calf and a robe ready for the celebration when you come to yourself and come home....

Prayers.....

Anatomy of a Miracle

In the beginning God....

HE always has been and will be.....

Created the heavens and the earth......

HIS creative power was there to do what he does best.....

And the earth....

The earth come out of his creative process...

Not some climatic collision of molecular destruction....

The earth had no form.....

Ah, the beginning ingredient of the miracle....

The thing that exists but has no form...

No structure...

A mess.....

And the earth was void...

Useless...

Without worth or value...

Void....

And darkness was upon the face of the deep....

Twas dark...

No light...

Scary....

Dark and deep...

A deep hole...

No way out...

The Anatomy of a Miracle...

No form, void, dark and deep.....

And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters....

HE begins to move...

When HE moves things change....

When HE moves things take on a new face....

When HE moves molecules snap to attention....

Uncreated creation created....

A move of God is the secret ingredient of a miracle....

We bring the mess....

HE moves....

The Anatomy of a Miracle....

Then God said let there be light and there was light....

The first words ever uttered by the Creator were...

Let there be...

The creative release of the eternal power of the living God...

Released into the cosmos the miraculous....

Let there be....

And there was.....

The Anatomy of a Miracle....

The man that "was" past tense blind said.....

A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.

A life with no form, void and deep in darkness.....

And Jesus moved to make clay...

And Jesus ordered with creative authority for him to wash...

The Master rearranged the molecules of a dirt road and two dark eyes....

I once was blind but now I see!!!

Who is next???

The Anatomy of a Miracle....

Blessings...

rks

Expect a Miracle

This week!

I am determined that this Sunday be a day of a miracle!!!

CUPC has had a dry spell of the supernatural and new converts being born and I am ready to turn that around.....

Earlier today I called for prayer and fasting later in the week for the church family.....

I believe that this Sunday will be a day of deliverance and the miraculous....

Guests with needs have already committed to being in the morning service....

Financial needs will be met this week at CUPC.....

Healing of hearts and emotions....

CUPC family please join me in prayer and fasting and expectation....

The world is gloomy so God will shine brighter....

To my blogging friends....

Wherever you are I agree with you for the miraculous....

Whatever your need is HE is able!!!

Join us in prayer and fasting and faith and allow HIM to work his wonder for you.....

Blessings...

rks

No Man An Island

400 years ago John Donne penned these famous words....

No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

They still ring true...

No man is an island unto himself....

We each are but a small part of a much larger picture....

We need each other...

After spending a few days away at the General Conference and then this week being at Texas Bible College...

I am reminded of our need for the body....

Isolation and loneliness are the greatest killers of Apostolic ministers...

We need each other...

Divide & Conquer is the age old tactic of our enemy....

But if I can get to a brother....

If a sister can connect with a sister.....

If one can put 1,000 to flight and 2 can put 10,000...

How many devils can a host of Apostolic ministers and their wives defeat....

We need each other....

I am thankful for the new unity I am sensing amid the United Pentecostal Church....

A united United Pentecostal Church is a guaranteed Maalox Moment for the devil....

Brothers & Sisters following this blog....

Reach out to another man or woman of God this week and unite with them....

We need each other...

Together we are better and stronger.....

Blessings...

rks

Golf Story

Golfers never lie.....

Yesterday Texas Bible College held its annual golf tournament benefiting the scholarship fund....

My team was myself,Bro. Gary Carter, Bro Pitts, Bro Nate Lawrence for the scramble....

Here's the unembellished story......

Diboll golf course hole #9 was the long drive hole....

Lawrence, Pitts and RKS chili dipped and Gary Carter got his first good drive of the day and setting the record for the contest.....

Pitts and I couldn't stand watching him sign the flag and move the marker so we drove back up to the tee box and bought $50 worth of mulligans and started driving until we beat Carter....

As he was moving the maker Pitts hit a ball that landed and rolled right by Carter as he walked....haha

Carter just looked and shook his head and kept walking and set the flag for Pitts.....hahaha

Then on the closest to the pin shot at #17 all four of us hit the ball three times and nobody was on the green.....

Ball number 13 was RKS and it sat down six foot from the pin!!!!!

The fairway looked like an Easter egg hunt!!!

I won!!!

Nothing like honest golf and $100 worth of mulligans....

But the good part was at the club house when the awards were passed out....

Pitts got a Callaway Heavenwood hybrid driver for the long shot....

I got a Odessy White Steel putter (pictured above) for the closest to the pin.....

The mulligan award was a hoot.....

Our team won the mulligan award ($100 no shame or pride) and so Pitts and I felt the Bro Carter had earned the award so we gave him the award....

A great big bag of used golf balls....hahahahahahahahh

I look forward to seeing the pic of me & Pitts holding out new clubs with cheesy smiles and Bro Carter holding his big bag of used golf balls......

Now for the putter....

I don't need it but Dad has a brand new Callaway driver that doesn't work for him and Dad likes my new putter.....


Please pray that my father will not be so stingy and will consent to trading his $300 driver for my $100 free putter......




That all said....

TBC is a wonderful institution and I appreciate what it has done for our family....

I trust that I can be a blessing back to the college....

Particularly I want to be a blessing to those men who selflessly serve there....

If you are a reader of this blog and want to be a blessing please consider blessing the men who serve there with an opportunity to minister or a good offering....

Blessings...

rks

TBC Alumni Event

This week I am in Lufkin Texas for the TBC alumni week and golf tournament....

Thursday night we attended the Alumni Banquet and saw many friends.......

Thursday early several of us met for a pre conference round of golf.....

Tomorrow we will participate in the TBC golf tournament that will raise money for TBC scholarships.....

Saturday morning we are praying about a post conference golf game....

We will wait and see how the Lord leads and blesses.......

Tracie and I sat down a year or so back and listed all our family members that had attended TBC and found the total to exceed 50....

What a heritage!

I appreciate every person who has contributed to the legacy of Texas Bible College and our family.....

rks

Post Election Email to CUPC

Dear Church Family,

The election has come and gone. Some are disappointed and others happy. Such is the case with politics. Should the Lord choose to await his return, we will all see another election cycle. Early this morning I blogged my initial thoughts concerning the events in our nation yesterday and last evening. For those interested, A New President

Tanya Bumgartner sent us this note earlier today. As you know she is married to Eddie who is a physician and they reside in Chicago. Tanya is also a Russian citizen with a permanent residency here in the USA. I share it with you.

Tatyana said...
I am very disappointed with America's choice.... but you are right, Sis. Smith, life will go on. I live a block away Grant Park in Chicago, where Obama had his party. Although Eddie and I did not physically go there, we could hear the fans' voices on the 27th floor of our apartment. It brought tears to my eyes to realize that 250,000 people outside were dancing and screaming for what they thought was hope... It brought tears to my eyes that they look for hope in the wrong place. I know they will be disappointed to substitute God and conservative values for the person they have elected. He cannot give us hope. Conservatives are such a minority in the city of Chicago and I know what they will be thinking today - criticizing us as those who "cling to religion". But they did it in the time of Jesus, even when He was on the cross, asking Him to save Himself if He was God. I know there will be disappointed because people are looking for hope in the wrong place... I pray that when the disappointment comes, this country will turn back to God.I pray for the Republican Party today. I am not a US citizen and could not vote but I am a republican in my views. And I pray that the Republican Party stands up for our conservative values more so than they have these last few years. The time for compromise is gone. Tanya

I simply wish to remind you that whomever is our leader
· The Lord sets them in position
· We as christians and citizens must remain christian
· We must pray for our country regardless of those who lead
· The church is HIS and HIS alone and we will continue to pursue him with our whole hearts
· Lastly HIS power, grace and mercy are still available to all who ask

Please understand my note today is not for or against a candidate but rather to remind each of us that indeed Jesus Christ is Lord of all and that if he is not Lord of All then HE is not Lord at all. I look forward to seeing each of you tonight in service.

Blessings…pastor

A New President

President Barack Obama....

America gets its new president!

I personally am very disappointed with this turn of events.....

While we do not really know who this new President is or will be.......

The United States of America is still the greatest country in the history of the world.....

I believe the Lord sets up kings and takes them down....

HE has allowed this President-elect to be.....

While I personally looked forward to a President McCain and Vice President Palin....

We trust the Lord for He is in control of all things....

He is still God no matter who is President....

He sits on the Throne regardless of who sits in the White House....

This pastor will continue to preach faith, revival and miracles....

This pastor will continue to call sin sin.....

This pastor will rejoice with the birth of new babes in Christ....

We must remember....

Though we are in this present world....

We are not of this world.....

We are but sojourners in search of a city whose builder and maker is God.....

We seek a kingdom far above this temporal world....

While presidents come and presidents go....

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever......

We must never forget that HE is forever in control....

But do not forget...

If this president leads us away from traditional judeo christian values and closer toward the endtime....

Then that is the will of God as well.....

Do not despair.....

Maybe you and I will soon pray....

Come quickly Lord Jesus!

Blessings...

rks

Call To Prayer

Tomorrow marks election day for our great country.....

We are faced with a decision that will impact the lives of our children for decades....

My personal feelings are Barack Obama is bad for the American way.....

John McCain is a good man but would not be in the race had not he chosen Governor Palin to be his VP....

Sarah Palin though gives those that are conservative and christian hope for the future.....

Please remember that the Lord sets up kings and takes them down.....

Mr Obama will set the stage for endtime events that are unthinkable in this country....

Sarah Palin on the other hand is probably a Modern Day Esther that will grant us a reprieve for a season.....

Please join me in prayer for the election of the next leaders of the United States of America.....

Prayers....

rks

So today CUPC rented out 7 Acres Park for a social....

You know the kind of place that has petting zoo, cook out area, putt putt, horse shoes etc.....

Did I mention the zip line.....

OK the pastor had to be a good sport and be a leader and promote unity and good will for the good saints....

So I did the zip line a few times......

Then came the football game....

Since the pastor was in the mood to continue promoting unity and brotherly love I played football.....

Can somebody say TACKLE......

How about 2 touchdowns, 8 receptions, one fumble recovery for the pastor.....

Did I say tackle.....

And did I tell you I tackled a burned out stump....

Or rather the stump tackled the pastor....

Tracie was not too happy about the condition of the brand new britches she bought yesterday.....

Tackle football for this 47 year old pastor was not wise....

Now sitting back in my recliner I feel like the football pictured above....

I feel like I have been the tackle dummy for a high school football team......

I hurt in places that you are not supposed to hurt....

BTW.....

Nobody would tackle the pastor out of respect....

What kind of pain would I be in if I had actually been tackled.....

Blessings...

rks