Stir It Up!

I just noticed that this blog is referenced on several other blogs so I'd better get with it and make it worth looking at.

I just did a study on Timothy that was a blessing.

Rick Warren has a book out on Bible Study methods and I followed his outline for a Biographical Study.

You know what Timothy was like-young, lacking in confidence if not outright fearful, and yet Paul had great confidence in him.

Paul was not looking at Timothy in the natural. He was not looking at Timothy's weaknesses- but he saw the gifts that God had given to his young protege; Paul remembered (and reminded Timothy) that prophecies that had been spoken over him. He was constantly reminding Timothy of two things: God can and will use you because of the gifts He has given you; and God can and will use you regardless of your natural shortcomings- because of the gifts He has given you. But Timothy had to allow himself to be used. He had to learn to rely on those Holy Ghost gifts that were in him and not hold back because of perceived inadequacies.

It is Christ in us the hope of glory. It is the Greater One in us that enables us to do all things. It is the Father and the Son taking up their abode in us that makes us more than conquerors. It is no longer I who lives but the very Christ Who lives in me and out through me if i will be faithful to follow Him step by step, day by day.

A Little Help from My Friends

Dear Pastor Tim

Thanks so much for the phone call last week. It came at a time when I really needed it. I know God is faithful. He never has failed and He never will. But sometimes discouragement comes in like a flood and it can be tough to hang in there. In those times it really helps to have someone confirm that you WILL win that battle you're fighting.

It reminds me of the child who was afraid of the dark. His mom tried to comfort him. "Don't be afraid, honey, the Lord is always with you."

He said, "I know, Mom, but I want someone with a face."

We love the Lord, Pastor Tim. God has been so good to us in so many ways. He has blessed us so much. Finances has been that decisive point of conflict Pastor Mac has taught us about. We are believing God for victory there and that will be our Baal-Perazim, our breakthrough.

We have made our list and we are praying over it every day. We will not be denied the fullness of salvation that our Lord died to secure for us. satan is defeated.

Well, praise the Lord. I feel better now!

Thanks again, Pastor Tim. You and Renee (and Danny & Stephanie) have been a huge blessing in our lives and Star and I can't thank you enough-but we will try!

Dustup in the North Country

Here is the background to the previous couple of posts.....http://www.minnesotamonitor.com/magFront.do
Check out tags CREW or LWCC

Letter to the Editor of the Minneapolis Star Tribune

Slightly edited version of yesterday's post. I'm sure they won't print it because it's too long. maybe I can edit some and resubmit.

Anyway, here it is...

What is the motivation behind Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington's latest attack on Pastor Mac Hammond and Living Word Christian Center?

According to its website, CREW "targets government officials who sacrifice the common good to special interests.” Pastor Mac Hammond is not a government official. Is the group straying from its mission? Maybe now it is broadening its scope and "targeting" anyone with whom it disagrees politically.

Actually that has always been CREW's mission. Despite the noble-sounding name, this organization is not an impartial watchdog but a rabid attack dog. Last year they released their list of the 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress. The list consisted of 17 Republicans and just three Democrats. Impartial? Please.

The problem with these types of allegations is that the very reporting of them gives them a certain amount of credibilty; they immediately appeal to peoples’ prejudices. Thus the accused are presumed guilty and must prove their innocence. Let's give the accused a chance before we believe the biased and politically-motivated accusations of a liberal lobbying group.

Church attacked by "watchdog" group

See the full story here http://www.minnesotamonitor.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1251

The problem with these types of allegations is that they immediately appeal to peoples’ prejudices, and thus the accused are presumed guilty and must prove their innocence.

A word about Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington: Despite their noble-sounding name, please do not mistake this group as being nonpartisan. Last year they released their list of the 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress. The list consisted of 17 Republicans and just three Democrats. Please.

According to the CREW website its executive director, Melanie Sloan, worked as an aide to Rep. John Conyers (D-MI). He is the one who is most stridently calling for the impeachment of President Bush. Is this an “impartial watchdog group”? No way.

Also according to their website, “Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington targets government officials who sacrifice the common good to special interests.”It looks as though the group is seriously straying from its mission. Pastor Mac Hammond is not a government official. Maybe now they are expanding their mission to go after anyone who disagrees with them politically.

I just really like this picture

Crazy hair contest at school

Here is my grandson Christian all ready for the crazy hair contest at school. Wouldn't you say he has a pretty good shot at winning?

I love to laugh

So this guy went to the costume party with a girl on his back.
The host asked him, "What are supposed to be?"
The guy answered, "I'm a snail."
"A snail? You've got a girl on your back."
"That's not just a girl-that's Michelle."

Does a year make any difference?

Hmmm.... Interesting timing. It's been a year and a day since my last post.
I guess I'll have to try to be a bit more diligent and prolific.
I'm working on a website- www.davidvmccoy.com
Check it out.
See you next year.

A Six-Year-Old's Prayer

A 6-Year-Old's Prayer
During our morning Bible time, my sons and I read in Egermeier's Bible Story Book the account of Naaman being healed of leprosy after washing in the Jordan River seven times. That same afternoon, I dropped my two oldest boys (ages 6 and 4) off with their Daddy at his work so that I could get a haircut.
My husband's car had been stalling out for the last couple of days and had been at the repair shop twice, but the mechanics couldn't find the problem. He wasn't planning on taking the boys anywhere while I was gone, so I never imagined there would be trouble. Should have known better! My hubby is renovating a new office for his business, so the boys jumped right into construction work. Within minutes, my 4-year old had smashed his finger and it swelled quickly and was bleeding.
They hurried out to the car to get ice and first-aid supplies. And of course, the car wouldn't start. My son was hysterical and my husband was stranded! Our 6-year-old said, "Dad, it took Naaman seven times to get the leprosy off his body. I think God wants us to try to start the car seven times."
And my hubby (way more patient than me!) said, "Okay son, let's pray and try to start it again." Well, I'm sure you can guess what happened next. Six times they tried to start the engine and nothing happened. And bingo, on the seventh time, our old Suburban roared to life. My son said, "Dad, I just knew God was gonna come through!"
--jennfromtenn 18 January 2006

We're proud of our son, Cameron, too. Here just back from a prospecting trip in the wilds of Minnesota. 

We are so proud of our son-in-law, Kirk. 

Here's my manna from this morning: If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. I Jn 4.12 Praise the Lord! That is so exciting. I've known that verse for years, of course, but it was so fresh to me this morning. We know that it is "Christ in us the hope of glory" and we know that "the Lord shall perfect that which concerneth me", but I never predicated it upon our loving one another. That is good news because I can do that-the love of God is shed abroad from my heart by the Holy Ghost that has been given me.
Glory! See you around.
love
Dave & Star

Thanksgiving Day disaster

Nov 25 THANKSGIVING Day, 2004
God is able and He is willing; I am expecting so there is nothing that can hinder.
That is the thought was in my mind as I awoke this morning. That knowledge creates joy. Just as Peter wrote.
Now for the rest of the story…
In June of 2003 I got laid off. This was a blessing because while I was working I couldn’t afford the health insurance they offered, so I had no coverage. When I got laid off, I went on unemployment and so was automatically covered. That’s when Scottie got sick and started running up a million plus dollars worth of medical bills, which were all covered, thank God. But that’s a different story.
He was so critically ill for so long, that eventually my unemployment ran out. Unfrotunately, I thought I still had three more months to go. So we got behond on our mortgage and were on the edge of foreclosure. After waiting for Fannie Mae approval for a couple of months, the credit union finally said they would be able to restructure the loan and save our house. But we had to sign a modification agreement at 9:00 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving and it would cost $500.
I figured the Lord could take care of that somehow and I realized that my $800 paycheck would be deposited on Thanksgiving Day. Good. That will take care of that. He can take care of the $700 payment that will be due on Dec. 1st, too.
Just before we left home for Mom’s for Thanksgiving dinner (and just after I wrote the first two paragraphs of this journal entry) I went online to check the balance on my checking account, to see if my paycheck had been deposited yet. It had in it $400. I thought. “Hmm, haven’t those checks come through yet? Hasn’t my check been deposited yet?” Then I saw that my $800 deposit had been made, but there was only a $400 balance.
Somehow I had miscalculated. I had gotten overdrawn, all my checks went through in two days, generating $189 worth of overdraft fees, leaving me $100 short of the money I needed to save our home from foreclosure on Friday.
It was hard to maintain thankfulness that Thanksgiving Day. I knew there was nothing I could about it that day. The thought came to borrow it from my mom, but I rejected that idea. Then I started to think, “No, not what am I going to do, but Lord, what are You going to do about it?”
Well, the money did not magically appear in my checking account overnoght, so I asked the credit union if they could delay the signing for one day. They agreed. Then I went to work delivering papers.
That was where the victory was won. As I walked the streets in the drizzling rain I struggled. “Lord, you let me down.” “No, the Lord will never fail me, He cannot fail me.”
“But what am I going to do?” “No. Lord, what are You going to do?” “But how could You let this happen?” “The enemy may have messed things up but it’s not over yet.”
Finally I remembered last December after Scott’s emergency RVAD surgery, when they didn’t think he was ready to have it removed, but there was a huge blood clot that blocked the blood flow, so they had to remove it, and miraculously, he did fine without it.
After that surgery, the Lord gave me a word from Joshua. It was simply, “I will not fail thee.” And that has stayed with me ever since. And it strengthens my faith whenever I think of it. And it strengthened my faith then.
So since I knew the Lord would not fail me, (knew, not hoped) I decided to sing and praise Him. I thought “Well, this should be pleasing to the Lord - if I can still praise and worship Him even in this situation where it looks hopeless.”
So I did. The rest of the paper route I praised the Lord and rejoiced in Him. I knew that He is with me and that He is in me. That He is in me and He is with me.
So when I finished the route I went to the credit union. I knew that the Lord was with me and the Spirit in me would give me favor with them. I told them what had happened and they refunded every single one of those seven overdraft fees. $189.00 worth!
The next night I had dream. Star and I were climbing up a tall mountainside. It was densely covered with short green shrubs. We caught a glimpse of something white scurrying past us. I saw that it was a white bird’s wing. We ran, following it to the top of the mountain, when suddenly, the earth just ended and we went over the edge into space, with the earth far, far below us.
Star was fearful, thinking we would surely die. I looked way, way down there and just thought, “Well, I guess this is it.” Then I suddenly realized that we could fly.
I woke up with this thought in my mind: When the bottom drops out, that is an opportunity to soar.

letter to Sen. Dayton

Dear Sen. Dayton;
I am very disappointed that you chose not to represent the views of the vast majority of Minnesotans by voting against the Federal Marriage Amendment.
I commend you for your study of the Holy Scriptures. If you truly believe that marriage was ordained of God, you know that it was divinely ordained between one man and one woman. I believe it to be a very significant fact that marriage is the only institution founded before the fall of humanity.
Now mankind, consistent in its rebellion against the Almighty, seeks to alter the quintessence of the human relationship.
You know very well that a federal judge could find unconstitutional the definition of traditional marriage, therefore I find your arguments disingenuous.
I urge you to reconsider your position and to vote in favor of the amendment.
Thank you for your attention.
sincerely,
Mr. and Mrs. El Norteno 
Minneapolis, Minnesota
“The First Amendment of the Constitution was not written to protect the people of this country from religious values; it was written to protect religious values from government tyranny." Ronald Wilson Reagan

Re: an Essay on the Trinity by Jonathan Edwards

Yeah, I was thinking tonight about going back through it and just extracting the highlights out of it. One of the main things was about how Jesus was begotten of the Father by being God's perfect idea of Himself-His exact reflection as it were. Or as Paul said in Heb. 1.3- who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person. That explains for me how Jesus could be "begotten" but not created.

And the other interesting thing was about the Holy Ghost. The Father and the Son love and adore each other; Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him. Pr. 8.30.
I, Wisdom, Jesus, was the Father's delight, AND I was rejoicing always before (or in ?) Him. So they were rejoicing in each other. Edwards contends or at least puts forth that that adoration, that Divine Love is the Spirit of God. God IS love. IJn. 4.16. Here is a quote:

(That God's love or His loving kindness is the same with the Holy Ghost seems to be plain by Psalm 36:7-9, "How excellent (or how precious as 'tis in the Hebrew) is Thy loving-kindness O God, therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings, they shall be abundantly satisfied (in the Hebrew "watered") with the fatness of Thy house and Thou shalt make them to drink of the river of Thy pleasures; for with Thee is the fountain of life and in Thy light shall we see light."

Doubtless that precious loving-kindness and that fatness of God's house and river of His pleasures and the water of the fountain of life and God's light here spoken [of] are the same thing; by which we learn that the Holy anointing oil that was kept in the House of God, which was a type of the Holy Ghost, represented God's love, and that the "River of water of life" spoken of in the 22nd [chapter] of Revelation, which proceeds out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, which is the same with Ezekiel's vision of Living and life-giving water, which is here [in Ps. 36] called the "Fountain of life and river of God's pleasures," is God's loving-kindness.

But Christ Himself expressly teaches us that by spiritual fountains and rivers of water of life is meant the Holy Ghost. (John 4:14; 7:38,39).That by the river of God's pleasures here is meant the same thing with the pure river of water of life spoken of in Revelation 22:1, will be much confirmed if we compare those verses with Revelation 21:23, 24; 22:1,5. (See the notes on chapters 21, 23, 24) I think if we compare these places and weigh them we cannot doubt but that it is the same happiness that is meant in this Psalm which is spoken of there.)

Interesting, eh? And also interesting is the number of Scriptures he cites where love and the Spirit, and joy and the Spirit are mentioned together. I haven't written them down and looked them up yet but they will be some good meditatin' (or masticatin') when I do!
Let's let Rev. Edwards sum up:

And this I suppose to be that blessed Trinity that we read of in the Holy Scriptures. The Father is the Deity subsisting in the prime, un-originated and most absolute manner, or the Deity in its direct existence. The Son is the Deity generated by God's understanding, or having an idea of Himself and subsisting in that idea. The Holy Ghost is the Deity subsisting in act, or the Divine essence flowing out and breathed forth in God's Infinite love to and delight in Himself. And I believe the whole Divine essence does truly and distinctly subsist both in the Divine idea and Divine love, and that each of them are properly distinct Persons.

There. That might be a little more digestible. Enjoy!

Socially acceptable bigotry

for some reason links aren't posting, so here's the url www.metropulse.com/dir_zine/dir_2003/1322/t_gamut.html
This is a kinduva long article but please read down at least to the 3rd subhead and see what you think.
And let me know.
love y'all

P.S. WARNING: Some offensive language in the article

email

Hi Brooks-
I found online what we were talking about on the 4th. Good luck! It takes quite a bit of mastication (look it up, Dr. Q) but will repay the effort. Just the first four or five paragraphs is enough to keep me occupied for a week.
He elaborates quite a bit on the Holy Spirit which is very interesting and not just because of the novelty of it. This expalins the tremendous joy that I felt welling up inside me as we walked. I knew it was much more than fine weather. The Holy Ghost was walking with us and in us!
Scott and Ralph, any thoughts?
In His joy,

here's the url- http://www.ccel.org/e/edwards/trinity/trinity.html

Prophecy

June 26

We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ep.2.10

This is the verse that has been rolling around in my heart all week. At church this morning Peter told me a Word he had gotten two weeks ago while we were praying in the choir room before service. We were praying greatly. I began swinging my Bible this way and that in front of me, slashing the air with it like a machete. Every once in a while Peter would come over and touch me lightly. Today he told me that once when he did, the Holy Ghost gave him a word for me which was “Young man, I have more work for you to do.” Peter repeated this many times this morning. He asked me which felt better, that the Lord called me a young man or that He had more work for me to do? I answered that that they both went together.

We rejoiced and prayed in the Spirit. He said that I will put my hand to the plow and not look back and plow the fields which the Lord has ordained. That reminded me of the verse I had been meditating on all week.

I will be starting my new job after the Fourth of July. Maybe those are the new fields which I will be plowing. In one sense they will be for certain. But I still feel there is a greater calling yet unfulfilled. But it's coming... It gets closer every day. Habakkuk. 2.3 says: For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

After church I was talking to Monroe. He was talking about ministering to people at work. Some day we will be done with that. On occasion I have gone to the church administrative offices and there is Mary at the receptionist’s desk greeting visitors and answering phones. And I just get the impression that that is so wrong. She is so marvelously gifted to minister to God’s people and there she is answering phones. But the day is coming when that will change, when she and we will walk in the fullness of our callings.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. I Jn. 3.2,3.

Bob in the yard