He is an American Icon. There are very few people who know what he was about. It is true that he walked about with a pot on his head. It was the easiest way to carry his supper pot. He was a vegetarian. He was single handedly responsible for creating the apple industry in America. He did it one tree at a time. He would plant orchards or nurseries in the wilderness of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. He had a supplier of apple seeds in Pennsylvania. He would go there and load up on apple seeds. Then walk to Ohio or Illinois. The American Indians believed that he had the Great Spirit with him. They left him only. He never wore shoes or had money on him. He did own the nurseries that he planted. It was the wilderness and was given the land. He was a Christian man that spread to gospel to the Native Americans as well as the pioneers. He would sing hymns or read from the bible and people would feed him or give him a place to sleep. Most times he slept outdoors. This simple man, who never married, had an adventure with God. He traveled most of the Ohio River valley. He didn’t see the big picture, but was willing to follow God wherever. Just think if you followed God on an adventure what would happen. You will never know what God has planned for you until you are willing to surrender. Once you do surrender, God will transform you into a person who will conquer your world for God. This humble man died before the Civil War. God spared him the horror brought on by man. John 1:12 “But as many as received him, to them gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”
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People are always pushing and shoving for position. Everybody want to be number one. People don’t pay attention to the small things about us. They want the best or the biggest. This is human nature. It is greedy, selfish, conceited and just plain stupid. After King Saul died, King David went and retrieved the Ark of the Covenant. On the way back to Jerusalem, the cart carrying the Ark hit bumps in the road. The Ark was about to fall off the cart and one of the priest reached out to grab the Ark. God struck him dead. David became so angry that he turn the cart into a small farm and left it there. God blessed the farmer with great abundance. David went and brought the Ark back to Jerusalem. That farmer, who was not important was mentioned in the bible. There are many people who are not important in anyone’s plans that God blesses because they are faithful. There was a man in the Old Testament whose name meant sorrowful. He was mentioned in 2 scriptures. His name was Jabez. In the first scripture it talks about what his name meant. In the second scripture it records his prayer. It was a very simple prayer. His family wasn’t wealthy. They needed help and the only help for him was God. He prayed his prayer and then it says that God heard him and answered. The prayers of the unimportant people are important to God. And God will answer your prayer. Connect with God and watch what His does for you.
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There is all kinds of music. I have my own preferences. I like jazz, not Dixieland but blues, like George Benson or Dizzy Gillespie. I all so like Gospel, Adult Contemporary Christian music. I also like Classical, like Bach, Beethoven or Mozart. Did you know that Mozart had a God given talent that he could write music in his head then transfer it to paper? Did you know that most people started singing or playing a musical in church? Jimmy Hendrix was a preacher’s son. Even Elvis started by singing Gospel. Most Country Western Singers and musicians sing Gospel. When you see a musical prodigy, it is a gift of God. Music began with God and actually will end with Him. Music stirs the soul of man for very real reason. Music was given to us by God and we being the image and likeness of God are moved. Unfortunately some people are moved by music to the other side away from God. Just as faith and unbelief are the flip sides of the same coin. Music can be positive or negative. I was a music director for a Christian radio station. I listened to all the music sent to the radio station. Then I chose selection for the station. I like that job, because I listen to music all day long. It was interesting to me. I chose music sometimes that conflicted with what the Music Company wanted us to play. I got one guy so angry at me. He fused but I wouldn’t budge on the selection. I had a criteria for selecting music. He called back the next day and apologized to me. Music stirs the soul of man for a real reason. I pray that it stirs you to move toward God.
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It is a very common word. It is uses in almost everywhere. But what does it really mean? In the US Declaration of Independence it says that all men are created equal. It doesn’t mean that they will be treated equally. Although the US is the melting pot of the world and most people bring their national pride with them to this country. This doesn’t always make a harmonious situation. But I must say that as the rest of the world goes the US has comes as close as humanly possible. People are separated by ethnic background, money, color of their skin, beauty, relative size or just plain stupidity. The US has legislated equality as far as it can be taken. It doesn’t mean that it works. You have to change the heart of man first. You look around and see so many programs to educate people or laws to stop human activity. You can educate people until they can’t stand it anymore and it means nothing. You can’t stop human activity until they want to. And the only way I know to do that is to change a person’s heart. You want to take a guess where you have to go to change your heart? It ain’t your local grocery store. You know the place already. God is the only one who can change a man’s heart. This is the only way to stop the evil in this world. It doesn’t happen with the educated or sophisticated. But getting back to equality, the only place I know of is in the kingdom of God. God says that He is no respecter of persons. Everyone is equal is the kingdom of God. That is why you can’t take anything with to heaven. Being equal in God’s kingdom means that you will stand before God for yourself. There will be no excuses either. This is real equality.
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This is a title of a song written by some friends from Peru. They are a musical family that play pan pipes. They performed at our church. They were excellent musicians and self-taught. They played guitars and pan pipes of which they made themselves. When they played this song it struck me that it was a scripture from the book of Revelations. Where Jesus asked the church at Ephesus what had happened to them. They were given everything, a free city from the Romans, a booming economy, paved roads, street lights, running water, sewer systems and no real opposition to Christianity. 40 years after they started the church in Ephesus, they had walked away from Jesus. God had given them an ideal life in the 1st century. And they had lost their first love. The others churches in the country of Turkey now, had suffered great oppression. They were faithful to God. Maybe having wealth and prosperity is more of a struggle in Christianity. It reminds me of a country that use to send missionaries to the world. Now it has for the past 30 years been receiving missionaries. I know about this because I live in that country. It is none other than the United States. After 9/11 the churches were full and everybody wanted God to do something. For about two months, people attended churches. Then they went home and stayed. This country is headed for a downfall that God will not stop. During WWII God destroyed Germany for killing 50 million people. In this country, we have killed over 50 million children since 1973. Do not think that you will escape the wrath to come because you are a Christian. All I can say is pray and ask God to forgive you. The time and date I do not know. But it is time to prepare. You don’t have long.
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Many people have written books about going heaven. When they first came out many Christians laughed at them. They didn’t believe that anybody but a dead person could go to heaven. I didn’t believe it either at first. Then I began to see things differently. It always so fantastic it was hard to believe. If read a scripture that said, we are seated together with Him (Jesus) in heavenly places. I turned to God and said if this is true, then show me. Guess what God did. I smelled heaven first. If you can remember what it smells like after a rain. That fresh smell of the earth where the air is clean. Then I heard children laughing and playing. Then I saw the rolling hills. They were green and full of trees. There were birds and animals everywhere. I looked down. I was standing on a golden road. I looked up there standing before me was my guardian angel. He said to me, come with me. Next thing I remember was standing before these big doors of the heavenly city. Then I was sitting on the top of the wall looking down into the throne room. Jesus looked up at me and smiled. Then the saints before the throne began to sing. I began to shake. They were singing the song of the redeemed. It is so sweet and so powerful. I shook as long as they sung. My Father was sitting on the throne. I couldn’t see His face. He was surrounded by a cloud and a rainbow. I ask Jesus why I couldn’t see Him. Jesus said no man has seen the face of God and lived. People have asked me how to see heaven. It is very simple. You have to live in the presence of God. The closer to get to God the easier it is to go to heaven and back. Where do you start? You start by praying consistently. God said if you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you.
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I am an adult and I like cartoons. Everybody knows Rocky and Bullwinkle. Rocky and Bullwinkle lived in Froshbite Falls, Minn. Bullwinkle graduate from college, Whats a Matter U. That cartoon came out in primetime TV in the 1960’s. Jay Ward was the creator of that cartoon. He also created Mr. Peabody and Sherman, George of the Jungle, Speed racer, Super Chicken and quite a few other characters. Most people don’t know that Jay Ward took show on the road in 1963 to advertise the Rocky and Bullwinkle show. He traveled the country and ended up in Washington, D.C. He wanted to show the President the cartoon. The only problem was that he made it to the white house on November 22, 1963. That was the day that John F. Kennedy was t1 and 2. I love to laugh. People sometimes look at me sideways because I laugh so much. I never laugh at people. I don’t make fun of anyone. The new comedy shows seem to do like else. That is why they aren’t funny. There is a real reason why I laugh so much. The bible says, neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength. This scripture impacted me the most to base my whole life on it. It says, A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Again I say rejoice in the Lord, again I say rejoice.
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When I began I didn’t understand the extent I would have to go. I knew I wanted to serve God. God began to train me in ways I should go. He never forced me to accept any task, other than being a Christian. God always would place the decision before me and ask. As He began to train me, I would see what was required of me to complete the task. What I didn’t know was that I had the power from the beginning. I has enough power to do anything God wanted me to. The only thing I didn’t have was disciple. The disciple came with the training and put into practice God’s principles. The more I did the better I became. It was excited to see God in action. When I placed myself into the situation, God began to work on my behalf. But I always had to place myself into the situation. God doesn’t gave His power freely to anyone. To use the sword of the Spirit takes practice. Ask any soldier, it is the training that kicks in midst of battle. You have to know and execute training to be successful in battle. Sometimes it takes years of practice to get it right. Roman soldiers were trained for 5 years before they ever entered battle. The Roman soldiers could defend 6 feet of earth unto the death. This is one reason the Roman army was unstoppable. It doesn’t take 5 years of training to fight a battle in the kingdom of God. From the beginning, we wage war. The battles aren’t so big, but praying a headache away is a major victory. So we study to show ourselves approved of God. With each victory, our confidence in God and ourselves grows. So begin the battle and pray until the victory comes. And you will never be the same again. Good Hunting.
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There are many reasons why the cross is offensive. It is the symbol of death. The Romans used the cross very effectively. Anyone who fought against Rome was put to death on the cross. When the Romans captured Spartacus and all the slaves, they crucified all of them. They lined the Appian Way from Rome to the sea with crosses. In Jerusalem, the Romans used a certain hill to crucify people. It was called Golgotha, the place of the skull. In the Jewish writings, it was a curse to hang on a tree or to be crucified on a tree. This is why Jesus hung on the cross. He took the curse for us. So we would be free to come to God. I am going to tell you something I am ashamed of. I stood before that cross and yelled crucify him. I didn’t want to suffer the pain of dying. I would let someone else suffer the death I deserved. What I didn’t know was that Jesus paid the price to redeem me. As ugly and rotten as I was, He did this for me because He loved me. No greater love has anyone than he would lay down his life for another. I scream hatred at Jesus as He loved me. The cross is so powerful that no one can discredit it. No one can take away from it. Jesus not only did this for me, but for all of mankind, past, present or future. When I read about the crucifixion it still bothers me. It has never lost its power. Have you looked at the cross lately? Everyone knows what the cross looks like because everyone has been at that cross screaming crucify him.
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I worked for a Christian radio station several years ago. On the station we had different kinds of preacher on the air. They were from different denominations. They would preach in the morning. Then in the afternoon we would play Christian music. There was one preacher we put on Saturday morning because he annoyed everyone. Even though he was annoying we knew that he was important in God’s economy to air on the station. One Saturday morning I was working and I get a phone call. This brother was angry because of what this preacher had said on the air. I began to talk this fellow down from being angry. I asked him who was angry. Then I asked him if he knew what Jesus said about anger. He said he did know. Then I asked him if he was right to be angry. He said no it wasn’t right. I could hear the anger dissipating. As he came to his senses. He knew that Jesus didn’t want us anger at any brother for any reason. Then I began to explain why God had this man preaching on the radio. I told him this man wasn’t a popular preacher for a reason. The brother was an exhorter. He would preach until a person would erupt and begin to see what was inside of themselves. The job of exhorter was needful in the kingdom of God. They would show you what is in your heart. Once you saw what was there, then God could begin to heal you. God always deals with us a little at a time. It is never all at once because the pain would be too great. The man came to an understanding why this preacher was so annoying and we prayed for him together. Does God need to send an annoying person for you to come to the understanding that you are a sinner and separated from God?
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