VBS

First the good news: We had VBS last week and lived to tell about it.

Now for the GREAT news: We had almost a dozen souls saved!

We praise God for His abundant blessings at every turn. Our God is an awesome God!

HOME OF HOPE ORPHANAGE

Raju‘s orphanage in India desperately needs our help. He must build a building on the property in less than a year or he will lose his orphanage license. What will become of the eighteen boys being cared for now, and the multitude of others to be cared for in the future? Will they be put into other (non-Christian) orphanages? Will they simply be put out on the street to fight for their own survival?

Please pray for the “Home of Hope” that God will enable Raju to get that building up. If you can, please give to the cause. Make your check out to Mission Galveston, put “India orphanage” in the memo line, and mail it to:

Northside Baptist Church

PO Box 367

Texas City, TX 77592.

Thank you for your prayers, your generosity, and your faithfulness.

WEBSITE

We now have a website up and running. It is still a work in progress, but it‘s a good start. My thanks to my wonderful son-in-law Luke Minkner for making it happen. He is owner/operator of “Brand New Thing” (www.brandnewthing.com).

Check us out at www.northsidetxc.org

If God is for us, who can be against us? ~Romans 8:31

    God forever has and forever shall be for you.

He was for you when Jesus Christ stood as a Lamb slain from the foundation of the earth.

He was for you when your name was written in the Lamb‘s Book of Life at that same time.

He was for you when He created you in your mother‘s womb from the dust of the earth, when He placed a human soul created in His own image within that bit of flesh and brought you into the world.

He was for you when He gave His only begotten Son to die every way imaginable on the torture tree of Calvary.

He was for you when He turned His Holy back on the sin-riddled Savior, when He forsook His only Child that He may bring many sons to glory.

He was for you when His Spirit quickened your heart at the hearing of the Gospel.

He was for you when He washed away every stain of sin with a flood of His magnificent Grace.

He was for you every time He answered a prayer, calmed your spirit, dried your tear, and filled your heart with joy.

He will be for you all the days of your life and beyond so that when your bright and shining soul leaves behind its shell of clay, He will still be for you and with you.

And when you reach your eternal home, see Him Face to face, bask in His glory and know as you are known, then you will truly understand that He has made all things, given all things, and redeemed all things…

…for you.

The Lord is for me; I will not fear… ~Psalm 118:6 (nasb)

They told me what God said that I should not do.

They told me of a thousand commandments.

They told me of order, love, discipline, faith, Heaven and hell.

I learned obedience and servanthood, sacrifice and spiritual warfare, of Church, hymns, Lordship, and devotion.

But no one told me of this wild, intoxicating friendship with this dangerous Person.

No one told me that He is the great Adventure.

No one told me He would be a bad influence on me.

He dares me to do the illogical and the irresponsible.

He challenges me to the high trapeze with Him, no net.

He urges me to ignore danger, laugh in the face of death, discard security, live for the moment, and be a thrill seeker.

These bruises and scars are from our escapades together.

I’m in trouble right now because He talked me into another one of His off-the-wall ideas.

Sometimes my God is hard to figure. I never know what He’ll come up with next.

But oh, how He fires my heart!

How He challenges my thinking, stretches my soul, and speaks to me of impossible imaginings.

He is definitely addictive and life without Him would quickly lead to death by boredom.

What’s next for us? I have no idea. I only know He is on the move again. I hope my heart can take it, I hope I can keep up.

And I hope my Friend always includes me.

“What? God, You want to what?

“Count me in.”

I worship the God of the grizzly.

He invented volcanoes, black holes, and whale song.

For Him the twisters dance, the bucks rut, and Saturn’s rings glisten. He crashes the waves against the rocks. He covers the poles with eternal ice, and hurls comets and meteors through endless space.

He walks barefoot on the surface of the sun, rides the storm clouds as a chariot, causes the earth to quatke with a stomp of His feet.

He gives wings to eagles, fangs to wolves, attitude to alligators, and life to me.

He’s the Wild One.

The gales of hurricane are no match for the blast of His nostrils.

The nuclear holocaust of a star’s heart is but a glimmer compared to the white heat of fire in the heart of my God.

He won’t be tamed, boxed, commercialized, explained, or predicted.

T Rex was His toy, the river otter is His clown, aurora borealis His night light, great barrier reef His wading pool.

He screams with the hawk, growls with the thunder, and dances with the dolphins.

He is the Wild One, and I am His son.

When I was a lad I was taught by my Dad the necessities of life among men,

How to get fish to bite, haul ‘em in day and night, and how to make the truth more interestin’.

I’d heard all his yarns about fish big as barns and the big one that still got away,

So I told him my story of fisherman’s glory to leave him with nothing to say.

“Should’a been there yesterday, Daddy”, I said, “I did pretty good from the shore.

With my favorite pole, I had set as a goal to land a hundred pounder or more.

A winch was my reel filled with cable of steel and the hook I had made from an anchor,

My rod was a crane that could lift a freight train, I got it from off an old tanker.

I was wearing my wife’s stiletto high heels, the ones with the ruby red tips,

So down on the bank to the hilt they did sank so my feet had immoveable grips.

I used a dumptruck for a sinker, a houseboat for a bobber, and a whole Holstein for bait,

Then made a mighty cast, and held on fast, and settled in for the wait.

‘Twas not long coming for my reel started humming, and a Big Fish my bait it took,

I leaned back on my feet, my high heels dug in deep, and I reared back and set the hook.

Then on was the fight, forty days and forty nights the fish and I waged our watery war,

Up the coast and down, the monster dragged me round and round,

My high heels plowing up the shore

‘Til finally it went that its great strength was spent and I pulled him up close to the land,

But the fish was so large, twice the size of a barge, I couldn’t get him up onto the sand.

Well I pulled out my knife, but thought to spare the life of my adversary of so many rounds,

So I cut from its side six feet long, three feet wide, a nice filet of about a hundred pounds.

The fish was sad to be beaten but glad not to be eaten, my noble giant of the sea,

I said “Thanks for the fight and for dinner tonight”, then I cut the line and set him free.

“So Daddy”, I said, “whatcha think about that, now that my fish tale is done?

Some may think I’m lyin’, and there’s no denying that I am my father’s own son.

My Daddy said, “Son, that’s a mighty fine tale, one of the best that I’ve ever heard,

And I’m telling you now and right to your face that I believe every word!

For just last night I also went down to the shore for to do me some fishin’,

And I caught me some fine ones, among which I spied one that had about a hundred pounds missin’.

I hung my head and walked away with nary a backward glance,

For it’s still as it’s been in my clan among the men,

The first liar doesn’t stand a chance.

For my Daddy,

From John

February, 2010

Long term guilt is like a having a bone that was broken, and didn‘t heal properly; you can go on, you can get by, you can hobble and limp, but you can‘t run, and you certainly can‘t fly.

What is it just now that comes to your mind? What is that familiar old guilt that rears its ugly head and puts a lump in your heart even after all this time?

Did you know that your God never intended for you to live under such a burden? Did you know that He would have you free from it? Did you know that He created you not to hobble, but to run and to soar?

Here are three powerful steps to get you loosed from your burden:

STEP ONE: Realize that there is a difference between GUILT, and SHAME.

Guilt is the knowledge and emotion that comes from committing sin against God. The conviction of sin and the resulting feelings of guilt are the job and business of God the Holy Spirit.

And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; John 16:8 NASB

And He is very good at it.

As a Believer in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, you know firsthand how plainly and blatantly the Holy Spirit causes you to know perfectly well whenever you do, say, or think something that is against the will of God.

And like any good parent, our Heavenly Father makes certain that His children understand exactly what we did wrong when He chastises us.

Put more bluntly, God never punishes us without telling us why.

This then, is the nature and purpose of Guilt in simple terms: we do wrong, God points it out to us, and we feel bad about it.

SHAME, on the other hand, is not limited to only those bad things which we ourselves do that are against the will of God.

Shame also includes those bad things that happen to us that are NOT OUR FAULT. This is important. Not every bad thing in your life is your own fault. There is such a thing as being victimized. There are injustices in the world. The innocent do suffer. And it happens to people just like you and me.

The problem is that Shame feels a lot like Guilt.

A person who has suffered abuse at the hands of another can categorize their feelings of shame over what happened as Guilt. They assume that since they feel badly about what happened, it must be their fault, they must be guilty, and they must deserve punishment is some form or another.

Dear friend, search out those feelings that you struggle with. Are they feelings of Guilt? If so, God will let you know exactly what you did wrong.

But do yourself a huge favor; let God be God.

It is God‘s job, and His alone to convict of sin. There are many “Holy Spirit, Jr.‘s” in this world that would stack guilt upon us. Oftentimes, we are our own worst critic. But if Holy God doesn‘t tell us that we have sinned against Him, then why should we listen to any other Voice (including our own) that tells us we are guilty?

It is perfectly normal to feel shame over bad events in your life that happened through no fault of your own. The event was bad, and that is a fact. But you must separate between a bad event, and your own bad actions. You must separate in your mind and heart between your Guilt and your Shame.

Once you do that, you and God can deal with each one separately, and He can set you free from both.

STEP TWO: Deal with the Guilt. If God convicts you of something you have done, said, or thought that is against His will, then confess it as sin, ask His forgiveness, and let Him cleanse you of your sin and guilt.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

You know that Jesus Christ died on the Cross and paid the penalty for those very sins you feel guilty over. His Blood can overpower any sin, and you will be forgiven, restored to fellowship with your God, and your guiltiness before God is removed as though you had never done anything wrong.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

STEP THREE: Deal with the Shame. Once you are forgiven, called “not guilty” by Holy God, then what you have left is Shame, feelings of regret, humiliation, and embarrassment.

For these you cannot find forgiveness, because they are not your fault, your feelings of guilt are without grounds. There is nothing to forgive.

Did you know that Jesus Christ died not only for your sins and guilt, but also for your shame? Listen to the heart of Christ, prophesied in the book of Psalms:

Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee. Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. Psalm 69:19-20

Did Jesus take your sins and guilt as His own on the cross? Yes.

Did bad things also happen to Him there that were not His fault? Yes.

Can you ask Him to take away your shame as He takes away your guilt? Yes.

Do with your shame as you do with your guilt; give it all to Jesus, asking for His grace and mercy.

That‘s what the cross is for.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5

JT

Places filled with grass and trees that need neither watered nor trimmed, but are cared for by nature’s wisdom, compel me to abandon my own care and grooming and join in a timeless day of sheer existence.

It is very square where I am.

The gridwork of streets and houses, the surveyed, plotted, platted, and marked boundaries of every square inch of my world is punctuated by carefully compassed curves of flower beds and city parks.

Where is the Randomness of boulder-strewn dry wash?

Where is the strategic invasion of tiny wildflowers in the edge of underbrush?

Where is the absence of domesticity?

Wild places call to me.

Deep woods.

Shallow rivers.

Barren peaks.

Ocean horizon.

Big Silence there will mute the myriad voices in my mind that scream and whine for my fragmented attention.

The rugged and jagged will brush away the orderly cubes among which I live.

The dictatorial hands of the clock that portion out my life in minute, exact segments will be broken. They can move forward, backward, or not at all.

I’ve lost some of me. The man in the mirror has a hollowness about him, reflecting the pale and air conditioned world in which I live.

Where is the core?

Where is the vitality?

Where is the shining gleam?

Out there somewhere.

Wild places call to me.

Friendship is a wonderful thing. When you have been blessed of God with another person whom you know you can count on when things are bad, you have a true friend.

When they care about your troubles and will help you work through them, even when your troubles are your own fault, you have a true friend.

When they call on you to share with you their joys and victories, not just when they need something, you have a true friend.

When you enjoy each others’ company, even if you’re not really doing anything, you have a true friend.

When you need something, and your friend has it, but they need it too, yet they give it to you, you have a true friend.

Thank God for our True Friends, and especially for the Greatest Friend of all, our Lord Jesus Christ Who did all the above and so much more. He is the Friend that sticks closer than a brother.

I have called you friends… -John 15:15

MISSION GALVESTON

It has been my privilege to stand in for Brother Raju at Mission Galveston while he is in India taking care of the orphanages. I get to preach to about 75 folks on Monday mornings, and it is a blessing indeed.

Today was “chilidog day” at the mission, and the volunteers did their usual great job of sharing the love of Jesus with these dear folks who really need some help during these difficult times.

Most importantly, the counselors led two people to the Lord!

I encourage you to be involved in whatever capacity the Lord may lead. You will surely receive a blessing.

Raju (part of him at least) and me in India

FLU PREVENTION TIPS:

Here are some Swine Flu preventing tips we found and wanted to pass along to you:

Tips for preventing swine flu, from Dr. Vinay Goyal, Milad, India.

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it’s almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced:

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. “Hands-off-the-face” approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face.

3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don’t trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don’t underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water; *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.

5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C. *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. Drink as much warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

Wherever you are, that’s where I want to be

Whatever you need you can have for free

I’ll give it all to see you smile at me

‘Cause all I am is yours.

So ask me for all of your heart’s desire

Ask me to pay the price your joy requires

I gave my love and there is no cost higher

So all I am is yours.

If you would be my Lady I’ll be your Knight

‘Though my armor’s rusty and I’m more black and blue than white

I’ll be your champion, fight with all my might

‘Cause all I am is yours.

My faith in you will evermore endure

My hands are rugged but my hold is sure

I ain’t pretty but my heart is pure

And all I am is yours.

And when it’s time to face the setting sun

And we look back on all we’ve been and done

We’ll understand just how the two become one

‘Cause all I am is yours.

If there’s a love that conquers life and time

That can’t be broken, faded, or left behind

I swear to you it will be yours and mine

‘Cause all I am is yours.      

My Strength, my Breath, my Life,

My Heart, my Love for you my Wife

All I am is yours.

September 23, 2009

And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, “Peace, be still.” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. -Mark 4:39

A year ago…

We were “refugees”, displaced, homeless, or at the very least living without electricity.

A year ago…

A lot of people died, and a lot of homes were destroyed.

A year ago…

Everybody‘s plans were changed, priorities were rethought, and a bottle of water became a priceless commodity.

A year ago…

A lot of people‘s trust in God and their neighbors was restored and strengthened.

A year ago…

Almighty God was still on His Throne.

Ike was a storm to remember, and hopefully to learn from. As I write this article I look out the window and see a “blue roof” on a house across the way, along with missing shingles and siding here and there. The storm lasted a few days, but the aftermath has lasted over a year, and counting.

Do you remember what it was like? Do you remember how you knocked the dust off your prayer life? Do you remember how obvious it was that we all must “trust in the Lord with all our heart”, because He was the only One Who could help us while we “hunkered down”?

There is no storm today (thank you God!), but our need for and dependency on our Lord is just as profound.

Today, just as a year ago, we need to hear His voice speak into our hearts…

“Peace, be still.”

***

But what if God on Judgment Day, asks you why you didn‘t follow your God-given dreams?

“For it is God which works in you both to desire and to do His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13

What if He asks why you neglected your greatest gifts, settled for mediocrity, and didn‘t help a languishing world that needed you?

What if He wants you to explain why you listened to the voices of discouragement when you could have followed the Voice of the Great Shepherd?

“Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin.” James 4:17

Believe me, I understand.

The moment you think about taking a step to “be somebody”, it’s as if the whole world rises up to put you back in your place of obscurity, mediocrity, and meaninglessness.

And the loudest voice of all is the one inside your own head.

“What will people think? What will they say?”

But let’s put it in perspective.

There are 6 billion people on the planet, and you only know about 1000 of them.

What if you set aside that 1000 and their “opinion”, and be a blessing to the rest?

You probably won’t ever know what most people think and say about you anyway.

But one thing is certain; you will know what your King thinks and says about you, for you will appear before Him one day.

“You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world”

Get busy.