Goodbye Friend. A Tribute to Darren.

 

Song in Remembrance of Darren

I was in shock to hear about Darren this morning.  I can't stop the tears.  For everyone that has lost a loved one.  I know it is hard.

I have lost so many friends and family over the past two years.  And the Lord spared my life on March 22, 2008 the day before Easter in a near death Motorcycle accident.  I do believe in miracles.  But I find it so hard to understand Gods bigger plan in people's lives.

I had just talked with Darren Wednesday, before the WBFJ Concert at Dixie Classic Fair.  I was asking him when we were going to play Golf again and that my knee was about healed for my Knee Surgery.  He just smiled and said it was going to be a while before he could play.  He went on how to explain that he had burnt his hand and had very bad burns, and that he wasn't feeling very well.  And then Kurt had told me Darren, had to have emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix Friday of that week.

I have known Darren since he joined us at WBFJ and had the honor of knowing him and even playing Golf with him in the Golf tournaments that WBFJ got invited to. It's hard for us to understand why the Lord allowed the passing of Darren so soon.  But we will know one day when we join him in heaven. I pray for Verne and Tami as they host the morning show.  

Our prayers are with all my friends @ WBFJ & Darren's family. Darren was a special person and will be greatly missed! We as Christians have to support and lift each other up especially during times like this. The Lord is our salvation and strength!  I found a few verses in the Holy Bible that I wanted to share with everyone that new Darren.  In the hope that we might find hope and comfort during this shocking time.

1-11 God Is Our Comfort.  As we look at these passages from Isaiah, I believe our faith will be strengthened as we see how God truly does take care of us.

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
God is our comfort when we are worried. The nation of Israel had been in exile. They were unsure of what the future would bring. But God sent this message from his prophet Isaiah to comfort the people. When we are worried or in despair, God sends his comfort. He wants to help his people. As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
If you are worried or anxious for anything, know that God is your comfort. He cares about you, and he is by your side to help you through whatever difficulty you may be facing.


Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.
God is our comfort when we are afraid. The people were under foreign oppression living under fear. But God told Isaiah to "speak tenderly to Jerusalem." God speaks tenderly to us when we are afraid. David learned this, as he wrote in Psalm 61:2-4, "From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings."
When you feel, as David did, that your heart is crying out to God, know that he will shelter you. He will comfort you even in times of fear and distress. Notice this verse promises Israel two things – her warfare was ended, relief from physical problems; and her iniquity was pardoned, relief from spiritual problems. God promises us the same thing today. God comforts us in our physical problems: health, financial, marital, and God comforts us in our spiritual problems. He makes us complete in him.
Barnes comments, "To speak ‘to the heart,’ is to speak in such a way as to remove the troubles of the heart; to furnish consolation and joy. It means that they were not merely to urge such topics as should convince the understanding, but such also as should be adopted to minister consolation to the heart."


A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God."
God is our comfort when we are overwhelmed. Do you feel like you have been going through a wilderness or a desert? Notice the two promises he makes in this verse. God is preparing a way in the wilderness – what wilderness are you in? Does there seem to be danger on every side? Do you feel lost and dismayed? God is preparing a way for you.
God is also making a highway in the desert – what desert have you gone through? Are you scorched and burned from the heat of your trials? Do you feel thirsty for relief but none appears in sight? God said that he would make a straight highway for you.
Barnes gives us some good background information, "The idea is taken from the practice of Eastern monarchs, who, whenever they entered on a journey or an expedition, especially through a barren and unfrequented or inhospitable country, sent harbingers or heralds before them to prepare the way. To do this, it was necessary for them to provide supplies, and make bridges, or find fording places over the streams; to level hills, and construct causeways over valleys, or fill them up; and to make a way through the forest which might lie in their intended line of march."


Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.
God is our comfort when things appear bleak. The psalmist is looking ahead and what does he see? He sees deep uncrossable valleys and steep mountains and hills. The terrain is uneven and rough before him. Things look very bad. Do you ever feel that way? Everywhere you look there are obstacles or barriers. It doesn’t seem like there is much hope. But this verse tells us every valley shall be lifted up – every low point in our life will be raised. Every mountain shall be made low – every obstacle in our way will come down. The uneven ground shall become level – the rollercoaster of our life will be calmed. And the rough places a plain – God will smooth out the rough places. God will help us through whatever we have to go through. No matter how bleak things may appear, remember God is our comfort.

Please share this with your friends!  We will miss you Darren!

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1.03.01

These children had their own special interpretation of things?

LOT'S WIFE
The Sunday School teacher was describing how Lot 's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt, when little Jason interrupted, 'My Mommy looked back once while she was driving,' he announced triumphantly, 'and she turned into a telephone pole!'
 

GOOD SAMARITAN
A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan. She asked the class, 'If you saw a person lying on the roadside, all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?' A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence, 'I think I'd throw up.'


DID NOAH FISH?
A Sunday school teacher asked, 'Johnny, do you think Noah did a lot of fishing when he was on the Ark ?' 'No,' replied Johnny. 'How could he, with just two worms.'


HIGHER POWER
times. But, there is a Higher Power. Can anybody tell me what it is?'   One child blurted out, 'Aces!'


THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
A Sunday School teacher decided to have her young class
Memorize one of the most quoted passages in the Bible -
Psalm 23. She gave the youngsters a month to learn the chapter.
Little Rick was excited about the task - but he just couldn't
Remember the Psalm. After much practice, he could barely
Get past the first line.
On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23
In front of the congregation, Ricky was so nervous. When it
Was his turn, he stepped up to the microphone and said proudly,
'The Lord is my Shepherd, and that's all I need to know.'


UNANSWERED PRAYER
The preacher's 5 year-old daughter noticed that her father
Always paused and bowed his head for a moment before
Starting his sermon.  One day, she asked him why.
'Well, Honey,' he began, proud that his daughter was so
Observant of his messages. 'I'm asking the Lord to help me
Preach a good sermon.'   'So, how come He doesn't?' she asked.


BEING THANKFUL
A Rabbi said to a precocious six-year-old boy, 'So your
Mother says your prayers for you each night? That's very
Commendable. What does she say?'
The little boy replied, 'Thank God he's in bed!'


UNTIMELY ANSWERED PRAYER
During the minister's prayer one Sunday, there was a loud
Whistle from one of the back pews.
Tommy's mother was horrified. She pinched him into silence
And, after church, asked, 'Tommy, whatever made you do
Such a thing?'
Tommy answered soberly, 'I asked God to teach me to
Whistle, and He did!'


TIME TO PRAY
A pastor asked a little boy if he said his prayers every night.  'Yes, sir.' the boy replied.
'And, do you always say them in the morning, too?' the pastor   asked.
'No sir,' the boy replied. 'I ain't scared in the daytime.'


ALL GIRLS
When my daughter, Kelli, said her bedtime prayers, she
Would bless every family member, every friend, and every
animal (current and past).   For several weeks, after we had finished the nightly prayer, Kelli would say, 'All girls.'
This soon became part of her nightly routine, to include this
Closing. My curiosity got the best of me and I asked her, 'Kelli, why do you always add the part about all girls?'
Her response, 'Because everybody always finish their prayers by saying, 'All Men'!'


SAY A PRAYER
Little Johnny and his family were having Sunday dinner at his Grandmother's house. Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served. When Little Johnny received his plate, he started eating right away.
'Johnny! Please wait until we say our prayer.' said his mother.  'I don't need to,' the boy replied.
'Of course, you do.' his mother insisted. 'We always say a
prayer before eating at our house.'  'That's at our house.' Johnny explained.. 'But this is Grandma's house and she knows how to cook!

Personal Salvation vs Collective Salvation

I believe that freedom and democracy are a direct result of Christianity. This is because Christianity was the first religion that encouraged people to be virtuous to themselves and to others in life, and in this way make the world a better place.

People are so worried about President Obama being a Muslim when they need to be concerned about 1st their own salvation.  Some Friends of mine have said.  Scott do you know who you are taking on now? I said, yes, I do. Could it be Satan? I mean, it is a perversion of the gospel.  And I understand that we are dealing with — we're not dealing with — we're not dealing with powers of the Earth. We're just not. This is a perversion of the gospel. And it is such a clear perversion of the gospel, I want to show my friends and foes some collective salvation remarks from our president, that some of you may have voted for.  Sorry it's time as we as Christians stand up and witness for the ONLY true GOD JESUS CHRIST our LORD.

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!  Psalm 14:7 NIV

Is not my house right with God? Has he not made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part? Will he not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire?  2 Samuel 23:5 NIV

 















Here is the president talking about collective salvation.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: You can take your diploma, walk off this stage and chase only after the big house and the nice suits and the other things that our money culture says you should buy, you can choose to narrow your concerns and live life in a way that tries to keep your story separate from America's, but I hope you don't, not because you have an obligation to those who are less fortunate, although I believe you do have that obligation; not because you have a debt to all those who helped you get to where you are today, although I do believe you have that debt to pay. It's because you have an obligation to yourself. Because our individual salvation depends on collective salvation.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: And recognizing that my fate remain tied up with their fates, that my individual salvation is not going to come about without a collective salvation for the country.

Do we understand what that means, that the sacrifice, the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ doesn't do it. It's a collective salvation.  Really Mr. President.  We need to pray for President Obama.

After all he and his family went to the Rev. Wright church for 20 years. It just burn's me up when I hear Barack Obama's pastor who says blacks should not sing "God Bless America" but "God damn America.  My father and many of my friends have fought and some died for us, all America.

What is the Difference between Personal Salvation and Collective Salvation?

Personal Salvation: 
That if a man believes in God, and he follows the virtues set forth by the Lord, then he shall get to Heaven. Likewise, on the part of the man himself there is set forth no condition or requirement for his salvation. Your personal salvation is neither a gift nor a process, but the result of a relationship between each individual person and God. So long as you are faithful, and follow the good works of the Lord, then you shall get to Heaven. They tend to be conservative, and believe that the Government should create an environment for people to prosper, and should allow people to do what they think is best for themselves. That by doing good, people will automatically, as if by default, be doing something to the benefit of society. They may try to convince you as to what is right, yet they will not force you. They believe no one knows what's right, so it's best to encourage personal responsibility rather than to force everyone to believe in your views.

Collective Salvation: 
This is the belief that you have to believe in God to get to Heaven, and if you don't believe in God then it's my job to make force you. If you don't take care of your body, it's my job to force you. An example of this is Michelle Obama saying that kids should be forced to give up dessert. Another example are the people suing McDonald's because toys in Happy Meals encourage kids to eat bad. They tend to be liberal and tend to believe in the Progressive idea that experts, or czars, should decide what's best for man and force man to do what they think is right, or New York Congressmen creating a law telling restaurants they can no longer put salt in foods to force people to no longer eat salt, or lawmakers talking about raising taxes on sodas to discourage its use. They will try to convince you as to what is right, and if you don't follow them they will try to force you. They believe they know what's right for everyone.

I found this comment from Reverend James Robison and who I feel  is one of the biggest evangelical preachers around.  

Anytime you deplete the adequacy sufficiency of the grace of God in Christ and the forgiveness he offers through Christ, when you deplete that by adding to it, by saying we must do this in order to earn it, and you have desecrated the word of God, the death of Christ on the cross, that sacrificial gift of God and then you have placed on man his own responsibility, you really nullify the very act of love that God expressed in the gift of His son on the cross.

The relationship that we have in Christ transforms our lives personally. And by the way, it's the transformation of the individual that leads to the restoration of this nation. We don't need a transformed nation.

 
 We're being told today as the right way, which is nothing but social justice, and the manipulators, including the media and many deceived church leaders are trying to tell people in the church if they don't support this so called social justice that they don't have compassion. And the fact is that when you take and distribute, you have separated people from a compassion connection. And without a compassion connection, which leads to true charity and to an involvement in the difficult circumstances of people who are in trouble, if you separate people from that connection, you are throwing money at an unhittable target, you might as well toss it in the wind and you are actually depleting the possibility of wealth and you don't eliminate poverty by depleting wealth. What you've got to do is get people who have wealth prosperity to be somehow delivered from their own greed and self focused to begin to focus on how we can personally, through compassion, make a difference in other people's lives. And this is what I hear you saying, and much of the church listening to the wrong voices, listening to these deceivers, and they are in the realm of darkness, they are powers and principalities, and they are effective. And right now the church too often is listening to these deceptive manipulative voices and we are missing the opportunity to restore, not transform America but restore America to sanity and restore the principles that our founders, with all their diversity, all their did I distinctive differences, they came together in harmony of heart and understood nature's god and nature's laws and gave us a foundation upon which to build in freedom and liberty, which also implies that we have to be responsible. If you're free, the freedom our founders gave us demands personal accountability and responsibility. And if we don't return to that — I mean, you can mark it down. You can date it. If the church doesn't wake up, stand up, and pierce the darkness, you can literally color America and the freedom we've known and the opportunity we've known, you can color it done. It's over. Now, that's just simply the way it is.

Dear Father,
I pray for all the families in this great nation.  Thank You for loving me. Thank You for dying for me. I want to live as Your vessel to share the Gospel to others.  Lord bless the men & women currently fighting to protect our freedom, as well as the freedom of those around the world.  Father comfort those families of those that gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.  And comfort the families and armed forces that still are serving to protect our freedoms.
In Jesus' name. Amen


Ray Publishing


Please note that the views in my blog expressed are mine and mine alone... not necessarily shared by WBFJ, Mt. Carmel Church, my employer, friends or especially my family.
 

Denying Ourselves

“When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” NKJV Mark 8:34-35
Life Lesson: Loving God and loving people – leaves no room for our self.
There is a whole lot of ‘self’ going on in the world today. “What is in it for me” is a question we ask ourselves more often than we realize or would ever probably admit. The world media today would have us believe that to make a real impact on this world; we need to take care of ourselves first. It is selfishness justified with a loss of cabin pressure mentality. What is that you ask? You know how aircraft stewards will announce that in the case of a loss of cabin pressure an oxygen mask will drop from the ceiling. What do they tell you next? They tell you to place the mask on yourself before helping anyone else…including your own children! That is the mentality that we tend to have in life. If I do not help myself first, how can I help others? “I need to win the lottery so that I can give to someone else.” “I would be glad to help except the NCAA Championship is on TV.” “Sorry, that’s my dinner time.” What self-serving excuses do you make to avoid sacrifice? That mentality is so not Jesus.
Jesus says we are to lay down our lives, actually denying ourselves, in order that we may place others first. Jesus told us to take up our cross, knowing full well that His cross was a literal instrument of sacrifice…the means by which He would give His own life for you. I will bet that championship game seems less significant in light of His sacrifice. Loving God and loving people leaves no room for self.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for loving me. Thank You for dying for me. I want to live as Your vessel to share the Gospel to others. Lord, I have been selfish with my time. Help me to deny myself and place the needs of others first. Allow me the opportunity to make a ‘missional’ impact on the lives of others and the world around me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer for the USA

The following prophecy was given by Dr. Creflo A. Dollar on January 15,
2006:
The Spirit of the Lord says, "This country will be like a stump, like a tree
that's been cut down and the only thing you can see is a stump. Many will
say, 'What happened to the power of that great nation?' Many will say, 'What
happened to what they once had?' The Spirit of the Lord will have you to
know, I will reduce it to a stump. I will cause the tree to fall down, but
it will rise again."

"The Spirit of the Lord would have you to know like an eagle that goes
through a period of time where it flies and hides itself and beats its beak
off and loses its feathers, and yet there comes a time when the beak grows
new again and the feathers grow new again, and it continues to rise high; so
likewise it shall be in this nation. Although it shall be reduced as a stump
  I will cause it to be regenerated. It'll rise high and it'll be greater
than it's ever been before, for I have a covenant with this land," saith the
Lord.

"These things will surely come to pass at last, at last, at last. These
things will surely come to pass at last, at last, at last. Don't fret
because of the mentality of this land. Don't fret because they have turned
their back against My Word and My way. I will not give up on this nation,"
saith the Lord. "Although it will be reduced to a stump and like an eagle
will lose its wings, I will cause it to be regenerated again. The greatness
of this nation shall be seen once again. So I depend on you to go ahead and
pray this nation on through. For these things will surely come to pass and
have even begun now," saith the Lord.

"So continue to be obedient to pray for this government. Continue to be
obedient to pray for this land. I will not forsake it because of its
relationship with Israel. It'll be great and it'll have impact. Great things
will happen like the eagle that's been rejuvenated. So rejoice and be
exceedingly glad, for I am God and I will watch over this land. Do not be
moved by what you see. For I am telling you so you can know it right now.
Just pray. Just pray. Just pray. Just pray and you'll cause things to be My
way," saith the Lord. "I'll honor My Word in these days. For this that I
have spoken through My prophet has begun. It is going on even now, but I
will be faithful to My Word. This nation shall rise again in Jesus' name,"
thus saith the Lord.

Dear Father,

We will not give up on this nation!

We plead the Blood over all of the schools in America!

The plan and presence of God moving though each child!

A greater Holy Ghost influence within each teacher

Thank you for the increase and the overflow

We declare the precious Blood over the President of the United States

Showing him today!

Covering our leaders with the precious Blood of Jesus!

All of Your plans for this nation!

You said we would rise again!

Thank you for the awakening and the outpouring of Your Spirit

For the rain!

Declaring for things to be settled down on the inside

Your glory, presence, and anointing we need!

We plead the Blood over our connection with Israel

We will NOT go in another direction!

It will go up and be brought farther and wider!

God bless America!

Seeing supernatural miracles all over America!

From the mountains all the way to the valley!

In Jesus' name. Amen

Three things in a Christians life.

 As I awoke this morning I had the blessing of seeing the sunrise over the beautiful beach view the Lord provided.  I though to myself " What a blessing that the has given me another day to see the things we take for grated everyday.  Something as simply as a sunrise or a sunset.  And it made me wonder what are three things that I should never take for granted?

Three things in a Christians life that, once gone, never come back
1. Time
2. Words
3. Opportunity

Three things in life that can destroy a Christian-
1. Anger
2. Pride
3. Unforgiveness

Three things in a Christians life that we should never lose-
1. Hope
2. Peace
3. Honesty

Three things in life that are most valuable to a Christian-
1. Love
2. Family & Friends
3. Kindness

Three things in a Christians life that are never certain-
1. Fortune
2. Success
3. Dreams

Three things that make a Christian are-
1. Commitment
2. Sincerity
3. Hard work

Dear Father,

We ask that there are Three things that are Truly constant in our Christian life! – The Father – Son – Holy Spirit.
Let us ask the Lord to Bless us, as We pray for us today; to guide us and protect us, as we go along our way. God’s love is always with us, God’s promises are true. And when we give God all our cares, we know God will see us through.

In Jesus' name. Amen

Oil spills and the responsibility of stewardship

When your family gathers together, are there certain discussion topics that are declared off-limits at the dinner table? I know they are in the Ray Family home, for example, a number of families I know avoid the subject of politics at family gatherings.

It might seem odd, but my large, that some Christian families has added another topic to our list of taboos: Creation theology. Everybody’s got a strong opinion (were the days of creation literal 24-hour days? Could God have used evolution as his means of creating the world? etc.), and we’ve learned over the years that dinner-table debates over that particular article of faith create more heat than light.  Another example is how we as Christians view other religions view Creation theology (example Muslim, Buddhism, Catholic etc.) My brother in-law as a Christian will be faced with some challenges next year with his teaching in theology, and I'm sure the question will arise.
   
I was intrigued by the latest devotional from Wonder of Creation, which offers a fresh perspective on the opening chapters of Genesis and on the mandate it contains for Christians today. It suggests that the most critical component of the Genesis account is not the specific details of the act of Creation, but the call to Christian stewardship over God’s Creation. That call to stewardship assigns us responsibility for taking care of Creation, and also holds us accountable for harm that we allow to befall it:

…we do know, according to Genesis 2:15 that we are to “take care of it,” and we know according to Psalm 145 that it showcases our Creator’s majesty and that He has compassion on it. Hence the Gulf oil spill disaster is not merely a human tragedy taking the lives of creatures made in His image, nor is it merely an economic calamity: it should be a cause of human grief and shame—in that we have once again profaned the handiwork of God and have also needlessly destroyed the lives of non-human creatures upon which He has compassion.

That’s one reason the prophecy of Revelation 11:18 sobers me: “The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great—and for destroying those who destroy the earth.” None of us knows all the implications of that passage, but for sure we know that mankind’s destroying of the earth will be severely judged.

It breaks my heart to see what harm that something like this causes, not to mention the loss of jobs this has and will create.  But protesting is not the answer to the problem.  If all the people that are protesting would spend their time helping make a difference by volunteering to help clean up or other service they could provide.  That could make a negative turn into a positive.

Most Christians can agree about this call to creation care, but it’s sobering to consider ecological disasters like the BP oil spill not just as breakdowns of energy policy or private business, but as failures of stewardship. When environmental disaster strikes, are Christians at the forefront of efforts to care for the damaged Creation left behind by the crisis?

Dear Father,

I pray for your grace and peace be given unto us all.  Lord we don't understand why things like this happen, but we do know that you are in control.  Lord so many of your creatures have been killed and continue to suffer.  Lord I ask in Jesus name that you have mercy on everyone that is effected by the worst oil spill in US history.  God I pray for those that are volunteering their time, pray for those that have and will loose their jobs.  Lord I ask that you forgive me a sinner.  And to show us your grace and wisdom.


In Jesus' name. Amen