This is Real Life. What a great location to have a church. For people who are genuine followers of Christ there should be a magnetic appeal to this place. (location, location, location from a Godly perspective)

This building is located in the heart of a community with needs. Slowly but surely it is gaining a reputaiton as a place that cares and connects with people.

Recently an extremely antagonistic neighbor is starting to show signs of interest. First it was the outdoor worship/hogroast that brought her off her back porch and into the crowd of people and now she has come into the church for a Monday evening Bible study.

I was thinking about this today as I read in 1 Peter 2:11-12: "Dear friends, I warn you as "temporary residents and foreigners" to keep away from worldy desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world."

The pastor and his family who have chosen to live in this somewhat dangerous environment are living this scripture out along with the body of believers who have chosen this church as their place to serve this present age.

I am praying for about twenty five more people at least who will make this church their place of ministry.

I am thinking today about the two funerals that will be done two hours apart. In the case of the child, I was able to dedicate him in his home a couple of weeks ago to the Lord. What great faith his parents had in bringing him into this world and allowing God in His sovereignty to choose life or death in His time. This young boy lived for one month and eight days and will have a great impact on those who came in contact with him and his family and on those who hear the story when it is told in the future.

I am thinking about the second funeral and the lady who lived her 71 years on this earth and didn't make an effort to serve God during that time but who prayed a prayer asking for forgiveness a few days before dying. I am thinking about how I baptized her while she lay in her hospital bed unable to respond and then died three hours later. I will do my best to tell her story to her family.

Today in my devotional time, among other scriptures I read 2 Peter 2, and here are the words that sum it up:

17These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. 20If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit,"[f]and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud."

Peter spends the entire chapter talking about wickedness and false teachers. I am thinking today about the pastor from our city who was arrested for buying andpossessingg child pornography and who confessed in writing to molestation in years past. I am thinking about why he would plead not guilty yesterday when he has talked openly about his problem.

Peter wrote in chapter three: "Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and followingtheiri own desires."

The question is for each of us: What do I desire most? Do I desire to live a godly, pure and holy lifestyle or do I desire to do my own thing and surrender only parts of my life to God? The modernworshipp song says, Holinesss is what I long for, Holiness is what I need." I am coming to believe that nothing less than that attitude is acceptable to God.

I have decided to try to blog from my personal devotional time. This may mean more blogging or it may not. Time will tell. I am not even sure I like the concept. I hope this will mean the best of both worlds. I will not share my personal devotional thoughts because those are personal but out of my time in the word of God may come thoughts that will be helpful for others. I will be making application to my own life during my time alone with God. If something seems to be useful for others and I have time I may share it. Here is today's:

The reading is from 2 Peter 1.

3As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness! 4And by that same mighty power, he has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in his divine nature.

I am struck here by the concept that Peter is reinforcing. We should all be becoming better acquainted with Jesus. When we do and as we do become better acquainted we receive everything we need for living a godly life! The power is in the promises. The promises are in the Word of God. It is a simple concept: immerse yourself in His Word and you will share in His divine nature. Amazing!

5So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better.

It is a cycle. One produces the other. Faith produces a life of morality and practicing morality leads to knowing God better which is the goal of true discipleship. Below we learn how to do this. My translation (NLT) says, "Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence"

6Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. 7Godliness leads to love for other Christians,[c] and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone. 8The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9But those who fail to develop these virtues are blind or, at least, very shortsighted. They have already forgotten that God has cleansed them from their old life of sin.

The next verse may upset some people's theology because all they have ever been taught is grace is everything. Grace covers it all. You can't earn your salvation etc. . . While I agree that we are saved by grace I do not believe it should be used as an excuse for sinning, being spiritually lazy or viewed as "my free ticket to heaven no matter how I live." Walking with God will take ever ounce of energy we have especially in the culture in which we live. I continually live with the tension that the culture effects us a whole lot more than we (the church) effect the culture.

10So, dear brothers and sisters,[d] work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Doing this, you will never stumble or fall away. 11And God will open wide the gates of heaven for you to enter into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Let me live wholly devoted to you Lord. Let my relationships, attitude, choices of entertainment, reactions, time-management, and anything else that is in my life be surrendered to You.

The cabin is located on the grounds of Cedar Lakes Retreat Center in Ripley WV. I don't know it's history and couldn't take time to walk over to see it. I was busy facilitating the NewStart Assessment Center (below) and hosting people from Florida, Colorado, North Carolina, New York, West Virginia and Ohio.

These individuals are preparing to go somewhere in the USA and Canada and start a church.








Today this deer decided to take refuge from the rain in the back yard so I took its picture.

The man in blue is my favorite coach and a true leadership model. It was sure fun to watch the Lions give the buckeye "nuts" pause. I am sure that even though OSU wins there will be weeping, wailing and nashing of teeth that they didn't win by 50. A win is a win. Be thankful and try not to burn your couches or set your garbage cans on fire.

P.S. This picture is from another game so, "No Joe is not running to the bathroom."

Today I enjoyed a college visit with my daughter at Indiana Wesleyan University. Included in this post are some random shots taken with my new camera.

For over 10 years I took pictures as a part of my job. Thousands of images were taken during those years with a Canon EOS and hundreds of rolls of film. I have decided to enter the world of digital photography with a Canon Powershot S3 IS.

Included in this post are some shots taken at IWU and the last couple were taken this evening in good old photogenic Newark Ohio.

The guitar at the left is called the Ryman and is made from wood harvested from some extra pews at the historic Ryman auditorium in Nashville. Most of the people who will buy these guitars ($6000) will buy them for their historic value based on the years of classic country music that was heard every Friday and Saturday night when this building housed the Grand Old Opry.

The names are too numerous to mention and most of them would have been household names if you had a radio and could pull in WSM. You can still listen to 650 WSM A.M. and they are still playing classic country everyday and night. They play the old stuff. (By classic, I do not mean 80's country)

Now this building houses concerts by anyone and everyone who is thought to be something in the music business. It is still a great venue and very original on the inside. I wonder how many people came to know Christ in this building? You see it's original purpose was to give the 19th Century evangelist Sam Jones a place to preach when he came to Nashville. It was a church or tabernacle for revival or camp meeting services. The man who built it was a wealthy riverboat owner, captain and gambler who was converted in a Sam Jones meeting and thought that he should use his money and build Sam a place to preach. He also built it for all denominations in Nashville to use. It was first named The Union Gospel Tabernacle.

God has used some interesting people and places to spread the Good News. His Word is not just Good News it is Great News. Does your life which is referred to as a "tabernacle" in the bible serve you well as a testimony to the grace of God? My prayer and aim my entire Christian life has been that God would use me however He wants to. I don't think you can go wrong being surrendered to God. If I understand the Bible at all, there will come a day when we will stand before God and we will want to hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." That means we have been about the work He left us to do.

You may not have a Ryman Auditorium or a fancy church but if God inhabits your life you are a walking reflection of His grace.