"Gospel Bill" aka Willie George

I was reminded, for the second time this week, about an old friend named "Gospel Bill".
You see, I got saved when I was 25 yrs. old - right after my 4th child was born and embarked on this new 'way of life' with my kids in tow. I was introduced to this new friend in my early years as a believer, and together we raised my kids the best I knew how in the Lord. Of course my relationship with Gospel Bill was through the miracle of television since he and his ministry were out in Oklahoma. Still, my kids quickly made friends with Bill, Nikodemus, Miss Lana, Barkameus, and the rest of the gang.

Here's a little bit of history:

Shortly after receiving Christ at a James Robison crusade in 1972, 17 year-old Willie George took his first steps into a ministry that has now touched the lives of millions. Beginning in a small west Texas town whose population was 1,100, serving as pastor to children and youth, he helped his uncle build a church of 500. Much of that growth resulted from a bus ministry where Pastor George would send buses as far as 75 miles one way to pick up children no one else was reaching. In 1979, Willie George Ministries was founded and began publishing Faith Roots School of the Bible curriculum. Additionally, the ministry travelled across America, taking his creative techniques for children's ministry to hundreds of churches. Willie George Ministries launched its television ministry in 1983 with The Gospel Bill Show.

This of course was just the small beginings for this ministry, but I will be forever grateful! So, THANK YOU Gospel Bill, for being willing to pave the road for my kids!

I have always held on to the scripture that says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Prov. 22:6)

I know that God still has a place in their hearts, and I am starting to see them realize this need, and the needs of their own children for Him.

This one started at the dinner table last night...

I really don't like having political discussions at the dinner table - and not too many other places for that matter, but things come up, and sometimes you just have to go there! I was challenged by a family member about the news programs I listen to and invited to believe "their truth" about what's REALLY going on in politics!
As much as I don't like disagreeing with or upsetting family that I love, I at least came away with a challenge to myself re: Why do I listen to news programs like Fox News, Hannity and Colmes, Glenn Beck, CBN, etc? And this is the discussion I had with myself:

Their reporting is less biased. They can discuss both the conservative and liberal viewpoints without getting off base from the standard beliefs and truths, and line up more closely with the truths of the Bible that I adhere to. They will report the facts that other networks want to sweep under the rug, regardless of how it will affect the ratings. (So eloquently referred to as "Media Malpractic" by the example site http://howobamagotelected.com/).
They are credible news stations/shows with Emcees who still know and understand what the Constitution of the United States says and means.

It seems for the last 50 years at least, the people of the United States have forgotten, or maybe allowed themselves to be swayed on what the Bill of Rights, and the First Amendment of the Constitution REALLY says. All we ever hear is “Separation of Church and State”, and frankly, I get tired of it! These words have been adopted by many countries like Russia, but have never been part of our Constitution.

In a nutshell, The First Amendment expressly prohibits the United States Congress from making laws "respecting an establishment of religion" or that “prohibit the free exercise of religion”.
Separation of church and state is a political and legal doctrine that government and religious institutions are to be kept separate and independent from each other. The term most often refers to the combination of two principles: secularity of government and freedom of religious exercise.

Please people – look it up!

(And, just a thought, hasn’t our government in a round-about way already “established” the religion of Secular Humanism by prohibiting God in our schools, and rejected the free excercise of religion - most specifically Christianity?)

What it boils down to is what we have been hearing in the Truth Project - ‘Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?’

What is the standard we use to measure? Do we have a base? Is it a moral base?

As Christians, we are to use the Word of God as our standard. The world wants to change the standard, but we are to hold fast to it.

What is shaping our beliefs? The news reports or the Truth?!

Obamavangelicals

With the elections behind us, I have been trying to focus on the role God would have us fill as Christians in this time of crisis, with a Democratic majority led government. But it does force me to first examine what it means to be a Christian in a country where God is becoming more and more 'unpopular'. I have to ponder things like:

How did Barack Obama get the vote of so many "evangelicals"?

Could it be because the definition of 'evangelical' has changed? Have our beliefs been watered down or compormised, and we don't hold to the "Biblical Worldview" we once did?




What is the "Biblical Worldview"?

For several years, The Barna Group has been tracking how many people possess a "biblical worldview." The organization defines such a life perspective on the basis of several questions about religious beliefs. The definition requires someone to:

1. believe that absolute moral truth exists;
2. that the source of moral truth is the Bible;
3. that the Bible is accurate in all of the principles it teaches;
4. that eternal spiritual salvation cannot be earned;
5. that Jesus lived a sinless life on earth;
6. that every person has a responsibility to share their religious beliefs with others;
7. that Satan is a living force, not just a symbol of evil;
8. and that God is the all-knowing, all-powerful maker of the universe who still rules that creation today.

(I won't bore you with the statistics here, but I will tell you the numbers are frightfully low!)

So, do you hold a Biblical Worldview? What do you believe? Maybe it's time to ask ourselves some of these questions! Just a thought....

Whole Lotta Shakin - “If you’re not worried, you’re not paying attention”

If you missed the 9 O'Clock Bible class with Bob W. you'll want to get the notes! He emailed them to me and gave me permission to share whatever I wanted from them in my blog.
He talked about how God is going to shake the earth taking his reference from (Hag 2:6-7), and why He is doing the shaking:
1.To bring the wealth of all nations into His house and that it would be filled with Glory (Hag 2:7)- [the wealth being God's people (Deu 32:9)], 2.To shake the wicked from the earth (Job 38:12-13), and 3.He is angry (Psa 18:7)


Then, what he shared at the end of the class was an excerpt from Dave Wilkerson's vision in 1973. Below is a brief synopsis from his book. Amazingly, it describes our present day situation to a tee!!

David Wilkerson – The Vision of 1973 – Five Calamities coming to the world:
a) Economic Confusion
(1) …an international crises of fear will develop (p 14)
(2) … we are going to witness the bankruptcies of some of this nations major and most popular corporations (p 15)
(3) I see tremendous difficulty arising for credit corporations (p 15)
(4) I see a flurry of near panic decisions being made by various government agencies – but these hasty efforts to shore up the economy will backfire.
(5) The president of the United States will make one, and possibly two national radio and TV appearances to assure the nation that all is well and that the best of economic times is just ahead. It will not work. People will distrust these statements, and their fears will lead to a revolution at the polls.
(6) The Auto industry is going to be hurt badly
b) Drastic Weather Changes & Earthquakes
c) A Flood of Filth
(1) Gross immorality on television and in movies
(2) Worldwide acceptance of homosexuality including acceptance by the worldly church.
d) Youth Rebellion
e) Persecution Madness
(1) Starting slowly at first but spreading throughout the United States, Canada and the rest of the world until it becomes a type of madness.
(2) The result of the persecution madness will be a politically invisible supernatural Church without spot or wrinkle.

What a message for Persecuted church Sunday! To date it is illegal to preach the gospel or read a Bible in 52 Countries, and according to statistics, there have been more people persecuted in the Twentieth Century than all the centuries combined since the beginning of man. You tell me, are we next to be jailed?....just a tought!

Barack Obama - The Change we..........DESERVE?

Well, the votes are counted and the people of America have spoken.

The scripture that comes to mind first is:

"Blessed is the nation who's God is the Lord." (Ps. 33:12)

If we were to just let that sink in, it would be a good day.


Excerpt from yesterday's Our Daily Bread 11/4/08 'Choosing Our Leader':

Obviously, not everyone's choice can win, but every voter has a choice.
Unlike a political election in which the majority rules, each of us is given the opportunity to select our personal leader each day. In the spiritual election deep within our hearts, our choice will stand no matter what others may decide.
Joshua called the people together and told them, "If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)

Everyone serves some kind of god. Whom will we choose to have rule in our hearts today? (by David McCasland)

It's that time of year again.....

Tis the season to receive catalogs in the mail. Every trip to the mailbox ends with an armload of slick holiday catalogs. Each one claims to offer me something I need—immediately. “Don’t wait!” “Limited offer!” “Order now!”

The lure works. I open the pages to discover what I didn’t know I needed. Sure enough, I see things that suddenly seem essential, even though a few minutes earlier I didn’t know they existed. Manufacturers use catalog illustrations to create desire for their products.

In a way, Christians are God’s catalogs. We are His illustration to the world of what He has to offer. His work in our lives makes us a picture of qualities that people may not know they need or want until they see them at work in us.

(Well said, Julie Ackerman Link!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

What does the world see in us that they can’t live without?

Let's not get caught up but remember the real meaning of the season and reach out to others.

This was from my devos yesterday morning. If you would like to read it in it's entirity, you can go to http://rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2008/11/03/devotion.aspx