Wednesday, September 27, 2006

On The Road Again!

Greetings!
God is good and His mercy endures for ever!
I am happy to report that we had a great time during our Jubilee celebration here in Pittsburgh, PA. We had the opportunity to renew friendships and eat some great wings! (If I do say so myself!)
God gave us great weather for the Homecoming! Dad and Mom were blessed out of their socks by the special service and offering received for them on Sunday afternoon.
Our thanks to those of you who are from the area and took the time to stop by either Saturday or Sunday!
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to share the word with a group at the 1st United Methodist Church in McKeesport and at the Christian Center. My thanks to all, especially Pastor John Derrico for opening the doors for us.
Just to give you a heads up - We leave out today for Bedford, PA where we are spending the weekend with Acts Community Church, Pastors John and Kim Bennett and the beloved in Bedford!
Our tentative itinerary includes:
Oct 2 - leaving Bedford for eastern shores of Maryland and visiting with Erica's brother, wife, son and new baby boy.
Oct 4 - Williamsburg, VA and a day homeschooling at the Old Town
Oct 5 - 9 Myrtle Beach, SC visiting with friends and churches
Oct 10-12 Orlando, FL visiting with family and at Disney World!
Oct 13 Snorkeling with the manatees at Crystal River, FL
Oct 14 Lunch with friends in Atlanta
Oct 15 Sharing Hope House vision with church in Chattanooga, TN
Oct 16 Arrive in Memphis, TN and celebrate our 24th Wedding Anniversary! (It just keeps getting sweeter and sweeter! Thank you, Jesus!)
We will be in Memphis for as long as the Lord wants us there.
If you are in , near or around any of the areas we will be in or passing through and would like to meet with us or if your church or group would like to hear about Hope House, please feel free to contact us either by email or by phone.
As Paul has commanded us, "Be reconciled to God!"

Monday, September 11, 2006

9/11 - My Original Response

What follows was originally written just days after the origianl attacks on NYC - Sept 11, 2001

The disasters of recent days sound a trumpet of warning on the wall for those who name the name of Christ.


As a result of the tragedy that fell upon the United States on September 11, 2001, three words have been circulating through my mind and heart– justice, forgiveness and freedom. Within this teaching, I would like to take a look at these words, these concepts in the context of the Bride of Christ in America.

We must first come to grips with the fact that no matter how infuriating it may seem or how inept our political leaders appear at times, justice is the responsibility of government. Yahweh set it in place and it must remain that way for all righteousness to be fulfilled. We must recognize that, without reserve, our God is sovereign. This does not negate the free will of man. The purpose here is not to debate doctrine, but to call a Bride to readiness.