"Five Kernels of Corn"

I preached this message on November 30 at First Christian Church in Flora, IL. It is a Thanksgiving themed message, and I stole the idea from another preacher. The message is mine, so don't blame anyone else if you think it's lame. This one is from our 10:30 am service, which was slightly different (and improved!) from the one I preached in the 8:15 am service.

At the beginning, I make fun of my parents because they have a dog which is now my "step-dog." The song that preceded the message was "O Holy Night," and it was sung a capela by Penny Luzadder. I refer to the song, but it isn't on the recording. You can also hear me taking off my sport coat because it was so hot in the auditorium. Someday I'll grow up and be more professional about this stuff! Also, the end of the service is included in the file, since I was to lazy to edit it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the message and find something helpful in it.

To listen, you can try and click on the link below (it should open the file in your media player), or you can download the file to your computer and listen to it. To do this, right-click on the link and select "save target as" and save the file to your computer desktop or somewhere you can find it. Then open the file from your media player (i.e. Windows Media Player, iTunes, etc.).

Rob's Message: November 30, 2008, 10:30 am

"O Father, Where Art Thou?"

I had the opportunity this past Sunday (10-12-2008) to preach the final message in a series titled "The Power of Prayer" here at FCC in Flora. The above graphic was my attempt at humor, since I stole the title of the message and it reminded me of the movie, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Anyway, you can click on the link below to listen to the entire message, edited for length (if not content!). You can try and click on the link below (it should open the file in your media player and soon you will hear the melodious sound of my voice), or you can download the file to your computer and listen to it. To do this, right-click on the link and select "save target as" and save the file to your computer desktop or somewhere where you can find it. Then open the file from your media player.

Rob's message: October 12, 2008, 10:30 am

Audio Devotions

Our local radio station here in Flora, WNOI, has a lot of local programming during the morning hours. One of the unique things they do is have members of the local clergy record devotions that the station plays each morning at between 8:45 am and 9:00 am local time (Central). This week, September 22-26, it was my turn. You can listen to them live, if you wish, by clicking on the WNOI link (then click on "listen live click here").

A couple of people have told me that they have trouble using the live link, so I decided to post them here as well. You can try and click on the link below (it should open the file in your media player and soon you will hear the melodious sound of my voice), or you can download the file to your computer and listen to it. To do this, right-click on the link and select "save target as" and save the file to your computer desktop or somewhere where you can find it. Then open the file from your media player.

Now, as a word of disclaimer: the audio quality is NOT great. I recorde these on a personal digital recorder while in a hotel room on my recent trip to Chicago. I was holed up in my room while Cubs fans celebrated in the streets after their team had just clinched a place in the Nationa League playoffs. I guess not winning a World Series for a hundred years or so makes you happy to have a little success! Anyway, since even the Papa John's delivery man wouldn't venture out and bring me a pizza, I decided to record these devotions (if you listen closely I think you can hear the sound of my stomach growling).

Feel free to provide any feedback you wish, and I'll feel free to delete it if I don't like it!

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

WARNING!!

Those of you who know me know that I have a unique gift for offending people. Usually it's a combination of ignorance and lack of awareness of my own "space" that creates the offense. In other words- I say things that pop into my mind without being aware of where I am or who is around me. There is also an element of not really caring what other people think or whether they agree with me. So, that lethal combination of personality quirks (read: "flaws") occasionally leads me to making apologies for my rude or thoughtless comments.

That being said, however, sometimes other people do things that offend me. I am always amazed that when I offend someone, the common wisdom among others is that I should apologize and make things right. But, when someone does something that offends me, I should just "man up," get over it and quit being such a baby. Well, sometimes I get tired of being the one who has to patch things up. This time I'm not going to do it!

I don't want to give specifics here, because some who read this will know who and what I'm talking about if I do. And it wouldn't be right for me to "call people out" by means of an internet blog. No matter how many times people talk about me behind my back, write letters in newsletters or blog about me, I am not going to return the passive-agressive favor. So, here goes (the names and places have been changed to protect both the innocent and the guilty).

I serve on the board of a certain para-church organization. (A para-church organization is one that is Church oriented in nature, but is not a church in and of itself. Such groups include Bible colleges, christian camps, service organizations, food or clothings distribution outlets, etc.) We'll call this organization "Church Group A." I have served with Group A for about 4 years and currently serve as vice-chairman of the board for this group. We do several activities, mostly in the summer, and we have two full-time managers and a couple of other part-time employees. We also have hundreds of volunteers who run and staff our various activities.

This summer, one of our volunteer organizers decided to do something different and controversial in his activity. It got some elderly and legalistic, oops, sorry, I mean, "seasoned and conservative" supporters very upset with our Group. So upset, a few of them started organizing opposition to us. Threatening to withdraw financial support, going to churches in our area and leveling serious and unfounded charges against us, and generally being divisive. On more than one occasion, our board of directors was called out for allowing such sinful and hellish behavior to take place. We were called things like "liberal," "unBiblical," and "poor leaders who are more interested in pushing the limits of decency than teaching what is right." Now, I have to tell you, I was offended by that.

In the end (actually, I'm sure this is FAR from over), I had to attend a board meeting last night that lasted three hours, while we discussed our position and whether we were going to "deal with the situation." We decided that we should be very careful how we screen our volunteers. Then we should give them a job to do and get out of their way while they do it. And we will rely on our managers to manage the day-to-day operations of our Group. I like the decision we made-I just don't like the process we had to go through to get there.

During the course of the discussion, some of which was kind of heated, I was told that by not giving in to these people who made these charges against us, we were being divisive. Not the people who made these unfounded accusations, but the people who had been attacked. I said aloud that I don't like being bullied, and although I had no real position on the issue being discussed, I was against taking the action that the bullies were insisting that we take (in the end, more people agreed with me, and that is why we made the decision that we made). I was told by one man that I needed to get over my pride, humble myself, and do what is right. (I was getting more offended by the moment, by the way!) I tried to go and make "ammends" with this individual after our meeting, but because the decision didn't go the way he wanted it to go, he refused to shake my hand.

When are we going to finally figure out that there are issues of opinion, and there are issues of Biblical truth, and they are not necessarily the same thing? There are things that go on in the Church that I am very uncomfortable with. Because I lead worship most of the time (with a guitar!), I realize that a LOT of people in the Church are uncomfortable with what I do. But it's not about me-it's about God. And more specifically, it's about bringing others to God through His Son Jesus Christ. If the Bible gives us clear direction we should follow it. But if there are areas of opinion, then we should be very careful not to impose our own levels of morality on others. It's that simple.

Augustine, one of the early Church fathers, said, "In necessariis unitas, In dubiis libertas, In omnibus autem caritas." Roughly translated, this means, "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, love." Our Church tradition has a motto that speaks to this idea: "Where the Bible speaks, we speak; where the Bible is silent, we are silent." I think we have forgotten our own advice!

I know that some of the people mentioned above (without being "named") will know exactly what and who I am writing about. No doubt, they will be offended by what I have written. To them, and to anyone else who is offended by this, I will say this: Please note the picture at the beginning of this post.

It's About Time. . . .

It's no secret that I'm going to vote for John McCain for president. I have not been necessarily happy about it, at least not until today. I have to admit that my stance has been more anti-Hillary and anti-Obama until today. But John McCain has finally done somthing that has me excited to be a supporter. His choice of Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) is a brilliant political move, and I am now signed on as a STRONG supporter of McCain/Palin. (I was a luke-warm supporter of McCain by himself.) It's about time Mr. McCain has given those uber-conservatives out there (like me) something to rally around!


I judge the value of a strategic move by one side based on the amount of panic and alarm it produces in the other side. If that is the standard, then this move by McCain must be GENIUS. The Greek-godlike appearance and speech by Obama at Thursday's DNC was completely upstaged by the Palin announcement. Even the liberal media elite are talking about Palin (and trying to figure out what bad things to say about her!), and there is very little discussion today about Obama's "big moment." Kudos to you Mr. McCain. Nice.

Speaking of Obama, remember his statement that his greatest bi-partisan achievement is his ethics reform in Illinois and in the US Senate? Check out the link below to an article by David Freddoso of National Review Online.

Mr. Ethics

While I am as excited about a presidential ticket as I have been in a while, it's more than just Palin-mania. Obama is just not right for America. Some European country maybe, but not here. As I saw quoted in another blog: "If you want to live in a country that is socialist and hates America, move to France. But don't subject the rest of us to Obama."

W.W.J.V.F.? part 2

Who would Jesus vote for? I really struggle with this. You see, in terms of governance and government, what would Jesus have told us to do? Would He tell us to be socialists? After all, the early Church had all things in common and shared everything with whoever was in need. (Acts 4:32) Or would He have told us to be a capitalistic democracy. We know that the Apostle Paul thought that we should work for the things we want to enjoy, including the very food we eat. (2 Thessalonians 3:10) Jesus lived under the rule of a dictator, so maybe that is what He would have suggested.

The problem with governments is that they rely on people. The problem with people is that we are affected by the world we live in. The problem with the world we live in is that it's marred by sin-and therefore a sinful world. It would be great if we could all live in a global social order which elevated no man to a higher degree than any other. But the problem in this world is that Satan is alive and well, and working on the hearts of men and women.

Every time there is a power vaccuum, an Adolf Hitler, Idi Amin, Chairman Mao or Josef Stalin appears on the scene. And when evil people step into a power vaccuum, they employ bloody and ruthless tactics against innocent and helpless victims. They prey on the old, the young, the infirm, and the weak. They build their power structures at the expense of those who cannot protect themselves and they insulate themselves from the repercussions of their actions.

Why do I bring this up? Because the ideals of the liberals in the U.S. are not necessarily bad. They are just unreal and impractical. They are socialistic in nature, and they have been proven to fail in each instance that they have been instituted in our world. Before you claim, "Well, our system certainly isn't working!", let me remind you that the reason we are trying to build a border fence is not to keep people in, but to keep people out. Not because we don't like people, but because we need to know who is here and why. But that is another discussion. Our system in America may not be perfect, and undoubtedly there are flaws. But we still have the greatest country and the greatest form of government in the world. And people from the other countries in the world (even China, Cuba, and the socialistic countries in Europe) know it. It seems that the only people on earth who DON'T recognize it are the Democrats in Denver.

Mr. Obama, I sympathize with your desire to help those who are in need. But a socialistic government won't get it done. Instead of handing people a $100 bill (that you took from someone else) to climb out of their poverty, why not hand them a ladder. And a bucket of paint and some brushes. And encourage them to look for work.

I know it sounds like capitalism. It just might work.

The Last Week on Earth?

Well, now we begin what I like to call "Hell Week." Frat houses, secret societies, and football teams each have their own version of Hell Week, but now the entire country and (dare I say?) the whole world will be subjected to it. You might call it the "Democratic National Convention," but I prefer Hell Week.

There will be an uncomfortable amount of media coverage of the event, with "news"-casters and media personalities alike pledging their undying love to Barack Obama. Such talking heads will gush with giddiness and get chills when the savior (the lower case "s" is mine: the media likes to capitalize it) takes to the stage to tell us how much he wants to get this country back on the right track. Not since Bill Clinton have Democrats been so childish in their devotion to a superstar of the party. I'm already getting sick to my stomach.

By the way, did you catch the story about the peace protesters who assaulted a Fax news camera crew filimg their demonstration? Link to it by clicking here. I like the last paragraph of the story: "For a peace protest, these guys sure are ready to make war. Not with enemies abroad, but with conservatives at home, real or perceived. Stop war, they cry. Just not theirs, apparently." Apparently that kind of behavior is only hypocritical if you're a conservative. This is the same type of thinking behind the Liberation Theology movement to which Obama's former pastor, Jeremiah Wright subscribes.

We won't hear anything negative about Obama during the convention, especially from the MoveOn.org driven major media outlets. They will spend 85% of the time praising Obama, 10% of the time running down presumptive Republican nominee John McCain and trying to draw a parallel between he and President Bush, and the other 5% of the time whining about the unfair coverage by Fox News. Either way, we're going to be led to believe it's a big "love-fest" between Obama, his Vice Presidential running mate Joe "Clarence-Thomas-is-a-sexual-preditor" Biden, and the Clintons (and their supporters). Yuck.

Even God will get tired of this stuff by the end of the week, prompting me to believe this is very possibly the last week on earth for any of us. Better get your spiritual house in order!

W. W. J. V. F. ?

If you're wondering what that stands for, then you're probably not alone. I took a t-shirt wrote those letters on it 10 years ago when I was serving as youth minister at our church. At the time, the WWJD craze was just getting off the ground, and I was "cutting edge" and ahead of my time. We had a mid-term election going on in Illinois (and everywhere else, but I don't care about anywhere else), and I was encouraging my youth group kids to consider "Who Would Jesus Vote For?"

Our senior minister, Bill Campbell, threatens every four years to preach a sermon entitled, "Was Jesus a Democrat or a Republican?" I'm sure it's been done somewhere else, but he's never had the guts to do it here. (I'm really just trying to goad him into doing it because I LOVE controversy when it doesn't involve me!)

Voting is a pretty big issue in the Church. I have a friend, Don Sanders, who has written a great article on the subject. I think everyone should read it. You can find it on his blog, "Quantum Discipleship". Don't be fooled by the blog title, he's not as smart as he thinks he is. Anyway, you can link directly to his article, "Checklist for Voting," by clicking here.

I'll be honest with you: I am going to vote for the person who most represents what I think is important in government. I want to vote for the person who will let me keep my guns to hunt and protect myself, who will try and shrink government and get the feds out of my pockets, who will do what is right and just in areas of morality (abortion, welfare, etc.), and who is not a Socialist or a Communist. Now, I'm not sure anyone will ever live up to all of those, but I'm going to pick the one who meets those criteria the most. But that's just me.

I am one of those right-wing, gun-toting, whack-job conservatives who believes that you don't vote for someone (or NOT vote) because of their age, their gender, their race, or their religion (unless they claim their religion to be "Satanist" or "Nudist" or something truly weird). You should vote for a candidate for any office based upon their ability to carry out the job they want in the best way possible which represents what you, as a voter, want done. Do you want to raise taxes, have the government take over every aspect of your life, take your guns away, and basically tell you what to do? Fine. Vote for Obama. Do you want to raise taxes, have the government take over almost every aspect of your life, let you keep your guns and strongly suggest what you should do? Then vote for McCain. Do you want to have a better choice next time around (if the Lord should tarry)? Then you'd better start praying now.

What's the Difference?

A couple of summers ago, when Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast of Texas, Luoisiana and Mississippi, there was mass hysteria. People blamed President Bush for the destruction, and even politicians from those states couldn't help but ask for a free piece of the American Pie to help "make things right."

So, with the flooding in Midwestern states, most notably Iowa right now, where is the Hollywood (and Liberal) outcry? I got the following questions in an email, and it kind of made me mad. I guess al of those Iowans (even the black ones) just live in the wrong part of the country.

Very Good Questions

Where are all of the Hollywood celebrities holding telethons asking for help in restoring Iowa and helping the folks affected by the floods?

Where are all the media hounds asking the tough questions about why the federal government hasn't solved the problem? Asking where the FEMA trucks (and trailers) are?

Why isn't the Federal Government relocating Iowans to free hotels in Chicago?

When will Spike Lee say that the Federal Government blew up the levees that failed in Des Moines? Where are Sean Penn and the Dixie Chicks?

Why haven't we heard from the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton, complaining about the plight of the flood ravaged Iowans?

How come the Federal government hasn't handed out free credit cards to displaced Iowans?

Where are all the looters stealing high-end tennis shoes, liquor and big screen television sets?

When will we hear Governor Chet Culver say that he wants to rebuild a "vanilla" Iowa, because that's the way God wants it?

Where is the hysterical 24/7 media coverage complete with reports of cannibalism?

Where are the people declaring that George Bush hates white, rural people?

Where's the stadium that the Iowans have turned into a filthy, crime ridden sty?

How come in 2 weeks, you will never hear about the Iowa flooding ever again?


These are, indeed, very good questions. I guess in a presidential election year the media is too busy telling us why Barack Obama is the savior of the U.S. to ask any of the above questions. And, since it isn't a popular tourist destination that is under water, I guess no one in the "important" places really cares. I wonder if the flooding in Iowa is my fault? After all, I drive a gasoline powered vehicle, I drink water from plastic bottles, I use electricity from coal- and oil-powered power plants, and I voted for George Bush in the last election. Surely this is causing Global Climate Change which is the root of the Iowa flooding. Stay tuned to Hollywood for the "real" answer. . . .

Healthy Faith

(From the Flora Christian, June 27, 2008 edition)


I have been leading a group of exercisers on Sunday nights as part of our summer Sunday night program here at FCC. To say “leading” is probably a bit of an exaggeration. Until this week, I have been preparing a devotion and then leaving to head out to church camp while the group exercised. There are some who walk, some who have been doing some aerobics, and a few others who have hinted that they might come in and ride their bikes. Preparing the devotion has been a bit of a challenge.

This reason why it has been a challenge is because I don’t like what I should say. You see, while I do NOT believe that one should have a “perfect” body in order to please the Lord, I DO believe that our physical well being is important to Him. Mostly, the poorer our health, the more distractions we have that keep us from worshipping and serving Him the way we should. I also believe that health is as important when it comes to stewardship as what we do with our finances. The problem with all of this is that I don’t always live what I believe in this area.

I guess it’s a good thing that God is patient with us and puts up with our shortcomings and struggles. Believe me, this isn’t the only area of my Christian walk that isn’t up to par! But thanks be to God that He is gracious and loving, and forgives us of our faults when we ask Him. I also believe He will continue to help me grow in my faith as I continue to try and get my physical health in order.

There’s room in the class for anyone of any ability level. I invite you to come to our class if you are not currently involved in a study on Sunday nights.

See You Sunday! Rob

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

I know that it's been a month since I posted, and now I posted twice within a few minutes. If you don't like it, well, I don't know what to tell you except, "Sorry!"

We are starting a zoo at our house (not literally, but it sure seems like it!) with a lot of new baby animals. We have chickens, ducks, rabbits, kittens, and we have had an assortment of turtles and fish, too. For Mother's Day, I took some video of the kids and some of our animals for my mom. I couldn't figure out how to post them to YouTube until today, so I thought I would post them here for you to look at if you so desire. If you click on the links, they will take you to the videos on the YouTube website.

Let me know if you have any trouble viewing them. If it works, I might post a few more of the kids and other fun stuff around the farm!


Video #1

Video #2

Video #3

Video #4

Video #5


Enjoy!

ConGRADulations!

(From the Flora Christian, May 16, 2008 edition)


I just got off of the phone, speaking to a friend about graduation season. I remarked about Hannah graduating from junior high, and he was amazed that she had grown so quickly. I said, “I know, it’s hard to believe that someone as young looking as me can have a child in high school, isn’t it?” He assured me that it was not!

Graduation season is both fun and draining. Seeing the ones we know and love grow up and pass through these stages of life is very gratifying. But, it is also personally moving because we know that as they move on, some will move out of our lives. That is particularly true in a Church family. I have been so proud of our congregation’s graduates, and especially proud of being allowed to play a small part in their growth and development. But I also know that many of them will leave our community to begin new jobs, families, and make new lives for themselves.

I hope you take advantage of the opportunities you have this year to tell our graduates, “Well done!” Whether they be moving from junior high into the “jungle” of high school, from high school into the tangle of college or the job market, or from college into the beginning of a new career, ending a familiar stage and moving into an unknown one can be scary. But since we all share the same Lord and Spirit, we know that even when they are apart from our Church body, they are never apart from God.

See you (Graduation) Sunday! Rob

I know, I know. . . .

I know it's been a long time since I posted on this blog. Hey, what can I say, I've been busy. That's not an excuse, just an explanation. So, in order to make you feel better about that, I'll post a few of pics of my family. The first couple are of my kids and me at the two story outhouse mentioned in the post below. The next three are a series put together by my daughter Hannah. She's 13, and I think these pictures show some great imagination. They feature Holden and one of Hannah's stinky shoes. Enjoy!

Just think of it as an Illinois rest area!




Does someone have some air freshener?!!

As Much Fun as a Two-Story Outhouse

(From the Flora Christian, April 4, 2008 edition)

I really enjoyed sharing the message Sunday morning. Preaching is fun, but writing sermons is tough! I am glad to take every opportunity to share with you, but I appreciate how difficult it is to do week after week. Thanks, Bill, for taking care of that task on a regular basis!

Now, in reference to the message I preached, I want to share with you the important information that several of you have been asking me about. You can find the picture of the 2 story outhouse in Gays, IL, by going to this website: http://www.jldr.com/2storyohgaysillinois.html. Directions to the site are as follows: take IL-16 east to Gays, turn north on Pine St, one block. You can’t miss it. Make sure you take a picture and send it to your friends with the title, “Illinois Rest Area.” I would also recommend visiting a web site called, “Roadside America” (www.roadsideamerica.com). There’s lots of really fun stuff to see within a relatively short drive of Clay County.

We are still collecting bottles of water to give away to runners at the River to River Relay on April 19. This will give us a chance to minister to all of the runners in the relay. We need to collect about 2000 bottles, and we are only about 10% of the way there. If you would like to help and have difficulty purchasing or carrying the cases of water, give either Ben or me a call and we’ll try to help you out.

It was great to see all of you this week. I know sometimes when I use sarcastic humor that everyone doesn’t appreciate it. I am truly sorry if has ever been offensive to you. One of the best things about being part of the Church is that we are a family. And the best thing about being in a family is the ability to forgive one another—and forget.

See you Sunday! Rob

Poor Hillary

There are very few occasions on which I will agree on ANYTHING that Hillary Clinton says. Certainly not when it comes to her political ideals or philosophical views. But when she claims that there is a move in the press to build up Obama and discredit her, I am inclined to agree. Of course, this is the same woman that claimed that Kenneth Starr was a part of a "vast, right-wing conspiracy" against the President when he was probing whether Bull (I mean "Bill") had lied under oath about his affair with Monica Lewinski. You can only cry "Conspiracy!" so many times, and she's past her limit. But after I saw the following picture, posted by the Reuters news service on several internet media outlets, I was inclined to believe that there is somthing going on with the media. I think they are under his spell. In the Disney version of "The Jungle Book," you couldn't look into the eyes of the snake or you would be hypnotized and fall under his spell. I think Obama might have learned that trick. The picture speaks for itself so I will offer no commentary, exept to say that you would be labeled a racist if you posted the same pic with Obama as the subject.

Obama bin Laden?

For months, I have been mocking liberal, fascist Senator Barack Obama and his family heritage. Of course he can't help it that his name is "Obama" and that his father was a radical muslim, or even that he got caught refusing to place his hand on his heart during our national anthem (I'm sure it's just an oversight- maybe he doesn't know that's what we do. . . .). And this week, the Hillary Clinton campaign (who doesn't believe in "negative" campaign tactics) released a file photo of Obama in Africa wearing tribal garb including a turban.

I'll be honest with you: I am not really worried about Obama's religious beliefs or whether he'll be easy on the Islamic extremists. He claims to be a Christian, or have been a Christian, or something. Plus, he's much too clever to let Osama bin Laden move into the White House or sleep in the Lincoln bedroom. That room will be taken by Oprah and her minions.


I'm much more worried about what we DO know about Obama: he's a LIBERAL FASCIST. He thinks he's the only one who can save our country, and our world. He thinks that Americans are too stupid to take care of themselves, and he's warming up the white horse right now so that he can ride in and save us from ourselves. If we elect him, he has led us to believe that we will be hopeful again about our future. A future I'm sure that includes a cure to global warming, the end to fossil fuels, vegetarianism, free health care, a gun free/violence free world, and smarter, better looking babies.

This guy thinks that he can take care of me better than I can take care of myself. And, he thinks that he can do that by using the vast power of the United States government. I just hope they can do it with all of the success that congress has handled the House Bank or the federal government has handled taxes and social security. God help us, please!

Random Ramblings. . . .

(From the Flora Christian, February 22, 2008 edition)

Unfortunately, due to sickness, we were unable to have the Leib Family concert a couple of weeks ago. But the good news is that the Leibs seem to be well, and we have rescheduled the concert for Sunday night, March 2, at 6:00 pm in the main sanctuary at FCC. There is no charge for the concert, but we will take up an offering for the Leibs. Let’s show our support for them and fill the sanctuary as full as we can that night. If we have more than 200 in attendance, Ben will shave his legs (not really, I’m just kidding!).

With Valentine’s Day in the rearview mirror, we’re marching toward March. Not only do we have “March Madness” to look forward to, but Easter is also in March this year. Since the holiday comes so early in the calendar this year, I just want to remind you to make plans to attend our Last Supper Portrayal on Thursday, March 20. Once again, 13 men will portray Jesus and His twelve apostles in a historical reenactment of DaVinci’s famous “Last Supper” portrait. We will conclude the portrayal with a communion ceremony served by the actors. Some new faces will depict the characters this year, so be sure and mark your calendars now so you don’t miss it.

As always, you can find information about things going on at FCC by logging on to our website at FCCFlora.com.

See you Sunday! Rob

Hillary Care?

I know that Obama bin Laden is touting similar plans for federalized health care, but since Hillary cost our nation about $13 million several years ago promising reform, she gets credit for the idea. They have federalized health care in Canada, and the system is failing. As it crumbles in the "Great SWhite North," we are considering fixing it and putting it in place down here. We will get it right, because our government has a history of managing federal programs well (social security, welfare, education, etc.). Man, is there any reason why the rest of the world thinks we're arrogant?

"Brain Surgery"

Anyway, the link above is to an independant video done by a Canadian who wants free market reforms in the Canadian health care and health insurance system. It was sent to me by my good friend David Koontz. I can already hear the objections: "It's one case out of millions. At least the very poor have coverage. Shouldn't we do the greatest good for the most people?" Well, my response to that is, "That's what Karl Marx thought."

Super Sunday!

(From the Flora Christian, February 8, 2008 edition)

So, how did you spend your Super Sunday? I guess I’m a little embarrassed that it takes a football game to make a Sunday “super” for most Americans. I mentioned in the 8:15 service on Sunday that Super Bowl Sunday is the second largest “food holiday” of the year in the U. S. (no, my birthday is NOT #1—Thanksgiving is the largest food holiday). Super Bowl Sunday is also the biggest “secular” (not religious) holiday of the year in terms of total revenue generated. I don’t quite understand why this day has become so big, especially when the Dallas Cowboys haven’t been involved since the 90’s. I spent a great evening with members of our FISH group, and Jeff Henson and I both enjoyed the final outcome!

I was glad to be able to share the message in the early service, even though it was on short notice. I also enjoyed listening to the message brought by Dennis Arnold in the 10:30 service. I haven’t heard Dennis preach in several years, and it was a real blessing. I’m not glad that Bill was sick and couldn’t preach, but sometimes when you are pressed into doing things out of the ordinary, you get an unordinary blessing. That’s how I feel about the services on Sunday.

It was also a blessing to be a witness to the obedience of Jake Carruthers as he submitted to Christ in baptism Sunday morning. It has been a joy to see Jake (Deena Mosbarger’s nephew) grow and mature for several years, and I’m so glad I was here to see him take that important step.

The Christian life is often a roller-coaster ride of ups and downs and twists and turns. One thing you can say for sure is that it’s never boring!

See you Sunday! Rob

More "Clinton Bashing"

Have you ever noticed that according to the mainstream media (translation: "not Fox News or any conservative radio host") that when you denigrate a Republican, you're "speaking the hard truth," but when you criticize a Democrat you're "bashing?" It must just be one of those mysteries of the universe, like why we can't find weapons of mass destruction in the desert or how the Democrats can balance the budget without cutting spending or raising taxes.

Anyway, I guess I'm going to engage in a little Hillary bashing, since I got a really funny email from my good friend Dr. Todd Hamilton in Anderson, SC, and I decided to pass it on to you. It's a joke about Hillary (and partly about Bill, too). You'll find it funny unless you are planning to vote for Her Royal Thighness, the Bastion of American Socialism.

Hillary Clinton goes to a primary school in New York to talk about the world. After her talk she offers a question time. One little boy puts up his hand. The Senator asks him what his name is.

"Kenneth."

"And what is your question, Kenneth?"

"I have three questions: First - whatever happened to the medical health care plan you were paid to develop during your husband's eight years in the office as President? Second - why would you run for President after your husband shamed the office? Third - whatever happened to all those things you took when you left the White House?"

Just then the bell rings for recess. Hillary Clinton informs the kids that they will continue after recess. When they resume, Hillary says, "Okay, where were we? Oh, that's right, question time. Who has a question?"

A different little boy puts his hand up. Hillary points to him and asks him what his name is.

"Larry."

"And what is your question, Larry?"

"I have five questions: First - whatever happened to the medical health care plan you were paid to develop during your husband's eight years in the office as President? Second - why would you run for President after your husband shamed the office? Third - whatever happened to all those things you took when you left the White House? Fourth - why did the recess bell go off 20 minutes early? Fifth - what happened to Kenneth?"

As Larry the Cable Guy would put it, I don't care who you are, that's FUNNY right there! Also, I thought the following sign speaks for what many of us believe about the prospect of Hillary being president. It's an actual road sign found near Newberry, SC. Newberry happens to be somewhat between the towns of Prosperity and Clinton, and I guess a prophet must have put up this sign.



Well, I guess that's all the bashing for now. Tune in next time (well, sometime, anyway) to hear my rant about Barack Obama bin Laden.

What a Joke!

Is there any doubt as to why the world is laughing at the USA?

Did you happen to catch any of the Democratic cat-fight, I mean "debate," on MLK day on CNN? This is the party that wants to "restore America to it's dignified status in the eyes of the rest of the world." If those candidates (who are all either current or former US senators) spent as much time doing as they do campaigning and talking, this country would already be fixed and they wouldn't have to tell us how "broken" be are.

I just wish they would quit telling us that conservatives are causing this country to be diminished in the eyes of the world. When the world is afraid of us, it's because we are strong. If they are laughing at us, it's because we are weak. The CNN cat-fight just makes everyone laugh.

A Kingdom Divided

(From the Flora Christian, January 25, 2008 edition)

I really appreciated Bill’s message yesterday on unity. Although we are a diverse group of people, with different interests and tastes, we can still be united against the true enemy. We all need to make sure that we remember who the enemy is—Satan. When we begin fighting amongst ourselves and seeking our own gratification rather than putting God first, we are actually becoming Satan’s ally instead of his enemy. A wise person once said that the funny thing about unity is that it’s always “the other guy’s” problem. We often think that we’re right no matter what, and that if there is division it must b e the other person’s fault. I hope you will join me in praying for true humility, which will lead to unity, which will bring us victory.

Men—don’t forget about the Men’s Retreat at Oil Belt Christian Service Camp coming up on February 1 & 2. If you can’t be there on Saturday, at least try and come out on Friday evening for the steak supper and the program. The cost is only $15, and you will be blessed by the music and the preaching as well as the food! Let us know by this Friday (January 25) if you plan to attend so that we can register you. If you have any questions or want to register, you can call me (662-7626—office, 843-7622—home) or email me (rcfcc@aol.com).

One of the most famous quotes attributed to Abraham Lincoln is, “A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand.” Few people realize that Lincoln was actually quoting Mark 3:24. Jesus had cast out demons from people, and those who were in opposition to him were saying that he could cast out demons because he was working for the Devil himself. Jesus told them that logic didn’t make sense, and then warned them about blaspheming the Spirit of God. Let’s be careful to be united in our efforts, and not “demonize” those who disagree with us. After all, a church divided against itself cannot stand either.

See you Sunday! Rob

Who You Are When Everyone's Looking

     It has been said that integrity is “who you are when no one is looking.” But integrity is also who you are when everyone is looking, even if they’re not paying attention.

     Recently, our small community has had a scandalous event. The mother of one of the boys in my daughter’s 8th grade class was recently censured by the school board for her conduct at a junior high basketball game. The school board’s action was to ban her from athletic events until the end of this school year. That may not be a big deal in your community. But in ours, it was the topic of debate for weeks. This woman is from a well known family and has had other “run-ins” with school and game officials. She has also caused controversy with people in the community at large. After a junior high baseball game this past season, she started an argument with the publisher of a local newspaper over what she believed was unfair coverage of her son’s team. All of that is background for my thoughts on integrity.

     After the school board met and decided how to deal with this mother’s behavior, the local news media began reporting the story. I don’t want to use the woman’s name, so I have deleted it in the following copy, which was read on the air of our local radio station and appeared in most of our local newspapers:

"A major portion of last night’s meeting dealt with a parental disciplinary matter. According to accounts presented to the Board, [mother’s name], the mother of an 8th grade boys basketball player, entered the locker room while the team was inside. The Board also discussed other examples of inappropriate behavior by [mother’s name] on several occasions. A variety of disciplinary ideas were discussed before a motion was approved. By a 5-2 margin, the Board voted to impose a 5 month loss of attendance privileges for all sporting events, effective immediately and ending June 8th. [Mother’s name] will be allowed to attend 8th grade recognition night this Thursday evening, however only for the introduction of players and their parents.”
                    --WNOI News

     Now, as I mentioned before, this woman had a very public argument with the publisher of one of our local weekly newspapers. I don’t want to embarrass him, so we’ll call him Mr. Smith. No wait, let’s call him Mr. Jones. Anyway, Mr. Jones was faced with a dilemma. Being a man of faith in Christ, he knew that forgiveness and humility should be his attitude. He also knew that his actions would be noticed by some in the community. He could report the action, like all the other media outlets had done, by putting it on the front page and making a public spectacle out of the mother. It was local news, and everyone was talking about it. By not mentioning it in his paper, it would appear that either he didn’t know about it, or he thought it was unimportant. But he also knew that by reporting it as everyone else had done, he would further embitter her and embarrass her family even more, including her kids. So, what should he do?

     Mr. Jones is a casual acquaintance of mine, as are most people in our rather small community. I have always been friendly with him and I subscribe to his paper, and while I don’t consider him an “enemy,” we’re not really “friends” either. So please don’t think I’m just building up a crony. But Mr. Jones demonstrated what I consider to be a noteworthy act of integrity. He reported the story, left the mother’s name out, and printed it in that week’s edition. No fanfare, no big deal. Just the fact’s, Ma’am.

     It was an act that probably went unnoticed by most in the community. But "Mr. Jones"—I noticed. I appreciate the integrity you exhibited. And in spite of what you might think, or what others may have said, I thank you for the role model you are to me and especially my kids. I only hope that I can teach them the same level of integrity through my actions.

New Cereal for 2008

I know this is "corny," but I couldn't resist!

Who said politics couldn't be fun? Actually, the presidential race is more "funny" than "fun". . . .

New Year's Resolutions

(From the Flora Christian, January 11, 2008 edition)

We all know that we make resolutions at the beginning of each new year that we don’t keep for very long. It’s not that we don’t intend to keep them—it’s just that making changes is HARD, and the easy and safe thing to do is to revert back to the old way of doing things. I read something today that made me laugh: resolutions that we can ALL keep. I’ll share a few of them:
• This year I’m going to diet less and eat more. I think I’ll gain 30 pounds.
• This year I’ll procrastinate more. Starting tomorrow.
• This year I resolve to get further in debt.
• This year I won’t ride in a car driven by Britney Spears.
• This year I’ll focus more on the faults of others to feel better about myself.
The list went on with more than 30 entries like the ones above.

If making changes in our lives was easy, we’d do it all the time and we’d have perfect lives. But since change is hard, we often just give up and return to what is familiar, comfortable, and often destructive. I have identified a few “personality flaws” that I want to work on starting now (I know, I know, you find it hard to believe I have any flaws—but I really do!). I have spent some time in prayer about this, and I really expect God to change me. Let me challenge you to do the same. And, if after a few weeks (or days or hours) you find that you have forgotten your resolutions, you don’t have to wait until next January 1 to start over!

See you Sunday! Rob