Rob's Ramblings. . . .

Living in the Land of the Lost

2009-10-07T07:32:00.005-05:00

I preached at FCC on September 27 on the topic of evangelizing the lost. I wanted to use something with a contemporary theme, and since Will Ferrell's "Land of the Lost" was one of this country's biggest DVD releases of the summer, I decided that it was a tailor made idea. So, I titled my message, "Living in the Land of the Lost." I included the title slide above (from the powerpoint presentation of the message) here on the blog because it got a big laugh and I thought you might be wondering why. Yes, I once again went goofy on the Photoshop, and the image includes not only me but FCC's other ministry staff members as well.

At the beginning of the message, I played a video of a young boy playing in the woods and getting lost. Here's a link where you can watch the video: "Lost in the Woords". I hope you enjoy the message, and feel free to post comments or ideas relating to it.

Click on the link below to open up the message in your audio player, or right click and select "Save Target As..." to save it to your computer.

"Living in the Land of the Lost"- Rob Clifton (9-27-2009)

Rob's Ramblings....

2009-09-16T13:43:00.004-05:00

(From the Flora Christian, September 18, 2009 edition)

I haven't posted one of my newsletter articles from the Flora Christian (our congregation's newsletter) in a while, but I was particularly proud of this one. Enjoy!

Rob's Ramblings....

This past weekend, I travelled to Chicago to help a good friend celebrate turning 40. Having crossed that bridge already, but not THAT long ago, I felt I was the perfect choice help him out. We attended an epic rock and roll concert at Soldier Field, at Chicago style pizza, and walked Michigan Avenue. ALL of Michigan Avenue, I think. Anyway, as is my custom, I felt like I should share with you a few things I learned on the quick trip to our state's largest city (and de facto state capital):

Riding the train is my new favorite way to travel. I don't have to stay awake, and there's no pesky near-vomiting experience upon take-off or landing. Plus, the most INTERESTING people ride the train....

English is apparently a foreign language in Chicago. Who knew?

Trains stop for "smoke breaks" occasionally. The train I rode up did not, but the train I rode back did. I asked the conductor on the return trip why this was the case. She simply replied, "I'm a smoker," and lit up.

Catching a cab after a concert at Soldier Field is not easy. Or cheap.

My new theology of heaven includes a room where they serve Chicago style deep dish pizza.

If you choose to have your lip pierced, and you wear exotic lip jewelry, it IS possible to get your lip ring stuck in the rim of a disposable coffee cup lid. Again: Who knew?

Helping good friends celebrate the milestones in their lives is one of God's greatest blessings for His children.

There's probably more, but I'll just leave it there. I also want to mention that I helped my wonderful, beautiful wife Joni celebrate her birthday this past week. I won't tell you her age, but I WILL tell you that she was the most beautiful bride I have EVER seen when she was 20 years old (we've been married for almost 19 years!).

Thanks to ALL who helped with the Block party this past Sunday. We could not have done it without each and every person who helped carry tables and chairs, fixed food, helped with games, and all of the other little things that go unnoticed by most people. It is a testimony to how much our church family cares about each other and our community.

See you Sunday! Rob

Click Here to see some pics of the trip to Chicago & the U2 concert. (Facebook)

Daily Devotions-Again

2009-08-14T13:51:00.003-05:00

Our local radio station, WNOI 104 radio in Flora, has morning devotional thoughts each day provided by different ministers from the area. This past week (8/10/09 - 8/14/09) I provided devotions. I recorded them in our building, saved them onto a CD, and took the CD to the station for the station manager to play each morning.

I have been experiencing a rebirth in political awareness lately, so I decided to go with a theme of praying for our leaders.

Just click on the links below to listen to them in your media player. You can also right click on them, select "Save Target As" and then save them to your computer to listen. If you have a slower connection or they hesitate a lot as they play, this is your best option. NOTE: If you hear something dumb, that is not because of your internet connection!

Monday (8/10)
Tuesday (8/11)
Wednesday (8/12)
Thursday (8/13)
Friday (8/14)

As always, I invite you to give them a listen and let me know what you think!

Who needs the First Ammendment Anyway?

2009-08-05T11:17:00.006-05:00

I was amused by a story I read on AOL News earlier today. The headline read: "Obama 'Joker' Picture Pops Up In Los Angeles and Across the Internet." Now, as a political conservative and someone who has questioned many things that our president has done, I found that intriguing. So, I clicked on the link and read the short story.

It seems someone has depicted President Obama as The Joker (a la Heath Ledger) with the word "socialism" at the bottom and posted it around Los Angeles and on the internet. Predictably, liberals are in an uproar over the image, with many calling for an investigation as to the identity of the "mystery" artist. (Just a suggestion, I'd look for that guy who got sued over the "Hope" image....)

The writer of the AOL article, Christopher Weber from PoliticsDaily.com, correctly pointed out that the same liberals were noticably silent when someone posted a picture depicting then-president George W. Bush as Satan.

Upon further investigation on the web, I have found many outspoken liberals (in chat rooms and blog posts everywhere) who are calling for the image to be banned from the internet and the artist to be punished. Our Constitution is an interesting double-edged sword. We cannot apply the first ammendment only when we like the message that is being presented.

Several years ago an artist placed a picture of a crucifix into a bottle of urine, took a photiograph of it, and called it art (actually, he called it "Piss Christ"). It was even subsidized by our federally funded "National Endowment for the Arts." Conservatives and Christians all across the nation were outraged and wanted the artwork banned, even though the artist claimed it depicted what we as a society have done to Jesus. It was the artist's first ammendment right to produce such artwork (although I don't believe it's the kind of artwork the NEA should be paying to help produce), even though it was disgusting, disturbing and insulting to many Americans.

The first ammendment can be a pesky thing: either ALL speech is protected, or none of it is. We conservatives got really tired of hearing the character of President and Laura Bush attacked by lilberals on the web and in public. But no one I personally know called for censorship of the internet because of the negative and often vitriolic language. Unfortunately, now liberals are going to have to put up with the same kind of stuff.

Personally, I believe it's in bad taste either way. I think we should be able to question our leaders and even expose their actions in public. We can write and blog and cry "foul" from the rooftops if that is what we deem necessary. I would prefer the attacks to be kept in the political arena and steer clear of a politician's family and private life. But just because I don't like what is being said, I can't call for it to be hidden or the "offenders" to be arrested or fined or both. That's what our first ammendment guarantees: the right to say what we want about our nation's leadership without fearing arrest or retribution from the government.

I think that liberals are going to have to thicken their collective skin for the next three and a half years. There are going to be PLENTY more attacks against President Obama where this one came from. It's going to be a LOOOOOONG time until the next presidential election, and I don't think things are going to get more "civil" between now and then....

References:
PoliticsDaily article on Obama/Joker Poster
DailyMail (UK) article on Obama/Joker Poster
LA Weekly article on Obama/Joker Poster
Piss Christ artwork

Vacation 2009: Walkin' in Memphis!

2009-07-31T12:14:00.003-05:00

I’m going to post this blog now, even though I’m going to put part of it in the Flora Christian next week. I had a really good time on my family vacation, and I wanted to put some reflections about it here before I forget everything.

We went to Memphis, Tennessee. We stayed just north of Memphis in Meeman-Shelby State Park. We got a cabin there which slept six people (2 BR, 1 bath) and had a full kitchen and nice, large living room. There was a TV, but since it only got 3 or 4 channels, and these were in digital and the TV reception was “hit-and-miss,” we pretty much did without TV for the week. We were back in the woods, overlooking a lake. It was really nice and very relaxing. We also didn’t get cell phone coverage there and there was no internet. Hannah about DIED! But it was nice to be pretty much “unplugged” for the week.

We left Flora on Saturday, July 25 at about 10:30 am. Our intention was to drive down to Sikeston, MO, and take the kids to eat at Lambert’s Café (home of the world famous “Throwed Rolls”). We thought we’d get there about 3:00 and miss the rush. We got there pretty much on schedule, and there was a 2 hour wait. We kept driving. We got to our cabin before dark, unloaded the van, and headed back to Millington, TN to Walmart to get our food and supplies for the week. We then went back to the cabin and settled in for some serious relaxation. I have to mention that the drive from our cabin to Millington was about 6 miles. It took 20-25 minutes. The roads were winding and narrow, and without a GPS to guide us (Thanks Lane & Brian!) we would NEVER have made it! We got dinner at a Krystal hamburger joint, which the kids did NOT care for but I liked because they were like White Castles. When we got back to the cabin, we watched Veggie Tales movies on DVD (this would become a nightly theme).

On Sunday, we slept in and got up when Joni made us a fantastic breakfast of pancakes, eggs, bacon, juice and milk! I need to backtrack here and talk about worship. We don’t know anyone in the Memphis area, so we weren’t sure about finding a place to worship. So, we took the family to Mt. Vernon, IL, on Friday to Central Christian Church’s Friday night worship experience. We had a great time and even met some FCC friends while we were there (Paul, Alicia, Matt, Bethany & London). Anyway, back to Sunday—we spent the morning relaxing in and around the cabin, and then went to the pool in the park for the afternoon. I’m not one to lay around “tanning,” but it was nice to park in a deck chair and not worry about cell phones, websites, or email for the afternoon. Everyone needs time occasionally to simply “unwind,” and I got mine there beside the pool while the kids swam and Joni relaxed in a chair beside me. We went back to the cabin and I grilled the meat for dinner (pork steaks, chicken breasts, hamburgers and hot dogs) while Joni fixed the rest of the meal. After dinner we watched another Veggie Tales movie—“The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything.”

On Monday, we got up and after breakfast decided to go on one of the walking trails in the park. (Breakfast, by the way, was Dad’s biscuits & gravy.) The trail was rated as “moderate,” which was only the terrain. The rating did not cover the hoards of mosquitoes or the mud. Holden also did not warn us that his sock had a hole in it (on his heel, of course) and didn’t tell us about the blister on his heel until we were about a mile into the hike. This caused us to turn around and walk the trail in reverse to get back to our van quicker. Joni carried him about a quarter of a mile and I carried him about a half a mile, and then he said he felt better and walked the rest of the way himself. It was hot and VERY humid, so we went back and took showers and still had half the day left. Joni made a Mexican lunch (tacos, nachos & cheese, and some Mexican soda—Barrilitos) before we headed in to take a driving tour of Memphis. We drove by the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, and then decided to walk some of downtown. We went down Beale Street, heard some live Blues (several bands, actually), went in the Hard Rock Café so Hunter could buy a t-shirt, walked past the FedEx Forum (where the Memphis Grizzlies NBA team plays), and went to the Gibson Guitar Factory. We didn’t do the factory tour, but Hunter and I went in the factory store and saw more $5000 guitars in one location than I had seen in a while! After that we drove to Sun Record Studio (where Elvis Presley first recorded) and took some pictures. Then we drove to Mississippi so Hannah could say she had been in 5 states on vacation (IL, MO, AR, TN & MS). After some shopping at a mall, we went back to the cabin and watched another movie—this time “The Hunt for Red October—before going to bed.

Tuesday was Graceland day. First, we went to the Peabody Hotel and saw the marching of the “World Famous Peabody Ducks.” I won’t take time to tell the tale here if you don’t know it—just visit their website. Then it was off to Graceland, where we took the mansion tour, went through the airplanes, went to the car museum, and visited each and every one of the 14 gift shops on the premises. Holden is a HUGE Elvis fan, and he enjoyed the tours (especially the mansion) as much as anyone. After Graceland we went back downtown and went to the Mud Island Riverpark. They have a scaled down version of the Mississippi River which you can wade that dumps into the scaled down Gulf of Mexico. The kids had a great time doing that and visiting the true scale version of a river paddleboat in the Mud Island museum. Of course, we rode the hanging monorail that goes from downtown Memphis to the island. It was a REALLY long day, and after we went home and had leftovers from all of the fantastic meals Joni had cooked, we packed up to leave and went to sleep without even watching a movie!

We left and came home on Wednesday morning. We got to Sikeston at about 2:30, and this time waited about 10 minutes before getting a table at Lambert’s. The kids liked the food, but LOVED the rolls being tossed all around. They each caught at least one and buttered them up and ate them. For those of you who have never been to Lambert’s but HAVE gone to the Beef House in Covington, IN, the rolls are about the same (I know your mouth is watering by now!). The restaurant is a fun experience, especially with kids along. But we were tired and ready to be home, so we got back in the car and made it back to “the farm “ around 6:30.

As always, I learned something while on this family vacation. At the risk of a lawsuit from CBS or Worldwide Pants, here are the Top 10 Things I Learned on my Memphis Family Vacation:

10. Just because you can afford to buy a bikini, doesn’t mean you should wear it in public. I’m just sayin’….

9. Elvis is still the King in Memphis.

8. Without Joni, our family vacations would be a DISASTER! She cooks, cleans, plans, keeps track of the money, and keeps us from getting lost. In other words, pretty much like at home. I guess she didn’t really GET a vacation….

7. You name it: if it’s made, they’ve put Elvis’ face on it.

6. This just in: fire is hot, water is wet, and Memphis barbecue is GOOD!

5. Beale Street is a fun family destination. In the daytime….

4. State park cabins are more fun for a family vacation than hotels. The meals are better, and it’s a LOT cheaper—which makes it perfect (for me!).

3. No matter how much you love your job and like the people you work with, EVERYONE should take a vacation now and then.

2. Someone should invent safe and legal tranquilizers for kids in the van/car on a family vacation. It would REALLY reduce interstate road rage!

1. I LOVE my family!!!

You can see my pics from the vacation on my Facebook page by clicking HERE.

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Godliness

2009-07-06T14:17:00.004-05:00

This past Sunday, July 5, I preached the morning message at our church. I have always been a little uncomfortable preaching "patriotic" messages. Not because I am unpatriotic, but for other reasons. I talk about it at the beginning of the message, so I'll just let you listen to it.

Before the message, I played a video which featured audio clips of Presidents F. Roosevelt, Kennedy, Reagan, and George W. Bush, and Billy Graham. Here's a link where you can watch the video: America.

Click on the link below to open up the message in your audio player, or right click and select "Save Target As..." to save it to your computer.

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Godliness- Rob Clifton (7-5-2009)

Worthy Offerings

2009-05-19T10:03:00.008-05:00

I preached the morning message at FCC on May 17, and I was asked to post the audio here. There was a video lead-in to the message, which I will try and post a link for as well. The message is part of a series we are doing entitled, "Standing Tall in Tough Times." My particular topic was stewardship of our resources. I thought the message went over fairly well, and I'm happy with how it all turned out.

To view the video I used, click on the play button below. The video is from "The Lucy Show," and I haven't got any idea how old it is or when it originally aired. If you care about these details, this should give you a great chance to use some of your internet-sleuthing skills.

The link below is to the audio of the message. 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.).

Worthy Offerings (5/17/09) -Rob Clifton

FCC Worship Band

2009-04-28T09:01:00.003-05:00

I was bragging on our worship band a couple of weeks ago, and someone challenged me to sort of "put my money where my mouth is." One of the things we do from time to time is take old hymns and use the words with other tunes. Nothing new or original about that, I know. But some of the choices are fun, and our band handles them really well. They are a great bunch of musicians who have allowed me to organize them, and then play and sing with them. So, I have attached part of our worhsip time from last Sunday (4/26/09) so that you can hear our rendition of "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus."

Now, let me get this straight with you before you listen to the audio: this is raw audio content. It has not been mixed or mastered, mainly because I don't have good equipment for that and I'm kind of lazy. There's WAAYYYY too much of my singing on this recording, and I REALLY hope it didn't sound like that when it was live in our auditorium! Also, I am NOT a "real" music minister. In fact, my actual title is "Associate Minister of Worship and Involvement." Real music ministers are men and women who have exceptional musical talent who use it in service to God and the Church. I am a minister who organizes and leads worship. There is a really big difference. Music ministers are musical professionals who engage in ministry. I am a preacher/teacher who engages in music as well as other kinds of ministry. I'm not unrealistic about this, and neither is anyone who regularly worships at FCC: they understand this! I'm not fishing for a compliment or trying to make you feel wierd and tell me I'm great. Just listen and enjoy a new twist on an old song, and a really good group of servants who lead worship at FCC a couple of times a month!

FCC Worship Band (4-26-09)

"If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31

2009-04-28T08:47:00.003-05:00

(From the Flora Christian, May 1, 2009 edition)

As June 6 approaches, I can’t help but think that something incredible is going to happen on our missions trip to Colegio Biblico. I think that Satan must be on full attack! First, the Drug Cartel violence in the Western part of the border area between Mexico and Texas (over 400 miles from where we will be) has been well publicized. Now, an outbreak of the latest animal flu (Swine Flu this time) is making international news. Someone asked me recently if I thought that God was trying to send us a sign about our trip. My response was, “Yes. I believe He’s telling us to ‘Go For It!’” Trust me when I say that the proper precautions are being taken to deal with these issues as we plan the trip. My new passport came in the mail last week, and I have to admit that I’m getting excited!

This Sunday (May 3), we will be having a short meeting to discuss some relevant matters related to the Missions Trip. This is especially for the people who are already signed up to go. If you have not done so, make sure you get the $25 deposit to me or to Sue Campbell as soon as possible. If you are going on the trip and cannot make the meeting, let me know so I can discuss some of the things with you privately. We will meet right after the 10:30 am service in the Chapel. The meeting will not last more than 15 minutes.

Keep praying for our Missions Trip team, as well as Jorge Mercado and the Colegio Biblico family. If God is not in this trip, it will be a failure. But if God is in it, there can be no other outcome than complete success!

She Makes Her Daddy Proud!

2009-04-21T07:27:00.002-05:00

This is a video of Hannah singing with the high school chorus last Friday (4/17/09) at the spring concert. She is a freshman at North Clay High School in Louisville, IL. For a very small school (about 200) they have a VERY talented music department.

The song is called "What Are You Waiting For?" and was recorded and made popular by Natalie Grant. The shirts with the words on the front were part of a different song, but the idea was to put words of virtue or positive impact that were meaningful to each student on there. Hannah picked the word "modesty," which is a very accurate description of her and the way she acts. Of course, she takes after her mom and is a straight A student, and is active in our church youth group as well. She really does make BOTH of her parents very proud!

You can view the video on YouTube by following this link:
What Are You Waiting For?

Pictures for the message below....

2009-03-30T10:07:00.010-05:00

After I posted the message from 3-29, someone asked me if I could include the pictures I talked about at the beginning of the message. So, here they are. #4 is a photoshop that I did myself, of myself as the new Presidential Press Secretary. Anyway, have fun with the rest of these, they're just some unbelievable things I found on the internet.

AND, by the way, I don't need any HATE-mail from any Cubs fans. I don't hate the Cubs, I don't really even dislike the Cubs. I just included that to irritate the Cubs fans in our congregation. I'm a Cincinnati Reds fan: I am NOT going to be making fun of anyone about being a loser. (However, my team HAS won a couple of World Series' in the last century....)

Unbelievable!

2009-03-30T09:52:00.004-05:00

I preached this past Sunday (3-29-09) at First Christian Church in Flora, which is the congregation where I serve as Associate Minister. The message was kind of a follow up to the message from the previous week, which was shared by our other Associate Minister, Ben VanHyning. His message was on sexual purity, and included a Purity Pledge for teens, parents, and the Church body. I followed up with a message on purity, but my focus was not on sexual purity: it was on honesty and integrity within the body. I was pretty happy with how the message came out.

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.).

Message: "Unbelievable!" Rob Clifton (3-29-2009)

P.S.- Once again, the picture at the top of this post is the title slide I used in the presentation for this message. The titles slides I create (some of which you see on this blog) are all created using royalty free art and Photoshop Elements. If you want to use the image in your own church or another presentation, but would like to change the titles, names, dates, etc., I would be happy to send them to you in Photoshop format so you can manipulate them. I also might have something you haven't seen here which fits a theme you are using. Just email me at rcfcc@aol.com and let me know what you are interested in!

Daily Devotions

2009-03-09T14:34:00.004-05:00

Our local radio station, WNOI 104 radio in Flora, has morning devotional thoughts each day provided by different ministers from the area. This week (3/9/09 - 3/13/09) I provided devotions. I recorded them in our building, saved them onto a CD, and took the CD to the station for the station manager to play each morning.

The devotions will be played between 8:45 and 9:00 am each day this week. You can listen to them "live" on WNOI by clicking the link above and then clicking on "listen live click here" near the top of the page. Or, you can click on the links below and listen to them directly from here. I'm getting ramped up for "March Madness," so the devotions this time have a sports flavor.

Monday (3/9)
Tuesday (3/10)
Wednesday (3/11)
Thursday (3/12)
Friday (3/13)

Give them a listen and let me know what you think!

Eccessive, Exaggerated, Extravagant Love

2009-02-16T08:58:00.004-06:00

Bill was out of town this past weekend, so I had another opportunity to share the morning message with our congregation on Sunday, February 15. Of course, it was a "Valentine's" message, based on the love one person showed to Jesus. The text was John 12:1-11, and the title was, "Eccessive, Exaggerated, Extravagant Love." Yes, I am aware that the title sounds like the title of someone else's sermon. In fact, it the the title of three different sermons, that I combined into one. The fact that I'm willing to admit it ought to get me something, right? (Besides being labelled as a "plagiarist" that is....)

This particular message was recorded at our 8:15 am service. I preached basically the same message in both services, but this one is a little more concise. In the 10:30 am service, I used a powerpoint game that I created based on famous duos in music, television, and movies. The game took about 6 minutes, which made the audio longer, and without the visuals, it wouldn't be as good. In place of the game in the earlier service, I told some bad Valentine jokes I got off the internet. As you will hear, I was trying to break the ice and loosen that early crowd up, and it worked fairly well. As it is, the message below is a few seconds shy of 37 minutes. It's a little longer than I wanted, but I was still happy with how it went.

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.).

Message: "Eccessive, Exaggerated, Extravagant Love" Rob Clifton (2-15-2009)

P.S.- The picture at the top of this post is the title slide I used in the presentation for this message. The titles slides I create (some of which you see on this blog) are all created using royalty free art and Photoshop Elements. If you want to use the image in your own church or another presentation, but would like to change the titles, names, dates, etc., I would be happy to send them to you in Photoshop format so you can manipulate them. I also might have something you haven't seen here which fits a theme you are using. Just email me at rcfcc@aol.com and let me know what you are interested in!

Reaching Upward

2009-01-24T13:55:00.007-06:00

The ministry staff at our congregation has come up with a theme for 2009 which is titled, "Reaching Upward, Inward and Outward." This theme is based on Isaiah 6:1-8, and we are currently in the midst of a series of sermons based upon the same theme. As the worship minister at our congregation, I preached on January 18 on the theme, "Reaching Upward." The exact title was, "The Five Whoppers of Worship."

O.k., a little explanation on the audio. First of all, there are two links instead of one. I don't usually include the special music with my messages when I post them, but Joni sang this song and it goes really well with the message itself. So, the first link is Joni singing the special music. Second, this message is from the 8:15 service. That's pretty early for most people, so a lot of the humorous things (or at least things I thought were funny) didn't get much of a response. Plus, this crowd is smaller than our 10:30 service and generally a lot more "reserved." But the recording made of the later service left out the special music and the first part of the message, so I posted this one. Finally, my intention here was not to chastise or confront people unnecessarily. But some of this material is confrontational by nature, because we ALL have times when we try to elevate ourselves to God's throne. If you find yourself struggling with some of the things I said, do what I did when I was preparing the message: examine WHY you are uncomfortable. It just might be that you have believed one of the lies.

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.).

Special Music: Joni Clifton (1-18-2009)

Message: "Whoppers of Worship" Rob Clifton (1-18-2009)

It Starts....

2009-01-22T10:05:00.004-06:00

A lot of people have questioned me about my silnce over the 2008 presidential election and inaugaration of the United States' first half-white president, Barack "Middle-Name-Deleted" Obama. I think you all probably know what my personal feelings are regarding his politics. Time will tell if my predictions are correct: that he will trade in a short-term economic fix for a long-term drain on our national economy, that he will appoint liberal federal judges who will further erode our freedoms and the moral fiber of our nation, and that he will cater to left-wing radicals who will sell our safety and security as a nation for a peaceful chorus of "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke." We'll see. He's promised to make us a better nation, and if he keeps his promises, then we'll all be better off. I do NOT want him to fail in his efforts. I just don't think that continuing the liberal policies of Carter and Clinton will produce the results that he has promised. If I'm wrong (and my liberal friends can PROVE it to me), I'll admit it, albeit reluctantly.

But I am sickened by the lack of journalistic impartiality that I saw this week. I won't debate who is to blame for the screw-up of the Presidential Oath of Office. If you're a conservative you think President Obama choked. If you're a liberal, you think Chief Justice Roberts sabotaged the event. If you're an American, you're probably a little red-faced over the whole thing no matter WHO is to blame. But can we admit that if it had been President Bush, we would have had to endure countless hours of ridiculous commentary about his unfitness to be in office. I'm just a little tired of the mainstream media (MSM) giving Obama a "pass" for every silly or stupid thing he does. He appointed a Treasury Secretary who got caught cheating on his taxes. He appointed a Secretary of State who's husband is on the payroll at several foreign countries, some of whom have (shall we say) "strained" relations with the U.S. His Chief-of-staff is tied to a convicted felon (Rezko) and has questionable ties to an impeached and soon to be removed from office governor (Blagojevich). But this is a time of "hope" and "change." I just wonder why the media isn't asking the obvious question, "If change is so important to our President, why does it seem like it's politics as usual?"

Let's give him a chance. Let's hope he is really a closet conservative. But let's not give him a pass and pretend that he walks on water and lives without sin. A friend asked me on Tuesday, "I didn't watch the rock-n-roll show today. Did they put him on a donkey's colt, lay down palm branches, and shout 'Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord' as he went into the White House?" Well, no Brian, they didn't. But I'm sure that if they could have gotten a few more dollars, they might have.

Let's also hope that the media get's over their collective case of "Obamamania" before it's too late.

"Five Kernels of Corn"

2008-12-02T13:12:00.006-06:00

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?"

2008-10-14T14:38:00.004-05:00

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

2008-09-23T11:53:00.004-05:00

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!!

2008-09-10T11:15:00.009-05:00

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. . . .

2008-08-29T14:28:00.005-05:00

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

2008-08-26T15:56:00.002-05:00

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?

2008-08-25T09:37:00.004-05:00

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. ?

2008-08-04T16:49:00.002-05:00

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?

2008-06-25T08:33:00.003-05:00

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

2008-06-23T12:13:00.002-05:00

(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!

2008-05-12T15:17:00.002-05:00

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!

2008-05-12T15:14:00.000-05:00

(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. . . .

2008-04-02T13:52:00.005-05:00

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

2008-04-02T13:44:00.002-05:00

(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

2008-02-29T07:53:00.002-06:00

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?

2008-02-26T14:37:00.005-06:00

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. . . .

2008-02-19T15:17:00.002-06:00

(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?

2008-02-15T10:55:00.004-06:00

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!

2008-02-12T14:48:00.000-06:00

(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"

2008-01-29T10:53:00.000-06:00

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!

2008-01-23T12:09:00.000-06:00

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

2008-01-23T12:01:00.000-06:00

(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

2008-01-15T11:11:00.000-06:00

     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

2008-01-07T13:31:00.000-06:00

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

2008-01-07T10:25:00.000-06:00

(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

The Season of Forgiveness

2007-12-18T09:43:00.000-06:00

(From the Flora Christian, December 21, 2007 edition)

Christmas is the season when we celebrate miracles: the miracle of birth, the miracle of the heavenly host cracking the sky and bringing a message of glad tidings and joy, and especially the miracle of God’s mercy, grace, and love. This past Sunday, I was reminded how stark the contrast is (sometimes) between God’s grace and my own unwillingness to forgive others.

Joni and I were in St. Louis all weekend, celebrating our 17th anniversary and doing some Christmas shopping. On Sunday, we decided to attend worship at a large church in the St. Louis area where a friend of mine works on staff. It was a very uplifting service with great music, challenging preaching, and even a baptism! But when it came to communion time, I was shocked to see the man who was walking to the pulpit to give the communion meditation. He was an acquaintance of mine from a former church where I served in the St. Louis area. In fact, the right word might not be “acquaintance,” but “nemesis.” I was young, brash (shocking, isn’t it), and idealistic about ministry, and this man represented what I felt was wrong with the organized Church. He seemed to go out of his way to challenge the authority of our elders, undermine the influence of our ministry staff, and generally cause problems whenever he could. Later, he served as an elder himself, and was constantly finding things about my ministry (and me personally) to criticize. I’ll admit it: I didn’t like him much at all.

I had forgotten about him until I saw him walking across the stage Sunday morning. I really struggled with the communion time, because I was focused on how much that man had hurt me (more than 12 years ago!). Then it occurred to me: I have a problem with forgiveness. I have since decided that it’s o.k. to let go of that hurt and pain from so long ago. If I saw him today, I would swallow my pride and go up and talk to him. Not to tell him I forgive him, but to prove to myself that I have done so.

This year at Christmas, maybe you know someone who you need to forgive. If you do, you will experience the true joy of Christmas. God sent to Son Jesus to extend His grace, mercy, and love to ALL of us. Maybe it’s time we all did the same.

See you Sunday! Rob

Happy Non-Religious Politically Correct Winter Holiday Season!

2007-12-11T14:07:00.000-06:00

I got an email from my good friend Don Sanders from St. Charles, MO, with this video attached. I laughed when I watched it, but then it hit me that this guy was really "speaking my language." I have thought this a lot, especially this year. More and more companies are going out of their way to remove "Christmas" from their December advertising. Most of them say it's in an attempt to keep from offending anyone of other "faiths" than Christianity. But let's face it, most of the Christmas season doesn't have much to do with Christianity anyway, does it? I mean, as a kid, when we were watching Rudolph or Frosty, even I could figure out that this wasn't the true meaning of Christmas. I think there must be more to this Non-Religious Politically Correct Winter Holiday emphasis than just being non-offensive. I happen to believe that it is the true colors of a bunch of godless money worshippers coming to light. Anyway, I digress.

The following link will take you to a video on the Focus on the Family social action web site CitizenLink.com. The host of the video is a guy by the name of Stuart Shepard, a guy who apparently thinks a lot like me! Click on the link to get to the video page, and click on the red stoplight to watch the video.

Merry Tossmas!

Click here to go see the video.

Finding Your Way with "The Golden Compass"

2007-12-05T09:15:00.000-06:00

There has been a lot of typical hysteria over the release of the movie, "The Golden Compass," based on the books by Philip Pullman. As in the cases of former perceived theatrical attacks on God, such as "The Last Temptation of Christ," the Harry Potter books and movies, "The DaVinci Code" and other stuff by Dan Brown, and countless others.

I don't believe that we should blindly accept whatever Hollywood tries to shove down our collective gullett, but I also don't think we (or God, for that matter) have anything to fear from the entertainment industry. I believe that God is bigger and stronger than any movie mogul or production company. So, rather than send out another email with a subject line which reads, "FWD: fwd: fwd: FwD: fwd: The Golden Compass Will Cause Your Kids to Hate God!!!", I decided to do a little research and find a rational, calm, sane approach to this film and these books from a Christian perspective.

At the bottom of this post, you will find a link to an article found on ChristinityToday.com. The article is by Jeffrey Overstreet, an author of fantasy novels (from a Christian point of view) and a regular contributor to Christianity Today. I think the article represents my own feelings about controversies such as this, and I decided to post the link rather than trying to restate all of his thoughts.

If you would like to post your own thoughts about this subject, please read the article first, and then come back here and respond.

Here's the link:
Fear Not the Compass
by Jeffrey Overstreet on Christianity Today Movies

It's Holiday Time (Can we still call it "Christmas"?)

2007-11-26T11:50:00.000-06:00

(From the Flora Christian, November 30, 2007 edition)

Rob’s Ramblings. . . .

With the Thanksgiving holiday behind us, it’s time to turn our attention to the Christmas holiday season. (NOTE: I have been assured by the editorial staff of the Flora Christian—Bill and Chris—that it is still o.k. to call it “Christmas” in this newsletter.) We always have a lot of activity around the church family during this season, and I don’t want anyone to miss an opportunity to celebrate the season with us. Don’t forget that on Sunday, December 9, we will have our annual congregational dinner and meeting. On Sunday evening, December 16, we will go Christmas caroling in the community. And of course, on Christmas Eve, we will have special candlelight communion services to celebrate the gift of Jesus. There are also a lot of benevolent projects which go on each year inside the congregation and in the community at large, and everyone is encourages to participate in as many of these projects as are feasible for you and your family.

Each year at this time, I get requests to write or reprint some of the articles I have written in past years about the backgrounds of certain Christmas carols and hymns. Space and time do not permit me to do that this year in the Flora Christian, but I will be sharing some of those stories in a series of devotions I am putting together to be aired on WNOI on December 3-7. If you are interested in listening, be sure and tune in to 103.9 FM on those dates a little before 9:00 each morning.

If you love the music of the season as much as I do, be sure and join us in worship during the month of December. We will have a steady diet of Christmas music, to honor the birth of Jesus and glorify God. See you Sunday! Rob

Honor to Whom Honor is Due

2007-11-12T13:49:00.000-06:00

(From the The Flora Christian, November 16, 2007 edition)

I was honored to plan and participate in the Veteran’s Day service at FCC this past Sunday. Once again, I am glad I had the chance to say, “Thank you,” to those of you who have served in our nation’s military. Our veterans know that they have served this nation with honor and distinction, and they know how important that is in the world today. It reminds me of this quote by former President Ronald Reagan, “Some people wonder all their lives if they've made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem.”

We will have FISH groups for the next three Sunday evenings, and then break from December 9 until January 6. Make sure you mark your calendars for several important dates here at FCC:
1. November 25—Bret Koontz preaching in both morning services
2. December 9—Congregational potluck meal and Annual Meeting
3. December 16—FISH Group Christmas Caroling
4. December 24—Christmas Eve service

More information on these events will come in the next few weeks. Make sure you plan on being part of these and all FCC events.

See you Sunday! Rob

What You Won't See on CNN

2007-11-09T11:37:00.000-06:00

O.k., I'll make an admission right now about this post: I have no idea if these stories are true. Also, I have to admit that these stories make me feel good about our military, our nation, and the war we are fighting against terrorism around the world. Therefore, I felt like posting these and I'll let you decide if they're true or not (how's that for "real" journalism?). These came in an email from my friend Dr. Todd Hamilton in Anderson, SC. If you're ever there and need a root canal, look him up (I'm sure he's in the book. Look him up under "Dentists That Prescribe HGH To Pro Athlete's Without An Examination.").

Anyway, here's some stuff you won't read in the major papers or see on the networks or CNN:

Story #1--
When in England at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of Empire building by George Bush. He answered by saying, "Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return."

It became very quiet in the room.

Story #2--
At a conference in France a number of international engineers were taking part. During a break one of the French engineers came into the room saying, "Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intended to do, bomb them?"

A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly, "Our aircraft carriers have threehospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three large cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can easly produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters that can be used for transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?"

Once again, dead silence.

Story #3--
A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks, when a French admiral suddenly complained that, "Whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English." He then asked, "Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?"

Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied, "Maybe its because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so that you wouldn't have to speak German."

You could have heard a pin drop!

This year, on Veteran's Day, maybe we should just pray for our nation's leaders, including President Bush, pray for our soldiers, and say, "Thank You," to those who have served.

Once Upon a Time in Heaven. . . .

2007-11-05T10:15:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time in the kingdom of Heaven, God was missing for six days. Eventually, Michael the archangel found him, resting on the seventh day. He inquired of God. "Where have you been?"

God sighed a deep sigh of satisfaction and proudly pointed downwards through the clouds, "Look, Michael. Look what I've created."

Archangel Michael looked puzzled and said, "What is it?"

"It's a planet," replied God, "and I've put Life on it. I'm going to call it Earth and it's going to be a great place of balance."

"Balance?" inquired Michael, still confused.

God explained, pointing to different parts of earth. "For example, northern Europe will be a place of great opportunity and wealth but cold and harsh while southern Europe is going to be poor but sunny and pleasant. I have made some lands abundant in water and other lands parched deserts. This one will be extremely hot and while this one will be very cold and covered in ice."

The Archangel, impressed by God's work, then pointed to a land mass and said, "What's that one?"

"Ah," said God. "That's the United States of America, the most glorious place on earth. There will be beautiful prairies, grasslands, farms, streams, abundant wild game and birds, rolling hills and woodlands. The people from the United States are going to be handsome, modest, intelligent and humorous and they are going to be found traveling the world. They will be extremely sociable, hardworking and high-achieving, and they will be known throughout the world as diplomats and carriers of peace."

Michael gasped in wonder and admiration but then proclaimed, "What about balance, God? You said there would be balance!"

God replied wisely, "Wait until you see the idiots I put in charge in Washington!!!"

"I am what I am, and that's ALL that I am."

2007-10-28T11:16:00.000-05:00

(From the Flora Christian, November 2, 2007 issue)

Rob’s Ramblings. . . .

One day recently, after I had been chastised and rebuked by someone, I told a friend, “Hey, I’m like Popeye: I am what I am, and that’s all that I am.” I didn’t like being corrected, and I was pretty sure there was no merit in the criticism I had received. But after thinking about it for a while, I realized a couple of things. First of all, there was probably some value to the criticism. I don’t think it was as big of a problem as this individual did, but as I think back on it, I have learned from the experience. Also, the “Popeye” statement might be funny in a cartoon, but it’s not really true in real life—at least I hope it isn’t.

The first part is true: I am what I am. But I would like to change the second part—I would like to become MORE that what I am. I think that’s what life in Christ is all about: becoming more like Jesus every day. Just like everyone else, I have good days and better days (and even a few that are down-right lousy!). But I want to be able to look back at my days, weeks, and years and see that I am not the same person I used to be.

This month marks the beginning of my family’s twelfth year in ministry at FCC. The Cliftons have grown spiritually (and numerically!) during those years. Thank you so much to those of you who have been such an encouragement and support to us. This is not the only congregation with which I have served, but forever my experiences in ministry will be compared to what I have known and done here in Flora. I am eternally grateful to this congregation for the way you have helped me develop and grow in service to the Lord.

See you Sunday! Rob

The Ant and the Grasshopper

2007-10-22T11:58:00.001-05:00

Look, I know this is a cheezy, over-used, "one-too-many-times-around-the-internet" circular email. But it makes me laugh every time, this is my blog, and I wanted to post it. So, here's your Aesop's Fable (of truth) for today.

The Ant and the Grasshopper

TRADITIONAL VERSION:

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be responsible for yourself!

MODERN VERSION:

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.

CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. America is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so? Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper, and everybody cries when they sing, "It's Not Easy Being Green." Jesse Jackson stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house where the news stations film the group singing, "We shall overcome." Jesse then has the group kneel down to pray to God for the grasshopper's sake.

Nancy Pelosi, Barack Omama, and Harry Reid exclaim in an interview with Larry King the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.

Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity and Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer! The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the government. Hillary gets her old law firm to represent the grasshopper in a defamation suit against the ant, and the case is tried before a panel of federal judges that Bill Clinton appointed from a list of single-parent welfare recipients. The ant loses the case.

The story ends as we see the grasshopper finishing up the last bits of the ant's food while the government house he is in, which just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around him because he doesn't maintain it. The ant has disappeared in the snow.
The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the once peaceful neighborhood.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be careful how you vote in 2008!!!!!

Warning: THIS IS A RANT!

2007-10-17T10:40:00.000-05:00

Running for president of the United States is a joke! Or apparently that's what Stephen Colbert thinks. While I appreciate his satirical humor (although I don't agree with his position), and I believe in his right to free speech, I am disappointed. The true political satirist should probe for the difficult laugh, not the easy one.

What made people laugh at Mark Russell (the self-proclaimed "Master of Political Satire") was his ability to find the obscure laugh in the headline that made us all uncomfortable. For example, in 1992 on the 500th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of the New World, revisionist historians were trying to paint Columbus as a villian for destroying the cultures which existed in North America prior to it's discovery by Europeans. One of Russell's jokes was, "You would think we could come up with a better excuse for a holiday than Columbus Day. I mean, hasn't Christopher Columbus been pretty much outed as the guy who introduced genocide to the New World?"

Now, while I disagree with the position behind the joke, THAT'S funny! But Colbert, Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, and the modern day political "satirists" only poke fun at one side: the conservatives. They claim the intellectual high ground, even though they couldn't hold Ann Coulter's bra (or jock strap, or whatever she wears).

I have a list of suggestions for satirists to make fun of: Barack Obama's voice (he could do voice-overs for Lurch on the Addams' Family!), Hillary Clinton's SCARY face (speaking of jock straps vs. bra straps!), John Edwards as a leprechaun, Bill Maher as Hugh Hefner's illigitimate son (seriously, Google their images and compare them!), or Fred Thompson as the heir to Ronald Reagan's throne (oh, wait--that's not funny because it could be true!).

Don't get me wrong: I'm not denying the liberals their chance to poke fun at conservatives. I'm just suggesting that there should be a little "parity" in the proceedings!

After all, a democrat in charge of the U.S. military--now THAT would be a joke!

Is it just me?

2007-10-16T15:32:00.000-05:00

Or does the prospect of Hillary as President REALLY scare you? I mean, she almost gave us to China when her husband was President! Plus, I am embarrassed at the thought of Bill as First Lady. Just wondering how it will all work out. . . .

Hot or Cold?

2007-10-14T14:58:00.000-05:00

Rob’s Ramblings. . . .

Did you hear the one about the company that prints blank bumper stickers? They’re for people who don’t want to get involved. I see a lot of bumper stickers, some of which I disagree with, and others that just plain offend me personally. But even if the person is taking a stand for something that I believe is wrong, at least they’re taking a stand. In the book of Revelation (3:15-16), Jesus told the church in Laodicea, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” That verse seems to tell us that we are more respectable to God if we’re wrong than if we’re just not involved. The truth is: there’s no such thing as uninvolved. If you’re not involved serving God and advancing the Kingdom, then you’re in the way and helping the enemy.

I hope you have gotten some spiritual encouragement from the messages that Ben and I have shared the last two weeks. I appreciate the opportunity that Bill gave us the share with you from the pulpit. I don’t know if you are aware of it or not, but you have three ministers who love and care about you more than you know. I want you to know that we pray for you and appreciate the opportunity to serve the Lord by serving you. I’ve made my share of mistakes, but they were mistakes made with the best of intentions. The last eleven years of ministry have been the most enjoyable, most challenging, and most spiritually exciting of my life. Thank you for the continued opportunity to serve with you here at FCC.

See You Sunday! Rob

What's going on here, anyway?

2007-10-10T11:14:00.000-05:00

This is my personal blog. Everyone has to have one, right? I mean, it's nearly 2008, and if you're not bloggin', you're just not tryin', to steal a common catch phrase.

My purpose in creating this blog is two-fold. First of all, I have gotten a few requests for my past columns (from our church newsletter, The Flora Christian) and I don't have a good filing system to reproduce those. (Translation: I don't know where most of them are unless you have a back copy of the newsletter.) Secondly, I often have ideas or opinions for which I have no outlet. Especially when those opinions are of a political nature. It would be highly unprofessional to vent my political opinions in my official capacity as minister at First Christian Church in Flora, IL. Not to mention job suicide in many occasions.

Hence, this blog. It's a personal blog, not supported or financed in any way by the church. The opinions expressed here are my own, no one else's. If you disagree with something I write here, fine-that is your right. If you respond to one of my postings with a posting of your own, fine-that is also your right. If I don't like your response and decide to delete it-that is MY right! I just want to say this: you have every right to disagree with me. You have the right to be wrong if you choose.

I will post all of my columns from the church newsletter here. The newsletter is printed every other week, so the articles will be posted at the same frequency. I will also occasionally post other things which I write for church, such as messages, lessons, announcements, news releases, etc. I will also occasionally post political observations (read: RANTINGS) which will be of a very conservative nature. There, that's FAIR WARNING!!!!!

If you have any ideas or suggestions, email me at rcfcc@aol.com.