A Blast From The Past

Five years ago tomorrow I posted this. Since then, I have read this book 5 times... and just started reading it for the 6th time. Yep... I still think some people need to "Shut Up, Stop Whining & Get A Life!

28 June, 2006

Shut Up, Stop Whining & Get a Life

I know that there will be people upset that a Pastor would promote this book and espouse these views, but Larry Winget has hit the ball out of the ball park with this book!
Of course, you can apply everything he says here to people in every walk of life, but man, would I love to tell some church folks to "Shut up, stop whining and get a life!"

Winget trademarks himself, not as a "motivational speaker" but rather as an "Irritational Speaker."
He says, "We only make changes in our life when we no longer feel good about ourselves. We only make changes in our lives when we get uncomfortable with ourselves." He says that one of the biggest problems in America is that we, as a people, do not take responsibility for ourselves or our own actions anymore, but rather we are proficient at playing the blame game. He confronts those who are preaching for people to just feel good about themselves the way they are and to have a good attitude and says "that is a load of crap."
He says that what we need to be telling people is that they need to take a look in the mirror, look themselves dead in the eye and say, "This is my fault. I did it. I made these choices, I'm the one to blame and it is up to me to change and no one else."
Wow... what a novel idea! Taking responsibility for our own actions!
Who would have ever thought about that one?

Winget says that "we live in a society that condones a lack of personal responsibility."
He says that if we stood our ground and made people live up to what they say they are going to do, we would all be better off. But he adds that we just will not do that, and instead we make excuses that allow people to break their promises and blame someone or something else for it, and somehow hope that things get better. He speaks of how we build support groups to tell one another that it is not our fault that we don't live up to our word.

As I am hearing what Winget says, I find myself thinking, "This is EXACTLY the problem in our churches today as well!" In the church, when someone breaks their word, doesn't get their way, or in some other way shirks their responsibility, they will immediatley find a circle of friends to rally around them, start accusing the pastor of letting them down, or of not caring enough (Whine, whine, feel my pain, join me as I sing this refrain) and as a group then they stir up and muddy the waters to cover their own lack of responsibility!

Hey, news flash! If it takes Pastor calling you every time you miss church for you to come back to church again... that is not Pastor's problem.. that is yours, and the truth is you are not serving God at all, but rather you want some one to excuse your lack of responsibilty and tell you that you are ok, when you know good and well you are not!

Another simple, yet profound thing Winget says is, "While what happens to you may not be your fault, how you react to it is your fault." I don't know a single person who has not had something bad happen to them, even who did not have something happen in the church that they did not like or agree with 100%. That is not a reason to go running and circling the wagons until you get your way. The fact is, seldom does everyone in the church agree 100% on everything. Sometimes we just have to realize "It's not about me, and I cannot always get my way" and move on! End of story!

He also says, if you see a problem, instead of whining and complaining about it, do something to change it. Talking about problems to other people without trying to change it accomplishes nothing but trouble and discord. He adds, "If you are not going to do anything construcive to change the problem, then shut your mouth about it." The point is, if you don't care enough to try to effect change in a positive way, then you have lost the right to open your mouth about it. "Shut up, stop whining and get a life!"

Another he says that I just love is that when you see that you are not taking responsibiltiy for your own actions and you know you need to change, then the way to do it... (are you ready for this?) Is to change.
He says, you don't need a list of steps of how to change... just change.
Stop acting selfishly.
Stop doing what you know is wrong.
Wow! Another novel idea!

I have only read some brief passages from this book, but I am ordering it and will read it through. I am sure there are some things in my own life that I need to confront and change as well.

The Unrepenting Repenter

Tom Elliff wrote the following piece on his blog site and I wanted to share it here. He says that there are 12 false ways to repent. Tom's site can be found  at http://tomelliff.com

1. You may reform in the actions without repenting in the heart.

(Ps. 5 1: 16-17; Joel 2:13) This is a great deception, for the love of sin remains. (I Jn. 2:15-17; Acts 8:9-24) At this the Pharisees were experts. (Mk. 7:1-23) The heart of a man is his problem. A man may appear perfect in his actions but be damned for his heart. His actions are at best self-serving and hypocritical. What comes from a bad heart is never good. “Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.” (Jas. 3:11-12)

2. You may experience the emotion of repentance without the effect of it.

Here is a kind of amnesia. You see the awful specter of sin in the mirror and flinch out of horror yet immediately forget what kind of person you saw (Jas. 1:23-24). It is true, repentance includes sincere emotion, an affection for God and a disaffection for sin. Torrents of sorrow may flood the repenter’s heart, and properly so (Jas. 4:8-10). But there is such a thing as a temporary emotion in the mere semblance of repentance; this emotion has very weak legs and cannot carry the behavior in the long walk of obedience. Your sorrow may even be prolonged. Yet if it does not arrive at repentance, it is of the world and is a living death—and maybe more (2 Cor. 7: 10). It is an old deceiver. Judas had such remorse but “went and hanged himself.” (Mt. 27:3-5)

3. You may confess the words of a true repenter and never repent.

(Mt. 21:28-32; 1 Jn. 2:4, 4:20) Confession by itself is not repentance. Confession moves the lips; repentance moves the heart. Naming an act as evil before God is not the same as leaving it. Though your confession may be honest and emotional, it is not enough unless it expresses a true change of heart. There are those who confess only for the show of it, whose so-called repentance may be theatrical but not actual. If you express repentance to appear successful, you will not be successful at repenting. You will speak humbly but sin arrogantly. Saul gave the model confession (I Sam. 15:24-26) and later went to hell. Repentance “from the teeth out” is no repentance.

4. You may repent for the fear of reprisal alone and not for the hatred of sin.

Any man will stop sinning when caught or relatively sure he will be, unless there is insufficient punishment or shame attached (I Tim. 1:8-11). When there are losses great enough to get his attention, he will reform. If this is the entire motive of his repentance, he has not repented at all. It is the work of law, but not grace. Men can be controlled by fear, but what is required is a change of heart. Achan admitted his sin after being caught but would not have otherwise. Find his bones in the valley of Achor; his soul, most likely, in hell. (Josh. 7:16-26)

5. You may talk against sin in public like a true repenter but never repent in private.

(Mt. 23:1-3) The exercise of the mouth cannot change the heart. Your sin is like a prostitute. You are speaking against your lover in public but embracing her in the bedroom. She is not particular about being run down in public if she can have your full attention in private. “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?” (Jas. 4:4)

6. You may repent primarily for temporal gains rather than the glory of God.

There are gains for the repenter, but the final motivation for repenting cannot be selfish. Self is a dead, stinking carcass to be discarded. We are to repent because God is worthy and is our respected authority, even if we gain nothing. Indeed, our repenting may appear to lose us more than our sin had gained. (Mt. 16:24-26; Phil. 3:7-8) And this is a test of true repentance.

7. You may repent of lesser sins for the purpose of avoiding the greater sins.

(Lk. 11:42) We try to salve our nagging conscience by some minor exercise of repentance, which is really no repentance at all. The whole heart is changed in the believer. The half repenter is a divided man: part against sin and part for it; part against Christ, part for Him. But one or the other must win out, for man cannot serve God and mammon (or any other idol); he must love the one and hate the other. (Mt. 6:24)

8. You may repent so generally that you never repent of any specific sin at all.

The man who repents in too great a generality is likely covering his sins. (Prov. 28:13) If there are no particular changes, there is no repenting. Sin has many heads, like the mythological Hydra. It cannot be dealt with in general, but its heads must be cut off one by one.

9. You may repent for the love of friends and religious leaders and not repent for the love of God.

(Isa. 1: 10-17) A man talked into repentance may reform for the love of friends or the respect of the spiritually minded, yet do nothing substantial. If a man turns from sin without turning to God, he will find his sin has only changed its name and is hidden behind his pride. Now it will be harder to rout for its subterfuge. You have loved others but not God. And you have loved yourself most of all. Lot’s wife left the city of sin at the insistence of an angel and for the love of her family, but turned back. She had left her heart. “Remember Lot’s wife.” (Gen. 19:12-26; Lk. 17:32)

10. You may confess the finished action of sin and not repent from the continuing habit of sin.

If a man is honest, he is a good man in human terms; but he is not a repenting man until the sin is stabbed to death. He must be a murderer if he would be God’s: “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Rom. 8: 13) God knows what you have done; what He wants is obedience. (Lk. 6:46)

11. You may attempt repentance of your sin while consciously leaving open the door of its opportunity.

A man who says “I repent” but will not leave the source or environment of that sin is suspect. Though some situations which invite temptation cannot be changed, most can. A man who will not flee the setting of his temptation when he is able still loves his sin. A mouse is foolish to build his nest under the cat’s bed. “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” (Rom. 13:14)

12. You may make an effort to repent of some sins without repenting of all the sin you know.

The businessman learns to show concern for the needs of his clients, yet he batters his wife through neglect. Another gives his money in the offering plate weekly but steals time from his employer daily. Every man boasts of some sins conquered, but true repentance is a repulsion of sin as a whole. The repenter hates all sin, though he fails more readily in some than in others. He may not know all his sins, but what he knows he spurns. Repentance is universal in the believer; the spirit is willing even when the flesh is weak (Mt. 26:41).

Repentance and faith are bound together. A repenting man has no hope for obedience without faith in the source of all holiness, God Himself. In repenting of sins, he loses his self-sufficiency. God is his sanctifier. (Jude 24-25; 1 Thess. 5:23-24; 1 Pet. 1:5)
Repentance is a gift of God (Acts 11:19; 2 Tim. 2:25) and a duty of man (Acts 17:30; Lk. 13:3). You will know if it has been granted by the exercise of it. (Phil. 2:12-13) Do not wait for it; run toward it. “Be zealous and repent.” (Rev. 3:19) Pursue it and you will find it; forget it and perish.

I Guess I Just Don't Get It

This week is "Railroad Days" in Galesburg. This is the 7th one since our family has lived in Galesburg, and I had never been to one. Someone told me a few days ago that I was "missing it" by not going to Railroad Days. So, last night, my wife and I went to dinner at Side Tracks, and since we were downtown, I suggested we go check out what it was that we have missed for all these years. So, we walked a couple of blocks and took a stroll through the carnival rides, heard the band playing and went over to see that there were more people huddled together drinking under a smelly tent than there were at the rest of the entire event. Is THIS what I am missing? A small carnival with grossly overcharged prices to ride them and an excuse for people to get drunk? Please.
OK, I went, I saw.. not for me. To those who enjoy it, hope you have fun, but I have to say, it bothered me greatly to see folks that I know really do not have the money to blow, throwing it away on a series of 2 minute rides or a chance to win a cheap stuffed animal. I saw all I needed to see.

Remembering My Dad

It's Father's Day, and my kids and wife have made today great. My wife has left to participate in a training conference for the next few days, Daniel is playing a game with Hunter and Ashley is sick on the couch. I've been sitting here thinking, and my thoughts have drifted that of my own father. Dads been gone now for 47 years but the memories are still fresh in my mind and I still find myself missing him. I was only 5 years old when he left this life, and many have been quick to tell me that I cannot possibly remember all that much of him, but I do. I have chosen to hold the few years I had with him close to my heart and not let them slip away. I wish some times that I could have one day to spend with him, to hear his wisdom for a little while and to tell him just how those few years we had together have impacted my life. But that can never be, so I chose today to share with you, my readers about my dad.

There is so much I could say, and limiting it here will be difficult, but for just a moment I want to honor my dad. I was blessed to have been able to spend a lot of time with my dad. He was a Pastor, and he took me with him quite often when he worked on the church, visited people and so on. There where times he took me to a baby sitter, A wonderful woman name May and her husband Red. They were really awesome folks too, and I remember many times going with dad to see Red at work. Red was a painter, so work was where ever his truck took him to paint that day. We often sat on the tailgate of Red's truck eating a sandwich and drinking a Coke, while dad and Red talked about the church and the goodness of the Lord. I remember those conversations so vividly in my mind that I can almost hear their voices. It taught me the importance of friendship and sharing with others both our burdens and our times of rejoicing.

Some of my fondest memories are those of being with my dad and the ladies of the church making fried pies at the church, which we sold as a fund raiser for the church. The ladies spoiled me rotten, making me the official taste tester. And of course, any of the pies that were broken had to be eaten. Somehow there always seemed to be a broken coconut pie... My favorite! After the pies were all made and bagged and put into our car and dad and I would set out to sell the pies. This is where dad's life had a huge impact on me. We lived in East Saint Louis, and one of our regular stops to sell our pies was at the car wash. Now remember, this was about 1963. That is important for a couple of reasons. One, we did not have automated car washes. That was done by hand. The men who worked there were mostly black men. For those of you who are younger, let tell you, this was pre-civil rights times, and blacks were treated as "lessor" people in those days. They could not drink from the same water fountains or eat in restaurants with white folks. But my dad treated these men the same as any other men. I remember sitting with these men and having pie and a Coke and laughing and telling stories. I recall them sharing their burdens with dad, and him praying for them and hugging their necks. Dad showed me that people are people and color does not matter. I thank you dad for this lesson you taught me, long before that was acceptable in our society.

I know it may seem hard to believe, but I can still remember hearing dad preach. Dad talked kind of slow, with a southern Missouri drawl. Sometimes I can still hear him. He sometimes played an old beat up guitar and I remember him singing his favorite hymn, which is one of mine as well... "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh what a foretaste of glory divine." I really can't remember him ever singing it during a service, but I do remember just he and I at the church and him sitting on the altar, strumming that guitar and singing in that southern drawl. Can't hardly explain it to you, but I remember it well. You gave me a love for music...especially singing about the Lord.

Dad had a big chair in our house that was HIS chair that sat near the door directly across from the TV. That chair had wide arms, and I would sit on the arm of that chair, next to dad, sharing some popcorn as we watched wrestling and roller derby every Saturday night. The living room was filled from wall to wall with mom, dad and all of us kids every Saturday. I swear I can hear mom crunching ice (she always loved to eat crushed ice) and dad whooping and hollering at the TV as if the people could actually hear him. Here dad instilled in me the importance of family time together... Something I still treasure today.

I remember as dad's health grew worse and times when all he could eat was baby food. Dad made a game of and often had me try some of it with him. He never let on to me just how sick he was. It was not until some of his final days that I was told. Mom never seemed to be able to tell me, and I remember when they snuck me into the hospital room. Back then kids were just not allowed to visit patients but they did sneak me in. I remember hiding under the bed when the nurse came in. It was there that my dad tried to explain to me that he was soon to go see Jesus, and that it was important that I serve God so that we would see each other again one day. I really did not understand... But I have always remembered his words. Dad... You taught me about the hope we have for life eternal in Christ. I got pretty screwed up along the way... But God is faithful, and He saved me and today, I'm doing my best to carry on with what you planted in me. Our time was brief dad, but you made a huge impact in my life. I miss you far more with each and every passing year. But we will meet again dad. Until then dad. Until then. I love you!

Can't Fix Stupid

Over the past 2 months I have received about 6 or 7 phone calls from the United States Census Bureau demanding to know why the Census form sent out last fall was not filled out. Every time they have called, I have tried explaining to them that this was a church and that no one lived here, and we were not required to fill out the form.  Several times I have been threatened fines and even imprisonment for not complying. I've asked them over and over if they could understand what I was telling them, and that this was a church, but it never seemed to get through to them. They threatened to send someone out to investigate and conclude if charges needed to be filed. Last week I finally said, "I wish you would, then just maybe you people would understand."


So... fast forward to today. I come into the office and there is a message on my answering machine telling me they needed me to respond to this call immediately... yep, from the U.S. Census Bureau.  So, I called them back and they replied that they had an agent in the area and that he would be dropping by shortly. They really tried to make it sound intimidating. I told them that I'd be in the office until around 3:30, so, come on by, but after that they would have to come back another day. They said they may be later than that and that I MUST stay here or face legal consequences. I politely told them again that I was leaving at 3:30, so they needed to have their agent here prior to that. The woman was really getting hot now... so I hung up on her.


A few minutes ago, the agent arrived. He walked up to the door and asked me if I could direct him to 205 N. State Street. I told him he was standing on it. He looked at his papers, at me and said, "I take it you are the man that the regional office has been speaking to." I said that I was and introduced myself. He reached out and shook my hand and said, "Just want you to know that we are not all as stupid as the folks in the office" and apologized for the inconvenience, and turned and walked out the door. Five minutes later, the phone rang and it was the woman at the Census Bureau office. She was very agitated and said, "Sir, if you had just informed us that this was a church building we would have noted that in the computer and not bothered you any further."  I started to argue the point with her, but the thought hit me, "you cannot fix stupid." So I said, "thank you very much" and hung up the phone.  Our tax dollars at work... aren't you thrilled?

The Truth About ANWR

Don't do this often, but every now and then I get an email that just needs to be shared. This is one of them.

From one of our Residents

My daughter and son-in-law were in L.A. last week from their home in Anchorage . He is a foreman in the oil fields at AMWR. He has to fly his own plane to get to the job where he spends months at a time in the most God forsaken place this side of Siberia . He confirmed everything that is in this story, and brought dozens of pictures for proof. Our environmentalist friends have forced gas prices up to an impossible rate, forcing us to buy oil from our enemies, for whatever reason that simply isn't true. There is enough oil in AMWR to supply the US at our present rate of usage for more than 200 years. The space that AMWR occupies in Alaska is equivalent to a postage stamp in the Mojave Desert . If you won't mind paying $5.00 a gallon in the very near future try to make sense of the following: Something you should know: Oil!! This is the best presentation on ANWR I have seen. I would like to add a little more information. A new pipeline across Alaska isn't required since the location for drilling in ANWR is about 160 miles from the North Slope Prudhoe Bay pipeline where it would be connected. I did not know this. Second the wildlife love the pipeline since it is heated and provides a shelter during the worst times during the winter. Maybe another question should be asked. FIRST do you know what ANWR is? ANSWER: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Now A comparison And some perspective NOTE WHERE THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AREA IS? (it's in the "ANWR Coastal Plain") THIS IS WHAT THE DEMOCRATS, LIBERALS AND "GREENS" SHOW YOU WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT ANWR and they are right these ARE photographs of ANWR ISN'T ANWR BEAUTIFUL? WHY SHOULD WE DRILL HERE (AND DESTROY) THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE? WELL THAT'S NOT EXACTLY THE TRUTH Do you remember the map? The map showed that the proposed drilling area is in the ANWR Coastal Plain Do those photographs look like a coastal plain to you? WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE THAT IS NOT WHERE THEY ARE WANTING TO DRILL! THIS IS WHAT THE PROPOSED EXPLORATION AREA ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE IN THE WINTER AND THIS IS WHAT IT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE IN THE SUMMER HERE ARE A COUPLE SCREEN SHOTS FROM GOOGLE EARTH AS YOU CAN SEE, THE AREA WHERE THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT DRILLING IS A BARREN WASTELAND. OH AND THEY SAY THAT THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE EFFECT ON THE LOCAL WILDLIFE? HERE IS A PHOTO (SHOT DURING THE SUMMER) OF THE "DEPLETED WILDLIFE" SITUATION CREATED BY DRILLING AROUND PRUDHOE BAY * DON'T YOU THINK THAT THE CARIBOU REALLY HATE THAT DRILLING? HERE'S THAT SAME SPOT DURING THE WINTER. HEY, THIS BEAR SEEMS TO REALLY HATE THE PIPELINE NEAR PRUDHOE BAY * *The Prudhoe bay area accounts for 17% of U.S. Domestic oil production NOW, WHY DO YOU THINK THAT THEY ARE LYING ABOUT ANWR? REMEMBER WHEN AL GORE SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD WORK TO ARTIFICIALLY RAISE GAS PRICES TO $5.00 A GALLON? WELL AL GORE HAS ALMOST  REACHED HIS GOAL! NOW THAT YOU KNOW THAT HE  HAS BEEN LYING, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? YOU CAN START BY FORWARDING THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW SO THAT THEY WILL KNOW THE TRUTH.

Exposing Leftist Hypocrisy

Watch this video of where the tables are turned and the reporter tries to get these students from a left leaning University campus to sign a petition supporting affirmative action on a basketball team. Their response shows the hypocrisy of what they say they believe. It would be funny if it were not true. This is the nature of the leftist. Their beliefs and values are only true where they want them to be true. Truth is truth, and right is right... but not when it comes to leftists. (By the way, there is a difference between a leftist and a liberal. If you don't know the difference, you need to educate yourself. It is the leftist agenda that is destroying this nation.)

To Struggle or Not to Struggle?

One of the blogs that I have tried to read somewhat regularly is written by Pastor Tony in Waynesboro, NC, called "The Rambling Prophet. He wrote a blog entry a few months ago that came across my mind again tonight and after re-reading it, I decided to post a link to it here. It's not very long and is a very good read. Check it out:
http://tinyurl.com/3hh7r2l

All I Can Say is "Really?"

If you're not sure what "big government" implies, take a look at this. 

                  But you have already read about this in your local newspaper.
Oh no, you didn't? OK then, you saw it on CNN... No?... INTERESTING!!!

You and I may never see health care again the way it used to be, but "Emperor Obama" took six (6) doctors with him for a 3 day visit to London - along with 494 other essential staff. 

A Funny, But Sad Observation

Over the years that I have been writing this blog, I have watched this happen every week. Without fail, beginning on Friday morning and running through Sunday morning, I will have anywhere from 50 to 100 visitors to my blog from around the world that arrive here by searching for "Excuses for not going to church." When they Google that phrase (or Yahoo or Bing...) an article from 2005 pops up near the top and they arrive at my blog. The question I ask myself every weekend is, "are people actually searching the net to find a good excuse to miss church?"  Or... "is it pastors knowing that a good portion of their church is going to be gone each week, and looking out of frustration?"  Either way, it is a funny, but sad state of affairs. Talking with other pastors about this online last night, one pastor said, "it is an epidemic that has hit the body of Christ."  Truly sad.


Here is the original post they arrive at when they do their search. Excuses for Not Going to Church

Holy Ghost Set Ups defined.

Those of you readers who are either in my church or know me well, have heard me preach and/or teach about what I call "Holy Ghost Set Ups." In short, what I mean is what we might also term "a God moment." These are times with the Holy Spirit orchestrates times or encounters where He places us in the right place at the right time to be His ministering agent in a given situation. I have told my church members regularly to pray for these and to watch out and be aware of them. For example, today, I was on my way home from the office to grab lunch, and I kept feeling a tugging to go to Inn Keepers. I really did not want to go there. (I know, hard to believe!) I drove all the way home, got out of my car and walked into my house, but I felt that tug again to go to Innkeepers.  So I got back in my car and went. It was late for lunch and they were not crowded at all. I ordered my sandwich and some tea and sat down to read my book.  A few minutes later a woman walked over to my table and asked if I was that "Dan Ash" guy. (My photography company) When I told her that I was, and introduced myself, she asked, "Aren't you a Pastor too?"  Long story short, she said she had a litany of spiritual questions and asked if we could talk. BAM... Holy Ghost setup!  This evening, my wife and I had another of these setups occur and it was so clear that this was a "God moment" where he put us in a certain place at a certain time to minister to someone in a really different way, while at the same time, meeting several new people with opportunities for the future. This is a Holy Ghost Set Up.


Now, especially for you Harvest Folks, I want to take this a step further in teaching. A couple of months ago, Tom Scarrella introduced to you "Treasure Hunts" and many of you got so excited about this.... at least for a short while. What I want you to see is that the Treasure Hunt, and Holy Ghost set ups are in the same vein. The idea that Tom was trying to introduce you to was to hear and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit as he led you into those "set ups." And what I want you to begin to see is this is not something that you always have to purpose, "Now I am going on a treasure hunt" but rather that each and every day of your life IS (or should be) a treasure hunt, as we encounter God moments or Holy Ghost set ups.  Don't misunderstand.... I want you to keep doing  (or restart, if you have stopped) the Treasure Hunts, for these are a key to your learning to listen more closely to the voice of God and knowing His heartbeat. As you grow, you will not have to schedule a treasure hunt... you will be driving down the road and you will hear the whisper of God saying... "that's your treasure." It should be a lifestyle, not on occasional activity!


In love,
Pastor D

It Really IS That Simple

This morning I was on the phone talking with a pastor from another area and the topic came up about mission statements. I'll be honest, I'm not big on mission statements. It's not so much that I am opposed to them, but rather I've noticed that many, if not most churches that have them, don't really follow their own statement. I said this to this pastor, and he asked me how then was a church to know where they are headed and what they are to do?  The words came out of my mouth without really thinking about it... "All I really know to do in seeking to please God and to pastor my church is to know Jesus and to make Him known by others." After I said it, I wrote it down. I've stared at in on this piece of paper off and on for more than an hour. "To know Jesus, and to make Him known by others."   I've tweaked it a couple of times, to where my note now says, "To know the heart of God and to help others to do the same."   I then scribbled under that statement, "Is it REALLY that simple?  I believe it is.

God Is So Cool

Reconnecting with folks from our past can be such a blessing. Last night my wife and I had a dinner/meeting to attend in Peoria with other pastors on our region. When one of the pastors came in, he had a guest with him. As soon as a I saw him, I knew that this was someone I had known in my past but had not seen in years. I finally got the chance to ask him, and sure enough, it was who I thought it was. I had not seen him since 1986 or 87, and we were not "close" at all back then, so I was not surprised that he did not remember me until we began talking. Actually, I knew his parents far better than I knew him, and I am about 7 or 8 years older than him. I won't go into detail about it, but when I last saw him, this man was going through a lonely and dark place in his life... and for the last 25 years I have found myself thinking about him, talking about him and praying for him... wondering what had become of him and hoping he had come out on top. Last night, the Lord allowed me to connect the dots... not only for me, but I believe for this man as well. We had a couple of hours to just sit and talk, sharing openly about things we had struggled with and how God had brought us not only through... but victoriously!  It meant so much to me to know that this man had righted his ship, and God allowed me to put the questions that had nagged and haunted me for 25 years to rest. He reassured me once again of His faithfulness. The Bible says that God is married to the backslider. In other words, he does not give up nor turn His back. Once again, He proved His Word to my heart.  I'm so glad to have reconnected and hope we can stay connected... but even if we don't, there is a new found peace... because God orchestrated a "change" meeting of two people who lived thousands of miles apart in a restaurant in a town that neither of us live in.  That's just so cool.  Thank yo Lord, for your faithfulness and caring.

Dying to Live

Dying to Live

In recent days and weeks I have had opportunity to talk with several different individuals who attend Harvest Church, and I have heard over and over the same questions and sentiments... "What is wrong with Harvest Church?"  "Why are people so unfaithful?"  "Why is that we cannot consistently draw a larger crowd and grow?"   And so they go... each one, while using different words, expressing the same feelings and concerns... This church has one foot in the grave and the other is slipping in the mud. As one of my members expressed just yesterday, "Something has to give, or we are dead!"  I have spent a lot of time in thought and prayer about this over the last few weeks, and I have the answer.... "It is time for Harvest Church to die."

Yes... you read that right. It is time for Harvest Church to die.  
Now hold on, don't walk out on me now... give ear to me for a few minutes and then you can determine if I have lost my mind or not.

When I say, "it is time for Harvest Church to die, I mean it.... but I'm not talking about closing our doors. I'm talking about the church as we know it must die... or it will close its doors and become yet another statistic. What I am talking about is a radical, abrupt change. I'm talking about all our old ideas, methods, leadership and history must die, be buried and left in the grave from here on out. No more, "this is how we used to do it."  No more, "this worked before."  No more, "I remember when."  It's got to die. Dead things, if dug up again stink and corrupt that which is living. You've all said it to me, and those who have not said it, have at least thought it... "it's dying."

I propose we allow it to die. I believe that until we do, we will continue to be haunted by the past and that which is dead and dying will contaminate and kill new life.  I propose a new start... a new beginning, in which we let go of the past, and begin fresh and new.
I believe that if we don't die to the past... we will literally die. We must die to live.


I'll be totally honest... over the last couple of weeks, I have become angered at the lack of commitment in folks, in the lack of real concern for lost souls and for our community. I said it in a post on Facebook, "Actions speak louder than words."  Don't tell me how much you care... while you lay at home week after week and come to church when you feel like it. Don't tell me you care for the lost when you have not brought a lost soul to church in months or even years.  Actions speak louder than words. I became so frustrated that I was questioning if I had made a mistake in not taking one of the churches that had been offered to me recently.  I'm just being honest. But then one day last week, I was walking the streets of the town and praying and I thought, " I don't want to leave here... I love this town."  I thought, I have seven years invested... not only in Harvest Church, but in this community. I'm not willing to leave here because I am frustrated or because some people have become complacent and comfortable in the church where I pastor. 
I'm serving notice on those people right now... it's fixing to get really uncomfortable.
Change is coming, and it is going to be radical.
Harvest Church, as you know it is preparing to die, and new life is coming. If you don't like it, get ready to pack your stuff and move on to another feeding trough, because I've set my anchor, and I'm here for the long haul. It's going to change. We have to change. I have to change. Face it... it's not working like we've been doing it. Some have resisted, and tried bucking the changes... and in kindness, I've allowed some of it. But no more. The old has passed away, and all things are becoming new.

I don't care how we used to do it or how we've always done it. We are dying to the past so that we might live and be effective for the Kingdom.


Starting with this post, I am beginning a new blog called "New Beginnings" which I will be sharing over the coming weeks as we prepare for the death of the old and the new Harvest Church is born. There will be a link to it on this page. After this one, the posts from New Beginnings will not be shared here. I hope you will follow... give me some input... even criticism. But I want to make it clear, I am determined, the old Harvest is soon to die, and there will be a new church explode from that death. Get ready... or get out of the way.