Chad's Blog

The CongressMan has No Clothes!

2011-06-08T09:43:00.005-04:00

Throughout the years there have been countless numbers of political scandals. The latest to join the ranks of such is Anthony Wiener. Wiener; a New York member of the United States House of Representatives was accused of using the social network twitter to send out a racy photo of himself to a woman. He then lied, and harshly so I might add, until he was forced to tell the truth and admit to many other incidents. Both parties are seeking to investigate him, and people across the country are coming out against his immoral behavior, and say that this behavior is not acceptable. The question though is should we?
Should we come out against him? Do we even have a leg to stand on? Are we really taken back by pictures of one in their underwear? Let me be clear I think the pictures were immoral, and even worse was the way he handled himself after the accusations were bought against him. I am not addressing the issue of the lies here, but the photos. Can we as a country really criticize these? Let’s look at why I say this.
First as I write this, the temps here in South Carolina are in the mid to upper 90’s, with high humidity. IN other words It’s Hot! As many try to cool off, they will do so outside in their bathing suits. Suits I might add that are in many cases more revealing than underwear. We can call it what we want, but let’s be honest most swimsuits are nothing more than water resistant, or quick drying sexy underwear. As the majority of this country sees nothing wrong with walking outside in what amounts to their underwear, why are we so upset with rep. Wiener? Why are we not disgusted by the thousands at lakes and beaches that are proudly displaying themselves? One because if we as a society are honest with ourselves we must admit that we like to look. Two we like to show, and a third is because we frankly just don’t care. Our pleasure outweighs any concern. Oh you say but most people are not putting up pictures of themselves on sites like facebook.
I would say look again. If you were to look through the many pictures on your many friends profiles, we would see that there are many many pictures of people in what amounts to less than underwear. If the picture of rep wiener in his underwear is wrong (and I believe it is), then so are everyone’s.
My reason for writing this quick article is not to defend rep. wiener, but to do as a boy in the famous story did when he said the emperor has no clothes. I am just trying to stand and say loudly, “Rep. Wiener has no clothes, and by the way NEITHER DO WE!

A Christmas conversation between a son and his Father

2010-11-29T16:33:00.000-05:00

A Christmas conversation between a son and his Father.

SON: … but father I just can’t imagine how one can do the things that you and others claim he can do.

FATHER: Son there are some things that we just can’t explain, we just have to believe.

SON: Father how is it possible that he can see us when we are sleeping, and when we are awake?

FATHER: He just does. He is omnipotent. He has the ability to see in ways we can’t. He is not bound to the same limitations we are.

SON: But father how is it that he knows if I am being bad or being good? And if so is he really making a list?

FATHER: Again son he is omnipotent, and can see all. And yes he does have an individual list for us all in which he records our deeds, both good and bad.

SON: Father is it not impossible for one person to be in all places at once?

FATHER: Not only is he omnipotent, he is also omnipresent, which means he is in all places at all times. This is how he is aware of your deeds, and can see you when you wake and when you sleep.

SON: Father even though you, myself, or any one we know has never personally seen him, yet you claim we must believe anyway?

FATHER: Oh that is easy. Think about it, although you can not actually see him, you can see the result of his work.

SON: How is it that he was the same for you and grandpa, and great grandpa, as he is for me?

FATHER: Oh there is something about him that allows him not to age. That way he is always there for past, present and future generations.

SON: Father I understand all that you are saying, but why should I believe all of this about Jesus, when this is exactly what you taught me about Santa Clause?

Undesired Blessings

2010-10-29T16:20:00.003-04:00

John and Jenny lived as most Americans; an average house, average yard, average careers, and average friends. They were your typical young fresh out of college couple; ready to take on the world. They had both come from apparently Christian homes, and thus they both sought to be blessed by God.

One day out of the blue John was approached by a stranger, that claimed God had instructed him to give John a large some of money. Not knowing this guy from Adam, John quickly turned down the offer. When he got home that evening he told Jenny about the offer he had been approached with. Jenny could not believe it, just this morning; she had similarly been approached by a woman telling her the exact same thing.

They were both struck with the possibility that someone wanted to financially bless them, but even more so they were concerned that they were the target of some type of fraud. They decided that the best thing to do would be to contact the authorities to see if they had received any complaints about this couple. John was sure that the police would inform him of how wise he was to have avoided these known frauds. That is why he was taken back to learn that he and Jenny were apparently the only ones confronted by this couple. Again he shrugged it off as an attempt at being taken advantage of, and prided himself that he was wise enough to make the right decision.

A few months latter John and Jenny were at the local shopping center, and decided to make a stop in the restroom before heading home. As Jenny was washing her hands, this same woman from months earlier approached her and again gave her the same spill as earlier. That God had spoken to her and told her to give Jenny a large some of money. Jenny did not know what to do, but she knew she did not like being in here alone with this woman. There were questions she wanted to ask, but they were overpowered by her desire to get out of the situation. Thinking quickly she said hold on let me get my husband and ran out.

As Jenny bolted from the bathroom, she found John standing there waiting, and told him what had just happened. John instructed her to go to the security desk and get an officer, and he would stand guard outside the restroom. With Jenny out of site, and John’s eyes glued to the bathroom door, he failed to realize that he had been approached by the man that had made him the offer. As the stranger spoke, John turned quickly around to find himself eye to eye with the companion of the woman he was guarding. Without hesitation the man went into his spill about wanting to bless John with a large sum of money. John began to grow angry and demand to know what was going on, and why his wife had been confronted in the bathroom. The stranger looked as if though he had no clue about the bathroom encounter and asked John to clarify. John turned to the door and began to shout and point, then turned back to find only Jenny and a security guard standing there. He informed the guard of what had just happened, but the man was nowhere to be seen. Oh well, if we can get his friend, well get him. With that the guard entered the restroom, only to return empty handed.

How could this be thought John as he had watched the only door the whole time. Then it hit him that when he turned to address the stranger that the woman must have slipped out. Man these people really were in league together, and worse than that they seemed wise and determined.

Jenny brushed off the first encounter, but now she realized that this couple was not going away. The scared couple talked all evening about what they could do. They had thought that they would be safe in their average lifestyle, and average neighborhood, but decided they should take some extra precautions in order to prevent this couple from getting to them. The next day, they were having a state of the art alarm system installed.

Still uneasy with the thought of encountering this couple again, they decided that carrying some form of emergency protection when they were not near there protected home was definitely needed. With concealed weapon permit and gun in tow, along with a nice alarm system at home, the two felt properly prepared if there ever was to be a next encounter.

Weeks went by, then months, and even a few years, and not one sign of the strangers had crossed their paths since that day in the mall. Honestly it had been well over two years since John or Jenny either one had even thought about their strange encounters. That is until one day as they were sitting in a local fast food chain, and out of no where the unknown man approached their table and without invitation sat down beside John immediately entering into the same spill about wanting to bless them with cash. With in seconds, the lady from the restroom was sitting beside Jenny. The stranger insisted that he meant no harm, and just asked that John listened. He began to tell John of how he had gotten his fortune, and that it was all he lived for, and then one day he had an encounter with the Lord, and was instructed to give large sums of money to a select few men. The lady began telling Jenny the same thing. It was then that they discovered that the two strangers had never even met one another. As they talked on, the strangers began to seem less and less harmful, and more and more sincere.

Finally it was John who ended the conversation with a no thank you. The stranger pressed John for a reason for turning down such a blessing. John’s answer was it’s just not the right time. It was the end of the year, and he was afraid that the so called blessing would cause financial disaster on his tax return. They thanked the couple and politely left.

John and Jenny told their friends and family about the offer, and were met with questions as to why not accept the blessing. There response was that it was no one else’s business. This was a decision was between the two of them and no one else need
Concern themselves with it.

Through the years the strangers would confront them every few months, and as always John and Jenny informed them not now. Then out of the blue John lost one of the things he valued most; his job. He tried and tried, but there was no work in his field to be found. Quickly the bills mounted up along with stress and tension between the two. Finally John and Jenny agreed that the next time the strangers offered their blessings, they would eagerly accept. They waited, and waited, but they never saw or heard from this couple. For over twenty five years they had been offered to be blessed, but out of sometimes selfishness, and other times fear they had always turned it down. Now, in need of the blessing they have found out the hard way that it was too late.

They were eventually evicted from there house, and lived out the rest of there lives in and out of poverty, until they finally died penniless in a state run retirement home.

You see John and Jenny had discussed taking the money only when they felt the time was right. The problem was the time was never right. Most of us would look at John and Jenny and say “you fools take the money.” We see no problem in accepting it and fully would acknowledge it to be rude to turn down such a blessing. Why is it rude and foolish to turn down financial blessings, but perfectly acceptable and almost commendable to turn down the blessings of children? Sadly many a couple have turned down this blessing time and time again, only to find out as did John and Jenny that when you are ready to receive, the offer has already expired.

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. (Psa 127:3-5)

Rise Up Oh Ye Men of God.

2010-08-17T18:16:00.001-04:00

We need to awaken and realize what is happening to this nation. The savior of this nation will not wear blue, nor will he wear the conservative red. He will wear white, A white that glistens brighter than any we have ever seen. Men we must stop being Republicans, Stop being Democrats, Stop being another party, and rise up and become the Men of God we are called to be.

While important as it may be, our economy and our taxes are not our reason for existences. It is not a strong economy that gives us our existence, only God can give and take this away. It is God that is the sustainer and judger of nations. Men we have before us trying times. Times which demand a response. A response of will I sit idle and watch my progeny grow in a land ruled by tyrants under the hand of God's judgment, or will they live as free men in a nation that Rises up and calls on Jehovah God, and pours out it's praise and worship to Him, and Him alone? Will we be a nation that discards life in the womb, and in the elder years? A nation that views children and elderly as disposable burdens? A nation of men that lusts after the beauty of youth, or will be a nation of men that rise and defend the virtues of our sons and daughters? Will we be men that derive our self worth from our earthly careers, or will it come from who we are in Christ Jesus? Men now is the time to fight. The enemy is fighting long and hard, as we sit feeling idle and helpless. Christ tells us that not even the gates of hell can prevail against us. The Christ that lives within you has defeated death and despair, not so that we can sit idle, but so that we can march onto the battle field, and wield the sword of truth valiantly. The battle may cost, it may hurt, but we are called to it none the less. MEN OF GOD RISE UP, and dress for battle. We were not called and saved to be cheerleaders for Jesus Christ. We are the elect of Christ called out to be mighty warriors for the Lord Jesus Christ. Why then are we sitting and watching the enemy devour the few of our brothers that courageously battle on? Let us join them!

We are no longer training a generation of these warriors. Instead we are training peace ambassadors to the enemy. Oh how long will that last. Once the last warrior has fallen, what will become of these ambassadors other than servitude to the enemy, in a nation to be judged by God? This battle may cost you your friends, your family, your career, your earthly possessions, and maybe even your life. What is at stake here though are the souls, hearts, minds, and the freedom of our selves, our wives, and our children.

Men of the True and Most High God, WILL YOU FIGHT, Or WILL YOU HAND OFF YOUR SWORD UNTO YOUR WIFE? WILL YOU SEND YOUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS OUT INTO A BATTLE THAT YOU YOURSELF COWER AWAY FROM, OR WILL YOU BE MEN AND FIGHT? FIGHT FOR THE LIFE OF THE YOUNG AND OLD. FIGHT FOR THE VIRTUES OF YOUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS, FIGHT FOR YOUR FREEDOM, BUT MOST OF ALL WILL YOU FIGHT FOR THE SOULS OF MEN, AND FOR THE NAME AND THE KINGDOM OF KING JESUS? Oh men of God what will it be? Will you fight, or will you perish in a land of desolation?

Why you believe ceartain Doctrines.

2010-05-17T13:37:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I asked the question “If put on the spot can you give a reason as to what you believe?” The answers I received both publicly and privately lead me to realize I did not ask the question on paper the way my mind was asking it in my head. I will ask it differently here. What I was seeking to do was get us thinking about what we believe and why. Some examples, can you give a defense as to why you believe in the elect, or why you are 100% free will. Can you give a biblical reason why women should or should not teach in the church? Is the earth millions of years, or is it young. 6 day creation, Gap theory, or Theistic evolution? Those that are KJV only can you give a reason why or why not? Hymns VS contemporary music? Wives being keepers of the home or career women? Divorce tolerated or not tolerated? Is homosexuality really wrong? Does the church support the home, or the home support the church? Are there different roles for genders, or is egalitarianism supported in scripture?

These topics, while only a few, are ones that most in the church fall to one side or the other on. My goal with this question was not to have open debate on why they felt they were correct as to where they fell on an issue, but to ask themselves why. Many of can tell you they do or do not believe in the elect, but really don’t know why other than that is what they were taught. The reason for that question was simply to get us thinking, Why do I believe what I do about issues. I know personally that many times I have championed one side of an issue, only to find that when I actually searched the scriptures I was in error. Again I reiterate this is not to get people debating as to why they are correct. I ask this only to get people thinking about why they believe what they believe. Do you reject the doctrine of election because you have searched the scripture and see where it is not taught in scripture, or is it because your pastor or leaders have said Calvinism is bad. I have made it a rule, before I preach or climb on my soapbox about an issue, I must know what the bible truly says about it, and not go alone on what a pastor or Sunday school teacher has said. This is not to persuade you to think one way or the other, but to simply know why you believe the way you do.

Are You A Prodigal Son or Daughter?

2010-05-13T10:34:00.003-04:00

Throughout the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ we find many parables which He used to teach His disciples. One of the more recited ones is the story of the prodigal son. We all know the story; the father had two sons, and one of which rebelled and followed the ways of the world. While he was out partying and squandering his inheritance his father was at home longing for his return. When the young man realizes his foolish ways, he plans on going home to beg his father to just let him be a servant in his house. The father however was not angry or bitter, but instead was overcome with joy, thus the prodigal son and his fathers relationship restored. This parable is one that allows us to get a picture of how God longs for the return of His children, and rejoices rather than chastising when they do. Most of us have read this parable many many times since we were a child, however have you ever asked the question, “am I a prodigal son or daughter?”

At first glance we say yes if we were rebellious, and chose the life of the world, and no if we followed what the Word says (in other words we were pretty good). That however is not the question I am asking. In order to answer the question I am asking one must look back to Genesis for the answer. Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Gen 2:24)

So if one is to answer whether or not they are a prodigal son or daughter they need not look just at whether or not they rebelled against God and parents, but did they leave home before it was time. One may ask how is it that one can know if they have left too early. If we follow culture, or the world one would say that age 18 is the proper time. I would ask though where in scripture is the magic age of 18 found? Search long and hard, but I assure you that is not there. Yes at 18 you are a legal adult, but according to the scripture you are still under the authority of your father. The Bible shows us that only when a man and woman take one another as husband and wife are they permitted to leave their father and mother.

We have bought into this lie that at 18 we are free. Leaving home is not the issue; the issue is leaving the authority of our father before it is time. One can live in the same home as the father but rebuke his authority because he feels he is a man. At the same time one can attend school, or even hit the mission field, all the while remaining fully under his father’s authority. Sons and young men you may feel as if though you are a man and free of your father’s authority. Scripturally you are not.

Culture says that daughters should move out, get an apartment, maybe a room mate, and as good of a job as possible until marriage comes along. The Bible however unpopular as it might be says that you are to remain home and under the authority of your father until you cleave unto your husband. Your father is your protector until he hands this duty over to your groom at the alter. Unfortunately feminism has killed the ideas that daughters are to help their fathers and mothers until time to marry. If my daughters choose to further their education, that will be fine. However if the choose not to, that as well will be fine. I am not training my daughters to be CEOs that take the world by storm, but to be first and foremost wives and mothers. ( Yes God could call them differently, but that is not the norm, and He will guide us there if need be.) Trained to be a wife and mother does not mean they lack education. It is my goal that by the time they are married my daughters will not only be educated in the maths, histories, and sciences, but also strong masters of English, Latin, and Greek, law, and logic. Far from the barefoot and pregnant picture many paint.

Culture says that our sons should at 18 begin to move on to their own life, and that they are now men, and make their own decisions. Son’s just like daughters are not free to roam at age 18, as they too are still under the authority of their father until they cleave and start their own family. Our boys as sons are being trained on being Godly husbands and fathers. They as well may chose to further educate themselves, or they may chose to enter a life of entrepreneurialism. Either way they are being taught that one day they too will be the protector, and provider of their own family. Our goal as is mentioned in scripture is for them to go and prepare a place that they may take their bride and raise a family. Not take a bride have some kids and then say “now what.”

When the time is right, my sons will leave and cleave to their wives. They will then properly enter their role of husbands, protector, priest, and God willing as fathers. Our daughters at the right time will likewise properly leave and cleave with their husbands and enter their role as wife, helpmeet, and hopefully mother.

When we leave in terms other than this, we are being this prodigal son. We are denying our parents the honor they are due. Again one does not have to even physically move out in order to rebuke and leave the authority of their parents. I know personally both Dana and I left the authority of my parent’s years before we were joined as one. That was just as dishonoring to our parents as living the life of rebellion in a different land. At least the Prodigal son had the decency to go to a distant land before doing so.

So whether you are 14 or 50, a parent or not, divorced, or single. If you are not married, yet have left the authority of your parents, you are a prodigal son or daughter.

The great news though is that we know the redeeming story of the prodigal son. While consequences followed him, he was never to far gone to return to the father. Thankfully neither are we; earthly or heavenly.

What is in your pantry?

2010-04-15T00:14:00.002-04:00

Up until the early twentieth century, people used the concept of having a food pantry. When you needed something, you went and got it from the pantry. When you went into town, or to the store one would pick up stocked items they were running low on. By following this principle, one could easily go a week or two (many even several months) with out needing to go for supplies.

Over the years came the onset of grocery stores, then came the super market chain stores, and the pantry concept was turned upside down. Contrary to what you may believe, the Mega-grocery store we have today have not done away with the idea of having a food pantry. Nearly everyone in this country has a stocked food pantry still to this very day. The difference is that instead of being in your home, it is the store itself.

As society in general we tend to use these box stores as our pantry. They keep the shelves stocked, and when we need something, we go get it. More room in our house, no money tied up in food just sitting around, variety and selection is greater when one only buys for several days at a time. All in all, this system seems to work very well. That is until disaster strikes.

When disaster strikes an area, one of the first places people flock to is the grocery store. I am in the south east, and every time they call for just some flurries the shelves are depleted; not a single loaf of bread or a gallon of milk can be found within hours of a snow prediction. This is just a light snow forecast, put in something like an earthquake, terrorist attack, or even a quarantine to something like H1N1, and not only do people flock to the stores, but they panic as well. In the event of a disaster, most stores will be nearly wiped out within hours. Even if there was no rush, most stores can only run three to four days without resupplying their inventory. Yes the store as a pantry Idea is not a bad one; it just has this one big problem in the event of an emergency.

Honestly how long would you be able to feed your family, and possibly a neighbor or two if you couldn’t go to the store for a week or two? We like to tell ourselves that this could not happen here. One only needs to look at how many earthquakes have rumbled in the past two months alone. Would your family be ready for that, or would your life like many of those in Katrina and elsewhere, be at the mercy of the government to provide food.

I am not suggesting everyone run out and buy 10 years worth of food, (although more is better) but am simply stating that we need to be prepared to face life without the luxury of a grocery store for at least two weeks. You may never need to actually go this long without a store, but at least you will have the peace of mind knowing that can. As always, when taking into consideration how much it would take for your family for two weeks, always add a couple people to the mix, as you will definitely be helping a neighbor or two, and should be giving until it hurts, especially in a disaster situation.

Tradition or Biblical Truth

2010-04-12T22:45:00.003-04:00

Sunday school, Youth groups, formal dress, pews or chairs, Organs, pianos, maybe no instruments. Plural elders, single pastor. Deacons, public invitations. Tithes; pass a plate, or alms box. Sunday night service, RAs GA’s, Awwana. . I could go on, but this is enough. Are these Biblically mandated or are they merely man’s tradition.

I am not here suggesting that these things are good or bad, but simply are they Biblically mandated, or are they man's traditions. Too many times I feel we are willing to stake the farm on things that while maybe good, are still no more than man's traditions. Man’s traditions work now, and then don’t some time later. God’s Word however is as relevant and correct today as it was when it was penned. Again I write this not to debate the merits of the things I mentioned or others, but to just get us thinking about these things and many others that seem as though they come straight from scripture, when in reality they were the simple inventions of man. This may sound trivial, but how many important choices are made based off of tradition vs the Bible. Why do you go to the church you go to? Because you like the traditions it offers or because of the biblical requirements it fulfills? If you have left a fellowship, was your reason based on traditions being violated, or Biblical truth being violated? Traditions are not bad, many are even wonderful. We tend though to blend the line of what is tradition and what is Biblically mandated. Take for example Sunday School. If your church were to cancel it, could one say they are leaving because Biblical truth was violated, or was one of man’s tradition violated. I am not here to make the for or against anything, I am only trying to get us to make a much clearer line between man’s traditions, and God’s word. How foolishly WE too many time squabble over tradition, all the while ignoring and or neglecting His Word. Kind of like the religious leaders of His day isn’t it?

Dinner with the president

2010-04-11T13:44:00.002-04:00

I was once invited to the White House for a private dinner with the President.

I am a respected businessman, with a factory that produces memory chips for computers and portable electronics.

There was some talk that my industry was being scrutinized by the administration, but I paid it no mind. I live in a FREE country. There's nothing that the government can do to me if I've broken no laws. My wealth was EARNED honestly, and an invitation to dinner with an American President is an honor. ... See More... See More

I checked my coat, was greeted by the Chief of Staff, and joined the President in a yellow dining room.

We sat across from each other at a table draped in white linen. The Great Seal was embossed on the China. Uniformed staff served our dinner.

The meal was served, and I was startled when my waiter suddenly reached out, plucked a dinner roll off my plate and began nibbling it as he walked back to the kitchen..

"Sorry 'bout that," said the President. "Andrew is very hungry."

"I don't appreciate..." I began, but as I looked into the calm brown eyes across from me, I immediately felt guilty and petty. It was just a dinner roll. "Of course," I concluded, and reached for my glass.

Before I could take a drink however, another waiter reached forward, took the glass away and swallowed the wine in a single gulp. "And his brother, Eric, is very thirsty," said the President.

I didn't say anything. The President is just testing my compassion, I thought. I withheld my comments and decided to play along. I didn't want to seem unkind...

My full dinner plate was whisked away before I had tasted a bite.

"Eric's children are also quite hungry."

With a lurch, I crashed to the floor. My chair had been pulled out from under me.

I stood, brushing myself off angrily, and watched as it was carried from the room.

"And their grandmother can't stand for long."

I excused myself, smiling outwardly, but inside feeling like a fool. Obviously I had been invited to the White House to be sport for some game. I reached for my coat, only to find that it had been taken.

I turned back to the President.

"Their grandfather doesn't like the cold."

I wanted to shout, "that was my coat!" But again, I looked at the placid smiling face of my host and decided I was being a poor sport. I spread my hands helplessly and chuckled.

Then I felt my hip pocket and realized my wallet was gone. I excused myself and walked to a phone on an elegant side table.

I learned shortly that my credit cards had been maxed out, my bank accounts emptied, my retirement and equity portfolios had vanished, and my wife had been thrown out of our home.

Apparently, the waiters and their families were moving in. The President hadn't moved or spoken as I learned all this, but finally I lowered the phone into its cradle and turned to face him.

"Andrew's whole family has made bad financial decisions. They haven't planned for retirement and they need a house. They recently defaulted on a subprime mortgage. I told them they could have your home. They need it more than you do."

My hands were shaking. I felt faint as I stumbled back to the table and knelt on the floor.

The President cheerfully cut his meat, ate his steak, and drank his wine. I lowered my eyes and stared at the small grey circles on the tablecloth that were water drops.

"By the way," he added, "I have just signed an Executive Order nationalizing your factories.

I'm firing you as head of your business. I'll be operating the firm now for the benefit of all mankind.

There's a whole bunch of Erics and Andrews out there and they can't come to you for jobs groveling like beggars...we need to spread YOUR wealth around..."

I looked up. The President dropped his spoon into the empty ramekin which had been his crème Brule.

He drained the last drops of his wine. As the table was cleared, he lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair.

He stared at me. I clung to the edge of the table as if it were a ledge and I were a man hanging over an abyss.

I thought of the years behind me, of the life I had lived. The life I had earned with a lifetime of work, risk and struggle.

Why was I punished? How had I allowed it to be taken? What game had I played and lost? I looked across the table and noticed with some surprise that there was no game board between us.

What had I done wrong?

As if answering the unspoken thought, President Obama suddenly cocked his head, locked his empty eyes to mine, and bared a million teeth, chuckling wryly as he folded his hands.

"You should have stopped me at the dinner roll," he said.

WAKE UP AMERICA !!!

Author Unknown

Yes We can Know That He Is Alive

2010-04-02T13:02:00.004-04:00

As Easter, or resurrection day as I prefer to call it comes around, I would like to take today’s devotional, and discuss what really happened in a borrowed tomb nearly 200 years ago.
First there is the swoon theory. This is a theory that seems to be growing more and more. The likes of the Devenci Code, James Cameron's movie, and other unscholarly scholars, have given rise to this theory. It says that Jesus was not dead, but had merely passed out from exhaustion and blood loss. This theory is wrong for several reasons.

Jesus Died at Calvary: the soldiers in charge of his execution, made sure he was dead. They were trained killers. They new when someone was dead, or when they were simply passed out. They also new the punishment for failing at there task, and that was to suffer the same fate as the prisoner. This is why before letting Jesus come down from the cross, they pierced his side with a spear.

Jesus was in his grave clothes: There Were over a hundred pounds of spices that would have been on him. A man in His state (supposing he was not dead) would not have been able to remove the grave clothes that were around him.

The stone was rolled away: If Jesus would have been unable to remove the grave clothes, he would have been unable to move the stone. He had just been beaten almost to death, his flesh would have been like ribbons, He had jagged spikes driven into his wrists, and feet, wounds on which his entire body had been supported on for hours. He had his side pierced with a spear.
Did wake up and leave? I think not.
Many will say but it is possible. Possible barely, but probable absolutely not!

Another theory is that the disciples stole the body. To this again I say the facts say otherwise.
• When Jesus was arrested, the disciple (excluding John), fled the scene, and hid. Peter even denied knowing Jesus. Within a month, Peter would be imprisoned and beaten for preaching Jesus. He and those that fled in fear, would all go on to be martyred for Jesus Christ. No one knowingly dies for a lie.
• If the Disciples had stolen the body, they would have been arrested not for preaching, but for breaking the seal that was on Jesus’ tomb. The tomb had been sealed with the seal of Rome, anyone messing with it would be killed, especially a non Roman citizen.
• They could not deny it: All that the Jewish leaders could do, was try to silence the disciples. Had the body been stolen, they would have disproved the disciples.

They went to the wrong tomb is yet another commonly held alternative to the resurrection. This too is false, because just suppose that Mary had went to the wrong tomb. Then when John and Peter returned they too would have accidentally went to the wrong tomb, not to mention the other disciples came latter, and they too would have been at the wrong tomb. Do you not think that had they had the wrong tomb, the Jewish leaders would have let them go on. Of course they wouldn’t have, they would have marched right down to the tomb, and said see here is his tomb, here are the guards and the seal, and inside is a dead Jesus. They could not do this however, because it was the right tomb, there were no guards, and there was no Jesus, because he had left that borrowed tomb. The roman seal was not broken by a man that was forbidden to touch it, but rather by The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords Jesus Christ himself.

There is one explanation that is true though. That is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, was born of a Virgin, lived a sinless life, Shed (not spilled but shed) His blood on Calvary’s cross, He died and was buried in a borrowed tomb, after three day He rolled away the stone from the tomb and walked out defeating the grave, and today He sits at the right hand of the father, awaiting to hear “son go get your bride”. Nearly 2000 years ago, Pontus Pilate passed the death sentence on Jesus, but the next time they meet he will be on his face acknowledging Jesus as KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. (Joh 20:7)

Jesus folded the napkin, as a way of saying thanks for letting borrow your tomb, but I want be needing it anymore.

The number one way I know the tomb was and still is empty, is simple, and that is that I know the one who was in it.

Palm Sunday; Proclaiming Him today, Denying Him tomorrow

2010-03-28T11:48:00.006-04:00

Today is Palm Sunday; the day Jesus made His triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The streets were lined with people crying Hosanna in the highest, and waving palm branches in a sign of joy that their rumored messiah was entering into town. How quickly their demeanor and tone would change in not even a week’s time. Many of these that were welcoming him were most likely in the crowd now crying crucify Him.

They joined in the joyous proclamation of a coming king while everyone else was doing so, but turned on this king when it became expedient to do so.

It feels so good to go to church on Sunday morning. We get to hear uplifting stories in Sunday school, then we go to the service and hear a usually uplifting message, with uplifting music, and maybe even a skit or something else to entertain us. Then there is the fellowship we get to talk with other believers and we can let down our guard and talk in the spiritual language that we hide all week long. Then we finally return home feeling good. If for no other reason than we have done God a service, by blessing Him with our presence on. Yes good Christians attend church and proclaim Him on Sunday. Oh how proud he must be of us that we were doing this for just for Him.

Now fast forward to work and school, and we are a totally different people. Our language and actions hide and mask every thing we said and did on Sunday. On Sunday we proclaim God as God of all, Monday through Saturday however our actions say differently. Anyone can raise their hands in a Sunday morning service, but it is the rest of the week that defines ones true god. Ask any one in the church if their actions match their claim of being crucified in Christ. And they will usually say for the most part. What if that question was not asked about you to you, but asked about you to others?

What would your co-workers say? What would they say about the jokes you say, or even the jokes you grin at. How about the way you view or comment on the opposite sex. Maybe the way you handle conflict. Are you known as a man or woman of integrity? Or do you compromise integrity when it is expedient to do so? Are you involved in the gossip, or does it pass you by because it is known that you will have none of it?
What about family, how would your children say you model Christ? Does your temper flare at the slightest issue, do you disciple, and lead them in worship, or do you put your temporal job or hobby first? What about your spouse, if they were to speak honestly, would they say you strive to be a biblical wife or husband, or would they say you are more on the self centered or manipulative side?

The list could go on, and we all have our issues, but what would others say. Would you be comfortable having your spouse, children, and colleagues getting up in front of the church and telling about your (secret to the church) actions through out the week? No I am not suggesting this take place, but I am suggesting that our lives should be lived as if though it is going to take place. We will be held accountable for our actions.

Our faith is not defined by showing up on Sunday mornings, and waving palm branches (publicly displaying our worship). No our faith is defined by whether we are found amongst the crowd denying Him, or are we risking death, scorn, or persecution to be at the foot of the cross. Have we really changed so much since that first Palm Sunday?

Are you prepared?

2010-03-13T00:27:00.002-05:00

Greece is on the verge of bankruptcy, many states here are barely able to keep the lights on, China owning much of our debt, and companies folding left and right. It does not take one long to look around and realize that we are not in the best of financial times. Yes we can say everything looks good, but truth is we are to quote one of the financial overseers, “going down the same winding road that got us here in the first time, only this time at a much higher rate of speed.” Eventually something must give; either our overzealous lust for material greed, or the very economy that runs our daily lives. One of these will give, and my fear is that it will be the latter.

On the other hand, we as a nation are hated more than we ever have been; some for just reasons, some for unjust reasons, but hated none the less. Most likely within the next few years there will be an attack on our mainland, that will be devastating. Do the research on an EMP attack; the results are scary. Especially since many countries could do this with ease.

Now throw in the chance of a major catastrophic event such as an earthquake, or epidemic, Both of which we can clearly see are on the rise. Taking all three of these into consideration, there is a pretty good chance that our lives as we know it will be interrupted.

Everyday more and more people are realizing this and some are even doing something about it. I write this, because I am asked many times a week about how one can prepare for this. In a nutshell, you will need several things, food. You will need enough food for your family and anyone that might show up to stay with you. Hunting will not be an option for the most part. You will need medical supplies, prescriptions, first aide, etc. Hand tools and means of doing daily life without power will be needed, and do not forget water. There may even be a time when your family will need to be protected, so firearms and ammo will also be needed (I pray I am wrong on this one). If you do decide to put away a few items to get your family through, remember that as a Christian, charity is important; put away a little extra, and give until it hurts.

With this out of the way, I must get to the real reason for this post. That is that we can physicly prepare for such disasters. Yes you can stock up on beans bullets and band-aids, but that is not the prepared I am talking about. I mean are you spiritually prepared?

First to everyone, are you spiritually prepared to deal with such a disaster. Are you ready to rely solely on God’s provision for all of your needs? Yes we all say we only rely on God, but are we ready to do so without the safety net of our Government? We must be, and we must be now, not once disaster strikes. Are you ready spiritually to deal with catastrophic events going on around you? Are you ready spiritually to deal with the deaths of close friends and loved ones; sadly even children? We like to think we can live any way we want and God will swoop down and hold us when disaster strikes, simply because we are “Americans”. Don’t count on it.
When talking about disaster preparedness, we usually are referring to how to survive after the fact. What if you are not one of those that get to worry about the aftermath because, you fall victim to the disaster? Are you ready? Are you prepared to stand in front of a Holy God and give an account for your life? I urge you that if you are not prepared to stand in front of God and do this, then why not turn to Jesus, as He is prepared to do this for you. Again all the ammo, food, and supplies in the world are great, but to truly be prepared, you need to have a relationship with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Himself. No epidemic, terrorist attack, disaster, or crisis, takes Him of guard. I tell people on a regular basis that now is the time to prepare, because when disaster strikes all preparations are over; you have what you have. The same is true with your relationship with Christ; prepare now, for if you wait until a time you need him, it may very well be too late. Today is the day of salvation.

Now I am going to change gears a little, and talk mainly to husbands and father. Men as the priest of your home, are you ready to lead them spiritually? If you were not given the luxury of a church fellowship and preaching for some extended amount of time, are you prepared? Are you prepared to lead them through the Word? This is not something that you learn when you need it. If you are going to lead them then, you have got to learn the scriptures now. This is not a task that you get to give to your wife, it is yours. There very well may not be a pastor to preach, are you prepared to fill in temporarily? There may not be children’s or youth ministries to pawn these duties off on, Are you prepared?
Men I urge you to start now taking the Word of God serious. Read it, learn it, and fall in love with it. Could you lead your family through prayer or a Bible study? We practice our marksmanship incase we need it. We store food and supplies in case we need them. Many have made plans A, B, and some even C in case it is needed. This has been done to assure your family can survive. Why then has the teaching and leading of the Word been neglected? I am not saying enroll in seminary, or the local Bible college, no I am simply saying that we must be a diligent student of the Word. If we amass ten years worth of physical food (which are temporary), but fail to ensure our family will have spiritual food then we as husbands and fathers have failed to prepare. Start now by holding a family worship. Sing hymns (hymnals can be bought for under $10) go through the word, and then pray together as a family. We use this also to train our children how to behave in church, ours usually takes 30 to 45 minutes, but there is no certain time it will take. You might want to start with just a few minutes. If the church as we know it is not here to help, will you be prepared to be the priest of your home and led your family through a crisis?

I am not writing this have people fear what is coming, but to prepare for it, and carry on normally with the peace and joy that only Christ can give. If myself and so many other are wrong and we as a nation continue just as we are, your family will still be far better off by you becoming a student of the Word. Again I ask are you fully prepared to rely on God without a safety net? And Men are you fully prepared to spiritually lead your family if the need arise?

God Bless

Chad Patterson

Pornography: The silent killer of our homes (Biblical manhood part 1)

2010-02-18T20:40:00.005-05:00

I will start this out getting right to the point. Men we have got to start treating our wives and our daughters with the honor and respect they deserve. There are many ways in which we need to do this, and I plan do address them all over the next few weeks. Today however I am attempting to tackle one of the many issues we face; lust, and how we handle it. We have all heard sayings like “just because I’m married does not mean I have to quit window shopping”, or “as long as I look and not touch, all is ok.” These are said by men trying to make an excuse for their lack of control.

First it is sinful to lust after anyone. But I say unto you, that whosoever looked on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
(Mat 5:28) When we look at a woman lustfully men we are in sin. When you find your self staring at a woman in awe of her body, we are in sin. As I have talked through the years about this, I explain that we can admire a woman’s beauty without lusting. As a rule if you are looking at a woman’s face and think she is very beautiful, this is not lust, but the moment our eyes and mind wander bellow the neck, it becomes lust, and we are in sin.

Many marriage counselors will say the number one reason for divorce is money. I would say that money issues are symptoms and are used as a scapegoat far too many times. The problem is that spouses become discontent, and resentful of the other, and when issues like money, come into play it is the perfect way out.

Ask most men if they are resentful of their wife, and they will say no. But then ask them what they would change, and they are quick to give you a few things, if not a bucket load of things. Where do we get this list? We get it from years of looking at women; both in real life, and in the media. We are so bombarded with what we are told women to be that when our wives can’t meet that standard we become resentful; most of the time unknowingly.

When one talks of men viewing images of other women, we immediately think of adult magazines and websites. Yes what most consider porn is addictive and destructive, but we must look closer at what pornography is. Merriam-Webster defines pornography as: the depiction of erotic behavior (as in pictures or writing) intended to cause sexual excitement. Anything that geared to cause sexual thoughts and excitement is by definition pornography. This includes much of what is on network TV. From primetime sitcoms, to simple commercials, porn is embedded. How many marketing campaigns use scantly clad women to sell their products? This is porn. Think popular magazines like Maxim, SI Swimsuit, Cosmo, etc, are anything less than porn then think again.

Let’s face it a mother of multiple kids normally will never be able to have the body of a supermodel, just as you will never have the cut body that we base our image on. When you look at an image, then look at your wife, you mind begins to think “why can’t my wife look like this.” Whether we like it or not when we fill our minds with these images, they come out when we look at our wives. Over time resentment builds, because they are not living up to the airbrushed image that our mind has said is the perfect image. This leads not only to us growing discontent with and resentful of our wives, but it also makes one vulnerable to infidelity.

Men whether it be while on the internet, looking at a magazine, watching women as they pass by, movies, or gazing at bikini clad women on the beach, we must guard ourselves.

Dealing with this issue, is an emergency the church must deal with immediately. The consequences of letting it go any further will be disastrous, thus the actions needed to be taken might need to be drastic as well.

Let’s start with the internet. First and foremost put a filter on your internet K9 by bluecoat is free and works great. Not only does it filter, but it provides a trail of sites visited. Filters are just the beginning, and again should be on all computers. The next step is simple accountability. Have someone that will hold you accountable. It may mean you cancel your internet, or in a worse case scenario, throw out the computer. You say oh I couldn’t, I use it for this or for that, or my kids use it for school, etc. I did not say it is not at a cost, but what is more important the fact that your child has a computer for school, or the fact that their daddy is addicted to pornography. Most men don’t sit down at the computer with dreams of surfing porn, they start out on email, and then next thing they know you are looking at things that their eyes have no business viewing. Again if it is an issue, the computer must go without hesitation. It simply is not worth it. Men I beseech you would you trade your computer for your wife and your children? Eventually you will have to choose.

Now on to the TV. Shows today are geared at enticing our sexual desires, not only by imagery, but by the actions as well. Not only are the characters dressed in ways that are immodest, and inappropriate, the way they act fills our minds with lies how men and women are suppose to relate with one another. Women are supposed to dress scantly, and men are to ogle at them with mouths open is the image that Hollywood is not only selling, but has successfully sold. I am not saying that Christians must throw out there TV sets, but if it is causing you to sin, then it is time to trash it. What would you do if you walked in and found two strangers making out, or having sex in your living room? If you are like me then throwing them out the door would be the most gentle of ways that it would be handled. This is exactly what goes on when we allow this over the TV. Many say they would like to get rid of it, but then they would not know what was going on in the world. Let me tell you that as one that has no TV, yet is more informed about news (not to be confused with gossip) than 90% of Americans, this is a lie. Men you must be the one that stands and says I will not stand for this garbage in my life nor my home any longer. It is up to you to rid your house of this. God has ordained you (like it or not) as the head of your home. It is your responsibility to make sure that everything entering it is not only wholesome, but God honoring as well. As King Josiah did in 2 chronicles 34, it is time we tear down the asherim poles in our home. If we don’t, mark my words, they will destroy us.

Thus far I have written this to married men, and some reading this will say but I am not married yet. For you that are unmarried, the way you are viewing women now will and I mean WILL be carried into your marriage. The images you view in private on the internet now, will stay with you, and resurface in areas such as the marriage bed. Not to mention that the person you are looking at is not your wife. If you keep your eyes and mind from such garbage you simply will not have anything to compare your spouse to, thus you can love her for who she is, instead of despising her for who she is not.

Men do not train their boys to view women in this nature. Men do not train their daughters to accept the role the media and culture has prepared for them. Men do not try and get pleasure from another man’s wife. Men do tell their boys to keep both their eyes and their hands of any woman that is not married to them. Men do tell their daughters that they are to cover themselves modestly, and that there virtue is to be honored. Men do tell their wives that they are the only one; both physically and emotionally. Men tell there wives and children these things not just verbally, but also by how they act. Do your sons and daughters catch you looking at other women? If they do they will view this behavior acceptable. Does your wife know by not only your words but by your actions as well that she is the center of your life? Or does she have to worry that she does not compare to the women in your head?

I will be tackling this issue more in depth in the very near future, as well as other issues that are destroying the definition of manhood. Porn is not funny, porn is not glamorous, porn is destructive, porn is addictive, and porn is of Satan. Be it hard porn of the internet and magazines, or the soft porn flowing into our homes via accepted mean of transportation i.e. TV, movies, music. Soft or hard, porn is porn, it is sinful, and real men have nothing to do with it.

Eva’s Treasure: The Destructive Behavior of Dating

2010-02-12T09:58:00.001-05:00

Eva’s Treasure: The Destructive Behavior of Dating
By Chad Patterson

Our story begins in the open plains of the Midwest. Throughout these open plains, there are many, many cattle ranches, and on these many ranches are, of course, many ranchers. There is, however, one ranch that stands out far above the others and it does so because of the rancher that runs it. Some call him “Rancher John”, some refer to him as “Big John”, and some refer
to as just plain old “John”. If the truth be told though, no one really knows his name, and no one really knows where he came from. Ask anybody around, and they’ll tell you they just don’t ever remember him coming, he just came. Ask old and young alike, and they’ll both answer something like, “Old John, well he’s been here as long as I remember. It’s like he’s just always been there.”

Who John was, and where he came from was truly a mystery. A mystery maybe, but not the only, or even most intriguing, mystery about him. What seemed to have people shaking their heads the most was not who he was, or where He came from. No, the most intriguing thing about him was how he raised his cattle. You see, John took a special interest in all his cattle. From the time they were born, to the time they were at their end, John treated each head of cattle as though it were the only one he had. And that is where this story really begins: Out west on the open plains in a barn on the ranch of Big John.

The doors to the barn were opened, and as Big John entered, the cattle all began to moo as if with joy, and stood straight with their heads held high, as if they were giving him praise. John smiled and patted the young calves on the head, as they all seemed to encircle and move around him. He finally arrived near the back of the barn at an area reserved for cattle that were not yet fully mature. In this area were five cows who seemed to watch his every move.

He walked over to a cow named Eva and said, “Eva, your time has come.”

Now might be a good time to mention that Big John’s cattle seemed to be able to understand him when he talked.

He put His arm around her and said “Come with me. I have something special prepared just for you.”

Eva was nervous, and while not knowing what to expect, she eagerly followed.

Big John led Eva out far away from the pasture she was used to, and farther than her eyes had ever seen. Then he stopped at what appeared to be the beginning of a fresh cut path.
He looked at Eva and told her, “Eva, right over that hill at the end of the path, there is a place I
have personally prepared for you. It is where you will spend the rest of your days.”

He told her that he knew her, thus he knew what it was she needed most, and there she would find that these needs would be met abundantly. He told her that the fields were planted just for her, and that no other cattle had ever been allowed to graze there. It was hers and hers alone.

Eva looked at the trail. The hill was not far and would not take long to get over, but she noticed something. There seemed to be four other gates standing in front of trails of their own.

“Big John, what are these other gates, and where do they lead?”, she asked.

John replied, “Eva just as I have personally prepared a place for you, so too have I prepared a place for your four friends that were with you earlier. I will go and shortly return with each to do with them as I am doing with you now.”

Being young and curious, she inquired as to whether theirs was any different than hers. For the first time in her life, John seemed to grow stern.

“Eva what I have prepared for them is not your concern, just know that what I have prepared for you is exactly what you need. Take heed not to venture through another’s gate, and remember only enter into yours. Do this and you will have no regrets, I promise. Now go.”

Eva smiled and then started down the path. She turned back to look, but John had already vanished out of sight. She took a deep breath, and with her head held high, she walked on toward her destination.

Within a few minutes she was at the first gate. She tried to make herself keep walking, but she couldn’t. She stopped and stared at the bright and shiny green gate. She tried to peak down the path beyond it, but it was no use, for the trees that lined the path blocked her from seeing more than a few yards.

She shrugged and said to herself, “Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to trust John and head on.”

Before she could turn away, a large crow landed on the gate, and proceeded to ask, “Where are you heading?”

Eva responded by telling him of her grand destination. The crow laughed, “You must not know what lies down this path, for if you did, you would surely not go any further.”

Eva gave a quick reply, “Oh but I have my own and it is just as good!”

“Maybe,” said the crow. “but if you don’t at least look, you will never know, will you?”

With that the crow flew off, shouting back repeatedly, “You’ll never know, you’ll never know.”

Eva looked at the gate for a moment, then turned and walked away. As she walked, she could not get what the crow said out of her mind. She turned and looked behind her at the shiny gate that was now about a hundred feet behind her.

“Oh I just have to know what is in there” she said to herself as she ran back to the gate.

Once back in front of the gate, Eva teetered back and forth for a few moments. “Why did Big John have to go and hide the treasures within this pasture behind this covering of trees? If it is as beautiful as described, why not let everyone enjoy it?”

Reluctantly, yet enthusiastically, Eva nudged open the gate with her head and entered that which had been prepared for someone else.

Slowly she walked through the gate, down the path and around the tree line. Then, as she turned the corner, she stopped and just gazed at the beauty that lay before her. As far as she could see, was the greenest grass she had ever laid eyes on. The amazing thing was that there was not one weed in the entire place. In the middle of the pasture was a small barn, but hey, with grass like this who needed a large barn?

Eva thought to herself that if this was hers, she would never even enter the barn, but would spend her days eating. If only this was hers.

Eve knew that this had been prepared for someone else, but she couldn’t resist; she just had to try this grass. After all it would have time to grow back, and its recipient would have their whole life to enjoy it.

As she ate, she noticed that the grass immediately replenished itself. The only thing was, that every time it grew back, it was less and less green. Before she knew it she had eaten several acres.

“Oh me, I did not realize how long I’ve been here. I’d better go,” she thought.

With that she took one last bite and headed out the gate for her own destination. As she left the gate, she did not even look back, if she had she would have seen that where she had eaten was now a dull green and greatly detracted from what had been prepared for its intended recipient.

As she walked on, she could not help but think of the grass she had been eating. Oh, if only her place has that kind of grass! She could not wait until she could eat that green grass of her very own. Her thoughts were interrupted by the presence of a shiny blue gate.

Oh I wonder what is down there, she thought to herself. She knew she shouldn’t, but she went through the gate. She thought that since no harm was done earlier, no harm would be done this time either. Again, there was a tree line acting as a covering to hide this destination from prying eyes, and once again, she disregarded this and went around.

She had been amazed by the green grass earlier, but was this pasture was even more beautiful than the last one. All around were flowing streams that all seemed to run into the center of the pasture, into what seemed to be a fruit orchard. Eva began to have an overbearing thirst, and thought that all of that grass earlier must have made her thirsty. She decided that before she left, she would have a little drink. So down she walked, into the center of that beautiful orchard.

She took one drink. “Delicious,” she thought. This was the coldest and most refreshing water she had ever tasted. The more she drank, though, the more she realized it tasted like normal water. She thought that she had just gotten used to it, and kept on drinking. Finally when the water seemed to grow warm, and lose its refreshing ability, she went on her way, and out the gate closing it with her tail as she left.

Walking a little further, she came to yet another gate. This one was bright red. At the previous two gates she had been reluctant to enter, but this time she felt very comfortable, and walked right in. On the other side of this tree line was the largest and most beautiful barn she had ever seen. It was then that she realized that all the green grass, the refreshing water, and all the walking had made her exhausted. She decided that she would just stroll down and have a rest in the barn. After all, it had not been given to anyone yet, therefore it was free game.

Walking in she noticed that it was the most pleasant barn ever. Instead of a lingering odor, there was a pleasant aroma. The floors and walls seemed to shine, and there was not an insect in sight. This definitely would be a delightful place to live. She found a nice stall, entered, and quickly fell asleep.

Upon awakening, she noticed that flies were buzzing around and biting her and that pleasant aroma had been replaced with the stench of a cattle barn. She thought to herself, “I must have slept a long time, I had better get going.”

This time, however, as she began to exit the gate, she ran into the barns rightful
recipient. Rather than apologize, she walked past her, and with a smile exclaimed, “You are going to love it. Your house is amazing; I truly hope I didn’t leave too big a mess.”

As Eva walked on, the other cow just stood there with tears building up in her eyes, staring at the open gate. What had been distinctly prepared for her had been used and discarded by another cow. Sadly, she entered into her home, and soon had it cleaned up, but it never was the same. It always lingered in her mind that someone else had slept there first.

Eva was now nearly to the top of the hill, and could not wait to see what had been prepared for her. She just knew Big John had prepared some of that green grass, and made sure she would have some of that refreshing water. She had already experienced the wonderful barn he provided; oh she
just couldn’t wait to see her very own!

As she topped the hill she was taken back. Her gate was wide open! Who on earth would have trespassed in her pasture? This was hers and no one else had a right to be there. She began to run
until she finally reached her gate.

It was a nice shiny silver gate. At least, most of it was shiny. There were some dirty spots and smudges on it were something had rubbed up against it.

She ran in and quickly realized that there was nothing special here. The grass was abundant, but it was no different than what she had grazed on all of her life. The barn was normal and smelled like any other barn that had housed cattle. There was one small creek that ran into a small pond in the middle of her pasture, but it was very simple.

What really bothered her was the fact, that when she got close to the pond, she could see
hoof prints in the mud all around the pond. Not one, but several different prints from several different cows.

She sat and cried, “How could someone do this? This was mine! It was given to me, and someone else took its pristine beauty with them.” She slowly made her way into her barn. All the stalls had been used, but there was one that was not too dirty, so she laid down and went to sleep.

She stayed there but every day she longed be back eating the green grass in the other pasture. When she was not longing for the grass, then she longed for the cool refreshing water. At night, she lay in her stall dreaming about being the big, wonderful barn she had left behind those many years ago.

Oh, she had it all; good pasture land, decent water, and a warm and dry barn. That mattered not though, for her mind constantly drifted back to those other pastures. She would never be totally complete, because she had unknowingly left a little part of her heart in every pasture she had visited.

Over time she, along with two of the other cows, grew so bitter and discontent with their surroundings that they busted out and went in search of what they had experienced earlier in their life. Sadly they never found it, but instead continued to leave parts of their hearts everywhere they went. The only cow that stayed in the original pasture they were given was Mary; the very cow that watched Eva exit her gate years ago.

Mary, I might add, was also the only one who never ventured onto another’s land. Yes, she had to deal with the fact that someone had trespassed into her barn, but she was content. She was thankful for what she had and was able to give her entire heart to her pasture. She neither needed, nor longed for, anything more. Whenever Big John came to visit, she always thanked him for meeting her every need, and she never complained about what her land was lacking. Thus Mary lived happily ever after.

The Drunk and Lady Friendly Pastor

2010-02-05T16:34:00.001-05:00

There was once an old pastor that lived in colonial New England who was known for his bold sermons. During one of his sermons a man named John’s heart was convicted, but instead of surrendering to his conviction, he chose to grow angry with the pastor. As he left he swore to himself that he was not going to just sit back and call his lifestyle sinful. Within a few days, he had talked to half the people in town, and told several different lies about the pastor. He told of the pastors drinking problem, and how he was known to be a little too friendly with the ladies. These lies were believable, and soon people began to question whether to the pastor was truly a man called by God.

John listened in joy as people began to spread these lies around. He was so happy with his victory, that he decided to go and listen to the pastor the next time he preached. He wanted to see if everyone would get up and leave, or maybe even force him out of town. Oh for this it would be worth stepping foot back in that church.

As people were beginning to arrive at the church house, it was just as John had hoped. He could here the whispers, and conversations about the pastor’s apparent immoral behavior. When the pastor took to the pulpit, several appeared to start to get up, that is until the pastor started to read the following verses of scripture.

He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a
fool. Pro 10:18

By the end of a brief sermon, John found that once again his heart was pricked. This time it was not anger that overtook, but rather it was grief. That night John could not sleep; he just had to make things right with the pastor. He could not wait until morning, so he saddled up his horse and headed for where the pastor was staying. Upon entering the home, John fell on his face and wept, begging the pastor to forgive him. The pastor said, “I forgive you, but I do ask one thing of you”. “Oh anything you name it” john replied.
“Tomorrow morning I want you to take this pillow to the center of town, rip it open, and as you shake out all the feather I want you to tell the town that what you said was a lie”.
First thing the next morning John did just that. After he had released all the feathers, and confessed his sin to all, he went back to the pastor, and told him that he had done what was asked. He then asked the pastor “is everything ok between us. “Of course” replied the pastor “but I would like for you to now go back into town and put every single feather back in the pillowcase”. John knew this would be impossible, as he had watched the feathers blow about as he slung the pillowcase around. He then realized that the pastor was not expecting him to do this, but was trying to make a point.

How often do we need to realize this truth. All to often we are way to quick to say things we shouldn’t and then think everything we be made right with an I’m sorry. We may be forgiven by the one we verbally assault, but just as it would be impossible to put all the feathers back, so it is with putting hateful or slanderous words back in our mouth. Yes someone can forgive you for saying they are ugly, but they still remeber it when they look in the mirror. We can be forgiven for spreading lies, but when we set out to tell others that what we said was a lie, we have no idea who the lie has reached. Our tongue can be kind and soft, or it can be quick and deadly; wield it wisely

For some reason we no longer hear many sermons on gossip and slander, yet these are some of the most grievous sins the church commits. We are quick to rail on drinking and the immoral world. Yet we totally disregard what he says about these sins of the tongue. God tells us in 1st Corinthians that we are to have nothing to do with a brother or sister that uses their tongue in this manner.

But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler--not even to eat with such a one.
(1Co 5:11)

Yes if you use your tongue in this manner forgiveness is available from both God and the offended. But to often we just speak our mind and say “Oh well that’s just my personality”. It matters not what your personality was before Christ, because if you truly are saved then you are a new creation. This means the old you has died, including your personality. One may continue to wield their tongue without repentance, but be warned God has commanded, not warned but commanded His children to have nothing to do with them. A spot at the table will remain open to sup with the fellow believers, but will not be available until this sin is dealt with.

Church we are commanded not to fellowship with these brothers and sisters. To do so is a sin. I know it might sound harsh, but that is what God has commanded. Not to be mean, but to say, “hey we love you, but you can’t be allowed to continue in this sin.” To ignore this and continue fellowship is a sin. It is however also a sin if we are breaking fellowship with them out of anger. God is not telling us to do this get revenge or to lash out, but has ordered us to do so to call a brother or sister to repentance. This is one to build up the fellowship and bring us back when we wander, and two to keep His church pure and above reproach. Maybe if we were to do as God says here we would lose one of the biggest complaints the world has against the church; that is that they are angry, bitter.

God Bless

Chad Patterson

Matters of the Godly Home part 1

2010-02-04T22:12:00.003-05:00

As a father, I am called to lead my family as its priest, and my wife is to be my help meet. Together we are to form a home that fosters and teaches God’s morals and principals. Most people that I talk to desire a Christian home and many are God fearing people. If parents that are trying to follow God, desire to have a God honoring home, why aren’t they succeeding? They try every thing: they send their kids to camp, they involve them in every ministry that is offered, they are at every retreat, and take every class that is offered on marriage and parenting; yet their home is not one that mirrors the ways of God. We have gotten to a point where we expect a pastor or teacher to give us all the answers we need. We do not care to dig through the scripture, and spend time in prayer to find out what God desires of us. Instead, we would rather just have someone do all the work for us and hand it to us. We want someone to tell us how to be better husbands, wives, and parents. We want someone to sit our kids down and tell them about God, tell them to obey us, and tell them not to drink and have sex. Now, this is not meant to come out against the things the church offers to help us grow, but we must realize they are just tools that God has given us as the leaders of our homes to help us in our walk.

As fathers and mothers, we have got to put forth more effort into our family than just taking them to church and sending them to camps. Men, as fathers and husbands, you need to daily lead your family in Bible study, you need to lead your family in prayer, and you need to lead your family by taking a stand for God’s ways no matter what the cost. When was the last time you picked up a Bible and read it aloud to your family? When was the last time you gathered your family around and prayed with them? Do you expect the youth and children’s ministries to fully equip your children? We have cast the responsibility of instilling God’s principals and values into our kids onto the shoulders of these ministries. God has called us as parents to this task. If you want your sons to be Godly men of high integrity, then take the time to become a Godly man of high integrity yourself so that you can teach him. Mothers, if you want your daughters to become Godly virtuous women, then you must be one yourself in order to show her what one looks like. Dads, you are not only training your sons on being a godly man, you are also training your daughters on what to expect in a Godly husband; and this goes the same for moms with your sons. And one must also realize that it is not just your children but even your great great great grandchildren whom you will probably never meet that you are training.

Yes, God has given us the task to raise our family in a Godly manner. Are we hard at work on this task, or are we lazily sitting back and letting someone else do this job for us? By the way, it will not be the youth or children’s ministers that stand and give an account for your family, for that will fall on your shoulders as the husbands and fathers. Also, it is worth noting that if we decide to pass the buck on instilling His principals into our children, the world will gladly take your place.

Foward This: That is all that is required of Christians

2010-01-19T16:49:00.004-05:00

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we show outwardldy displays to the world that we love Him. (1 John 2:3)

What a great verse we have here in 1st John 2:3. It feels good knowing that nothing is required of us other than posting outward symbols of our affection towards Him. That is the great things that separates Christianity from other religions. If you are feeling guilty about your sins, just let God know you are not ashamed of Him, and all will be alright. Oh wait I seemed to have misquoted this verse. What it actually says is;

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. (1Jn 2:3)

That’s right, it matters not about the fish on your car, the T-shirt with a Jesus phrase, your WWJD bracelet, the art on your wall, or how many emails or Facebook posts you forward. You can forward 10,000 emails, and post the same on your Facebook. While this might briefly cover your guilt, it can’t touch your sins. Too many are out there trying to earn God’s acceptance, by outwardly displaying the fact that they believe God exist.
There are two problems with this. The first being that you can’t earn God’s acceptance. If you truly desire to know whether or not you are a child of God, you can actually know, but not by the amount of emails and posts, or Christian paraphernalia you have around you. The way you know according to 1st John, is to obey His commandments. John tells us that if we claim Him and do otherwise, the truth is not in us, and we are a liar. Does this mean that true Christians are perfect? Not at all. It simply means that if our life is not marked by obedience to Him, and repentance (not to be confused with remorse) when we do stray, then we are not truly His. All the post in the world will not change that.

The second problem is that we without blinking an eye claim the name of Christ. To many it is because they are His. To yet many others, it is simply because they are American, or because they grew up in a church building. To call on His name flippantly is to take His name in vain. Yes God’s name is taken in vain by ones actions, far more than it ever is by words. Before one posts to the world via internet, bumper stickers etc make sure your actions can back up that claim. The fish on your car goes a long way when you let your road rage be vented to them. As well it goes a long way to post how much you love Jesus on Facebook, right after the 30 post about participating in activities Christians have zero business participating in. Yes this goes a long way, though unfortunately in the wrong direction.

We in America have made salvation both cheap and easy. Salvation my friend is neither cheap nor easy. Being a member of the Christ’s true church is not a social club. It is not something we put on our resume of life, but rather it must be our life. It is time the church stand and took seriously the commands of our Lord Jesus.

We have a choice conform the world, or confirm to the Word. You can’t choose the world and say I am not ashamed of Jesus. According to His word, this would make one a Liar. This might not be the message out of many churches, but it is the message from the Bible 1st John to be exact. Have you truly ever come to know Him?

Amos and America. Part 3

2010-01-06T22:02:00.002-05:00

A series of sermons on the book of Amos and how it relates to modern day America

http://www.sermonaudio.com/playpopup.asp?SID=16102136221

Amos and America. Part 1

2010-01-01T18:30:00.003-05:00

A series of sermons on the book of Amos and how it relates to modern day America

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1231091031213

Amos and America. Part 2

2009-12-31T18:41:00.002-05:00

Part to of a series from the book of Amos.
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=123109188278

From The Garden To The Cradle

2009-12-14T11:57:00.002-05:00

The casting out from the Garden of Eden; this is a scene that most Christians and even non-Christians are familiar with. I can almost picture it. Adam, Eve, and Satan all standing there listening to what God was telling them. God had created and breathed life into man, then entrusted the earth and its inhabitants to his keeping. To now be sitting there confronting them for doing the one thing He told them not to do. What must He have been feeling? I am sure He must have been heartbroken that day in Eden. I don’t know everything that was on God’s mind as He made known the consequences for allowing sin into the world, but I do know one thing; John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)

God may have been telling Adam Eve and Satan what was to become of them, but at the same time He was thinking about the day His only Son would come, live, walk, and die amongst us. That day, God condemned mankind, because sin had entered the world. Again though, while God was condemning mankind, He had already decided on the way that He would orchestrate bringing us back to Himself.

The Jews had long believed that there would be a coming Messiah. It is this very Messiah that God is talking about when He tells Satan, “it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Mistakenly they were looking for one to come with might and with force. In the third chapter of John, we find Jesus and Nicodemus in conversation. Jesus is telling Nicodemus (in my words), “You are so busy looking for the messiah, that you can’t even recognize that He is sitting here talking to you.” Nicodemus like most others can not believe that Jesus is the Messiah, because He is not the warrior that will crush Israel’s enemies. Again you can hear Jesus speaking to him, “Nicodemus you are waiting on the messiah to come and crush your enemies, but I tell you the truth that I have not come to crush your enemies, but rather to redeem them along with you.”

This is the good news of Christmas. It is not just the fact that a babe was born that night, not just the fact that He was born of a virgin, but the fact that God so loved the World that He sent this baby to die for my sins. Not just an ordinary baby, but the His only begotten son. Although I had read both Genesis 3 and John 3 many times, I have never done so together. It is amazing when you think about the fact that in that manger some 2000 years ago lay not only the Son of God, but also the very seed God spoke of in way back in the Garden of Eden. Thankfully it was not His condemnation, but His love that lay in that manger. And why did He do this? Was it because He loved the children of Israel? No, it was because He loved the World.

No wonder the angels rejoiced so that night, for they knew just what was happening in that stable; the Savior of the world had put on the flesh of a babe, to once again dwell amongst us.

Merry Christmas
Chad Patterson

Keep Christ in Christmas

2009-11-10T06:18:00.000-05:00

As we near mid November already I have begun to here many cry out, “keep Christ in Christmas.” For years many (Anti-groups with absolute morals) organizations have truly made it an all out war on removing all aspects of Christianity from Christmas. Merry Christmas has been replaced with happy holidays, or season’s greetings. Christmas trees have been replaced with holiday trees. Christmas holiday is now winter break. It seems as if though there once again is no room for Jesus at Christmas time. And loudly and boldly many are standing up and saying no more will I let Jesus be taken out of Christmas. We threaten stores with boycott if they use Happy Holidays, and we proudly were badges saying, “You can say Merry Christmas to me”, or “Jesus is the Reason for the Season”. The question I pose is not are we doing enough to keep Christ in Christmas, but Simply Why? Why are we trying to keep Christ in Christmas?

Why are we demanding Christ be kept in Christmas, when we have all but kicked him out of our lives? When it comes to the choices made in entertainment, most of the church has kicked Him out. Shows that mock not only Christians and our morals, but mock Jesus Christ himself rank amongst our favorites. If we can get entertainment from filth such as The Family Guy, Desperate Trash Wives, Two and a half sex-crazed perverted men, or most of the other garbage out there, Christ has been removed from that area of your life.

When one can Gossip about those they don’t like, and openly display bitterness and slander. ( YES this includes Facebook, texting and the like) Then God has been removed from that part of their life.

When what is best for my career has replaced honesty and integrity, God has been removed from that part of your life.

When you have decided that fitting your family in with culture is more important than following biblical standards, God has been removed from that part of your life.

I could go on with some many different areas where God has been kicked out of our lives, but I think you get the picture I am trying to make. The problem is that God does not want bits and pieces of our life, He wants the whole thing. When we turn our backs on Him and ask Him to leave one area, we are telling him to leave all areas. All year long we tell God to mind His business, and get out of our lives, then suddenly in December we get offended when someone says Happy Holidays. If God truly is concerned about us keeping Christ in Christmas, how much more so is He concerned about us keeping Him in our lives year round. He said we will be known as his disciples by the way we love one another, and by our fruit, not by once a year vain lip service.

What is Christmas? It is a holiday. So if Christmas is a holiday, then what is a holiday? A holiday is a day that is set aside to bring honor to a person or an event. In this case, December 25 has been set aside to honor the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, and yes I think it should stay that way. By celebrating this day we are bringing honor to our Lord. If by celebrating His birthday we bring Him honor; how much more honor do we show Him by obeying His commandments, and surrendering our lives to Him. On that same note, if we think that by not celebrating Christmas we are dishonoring, then how much more so do we dishonor Him when we disobey His commandments and shut our lives off to Him. Remember Christ doesn’t want to be the center of your Christmas, He wants to be the center of your entire life. So this Christmas, if you really want to honor Jesus, then simply do one thing; keep His commandments. Anything less, shows not only a lack of honor, but also a lack of love. Plus this way you can honor Him all year, not just one month out of the year. Let’s move from lip service to life service.

Joh 14:15 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Jeremiah Thomas Patterson

2009-08-04T10:21:00.002-04:00

Jeremiah Thomas Patterson was born at home on August 2, 2009 at 6:01 pm. He weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces. pictures will soon follow.

Birth Event

2009-08-04T10:18:00.001-04:00

First off I must say that God is truly an awesome God, and He and He alone deserves all the Glory for what took place during our latest birth. Once the adrenaline wore off and I was able to step back and ponder, I can see God’s hand weaved in and out of the last few days.

As many of you know I like to be prepared. A while back we had made sure that we were prepared for whatever happened during this pregnancy, and one of those things was to be ready for the side of the road delivery. Last week a local lady made news after she gave birth on the freeway. So, what would we do if that were to happen to us is what lead us to make sure the small emergency birth kit was quickly put together. The kit consisted of a shoe string, a bulb syringe, and a pair of metal scissors. All three Items were boiled, sterilized, and sealed in a plastic bag, on Saturday. At this point the due date was two days in the past, and C-section was scheduled on Tuesday.

On Saturday I had planned to work outside all day, but was met by early morning showers. I had recently moved several boxes of books into my study, and needed to find a place for them in my library; a perfect task for a rainy Saturday. In all there were about fifty books, and only two did I stop and briefly look at. They were two pregnancy and childbirth books from when Dana was pregnant with Noah. I opened one up and right there was what to do if you were tasked with delivering your baby. I briefly read that section, closed the book, put it on the shelf, and then realized the rain had stopped. Dana was having trouble sleeping upstairs, (constant trips to the bathroom, and 17 stairs in between the bed and the bath) so we moved a spare twin bed down into the family room, and called it a night.

Sunday morning came and Dana had not been able to sleep well, so I got the children ready and off to church we went, and mommy was able to get some rest. After church I checked on Dana, and she was still sleepy, so I left her resting while we had lunch. After returning she was up and having some short contractions. The trip to the hospital was getting closer, so Dana decided to have a bath. While she was bathing I was packing, a bag for the Kiddos and another for us. That is when I heard a cry from across the house. Labor pains were now PAINS. After getting out, she slowly made her way across the family room, to the temporary bed, and we began to discuss whether or not to take the kids to her parents(15 miles away), or to have my Dad come there. (8 miles away). Our minds were quickly made up when she blurts out, “My water just broke!” I called my dad, and he was coming to pick up the kids. Dana was in the family room getting dressed, and I was instructing Chloe to get her brothers and sister ready and Gumpy (my dad) was on his way to get them. I had planned on Dana and I being gone before he got there. I went into the family room to see if Dana was ready to go. Her clothes were still on the bed and she was on her knees praying. (Or so I thought).
Just then she yells CHAD THE BABIES COMING: HELP! I try to make it to her, but our new pack n play is in the way (wonderful gift by the way), so it goes flying across the room. I got down behind Dana, saw all the blood, and did the First thing that came to mind; CHLOE HELP!!! She came running in asking, “WHAT DO I DO!” To which I replied, “I DON”T KNOW JUST DO SOMETHING!” Let me pause here and ad that first two births were vaginal, last three were c-sections; now back to the story. All I saw was blood. I was now officially in a full panic. I thought her uterus had ruptured. Then I saw the head. With that I then knew it was indeed the baby, and not a rupture. With that God gave me calmness, and I remembered what I had read the day before.

As the head came out I remembered to put my fingers in and feel around the neck; no cord. With that I reached in and grabbed shoulders pulled him halfway out, and had Chloe locate the emergency kit, that I had already packed and suctioned his mouth and nose before pulling all the way out. Then came the cry; what a relief. Total time from her yelling to help and hearing him cry was about two minutes, and really only two or three pushes.

In the position Dana was in I could not get the baby around to her easily, so I wrapped the baby, and held him till she could turn over. I gave her the baby, (just know they are very very slippery, and upon her request went for a bowl for the placenta. I had no idea how big they are, so me and my cereal bowl were quickly sent back to get a big stainless mixing bowl. (Good call by the way) Finally the placenta was delivered. (that thing is huge. I thought it was another baby coming out.) After making sure the cord was no longer pulsing I tied it off tight with the sterile shoe lace, and cut cord with the sterile scissors. (Dana at this point was encouraging me not to snip the wrong one.) By this time the room is full of grandparents. Let me also mention that all this was done with out even one Tylenol.

As things seemed to calm down, mom got leaned up, and started nursing, (This causes the uterus to clamp down, thus causing the bleeding to slow down). The older Kids headed of to my parents, and I bagged up the bloody towels and rags. We then headed for the hospital to make sure all was well. Everything appeared to be great. A little placenta was still in her cervix, that had to be removed to avoid infection, but other than that it was great. Mom is healthy, and so was baby boy, at 7 pounds 14 ounces.

So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son. Ruth 4:13
God enabled Ruth’s womb, just as he does without exception every womb that conceives. What may seem like a surprise to us; (baby born in the family room) is no surprise to God.
When He enabled Dana’s womb to conceive Grant, He at the same time was enabling us to deal with His death. And as he enabled this conception, He was making us ready. He prompted us to get the needed supplies, and no more. He had the bed bought down for her to lean against, He bought the rain to keep me inside were He could show me the pages in that book I needed to see. Some said that I had an angel looking over my shoulder. I say that it was not an angel, but the third member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit that was there, and He wasn’t behind me looking on. No He was right there in the middle holding all three of us. What the medical field can do is truly amazing. But what God can do; now that is just supernaturally miraculous.

Oh Say Does That Star Spangeled Banner Yet Wave.

2009-07-19T17:07:00.002-04:00

Our Government has time and time again been likened to Robin Hood; rob from the rich and give to the poor. Sounds like a good analogy at first, but old Robin Hood would be turning in his grave at this comment. You see, Robin Hood did not rob from the rich and give to the poor. The Government (or shall we say those who had usurped the power of the Government) had stolen from everyone, utterly wiping out the already poor, and turning those in the middle class into a poor class. Robin Hood was simply taking back what the Usurpers had stolen.

Our government today is like that of the prince of Nottingham. They usurp and overreach what little power they have actually been granted, and blatantly rob and abuse those they view as their subjects. That is right, Washington views us as subjects. I have news for them though, those without arms may be called subjects, but those with arms are called citizens.

As citizens of the United States of America, we cannot allow this to happen. All power that has been usurped must be reigned back in. China, Russia, most of Europe and many other countries may have given their freedoms and life choices over to their “all knowing” governments, but last time I checked, this was still the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. We are still bound by the Constitution of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, not some U.N. resolution or treaty. It is still a government “For the people and by the people”. Whether we like it or not we are still dependant on Jehovah God for our very existence, not government or some system. It is still the blood bought Star Spangled Banner that flies above us because we are the STILL THE LAND OF THE FREE. And we are STILL THE LAND OF THE FREE, because we are STILL THE HOME OF THE BRAVE. And as one of the BRAVE from this LAND OF THE FREE, hear me loudly, “DON’T TREAD ON ME!”

The Real Us

2009-07-09T23:19:00.001-04:00

From time to time, we must step back and evaluate ourselves and our walk with the Lord. Many of us do this from time to time, and it is in these times where we can see areas where we need to grow, or where we have regressed. Today I ask that you go about this in a different way. Don’t ask what my pastor or church friends would say about my walk, instead, get a little more personal, and ask what my spouse, children, and co-workers would say about my walk with the Lord.

First ask yourself what your spouse or children would say about your walk. They see a side of you that many will never see. So many times the way we act behind the church doors are total opposites of the way we act behind closed doors. Many homes that appear to be full of the Lord are actually full of abuse, drunkenness, adultery, bitterness, and so on and so on. Most people in your church will never see you act the way your immediate family does. It is a shame that most would never dare yell at a co-worker, or friend, but seem to have no problem yelling and tearing down the ones they claim to love the most; their spouse and children. Yes if you want to know about a person, the ones that live with them are great people to start with.

Co-workers are yet another good place to turn to when looking at your walk with the Lord. They know the jokes you tell, and the ones you laugh at. They know the amount of gossip you partake in. Sometimes they even know things that your spouse doesn’t know. It is amazing the language that can be heard coming from the mouth of so called Christians. Countless times have I heard men that have been ordained Deacon, talk vulgarly about the drunken weekend they had, or ogle and comment about the lady down the hall?

The way most people act around church, and the way they act at home and work just don’t match up. That is why, when you want to measure your spiritual walk that your church life, and the tasks you do there are not were to look. Where to look is home and work; the places where most of your living is done. Would you be comfortable with your coworkers and family getting up in front of your church and telling them how you are when you are away from church? If we are honest, most of us would cringe at that, but truth is we should live our live in a way that we would not fear anyone telling about how we act. All of us have areas where we could use some improving, but in order to do so we must be honest with ourselves on those issues.

You can paint an orange red, and call it an apple all day long, but when you squeeze it, it will always give you orange juice. We are the same way. We can beef up our spiritual walk, but when we are squeezed, what’s really inside, is what comes out.

Again I ask, what would your immediate family and co-workers have to say about you? Would it cause those in your church to view you different?

Plowing Upon A Rock.

2009-06-14T15:45:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite books in the Bible is the book of Amos; that Old Testament prophet from Tekoa. I have read it through countless times, and am currently teaching through it on Sunday mornings. As I was preparing this week, a verse jumped out at me that had not before. That’s the thing about scripture you can be reading something very familiar, and out of nowhere something new jumps up and grabs you.

Do horses run on rocks? Does one plow there with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood-- (Amos 6:12)

As I read does one plow there with oxen I stopped and for the first time asked myself, “plow where?” The answer is found in the previous question of “Do horses run on rocks?” together you see that Amos is asking whether or not one will harness up His oxen and plow rocks. The Picture that first came to mind was that of someone on top of Stone Mountain in Georgia, attempting to plow up a garden. For those not familiar, Stone Mountain is one huge hunk of Granite hundreds of feet high.

How useless would it be to try and cultivate and plow up that rock. Amos is telling us here that all of our vain material possessions, and lifestyles is just that; pointless and useless. I had to stop and ask myself if I am being useful, and making the best out of the time God has blessed me with, or am I just plowing a rock.

We must all ask ourselves this. We as a culture focus on our pleasure, and our comforts. We act like futile activities and possessions will some how further His kingdom. As men we focus on getting that Golf score down, or devoting all of our energy into our careers. Men our golf handicaps will not matter in a few years but training up our sons to be Godly men, husbands and fathers will have an eternal impact. The same is true for women training up their daughters to be Godly women, mothers, and wives. Spending every weekend at the lake or wherever it is that you fancy, how is that having an impact on Christ?

We are living in sin filled days, and we must make the best of our time. It is time we put aside the golf bag, and the bass boat with the guys, and pick up God’s Word and teach it to our families. It is time Women stop spending all their efforts to stay forever young, and realize that God has blessed them with maturity to train up younger women in Biblical womanhood. It is time that telling the world about Jesus Christ becomes a higher priority than the PTA. We all know that things have got to change; the question is will we do something about it, or will we simply be happy and content to foolishly spend our days plowing on a rock?

Hiding Our Light and Homeschooling

2009-05-24T18:10:00.004-04:00

As a vocal advocate for homeschooling, and a soon to be homeschooling father of five I am constantly challenged with a particular issue. Not challenged by conviction or from scripture, but challenged from other Christians, that my children are to be salt and light. Since I withhold my children from these so called institutions of education, I am accused of withholding my children’s light unto their schools.

After years of denying that I am withholding my salt and light, I have decided to give in. There is a devout Muslim school in the area, and I believe that this would be a terrific opportunity to let my daughter be the light she is called to be. I have looked into this school, and no matter what the subject is Islamic worldviews are interwoven into both the curriculum and the teaching styles. I know their arguments will be very convincing to a vulnerable mind like that of my 11 year old daughter, but she should be ok, as long as we spend time in the evenings talking about what they learned, and why it goes against our beliefs.

I know that this task will not be easy, but if I give it my all we might just be able to pull it off. Even if she does decide to leave our faith and follow that of her peers, or her instructors at least she may have been a light and made a difference to someone somewhere along the way. After all what right do I have to expect to be her prime influence in life? There are many out there who deserve their equal share of time to try and influence her, and I refuse to be selfish with her mind.

No I have not lost my mind, and yes my daughter will continue to be home schooled. Why is it that we find it unthinkable to send our children to Islamic or Hindu schools, but we have no problem in turning their little hearts and minds over to humanist schools. Shortly after high school 75 to 80 percent of young adults will leave the church never again to return. In recent years all sorts of ministries, classes, and programs have been launched to try and address these staggering departures from the church. Unfortunately these attempts have failed to turn the tides. We scratch our heads, wonder what went wrong, and then turn to the next program. The problem is not a lack of ministries or programs. The problem is that our children are being taught for 13 – 20 years a religion that vehemently opposes Christianity. Thus lies the problem.

From kindergarten to 12th grade children spend 14,000 seat hours in learning. Whoever controls these hours controls these children. –Voddie Baucham

What can theistic Sunday School meeting for an hour once a week do to stem the tide of a five day program of humanistic teaching. -Charles Francis Potter, signer of the Humanist manifesto-

Ten Task to Communism.

2009-05-14T23:02:00.004-04:00

According to Karl Marx there are ten things that will most likely happen to an advanced country as it falls into communism. Sound familiar?

1. Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes.

2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.

3. Abolition of all rights of inheritance.

4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels.

5. Centralization of credit in the banks of the state, by means of a national bank with state capital and an exclusive monopoly.

6. Centralization of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the state.

7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the state; the bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan.

8. Equal obligation of all to work. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture.

9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of all the distinction between town and country by a more equable distribution of the populace over the country.

10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production, etc.

The cat is out of the bag!

2009-02-15T21:50:00.002-05:00

We have finally decided to start sharing the great news that number 6 is on it's way!

Training An Elephant.

2009-02-06T23:49:00.001-05:00

Do you remember the first time you tried to tame an elephant? The fear you had and the strong will of the elephant did not pair up too well. How many days did it take you to even train him not to run from you? You thought it would always fear you, until the day the elephant finally started eating out of your hand, and then you realized what a beautiful friendship this would be. Honestly, I doubt anyone reading this has ever trained an elephant. Most of us probably have never even touched one, much less trained one. It is hard enough for me to train a 5 pound weenie dog, much less a multi ton beast.

Although training an elephant is not something I will ever do, it is an interesting way to train nonetheless. To train an elephant, the trainer will drive a huge stake in the ground, and use chains that the elephant cannot break. At first the elephant will struggle, but eventually it will realize that it is pointless, and will decide to just stay where it is. Now that the elephant has accepted the fact that it is stuck, the big chains are no longer needed. You can then just drive a small stake in the ground, and tie a small chain to the elephant’s leg. It just assumes that the chain is the unbreakable one and does not even try to leave. It free to go, but stays willingly a captive of its captor.

We are just like this elephant when it comes to our past sin. At one time we were prisoners to our sins, but then came Jesus. He died on the cross, for your sins and mine, and thus doing so, He set us free. Like the elephant, we too once had shackles on our ankles. Shackles not tied to a stake or a pole, but tied to the sin in our life. When you turned to Jesus, He reached down and unlocked those shackles from around your ankles. Although He unlocked them, he did not take your legs out of them. Instead of fleeing our unlocked shackles, we just stay in them and mope around saying “Woe is me”, or we feel as though our sin is still keeping us prisoner.

Many look at their past and refuse to let it go because they feel that God will not forgive what they did or that they must remain a prisoner to their sin. Friends, let me tell you that if you have confessed your sins to God, trust in Jesus, and are covered by the blood of the Lamb, then you are set free. When God forgave your sins, he forgave all of them. Not some, but ALL of them. There is not a single thing you could have done that can not be washed away by the blood that was shed on the cross at Calvary. It may have been lying, stealing, or even rape or murder. Whatever it is God, will forgive you and set you free if you let Him.

You must decide that you are no longer going to be a prisoner of your past. God has made your sin as far away as the east is from the west. Satan will try time and time again to use your past against you, but all you have to do is flee. If today you still feel as though you are a prisoner to your sin, even though you are a child of God, then I urge you to take a look at that shackle around your ankle. If you look closely, you will see that yes, it is still there, but it is wide open, just waiting for you to walk away from it. If you do come to that conclusion, and are ready to leave your sin behind, don’t just walk out of your shackles, but instead run out of them. The Bible does not tell us to hang around sin and hope it goes away, no, it tells us to flee it.

Now don’t get me wrong, if you have sinned, there are still lingering consequences, but even while suffering the consequences of sin, one can take joy in knowing that the guilt of that sin has been taken from them. Again, if you are feeling guilty or trapped by sin that you have repented of, then make the decision that today is the day you let that sin know that it no longer has power over you and that Satan can no longer use that sin against you. Oh Satan will try; he will say “Oh, you want to serve God do you, well what about this sin you committed?” Instead of saying “Yeah, you’re right,” just respond with “What sin? Mine is at the bottom of the ocean floor, never to be seen again.” We have been forgiven, and it is high time we start acting like it and stop letting our past hold us back. Yes, I have a past, and it is one that I am not proud of, but it is one that by the grace of God I am forgiven of.

When it comes to sin, as a believer in Christ, we have freedom, but as always, with freedom comes responsibility. We can’t just say “Oh I‘m free”, and run around like a spoiled kid in a candy store. No, we must be responsible with it. If you have this freedom, you are an ambassador to the Kingdom of God, and as such you have a responsibility.

A responsibility to witness, both verbally and through action.

A responsibility to strive to live a pure and holy life.

A responsibility to offer this same forgiveness to others that have sinned against you.

A responsibility to obey His word without compromise.

A responsibility to love one another as Christ loved us.

We have been given this freedom as a gift and we must stop treating it like it is something we were owed. The only thing we are owed would be God’s wrath and judgment, but praise God, He decided to pour His blood out upon a cross, instead of pouring His wrath out upon us.

God Bless You

Chad Patterson

I have no man

2009-01-15T23:16:00.001-05:00

We know the story of the man that was healed by Jesus at the pool of Bethesda; how he had laid there for thirty-eight years waiting for someone to help. The response this man gave Jesus is not usually what we look at, as most of the time, the focus of this passage is on the Pharisees coming after Jesus for healing on the Sabbath.

"The impotent man answered him, ‘Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.’" (John 5:7)

Today, I would like to look at the three excuses given in this man’s response. The first response being that he claimed to have no man to put him in the pool. How many time are we guilty of waiting on someone else? I can’t tell you how many times I hear one spouse say they would love to go to church, but they just can’t get their spouse to go, and they do not want to do it alone. How many times do people feel God calling them to go and talk to the pastor during an alter call, but will not because they are waiting on their friends to do it? There are far too many people going from church to church, trying to grow in the Lord. When questioned why they left their previous church I hear "my spiritual needs were not being met." What I have found this means a majority of the time is "I didn’t have anyone to spoon feed me, and I grew tired of waiting for someone that would, so I left." We must realize that our spiritual walk is not reliant on other people, but is reliant on our relationship with Christ. It is this relationship that will decide your eternal destination. As I used tell my students, "you can’t get to heaven on your parent’s Jesus, you gotta get your own Jesus".

The next excuse that was used was that the timing was not right: "When the water is troubled." Let’s face it, there are millions who know they need the salvation of Jesus, but refuse to accept it because they don’t think the time is right. I have heard countless people express that they know who Jesus is, but then they refuse to turn to him, because they are not ready to turn from their lifestyle. Many are under His blood already, but they refuse to follow him obediently, as they feel the time is not right for them. If you wait until the time is right, you will die waiting. How many of us have said "I want to share Jesus with them but it’s just not the right time"? Well, if now is not the right time, when would the right time be when there in Hell? Sorry, Too Late! Today is the day of salvation, not tomorrow or next week, TODAY! We have got to stop procrastinating on spiritual matters. Now I know that there truly are times when you can feel the Holy Spirit say to you "Not now," but let’s be honest these times are far and few in between. Most of the time it is just our fear and laziness that is telling us to wait.

The man’s third excuse was one we really like… blame others: "While I am coming, another steppeth down before me." Don’t we just love to blame our misfortunes and our sins on someone else? "I know I shouldn’t have said that, it’s not my fault. If she hadn’t said what she did, I never would have had to use that language." Has anybody ever found themselves saying something similar to that? We must stop looking around for others to blame and take responsibility for our own actions. When you realize that your sin is just that: your sin, you can then do something about it… leave it.

You may not be physically laying cripple on the ground, waiting on that right time when someone will take you to the healing pool, but many have lives that are lying there broken and are in need of a Healer. Maybe you are going through financial difficulties, a divorce, or an addiction; maybe you are suffering from sexual sins, or a wayward child. No matter what it is, stop waiting on the right person to come at the right time, and stop focusing on those who appear to stand in your way. For you see, the Great Healer has come, He is still here today, and no one can stand in His way. HE IS JESUS! No matter what it is that you are going through, Jesus is here today. Do not tarry, but turn to Him and you too can experience the healing that only Jesus can bring.

Let There Be Audio

2009-01-09T00:44:00.003-05:00

Finally I made the plunge, and Pure Hearts Pure Homes will now consist of audio. My First sermon "A New Years Promise Like No Other" was just uploaded. Our site is http://www.sermonaudio.com/phph

A New Years Commitment Like No Other.

2009-01-06T13:55:00.002-05:00

Whether we were ready or not, 2009 is here and moving full speed ahead. Every year I spend the first week or two sorting out what my goals will be. Some I will succeed at, and some I will fail at, but none the less, I set them anyway. This year was no different. I sat down and began to pray and meditate on what I wanted to accomplish this year. As I did, I was lead down a different path for 2009. I started as any good Christian should; I asked God what were the goals I should make? Instead of showing me what goals to make, he reminded me of how useless my previous commitments were.

I realized then just how frivolously I have been making commitments to God. If I follow trhough on them good, if not then I am no worse off. So what do I have to lose in making commitments? This I fear is the same attitude as the majority of my brothers and sisters in Christ. God is tired of our vain commitments. Many times, alter calls are made with righteous intentions, but met with vain and insincere commitments. This past week, alters around this nation were filled with people making an outward show of a commitment they have no intention of keeping. But oh how good it looks and feels to go down to that alter. Now there is nothing wrong with going to the alter if you truly understand and are fully dedicated to following through with your commitments.

So here I was going to God proudly telling Him, “Here I am God give me my goals”. The wind was quickly let out of my sails, by hearing God answer “What’s the use?" I went to God proudly ready to serve, and left Him humbly disgusted with my previous vain commitments. I knew then that it was time to do away with empty lip service, and follow him with all my heart, all my mind, and with all of my very being. God left me sitting there with a choice; either follow Him with full commitment and without looking back, or be prepared not to follow Him at all.

Today as the Husband, Father, and Priest of my home I am making a stand in fear and trembling before a Holy God proclaiming that I can not speak for everyone else, but I do declare that my house will be known as a house that serves the Lord. It will know as such not by signs in the yard, symbols on our cars, or by an alter call. No my house will be know as a house that serves the Lord, by the very lives of those from within. Again I say this with extreme fear and trembling, knowing that this is not something to take lightly, as God does not take it lightly. So as I say this, I must make sure that I burn any false Gods and Idols that may be about. Not store them away in case I may need them again, but burn and destroy them with great haste. I call on other Husbands, Fathers and others serving in that role to make this same commitment. But please do so with fear and trembling. This is not an alter call where we go down front to outwardly show that we will serve the Lord. This is a call to seriously pray and fast about where your family and household Is. When and only when you realize the commitment you are making and how serious God takes it should you go to Him and make it. God is fed up with our lip service, and it is becoming like a stinging smoke to His eyes.

The Enabled Womb.

2009-01-04T22:20:00.002-05:00

Is God really in control? Of course He is, and not just in certain areas, for He is in control of all. I have been wanting to write on this topic for a while, but kept feeling God say “No”. Then today as I began to write I felt God pulling me away from my chosen topic, to this one. To some, it may feel as though this does not apply to you, but I promise you that it does.

Again, we like to think that we give God control of everything in our life, yet there are some areas that we do not surrender to Him. Today I will briefly touch on one of those subjects, and that subject is how we consider Gods hand “off limits” when it comes to bearing children. Today I am going to look at a scripture that most never even relate to the subject, and this would be Ruth Chapter 4 verse 13.

So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son.

(Ruth 4:13)

This verse is usually thought to be there to show that it was to Boaz that Ruth bore a son. But look closer into the verse. It says the LORD gave her conception. The Lord was the one that enabled her womb and it was the Lord that allowed conception. We must realize that her womb was no different than any other. Every single womb that has ever conceived a child has done so only after being enabled by the Lord. And if the Lord enabled the womb, He has the power to see after that womb.

If you are a couple who is worried about getting pregnant, know that before your womb is enabled to conceive, God knows the outcome of your pregnancy. Maybe you have had a bad or tragic pregnancy in the past; know that God enabled your womb and He is in control. Perhaps you are in the middle of your pregnancy, and are worried that something could go wrong. If so just know that God enabled the very womb that your baby is in, and He knows the outcome already, and whatever it is, it will not take Him off guard. Maybe you have already had a child and are in the midst of a trial, know that God enabled your womb with this day in mind. Perhaps you only have older children and are even 10, 20, or 50 years removed from bearing your children, know that when God enabled your womb to conceive, He was well aware of what today would bring that child.

Life is precious. Every one of us is designed personally by Him and done so with a purpose. There are no “oops” with God. He never messes up. I have no idea who this is written for today, but just know that the God who enables your womb, is the same God that will see you through pregnancy, and will see your child through its life. We don’t know how long that life will last; it could be a few moments or it could be 100 years as that is something that only God knows. And He knew this when He enables your conception.

As good as they are, doctors and machinery can be wrong, but God is never wrong. What you are going through may seem hopeless now, but God knew this day would come, yet He enabled your conception anyway. He has a reason and a plan for all things even though it may be hard to see this right now.

I could not, for the life of me, figure out why God had me staring at my second son in an incubator with tubes in him, nor could I grasp the reason I was looking into my first son’s casket, but God knew the reason before we even conceived either of them. Years later, I partially know the reason why, but at the time I was going through those trials, it seemed hopeless and as if life was over.

You to may not know why your child is going through a hard time and you may ask “why”. You may never know why, but you can rest in the fact that God does. No matter what it is you are up against, God knew it was coming, and His arms were opened even before it happened, so why not simply fall into them?

Who Around You Needs to Hear the Gospel?

2008-12-30T00:51:00.005-05:00

The Casting Crowns song “Does Anybody See Her” says it best, with the line “lost and dying people under the shadow of a steeple”. How true this is! How many people, within sight of your church, have not heard the gospel from someone at your church? The answer should be none, but unfortunately it is usually a lot. I have heard Dwayne Blue speak on several occasions, and one thing he says, sticks with me to this day. As he talks about his mother, he tells of how she lived for over 20 years within a block of several churches. Not one of those people ever talked to his mom, and after more than 20 years of living under the shadow of many steeples, she died and went to Hell because no one cared to share Jesus with her.

Church, this is unacceptable. We cannot just let people go through life not knowing what Jesus has done for them. We must be about the business of sharing Jesus Christ with those around us. You can share Him with a co-worker, a friend, a family member, a stranger in the store or on the street, or simply share Him with anyone you have contact with. I don’t mean that we are to go up to everyone we see and recite the Romans Road, although it may very well lead to doing so. I mean go up to that person that looks like their not having a good day, and ask, “Hey are you okay?” You don’t have to quote a chapter, or multiple verses to them, just genuinely show that you care. You never know what just reaching out your hand or ear can do to someone’s day. With all the churches in America, there is no way that anyone should die and go to hell because they were not shown the Gospel. Who is it that is going down today under the shadow of your steeple? I think we all, including myself, could be a lot more diligent at looking at those around us to see who needs to be ministered to. Again, you never know just how much your concern and kindness can change someone, but trust me it cannot only change their day, but it could change their very life.

If asked, many of us could tell of many times when Jesus carried us through a trial. Imagine going through one of those trials without Jesus, because that is what many people are doing this very moment. They are waiting on someone to care and to show them a way out. Why not be that person, and show them that you care, that Jesus cares, and that there is a way out, and that is through the Cross of Jesus Christ.

God Bless You

Chad Patterson

Our children are worth taking a stand for.

2008-12-28T21:55:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas

2008-12-21T21:53:00.000-05:00

Every year it seems that more and more people refuse to say the word Christmas for fear of offending someone. Church we have let this political correctness go far enough. I know Christmas is just a title, and you might say what is the big deal about replacing it with another word. Well the big deal is that we would rather hide the name of Christ than offend people. Christ himself told us His name would offend. It's not just Christmas, as it seems as though it is with everything. The church cowers down to the gods of political correctness. I don't serve a God that is PC, I serve a God that died, and rose again three days later. I don't have to be ashamed of my God, for He is still alive. All other religions have had founders that made certain claims, only to be silenced by the grave. Christianity is different in that we have Jesus Christ. Instead of being silenced by the grave, he silenced the grave. Satan knows that he has already been defeated, so instead of trying to fight Jesus, he chose to silence him through Political correctness.

I do not in any way mean we should be rude or harsh with the message of Christ, as that is not His message, and it will not win people. We should share his message with love. We must remember that if someone is offended by the Bible, it is not us that offends them, it is God's Holy Word doing the offending. Before I get a million responses on how Christmas is not a true Christian holiday, let me make it clear that I am fully aware of the origins of Christmas, and this devotional is not meant to debate it’s origins . It is to say that Christians need not be ashamed of the God they serve. Nor be afraid of the ones that hate Him. This does not only apply to Christmas, but to every day of the year. Christ Came to earth as a humble baby, and died a cruel and painful death for us. Whether His name is PC or not, it deserves to be proclaimed boldly, and without apology.
God Bless You
Chad Patterson

One Costly Gift!

2008-12-19T23:58:00.001-05:00

Many times we have heard stories of how someone who was not wealthy or famous was cast into roles of leadership. Stories of how a young shepherd boy was chosen to be king of Israel, or how the son of a slave woman was placed in a basket, only to be found and raised in the house of Pharaoh. Then there are the fictional stories like Cinderella, or the more recent "The Princess Diaries.”

I don’t know what it is, but there is something inside of us that just loves to see someone who has nothing, get a chance like that. As you read the story of Joseph, you see him get shafted again and again, only to finally go from unjustly imprisoned to second in command of Egypt.

There are many of these type scenarios out there, yet the one I want to talk about today is the opposite of those already mentioned. This person’s story is not one of a poor person being exalted to ruler of a nation. No, this is the story of a King choosing to give up His throne and take up the role of the son of a tradesman.

You see, history is full of people advancing themselves, but there was but one who took off His robe and left the throne room, only to placed in a manger inside a smelly cave with animals all around. Now granted, many kings have lost their kingship, but not Jesus. He voluntarily gave it all up. What is even more amazing is why He did this. He left the glories of Heaven behind, in order to save a bunch of people that did not deserve it (people such as Paul, Peter, you, myself, and even people like Hitler and Stalin).

As we go about our busy schedules, let us not forget this amazing act that was done for us. When we look at the babe in the manger this year, let us not forget that the God of the universe loved us so much that He was willing to be born in such a place, and into a family that was anything but wealthy. He, as the King of Kings, was willing to be chased by mere earthly rulers to the point of fleeing the country. He did so with full knowledge of what was in store for Him. Pain, suffering, humiliation, rejection, and execution; these are the things He received for giving up His throne. Yes, he did pay a high price for leaving His throne behind, and He even knew this before He came that first Christmas morning.

Why would someone do this? Simple; that’s how much He loved you and me. Oh, it was a high price to pay, but for us, He was willing pay it.

Whether you are wealthy or poor, healthy or sick, we all have reason to rejoice this Christmas, and that reason is Jesus.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11)

God Bless You
Chad Patterson

No Virginia There is Not a Santa.

2008-12-18T16:14:00.003-05:00

Here is an article written by Ellen Makkai shortly after Christmas last year.

When we were convicted to stop the whole Santa charade, we thought we were heading into a new frontier all alone. It was not until we made the decision to tell our Kids that the gifts are from us because God has blessed us, and not just something we have a right to because we were good, that we found others of a like mind. Many we discovered had been doing this for years, and many more we discovered were seriously contemplating it. Of all the lifestyle changes due to convictions we went through, this one in particular probably bought out the worst furry, from others.
So this Christmas if you are one of the many wondering if you should continue this Santa thing in your home, know that you are not alone. It might sound strange, but most of us know people who do not celebrate Santa. You may not realize this, because most choose to just be quite about it (myself included most of the time) as they do not wish to start a huge argument. Just know that when you decide Christmas is not about a fat man saying ho ho ho, but is about Angels declaring , “on this night the messiah is born” You will not be alone.

THE SANTA CLAUS CON OVER FOR NOW
by Ellen MakkaiDecember 29, 2007NewsWithViews.com

Dear Ellen,

We punish our children for lying, but at Christmas we lied to them again this year about Santa. Now what? Signed, Dad with a guilty conscience

Dear Dad,

What a question to come days after Christmas! Santa Claus placemats, greeting cards, candles, magnets, cookies, napkins and wrapping paper still litter the house. Rover spent the last 72 hours trying to chew off the mini-Santa suit a zealous celebrant couldn’t leave behind at the pet store.

This Christmas conundrum plays out annually across the globe as perplexed moms and dads ponder just how to handle Santa. What to do with Santa, the primo, culturally anointed Christmas icon?

At Christmas, ordinarily non-fibbing parents find themselves shoved into the planetary conspiracy to hoodwink their children. “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.” And ultimately comes the piercing truth, “Nope, we lied; no Santa, no reindeer, no sleigh, no elves. Sorry.”
The confession is rephrased, of course, enabling folks to discount their multiplied perjuries when faced with a disillusioned tot. Platitudes abound in futile attempts to painlessly dismantle the Santa canard. “Spirit of Christmas, make-believe, imagination, fantasy, fairy-tale” compete in our embroidered excuses.

Sadly, the good news Annunciation is often lost to children amidst the hoopla of this annual Christmas con-game. An old believer once stunned me with “S-A-N-T-A was created by S-A-T-A-N.” Oh dear. Did the father of lies concoct this mythological benefactor in the ongoing campaign to usurp God as the gift-giver?

Just in case, St. Nick never made it beyond a fairy tale in our house. And the truth deprived our children of nothing. The Encyclopedia Britannica notes that St. Nicholas was a 4th century bishop known for his kindness to children and the poor. Legends say that he often gave gifts anonymously - a cherished example of generosity. A Santa potholder and a red fleece cap, in homage to the honorable saint, was enough for us.

Families that haven’t yet capitulated to the Santa hoax can rightly define Christmas for their children early on, as we did. An imaginary package-toting gnome jumping down chimneys pales in comparison to the historical Christmas which needs no embellishment to inspire delight.
A long-prophesied promise is fulfilled. Miraculous dreams, angelic visitors and choirs-in-the-sky announce the divine visitation. An astronomical phenomenon draws aristocratic Persian Magi across the desert to the throne room of an evil potentate, and then onto the humble abode of an infant king. Why deception when the truth is vastly more colorful and engaging?
Dad, you write that you succumbed to Santa as described in Clement Clarke Moore’s “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” and your kids bought in. When that dreaded question surfaces (“Is Santa real?”), honesty will be the best gift you give next Christmas - if your youngsters haven’t figured it out by then.

But, be prepared; sensitivity-training should accompany your confession. Newly Santa-savvy children are known for blunt recklessness in blurting out, “There is no Santa!” when conversing with their duped contemporaries. No one likes a spoilsport. Remind your kids that it’s not their place to dethrone Santa in the eyes of unenlightened devotees.
Ultimately, however, truth is its own reward. You can skip long lines for the shopping-center Santa beg-a-thon. You won’t awake on Christmas morn to sour milk and the stale cookies left to enhance deceit. An illumined crèche in your yard will silently herald to passers-by that your home has the Spirit within.

When the lie ends, Saint Nicholas returns to history and Christmas suffers no less glee. But better than best; thanks to a reclaimed integrity, your children are likely to doubt you less and trust you more when you sing, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come…”

We must Guard Our Children's Hearts and Minds

2008-12-17T23:36:00.000-05:00

Our children; they are such precious blessings. The cute sayings they come up with, the things they do. The laugh and smile of a child is priceless. Not only are our children cute though, they are also our future. The future of our nation and our world are today lying around in cribs, playpens, and sitting in high chairs. Yes, they are our future and Satan knows this.

He knew this in the days of Adam, the days of Moses, the days of Jesus, and He still knows it today. Satan thought he could step in and ruin the prophecy given in Genesis 3:15, by simply ridding the world of the seed of Eve. After that didn’t work, He thought that he would end the children of Israel by having Pharaoh wipe out the male children, and he tried to stop Jesus by having Herod wipe out all the male boys in the land. Even though Satan has failed time and time again, he still tries.

Satan, being wise, has finally figured out that you can’t kill of the church by murdering it’s children, but you can really “do a number on it” by winning its children. Yes, Satan still goes after our children, only this time he is not sending armed soldiers after them. No, this time he is doing itby winning over their minds and hearts.

Satan is not dumb. Win the children and you win the future. Unlike before, where parents hid their children from the likes of Pharaoh and Herod, now they openly give their children over. They are allowed to sit for hours in front of the TV, letting it penetrate their little minds. We send them to school, where for the most part they are taught for years that Godand truth do not exist. It seems that what they are being taught now gets more immoral every year. We give our children toys that teach immodest and immoral issues. Some of these toys teach our girls to dress like they are ready for a night in the club, and when they get old enough, they will be ready. Gone are the days when boys looked up to heroes that stood for truth and justice, and taught integrity. Now their heroes have little integrity. Instead of rescuing the fair maiden, they are taught to just take her to bed, and leave her in the morning.

We can fool ourselves by saying “Not my child, they know right from wrong, and fantasy from reality.” The truth is, when they see the “cool people” in Hollywood live an immoral life without appearing to have consequences, and then here you say “Don’t do that, it’s bad,” or they hear “Because God said it’s wrong,” who do you think will win out? Yes, Satan was no dummy. He saw the potential for the old TV, and He ran with it. I am not saying that you can’t watch TV; I am just saying that as a parent, you have a responsibility to your child to know what they view. Not what types of shows they watch, but the content is in those shows. We must also be willing to say "No you can’t watch that.”

Most of the children in modernized countries spend more time watching TV in one evening than they do studying God’s word all week. We are fed the line that says we should not interfere with our children as they form their beliefs. This is one huge lie. The very people that would tell us as parents not to push our beliefs on our children have no problem pushing their beliefs on our children.

Our children are impressionable. They soak up their surroundings like a dry sponge. Satan knows this and that is why we as parents must guard their precious hearts and minds with all our might. Your child’s heart will be won, their mind will be formed, and a worldview will be instilled in them. The question is: whose will it be?

God Bless you
Chad Patterson

The Hope of a Babe

2008-12-16T15:33:00.002-05:00

Drive down any street, or walk into any store, and you quickly see that the Christmas season is in full swing. This time of year is my favorite time of the year. There’s all the festivities, the feasts, getting to see people that you don’t see too often, not to mention getting to celebrate the birth of our savior; Christ Jesus. As a child it was the anticipation of presents, and now it the anticipation of the smile on those I have given presents to. All in all, this is just such a joyous time.

In the midst of my Christmas joy, I was reminded the other day that not everyone will be sharing in this joy this year. My commute everyday takes me passed three cemeteries. That morning as I was headed in, I noticed that in each of these cemeteries stood either a funeral canopy, or a grave that was being dug. The thought hit me, while most will be gathered with family around a freshly cut Christmas tree, many will be gathered with family around a freshly dug grave. The sting of death is not the only thing that people will be going through this Christmas though. Many are facing Christmas without daddy or mommy, as they are off fighting a war, many are off at war and are missing their child’s first Christmas. Many are hungry, and worried not about stocking stuffers, but only about their next meal. Some are feeling down because they know they will have to watch their child go without anything on Christmas. Yes for some this Christmas is not about joy, but grief and anguish.

Many people are down this time of year, because they just don’t grasp why Christmas is here in the first place. It is here because a babe was born some 2000 years ago. A babe that will allow you to one day reunite with that love one you now grieve. A babe that can fill you in a way no earthly food ever could. A babe that can give you great joy even when you have not a penny to your name. A babe that we call Jesus.

If you are suffering this Christmas season no matter what it is I urge you, as does Jesus, to cast your burdens upon His shoulders. Will you still miss your loved one, or wish you could provide presents for your children? Most likely you will, but with Jesus you can have joy, even while you are in the midst of suffering. No matter what it is, Jesus wants you to bring it to Him.

For those not suffering this year, maybe it is you that God will use to bless someone else. Maybe it is you that God will send to share His son with someone struggling with the death of a loved one. Maybe it is you that will be called on to make sure that a parent does not see the look on their child’s face that cry’s out, “why did I not get anything for Christmas., was I bad?” Yes Christ is the reason for the season, but may our lives be the reason people turn to Him.

Merry Christmas

Chad

The Hope of a Babe

2008-12-16T15:33:00.000-05:00

Is Dating Wise?

2008-12-12T20:50:00.002-05:00

With Chloe being 11 years old, I am increasingly warned that I am going to be in for it as she nears the dating age. My answer, “oh she is not going to date” is met with laughter, until people realize that I am serious. I have been told about all the damage this does, and how courtship just does not fit in with today’s culture.

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. (Eph 5:15-16)

Is it Wise? This is a question we must ask ourselves about everything we do. So, with that, the question I pose is this. According to biblical standards, what is there that is wise when it comes to modern dating? From every angle I approach it, it reeks of being unwise; a way in which according to the bible we are not to walk. So again I ask what is wise about it?

Republican = Christian?

2008-12-12T14:45:00.002-05:00

Here is a great article by Chuck Baldwin, (2008 Constitution Party predidential nominee).

WHERE ARE DOBSON AND PCC NOW?

By Chuck Baldwin
December 12, 2008
NewsWithViews.com

I ask my non-Christian friends to bear with me on this column. As one will quickly see, this column is addressed to my fellow Christian conservatives.

Regular readers of this column know that one of my chief frustrations is the way Christian conservatives (otherwise known as the "Religious Right") are so easily deceived by Republican politicians. The all-time classic illustration of this foible is the way the Religious Right was (and is) so enamored with President George W. Bush. No matter what Bush did: no matter how egregiously unconstitutional, no matter how utterly stupid, no matter how blatantly evil his actions were, Christian conservatives (almost universally) either robotically accepted and approved what he did, or blindly looked the other way. It was maddening!

It was as if Christian conservatives lost all ability to reason; it was as if they lost all discernment and discretion. Because George W. Bush claimed to be a Christian, and because he was a Republican, he could do no wrong. To this very day, the only group of people who yet approves of Bush's Presidency is the Religious Right. Everyone else on the planet realizes that George W. Bush's Presidency will go down in history has one of the all-time worst.

George Bush took a prosperous and robust economy, and led America to the verge of a second Great Depression. He has taken a (relatively) free and independent republic to the brink of becoming a globalist Police State. He has pushed the envelope of executive power; he has trampled individual liberty; he has made a mockery of justice; and he has made America the laughingstock of the world. In addition, Bush has misused and abused our nation's bravest and finest by his illegal and inexcusable invasion of Iraq. No matter. The Religious Right still loves him. Why? Because he is a "Christian" Republican.

Since 2000, James Dobson, Pensacola Christian College (PCC), and their peers around the country have had an eight-year lovefest with George W. Bush. Life-size cardboard posters of Bush have stood in their bookstores for eight long, laborious years. Grade school children in their Christian schools have been subjected to Bush propaganda for eight tedious, tiresome years. To them, G.W. Bush ranks somewhere between Moses and the Almighty. And nothing Bush said or did seemed to matter.

I said all of that to call attention to a recent interview Cynthia McFadden had with President Bush on ABC's Nightline this past Monday. During the interview, McFadden asked Bush if the Bible was literally true.

Now, acceptance of the Bible's literalness is one of conservative Christianity's most sacred doctrines. There is not a professor at PCC (or any other conservative Christian college or university) that would keep his or her job for a nano-second, if he or she even questioned the veracity of the Scriptures. Right? You know it's true! Most conservative Christians would even go so far as to say that one cannot be a born-again Christian who does not believe that the Bible is the infallible Word of God.

Well, what was George Bush's response to McFadden's question? He said, "You know. Probably not. . . . No, I'm not a literalist." Notice, Bush twice denied the veracity of the Scriptures.
Now, Bush has no reason to "fudge" his answers, right? He has no more elections to face. No more, "He's got to say this to get elected," which was the flippant explanation given by the Religious Right to excuse Bush's numerous apostate positions during the past eight years.
So, George W. Bush clearly stated that he does not believe the Bible is God's Holy, inspired Word. Will Dobson and PCC still say that Bush is "one of us"?

Then, as Bush attempted to give a Christian testimony, he told McFadden, "It is hard for me to justify or prove the mystery of the Almighty in my life. All I can just tell you is that I got back into religion and I quit drinking shortly thereafter . . . ."

What kind of Christian testimony is this: "I got back into religion"? I doubt that this kind of testimony would grant membership in the Campus Church (which is not even a genuine New Testament church, you understand) at PCC or in virtually any conservative Christian church.
I am confident, however, that Bush's statements will do nothing to diminish his god-like status with James Dobson and the rest of the Religious Right in America. For eight long and bloody years, Christian conservatives have been selling their convictions, doctrines, and even their consciences to George W. Bush. I will even go so far as to say that, in many respects, millions of Christians have turned President Bush into an idol. Many of them would forsake their pastor, their friends, and even their own family before they would forsake George W. Bush and the Republican Party.

Mark's side note; this last month, Dobson, focus on the family, has anounced that due to lack of donations, they will have to lay off hundreds of people. Is God still blessing his ministry?
Of course, none of this would have happened had Christians--and especially Christian pastors--not lost touch with their American heritage. Had they maintained a studied understanding of constitutional government, and of the principles of Natural Law upon which it rests, they would not have become dupes for Bush and his fellow neocons.

I doubt very much whether Thomas Jefferson was a born-again Christian (after all, he, like Bush, expressed doubt regarding the Bible's literalness), but he fully understood--and embraced--the "Laws of Nature and of Nature's God" and was more than willing to inculcate those principles into our country's most sacred document: our Declaration of Independence. As such, Jefferson will be forever regarded as one of America's greatest Founding Fathers and Presidents. Believe me, America was far better off with Thomas Jefferson than with George W. Bush!

So, where are Dobson and PCC now? Will any of them utter a word of rebuke to their "Christian" President for his apostasy? No, they won't. (As a comparison, contemporary pastors most certainly did rebuke Jefferson for his public statements questioning Christ's divinity, even though he was a Founding Father and author of the Declaration of Independence.) Of course, Barack Obama will not escape the public repudiation of Dobson and Company. Why? He is a Democrat. You see, it's not principle; it's partisan politics that matters, after all.

While we are asking questions, when will our fellow Christians and pastors finally open their history books? When will they read the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independence? And when will they open their minds and hearts--even a crack--to the possibility that they might have been duped, and that there is more to being elected to the office of President besides being a "Christian" Republican? Probably never.

In four more years, there will doubtless be another "Christian" Republican for the Religious Right to fawn over. Where he or she stands on the Constitution won't matter; neither will it matter whether this newest "Christian" Republican has any commitment to national sovereignty, the Bill of Rights, or to fundamental freedoms. All that will matter is that he or she professes to be a Christian, and has an "R" behind their name. And, quite frankly, this last election proved that even a Christian profession is not necessary. All that is required is the "R" behind the name.

Christmas = Joy

2008-12-10T20:30:00.004-05:00

The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. (Luk 2:20)

The Shepherds not only went back, but they went back praising God for what they had seen. The excitement we see in Luke 2:20 is due to the fact that the Shepherds had knowingly encountered Christ the Lord. The shepherds did not just find Jesus and return to their flocks as if nothing had happened. No they returned with great excitement and joy, glorifying and praising God.

If we are saved, then we are like the shepherds, as we have encountered Jesus Christ, and realized just who he is. But unlike the shepherds we tend to accept Jesus, as Lord and Savior, only to return to our daily routines, not to ever mention our salvation, except to other Christians. We need to have the same joy and excitement that the Shepherds had. The world would have us believe that we should be too ashamed to be excited about Jesus, but I tell you we should be ashamed not to be excited. We should go about every day with the excitement that the shepherds had. Not brash or rude, but full of excitement and praise. People, we have been given the best gift of all, and that is the forgiveness of our sins, through Christ Jesus. If you have been saved, you have no reason to hang your head in a woe-is-me state. Let the excitement radiate off of your face to the point that others can't help but ask what is it that gives you this joy. Giving us a chance to tell them from just whom it is that gives us our joy. Again go and tell the world with GREAT JOY that Christ the Lord has been born.

Merry Christmas

Chad

From The Garden To the Cradle

2008-12-09T14:33:00.004-05:00

What Happened on Black Friday?

2008-12-02T23:56:00.003-05:00

By now we have all heard about the tragedies that took place on black Friday. From a Wal-Mart employee being trampled to death, to two men pulling out guns and killing each other in toys r us; not to mention the many fist fights that occurred. When we hear stories like these, we tend to step back and gasp at how someone’s life could be taken over mere sales items. I too found myself thinking, “what on earth has happened to us when were willing to take a life over a game console or doll. Then it hit me.

As sad and awful as these events were, are they not a reflection of our society? A society were one can choose to kill their innocent child, mainly because it will hinder their materialistic lifestyle. If I have a kid, it will mean less money to spend on ME, and that leads to less stuff for ME. Let’s face it, with four children (the blessings they are), gone are the days many grown up toys and designer clothes. One of the best things that can occur is to get one of those big innocent smiles from your child. How many people are missing one of these smiles because they had to have a bigger house, a nicer car, a better education, and more stuff to go with it? Sadly they do not realize that apart from Jesus Christ, nothing can bring more joy into a home or ones life than a child.

Just in the last couple years I have heard numerous excuses as to why someone’s abortion was the right thing.

… So since he was going to be born with major health issues, we ended his life. Two reasons were given here, one the mom would have to stay home to tend to him. Rather than cut things like a second car, vacations, cable TV etc. etc. It was the life of this precious child that was cut. The second reason given is that he would not have that good of a life; another way of saying he would interfere with me enjoying my stuff.

…so there was just no other option. She had a full scholarship to XYZ University, and would loose it if she were pregnant. Even giving up for adoption, would mean missed classes while giving birth. The only way to guarantee she kept the scholarship was to kill the baby. Why was this woman’s education more valuable then the precious life of her child? Simple, it was a well known law school, and would land her a great Job in the near future, thus supplying her with lots of stuff.

There are so many women out there with stories similar to these. So many of them made the choice they did, out of desire for more and more material possessions. With over 40 million babies, and countless elderly parents sacrificed brutally on the alter of materialism, is it any wonder why people acted the way they did on what truly was a Black Friday. The murder of millions of over the past 30 years has not taken place in a vacuum. Maybe when a baby’s life is put above a having a nice house and good education, maybe we see the life of others as being worth more than a playstation or a doll.

If we continue to remain silent, I fear God will not.

2008-11-30T22:37:00.005-05:00

Judgmental, closed-minded, hateful, bigot, legalistic. These just a few of the words of which I have been called because I refuse to water down what God’s Holy Word says. I am told that I need to mind my own business, and not worry what others do. It is a common way of thinking, among both the world and the church, that says you should not point out the sin of others but to only worry about your own. This is garbage, and church, we cannot remain silent any longer. Sin does not take place in a vacuum; when sin is present it affects everyone around it.

Remember Achon, how he sinned against God by taking some of the spoil of Jericho which God forbid them to take. Because of this sin Israel was defeated by the army of Ai. It was not until this sin was repented of, and made right, that Israel would be able to defeat Ai. If you believe sin can be committed without having an affect on others, then think about those 36 soldiers that died for Achon’s sin.

Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel . There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel : thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.
(Joshua 7:11-13)

This may not be popular belief, and many may not believe it, but that does not change the fact that God’s judgment is coming to this great land if we do not repent of our sins and turn to Him. No longer can we afford to sit back and let sin run rampant without shining the light of God on it. We live in a land full of divorce, deadbeat dad’s, premarital sex, homosexuality, abortion, drunkenness and drugs, gambling, prostitution, families who have gotten away from God’s design, gluttony, deceit, political corruption, a taste for utmost filth in our entertainment, and a lukewarm church that has turned a blind eye to it all. America , we must repent of our sin and do so now! We can’t allow people to tell us that their sin it is not our business, because we will suffer for their sins. Our families are being forced to live in a land that is reaping the harvest of its horrible sins. God was going to destroy the land of Nineveh , but because of their repentance it was spared. As Jonah did then, we the church, must stand together and call this nation into repentance.

I can hear it from here; someone screaming “separation of church and state!” I am not calling on politicians to legislate repentance; this call has noting to do with the government. This is just a call for the people of America to turn from their wicked ways and call upon the name of Jehovah God.

It’s time, church, that we stopped this onslaught of sin, by voicing our opinion. Don’t let the threats and intimidations of the world silence you. We must let Hollywood know that we refuse to accept the filth and lies that it shovels into our homes; we must tell the malls of America that we will no longer be buying their immodest clothing; we must let the news media know that we will no longer allow it to indoctrinate the world with it’s slanted and biased news.

Yes, this is America , and yes, you have a choice, but that does not mean that every choice is right. We call abortion a choice, however God calls it murder. We call homosexuality a personal choice, however God calls it an abomination. We say this liberal mindset makes us open-minded, I say the only thing that a mindset like that opens us up to is God’s judgment. We must stop twisting the scriptures, and start submitting to them. If we choose not to, I fear God silence will soon end.

God Bless You

Chad Patterson

The mighty tongue

2008-11-30T16:49:00.002-05:00

2008-11-28T22:10:00.002-05:00

I have written about this topic before, but it is one that I hear over and over again, and breaks my heart every time I hear it. That would be that children always rebel, and that siblings continually fight. This is not true by any measure, but is accepted by both the world and the church. I thank the Lord that my children don't know they are supposed to do this.

Just as often, or more than, I hear siblings quarreling with one another, I hear and see children being disrespectful to their parents and elders. We are told that this is the way children are supposed to act and we believe it. This is nothing short of a lie. Now will kids be disrespectful? You bet they will. Will they rebel? Of course they can. However, just because they can does not mean they have to.

When sin entered this world, it bought with it these disrespectful and rebellious attitudes. Now, I am not disagreeing with the fact that a child will be prone to rebellion, because they are, and that is why we must train them. The Bible tells us that we are to train up a child. Somewhere along the way, we seem to have skewed what training really means. Our culture teaches us that we are to raise our children, but leave the training to some one better trained. Bring up the topic of training your child in the ways of the Lord, and the response you will likely receive will generally go something like, "Oh, of course we are concerned with their spiritual growth; that is why we made sure the church we go to has a good youth and children's ministry". What we need are not more programs, what we need is to have parents leading their family in prayer, parents living a holy and godly life, parents that go through the scriptures with their children, and parents that are not as concerned with their children's popularity as much as they are their holiness.

We consider a ministry successful if it tells kids about Jesus, keeps them sober, and from having sex. It seems that we have forgotten to teach the principles of how to respect, love and honor your parents. We preach those things, but we don't push them. In the process of keeping our kids up with the Jones', we seem to have given their hearts away. We have allowed their hearts to be given away to school, given away to TV, given away to friends and peers, given away to extracurricular activities, given away to video games, and yes, even given away to church programs.

As parents we must not allow our children's hearts to be lost. And if we have allowed it, we must get them back. When we have the hearts of our children we will also have their honor and respect. The main goal for obtaining your children’s heart is not so that you can have respect, or so that you can show that you are in control. The reason is because you, as the parent, have the best chance for training your children in the ways of the Lord, and that chance is astronomically greater when you have their heart. I am not suggesting that as parents we go at it alone.

As parents we must get our priorities and responsibilities in the right order. Our priorities being that our families (ours and our children) holiness is far more important than our happiness, although you will find that when you stress holiness over happiness, you do not lack, but rather increase in happiness. Our responsibility, that needs to be in the right order, is that we, as parents are responsible for our own children. The schools are not responsible and the church is not responsible. As this is our responsibility, we must not shift it off onto the shoulders of the church and walk away. The church can be there to help you and support you, but they are not there to replace you. Talk to any youth or children's minister, and they will tell you that money and resources are not their best weapons, but that it is involved parents. Also, we must remember that it is impossible to truly grow your children in the way of Christ, if your life does not match what you say.

God Bless You
Chad Patterson

Jumping Back In.

2008-11-28T14:38:00.006-05:00

I have been absent from writing and blogging for nearly a year. One thing I hear on a regular basis is why are you not writting anymore. When I quit writing, I was sending out my Daily Devotional, to every continent minus Antarctica. There were a few reasons that led to this. One my work schedule was so full. Secondly writting daily was keeping me up til 1:00 to 2:00 every night and keeping me away from what I was most trying to save; the family ie. Also, my blog seemed to become more of a boxing ring than a forum for discussion. So with all these thing happening at once, I stopped.

I have on many occasions attempted to start back, but knew I would wind up back at the same place again. After praying about it, I have decided to start back, only I will go at it a little different. First work has slowed down, as the all consuming project ended. Two, I will not be sending out or writing on a daily basis. Instead I will will write on a when God prompts me too basis. Maybe daily, maybe once a week, maybe twice a day who knows. Lastly, I will be putting my blog on a different host, and disabling comments. If one wishes to comment, they can simply email me. Chad's blog can now be found here

If you would like to recieve a notice when I post a new blog, just click the link below, and I will add you to the list. or you can sign up at pureheartspurehomes.com

God Bless You

Chad Patterson

Looks Can be Deceptive

2008-11-28T14:14:00.001-05:00

Several years ago Dana and I decided to buy a one hundred plus year old farm house to fix up. Now those of you that have known me for a while, know that I have not always been one to fix things. However since we are tackling this one with only the help of our dad’s, I have quickly had to learn how to build and repair.

One of the lessons I learned early on had to do with painting. As with many of the rooms the plaster was cracking pretty bad. Now being in a hurry, I just thought I could fill in the cracks and chips with paint, and they would all disappear. Once I was done with the first room I was shocked at how well it turned out. The room looked brand new. After a few weeks however, I noticed the chips and cracks starting to reappear. It was then that I realized that no matter how much paint I put on the outside, it did nothing to change the fact that the plaster underneath was damaged. If I were truly going to restore the room, I had to repair the wall on the inside before I could beautify the outside.

Oh how we are so many times like those walls. We look good on the outside, but on the inside we’re a mess. We try our hardest to cover up our hurts, and our sins, and put on a nice shiny outward appearance. There is someone reading this that has a marriage that is about to collapse, but to everyone else it looks great. No one would ever suspect the yelling and fighting that goes on. They don’t want to loose their marriage, but at the same time they don’t want anyone to know they are needing help. There is someone reading this today that suffers from some kind of addiction, but rather than deal with the addiction they put on a great outward appearance. All the while the guilt is just gnawing away at their inside. There may even be someone reading this that appears to be happy and cheerful on the outside, but in their heart there is the thought of suicide. You see no matter what it is we are going through, rather than dealing with the issue, we just cover it up and make ourselves look good.

What ever it is we are facing, we must face it at it’s root. If we just paint it over, it will only worsen. To fix the walls, I had to use tape and plaster, and sand it down before I could properly paint the room, but when it comes to our life, we have something different, and that something’s name is Jesus.

What ever it is you are going through no matter how big or small, just turn it over to Jesus. If you allow Jesus to work in your life it will be no time at all before you will not even have to use an outward disguise, because your joy will not be an outward joy, but will instead radiate from the inside out.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
(Mat 23:27)

God Bless you
Chad Patterson

Kiddy Bible Stories

2008-05-12T22:03:00.000-04:00

If there is one verse that has been etched into our memories since we were children, it would have to be John 3:16. I think that as we grow older, we tend to view this as a child’s verse. I have been told that some feel like they’re being belittled when they are asked to recite this verse because it makes them feel like they’re a child back in Vacation Bible School . If only people realized the depth of this verse! As I sat in three and a half hours of Atlanta traffic today, I kept being reminded of this verse, and a lecture that I received by my former professor, Dr. Elmer Towns. Just for the record, he was one of the translators for the book of John for The New King James. Here is what he had to say about John 3:16:

For God… the greatest being
So… the greatest degree
Loved… the greatest affection
The World… the greatest object of love
That He Gave… the greatest act
His only… the greatest treasure
Begotten… the greatest relationship
Son… the greatest gift
That whoever… the greatest company
Believes… the greatest trust
In Him… the greatest object of faith
Should not Parish the greatest deliverance
But have… the greatest assurance
Eternal… the greatest promise
Life… the greatest blessing.

There truly is more to John 3:16 than we tend to acknowledge. There are many more Bible passages that, unfortunately, we treat like this. We don’t want to hear these “childish stories;” we want the meat of the Bible.

Do you truly want lessons from the Bible that will grow you in your grown up faith? If so, here are a few that we can read. We can read about a man that is betrayed and sold into slavery by his brother, then falsely thrown in jail by his friend and master. He grows not bitter, but endures his trials through his devotion for God. Then, years later, as second most powerful man on earth, he offers his brothers complete forgiveness, instead of revenge or hate.

What about the three who were cast into the fire, but because of their faith, there was not one singed hair. Or what about the small Shepard boy that stood up to the giant, Goliath, because Goliath had mocked David’s God? Or what about the man that was willing to endure the ridicule and scorn from everybody he knew, other than his immediate family, in order to keep from drowning in a rainless world? I could go on and on, but I won’t. We must stop viewing certain stories as “kiddy stories”, and start viewing them as what they truly are: the Holy inspired word of God

Also, when we stop viewing these passages as children’s passages, we will be more likely to teach our children passages other than these basic childhood ones. Let’s not limit our children to a few passages, but instead teach them God’s whole counsel from Gen 1:1 – Rev 22:21. The Bible is split into many different parts, such as historical, poetical, and Law but nowhere can I find it split into sections labeled “adults” and “children’s”. In closing today’s devotional, I would simply ask that you choose a couple of these so called “children’s” passages and study them more in depth. You will be surprised at what you find.

God Bless You
Chad Patterson

Is the church full of hypocrites?

2008-05-04T16:22:00.000-04:00

Today I am going to talk about a lie that has been spread for so long, and so well that it seems as if though most of the church has bought into it. It is this very lie that I hear over and over again as to why people who claim to be Christians will not attend church, and a huge reason the world doesn’t like Christianity. I can guess the answer I will get when I ask an unchurched person why they do not attend church. Sometimes it is for other reasons, but more times than not, what I hear is “the church is full of nothing but hypocrites”. This my friends is a lie.

We as the body of Christ have been told that we are hypocrites for so long, that not only do we believe it, we repeat it. Let me give an example.

Fred’s neighbors see him getting up and going to church on Sunday morning like many Americans. They are also witness to the fact that Fred tends to on occasions come home sloppy drunk. What they see is Fred claiming one thing on Sunday, and living something else. What they don’t see, is that Fred is not going to church and railing against the very sin he commits, instead he is spending time at the alter, crying out to God to help him with his addiction. Is Fred a hypocrite? No he is a drunken sinner, and he has found the right place to be cured. A hypocrite would speak out against alcohol only to indulge himself with it. That is not Fred, as he is not saying one thing and living another way, but rather he is living one way and crying out to God in brokenness about it.

Now I will say that the church is full of sinners, but hypocrites, not near as many as we think. Are there some? I would be a fool to say no, but they are not the norm. You might ask how we can convince the world that the church is not full of hypocrites. The first way is to stop spreading the lie ourselves. Many in the world here this, and believe it because it is what they here coming from the mouth of Christians. The other thing we can do is stand and defend the church. When I am told this, I challenge them to come to church with me. I tell them that what they will see will not be hypocrites, nor will they see perfect people, but what they will see are people that are genuinely seeking to grow and follow God. Church this has been one of satans greatest weapons for keeping people out of the church, and it is high time for him to be disarmed of this weapon. The two ways we can keep this weapon out of his hands is one to let both the world and the church know that this is lie. The second way to keep this weapon from him is to make certain that the way we live our lives keeps give no truth to the phrase “churches are full of hypocrites”.

God Bless You

Chad Patterson

Give Thanks

2007-05-29T22:35:00.000-04:00

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
(Ephesians 5:20)

Giving thanks to God; it is something we all know we need to do, yet something I think we all tend to forget to do. I believe there are two main reasons why we do not give continual thanks to God. The first being that we just forget or neglect to do so, the second reason would be because we simply are not thankful.

With the first group thankfulness is not forgotten on purpose, it is just overlooked for many reasons. It could be that your schedule is so busy that you don’t have time to stop and tell God that you are thankful. Time and time again we go to God and ask Him for something; prayer for a family member, new job, financial or health issues, or for guidance. When He grants us that, how often do we stop and thank Him for what He just did? We don’t just forget to thank Him for answered prayers; we also forget to thank Him for the blessings that He bestows upon us daily. If you have a car, house, job, food, clothing, friends, family, water, electricity, or many other of our luxuries, you need to thank Him daily. We need not only go to God with requests, but give Him thanks as well.

The other group, for whatever reason they have, just can’t give God thanks. Maybe they don’t feel thankful, or maybe they are hurt, but for some reason, they just can’t bring themselves to give thanks to God. Often it is because someone is upset because of something God did not provide them with. To you, I would simply ask you to stop, and look at what God has blessed you with. You may say that would be nothing, but I would ask you not to forget about your salvation. If you have been saved by God’s grace, that in itself is enough to praise God daily. Others are not thankful because they have just lost a loved one. To you, I would say that I know this is not easy, and the grief is great, but in our thankfulness to God, our healing can began. I know this all too well. As I dealt with the death of my son, it was many months, before I could thank God for what he had allowed to take place. Please don’t misunderstand me, I am not glad my son passed away, but because of his death, I surrendered to Gods call, and have been able to pray with hundreds of people as they have accepted Christ. For this opportunity, I can thank the Lord.

If you are struggling after the loss of a loved one, I know it truly may be hard to see anything to thank God for. I just encourage you to ask God to show you some areas of your life that you should be thankful for. Pray that He will give you a thankful heart. When grief is involved, it is tough, but again I believe the healing process is quicker and easier when we go at it with a thankful heart instead of a bitter heart. If it is a bitter heart that has blinded you to thankfulness, I will not preach to you, but will ask that you go to God, and ask Him for help, removing the bitterness. If you would like someone to pray for you, you can email me at chad@pureheartspurehomes.org and I promise that your need will be personally prayed over.

No matter what we are going through, God is good, and we owe Him our thanks.

O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.
(Psalms 107:1)

God Bless you
Chad Patterson

Midnight Cry

2007-05-28T22:32:00.000-04:00

And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
(Matthew 25:6)

At “the midnight cry”, how many of us will be ready? This devotional tonight will be short, but to the point. I write this for two different people, but for one reason. This is written for both the lost person and the saved person and my question is for you both, for we both must be ready for it.

To the saved, I ask “Are you ready for that midnight cry?” Are you ready for Jesus to come calling? Are there people you need to witness to, or friends and loved ones you need to make up with? Is there unconfessed sin in your life? Is your family ready, are the affairs of your house in order. Have your children been trained in such a way that if Jesus was to call you tonight they would be able to carry on in the faith? We must live every day like is the day that Jesus will come calling for us. I know that every single Christian has a list of people that they would like to witness to; it’s just that the time is not right. Why not make an effort today, as there very well might not be a tomorrow.

The other group is those who are “lost” as they do not know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour. There are people out there reading this right now, that are not ready for Jesus to come calling. They have heard the gospel, but chosen to reject it. For some, it is that they simply do not believe. If you are reading this and fall into that category, I would plead with you to reconsider. Whatever you have said, or done, it will be forgiven when you give your life to Christ. There is also the person reading this that believes in God, and in many cases in Jesus Himself, but for whatever reason, they have chosen not to surrender their life to Him. To you, I urge you to turn to Jesus tonight, repent of your sins and ask Jesus to forgive you of them. Maybe you are scared or ashamed, but I can promise you there is no need to be. Thieves, drug dealers, murderers, and prostitutes have all cried out to Jesus and received His forgiveness; you can too. Again, I urge you with great urgency to make that decision today, as tomorrow may never come.

We never know when we will hear that midnight cry, I just pray that you are ready when you do.

It does not matter if you believe or not, Jesus Christ will call your name one day. And when He does, the only thing that will matter is whether or not your name is written in the Lambs Book of Life. I pray that yours is written there before you hear that midnight cry, for if not it will be eternally too late. I know I am repeating myself tonight, but this is the most important decision you will ever make. For that reason, I will ask you again, if you do not give your life to Christ today, when will you? Today may very well be all you have left.

God Bless You

Chad Patterson

Lusting After Your Neighbors Belongings

2007-05-26T22:26:00.000-04:00

In yesterday’s devotional, I began to look at Deuteronomy 5:21, and how we should not lust after our neighbor’s wife. In today’s devotional, I will finish up this verse as we take a look at the danger of lusting after our neighbors belongings. As mentioned yesterday, we have been extremely blessed, yet we can’t see these blessings because we are looking at what we don’t have, instead of what we do have. Just as it is easy to feel that someone other than your spouse will bring you true joy, so it is with possessions as well.

We look around at what others have, and think “If I could just have this, or that I would finally be satisfied.” We have all thought about something in this manner, and we all have also found out that whatever it was that was to make us forever happy, soon lost it’s ability to deliver the happiness we thought it would.

The car we drive is just fine, until we see the new one our friend has. All of a sudden, ours becomes worthless with its 150,000 mile engine and we began the reasoning on why we must have a new one. We are quite content with our house and yard until we go to someone else’s, and see what they have, and we began to feel that we will only be content when we have one like theirs. We long for what others have so bad that we are willing to do whatever it takes to obtain it. We are willing to run up credit cards, borrow money, and work two jobs, just to have what others have.
We spend so much time and energy seeking fulfillment and joy from our possessions that we overlook the One who can truly bring us fulfillment and joy; and His name is Jesus.

If we truly want God to use us, we must stop taking his blessings for granted. We, in America , and several other industrialized countries, seem to feel that we are owed the luxuries and comforts we enjoy. While we feel that living in a 1960 singlewide mobile home is unacceptable, more than half the world would consider it a blessing. Things like running water, electricity, grocery stores, fast food, and Wal-Mart are unheard of by more than half of the world. When you step into your warm shower tonight, or when you fill your stomach with food, you will be doing something that half the world (or more) will not be able to do. God truly has blessed us, yet instead of praising Him for His blessings, we whine about what we don’t have.

The next time a new car makes you look at yours in disgust, just stop and think about how many people are praying just for a used family bicycle. When you are thinking “hey those shoes would make me look prettier, I must have them” stop and think about those that have rags tied around their feet in place of shoes.

When you stop focusing on what others have, you can be thankful for what you do have. Before you know it you will be content to park your beat up clunker in front of your garage-less house. When you stop lusting after the belongings of others, and become content with what you have, that is when you truly open yourself up to receiving God’s blessings.

God Bless You

Chad Patterson

Thou Shall Not Lust After Neighbors ...

2007-05-25T22:23:00.000-04:00

Here in America , God has blessed us abundantly. We have been blessed much more than probably any nation in history, yet we still seem to miss our seeing our blessings somehow. God can bless us with a nice home, nice cars, nice clothes, nice toys and many other nice things. If the truth be told, we could take nice out from in front of those things, and they would still be a blessing. What many here consider a shack, would be a near mansion in other countries. So why then are we not happy with our blessings? Well, it could be because we are so focused on what we don’t have, that we are blind to what we do have. There are several things we must be if we are to be truly used by God. One of these things is to be thankful of His blessings and not envious of what we desire.

And you shall not lust after your neighbor's wife, nor shall you covet your neighbor's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is your neighbor's. (Deu 5:21)

Husband’s we are not to lust after our neighbors wife. This is not referring to those living within sight of your house, but rather it is referring to the wife of any man. This is not subject to just men; both spouses must be so thankful for the other that they have a hard time seeing all the wonders of their neighbors’ spouse. Unfortunately, we are so ungrateful of our spouses that even the smallest positive trait stands out in our neighbor’s spouse. We spend all day mixed with the spouse of another at our workplace, and then we spend all evening watching another’s spouses on TV, and finally we turn to ours, and think why can’t you be like so and so. We must eradicate this way of thinking! If you are guilty of comparing your spouse to your neighbors, today is the day that you intentionally need to make the decision to stop. Stop worrying about what so and so can do that your spouse can’t, and just praise God for the spouse you have. I know your spouse isn’t perfect, but hey, neither are you. Many marriages are destroyed when one starts to covet someone other than their spouse. They feel that if they could just be with this other person, their life would be joyous from here on out. It is not until your marriage is over, that you realize that your new found love was not much more than new found lust, and that they have horrible faults of their own.

Husbands and wives, God has given you to each other. There is no need to look elsewhere. Husbands, you must decide that your wife is the only woman for you. Wives, you must decide that your husband is the only man for you. Doing so will require you to put up barriers at the office, at church, and many other places. This will help you to prevent the building of an inappropriate relationship. The other thing is that you must decide that if there is anything making you resent your spouse, it must go. Be it TV, music, reading material, or even friends. No matter what it is, if it is causing you to become frustrated, disgusted, or displeased with your spouse, it is time for it to go. Someone is saying right now “I know Jim, (or Jane) is ruining my marriage, but we have been friends since child hood. I just can’t walk away from them.” Someone else is saying “I know that soap operas, and shows like Oprah are causing me to become displeased with my husband, but I love these shows so much.” You must ask yourself what is more important to you: your spouse and your marriage or a friend or a TV show? I can tell you which one is more important to God. As someone out there reads this, someone has popped into their mind that is not their spouse. They know that this person is pulling them away from their spouse, but they couldn’t dream of being away from that other person, as there is more joy found in them than their spouse. To this person I will simply say run. Run now, run fast, and run right into the arms of your spouse. No job, no friends, and no entertainment is worth the destruction of the marriage God has blessed you with.

God Bless

Chad Patterson

Whom to follow?

2007-05-24T22:18:00.000-04:00

I am convinced that we live in a day and time where the church is confused on how it should act. We feel that we need to make the world more comfortable around us, instead of convicted. We have decided that we must not do or say anything that might offend the world. As mentioned in several of my recent devotionals, we have taken on the ways of the world. We talk like the world, we dress like the world, and we listen to the world’s music and love it. We are addicted to its television shows, we gossip like the world, we have taken on the world’s views of how a family is supposed to act, and the saddest of them all, is we have adopted the world’s view of God. When one preaches or speaks out against these things, they are labeled a fundamentalist, a legalist, a bigot, and as being judgmental. Once someone is labeled as one of these, you can count on it being immediately followed by “but God is Love.” Does God really care how we act, so long as we are nice to each other? Let’s look to His word and see how much He enjoys His children acting like the world.

Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever desires to be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
(James 4:3-4)

I don’t know about you, but I believe it is pretty obvious what God thinks of His church acting like the world. God is not friendly towards the immorality of the world, nor is he friendly to the many religions of the world. God said that He is not only against the ways of the world, but that He is also against those that are for the ways of the world. Basically, what God is telling us here is that we cannot serve Him and live according to the world’s standards at the same time.

We must take a stand and decide who it is we are going to serve. Will it be God or will it be the world? We can say we choose God all day long, but it is not with our mouths that this statement is made. This statement must come from our heart and be evident with our actions. You can claim to serve God, but if your lifestyle doesn’t match that statement, you are lying to both God and yourself. If I were to ask you who it is you serve, the majority of you would say God, but if I asked you to show me who you serve, who would it be?

Notice James did not say that going into the world, and reaching it was a sin, he said it is being friends with it that makes you an enemy of God. Just being around the world does not make you an enemy of God, but when you decide that the world’s views are good and you start taking enjoyment in it’s ways, that is when you begin to line up opposite the battlefield from God.

Here are a few questions that we must ask ourselves: Do I like the music of the world? Do I like the TV and movies of the world? Do I enjoy the dress of the world? Do I enjoy the language and humor of the world? Do I enjoy the open mindedness towards sin and the other religions of the world? This is not an exhaustive list of questions that could be asked, but as a start, were do you stand? If you were honest with yourself, how many of the things just mentioned do you take enjoyment in?

This is not just my opinion on these matters. This is the very word of God that says this. I am sure that there are many folks who would be upset by the statement made in this devotional. This would leave me to simply ask, “Why are you so angered at anyone that would challenge you and speak out against the ways of the world?” The only logical answer would be because these people love the world. According to the Word of God if you love the world’s way’s, then guess whose ways you don’t love. It is amazing how someone can call himself a child of God but can get so outraged when someone speaks out against the ways of the world, yet they would give a hearty amen and a laugh when the world speaks out against God’s ways. For a child of God, wouldn’t this backwards?

God Bless You

Chad Patterson

Devil Made Me Do It!

2007-05-23T22:11:00.000-04:00

“The Devil made me do it”. How many of you have ever heard, or even said, those very words? Many people truly believe that when they sin it is because the devil made them do it. It is not the devil making them sin, but rather it is the individual giving in to temptation that causes them to sin. Yes, the devil does tempt us, and yes, he often makes it very enticing, but when all is said and done, he is not the one that makes you sin, as it is a choice that you have made.

There was once a wealthy, elderly lady. Her wealth and fame were known of throughout many countries. That is why, when her chuffer retired, she had people applying from around the globe to be his replacement. It was a hard decision to make, as her previous employee had been one of the best drivers in the world. She knew that it would be hard to find one like him. She finally narrowed it down from several hundred, to three. The resume and references were not enough as far as she was concerned; she wanted to see their driving skills.

This lady found one of the sharpest turns along one of the highest mountains in the country, and decided this would be the road they would test on. The test, she said, was to see which driver could get her closest to the edge while keeping her safe. The one that could accomplish this would be her new chuffer.

The first driver crawled in and sat behind the wheel of her $400,000 Bentley. Confident in his driving abilities, he made no preparations before taking off. As he approached the curve that would be his test, he barely let off the gas. By the time he was at the point of the turn, the passenger side wheels were dead even with the side of the cliff, which led to a one thousand foot drop. As he pulled up to the older lady, he got out and in a prideful tone asked, “Do the others need to even try?” She told him that he handled a car like no one she had seen, but that the others had came this far and they would get their chance.

The next driver was not quite as arrogant, and he sat, pondering how to make the curve. After about five minutes, sitting there idling the Bentley was once again racing towards the curb. This time as the car rounded the turn, there was no letting up on the gas, and as he made the point of the turn, both of his wheels were half on land, and half dangling over the huge valley below. Both tires were bought back on to the road, and then the car was bought back, and parked in front of the first driver, that hung his head in defeat. “I must say”, said the lady, “you can control a car even better than the first one”. And with that it was time for the final driver.

This driver, like the first one, made no preparations or calculations; he just buckled his seatbelt and was off. As the turn approached, his speed was not near what the others had been. As he went into the turn, she noticed that instead of hugging the side of the cliff, he was hugging the center line. He quickly, but without speeding, brought the car to a halt in front of his two now laughing competitors. The lady walked up and again commended that she had never seen somebody be able to get that close to the edge. Then she looked at the third driver and asked him why he was not able to drive as close as the others? His reply was, “Well ma’am I could drive close if I wanted to but you wanted me to keep you safe around that curve, and I figure that the farther you are from the curve, the safer you are”. It was this driver that drove that lady home that day, and for many years to follow.

When it comes to sin, we tend to want to be like the first two drivers and get as close to the line as possible and try not to go over. We like to run up to sin and tease it, yet when it gets us we cry “the devil made me do it.” The problem is that when you ride the line long enough, you will hit a bump or a dip that throws you out of control, and right over the line. We need to go about treating sin in the same manner as this third driver treated the road, which was with fear and caution.

How many times have you sinned, not because the sin came and got you, but instead it was because you wandered to close to it? The best way to avoid a rattle snake bite is not by knowing how to handle them properly, but to simply stay away from them. The Wisdom of God’s Holy Word does not tell us to conquer or enjoy temptation, it tells us to flee it. When we look at our entertainment, our dress, our relationships, and our speech, we must find the line that should not be crossed in order to stay far away from it instead of clinging to it.

God Bless You
Chad Patterson

Isaiah's Woe As! (part 2)

2007-05-14T22:09:00.000-04:00

In the previous devotional, I began to look at the many “woes” that Isaiah gives to Judah . Yesterday we looked at Isaiah’s woes to the greedy. Today, I would like to look at the second “woe as” passage which can be found in Isaiah 5:11.

Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! Isa 5:11

Here, Isaiah is not limiting this “woe as” to those that drink. He is addressing those that live to party. There are a number of people that think life is all about partying. Far too often I hear a believer stress day in day out about how they can’t wait to get off work and drink the day away. When was the last time you heard someone say “Man, I just can’t wait to go home and see my kids”, or “I just can’t wait to go home, give my wife a big hug, and tell her how much I love her”? We would think somebody to be weird if they said that, but are not bothered at all by their constant talk of daily drinking. I will even go as far as to say that the reason for this view is that the thought of a man going home to indulge in a nightly downing of beer is the norm. We, by the way of the media, have been made to believe that this is the norm and that it's okay. I am here to tell you that God says that He could care less about what we consider a cultural norm. No matter how culturally accepted this way of life is, the fact is, it still draws a “Woe as those that live this way” from God.

When someone looks at you and says “I can’t wait to get out of here and go down a few cold ones” don’t nod or agree, instead use this time to show that there is a way of life which is far better than that of the world. Show them that there are people that honestly love being with their family. The world would have us believe that living a godly life lacks luster and excitement. I have talked to many people who refuse to turn to Christ because they know it will mean change, and they just feel they can’t live without their sinful lifestyle. I know this person all too well, as I was once this man. For years I ran and refused to turn back to God because I was afraid of what I would have to give up; the partying life being one of them. I was certain that life would not be worth living without partying, and oh how wrong I could be. Looking back, my only regret I have with leaving this lifestyle is that I did not do it sooner. I have to wonder whose life could I have been touching had I not been wasting my life in drunkenness.

This view that says this ‘party hard’ life is the norm is here not because it is right. This lie is with us because we, as the body of Christ, have treated this like a lot of issues; that is with a non-offending silence. Because this ‘party till you drop attitude’ has been instilled in us as normal behavior, its sinful nature has been lessened in our eyes. If we are to see a revival of God in this great nation, then we must once again realize the seriousness of sin. We must realize that something being classified as sinful is not done so based on the culture that it is in for God says that He will bring judgment on those in this lifestyle. I hope that we do not find out the hard way that the culture, no matter how popular it is, can not stop the judgment of God when he sends it.

God Bless You,

Chad Patterson

Isaiah's Woe As! (part 1)

2007-05-12T22:07:00.000-04:00

One of the main purposes for Pure Hearts Pure Homes, is to encourage God’s children to start acting like God’s children. There are plenty of passages of scripture that call God’s children into a state of repentance and revival, and over the course of the next few devotionals, I would like to look at one of these. The passage that I am referring to can be found in Isaiah chapter 5, and is one I like to refer to it as the many "woe as" of Isaiah. Over the next few days, I will try to relate how these verses speak to us today.

Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth! In mine ears said the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant. Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah. (Isa 5:8-10)

We find the first “woe as” in Isaiah 5:8-10. What he is saying here is woe to those that go around buying up everything they see, just so others can’t have it. This is not referring to the person that has rental homes that they rent out, this is referring to people that want everything so bad that they are willing to take advantage of someone when they are down, too acquire their property. They see something they want, and are will do anything to get it. If someone has to suffer in order for them to get what they want, so be it. Throughout history, the wealthy have been able to force the common people off of their land, so that it could be acquired by the wealthy. In today’s times and with our American laws, this type of activity is no longer as common, however, there are still ways in which people are willing to step all over someone else in order to get ahead. One example of this that many don't realize is that this is exactly what is done every time one plays the lottery.

I used to play video poker, and can remember watching men come in and cash their paycheck, then head straight into the room with all the poker machines. Many times, I have seen men put in a $20 bill, and within minutes they would need to insert another. Before long it would all be gone. Have you ever had someone look you in the eyes, and ask for 5 bucks for gas so that they could get home and tell their wife and their children that daddy blew the money, and there would be no food this week? I was not living according to God’s will at the time, but let me tell you, even then I knew that my gain was from that man’s loss. The money that I put in my pocket that night should have put food in a child’s belly. I can almost guarantee you on that night, God was saying “Woe as to you, Chad ”. I have watched the same people that used to throw away all their money on video poker, now stand in line and throw it all away in hopes of winning the power ball.

This is not a devotional on avoiding the lottery, although that one is coming. I am simply using the lottery as an example of how we can gain by the misfortunes of others. Someone right now is saying “the lottery is a personal choice, no one made them play”. That’s right, but by your playing you support their problem. The winnings for the lottery come from the losers. Therefore if you win, you might as well go to the starving child and say “Thanks for being willing not to eat this week. That enabled me to be able to buy a new boat.” To those in need, we are to extend the arm of Christ instead of fist greed.

There are also people that use this verse as one that supports people not owning nice things. That is not what I am trying to get across today. God does allow his children to have nice things. I am not saying it is sin if you have the money and decide buy a summer home. What I will ask though is “Did you seek God’s will on whether to either buy the condo, or use that money to help the needy?” God has tremendously blessed this country financially, but I fear we are blind to that. Instead of looking for ways to share our financial blessing, we are looking at ways to increase it.

To some up the verse in modern English, I would say that what this is telling you is: Woe is the person that purposefully gains at the expense of another’s loss. Another word for this type of person is greedy. We must ask ourselves this question: Am I of a greedy spirit, or am I of a giving spirit? If you want the answer to this question, just look at your check registry. How much money goes to helping those less fortunate versus how much goes to buy more stuff that someone else will own one day anyway?

God Bless you

Chad Patterson

Lazy with our witness

2007-05-11T19:35:00.000-04:00

In the last two devotionals I have written about being a sluggard with your witness and being a sluggard with raising your family in a godly manner. Today, I will finish up this discussion of being a sluggard by talking about being a sluggard in the area of Christian service.

I will start of today’s devotional by getting straight to the point. When was the last time you served God by reaching out your hand? I can tell you, if you are like me, it has been too long. I don’t mean serving in the nursery, or as a Sunday school teacher, or an usher. I mean when was the last time that you stopped to give a thirsty man something to drink, took a hungry man in to a Burger King and bought him or her a meal, went to the widow with three kids and fixed her car or filled her cabinets? How long has it been since you were the serving arm of Christ?

While writing this devotional I can’t help but think of the Casting Crowns song “We are the Body”: We are the body, so then why aren’t His feet moving, and His hands serving.” There is no question that the church needs its members to serve. In order to perform ministry at the level churches do, they must have workers who are willing to work within the walls of the church. The problem is that everyone wants to work within the church, but no one wants to work outside the church. There is a lost and dying world out there, and unless they are bought to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, they are going to Hell. You see, this is why being a sluggard in this area is painful and sickening to Christ. We have the means to go out and tell people about Jesus, and show people his compassion, but we are just too scared and lazy to get up out of our pews and go to the world. Yes, it is work, and it may even inconvenience you from time to time, but aren’t you glad that someone was inconvenienced enough to tell you about Jesus?

I have had the pleasure of sharing Jesus in many different places and atmospheres, but I tell you I don’t think there was a sweeter time of sharing Jesus than in the streets of Biloxi , Mississippi after hurricane Katrina. I remember running into a man that had not eaten in three days, I gave him my bagged lunch and watched with tears as he ate it in two bites. He was so thankful for the meal that he sat in the middle of the street and talked to us for over an hour. Before we left, he wanted to know how he could have this Jesus that we had. He had a Jesus, but he wanted ours. I didn’t physically eat that afternoon, but I can guarantee you that there were no hunger pains in my body.

When we leave this Earth, we will go to one of two possible destinations: Heaven or Hell. My friends, both are real and both are permanent. We have been called to go and serve the lost, and tell them about Jesus and what His blood can do for them. The stakes are just too high to be lazy. It is one thing to be lazy with chores around the house, but it’s a whole other issue when we are talking about the eternal destination of someone’s soul.

When you stand before Jesus and give an account for what he entrusted to you, what will you hear? Will it be “Well done my good and faithful servant”, or will it be “you were like a stinging smoke to my eyes”?

God Bless You
Chad Patterson

Family Effort

2007-05-09T16:59:00.000-04:00

As a father, I am called to lead my family as its priest, and my wife is to be my help meet. Together we are to form a home that fosters and teaches God’s morals and principals. Most people that I talk to desire a Christian home and many are God fearing people. If parents that are trying to follow God, desire to have a God honoring home, why aren’t they succeeding? They try every thing: they send their kids to camp, they involve them in every ministry that is offered, they are at every retreat, and take every class that is offered on marriage and parenting; yet their home is not one that mirrors the ways of God. We have gotten to a point where we expect a pastor or teacher to give us all the answers we need. We do not care to dig through the scripture, and spend time in prayer to find out what God desires of us. Instead, we would rather just have someone do all the work for us and hand it to us. We want someone to tell us how to be better husbands, wives, and parents. We want someone to sit our kids down and tell them about God, tell them to obey us, and tell them not to drink and have sex. Now, this is not meant to come out against the things the church offers to help us grow, but we must realize they are just tools that God has given us as the leaders of our homes to help us in our walk.

As fathers and mothers, we have got to put forth more effort into our family than just taking them to church and sending them to camps. Men, as fathers and husbands, you need to daily lead your family in Bible study, you need to lead your family in prayer, and you need to lead your family by taking a stand for God’s ways no matter what the cost. When was the last time you picked up a Bible and read it aloud to your family? When was the last time you gathered your family around and prayed with them? Do you expect the youth and children’s ministries to fully equip your children? We have cast the responsibility of instilling God’s principals and values into our kids onto the shoulders of these ministries. God has called us as parents to this task. If you want your sons to be Godly men of high integrity, then take the time to become a Godly man of high integrity yourself so that you can teach him. Mothers, if you want your daughters to become Godly virtuous women, then you must be one yourself in order to show her what one looks like. Dads, you are not only training your sons on being a godly man, you are also training your daughters on what to expect in a Godly husband; and this goes the same for moms with your sons.

Yes, God has given us the task to raise our family in a Godly manner. Are we hard at work on this task, or are we lazily sitting back and letting someone else do this job for us? By the way, it will not be the youth or children’s ministers that stand and give an account for your family, for that will fall on your shoulders as the husbands and fathers. Will you hear “Well done”, or “You were like smoke in my eye”? Also, it is worth noting that if we decide to pass the buck on instilling His principals into our children, the world will gladly take your place.

The sluggard Witness

2007-05-08T16:54:00.000-04:00

As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him. (Pro 10:26)

Vinegar: oh how I love it, but if you have ever gotten a mouthful of pure vinegar, you know just how it can make your teeth hurt. It can do something to your mouth that can briefly make your teeth ache with pain. The same goes for smoke. One thing I really enjoy is sitting around a fire. I love the smell, the feel, and the atmosphere, but man how the mood can be spoiled by en eyeful of smoke. If you have ever received an eyeful of smoke, you know just how painful and displeasing it can be. Painful and displeasing; this is what the sluggard is to the one that sent him. The one who sends us; just who would that be?

The sender is none other than Jesus Christ. He has sent us out to spread His message to a lost world, to raise our family in a godly manner, and to minister to the needy. If we were to look at these three areas of our life, would we see that we are a sluggard in any of these areas?

First of all, do you freely share who Christ is and what he has done for you? Not only with the way you live your life, but verbally as well. We often use the cop out “I am a silent witness.” Yes, we must witness with our life. If our life doesn’t match our words, then the words we say are futile. There is no question that a godly lifestyle is a major part of our witness, but without a verbal witness, people will not know why, or for whom, you do what you do.

Many claim they do not witness because they do not know how. This is where the sluggard part comes in. We have time to learn the latest golf or fishing technique. We can take time to decorate and participate in other enjoyable activities, but yet we can’t take the time to be a better witness. The bottom line is that if you find yourself saying “I just don’t know how,” then it is high time you learn how. I don’t mean it’s time to go take a course in evangelism, I mean it’s time we decided to turn to His scripture to find out how God wants you to live. Let’s face it we are just too lazy to pick up the Bible on our own and find out what God truly requires of us. The answers are there, we just have to turn off the TV, or put down the golf clubs, and find out what He requires of us. Don’t worry about the verbal witness, because once the living witness begins to show in your life, the verbal will fall into place.

Are we actively witnessing for Jesus Christ or are we being a sluggard with our witness? I truly believe that we are not too lazy to witness, but rather we are too lazy to dive into His word. If we really want grow to the maturity that is required to be a living witness, we must do more than allow the preacher spoon feed us once or twice a week Folks, you have got to pick up that Bible that is lying on your shelf and read it. Don’t sit and wait on your pastor to bring you God’s instruction, go get it yourself.

Tomorrow, I will continue the topic of being a sluggard: a sluggard at raising our family and serving the needy. Also, please continue to pray for me as I plan to write about topics such as Christian dating, public schools, absolute truth, honoring the Sabbath and several other controversial topics over the next month or so.

God Bless You,

Chad Patterson

Rebellious Children

2007-05-06T16:38:00.000-04:00

Today’s devotional officially marks the end of the first month of Pure Hearts Pure Homes. It has been a great month, and I give God the Honor and Glory for that. I also thank all of you that support us by receiving and sending out our devotional. All though it has been a great month, we still need a great deal of help getting the word out about Pure Hearts Pure Homes. Our website is www.pureheartspurehomes.org. Thank you for your support.

In yesterday’s devotional, I wrote about how siblings are supposed to view each other, and how it is the parents role to foster this view. The lie that our children are supposed to fight with their brothers and sisters is not the only false view they have. It has also been instilled in our families that children are not only supposed to despise one another, but they are to rebel against their parents as well. I thank the Lord that my children don’t know they are supposed to do this.

Just as often, or more than, I hear siblings quarreling with one another, I hear and see children being disrespectful to their parents and elders. We are told that this is the way children are supposed to act and we believe it. This is nothing short of a lie. Now will kids be disrespectful? You bet they will. Will they rebel? Again, I would say “of course they will”. But, just because they will does not mean they have to.

When sin entered this world, it bought with it these disrespectful and rebellious attitudes. Now, I am not disagreeing with the fact that a child will be prone to rebellion, because they are, and that is why we must train them. The Bible tells us that we are to train up a child. Somewhere along the way, we seem to have skewed what training really means. Our culture teaches us that we are to raise our children, but leave the training to some one better trained. Bring up the topic of training your child in the ways of the Lord, and the response you will likely receive will generally go something like, “Oh, of course we are concerned with their spiritual growth; that is why we made sure the church we go to has a good youth and children’s ministry”. What we need are not more programs, what we need is to have parents leading their family in prayer, parents living a holy and godly life, parents that go through the scriptures with their children, and parents that are not as concerned with their children’s’ popularity as much as they are their holiness.

We consider a ministry successful if it tells kids about Jesus, keeps them sober, and from having sex. It seems that we have forgotten to teach the principles of how to respect, love and honor your parents. We preach those things, but we don’t push them. In the process of keeping our kids up with the Jones’, we seem to have given their hearts away. We have allowed their hearts to be given away to school, given away to TV, given away to friends and peers, given away to extracurricular activities, given away to video games, and yes, even given away to church programs.

As parents we must not allow our children’s hearts to be lost. And if we have allowed it, we must get them back. When we have the hearts of our children we will also have their honor and respect. The main goal for obtaining your children’s heart is not so that you can have respect, or so that you can show that you are in control. The reason is because you, as the parent, have the best chance for training your children in the ways of the Lord, and that chance is astronomically greater when you have their heart. I am not suggesting that as parents we go at it alone.

As parents we must get our priorities and responsibilities in the right order. Our priorities being that our families (ours and our children) holiness is far more important than our happiness, although you will find that when you stress holiness over happiness, you do not lack, but rather increase in happiness. Our responsibility, that needs to be in the right order, is that we, as parents are responsible for our own children. The schools are not responsible and the church is not responsible. As this is our responsibility, we must not shift it off onto the shoulders of the church and walk away. The church can be there to help you and support you, but they are not there to replace you. Talk to any youth or children’s minister, and they will tell you that money and resources are not their best weapons, but that it is involved parents. Also, we must remember that it is impossible to truly grow your children in the way of Christ, if your life does not match what you say.

God Bless You

Chad Patterson

Sibling Rivalry

2007-05-05T16:31:00.002-04:00

As I have shared before, the ministries in which God has called me to are the family, and the revival of His church. There are many tasks that must be done to accomplish this, one of which is to reveal the many lies that the church has fallen to. Today, I will tackle one of those lies, and that is the lie that tells us how siblings are suppose to relate to one another.

The world would have us believe that siblings are to constantly be at each others throats. We are led to believe that siblings just can’t get along with each other, and because we believe it, we expect it and thus we get what we expect. Having the passion for families that I do, I am constantly observing how other families relate to one another. Countless times I see a sibling strike another just to be mean, or as I watch, they both run screaming about what the other has done to them, simply to get the other in trouble. If these families are ever questioned, they just shrug and say, “That’s what brothers and sisters do”. This is nothing more than a lie. Siblings are to love and to support one another, not hate and tear down the other.

Have you ever witnessed two kids quarreling and then heard an adult say, “well they must be brother and sister”. I pray that the way people will tell that my children are brother and sister will be by the love and support they show for one another.

There are several ways in which we have been duped in to believing this lie. The first is that our children, along with us, constantly see this lie lived out before them on TV. No more are the days of the Cleavers, and the Bradys, as we have made room for shows that stress the constant bickering of not only the spouses, but also the siblings. We see it enough and slowly our culture is transformed into believing that our children are enemies of one another.

Another way is that our children have been taught that life is “all about them”. They are rushed away to all sorts of different activities. One is at this school, ones at another, he’s in scouts, she’s in dance, he play’s ball, and she takes gymnastics. Their enjoyment comes from doing what they want to do. When this attitude sets in, the siblings activities are viewed as an attack on their own activities. This causes the sibling to be viewed not as a sibling, who should be loved, but rather as a rival that should be conquered.

Now I know that anyone living in the same house is going to have conflicts from time to time, anyone denying that would simply be a fool. What I am saying is that this spirit of conflict should not be the norm in our homes. My children occasionally will grow frustrated with one another, but again this is not the norm. When one our older children are gone, Josiah does not run around basking in this time without his brother or sister, no he looks for them, and is extremely excited upon their return.

Parents, we must instill a heart attitude of love and service between our children, not bitterness and resentment. It may require a change in lifestyle, and it may require less extracurricular activities, and it will definitely require your involvement and guidance. This is not an attack on TV, activities and such, but I will say that none of these will strengthen your family as much as will a heart of genuine, expressed love between your children. Remember, as parents we lead our families, this even means the shaping of the views our children hold towards one another. Are you actively encouraging your children to view one another as a blessing or as a rival?

Jonah (part 3)

2007-05-03T16:11:00.000-04:00

So far, while looking at Jonah we have seen that you don’t have to be a perfect person to serve God in a mighty way, and we have also looked at who can be saved by God. In yesterday’s look at Jonah we see that God’s salvation goes out to everyone, no matter how wicked. Today what I would like to talk about is just how are we suppose to treat the wicked once they repent and turn to Jesus.
Not only do we tend to say that person is a lost cause, but many times we await there judgment. We know what they have done, and we want to see justice served. We go around, talking about how they must repent and trust god, and when they do, instead of rejoicing, we puff up. We think like Jonah. “I told them you were sending judgment, but you saved them. Now that really makes me look like I didn’t know what I was talking about”.

When someone comes to Christ out of a bad situation, we tend to keep our distance. If they are truly saved, they are and a new creature, and instead of running, we need to be rejoicing. When someone is bound for judgment, and repents at the last minute, we mourn that they got away with their sins. While we are down here mourning their so called escape from justice, the angels our in heaven rejoicing in full angelic praise. I don’t know about you, but I have to believe the angels are right on this one. Another look at how we are to treat the repentant Sinner can be found in the parable of the prodigal son. The brother pouted and refused to celebrate, while the Father slaughtered a fatten calf. It is one thing to celebrate at the salvation of a decent individual, but we must ask ourselves, if Hitler had repented, and you were there, would you have said, “anyone but him, he has it coming to him”, or would you have slaughtered a fatten calf, and sung praises. It is easy to rejoice with those we view as good people, but it is a whole different story when it comes to people like Bin laden, or the young man that shot 32 people at VT. The fact is that everyone of these people deserve the same salvation as you and I, and that is none at all. Our salvation comes not because we deserve it, but only by grace. Yes it is true that Bin Ladden does not deserve salvation, but neither do we. Praise God we serve a God of Grace and forgiveness.

If there is anyone out there that thinks they are too far gone for Christ to save, know that no one is out of the reach of Christ. It is never too late to serve Him, no matter what you’ve done, and you are never too far gone for His salvation. Christ shed His blood on the cross for everyone. What can wash away your sins? Noting, nothing but the blood of Jesus. Through faith and repentance, even the vilest of vile criminals can stand in the presence of God, cleansed by the Blood of the Lamb.

God Bless You
Chad Patterson

Jonah (part 2)

2007-05-02T16:06:00.002-04:00

In yesterday’s devotional, I talked about the dangers of not following God’s will, and that I your not, you could repent as Jonah did, and start serving God in the manner in which He has called you to do. And again it is never too late to turn back to God. In Jonah’s case it was not too late even after he had been eaten by a giant fish.

In today’s devotional, we are going to look at what was so important that God had to send a giant fish to save Jonah. God was sending Jonah to Nineveh to preach repentance, as Nineveh was an extremely wicked land. God could have judged them, and rightfully so, but He s such a patient God, that He was willing to take wait until Jonah got his act together before he would judge them. Not only did God display his patience, He also demonstrated His love by sending a prophet instead of the deserved judgment. Many would consider the God of the old testament a God of wrath, The God I see in the book of Jonah, is the same God that I see through out both the Old and new testament, and that is a God of love. Yes a God that justly can pour out his wrath, but instead shows us love and patience.

The people of Nineveh were a vile and wicked people, and we see what measures God went through to bring unto them salvation. Jonah knew just how wicked the people of Nineveh were, and thought that there was no possible way they would repent. These people were happy to live the way they lived, and hearing the Word of god, would only anger them; or so he thought. To Jonah’s surprise not only did the people of Nineveh repent, and mourn their sinful ways, so did their King. And thus we have one of if not the greatest revivals that ever took place. Where Jonah saw a lost cause, God saw a lost soul.
The people of Nineveh are still with us today. They are all around us, and every where we go. How many times have we looked at a person and thought “there is no way they will ever turn to Jesus”? These are the people of today’s Nineveh. They are druggies, they are drunks, they are adulterers, and they are just like we once were; lost in sin. Oh how easy it is to look at someone and think they are too far gone. How many people used to look at you and think that person is a lost cause. We must not forget that this Jesus that seeks to enter their heart is the same Jesus that broke through your hardened heart.
There is no one too far gone that they can’t be covered by the blood that was shed on Calvary. It was Jonah that was called to bring repentance to Nineveh, but it is you that are called to spread His word among the world today. How many times have we prayed that god would send some one to preach the gospel to someone we know and love. The next time you pray for that to take place, realize that He has, he sent them you. If you are a child of God then when you read Matthew 28:19 you must put your name in front of the word Go.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (Mat 28:19)

So just who does God offer salvation too? The answer is the lost. And we must remember, that lost is lost. The gospel is to be preached to the murderer and prostitute, just as it is to clean-cut law abiding citizen. No one is too lost to be found by the Grace of God. His hand can reach into the deepest of pits.
God Bless you

Chad Patterson

Jonah (part 1)

2007-05-01T16:02:00.000-04:00

Over the next three days, I would like to look at the book of Jonah. There a great deal of lessons to get out of this book, but I will be focused on three things. The first thing we will look at is how to respond to what God has called you to do. Tomorrow I will look at just who can be saved, and Thursday I will look at accepting a repentant heart. Let me encourage you, to read the book of Jonah over the next day. For those that have not read it, it is not a long book, and can be read in one short sitting.

The first thing to look at is how you respond to God’s call. In the 1st chapter of Jonah we see the prophet being called by God to go to Nineveh. Jonah decides that this is not his desire, and tries to hide from God, by fleeing to Tarshish. During Jonah’s flight to Tarshish, God brings a violent storm upon the sea, nearly wiping out the ship he was on along with the entire crew. It was not until he confessed his sin of running from God, and had the crew toss him overboard, that the sea calmed. Jonah knew his sin, but felt it was too late to be used, and just went into the sea to die. We all know the story of how God still had a job for Jonah, and he sent a giant fish to swallow him. And the next three days of Jonah’s life were spent in that fish. After three days of repentance and prayer, the fish would spit him out at his destination.

You see If God has told you to do something or go somewhere; the best thing to do is do it. We can plainly see that there is no place even the deep sea, in which we can go to hide from God. God is everywhere. From the church house to your bedroom, to the belly of a fish; not one place can we go, and find it void of God. We may not be running form being a preacher, or from being a missionary, it may be that God is calling you to give your life over to him, or to just start being obedient to his Word. As it was in Jonah’s case, if you run, you can be sure that God will find you.

And when he does find you, (not that he ever lost track of you) you can bet the He will get your attention to say “hey I am still here”. As God began to deal with Jonah’s rebellion, He did not single out Jonah, but allowed His wrath to pour over to those around Jonah. This is what happens when we disobey God’s calling on our life. This is something I know all too well personally, as my running from His call cost me a child. God will get your attention, and sometimes those around you wind up suffering for the sinful choices you make.

As Jonah confessed his guilt and sin, so must we. When God is trying to get your attention, you know. And when you realize this, repentance is the only way. You can’t just ignore God and hope he will go away, because if he has called you to do something, he will keep pushing you until you follow His will for you.

When Jonah confessed his sin, he thought that God was through with him, but we all no that he wasn’t. I don’t what it is that is causing you to hide or run from God, but He does. You see there is no need to hide or run, because one He knows all that you have done, and He always knows exactly where you are. We all have different things in our life that cause us to run from God, and not only does God know what you are running from, but you do too. Whatever reason you have that causes you to run from God, Know that it is not great enough to be considered unusable by God. We see that God not only redeemed and used Jonah, but many more including the likes of Paul, and Peter. Maybe today you are tired of running, just stop and tell God you’re ready to stop running, and are ready to be as or where He wants you. The Good news is that know matter how far you have ran, it’s never too far. When you cry out to God, He may send your very own fish to take you back to where He wanted you in the first place. Make today the day you top running from God, and start running to Him.

God Bless You

Chad Patterson

Daily devotional 4-29-2007

2007-04-28T23:07:00.000-04:00

**If this devotional is a blessing to you, please forward it on to someone else. My prayer is not that this devotional would circulate through just the inboxes of Christians, but that it might go to the lost as well. This ministry may be geared at reviving the church, but no ministry is exempt from preaching Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world.**

Daily Devotional
Sun 4/29/2007

It is no news that the constitution of our country is being left behind. We see it getting left behind and ripped apart day by day, piece by piece. Many horrific tragedies have taken place since the assault on our constitution started. From voices all across our country I constantly hear the same thing. “What we need is prayer back in school”, or “leave ‘In God We Trust’ alone” and let’s not forget the ability to display the Ten Commandments in our schools and public arenas. These few issues, that I hear over and over again, are valid issues, and I support every one of them, but the problem is that they make no difference in our country. More people cry out over prayer in schools, than they do over the murder of an innocent baby, divorce or out of wedlock pregnancies in our church. Again I think that the issues of prayer in school, ‘In God We Trust’, and the Ten Commandments are important, and I stand for these issues, but the following reasons are why they should not be our focal point at this time.

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard people say, “It all started when they took prayer out of school, and what we need to do is put it back”. I agree that it needs to go back, but the problem is not that the school quit having prayer; the problem is that the family quit having prayer. Parents are so quick to point out the lack of prayer in school, and yet they refuse to pray with as a family.

The same could be said of the Ten Commandments. I would love to see the Ten Commandments displayed in public, but that will resolve few of our problems. We think that if we post these, people will see them and change their lives, but we know the only thing that can change a man is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The first place we need to display the Ten Commandments is not the school or courthouse, but in our own lives. Next, would be to display them in our home, then in the various public places. To be so passionate about the displaying the Ten Commandments, we seem to have so little regard for actually obeying them.

“In God we Trust”. We say it all the time, but do our choices and actions really tell the world that “I trust in God”?

Why do people get so passionate about these issues? Many, if not most, do so because their life has no resemblance to Christ’s life. In order to ease their guilt and to please God, they wonder what could be better than to passionately defend Him. Now don’t misunderstand, God does like for us to be defenders of truth, and to do so with passion and boldness, however, first and foremost, He demands our obedience.

The solution to our problems will not come when heads are bowed in a class, but when families are on their knees in their homes. The world will not be changed by placing the Ten Commandments on a wall, but when we integrate them into our life. If we think that we can win back this country without truly being sold out for God, can we really say “In God We Trust”?

God Bless You

Chad Patterson

If this devotional is an encouragement to you, please email me and let me know. Or if you would like to have it emailed to you, please let me know at the following email. response@pureheartspurehomes.org response@pureheartspurehomes.org

Gods Wisdom

2007-04-27T23:49:00.001-04:00

**If this devotional is a blessing to you, please forward it on to someone else. My prayer is not that this devotional would circulate through just the inboxes of Christians, but that it might go to the lost as well. This ministry may be geared at reviving the church, but no ministry is exempt from preaching Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world.**

Daily Devotional
Saturday 4/28/2007

One thing I have noticed is that when we have a problem, we love to simply throw money at it. No matter what the problem is, we seem to believe that if we throw enough money and research at it, we will overcome the problem. Many times, this has paid of, as we have found cures, and come up with ways of doing things more efficiently. But for many of our problems, even though we have thrown countless amounts of money and time at the problem, we are no better off than when we began. The truth is that there are some issues that wouldn’t get fixed if you threw every penny in the world at it. What is really sad is the fact that for many of the seemingly unsolvable problems of the world, there is an answer. There are cures for many of our sexually transmitted epidemics, and depression, solutions to poverty, and crime. Why would someone have a solution to these things and not share them? Well, fortunately for us they are shared.

God has given us by means of his Word, solutions to anything we come up against. So just what kind of cures can we find in God’s Word? Let’s start with AIDS. Believe it or not the Bible tells how to virtually eliminate AIDS. If we were to follow the Bibles standard of sexual purity, we would wait until marriage to have sex, thus by only having one partner, the spread virtually stops. By killing this method of transport for the virus, we greatly reduce the amount of people infected through drug use. It is not an overnight fix, but it would within a matter of years basically rid us of AIDS. It may take several years, but do we really think medicine will have it cured by then? Someone is thinking right now about how I am not living in reality. I understand reality, and the likelihood of this happening, but that does not make the fact that God’s Holy Word has the answer any less true. As difficult as it is, I know that all things are possible with God. Also, before you write to me, I am in no way condemning those with AIDS or any virus like it. Many people have one of these deadly diseases, and for those already infected, we as the body of Christ must reach out and show His love. All the preaching in the world will not change the fact that someone has AIDS, so we need to have honest compassion for them.

AIDS is not the only thing that would be cured by sexual purity. Think about what else could be cured by living a sexually pure life. If people would wait until marriage, the divorce rate would almost disappear, and the unwed mothers would virtually cease to exist, thus lowering both the poverty level and the crime rates. Abortion would be of such a small demand, that it would be unthinkable. These things are just the beginning of the issues that could be fixed through a sexual pure life.

Also think about the problems that would go away, if the church decided to do the job it was given in scripture, instead of passing that task onto the shoulders of the government. The welfare system offers nothing more than survival via a check. When the church helps out a person is not only given a means of survival, but also a means of salvation, and redemption.

We must realize that the Bible has more answers than we what often realize. The World would have played as a fool for following God’s wisdom, but I say the fool is he which snubs God’s infinite wisdom.

God Bless You

Chad Patterson

If this devotional is an encouragement to you, please email me and let me know. Or if you would like to have it emailed to you, please let me know at the following email. response@pureheartspurehomes.org mailto:response@pureheartspurehomes.org?subject=Resonse%20to%20Devotional

Gods Wisdom

2007-04-27T23:49:00.000-04:00

**If this devotional is a blessing to you, please forward it on to someone else. My prayer is not that this devotional would circulate through just the inboxes of Christians, but that it might go to the lost as well. This ministry may be geared at reviving the church, but no ministry is exempt from preaching Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world.**

Daily Devotional
Saturday 4/28/2007

One thing I have noticed is that when we have a problem, we love to simply throw money at it. No matter what the problem is, we seem to believe that if we throw enough money and research at it, we will overcome the problem. Many times, this has paid of, as we have found cures, and come up with ways of doing things more efficiently. But for many of our problems, even though we have thrown countless amounts of money and time at the problem, we are no better off than when we began. The truth is that there are some issues that wouldn’t get fixed if you threw every penny in the world at it. What is really sad is the fact that for many of the seemingly unsolvable problems of the world, there is an answer. There are cures for many of our sexually transmitted epidemics, and depression, solutions to poverty, and crime. Why would someone have a solution to these things and not share them? Well, fortunately for us they are shared.

God has given us by means of his Word, solutions to anything we come up against. So just what kind of cures can we find in God’s Word? Let’s start with AIDS. Believe it or not the Bible tells how to virtually eliminate AIDS. If we were to follow the Bibles standard of sexual purity, we would wait until marriage to have sex, thus by only having one partner, the spread virtually stops. By killing this method of transport for the virus, we greatly reduce the amount of people infected through drug use. It is not an overnight fix, but it would within a matter of years basically rid us of AIDS. It may take several years, but do we really think medicine will have it cured by then? Someone is thinking right now about how I am not living in reality. I understand reality, and the likelihood of this happening, but that does not make the fact that God’s Holy Word has the answer any less true. As difficult as it is, I know that all things are possible with God. Also, before you write to me, I am in no way condemning those with AIDS or any virus like it. Many people have one of these deadly diseases, and for those already infected, we as the body of Christ must reach out and show His love. All the preaching in the world will not change the fact that someone has AIDS, so we need to have honest compassion for them.

AIDS is not the only thing that would be cured by sexual purity. Think about what else could be cured by living a sexually pure life. If people would wait until marriage, the divorce rate would almost disappear, and the unwed mothers would virtually cease to exist, thus lowering both the poverty level and the crime rates. Abortion would be of such a small demand, that it would be unthinkable. These things are just the beginning of the issues that could be fixed through a sexual pure life.

Also think about the problems that would go away, if the church decided to do the job it was given in scripture, instead of passing that task onto the shoulders of the government. The welfare system offers nothing more than survival via a check. When the church helps out a person is not only given a means of survival, but also a means of salvation, and redemption.

We must realize that the Bible has more answers than we what often realize. The World would have played as a fool for following God’s wisdom, but I say the fool is he which snubs God’s infinite wisdom.

God Bless You

Chad Patterson

If this devotional is an encouragement to you, please email me and let me know. Or if you would like to have it emailed to you, please let me know at the following email. response@pureheartspurehomes.org response@pureheartspurehomes.org

His Plumbline

2007-04-27T15:34:00.000-04:00

Over the last two years, I have done a lot of building at our house: fences, barn, shelves, chicken coop, etc. One of the many tools that I have become familiar with during this span of time is the plumb line. To those who do not know what a plumb line is, let me explain. A plumb line is basically a string with a weight on the bottom, and when the weight is lowered down, it makes a perfectly straight line, due to the fact that the weight keeps the string from moving to the left or to the right as straight down is the only direction that gravity seems to know how to pull.

No matter how many times I use a plumb line, I am always reminded of the words that God spoke to us through the great prophet Amos:

“Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more: And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.” (Amos 7:7-9)

Why would God use a plumbline? He used it to demonstrate that everyone who claimed to be His are not, and the plumbline shows us that it is not a crooked or wavering line separating us, but rather a fixed and perfectly straight line. You see, we like to stretch the limits God has blessed us with. We tell ourselves that “this is okay” and that God “doesn’t mind that”. We have fooled ourselves, and we have fooled others, but God Almighty will not be fooled. All to0 often we take God’s standard and move it to fit our needs and desires.

By the world’s standards, “this” is acceptable. We twist God’s word to make it say what we want. Just as God showed Amos the plumb line, I believe there is coming a day in which God is going to once again open up His toolbox and pull out His plumbline.

If God were to take His plumbline out, what side would you stand on: His side or the world’s side? Ask yourself that question, but do so seriously. Step back and take a good look at your life: the choices you make, the way you talk, the way you dress, and the entertainment you enjoy. Does it honestly line up with God’s Word? The world and many in the church would have us believe that there is no absolute right or wrong. I don’t know what god they serve, but my God, who is holy, says He uses a plumbline. Either it is Godly or it is worldly, but it can’t be both.

There is no middle ground, only God’s side and the world’s side. What side are you on? I know most people would first respond, without hesitation, that they are on God’s side, however, do the claims you make with your mouth match the claims you make with your choices?

God Bless you,

Chad Patterson

Easter 2007

2007-04-08T15:41:00.000-04:00

As Easter, or resurrection day as I prefer to call it comes around, I would like to take today’s devotional, and discuss what really happened in a borrowed tomb nearly 200 years ago.
First there is the swoon theory. This is a theory that seems to be growing more and more. Especially with the likes of the Devenci Code, the new James Cameron movie, and other unscholarly scholars. Have given rise to this theory. It says that Jesus was not dead, but had mearly passed out from exhaustion and blood loss. This theory is wrong for several reasons.
Jesus Died at Calvery: the soldiers in charge of his execution, made sure he was dead. They were trained killers. They new when someone was dead, or when they were simply passed out. They also new the punishment for failing at there task, and that was to suffer the same fate as the prisoner. This is why before letting Jesus come down from the cross, they pierced his side with a spear.
Jesus was in his grave clothes: There Were over a hundred pounds of spices that would have been on him. A man in His state (supposing he was not dead) would not have been able to remove the grave clothes that were around him.
The stone was rolled away: If Jesus would have been unable to remove the grave clothes, he would have been unable to move the stone. He had just been beaten almost to death, his flesh would have been like ribbons, He had jagged spikes driven into his wrists, and feet, wounds on which his entire body had been supported on for hours. He had his side pierced with a spear.
Did wake up and leave? I think not.
Many will say but it is possible. Possible barely, but probable absolutely not!

Another theory is that the disciples stole the body. To this again I say the facts say otherwise.
· When Jesus was arrested, the disciple (excluding John), fled the scene, and hid. Peter even denied knowing Jesus. Within a month, Peter would be in prisoned and beaten for preaching Jesus. He and those that fled in fear, would all go on to be martyred for Jesus Christ. No one knowingly dies for a lie.
· If the Desciples had stolen the body, they would have been arrested not for preaching, but for breaking the seal that was on Jesus’ tomb. The tomb had been sealed with the seal of Rome, anyone messing with it would be killed, especially a non Roman citizen.
· They could not deny it: All that the Jewish leaders could do, was try to silence the disciples. Had the body been stolen, they would have disproved the disciples.

They went to the wrong tomb is yet another commonly held alternative to the resurrection. This too is false, because just suppose that Mary had went to the wrong tomb. Then when John and Peter returned they too would have accidently went to the wrong tomb, not to mention the other dessciples came latter, and they too would have been at the wrong tomb. Do you not think that had they had the wrong tomb, the Jewish leaders would have let them go on. Of course they wouldn’t have, they would have marched right down to the tomb, and said see here is his tomb, here are the gaurds and the seal, and inside is a dead Jesus. They could not do this however, because it was the right tomb, there were no guards, and there was no Jesus, because he had left that borrowed tomb. The roman seal was not broken by a man that was forbidden to touch it, but rather by The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords Jesus Christ himself.

There is one explanation that is true though. That is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, was born of a Virgin, lived a sinless life, Shed (not spilt but shed) His blood on calvery’s cross, He died and was buried in a borrowed tomb, after three day He rolled away the stone from the tomb and walked out defeating the grave, and today He sits at the right hand of the father, awaiting to hear “son go get your bride”. Nearly 2000 years ago, Pontus Pilate passed the death sentence on Jesus, but the next time they meet he will be on his face acknowledging Jesus as KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. (Joh 20:7)

Jesus folded the napkin, as a way of saying thanks for letting borrow your tomb, but I want be needing it anymore.

The number one way I know the tomb was and still is empty, is simple, and that is that I know the one who was in it.