Healing Waters

Raking Hay

2009-03-28T15:55:00.001-06:00

Down in the river valley there's some hay being made in summer! That big white barn durn near a half a mile away is our old dairy barn.

Grazing Steers

2009-03-23T15:21:00.002-06:00

Late summer on Orchard Grass, the steers just pack on the weight! I just praise the Lord for the green grass to fatten the cattle!

Dairy Road

2009-03-16T17:22:00.003-06:00

Dairy Road, (that's really its name), is the road past our place. In fact our house is in the trees in the photo! A pretty place this one mile stretch of road is, pure country! I praise the Lord for placing us here!

Down to the River

2009-03-13T19:05:00.001-06:00

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the starry crown
Good Lord, show me the way !

O sisters let's go down,
Let's go down, come on down,
O sisters let's go down,
Down in the river to pray.

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the robe and crown
Good Lord, show me the way !

O brothers let's go down,
Let's go down, come on down,
Come on brothers let's go down,
Down in the river to pray.

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the starry crown
Good Lord, show me the way !

O fathers let's go down,
Let's go down, come on down,
O fathers let's go down,
Down in the river to pray.

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the robe and crown
Good Lord, show me the way !

O mothers let's go down,
Let's go down, don't you want to go down,
Come on mothers let's go down,
Down in the river to pray.

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the starry crown
Good Lord, show me the way !

O sinners let's go down,
Let's go down, come on down,
O sinners let's go down,
Down in the river to pray.

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the robe and crown
Good Lord, show me the way !

I love this song! The first time I ever heard it was at a baptism service our church was having. First time I ever heard it and the first time I ever got baptized in a lake! I was baptized as a baby, but of course I don't remember that all to well, being only a couple weeks old and all. But a few years ago everything changed and this family is the Lord's!

The photo was taken here on the farm, down by the old river!

Cattle Upon a Thousand Hills

2009-03-13T18:39:00.003-06:00

For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.
Psalm 50:10

Looking back at last summer with the abundant grass in the cattle pastures in June just makes me smile. Our Lord provides! He took us out of slavery and has set us free! This life is going by fast, heading to the promised land someday, maybe soon, maybe not. Only our Lord knows. But when we cross that River Jordan and enter in I do wonder if we'll see green pastures and cattle on a thousand hills. I think we will!

Our Ducks

2009-03-06T20:30:00.001-06:00

Looking back to last fall in our back yard. Some of our ducks doing whatever ducks do! Oh Lord, it'll be nice to see the ground again after all these months of snow covering everything up!

Farming and Faith

2009-02-25T16:03:00.002-06:00

Yup, I'm a dreaming of the season in the photo! Those beautiful days out in the field not freezing to death! Even with all the work in that season things seem to go smoother than wintertime! There's gonna be a whole lot more posts, (and photos of farm and faith), on this blog now that I reactivated it!
God Bless!

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

2007-11-10T19:01:00.000-06:00

You cannot talk about things that you have never experienced. It seems to me that God has a process of training us. You cannot take people into the depths of God unless you have been broken yourself. I have been broken and broken and broken. Praise God, for "the Lord is near to those who have a broken heart' (Ps 34:18) You must have a brokenness to get into the depths of God.
There is a rest of faith: there is a faith that rests in confidence on God. God's promises never fail. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17). The Word of God can create an irresistible faith, a faith that is never daunted, a faith that never gives up and never fails. We fail to realize the largeness of our Father's supply. We forget that He has a supply that cannot be exhausted. It pleases Him when we ask for much. "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those that ask Him!" (Matt 7:11) It is the "much more" that God shows me.
I see that God has a plan of healing. It is along the lines of perfect confidence in Him. The confidence comes not from our much speaking; it comes from our fellowship with Him. There is a wonderful fellowship with Jesus. The chief thing is to be sure that we take time for communion with Him. There is a communion with Jesus that is life and that is better than preaching.

I wrote that quote from the book, "Smith Wigglesworth on Healing". Building faith from reading the Word of God continually. Faith comes by hearing... or reading God's Word. I can give a personal testimony on that. I remember a while back when I started to read the Bible regular I wondered how would I ever get anything out of this. I know I'd never be able to quote scripture, let alone remember any except for fragments. My faith wasn't fed or exercised. A new Christian, born again but a baby Christian.

I read and read even though sometimes I wondered why. Never hardly missed church because I didn't want to miss out on anything to do with God. But feeding and exercising the spirit is so critically important that I can't stress it enough. Like they say, if we'd feed our bodies as little as we feed our spirit we'd be starving to death. That saying sticks with me. But as time went on I could start to see that the Word was sticking to the spiritual ribs, so to speak. More and more as life's daily problems would appear, the answer from the Word would appear also.

I read about the old timers in faith, the poor folk, about the only thing they had was a Bible and they would read it. No wonder those folks had a strong faith. Makes sense, they might have been poor in body, but in spirit they were giants. Old Smith Wigglesworth had it nailed down, read the Bible, don't question it, just believe it. Just believe in faith and there's no limit in what God can do.

One of my favorite stories from the book I'm reading, and I can't find it right off hand, is where a woman got healed instantly from some terrible disease and after she testifies she asked Smith if he had any healing tracts that she could hand out to her friends. Old Smith replied, "yes, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John!" That's what we need, the Word that is truth and life! Then just believe!

Only Believe

2007-11-08T20:01:00.000-06:00

Only believe, only believe. Those are the often repeated words of Smith Wigglesworth, that giant of faith from years gone by. Such simple words. Get into the Word of God till it becomes the very marrow of your bones and believe. So many years I wondered about God, but it seemed that He was unreachable. Only for certain folks, those who went to schools and such. Oh, we were told we had a chance, just keep following along.

I just came in from our old barn, I never go there at night but tonight I had a tug in the spirit. Now this should throw some folks for a loop, but that tug said, "go pitch some manure tonight". I never would have listened to this even a few months back, but I instantly went to that old 110 year old dairy barn. We don't dairy but there's some beef cattle, some hogs and our horse in there. There's lights in the barn and it was pitch black outside. A calm cool night a bit above freezing yet. The animals might have been wondering what I was doing in there but soon just accepted the fact and relaxed. Just quiet barn sounds.

I started pitching the manure and it didn't take me long to find out why I was called there. Sometimes one just has to go to a place like that, it's like a whole different world so quiet and the like. And you know, a person can have one heck of a good conversation with God while cleaning out a horse pen. Not exactly what a person would call the Crystal Cathedral.

Those words just kept coming to me, "only believe", over and over. Just submit more and more, in fact everything in faith to God. Because God can't move until we do. Oh, I wish I was a better writer but I'll plod along anyhow. Faith in Him and only in Him, so simple and so hard for our human minds to grasp. In the Bible the biggest miracles, the biggest moves of God were with the simplest people. Just like the modern day simple person that wants to follow God but has a hard time understanding things whether from religion or worldly influences. How, we say can I ever have that huge faith that the biggest Bible stories tell?

Just believe, like a little child. We all heard that one. But it's the key to unlocking the treasures of Heaven. We say we can't. Yes we can! When we realize how big God is and how small we are and finally just admit we are powerless in every way things start to move. That faith those folks had in the Bible is in every believer there is. Every believer is given a measure of faith by God. And if God says it, it is! There's no two ways about it! A person says he or she could never have that much faith, wrong, it's already there. Just believe! The Lord told Paul, "my grace is sufficient", we are told we won't be allowed any temptation we could not handle, that we're covered by God's Grace. It's time to believe that promise and grab onto what God wants for us.

To be truthful, I had a hard time with this and now realize it was only me fighting God tooth and nail. It's so simple to just submit to Him. That's it. And when a person denies himself and submits to God and the Word, God has someone He can use. God's in control of my life, oh I still fight back here and there. Smith Wigglesworth said he'd fall a thousand times a day, but would get back up and race after Jesus. That's the way, no matter what, get back up and run the race. No matter what.

I've got a lot to digest this evening after being out in the barn, I'm in a bit of a daze and I'd better end this now. I didn't even get started, but like I said, I'm in a daze. God loves us more than we can even start to imagine and there's nothing I can do except give in and let Him be the Lord of my life, totally.

Straight Forward Preaching

2007-11-06T17:53:00.000-06:00

Many times when I write something I have no idea what I'm gonna write about when I start. In fact that's the rule here. So here and on the Northern Farmer blog I sometimes just start with some of the day, the weather, stuff like that. Many times I delete the whole works because I just ain't getting no flow at all. Basically if I can't write and enjoy it, I give up. All day long stuff goes through my head about what I could write about, then when I start I have a total mind blank and just work my way into it. Sometimes it takes off pretty good. (I don't know if anyone noticed but that's what I'm doing right now, kinda the prelude.)

Since I replaced my old computer named Hal with this new jobby things are taking off. When I got this thing I made a vow it would only be used for the Kingdom of God, nothing else, well the weather is part of the Kingdom I figure. But that's about as far as I stray from what drives me on the computer. And since getting this new one I can't hardly believe what it's coming up with. For years I couldn't find sites that held any interest for me on the internet as far as faith matters go and now they're just rolling out. Now if I could figure out how to categorize the links on this blog. It was on the old computer that I found Pastor Anthony Wynn preaching on Holy Ghost Online and I tell you I've been giving that site a workout. I needed that site and will forever be grateful that they have such a thing. Good old fashion Holy Ghost preaching 24/7.

I also have a few more links that I put on here too, for myself to use and anyone else that's interested. Backing up a bit, this past spring our pastor in our little church in the hills set me on a coarse to investigate revival. Supplied me with books and fanned the flame of interest in me that hasn't let up one bit since. It's only grown. In fact investigating this subject is how I found Holy Ghost Online. There's two others on the link list that are very special to me. One is Revival Journal and the other American Pentecost. I was praising Jesus for the fact that these came across my path. As with Holy Ghost Online, I haven't even scratched the surface of these two other blogs that I love to read. What a tremendous blessing these are!

There's nothing that catches my attention more than the Word of God being preached the way it was meant to be preached. And these three sites sure do that and stay with it. No compromise. They don't nit pick about about religious matters as so many., many other sites do. Just lay it out the way the Word of God says. Nothing added, nothing taken away. Glory to God, thank you for people that walk the walk.

I've discovered that when I teach that's the way I've been approaching everything also. Straight forward, nothing else. Don't mush nothing up, just lay it out. I know as far as writing on the Northern Farmer blog that's the way I always did it too. No matter what people think, it'd just be dished out truthfully. Sometimes I'd screw up a bit, but who doesn't.

Been thinking since Sunday, been thinking allot. In the last post I wrote about being healed by the Word. Well, we got a lady at church that's really into the Prophetic and she told me to start laying hands on the sick. Normally I brush their talk off, don't really know why. Well, maybe it's because I lean very hard on the evangelist gift and I can hardly notice other gifts. I have an exceptionally difficult time with prophetic groups also. I believe in the prophetic, just there 's so much wrong with so much of it out there now. But I know that healing is something God wants His children to have. He just wants us to believe, to lean on Him. cast our cares on Him, all of them.

Three things spark an intense interest in me, evangelism, revival and divine healing. And all three do go together. I often wondered how does a person figure out their calling. You know, you always hear that one should follow their calling. I was bewildered a while back until our pastor told me "what draws you?" Well, there's no question there! Not only do these things draw me, they drive me! Things are happening out here. Things are happening in our little church that I wouldn't have imagined a couple of years ago.In such a spiritually dead area there's an awakening happening. It might seem small to our eyes but I know God doesn't see it that way. He sees the whole picture. He sees the final result!

Edit: I came across an important post this morning as I was skimming over the computer. Here's the link to Revival Blog and the post I'm talking about, more later!

Healing Waters Flow

2007-11-04T18:02:00.000-06:00

I named this blog Healing Waters because of a song I heard a year and a half ago at church when we had us a three day Healing Service. The song's name was Healing Waters Flow. Our praise team sung the song and it almost stuck me down. At the time our praise team leader thought she botched the song as she told me later, but that song sent me in a direction that has never slowed down to this day. It is a traditional Appalachian song, or at least I think it is, I could be wrong but that's not important, but that song stuck on me like nothing else ever did in my life. I had to ask where'd she get that song from and she said "take this CD". The singer was a Pentecostal preacher from Kentucky named Tommy Bates and I was overwhelmed by it.

That one song got me interested in more songs by Pastor Tommy Bates and pretty soon I had his entire collection purchased. Then I got some preaching CDs from his ministry and things really got interesting because I hardly ever heard preaching like that before. Just hammering on the truth and the hunger increased. It's also what caused me to sign up for Bible College, that hunger from all that anointed preaching. Besides Bible College I was reading literally sacks of books from RHEMA Bible College in Oklahoma which they had in abundant supply at our church. The subject of healing always perked an intense interest in me. But I made the mistake of figuring that a person gotta really get educated up and become so strong in faith before one could even attempt healing. And at my age it looked like i probably missed the boat because how would I ever get to such a high level of faith to have something like that work.

I know it sounds stupid but that's how a person sometimes thinks. Now, to set the record straight here, I believe in divine healing, I filled myself with book knowledge until I know it's true. Very few church's around here recognize it, they're stuck in religion as I was also. A few weeks ago I had a "condition" return to me that I had off and on years ago. A severe headache that would last for up to two months with no mercy at all. We're talking severe here! Never a letup. Now since going to our little church and getting born again to the bone I never really had any afflictions so I never had to even worry about anything like that. But when this thing appeared again after a few years I thought, "oh no, how will I ever even be able to function if this starts up again". Previous times I was in the hospital for tests and everything and they could never find the cause of the pain.

A week and a half ago when it reared it's ugly head again I was in despaired to say the least. Then I thought about all I had read, all I had listened too over the years and finally decided to claim my rights as a believer. In the morning doing chores in severe pain , almost at the end of my rope I said, "in the Name of Jesus you headache get out". That was it, nothing else. I continued working and the headache pounded away bigtime. Well my mind was raging saying this'll never work but I know in Mark Ch 11

22And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

23For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

25And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

26But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

My Bible says that if you believe with your heart, not the mind. As my mind would rage against it I would just quote the scripture:

1 Peter 2:24

24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

In about an hour I all of a sudden felt it leaving fast! Glory to God, and I mean I could literally feel it leaving! I can testify that my faith rose to an all new level because this was without a doubt divine healing. In fact it's been many years since I felt as good as I did that day.

I do want to go into this some more in the near future because I know what I know and that is this is true. The believer's authority, the authority of the Body of Christ. Yes I will go into this, this and faith, simple faith from the heart, no head stuff. That simple faith that they had years ago and somehow so much of it has been lost. But it will be regained, big!

Thinking Out Loud

2007-11-02T17:25:00.000-06:00

There! Done!Glory to God! The season is officially over with, although that doesn't mean a hill of beans as far as the work load goes here yet. But at least the fields are plowed and the cornstalks are all baled up and moved home from our neighbor's field before deer hunting opens tomorrow. I can't hardly believe it that I didn't break a baler belt with all the rocks in those corn fields. I was ah praying! Windier than the dickens for the last three days too. Nuthing like a wind burned face to add to the farmer image.

So tomorrow I'll get a million little things taken care of around here and after that comes Sunday and then there's only a few thousand things to do just to keep the place running for another day. But church is where we head off to and that's what I look forward to every single day. But our little church is a tad bit different than so many in this region and I've thought about that allot the last couple of years. Different I guess because it's mostly what I would call first generation Full Gospel, or Pentecostal, or Charismatic or what ever you'd want to call it. It fits whichever name a person would want to label it I guess. One time I got up and talked about being first generation in this and I know most of the rest there are also. In Minnesota there's very few church's like this, well at least in our area. It's mostly Catholic and Lutheran and, well that covers the majority. And nothing against either one either. Just that's not what I am even though I was "born Catholic".

The strangest thing in our little church is that there's a good percentage of Catholics that attend the Wednesday evening services and are a huge asset to the church. But one thing everyone, or darn near everyone has on their hearts there is the fact that so many in their families, (in other church's) are just going to church's because that's what a person does, and don't even know why they're doing it. God is almost looked upon as the enemy that's out to get you. But if a person's lucky enough, just maybe he or she will make it to heaven somehow. In our church we don't sing the old songs where you sing about meeting the relation that went to heaven before us because we know from the Bible that church or religion doesn't get a person to heaven. And in a first generational church it's difficult to sing this way.

In our church is quite the assortment of folks and I love every one of them! Farmers like me, truck drivers, ex alcoholics, ex meth addicts, young folks, some older folks, a biker, you just about name it. But they're all in one accord. The church is only seven or eight years running but it's one of a kind in this area. It's looked upon as kinda weird by many locals and also by other church's in the area but that's OK. Cause I figure if it wasn't that'd mean we were just another church, playing church.

Almost every person there is almost like a raw recruit. And that's what makes it so rare, no multi generational bosses, everyone is in hot pursuit of God, different levels and all but still hot pursuit. I've seen more moves of God there than anywhere else in my entire life. In fact I never seen a move of God anywhere else in this area come to think of it. The last two years I've seen healings that would blow away the religious, I've seen the impossible deliverances happen that the world says is impossible. Lives changed many times in an instant. Many times folks have seen angels there in the service, for real! I've heard about angels joining in on the singing too. Sounds far fetched, but it's real!

I see now at this stage of life that when people gather in Jesus name things do happen. It almost tears me apart if I'm listening to Christian radio or reading the internet and someone is saying all these things passed away with the original church generation. Some say it was all taken away after the Bible , or should I say the New Testament was written. Well, if there's anything in life I can testify it's that the moves of God are coming on strong in a little church out in the middle of no where! One thing I know, it's on my heart for a long time now, that this will not stay contained in this little church. It's gonna spread and big!

I'm just rambling tonight, thinking out loud. Sometimes a person just does that.

The Day After

2007-11-01T17:21:00.000-06:00

Well, it's November 1st and I survived last evening at church. We had us hillbilly church over in children's church and it went allot better than I ever dreamed. Of coarse I was dressed up in bib overalls so I could blend in a bit. They took some pictures and if they ever publish them on the web I'll link to it. But last night was special for me because we just cut loose and had us a good time!

Things out here might be a bit different than suburban America as far as the church goes. Oh, folks try and act like they do in the suburban culture but the old country ways aren't hidden very deep.And if you take a bunch of kids from out here and give them half a chance to have a good time doing some of the old things I tell you it can really get going. Last night except for lights we didn't use anything that needs electricity. All music was real, there was story telling, namely me story telling. Holy Ghost stories not ghost stories. We did quite a few games, all old ones and did them kids ever come alive!

I don't know, but if you give a kid half a chance to just be a kid they'll take it. Us adults nowadays are too demanding on them little ones. Whatever happened to good old fashioned fun. Well I can tell you that we sure had that last night! Of coarse there was a fifty one year old kid having fun too! I even pulled off a twenty minute farmer's nap today around noon just to recover a bit more from all the excitement. Feel pretty good this evening.

So, in a few days, well, hopefully tomorrow we'll be caught up around the farm for a bit. Hopefully the corn stalks will be baled up tomorrow and be over with. The last of the fall plowing was done today so that's under the belt. It's really been a crusher these last few weeks trying to get ready for winter but we're getting there. I'm looking forward to a few months of nothing but chores. It's badly needed. Finish up Bible College this winter and have that under the belt too. I don't know what'll happen after that but I ain't worrying about that at this point and probably won't worry about it at that point either.

I had originally planned to teach children's church for two years but it looks like that might run over. Don't know for how long, but folks ain't exactly jumping at the opportunity of teaching children's church, at least as far as I know of. Oh well, somebody's gotta do it, might just as well be this simple farmer. So many times I just wished I could quit but then the next week rolls around and we do it all over again. But them young'uns are some good kids and I just don't know, sometimes I feel guilty being such a poor teacher and all that, but then I find out that they are learning much more than I ever dreamed. I have a habit of beating myself up after children's church, figure I ain't good enough, but deep down I know that when one presents the Gospel, things do happen. Even somebody as simple as me.

Will there ever be anything else besides children's church for me? I have no idea, not the slightest. But whatever happens is alright with me as long as I'm following what God wants me to do.

Two Years

2007-10-18T09:13:00.000-06:00

I'm not all that used to writing something during the day, never done it much before because that's when we work on the farm. But lately it's been raining most of the time and it gets to a point where it's just plain nice to get into a warm house and dry off, kick back a little and just slow down. There'll be plenty of work whenever this all clears out and dries up a bit. Was in children's church last evening and all is well there, it all went smooth and I came out in one piece so no complaints there!

Tomorrow is the anniversary of me getting born again and delivered from this world and it's ways. I was thinking about that the last couple of days, how life was never the same after that Wednesday evening service a couple of years ago. It just amazes me, where did those two years go? They sure flew by to say the least. Now for anyone that doesn't know, I did go to church most of my life, but like so many that do that sort of thing it really didn't mean much. I just don't know, but I was always seeking and church just never and I mean never provided an answer. Same old stuff every week, same boring stuff. A production, a show. Listen to the same people preform songs while a person sits there and listens, bored. Listen to the same twenty minute sermons, in fact that could be labeled an ordeal. Church always the same. Listen to how when a person gets born again at an altar call then it's all over with. Your in and that's that. But inside of me was always the question, the seeking, "what now?" And in the later years of going to church like this there weren't even any altar calls to even get that far. It just kinda died out.

I seen youth that were totally into the world, oh they'd go to church, but I could see they had about as much interest in it as I had. The biggest activity I had was taking the church bulletin and filling in all the places one could put a dot in the letters on the pages. Gradually I'd just miss more and more church because it just made sense to stay home. Even in the state I was in I realized there was nothing there, nothing. Did I want my family and myself to just be a modern church family where it has little or no importance outside of being a social circle? I never mingled with anyone because I knew, or should I say I know now that I was after God even in the terrible state I was in. And attending church where the Word was not being preached just couldn't satisfy any hunger that was there.

Fifteen years that went on until one time in church it almost exploded in my realization that this has nothing to do with God. I'd end up raising my family like the modern society does. Being a good church member, sending the kids off to a college that would teach them everything against God that could be possible, and then feel that I was on my way to heaven because of it all. No, I knew something was terribly wrong, life and death wrong. It pulled on me hard and wasn't the easiest thing we ever did. I'm not a quitter, but sometimes a person has to run for their life! And we somehow ended up in the little church we go to now. I'll never forget the first few times there, was it ever different and I mean different. The biggest impression on me was that this was something like the Book of Acts, a church running the way the biblical church ran. After a few weeks, on a Wednesday evening I truly got save, born again to the bone, and I'm telling you it hasn't let up one bit since.

I'm not saying all went well, in fact just the opposite, I had some of the toughest times of my life since then. But I wonder what them times would have been like without being a new creation in Christ. The hunger that started at that moment, and it sure did start at that moment, has never let up, almost like I'm being driven to never let up. That's almost all that's on my mind day and night. There's been times I almost wanted to run away from it all, the old flesh saying enough's enough. Life was so much easier back before being saved it would say. And friends from church would pull me right out of the pit, many times not even realizing that they were throwing me a lifeline. That really started showing me the job the church has to it's own member, an incredibly important job. It's a job that's often neglected in the modern church because everyone is so busy following the world that it must seem ok to slip back into the world so why bother, it's just viewed as normal, besides, the modern way of figuring your saved and now it's all over with anyhow only justifies such behavior. But that's not what the Bible says at all.

This rainy day is kinda special dwelling on the changes. On the downhill slide with Bible College, changed family, an eternal perspective, friends that are really friends. Talked in front of church several times, (now that was an impossibility two years ago), teaching children's church coming up two years this coming January. No, life is different now, when we get together with friends it's almost a church meeting cause our faith in Christ is the most talked about subject. And the biggest thing, the biggest change, the willingness to spread the Gospel. From writing it, to speaking it, to living it.

I know I make so many blunders compared to so many folks that are on the internet spreading the Word, sometimes it's just flat out embarrassing,that's why I don't get around much commenting on other folk's blogs, but I'll just keep on keeping on. I love following Jesus, I love it simple, I want to walk the walk, I want to run the race. I love it all! Thank you Jesus for what You've done for our family.....Thank You!

Just Catching Up A Bit

2007-10-16T17:32:00.000-06:00

It was a strange day around here because it's cloudy and wet. Not all too much a person can do as far as the big jobs. After last weeks cold windy days I figured I'd better go and buy a decent winter work jacket because mine are all tattered rags. Now, if anyone figures we're some rich farmers, think again, we're not. But we live simple and happy. So after morning mud chores we decided to head the twenty miles to the county seat and stop in at the local Fleet store and see what they all had for some heavy duty jackets, this is Minnesota you know. I'm not in the mood to be frozen to death in a few weeks. I found what I was looking for and after a bit left that store. I never been to the town's Christian Book store, in fact I didn't even know where it was but my wife goes there so she pointed me in the right direction. I said I was interested in going and taking a look seeing how I was all cleaned up for once and it was drizzling out.

That store was so clean and had a super clean smell to it, almost makes a farmer sick, but I toughed it out and started looking around after we got in there. The nice older lady that owns the store gave me a quick look over, I suppose she's not used to seeing someone like me enter very often. I knew I'd gotten all cleaned up so it couldn't be any of the natural smells that sometimes cling to me, but I'm used to people that are all spiffed up giving me a good look over anyhow. Don't bother me much.

To tell the truth, the store was a bit boring. Nothing against it, but most of the stuff wasn't really my cup of tea, so to speak. But I wandered around just looking stuff over, thinking about what small cafe we should go to in a few minutes. All of a sudden I seen a Johnny Cash DVD, with a whole pile of Gospel songs on it, in fact that's all that's on it. BINGO! Something of interest! Tell the truth, I didn't know it was a DVD till I was paying for it, I thought it was a CD so I could listen to the songs anywhere and put them on the computer too. After chores this evening I watched about half of it and I must admit, it was money well spent. It's a documentary, and the lady in the store said it just came out, and in fact she had just put it on display moments before we walked in. Said when she seen me, she had a little chuckle to herself, figuring I'd be the guy buying it. Funny how that works, because that's thee only thing in the store that was of interest to me.

I've listened to Johnny since high school and let me tell you, that was a long time ago! And every song so far that I watched him sing, I knew. One thing that I learned from the DVD, he was a Christian. It brings out all the things that he did spreading the Gospel, and spread it he did. With his very common, in fact very poor dirt farming upbringing he knew what the real world was like. Work till your back is breaking, flooded out, droughted out. No wonder his songs always touched me more than most Christian singers of this day. Those songs were real!

The lady in the store says she's going to order me some CDs and will call when they come in. You know, I have several albums of Johnny's here, but no record player. Plus I don't feel like giving Walmart the money for something like that so they can promote agendas against Christians, might as well keep the money in Christian hands.

So nothing earth shattering happening here. Tomorrow's church and I should make it alright because it's too wet to do all that much around here that time of the day. Well, I always make it no matter what anyhow! I've been wanting to post on Northern Farmer blog but have been waiting for Good Farmer John to make an important post. I'll be resuming full throttle there after that.Plus hanging around here too.

I Want What They Got!

2007-10-13T19:23:00.000-06:00

This was the first day since last Saturday that we had us any sunshine at all. In fact it was pretty nice out today, the box elder bugs thought so too. They were everywhere again. But their days are counting down steadily. This week when it was to wet to do anything in the field I figured it would be a good time to cut, split and stack wood. All told, I'd say we made us about ten cord this week, not too bad. Plus doing that job keeps a person out of weight loss clinics. It gets time for a good farm supper and I tell you a person can really wolf it down! Counting calories, and figure there's a need for a couple thousand more. Yup, farming life is a tad bit different than what's considered the norm nowadays.

But time to kick back this evening and start slowing down. Get a good sleep tonight and after chores tomorrow head on off to church. Twice a week ain't hardly enough. I sometimes wish it would just keep going. I'd throw this computer out lickidy split if there'd be something like that going on. The work would get done, plus life would be just that much better. I was thinking today, making some fence trying to keep cattle grazing to save on our small supply of hay, about how our family's faith spread on my wife's side of the family. Up to a year and a half ago there was hardly none of them going to church regular. Now, my wife's family is down in Central America, down in the country of Honduras, just some poor hill folk. Good people! About a year and a half ago my wife went down to visit them for a couple weeks. And she took her faith with her. Before she'd left she'd already told them about us attending our little church out in the hills and what God had done for our family.

Just like anywhere folks were a little leary about going to some Full Gospel church, and my wife's family was no different. Well, the wife told them all about it but figured it fell on deaf ears, but she done her job. Months later she found out that her mama and some of the rest of the family was going to a Pentecostal church down there. And what a difference! They were on fire. But backing up here, after the wife came back home there just happened to be some missionaries from the states, from the Church of God, going door to door around there. And they invited them to a meeting and ever since then it's been going full bore!

Them folks down there needed a church building. They were meeting in any old building or shack but wanted a place with a little more permanence. We figured we could help them out a bit and sent some money down there and because of that and others their church building got built. We kept in contact with them, even know their pastor from phone conversations, well, not me really cause my Spanish isn't really up to snuff. But a northern hillbilly can somehow communicate with a Central American hillbilly one way or another.

Where I'm going with this isn't about getting family members saved or anything like that. Here's what I want to say. This summer we had us the big drought, crops were destroyed, no grass for grazing, just generally a tough year around here by our standards. The first rain we received was August 10th, too late to save the crops, but early enough to salvage fall grazing for the cattle. I remember feeling so sorry for myself near the end of the drought, you know, when it looks like the end of everything. Shortly after the first drought buster rain we found out that the little church in Honduras had them a prayer meeting and were praying for rain on our farm. I know that doesn't sound anything out of the ordinary, but when realization hit me I was almost floored I was so humbled.

Here were these folks, praying for us, folks that were so poor, people that don't have anything praying for us. I don't know, but I do believe those are some powerful prayers. There was more than one tear in my eyes when I found that out. And I know that those prayers were answered! Those folks down there aren't one bit different from the poor folks that were in the Holy Ghost movement decades ago in this country. Poor folks, simple folks, and let me tell you they can really get going with the Lord! They've got something that the modern American materialistic church doesn't have. They rely on the Lord for absolutely everything, not just a feel good church service and then dive right back into a totally carnal nature when they step foot out the church door. Church becomes their whole life.

It makes me sad sometimes knowing that those folks really got it and in this country it's almost slipping away. God I want what them folks got! Their normal church life is like it was decades ago in this country, with healings, movements of God, you name it. And there it's "normal". I don't want some dried up religion, I don't want materialism, I want what they got! And I know we're getting it!

Thinking About Simple Faith

2007-10-11T17:53:00.000-06:00

Glory to God! The wind finally stopped around here! I think every bone and muscle in my body is sore tonight, good old fashioned work'll do that to a person. Sawed up around seven cord of maple today and was durn near shot from that, but had some good home made chili for supper and decided instead of sittin around moaning and groaning, both from soreness and from a full stomach, that I'd go out and dig some potatoes before dark. That kinda rattled down the chili, but the soreness is still hanging around a bit. But sometimes it feels good to be sore, a blessing really, that God given privilege called honest work.

Work is different nowadays because when we work around here it ain't some dull drudgery, it's a time to talk to God, to praise Him and to just generally be happy like He wants His children to be. I was praising during the drought this summer, now sometimes that was a bit hard to get started, but when it got rolling, well, I knew we could take on anything. We were praising when we found out our health insurance was gonna be dropped Oct 1st, I guess we praised so much that it didn't get dropped! Things were hitting from every angle and this household would just do some old fashioned praising and let me tell you every problem that reared it's ugly head got beat back bad, even when it was "impossible".

This past week I was starting a course called "Faith". Now simple old me always figured I'd have to work and scratch and strive to get my faith up like some of the giants of the faith that I read about. I figured that simple old me would never achieve something like that. I just got that small seed of faith and would use it, would practice it as much as possible, but I didn't ever have a chance to become like those giants in faith. I'd probably stick around with those folks I read about, the simple people of America when the Pentecostal explosion swept the land many decades ago, just keep farming, raising a family and trusting God.

But a thing really got to me, reading in that college course, that is "God never demands more faith than we have". Whoa, huh, what the... Then it came to me, yes, One of the greatest miracles of my life happened when I had such a small seed of faith it could be looked upon as pathetic. But that small seed was put into action, that pitiful small seed and my world literally shook! And looking back, every time God moved in this family it was from simple faith. Might not have to much learning behind it, just trust. That child like faith. And that faith grows!

I'm starting to understand my two year old question, that question regarding that faith explosion decades back. The answer is simple, trust God with everything you have! I'll study till my brain goes on overload, but the main thing will be just be happy and trust God, both in good times and bad.We won't be scared to praise Him, and we won't be scared to come crying to Him for help. And we won't be scared to spread it around the area. Time for a faith explosion out in these rural areas!

Power in the Blood!

2007-10-08T18:21:00.000-06:00

Monday evening and all is well around here. Get cleaned up in a bit, but figured I'd better catch up somewhat on the computer. Ain't all that dirty anyways so sittin here a few minutes longer shouldn't be all to rough! This week we're all excited around here cause yesterday was one powerful day at church. Now, when a guest preacher comes by you just never do know what's going to happen, you don't know what they're really gonna preach about or anything like that. Some are really good, some aren't. You never know. But yesterday's preaching was something else. Now anyone that knows me even a little knows that my faith runs somewhat Pentecostal/Holiness. I don't know why, but that's what I am. I just come alive when there's preaching like that. The old power preaching. The kind of preaching that gets the folks so stirred up that it can hardly be contained.

Yesterday's service was made to order as far as getting me going in it! We had us a third generation Pentecostal lady preacher from Tulsa, Oklahoma stop by for the Sunday. It always amazes me how we have preachers from all over the United States stopping in at our humble little church out in the middle of nowhere. These are sometimes preachers that often preach to hundreds, even thousands, and to have them stop in at a little dirt street town church, a town population of a hundred and forty four or so, well it just amazes me!

Yesterday's preaching was about the Blood of Jesus, and a more timely preaching I could not imagine. Church wasn't full. there was a lot of folks missing because of family events and other things, but the folks that were there had a powerful message spoken to them. I learned more in one hour than in weeks of study and I also learned the answer to one of the biggest questions I ever had. I've mentioned before, (many times), about how I wondered about the early years of the Pentecostal movement, when the gifts of the Spirit were so powerful, when the Spirit would sweep through rural towns, changing lives and people would come to church in droves, getting saved, filled with the Spirit. There was miracles and everything else. I always wondered what did them folks have that we don't.

The answer came yesterday to many of us that were at our little service. And afterwards we talked about it and we all had the same experience. In the old preaching years gone by they preached about the Blood of Jesus, and it's sad to say that one doesn't find that all to often anymore in America's church's. During yesterday's preaching I was almost swept away with the power of it. Good old fashion Gospel preaching! And I know I'll never be the same because of it. I've heard much of what was spoken before, but never presented like it was. I gotta go over that tape I got and write a paper with every Bible verse that was used in the sermon, and there's allot!

In a nutshell, yesterday's preaching pointed out where we drift off in the wrong direction, where we get sidetracked. Because the oldtimers knew that they were saved by the Blood of Jesus. Not a watered down gospel, but by the blood. I'm gonna have to continue on this in days to come. Gotta make some copies of the tape, plus they should have the master copy at church for a while yet. Yup, this will be continued.

Children's Ministries

2007-10-03T05:38:00.000-06:00

Glory to God, it looks like a nice day coming up! I have a little time this morning and I'm just having another cup of coffee and decided to post a post and I haven't the slightest idea about what. But the hot coffee is good and my sleep was sound, was just outside but I don't feel like stumbling around in the dark for a bit yet. Gotta make some fence today, keep putting the cattle on grass they've never been on before. Anything to extend grazing, cause I can't afford to feed year round .

A little update about Bible College, I'm hoping to have it all completed and finished by this next Spring. At about the half way mark now and will have at it this winter with a driven purpose. I just started another course last evening with the subject being "faith". I love that subject because our God is a faith God and that's an incredibly important subject. Hmm, I should start sharing some of the stuff I learn, will have to do that. In reality the more I learn, the more is shared as I just write about any old subject.

And what's learned is sometimes immediately applied in life. Just like my previous post about having the answers for folks with questions. Where a few days before I'da just shrugged my shoulders and said I don't know, well, all of a sudden the answer just comes out without a problem. Funny how that works!

So anyway, put in a day today and this evening head for the hills and church to teach in children's ministries. That's every Wednesday evening, teaching in children's ministries. Sometimes it has it's ups and sometimes it's downs but all in all it's a privilege to do it. I know on the internet there's folks that are really against children's ministries but I really don't care or listen to what the world says. That's right, the world! I don't care if folks are super religious and have every rule in the book, when they condemn children's ministries I just wonder how they could justify those statement to the face of Jesus.

I wonder how they could justify sending children from druggy families or drunken families away from church. The parents don't step foot in church, but the children will walk there for children's church. The religious dead say that it should be families teaching faith matters, and on that part they're correct. But very few families do outside the church. I wonder, would Jesus send those children away so that some dead adults could have they're religious church service?
I believe with all my heart Jesus would be taking them in and teaching them at their level and if any self righteous adult would get all uppity about it, Jesus would have something to say about it! It's right in the Gospel! This is where I sometimes get sickened by religion, especially on the internet. I think I should write about this on the Northern Farmer blog. Make some ears smoke, but some of them ears need a good smokin sometimes. Glory to God, I love it when the truth is just the plain truth!

I don't know how much longer I'll continue in children's ministries but for the moment that's what I do. And do it with the love of Christ.

Rainy Sunday Thoughts

2007-09-30T19:17:00.000-06:00

Home at last today. Well, we were home for morning chores and late afternoon chores but this morning into early afternoon was church, then finish up some work around here. Chores I mean. Then we headed north a half an hour and visited Pastor Josh and his family. Had to check out the homestead and was pretty impressed with what I seen. Checked out the goats, chickens and remaining turkeys and all was well. Them "Buff" chickens that they have are some good lookers! Might have to see if'n he's interested in swapping a few hen for some of our Partridge Rocks next spring.

Church was very good today, got there driving through the rain today, picked up an inch or so. Kinda dark out and gloomy, but it wasn't gloomy inside that little old church. Just a darn good service as always. The praise team, well really the praise team leader was alone today so she deserves all the credit, she did wonderful. The preaching was powerful and the presence of God was strong! I personally did a couple of things before the service and during the service that have me wondering.

Before the service I was asked some questions about the end times by a lady that comes to church there. And the funny thing was, I could answer them all. Surprised even me! Then answered some concerns about unsaved family members and what to do about it. Well, just since I got this new computer I downloaded a few more sermons from Holy Ghost Online and one sermon had the answer to the question before I ever had the question asked to me. The answer today just came right out and it almost floored me that every question asked, the answer was right there. Funny how God works! A person learns something like that and a couple days later it is used to help out a lady that was really concerned about unsaved family members that get angry at her about her faith. And the searching person was basically brought right to me. This adventure in faith never ceases to amaze me!

Then when the church service was just about finished around 20 after twelve, the pastor asked a man that was going to have a hip operation this coming week to come to the front for a blessing over him. I was ready to pray from my seat and all of a sudden the pastor says for Tom to come up and lay on hands and say the blessing. I was so shocked I looked around and then looked at the pastor and pointed a finger at myself and said, "me?" Yup, me it was. So before I even had time to get nervous I was up front laying on hands and blessing our brother in Christ. Now I ain't the best at praying in front of the church but it came out good. But I'm still in a small state of shock for having to come up there like that. Truthfully, I've never seen anyone picked out of the congregation to do something like that. Oh, sometimes they call a couple of prayer warrior women up there, but I ain't never seen this happen before, well, anyway not to me!

But I'm still kicking so I guess all is well. It gives me something to dwell on. Life changed in a little way for me today, getting called up there. I could jokingly say now that I ain't safe sitting near the back anymore. Makes church all the more exciting, never knowing when a person is going to be called into a service for God and fellow believers. It'll take a few days for me to get used to that but it'll be OK. I have no idea why I was called up and probably never will, but I'd do it again in an instant.

So, time to kick back this evening for a few minutes and read and study a bit. There's a new week coming up and I'm looking forward to it. Don't have the slightest idea what it'll bring but whatever is brought forth we'll be praising God through it all!

Ripe Field

2007-09-28T17:44:00.000-06:00

As the week comes to a close I have to say that even with all the problems this week, it was a good one. All the problems got solved and are now history and we can look forward to what the weekend and then the new week bring. Daughter Rachel headed to the Twin Cities this afternoon with our Pastor and a few other church folk, and embarrassingly I must say that I really don't know what they went to, oh well, I'll learn late tomorrow night. But what ever it is I'm sure it's good! Of course I could've went but I hardly ever get anywhere except here and church but that's the lifestyle that I have so that's that for that. Maybe someday I'll end up going someplace, but not at this moment. There's always critters to feed every single day. But Lord willing, maybe it'll rain next year during the growing season and this place can be on cruise and the critters can pretty much fend for themselves a day or two.

So what's a born again, sanctified and Spirit filled believer supposed to do when a person basically just stays around the home area almost all the time? Well, the old timers spread it around their own area cause they couldn't be heading to Africa or somewhere like that and spread the Gospel. And the fields around here are ripe for harvest. Might even be getting a tad bit overripe.

Almost two years ago I stumbled across a Foxfire Book that told about the religions of the Appalachia's in years gone by and I'll never forget reading about the tales from years ago, telling about when the Holy Ghost swept through the region. Reading that struck a spark, lit a fire in me and it's never gone out. I have know idea how many books I've read on the subject and related subjects, but it's quite a few! Plus even Bible College is Pentecostal based so basically that's what I'm immersed in the past couple of years. Out here in the rural areas it's still fairly rare finding full gospel church's. They're here and there but not very common in the upper mid-west. Not like other parts of the country.

But over two years ago the Lord sent our family to one little church and it's never been the same and we never looked back! Praise God! Now back to where I was a while back, spreading the gospel when a person is just a farmer. In reality the field here is huge, the ripe field. Was talking a while back to some of the good old boys that I used to hang around with thirty years ago. I don't think a one of them is born again but what I did see and hear talkin to them is some folks who were searching for the meaning to their lives. Well, you know we're starting to get up there a little bit in age, there's some aches and pains that used to not be there. There's an occasional doctors report that ain't all that great. And there's a funeral here and there that remind folks that it ain't gonna be going on forever on this old earth.

Yup, there's a searching going on with the good old boys and that's an opportunity for witness. There's folks everywhere we go around here. And the most startling one but most understandable is folks from other church's still searching. You know, where church's are basically the same old dead dried up service week after week. Now I want it understood, I'm not knocking any church or anything like that, but face it, when church's produce whole congregations that aren't a bit different from the world somethings wrong!Whatever happened to that fire they had in the first century church? Whatever happened to that fire that swept the country a bit less than a hundred years ago? What ever happened to healings being common place?

It's startling me how many folks from the church we used to go to are asking us about our little Bible believing church that we go to. And how many want to come but are being held back because of various reasons, social standing, feeling they owe the church something for past help or things like that. I fully understand what's holding them, but there's a hunger for God in a lot of those folks and their hunger sure ain't getting satisfied where they're at. Folks read the Bible and get the Word in them, then go to church and it ain't nothing like what the Bible says about the church. Confusing! Reading about how God says the church is supposed to be and then go to some man made religion that preaches different than what the Word says. Glory to God, we made it out! Thank you Jesus!

So in this rural countryside there's a job to do! Spreading the gospel to all. Every way we turn there's somebody searching, just looking for someone that carries God with them, not dead religion, but God. People can sense it, I know cause I could always sense an old prayer warrior, someone that walks the walk and talks the talk. A person is drawn to em. That's because they're walkin with God and deep down we know it. We don't have to go around the world when we're standing smack dab in the middle of a ripe field right here.

Not of the World

2007-09-17T19:23:00.000-06:00

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. 1 Cor. 10:21

Praise the Lord tonight, all is well! I know I’m just a simple farmer but one of the biggest faith issues that I’ve ever had has been bothering me for a couple of years or more. I’m not some seminary graduate or anything like that, but I am honestly seeking God. The issue that always tore at my heart is living like the world. There’s such a mixed message on the internet, in church’s, in most western faith books and reading materials. The hard tug at my heart has always been that we hear the Word, we go to church and when it’s all said and done there’s hardly a hill of beans difference between the modern American Christian and the average atheist.

I don’t know for sure what it is, but I have a strong tug in my heart, almost physical, when I get near something worldly. The strong force will almost physically push me away from whatever it is that’s normal worldly living for so many. I cannot watch TV, period! The only thing I can even attempt to view on a TV is faith DVDs or DVDs from Bible College. It’s to the point that I can’t watch what the rest watch. Same on the radio, I can’t even listen to a “normal” station.

I don’t go to the city very often because it holds absolutely no interest for me. All I see is materialism on a rampage. And it tears me apart to see the modern American church living exactly the same as the world, exactly. The same toys, watching same sports if you want to call professional sports, sports. It did confuse me to no end, how we are taught one thing in church and then most live totally the opposite, from the top of the church to the bottom. Why was church so different than the early church, a people apart from the world? Not a sub culture but a separate people. A people really walking the walk, not just talking the talk. But the one thing that kept me in confusion was the legalists in the church. The one human habit when separating from the world is to get legalistic and I don’t go for legalism in faith. I don’t want to live apart from the world such as the Amish do. Something isn’t quite right about that, even though I do admire them for living simple as they do.

What did the original church have that we don’t have, that was my question. Now, I can’t and won’t ever try to force this on any one because first of all it would never work forcing faith on anyone. But I want to live for Christ, I don’t want the world’s ways at all. I don’t want to watch TV, sit around on weekends watching sports, don’t want to spend days going shopping just for the sake of something to do. No, what about the Kingdom, what about the Lord?

Last evening as always that was all on my mind and on my heart. What was the answer when one can hardly get the answer from the church anymore except for some very rare preachers such as on the links column on the side of this blog. Last evening I was re-reading the book “A Heart Ablaze” by John Bevere and the answer came right out at me. The subject I’m talking about is called lawless deeds in the quite that I’ll put here.

“You may be thinking, I see and hear lawless deeds every day. I see and hear them at work, in school, in public. How can I keep from vexing my soul? The Lord showed me the key. When you go to work, school, or any other place to take care of necessary daily activities, you are going into your mission field. God is sending you out to be a light in dark places. You will reach people there with your witness of Jesus’ resurrection power that might otherwise never step foot into a gospel meeting. Seeing their lawless deeds will not vex your soul.”

Last evening there were many answers for me that I’ve been seeking for a long time. A person can live totally separate from the world and still be in it witnessing, either by personal evangelism or by just walking the walk and bringing God with us where ever we do go. Not separating out from society and hiding in a secluded clan, never touching the world. Nope, a person can live a sanctified, holy, non legalistic life and bring God with us everywhere we go! The private life can be totally separate from the world, and when we do go into the world daily we can carry the Gospel with us. Praise Jesus!

Shorter Days

2007-09-13T18:42:00.000-06:00

Praise the Lord tonight, I’ve got a little time to catch up around here on this old computer. Things are happening around here at a steady pace. And it seems that our little Bible believing church is on fire lately! Yee Haw! Folks are coming in, the preaching is powerful and the Holy Ghost is moving! I don’t know, to me there’s just nothing like a little church out in the country that’s on fire for God! I believe when the Word of God is preached God sends people there that are searching and that’s seems to be what’s happening as of late!

That good old non-compromising Word, the preaching of the Blood, the preaching of the Cross and the resurrection! Yup, none of the new gimmicks, none of the people pleasing watered down words, just the good old fashioned Gospel! When that happens people get save, the saved people get on fire, get renewed, get power from God. People are more willing to sacrifice their time and lives for God through His church.

In this house as far as myself is concerned it couldn’t have happened at a better time. It’s time to hit the bible College courses for the final stretch and hopefully sometime before Spring get em all done. Don’t know where it’ll go from there but I ain’t all that worried about it all either. Where the Lord leads, I’ll go! This last year has been more than interesting with all that Bible College stuff taking up so much time except in Summer, to busy then on the farm. But now the days are getting shorter and there’s a bit more time to get into the studies in the evening. You know how it goes for a farmer, if the sun’s up it’s time to work! And in Summer that’s what we do. Praise the Lord for some shorter days!

Back to Normal, (If there is such a thing)

2007-09-04T18:52:00.000-06:00

Today was 94 degrees and humid, wow, different for September I tell you! Supposed to last a day or two yet then cool on down. Hopefully we’ll be chopping silage by week’s end, but for now I’m cutting hay and should be baling tomorrow and the next day. Try and salvage as much hay as possible before the season ends.

Things are returning to normal today, but then again I don’t think things will ever be the same around here again because so many big things happened this weekend. So many life changing things. To be truthful I’m at a loss for words tonight because of it all. And me being at a loss for words is a rare event, but I’m so shook up in various ways that I just gotta set back and dwell on it a few days before even attempting to write about anything.

I got a few minutes tonight and had better get to reading the Bible a bit tonight. I try to every night but it sure would be good to be able to spend more than a few minutes. Plus in the back round I’ll throw in a preaching CD. I’ve download a handful so far from Holy Ghost Online and have even burned some and started passing them around. I’m finding that out here in the countryside there’s some folks that these sermons will easily touch, spark an interest.

It’s a good side ministry to have a bunch of preaching CDs ready to hand to someone that could use them. And the good part about downloading from Holy Ghost Online is that a person has full permission to download and distribute the material. So as time goes on here I’d like to download enough to have a little library of CDs, organized into different subject, for distribution to folks that could use them. And if they’re some poor folks we might just get them a CD player to help them out. It’s on my heart to do so. It’s a simple thing, but it could be an important tool to reach people that are hungry for God but don’t know where to turn.

Beyond the Church Walls

2007-08-31T19:23:00.000-06:00

Our place is really noisy the last couple of nights, calves weaned and they don’t want to be weaned! The cows are starting to give up bellering but the calves are pretty intense yet. That should cut back in a bit and any calves that still miss mamma in a couple more days might even start to lose their voices. Other than that things are about normal here, haven’t started silage yet but any day now that’ll be coming. Takes about a week or so to get that job done.

I hear there’s a holiday weekend coming up, doesn’t make much difference here on the farm really. Another Monday is about all. But this Monday we’ll be going to a funeral, a funeral for one of our brothers in Christ from our little church. I’ve known him just about all of my life and always got along with him. He’s a couple years older than me and a farmer too. A bachelor and kinda stuck to many of the old ways including helping others that were in need. In fact thinking back there was hardly ever a time when he wasn’t helping someone in need. I remember a few years back when a tornado hit a farm yard a few miles from here and we went the next day to take a gander at the destruction and there he was already helping clean up and get the dairy herd back in order that had a destroyed barn. Every Sunday he’d be in church, quiet as a church mouse, never made a scene, always sitting towards the back, way off to the side. He’d come walking by me with a limp and say, “Your corn dead yet Tom?” And I’d answer, “It’s getting there!” We had our own language that most regular church folks might not quite understand.

Three or four weeks ago on a Sunday he said to me after church, “Tom, take a look at my new car, paid four hundred dollars for it.” Of course a four hundred dollar church car is something I just have to inspect and hope my envy doesn’t show through to much, especially in front of the other church folks. I know we ain’t supposed to covet, but a four hundred dollar church car might just cause a little sin to sprout! Then he started er up, only took about thirty seconds of grinding for it to sputter and roar into action. Plus another side benefit was it smoked out half a block so that held down the summer bug population for that afternoon.

And after church on Sunday afternoons he’d head to the area old folk’s homes and go visiting the oldtimers and grannies. He did that all the time. There’s a lesson there for me. The more I think about it and I’ve been thinking about it a lot the last two days, it’s seldom one meets a person that really lives like Christ told us to live. You know, a person can whoop er up in church and get all involved in church and all that but most of the time after all the church stuff is all said and done it’s right back to living almost exactly the same as everyone else in the world. Hardly a difference if there’s any at all. I never knew of him going around chasing preachers or prophetic groups, never knew him doing any of the fashionable things in church today. The difference with him and most church folks is clear to me now. His personal ministry started when he left church. He didn’t leave God in church and go back to the world, he brought God into the world from the church.

There’s a lot for me to learn from all of this. Stuff that’s hard to learn no matter how much a person studies. Because when a person actually walks the walk the Kingdom of God moves forward and nothing can stop it. I’ll miss him, but I know we’ll be meeting again soon. Church will be a little different, I’ll miss the farmer talk, especially the old time farmer talk, none of the modern worldly farmer talk. Yup, there was a life that made a difference for so many folks and will be sadly missed. But when a person plants seeds all around there’ll be a new crop growing! It’ll spread from walking with God.

I never truly realized it while he was alive, ain’t that the way it sometimes goes, about how much he walked with Jesus, how much he did in Jesus’ name. Just that old-time way, the way folks used to be. I pray that some of that anointing he had will pour onto me and to others. That desire to take God’s love out of the church wall and spread it around to a fallen world.