Seasons Change

We have had a great summer here at First Baptist. Our summer programs, Terrific Tuesdays and Tremendous Thursdays, were a huge success thanks to the leadership of Mary Bailey and Regina Morris. Thank you Mary and Regina! They were also surrounded by an army of volunteers including some youth and parents. We have seen several children make decisions to follow Christ this summer and that is always a good sign of God’s favor as His Holy Spirit moves among us.

As I watered the garden early this morning I thought about the heat and how much longer we have until cool weather. This summer has been a hot one. The bugs I have fought for the flowers and the fruit seemed endless! I was glad to see the bugs die off and I know the gardening will slow down soon. The season will come to a close and a new season will start.

The end of summer is marked by events rather than weather at most homes. For us it means the end of summer programs at church. For some it is the end of family vacations. It is also the beginning of things like school and fall programs. Teachers and students prepare to return to the classroom. At church we are preparing for Fall Revival.

The end of summer is a time of change for everyone. A saying attributed to Mark Twain says, “The only person who likes change is a wet baby.” We smile at such sayings and maybe even deny that we are like that. It is everyone else who will not change the way we want! We are all in favor of change as long as we are in control of what changes.

Truth is, we are not in control of any change but the changes we make to ourselves. We can control how we react to change. We can change our attitudes and actions. We cannot change the people around us. We can pray, trust God, and let Him change us first.

Reinhold Niebuhr said, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.” Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33, ESV)

Revival is the result of prayer. It is just that simple, and just that difficult. As we go through seasonal changes I hope you will take time to consider some spiritual changes we each need to make. Take time to pray for a new vision for your relationship with God. Pray for Revival, personally. Let God be in control of your changes and you will be much better for it.
Bro. Robin

Memories of VBS

Do you have a favorite Vacation Bible School memory? This week we are having Vacation Bible School in our church. Vacation Bible School holds special memories for me. Several things from my past experiences stand out in my mind.

One of my favorite memories is Grandma Noakes’ cookies and Kool-Aid. When I first started going to VBS Grandma Noakes was a special person to our church. She would come to classes and tell us about coming to America on a ship when she was a little girl. Everyone was fascinated by her stories. She also served refreshments at VBS handing out sandwich cookies and cups of Kool-Aid. I remember it was then that I first started dunking my cookies in the Kool-Aid. It is such a special memory that I still like dunking cookies in my Kool-Aid.

There are memories of the friends made along with the crafts, songs we sang, and our pastor leading us in the opening assemblies. I think those are some of the reasons that I still enjoy Vacation Bible School.

Another experience that has stayed with me from VBS was the challenge to memorize verses of scripture. Many of the verses that encourage me today I memorized as a child in Vacation Bible School. I have forgotten the crafts I made and the games we played. But the verses I memorized from the Bible are still with me.

“Your word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11)

Every year I get to see the same look in the children’s faces that I remember having as a child. I see the touch of God through the hands of volunteers and the difference that touch makes in the lives of children. The touch of God through your hands will change lives too.
Bro. Robin

Simple Ingredients

The fourth of July weekend started for us the day before we all got together to celebrate. Joyce and I enjoy having the family over for celebrations. We not only enjoy the family together we also enjoy working together to get everything ready. One of my favorite things is to make ice cream and it starts the day before.

For me, ice cream begins with making custard. I separate the egg yolks, heat the milk and sugar, and combine them to make sweet custard that will be made into ice cream the next day. It is just cream, sugar, and eggs but combining them takes practice and timing. If you go too fast you end up with scrambled eggs. Done right you can make great ice cream to top one of Joyce’s delicious pies, or eat all by itself.

A few simple ingredients put together in the right way make a sweet treat. That is true about a lot of things. Many of the best things in life are simple. Put them together in the right way and you have something enjoyable. Put a mix of people in the right place and time and you have good fellowship. With practice and timing you can take God’s word to a quiet place and discover His will.

Knowing God is not complicated. We make it seem difficult when we want to take shortcuts to obedience and let God know we prefer to do it our way. He gave us His Son Jesus to save us, His Word, the Bible, He taught us to pray, He gave us an example of fellowship with His disciples, and sent them out to witness showing us what to do. He wants us to take the few simple ingredients He gives us and combine them with time and practice.

He reminds us in His word: “…I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1) With a few simple ingredients our life can become pleasing to God and be spiritual worship.
Bro. Robin

Upgraded

I plugged in my phone and there was a message that an upgrade was ready to be installed. I let it install the upgrade and then spent some time learning about the changes. They had added some new features and made improvements to some old ones. The upgrade to my phone is a new and improved version. I like upgrades.

I was flying back from Louisville with my daughter a few years ago. As we checked in for the flight the airline representative told us that there were extra seats so she upgraded us to first class for free. The seats were wider and softer, the food was better, (an actual meal with a sandwich and a salad), the service was better, and the mixed nuts were served warm in a special cup. We got to the same place at the same time as the cheap seats but it was a much more enjoyable flight. I never had flown first class, and have not since then, but now I know why they called it an upgrade.

Reading through the book of Revelation there is a lot said about the ultimate upgrade that is waiting for us. We will have a new body, a new place to live, (Jesus called it a mansion), and more wonders than we can imagine. In Heaven everything will be provided, “no longer will they hunger; no longer will they thirst…and God will wipe away every tear form their eyes.” (Rev. 7:16-17).

I had no idea what first class was like until I experienced it for myself. I just knew it was an upgrade and when it was offered to me for free I did not hesitate to accept. Heaven is the ultimate upgrade and it is offered to everyone for free. There are no cheap seats to Heaven. Jesus chartered a flight and paid the way for all His followers. We only have to accept God’s plan to upgrade our life and get on board.
Bro. Robin

On Mission

What does it mean to be a missionary? Simply put, a missionary is sent to go and tell. A missionary is sent by a local church on a mission to go somewhere and tell the people there about Jesus. We go because we love Jesus and that is what He told us to do. Our vision statement says we are “The Church Across the Street and Around the World.” Our mission is from Jesus.

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the mane of the father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 (hcsb)

The Great Commission is for every Christian. How we carry it our may be different for each of us. But we are all called to be on some kind of mission. We are all called to go and tell.

This summer a lot of us are either going on a mission or preparing to go on a mission. Some are going to distant places like Iowa, or the Dominican Republic. Others are staying closer to home working with our summer ministry, a small group, or a Sunday school class to do ministry. Many stay at home and support those who are going with financial and material support and with prayer. Everyone can do something.

Are you on mission if your church is on mission? Not necessarily. Being on mission is deliberate. If you are called to be on mission you deliberately go and tell. If you are called to support you must deliberately give to missions. If you are called to stay and pray you must deliberately pray for those on mission daily, and for those lives they touch.

What is your mission this summer? Being on mission is active participation in the Kingdom of God. Be a missionary. Go and tell!
Bro. Robin

Shortcuts

I like shortcuts when they save me time. When I get familiar with an area I will often take the back roads when it cuts off miles and gets me there quicker. I drive to see my mother in law and have learned the back roads to get to her home. Some streets have a slower speed limit than the main road but the more direct route is still quicker.

I have observed students taking shortcuts in classes when they are required to read books. There are movies of the books and notes that have summaries with condensed versions of the story. As an English major in college I always preferred to read the book. In fact, the notes were more helpful after reading the book for writing a paper or taking a test. I found that those who wanted a “C” used the notes while those who wanted and “A” read the book.

When you want to do something right there is often no shortcut. I am often amazed at how much effort some people will put into trying to avoid work. Yes, I could have paid more for tomato plants with tomatoes already on them. But I would still have to plant them and care for them the same as the ones I have. The work I put into them will only make the fruit taste sweeter.

There is no shortcut to doing God’s will. There are times when it is so rewarding that it seems effortless. There are also times when things go slow and it seems hard. Both times are necessary. It is like exercising to condition our bodies. It takes time. Without exercise we would become weak. With exercise we grow stronger. There is not shortcut to becoming strong in body or in Spirit.

Paul said, “…Train yourself in godliness, for the training of the body has a limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7b-8, HCSV)

Read “The Book” and you will be ready for the test.
Bro. Robin

The Spoon

I finally returned the spoon. It had arrived at our house accidently with a dish we had taken to a fellowship at a couple’s house. The dish was empty except for the spoon which had accomplished its purpose finding the end of the dish’s contents for the last person who used it. We washed it and set it aside to return. I then carried it around in my briefcase for a while. Then one Sunday during the welcome time I remembered the spoon and returned it to its owner.

I like spoons. Spoons remind me of the end of an especially good meal when all that is left is the gravy that you cannot seem to get with a fork. Joyce will ask me, “Do you need a spoon?” I can pick up my spoon and enjoy every delicious taste. Spoons are also great with ice cream and pie!

I read a story about a fork, maybe you have too. There was a woman who wanted to be buried with a fork in her hand. When asked why she said that it was because whenever she ate with someone and they told her to keep her fork it meant that dessert was coming. That is how she felt about Heaven. The fork reminded her that something good is coming.

A spoon reminds me that we should enjoy every blessing. I think we rush through things too quickly. When blessings come our way we shout a quick thank you before turning our attention to the next thing. We should take time to enjoy the blessings we have received and let the joy of His blessings linger on our heart..

Psalm 37:4 says: “Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

Look around at the blessings you have seen recently. Take time to be thankful. Ask God for a spiritual spoon and enjoy every delightful taste of His presence.

Bro. Robin

Faulty Faucets

A few weeks ago Joyce pointed to the handle of the hot water on the kitchen faucet and asked me if I had seen how bad it was leaking. I knew it was loose since I had to tighten it occasionally but now it was also leaking all over the cabinet.

Somewhere early in our thirty-five years of marriage she decided that I was Mr. Fixit when it came to things around the house. It is an illusion that I try to maintain by fixing anything I know something about, some things more successfully than others. A leaky faucet was a prime opportunity to maintain my reputation.

On my next day off I went to the store and sought out the plumbing supplies. I knew the problem was likely a worn seal and since it is always good to maintain seals and seats I found the replacement parts for both sides of the faucet, hot and cold. The hot side had always run slow, no pressure, and a plumber had told us that since the line ran under the concrete floor there was no way to fix it. Now it was not only slow but leaking too. So, I thought maybe I should replace the inner workings of that side in case that was where the leak was and save myself another trip to the store.

I turned off the water, took apart the faucet, replaced the parts, and turned the water back on. Whoosh!! Suddenly the hot side was running as strong as the cold side.

“Well how about that!” I thought. It was not a problem with the pipes after all. The faucet was fixed by replacing the old parts with new ones. It was a faulty faucet that foiled the flow!

How many of us are restricting the flow of God’s blessing through our lives with faulty faith? We try to live with it and convince ourselves that our weak faith is normal for us. We try to fix it ourselves by tightening up some habits. Eventually we realize that anything we do is only temporary. This is a work only God can do and only by giving us new inner parts. We cannot change our habits until God changes our heart.

God said, “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from you flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26

When God changes us on the inside His blessings will flow.
Bro. Robin

Grits

I stared at the bowl of grits hoping and praying that by the time I lifted the lid they would be miraculously changed into oatmeal. No, there they were, bits of corn meal floating helplessly in a bowl of wallpaper paste.

What a waste of good corn meal! I considered offering cooking advice to food services. There is a way to cook grits that I happen to like.

Take that same bowl of goo, drain off the water, make a log and cool it in the refrigerator. When it is cool, slice off thin slices, dip them in flour, and fry them until you get a nice crispy crust on the outside. Serve the fried grits with syrup and you have a tasty breakfast.

I read about an author from the north who stopped by a café in the south. He looked at the menu and asked the waitress, “What’s a grit?” The waitress answered, “Honey, they don’t come all by themselves.” When God created the world He proclaimed everything good until He looked at Adam all by himself and said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” (Gen 1:18)

We are not good alone. We need each other to be happy. We need each other to see and fulfill God’s purpose. “O taste and see that the LORD is good.” Psalm 34:8

I have friends who like grits any way you cook them. I respect their sense of taste even if I do not share it. I think that this is the way God looks at us. When we are bound together by the glue of His Holy Spirit God looks at us with pleasure and anticipation. He does not look at us as a waste but as a valuable person in His kingdom. He is not looking at me wishing I was someone else. I can only be who He made me to be. I just want to be one of His grits.

Bro. Robin

Just One More Thing

One of the things that happened periodically during my time in the hospital recently was for a nurse or a doctor to come in and tell me what to expect before I would be allowed to go home. I began to quickly notice a disturbing pattern. One person would come in and tell me one thing and the next person would tell me that plus one more thing. One day it was a test that started as a simple scan and was changed four times before I actually took the test. Then it was the medication. Next it was one more night to observe me on the medication. It was always just one more thing.

When Jesus was on the Cross He said, “It is finished,” then He bowed His head and gave up His Spirit, (John 19:30). While His human task was finished there was still more to come. The third day after the cross He walked away from His grave resurrected from the dead. He had one more thing to do to prove God’s power of life over death. Later, He appeared to His disciples and told them to wait for one more thing, the promise of the Holy Spirit.

When God says, “Just one more thing,” He has something good in store for us. He promises eternal life with an eternity filled with more than He could tell us, more than we can imagine. He promises a life filed with His presence. When we pray for Revival we are praying for a renewal of His presence within us and our relationship with Him.

As the Disciples watched Jesus ascend into Heaven angels appeared to them and said, just one more thing, “This Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen Him going into heaven.” (Acts 1:11)

Bro. Robin

Prayer Meetings

I remember when I was a child we would have people over at our house for prayer for a couple of weeks before Revival. They were called “Cottage Prayer Meetings” because they were always held in homes. They were happy times with conversation and the smell of coffee. Then they would all bow their heads and almost everyone prayed. I remember the Revivals that followed for all the people who went to the altar and went away changed by the touch of God.

Revivals have taken place over the centuries in many different places and groups big and small in and out of churches. The one thing they all have in common is the prayer meeting. Every great Revival in history began in a prayer meeting. From the time Jesus ascended into heaven the Disciples and followers of Jesus met for prayer daily. An unstoppable movement of God resulted that we call the Church. Revival is first a revival of prayer.

In prayer we make contact with the God of all creation. In prayer we appeal to the savior who has promised to redeem us by His mercy. In prayer we receive salvation and the seal of our salvation, the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said, “If two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:19-20 hcsb)There is something special that happens when you meet in a group for prayer. Jesus is there with you.

I call on you and challenge you to meet together to pray for Revival between now and the Life Action Summit, April 11-18. If you teach or attend a Sunday School class, or belong to a group of any kind, set a date to meet in a home and pray for Revival. If your class is big divide into small groups and pray together. Pray for Revival when you pray with your family. Invite friends over for coffee and prayer. Meet at least once, more if you can, and pray together for Revival. By all means and at every opportunity pray for Revival.

Bro. Robin

Pray for a Change

In 1 Timothy 2:1-8 Paul begins by saying, “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone…” and concludes this thought with, “Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.” (HCSB)

It is obvious that we should consider prayer our most important activity, as Christians. If we are to have an impact on our world, if we are going to see lives changed, we must pray for people and for that change. Paul urges us to use every kind of prayer we know to pray for every person we know and those whose positions affect our lives.

We are to pray with “holy hands” lifted up. As I thought about this I realized that there are several reasons that we lift our hands that apply directly to prayer.

First, we lift our hands in surrender. That is what makes them holy. When we surrender ourselves to God our hands become His instruments, separated to do His work. Raising your hands is a universal sign of surrender. We cannot serve God unless we belong to Him and when we surrender to Him He becomes our owner, our Lord.

Second, we lift our hands to welcome. Waving to someone is a warm way to say hello or goodbye. It is a sign of affection. We open our arms to greet and embrace people we care about. We reach out our hands to shake the hand of another in a sign of acceptance. When we pray we must pray with affection toward God and toward those for whom we pray.

Third, we lift our hands to draw attention to ourselves. We raise our hand when we know the answer. We know that the answer to every question of our heart is Jesus. We raise our hand to acknowledge that we personally know the answer.

Finally, we raise our hands to celebrate. As I watched the Olympics this week I saw many winners raise their hands in victory as they crossed the finish line or completed a successful program. I remembered my training in high school gymnastics when I raised my hands at the end of the routine to show that I had stuck the landing and that I deserved a high score.

In prayer, we do not raise our hands for points. We raise our hands in prayer because we are celebrating in confidence that the God who made the universe has heard us. “And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for.” (1 John 5:15, HCSB)

Robin Cowin

The Harvest Heart

We are all different. We come from different backgrounds and experiences in our lives. As a result, these experiences affect our hearts and also affect the way we receive God’s Word.

In the parable of the sower, (Matthew 13:1-23), Jesus uses the field to describe four different kinds of heart conditions and how that changes the way we receive God’s Word. In this parable we can also see what kinds of changes God makes in our heart in order for us to participate in His Kingdom.

The parable of the sower is taken out of the common experiences of Jesus and His listeners. Everyone who lives in a small agricultural community sees how the farmer works and usually has a hand in helping their neighbors with the field work.

As a young pastor in my first full-time church I learned quickly that when it was harvest time everyone was in the field. Our church was in a small town in Oklahoma wheat country. One day a farmer came by my office and asked me if I could drive a wheat truck and work for him during harvest. He said it was expected that I work for someone and that all our church was in the field anyway. That is how I learned about farming. I was no farmer but farming quickly became a common experience for me with that church.

Jesus no doubt had a similar experience as a boy. He grew up in a small town in an agricultural community. Tradition has long held that His family was carpenters. However, there are no major parables from the carpenter’s shop, but there are many from the field.

These parables describe for us spiritual truths about the Kingdom of God in language we can understand. The parable of the sower is important to our understanding of what kind of heart is necessary for us to receive the word of God and begin our relationship with God and His Kingdom. Here is a brief summary of the Parable of the Sower. (I will go into more detail later.)

The Calloused heart is the path that goes through the field. As the farmer sows the grain he carries a bag of seed and throws it out on the tilled soil. Where he walks creates a path. So, since the tilled ground is so important the farmer will always follow the same path so that he does not disturb any more soil than necessary.

The path is easy. The path is the place that has the appearance of being close to the farmer. However, it is too well traveled to take root in the soil.

The path is exposed to the enemy. Since the seed lands on the top of the hard path the birds can see it and take it for food. This soil of the path is not simply shallow. This represents a belief that is disconnected from the tilled soil. It is a faith that is held in the hand, not in the heart. That is where you want your things, not your faith.

The Castaway heart is the pile of rocks around the outside edge of the field. Faith in the rocks is shallow. Desperate people fall prey to shallow emotionalism. DL Moody noticed that people in poverty responded favorably to a message of God’s love. In God’s love there is hope. Emotions are essential to religious experience but cannot be the basis for your religion.

Faith in the rocks is faith on the rocks. Without depth we cannot withstand the storms that follow us in life.

The Cluttered heart is the place along the fence where the weeds grow. Clutter is distracting. You can get lost in the weeds. Clutter is restricting. You can get stuck in the weeds.

The Cultivated Heart is the Christ Centered heart. The cultivated heart is open to receive God’s word the way tilled ground accepts the seeds. The cultivated heart activates growth.

Robin Cowin

GPS

I drove my grandsons to school one day this week. I know where the school is but just for fun I brought along my GPS. GPS stands for “Global Positioning System,” and it looks like a miniature TV that mounts to the windshield just above the dash. I can put in an address and it will give me directions in a kind but robotic female voice that we have nicknamed “Carmen.”

The boys, Nick and Ben ages eight and Xander almost five, were fascinated by Carmen. I was equally fascinated by the conversation coming from the back seat.

“Poppa, what is that? Is that your coffee? Why does it look like a sippy cup?”

“Why are we going this way? Remember last year in Colorado when the GPS got us lost?”

I reassured them that it would not get us lost. Then, when we had one more right turn before we could see the school, I heard Carmen say, “Now turn left…”

“No Poppa. Turn right, our school is right there. See? The GPS is wrong!” I heard, with much laughter in their voices. I knew the way and they were right. Carmen was wrong.

On the way home, after dropping off the boys, I thought about all the directions we hear in our lives from many different voices. They do not all take us where we want to go. Some will even get us lost. We need to know the way.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.” (hcsv)

God’s Word, the Bible, is the only sure road map we have. His directions will get us through life and take us all the way to Him. God has a different GPS called God’s Plan for Sharing, (through His Son, Jesus). Sometimes we need to pull over, stop, and look at the map. Then we can start again in the right direction toward the summit of God’s plan for your life.

Bro. Robin

Getting God’s Attention

My first job in High School was as a lifeguard at a public swimming pool. I scanned the water looking for signs of distress that I had been trained to identify. When I saw someone who needed help I used my training and skill to rescue them. Over those few years I rescued many who were thankful that I knew what to do.

In 2 Chr. 7:12-16 God tells us the signs He looks for to know when we need His attention to rescue us. We also think of these signs as conditions for Revival.
Verse 14 says:

"If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land." (HCSB)

God hears His children. There are several things that tell us that we are His children. First, His children are called by His Name. Calling ourselves a Christian is more than a title. It means that we identify with Christ and have invited Him into our heart. We call it being born again because we are born into His family by the Holy Spirit. Our lives start over from that point. We have a new name and a new family because we have a new life in Christ.

Our new life includes some new activities. His children humble themselves. Children humble themselves when they make themselves useful through obedience to their father. His children Pray. Children communicate with their parents by talking to them. We talk to our heavenly Father through prayer. His children seek his face. Children need to spend time with their parents in order to see things from their perspective. Today we use the expression, “See where he’s coming from.” To seek someone’s face means to see where he is going.

There is no forgiveness without repentance. In Alice In Wonderland, Alice asked the Cheshire Cat, "Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" The Cat answered, "That depends a good deal on where you want to get to." Our moral decisions depend on where we want to get to.

God’s desire is to heal His Children. He forgives us when He hears us.
Bret Harte said:
If, of all words of tongue or pen
The saddest are these, "It might have been."
More sad are these we daily see;
"It is, but hadn't ought to be."

When we turn from our ways to God’s way He forgives us and will heal our land with Revival.

Robin

The Parable of the Snow

(Matthew 13:1-23)

Late Saturday night it began to snow. As the fluffy white snow fell to the earth some snow fell on the road. Although it was the same snow that fell everywhere else it was considered hazardous and the road crews were soon out removing it. They plowed and salted and plowed again until all that was left was a salty, sandy slush along the sides of the road. The roads are always the first place people look to see how much snow we have. But snow on the roads only gets in the way and is the first place we want it removed.

Some snow fell on the roof tops but it did not stay long. The wind blew some away and exposed part of the roof. When the sun came out it shone through the thin layer of snow and heated the roof to melt away the rest of the snow. Even though snow on the roof is sometimes considered the prettiest of all snow it is gone before we can really appreciate it.

Some snow fell in the yards in reach of all the children. As soon as they saw it they gathered up their winter clothes, put on their boots, and ran outside to play in the snow. For a while, there was laughter and squeals as they made snowballs, and snowmen, and used their sleds to slide down every clear hill they could find. The snow was fun but the fun was temporary. Snow men and sleds turn our attention away from the danger snow can be in other places. We can become distracted or lost in snow. Or, we can use it for our own purpose but even that only lasts a short time.

Some snow fell on the fields. The fields were beautiful in a blanket of snow. As the snow melted the moisture seeped down into the soil until it reached the hard winter wheat that was waiting for the snow to arrive. The blanket of snow kept the moisture in place allowing the wheat to soak in it and begin to grow. As the winter ends and the snow melts you can see the green tops coming out of the ground. The wheat will grow through spring and in the heat of summer it will be ready to harvest.

What kind of snow is your faith? The snow on the roads was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The snow on the roof was shallow and melted quickly with the heat of the sun. The snow on the yard was fun for a time but when the fun was over so was the snow. The snow in the fields made the wheat grow. Wheat becomes flour to give us life for many days to come. It fills and satisfies us in many ways, like the wheat roll I had for breakfast.

Dr. Robin H. Cowin

Lost and Found

I thought I lost my wallet. I looked everywhere, the bedroom, bathroom, throughout the house, and the car. I retraced my steps that day since I had taken it out to get gas. I called Wal-Mart and Marvin’s grocery store. I called Joyce and she put my credit card and debit card on hold. Fortunately I do not carry a lot of plastic. Before heading to Wal-Mart to check the parking lot I swung by the house for one more look. I walked into the bedroom and pulled up the bedspread. It was under the bed. Now, how did it get there?

One day later I reached for my cell phone and it was not there. I had been in the house and in the car. It was in the car. I muttered to myself, “Next it will be my head.”

The day after that we watched the weather get worse and the snow begin to fall. I thought about the generator in the shed and thought it would be a good idea to fill the big gas can, just in case the power went out. I unlocked the shed, opened the door, and leaned it to pick up the gas can. Wham, I hit the top of my head. It was a good thing I was wearing a hat. It still left a mark, though.

I was three for three doing something dumb each of the three days leading up to Christmas. It had to get better. I remembered a bumper sticker that read, “Of all the things I’ve lost I miss my mind the most.” I know the feeling.

Christmas day arrived complete with a blanket of white snow. It was a White Christmas! We woke up to happy sounds of grandchildren playing in the living room. We spent the morning cooking together as a family. The ham and all the trimmings were perfect. We read the Christmas story from the Bible, opened presents, and finished out the day playing games.

Heaven is just a breath away. The things we lose are nothing in comparison to the things we gain. Christmas reminds us of this. All the stress and pain we experience leading up to that day are quickly forgotten in faces that surround us as we remember Christ’s birth and share our love with each other.

I am glad Christmas comes at the end of the year. It is the perfect opportunity to remember what is truly important as we begin a new year. God bless you and have a Happy New Year.

Bro. Robin

Being A Gracious Receiver

Christmas is a time for giving and receiving. We all like to recieve eventhough we say it is better to give. We say there is a gift of giving. I think there is also a gift of being a gracious reciever.

When I was growing up I enjoyed gift giving times. I was the youngest in the family and always got presents from everyone. I piled all the presents on a chair in the living room so everone could see. I was not a very gracious reciever. In time I out grew the need to show off my presents.

I have spent most of my adult life in ministry. Over the years I have recieved gifts for a lot of reasons. I have learned to accept them graciously because of the lessons I have learned through these gifts.

First I have learned that people give gifts because they want to bless someone as they have been blessed. This understanding has helped my recieving and giving. When I see a gift as a blessing I stop looking at the practical use and accept the personal value it was given to express. A gift is a part of the giver they want you to have.

A gift is also an expression of love. Love is more than a part of the giver. A gift of love is an expression of what they wish they could give. There are times when we would give the world if we could. So, we give a symbol of our wishes and dreams.

I like gifts that are creatve and fun. Gifts are about the relatinship between the giver and reciever. We give of ourselves when we give and we accept the person when we accept the gift .

Christmas reminds us that we cannot separate God's gift from His person, and His desire to have a relationship with us. "For God so loved... He gave ..."

Merry Christmas
Bro. Robin

Thanks(for)giving

Thank you. These are words that we use to show our appreciation when repayment is inadequate. Sometimes I think the words are overused. At other times the words fall short of the full measure of our feelings of gratitude. We are thankful for a gift. It may be a deed or a present but it is always at the hands of another person. Mostly I am thankful for the person.

I do not say thank you to my car for delivering me places. It is not an expression for things that do their job. I might say thanks to the mechanic who keeps my car running. When I had a warning light flash on my way out of town I called him and he stayed open late to check it out and get me on my way safely. I said thank you several times to him.

In Ephesians 4:11 Paul says, “And He personally gave some to be…” The gift in this passage is the person. In fact, for me many of God’s best gifts are the people He has placed in my life, as I am sure He has in yours.

Thanks for giving of your time, talents, and treasure to build God’s kingdom in His church. Your gifts are not only appreciated but necessary for us to be the Church God wants us to be. As we celebrate Thanksgiving with our families take time to remember the people who have been gifts to you this year.

Bro. Robin

Priceless Pearls

Jesus tells the story, in Matthew 13:45-46, about a merchant who was searching for fine pearls. When he found one of exceptional quality, a priceless pearl, he sold everything else to buy that one. The interesting part of the story is that he was looking for so special, not to see how many pearls he could accumulate. He knew that hidden among valuable items there was something beyond value, worth everything he had.

Sometimes the treasure we go looking for is the most valuable to us. Sometimes it is the hidden treasure that we find along the way that means the most to us. The pearl merchant’s story may appear to have been an accidental discovery, one pearl among millions, but it was a discovery he was prepared to make. He committed his life to keep his eyes open to see the priceless among the average in a world surrounded by value.

The parable is about the kingdom of God. Finding Jesus and having a relationship with God through Him is not another pearl. He is a priceless pearl worth giving up everything to have. He considered us each to be a priceless pearl as well.

The discovery of priceless pearls brings about life changing experiences. Our relationship with God is a priceless pearl. Finding a spouse, a life-long friend, is a priceless pearl. Some words of wisdom are called pearls. Learning a life changing lesson and making an important decision can be priceless pearls too.

How many of us see the world around us filled with valuable treasure? And then, how many of us have our eyes tuned to see the exceptional among the valuable? Maybe I have become a cynic, but I do not know many pearl merchants. I think this story challenges us to raise our standards, open our eyes, and see the pearls that are all around us. There are valuable people, valuable moments, and valuable opportunities that pass before our eyes every day. We have to be able to see the pearls before we will ever be able to find a priceless pearl among them.

This month of thanksgiving I thank God for the pearls He has placed around me. I am especially thankful for the priceless pearls that change my life for the better, and the ability He has given me to recognize many of them.
Bro. Robin

Change

As we drove from western Arkansas through eastern Oklahoma we were taken by the beauty of the tree covered hills. One wonders how God could combine so many shades of red, yellow, orange, and brown with an occasional splash of green leftover from the summer to create such a panorama. The view was breath taking beautiful. Our conversation was constantly interrupted by, “Look at that one.”

We look forward to fall and the spectacular views of the changing colors. The colors are not the only changes that fall brings. The temperature changes, the sports we watch change, time even changes, and for some our jobs may also change.

Change comes to us all. So why do we all have so much trouble adjusting to change in so many areas of our lives? Change is a regular part of our society and culture. Yet anytime we make changes to our personal routine it takes an effort to make the change.

Perhaps that is the pattern I am looking for. We celebrate change that affects us all. We deliberately drive through the country to watch the changing seasons. But our discomfort with change seems to grow as the change becomes more personal. Changes in our routine in our life, our job, and even in our church takes us longer to appreciate.

I read a quote recently that the only person who likes change is a wet baby. I can’t seem to find the source but it sure makes sense. Sometimes we may even agree that the change is necessary but just do not get in there and help make it happen. If we could get as excited about changes we need to make as we do about the changing seasons we might see good things happen more quickly.

Change is an important part of the Christian life. There is no salvation without repentance, which means change. Paul said, “We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed,” (1 Cor. 15:51) One day we will be called to the ultimate change. We will change from mortal to immortal. I don’t think any of us will drag our feet when that trumpet sounds.

Bro. Robin

Appreciation

There are some expressions that are so common that when we use them we all know what we mean. For example, when I say, “my better half,” everyone knows that I am talking about my wife. When we say, “our pride and joy,” we all know that we are talking about a child, usually a baby. We know this because the feelings we have about our children are as universal as the expression. As our children get older we may stop using such expressions to describe them. But the feelings of pride and joy never go away and never diminish.

We share in the experiences of our children. We may be disappointed from time to time. When they hurt we hurt with them. When they are happy we are happy with them. When they are appreciated for something they have done, we feel appreciated right along with them.

This month you showed your appreciation for my son, Eric, for his service to our country and his sacrifice. The crowd that came for the dinner was overwhelming as you honored Eric and Andria. Congressman John Boozman’s appearance was also a special honor, arranged by some of our members. Eric well deserved your attention that day. My heart was full of pride and joy for my son and for all of you who were there to show your appreciation.

This was also Clergy Appreciation month. I thank you for the way you showed your appreciation when you also honored the staff with many kind words and a dinner. You pulled out all the stops and blessed us more than I can say. Personally, I felt honored two weeks in a row. You showed your appreciation for my family, my co-workers (who are like family), and me. Thank you.

This is a great church and this is what makes this church great. My prayer is that our love and appreciation for each other will grow and spread. This is the heart of the Gospel that we are taking across the street and around the world.

God Bless you for your love for Him and for us.
Bro. Robin

Reminders

As we were moving the seasonal decorations from the doorway to our home Joyce noticed little things hidden among the decorations that she had not put there. There among the summer decorations were toy soldiers and cars. It was obvious the grandchildren had been there. They had played some game of their own invention and when they were called away for supper or something else of importance, they left behind little reminders of their presence.

Last week we attended a meeting that included a lot of old friends from our past. It was really good to renew old friendships. We also saw how the experiences of our lives together affect us all. When we allow people to touch our lives we touch each other. They leave an impression that affects us in ways that we may not even realize for years. We leave reminders of ourselves in the lives of others.

I thought about the many places we had lived and the people we have known. Scattered along the way are little reminders of our presence. Most of those experiences were good, some of them regrettable. I remember a bit of advice I often give to people: As time passes we tend to remember best the good things in life and remember less the bad things.

Everything we touch is changed by us in some small way. Everything God touches is changed in a significant way.

Paul said, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” Love God and keep the goal of God’s purpose in sight. When we seek God’s touch, the reminders of ourselves we leave along the way will point to God.
Bro. Robin

Keeping Score

“This is not a competition,” I said, as the teams were reporting on their day.

We were on a mission trip and had divided up into teams to share the gospel in different areas. It was not supposed to be a competition for a number of reasons. We were sharing the gospel to lead people to a relationship with Jesus Christ. To do it right takes time. Doing it wrong does not take as much time. So numbers may not be a good indicator of success. It may only reveal speed and a need to do more follow up.

“Okay, so how many did you get?” a team member asked.

It is human nature to be competitive. Some people are naturally more competitive than others. We keep score in order to know who wins. There are winners and losers. Sometimes we have the attitude that if somebody is going to win it might as well be me. I find that annoying mainly because I know I have that attitude at times, and am praying to change it in my own life.

There is a problem when we feel the need to keep score at everything. There are a lot of times when keeping score is more than annoying; it is the wrong thing to do. We should keep score at friendly games, but not with friendships. We should keep track of debts we owe, but not of wrongs committed against us. Marriage, family, Church, and work are all places where keeping score is wrong.

We can sometimes make a game out of an activity and make it fun and easier to do. Friendly score keeping as part of such a game can bring out the best in us. Unkind score keeping to prove a point of one-up-man-ship can destroy a relationship.

In speaking about love in the classic chapter, 1 Corinthians 13:5b, Paul said, Love, “does not keep a record of wrongs.” (HCSB) Love does not keep score and does not have to win.

When people in a relationship feel that they have to win and someone has to lose they both lose. On the other hand, when we want someone else to win and we set aside our needs for someone else, we all win. That is love, and that is the Gospel truth.
Bro. Robin

Change with a Purpose

“I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25) Jesus said this on the way to the cemetery. His friend Lazarus had died and Jesus was on His way to see him. He was not going to a funeral. The funeral had already taken place. He comforted Lazarus’ sisters with talk of resurrection. But they did not know what Jesus had in mind until it was all over. Jesus saw His friend’s death as an opportunity for a new beginning.

New beginnings are not as rare as you might think. Children are born, we start school, and we get new jobs, take on new tasks, and start new things all the time. Some see every day as a fresh new start to something in our lives. Most of the time, in order to start something new, we had to bring something else to an end. We learn as we move through the changes in life that change is good and even small changes can bring great results.

If I can paraphrase Jesus, I believe He is saying to us, “I am a fresh start, a new beginning, and the continuation of this new direction.” Paul said, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17). When God brings new things He brings blessings with Him.

As I look at the start of the new church year I can see many changes coming. An old building needs to come down and a new one will need to be built. Some old programs will need to be traded for new ones. If we are going to be ready to reach people in a changing culture we will need to change some old ideas for some new ones. We have done it before. We can do it now.

Some things will not change. It will always be the same Gospel, the same Great Commission, and the same Great Commandment. God’s Word remains the same even when the ways we communicate change. This Church will continue to be a loving fellowship of God’s people, perhaps even more so. We keep our eyes and ears open to see where God is calling us to His work and our hands and feet ready to go.

Are you ready? Let’s go together and see what God can do with a people united in love for His purpose.
Bro. Robin

Worship

Worship is at the heart of our relationship with Christ. It is our expression of God’s worth to us, worth-ship. I have seen it defined as our response to God’s revelation of Himself. To understand worship it is something to experience, rather than define.

There are many examples and descriptions of worship in scripture. I find it helpful to focus on a few things that are meaningful and seek to grow in those areas of worship. I have made an acrostic to help me remember some of the most meaningful ways of worship that I have discovered in scripture and experience.

WORSHIP:

Wait on the lord, as a waiter waits on customers. (Acts 13:2)

Organize my thoughts. God brings order out of chaos. (Philippians 2:5)

Remember what I learn. Take notes and bring something home from each worship experience. (2 Timothy 2:15)

Sing. Singing includes praise and like praise it requires participation. (Ephesians 5:19)

Help. A worship service must include service in order to be worship. (Romans 12:1-2)

Intercede for others in prayer. (Philippians 1:4)

Prevail. The message will prevail, (Acts 19:20)

I hope these simple words will encourage you to experience God today. You can find God anywhere if you take the time to look. Take time to experience worship today.

Look to the Future

This year, in addition to my usual garden fare, I planted some grape vines. I found the plants at nearby Tontitown where they grow many varieties of grapes. I have bought grapes there in the summer to make my own grape jam.

My favorite jam is made from Concord grapes. I make it with the whole skins. That is where the flavor is. It is a slow, painstaking, process to slice each grape by hand to remove the seeds and keep the grapes as whole as possible. There are shorter, easier ways to make jam. But the flavor and consistency is just not the same. There are also many varieties of grapes and some of them are seedless and have a better flavor for eating or making other things. I prefer Concord for my jam because that is the flavor I have always enjoyed the most.

Growing grapes is not easy. My dad had grapes when I was growing up and I remember the work that went into them. They had to be watered, pruned, and sometimes treated with chemicals or fertilizers. The end result could be a good harvest. Sometimes the result was simply a hope for a better harvest next year. Besides the time and work there was always the weather and seasonal elements that only God can control.

One thing is for certain. If you do not plant you cannot harvest. You have to look to the future.

Many of Jesus’ parables are taken from the field. He saw the cycle of growing things as perfect examples to explain our role in the kingdom, and in building His Church. It is his Church, His Kingdom, His vineyard, and we are the workers. He gives us everything we need but we still have to plant the seeds, till the soil, take care of the plants, and bring in the harvest. We have to look to the future.

We live and work in the present. Many times our focus is so caught by the present that we have a hard time seeing how the future is ever going to come out good. We forget how many elements are in God’s hands. Our faith needs to be in Him. While we may plant and water it is God who brings the growth. (1 Corinthians 3:6)

“Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, CSV) We have many challenges before us and we may not be able to see how we can accomplish them. Our hope is in God as we look to the future.

Bro. Robin

Dizzy or Drowsy

My ears are ringing and I am dizzy. I finally gave in to the symptoms of my discomfort and went to see the doctor. What triggered the doctor’s visit was really just a few annoying symptoms. This makes it difficult to do several normal everyday things like walk and drive. I need to be able to move around and function normally.

The doctor was very helpful. He said I needed an antibiotic and prescribed something for the dizziness. I was all excited about feeling normal again until I looked at the message on the side of the bottle. It read, “May cause drowsiness.” So now I have a choice: I can drive dizzy or drowsy. No, that is not really a choice. While it may make me feel better it did not solve what I perceived to be the problem. I still need to be able to move around.

Why am I so impatient? The antibiotics will start working now and I will be over this in a few days. I just need to give the medicine time to work, its complete work, and no shortcuts. So I have to adjust my schedule for a few days. In time I will be well, and all will be well.

This got me thinking about how we often treat our spiritual health. We treat our spiritual health much like our physical health. We take it for granted as long as we pray before meals, come to church, and take our bibles with us. We pop a spiritual pill and think it is all good, until it all turns bad.

James said, “Consider it all joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4

Good Spiritual health takes time. We have to give God time to work in us so that when a time of trials come they will build us up instead of tear us down. When you are down you can be drowsy or dizzy, or let the medicine of God’s promise do His work. He promises great benefits for letting Him work in our lives.

Bro. Robin

Life Changing

Until this week I did not know that it was possible to have my heart so broken and so filled with pride at the same time. I spent this past week at the Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas. I was there with my son who had been injured in Iraq the week before. I, along with his mother and his wife, sat with him, talked with him and prayed with him through the difficult decision of having his foot amputated, and the recovery from surgery that followed.

Along the way we saw and heard many stories both inspiring and depressing, but far more were inspiring. I was amazed at the flow of young men and women coming in daily from Iraq and Afghanistan. I noticed that they were no longer being referred to as “soldiers” but were now being called “warriors,” and “heroes.” These are the stories too small for the evening news but nevertheless life changing for the warriors and their families. I saw people with a new appreciation for life and motivation to celebrate things that most of us would have difficulty celebrating.

I met a young man who celebrated only losing some fingers instead of his whole hand. We met a mother and son who celebrated life even though he was covered from head to toe with gauze because of the burns he received when he was the lone survivor of an explosion. Joyce and his mother praised God as they quoted Jeremiah 29:11 together:

“For I know the plans I have for you…plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (CSB)

The phrase, “life-changing experience,” holds new meaning for me today. I have used it many times for sharing the gospel, but have never had to apply it to my life in such a drastic way as now. Our lives can change in an instant, a flash, a phone call, a decision. Yes, Eric’s situation is life-changing, but isn’t that how it should be in our walk with the Lord. Each and every day with the Lord is to be celebrated. When we accept Him as Savior, we have only begun a journey that is filled with life-changing experiences. We have the option to go forward or “wallow” in things that come our way.

Our son has chosen to go forward, to embrace the future in such a way that He can still make a difference in this life. To us, he is truly a hero, a man that has sacrificed a lot for our freedom. These past two weeks have touched us in a deep way, and our lives will never be the same. We are thankful for the gift of life – we intend to celebrate each day in our walk with the Lord. How about you?

Bro. Robin

A Pond Project Parable

This weekend I finally got started on a project I have wanted to do for a long time. I started on the waterfall in the backyard. It is more like a mini-waterfall, not very big, and the pond it will fall into will only hold fifty gallons of water. It will be just off the back porch, which is close enough to enjoy while I sit and read or talk to Joyce in the evening.

My daughter and son-in-law are staying with us for a few weeks so it seemed like a good time to do an outdoor project while he can help. On Saturday we dug the hole, covered the area with plastic, and set the plastic tub for the pond. A few days later we filled in the spaces with sand and started laying the rock around it. We carefully leveled the pond as we supported it with sand and put a few heavy rocks in the pond to keep it anchored. Then last night it rained, big.

This morning we looked outside and to our surprise the pond had floated, rocks and all. It looked like some kind of barge that was sunk at a crazy angle. The plastic lined hole had apparently filled with water at a faster rate than the pond and as it rose the sand around it filled in under it. There was nothing we could do but pull it out, bail it out, dry it out, and try again.

We laughed when we saw it. What else could we do? Life is filled with unexpected events. But, most of the unexpected happenings in life are not funny, just the opposite. We all live in fear of that phone call or bad decision that changes the course of our life.

Job was a man in the Bible whose life is associated with trouble. Actually the events of the book of Job were only a small part of a life that was otherwise nearly perfect. When trouble came on him it nearly destroyed him to the point that all he had left was his faith in God. At the beginning of his troubles he said, “For the thing I feared has overtaken me, and what I dreaded has happened to me.” (Job 3:25, CSV)

Job endured his troubles because of his relationship with God. Later in his story he said, “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth.” (Job 19:25, NAS) God will rescue us. God has rescued us. Our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, lives. His presence is with us now and always.

As Jesus said to us, “And remember, I am with you always…” (Matthew 28:20 CSV)

Bro. Robin

Sharing Tomatoes

I finally got a small garden planted. It is just a few tomato plants, some cucumber plants and some yellow squash. I do not plant very much and therefore do not expect a lot. I hope to go through a season of getting enough to share with our children and enjoy some fresh fruit of our labors. We enjoy sharing the vegetables with loved ones. We do not enjoy sharing with the squirrels.

I like squirrels. They are cute and fun to watch. I especially like them in season, well seasoned that is, with mashed potatoes and gravy, although I have not had them that way in a few years. Besides, these are town squirrels and I seem to be stuck with them. I just don’t like them eating my tomatoes.

I talked to one person who was trapping her squirrels and taking them out of town. I hope it works. I tried getting rid of the squirrels years ago, not here. My efforts did not seem to matter. Squirrels seem to sense a vacuum and rush to fill the space with more squirrels. I have thought about building a cage around the garden to protect it from the squirrels. It seems like a lot of effort for a few tomatoes.

Another person I talked to said that my problem was that I feed the birds and the bird feed keeps the squirrels around. That makes sense. When you do something good it will attract all kinds of responses. I put out the feed for the cardinals, finches, and an occasional bluebird. Of course, in addition to the “pretty” birds I also get the rest of the birds in the neighborhood. I just put out the feed. I don’t get to pick out the birds, or the squirrels, which eat at my feeder.

Should we not also be this way about the word of God? We cannot protect God’s Word or pick His people to suit ourselves. Jesus gave us the parable of The Sower, in which the seed of the word was thrown out in all directions, (Matthew 13). The result depended on where the seed landed. But He made it clear that the result is ultimately in God’s hands. The responsibility for sowing, and sowing everywhere, is ours. Even if the squirrels get some.
Bro. Robin

More

Last night at the senior banquet I overheard a senior make a very wise observation. She was talking about graduating and heading for college and observed that she finally got to the top and now she will be starting at the bottom again. Now that she is a senior she will soon be a freshman again! Others at the table added that this will not be the last time but she will start over at the bottom many times in her life to come. They cited graduate school, jobs, marriage, and family among the experience in life that each requires us to start over at the bottom and work our way to the top. No matter how far we have come there is more.

Life is about new beginnings. Every stage and step of life we start something new. We are always learning and growing. It never stops. Even the end of this physical life is not the end. There is more.

As I read about eternity in the Bible I wonder how far do we really progress in this life? I know this is not the end but is this the middle, or just the beginning? I am convinced that on a scale of eternity our short span of life is just the beginning. We go from here to the presence of God, then Heaven. The scriptures tell us that in Heaven we go from under the altar to Jesus’ Banquet Hall, then the Millennium, followed by a season of rebellion, victory, and the New Jerusalem. The scriptures close with a mysterious reference to gate of the city that are never closed, indicating that even then there is more.

I am thankful today that we will never reach the end. We may not know what is coming. We do know who will get us there safely. By grace through faith in Jesus Christ there will always be more. He has also promised that it will always work together for good.

Bro. Robin

Hope

I have been hearing a lot of talk lately about hope. We seem to talk about hope when we would all like to have more hope. Last night I participated in a town hall meeting with Dave Ramsey and at the end of the meeting he gave what I thought were three great observations on the subject of restoring hope. It also occurred to me that these same points that build up hope could also apply to trust, confidence, optimism, and a host of good character qualities. As I thought about these points I wanted to respond to them and apply them to my own situation.

First we need to take action. We need to be proactive instead of reactive. We need to look around us and see what needs to be done and them start doing something about it. This is what vision is all about. Blackaby says that God is always at work around us and we need to see what He is doing and join Him in His work. We all have to participate if this church is going to fulfill God’s mission. But, we cannot wait on someone else to start or tell us what to do. There are things we can do now.

Second we need to stop participating in loser talk. Ramsey suggested that we should fill our minds with good information, such as good books, and surround ourselves with better people. That will help us change our conversation. Our conversation is a reflection of who we are and can lead to a downward spiral in our attitude. We recently did a study on Godly Attitudes and looked at the attitudes of the Israelites in the desert. We discovered that complaining is a sin and they stayed in the wilderness because they could not stop complaining. Complaining is also a habit. We can stop complaining but only if we reinforce a decision to stop with also filling our minds with Godly information and surrounding ourselves with encouraging and hopeful people. Let’s be the first to change the subject of conversation to hope.

Third we need give. The practice of giving needs to be a lifestyle so that we do not think of it as one thing. We need to give our ears to listen. We need to give our mouth to encourage. We need to give our hands to help those who need help. We need to give our resources, time, and talents. As I heard last night, service is worship.

Paul said, “Now in this hope we were saved, yet hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:24-25) Whatever may be going on around us God is still God, and He is still in control.

I love you, Church. Thank you for allowing me to be your pastor. Thank you for serving with me to fulfill God’s mission.
Bro. Robin

How do we know?

How do we know that we are a Christian? We believe that we are saved by God’s power to save us, called grace, through our faith in Him to save us. There are no special works or magic words. You make a decision and God keeps His promise. You believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and make Him the owner, Lord, of your life and He will save you. It sounds simple, yet I hear from people all the time who pray but doubt their salvation. How do we know for sure?

When someone comes to me with doubts I direct them to the book of 1 John. This short letter from the apostle John, only five chapters, tells us what we need to know to know that we know Jesus. The stated purpose of the book is, “So that you may know that you have eternal life.” (5:13)

The first mark of salvation is that we, “walk in the light,” (1:7). When we know His truth He gives us more insight into His nature, our new nature, and our neighbor’s needs. In fact, a person who is not a Christian does not have this insight.

Paul put it this way, “But the natural man does not welcome what comes from God’s Spirit because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to know it since it is evaluated spiritually.” (1 Cor. 2:14) This is not the only mark of salvation. There are others, but this is a good place to start.

What do you understand that you could not understand before? Understanding is the key to overcoming. With understanding comes the power to say no to those things that seemed to control you before, and say yes to the one you did not seem to be able to obey before.

Jesus does not just save your soul. He saves your understanding also. On the day of Pentecost Peter declared to the crowd, “Be saved from this corrupt generation!” (Acts 2:40). Salvation begins now with God giving you the power to do His will. That is the power of grace that assures us that we are one of His children. That is how we know. In the light of salvation, we see the change in our own life.
Bro. Robin

Distracted

During my prayer time I am often amazed at how many things can so easily distract me. Sometimes the thoughts are good thoughts, like things I need to do today, but they are still a distraction from my prayer time. Prayer is so important that I have learned to focus and deal with the distractions quickly. But nothing seems to keep them from coming.

Many years ago a wise preacher by the name of Preacher Hallock, in the little book Meditation and Prayer, described four main hindrances to effective praying. He said these hindrances were: Wandering thoughts, impure thoughts, sleepiness, and doubts that prayer can do anything. As I have studied prayer over the years I have come to appreciate this list of distractions that certainly hinder prayer.

In Matthew 6 Jesus talked about prayer and gave another list of hindrances. His list also included distractions. Jesus said, “But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret.” (Matt. 6:6) Rather than list everything that distracts us, Jesus gave us a cure for them.

Where do you go when you pray? Where is your focus? What is getting the attention of your senses? Where are your thoughts? You cannot pray in a busy place. Jesus did not restrict that to physical, mental, or spiritual. He included them all. When we pray we need to be in a place that is free from distractions. We need a place where we can hear God speaking.

God is always speaking. Our ears are always listening. But distractions can keep us from hearing, and from understanding what we hear. If our thoughts are wandering we may hear only part of what is said and misunderstand what others say, including God.

Other religions wonder how to get God’s attention. Some ring bells, sing songs, or make some other kind of noise. Some in the Bible were known to cut themselves or do something strange to get God’s attention. Others pay attention to the wording of their prayers as if the formula of the words can turn God’s ear.

The Word of our God says, “God so loved…” (John 3:16). We have His attention. The challenge for us now is to give all our attention to God. There is the power of prayer.
Bro. Robin

Smalltalk

This is that time of the year when we wish the weather would make up its mind. It occurred to me recently that if it were not for the weather, politics, and religion most of us would have nothing to talk about. We all like to talk about things that are important to us with people who agree with us. Smalltalk is the art of talking about nothing. Much is said, but nothing is changed.

Conversation can be our most important activity of the day. Even Smalltalk can tell us about more about each other and help grow our relationships. As you have heard me say many times before, there is no substitute for time spent in a relationship, even if that time is spent doing Smalltalk.

Conversation can also change things. Conversation can repair a broken relationship if the right things are said from an open and forgiving heart. If fact, it is impossible to repair a broken relationship without the right kind of communication. Conversation that has substance is also conversation that has heart, feelings, and honesty said with the right amount of sensitivity. It is the most difficult and potentially risky conversation you will have with another person. But it can also become the most valuable and treasured time you will ever spend with the great long term benefit of a restored relationship.

A restored relationship is a revived relationship. This is what Revival is all about. We sing the old song, “Have a little talk with Jesus,” but do we think about those words? The right conversation with another person can restore a friendship with lasting benefits. The right conversation with God can restore a relationship with eternal benefits.

When was the last time you sat down and had a heart to heart with a friend you have not seen in a while? When was the last time you had a similar heart to heart with God. The Bible says, “There is a friend who stays closer than a brother.” (Pr. 18:24)

Cut the small talk. Take the time today to have not just a little talk but a real conversation with Jesus. Revive the most important relationship in your life. You will be amazed at the difference His amazing grace can make in your life.
Bro. Robin

Our purpose is HIS Mission

As I begin my seventh year as your pastor I have been thinking lately about our Church, our mission, and our vision for this New Year. Our recent business meeting pointed out that we are beginning a new chapter. We have known for some time that we need to make some changes. We are faced with some challenges that we can no longer put off until later. But my experience so far with the people of this church has shown me that we are up to the challenges we face. We are a Church made of people who sincerely desire to follow God’s leadership and I am excited to serve the Lord with people who share such a common purpose.

We point to our mission statement: “Our mission is to reach across the street and around the world with the good news of Jesus Christ.”

Our mission is only a reflection of the Great Commission:
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20, HCSB)

Our purpose is HIS mission. Everything we do is to teach us and prepare us to go and to send others into the world to teach and preach Jesus. At the end of the day it is all about HIS mission.

We need to replace one of our buildings. We voted to tear down the old building and we need to raise some money to do it. We have never had a problem raising large sums of money to send groups of people on mission trips. We have gone in recent years to Africa, Chile, Bahamas, Alaska, Iowa, and Nebraska. Now we need to go to Gentry. We need a building to train people for the mission. But, we are not just building a building. We are building a kingdom, the kingdom of God, the cause of Christ, the Mission.

When I welcome new members to this church I pray with them. My prayer is always for God’s help as we work together serving Him in this Church. That is my prayer today.

Bro. Robin

Surviving the Wilderness

The study of Exodus has raised some thoughts about how we all handle the wilderness we are in. The children of Israel certainly had their struggles. Their experiences are lessons from which we can all learn. Several key lessons can give us an “ABC” outline for surviving our wilderness experiences.

An Attitude of Gratitude is important for surviving the wilderness. Attitude changes our outlook and can determine if we are on top of our circumstances or if our circumstances are on top of us. The Israelites had much to be thankful for and reasons to look up. They had the pillar of cloud and fire and the promises of God in the distance. But when they looked at the desert around them they got discouraged and complained. Complaining led to division and rebellion which always brought discipline from God.

The Behavior of a Believer is also important for surviving the wilderness. We need to act like we believe in the promises to which we are going. The Israelites often gave up and behaved badly. Our faith should lead us to follow God and to enjoy both His fellowship and the fellowship of others who are also following Him in the way. We are on this road together. We have a happy destination to reach. Our behavior on the road should reflect the destination and the direction of the One we follow.

The Cup of Contentment important for surviving the wilderness. We supply the cup and God supplies the contentment. He gave the Israelites everything they needed for the journey including manna, water, and clothes that never wore out. But, if our cup is already full of complaints, expectations, or anything else we put in it, there will be no room for the contentment God is waiting to pour into our cup, no matter how much He pours out. If we empty our cup of all the things we put there and hold it up to God He will fill it. Then we will understand why He called us to this place. He calls us to the place where He is. He calls us to follow Him to the other side of the wilderness where we will find the Promised Land.
Let’s all go there together.
Bro. Robin

Getting Ready for the Storm

When I left the house Monday morning I grabbed the list off the counter in the kitchen. It was not a very long list but the items were things Joyce and I had agreed were the most important that we might need if we could not get back to the store for a few days. Since ice was predicted, and we have been through an ice storm before, I also had to do a few things around the house when I got home. I had just put the generator away last week, so I got it back out again and put it on the porch, just in case. I checked the fuel, firewood and flashlights. I felt good about being ready for the storm.

Then it came. Tuesday morning, as we were getting around, the power went off. I went outside to crank up the generator. I ran a cord through a window and powered the fireplace blower and a lamp. I could read and stay warm. What more did I need?

“What is the weather supposed to do?” Joyce said. Then it occurred to me. I had every gadget known to mankind, except a battery powered radio. I was cut off from the outside world. No, wait; I still had my cell phone. I pulled up the weather channel and looked at the radar. We were good to go.

What does it take to be prepared for the storms of life? Do we really need all the extras we so often surround ourselves with? Or, do we already have the things we need the most?

During the icy days Joyce and I got to spend some time together. We found plenty to do right here. We had all we needed. We had a warm fire, a light, the love of the Lord in our hearts, and each other. What more did we need?

Bro. Robin

Resolutions for a New Year

Most of us make New Year’s resolutions, whether we admit it or not. I will lose weight, (again). I will read the Bible through this year. I will spend more time with my family. Losing weight seems so obvious after the eating binge we just went on during the holidays. I could probably lose weight just by getting back to pre-holiday eating.

I am wondering, however, what is really new about them, besides the year? They seem to be mostly the same old resolutions every new year. You would think that if we were really serious about them that we would accomplish one once in a while and come up with something new.

I went to the internet and searched for New Years Resolution and confirmed my suspicions. Every list I found had a few of the same things on them. At the top of the lists were Relationships, such as spending more time with family and friends. I was glad to see that. You have heard me say often that there is no substitute for time in a relationship. Also on the lists were health resolutions, such as getting in shape, eating healthier and losing weight. In the top ten were habits that needed changing, such as quitting smoking, and drinking, (which obviously don’t apply to those of us who never started), and changes in our finances, such as getting out of debt. Some things on these lists were even more positive like enjoy life more, learn something new, help others, and get organized.

As a pastor, I would like to see resolutions made that focus on the really important things in life that are specific and doable. Here are a few of my suggestions.

1. Renew your wedding vows. Resolve to be a better husband/wife, and if you are not married, resolve to be a better friend to someone close to you.
2. Find a special place in your house that is your place of prayer and go there at a set time everyday. Pray with someone and by yourself.
3. Read the bible through this year. (Good for every year!)
4. Go on a mission trip and see something that only God can do.
5. Make a new friend, and invite him/her to church.
6. Call a relative you have not heard from in a while.
7. Volunteer. Go ahead, make someone’s day.
8. Exchange a bad habit for a good one. (you pick one of each)
9. Learn a new healthy recipe you can cook yourself.
10. Do something fun that makes you laugh.

Happy New Year. Let me know what your resolutions are for this year.
Bro. Robin

Looking Back, Looking Forward, Starting Fresh

As we arrive at a new year, 2009, it is always interesting to see how different people approach a new year. I have noticed that the news is filled with “year in review” video articles. We look back at the good news, bad news, regretful news, and even some funny news. It is all very entertaining.

Some of us feel a need to examine the past before we are ready to take on the future. We cannot change the mistakes of the past. But, we can learn from the past. We cannot live on the victories of the past. But, we can use the past as a guide for new goals for a better future.

God gave His people an interesting way to begin a new year. On the Jewish calendar the New Year begins in the fall, (Rosh Hashanah), and is followed ten days later by the Day of Atonement, (Yom Kippur). These ten days are called the Days of Repentance. These were days when they remember sins and ask forgiveness of anyone they have wronged the previous year. Then on the last day, the Day of Atonement, all is forgiven. In the days of the Temple the High priest would enter the Holy of Holies, the only time he would enter during the year, and sprinkle blood on the mercy seat for forgiveness of all sins, remembered and forgotten. Everyone began the New Year with a clean slate with God, and with each other.

What an awesome thought? We can start the New Year fresh with a whole new perspective, a new plan, and with nothing from the past holding us back. The world may have other ideas. God encourages new starts and gives us a way to make it happen.

Paul put it this way: “…forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14

Happy New Year
Bro. Robin Cowin

“For God so loved the world…”

Christmas is expensive. But, do we ever stop to think how expensive? We think about our own expenses. Gifts for everyone, trips to the store, company coming who need to be fed and accommodated, decorations, Christmas parties, and so on, and it all costs money. We are all too familiar with the cost of Christmas to ourselves.

Christmas is more expensive than we can imagine. Christmas is not just about our gifts. Christmas is about one gift, the one gift that began it all. Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son. Christmas is the promise of salvation in a baby that was born to die for our sins. Christmas demonstrates how valuable God considers us. We are worth the life of God’s Son.

When you give gifts do you base your gift on how important that person is to you? Do the people who are more important to you get better presents? Do we measure value by expense? If so, then God has us all beat when it comes to giving. When God considered what to give us all as a gift from Himself He brought out the most valuable gift God Himself could offer. We think of it as the gift of eternal life, and so it is. God thinks of it as the gift of His Son.

Christmas truly is a time of giving and receiving gifts. Have you received the gift God has for you, the gift of Christmas itself, the gift of Jesus?

Merry Christmas

Robin and Joyce Cowin
And the Cowin Family

Thanksgiving

“Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:3 (HCSB, Holman Bible Publishers, 2003)

Thanksgiving comes around at the same time every year and makes no allowance for our particular circumstances. We read in the scriptures that it is God’s will for us to give thanks. But many of us are looking at this time of year with a greater or lesser degree of anxiety. It is just not a good time to be thankful.

I do not know what is going on in every life, but as a pastor, I have been listening to what seems to me to be an unusual surge of bad tidings, instead of glad tidings. It is not just the economy. There seems to be an epidemic of misfortune happening in the lives of people around me. I am seeing this also in the ministries of other pastors and staff I know.

The scripture does not say to be thankful for everything. Many things that happen are not good. The Scripture says to be thankful in everything, that is, in the middle of every circumstance, it is God’s desire for us to be thankful. I heard a preacher call this the, “attitude of gratitude.”

The attitude of gratitude may require an attitude adjustment for many of us. Or, it may just require an adjustment in our sight. I do not mean that we should always be able to see the good in bad situations. Rather, I think if we can see around our situation there are good things happening around us.

On this bus we call life we are one of many passengers. Someone around us is having a better day than we are. If we could see them better we could celebrate with them. Someone around us is having a worse day than we are. If we could see them better it would make us both feel better to be an encourager. Look around. There are reasons to be thankful around each of us.

In everything, let us be thankful.

Bro. Robin

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee

(I do not usually forward emails and if I do I always try to verify the author. But, this one is too good to keep and try as I might I have not been able to discover the author. If you know who wrote it please let me know-RC)

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable (supple) heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

May we all be COFFEE!!!!!!!

Praying for the President-elect

My prayer for President-elect Barack Obama is that he will become more like the Jesus I know. Obama professes to be a Christian. We may not agree with his politics, his church, or his pastor, but if he claims the name of Christ as his own we can agree with his choice of a Savior. I believe that Jesus can take care of His own. His own know His voice and follows Him.

I do not have to agree with him in order to pray for him. In fact, it is because of those disagreements that I should pray for him that much more. I will never have the President’s ear to tell him how strongly I believe abortion and homosexuality are wrong. He will never hear me try to persuade him that policies on stem cell research should be strongly regulated so as to not benefit the abortion industry. He will not ask me to advise him on marriage and family and the destructive influence of a society that has no rules or morals. I will have no choice in the judges he appoints. I will never have the President’s ear but I will always have the ear of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I can pray that his decisions will be affected by the Christ he professes.

The President has a unique opportunity to make things better for all of us. He can protect religious freedom, human rights, and the dignity of all. He can take care of the poor. He can appoint judges who are just and judge according to the law. He can ignore the special interests of a few and do what is right in God’s eyes, instead of the world’s view.

We elect our leaders by a democratic process. However, morality is not up for a vote. Some principles are too important to ignore regardless of popularity or the desire of many to change the rules for all. He was elected by the people but he does not have to consult public opinion for his decisions. We must pray that he will consult God. Pray that he will be led by God’s Word. Pray that he will be surrounded by God’s protection. Pray that he will spend time in God’s presence before every decision.

I want a President who does not just say that he is a Christian. I want a President who follows Christ. That is out of my hands. Every person is responsible for his own relationship with Christ. But it is not out of God’s hands. That is why I pray. And, I urge you also to pray for President elect Obama, President Bush, their families, and the people who surround them. Pray, and keep the faith.

Bro. Robin

Halloween

When I am asked what I think about Christians observing Halloween, (the Devil’s day), I have a simple answer. The Devil does not get a day.

Nearly every culture has an observance to mark the beginning of winter that is associated with death. Many of these observances also have some hint of the resurrection to come in the spring.

As Christianity spread, Christians have historically related these observances to the more hopeful promises of scripture. Thus began Halloween. Christians set up November 1 as a day of celebration called “All Saints Day,” to remember the contribution of great Christians of the past and our belief that they still live in heaven with Christ. The day before All Saints Day came to be known as All Hallows Eve, which was shortened in time to Halloween.

Over a period of time, Halloween has attracted practices that are reminders of the pagan observances it was supposed to replace. The dramatic affect of all of this has made Halloween of such importance that it now completely overshadows All Saints Day. We have all but forgotten what was intended to be a very important Christian holiday, (Holy-day).

Many Christians today point to the history of Halloween that is associated with paganism and say that Christians should have nothing to do with this day. Some will even go so far as to point to those cultures that use Halloween to focus on death, Satan, and witchcraft, and say that it is the Devil’s day. But, I have some questions for those people. Why does the Devil get a day? Is not every day the Lord’s?

When I was a kid growing up we did our trick or treating all in good fun. We dressed up as hobos, pirates, and firemen, and raided the neighbors for candy. There are many who dress up in costumes associated with the Devil and witchcraft and such. Some may even have a point about how the world views Halloween and we should never associate our observance with anything that actually promotes the enemy. However, having said that, I do not believe the Devil enjoys good clean fun. It does not support the enemy to hand out candy, especially when we include tracts and invitations to our church.

This is the day that the Lord has made, (even October 31). I will rejoice and be glad in it. So, Happy All Saints Day, and the day before it.

Bro. Robin

Homecoming

It is interesting how a word can bring to mind such different images when it is used in different contexts. As I write this the town is getting ready for a parade, a team is getting ready for a football game, and our High School is getting ready to crown a Queen, all in honor of our High School football Homecoming. It is an exciting time for the town, students and alumni of the High School.

We have just completed a study on Wednesday nights of the book of Revelation. As I think about Homecoming my thoughts are drawn to a very different set of images. Revelation tells us of a Homecoming that we will all someday experience. There are some similarities. Instead of a Queen there will be a Bride. There will be a King and we will all be watching for the coming of the King, (of Kings). Instead of a parade there will be a great banquet. Instead of a game there will be a war, complete with a winning side and a losing side. The winners get invited to the wedding feast while the losers get thrown into a lake of fire.

Fortunately, the football game will not end like this, no matter what kind of thoughts we might have during the game.

When the players come to a football game they do not get to choose which side they are on when they get to the field. They make their choice long before the homecoming game. They have to choose before the first practice. They have to be a part of the team before they are allowed to play in the game.

Football Homecomings come and go. We look forward to them as much as we enjoy remembering them. It is fun but the pleasures, and the consequences, are only temporary. This is not true about the Homecoming in Heaven. Heaven’s Homecoming is eternal. We already know which side is going to win. But, we have to choose now which side we will represent.

Will I see you at the Banquet?

Bro. Robin

How do we make choices?

The coming election has me thinking about how we make choices. Actually, the question is more complicated than is seems. All choices are not equal. The consequences of those choices are also not equal. Therefore, the ways we go about making those choices are not equal. In fact, we can get into trouble when we make more important choices the same way we make less important choices.

We elect our leaders by popular vote. Hopefully, we all examine the candidates and vote for the person we think will do the best job. However, we do not all have the same criteria for leadership, the same convictions about the issues, or even the same information about the candidates themselves. There is always the possibility that your vote will be negated by some knucklehead who forgot his glasses and checks the boxes at random. That is why you need to vote. That is also why you need to pray. You can only vote once but you can pray early and often.

Popular vote may be how we elect leaders but it is not a good way to make personal decisions. I mentioned some factors for voting being criteria, convictions, and candidates. Some people seem to choose their criteria based on popular opinion. Some issues are not up for popular vote. God’s Word has not changed, and if you base your opinions on God’s word you should be careful about listening to polls. Many polls are taken not to inform your vote but to influence your vote in a particular direction. God also wants to influence you in a particular direction. He can be trusted.

Your morals are not up for a vote. It may make you feel better for a time if what you are doing is supported by everyone around you. God’s Word is not only the only rule for our lives but God is also the final judge. We can count the votes and please everyone around us, and miss the point of life entirely. The only vote that counts eternally is the one God cast for you, not at a poll, but on a Cross.

There is a teaching in Christianity called the doctrine of Election. The most important election of all comes down to this, “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

Bro. Robin