The ECS Gossip Train is Rolling

I received an e-mail this morning telling me that a couple of moms, continue to "stir up" other mom's with bad information about supposed changes to class sizes at Emmanuel Christian School for next year. This year, we accommodated parents and over-filled classes. That wasn't fair to our teachers, nor to the other students. In 2012-13, we will be keeping all of our classes within the DSS ratios, rather than over-filling and hiring additional aides. This is a very positive thing for our teachers and school families. That information was recently shared with our ECS teachers, so they could encourage parents to register early.

This very positive change, has been misunderstood by a couple of moms, so let me set the record straight. The rumors about large classes at ECS are false. The fact is that we will be limiting our class sizes -- not increasing them. We don't want to repeat in 2012-13 what we are already doing in 2011-12. If you are an ECS parent reading this blog, please forward it to your ECS friends so they don't get confused by the gossip.

In light of this silly misunderstanding and the rash reactions by some, it is a probably a great time to refer you to a blog post by Perry Nobles. Just click on the following link or copy and paste it into your browser. http://www.perrynoble.com/2011/11/23/my-wife-had-a-bad-experience-at-chic-fil-a/

Christmas 2011

We just returned from visiting family in South Florida for Christmas. It was a warm (80 degrees) and wonderful time. We sat outside by the pool for Christmas dinner, played golf at Biltmore in Miami, and I even cut the grass at my parents' house (in shorts)! While some dream of a white Christmas, my family dreams of a warm one.

Our travel plans were changed by the homegoing of 0ur dear friend Hope. She was one of the strongest people I've ever met and finally lost her battle with cancer after five years. Hope served as the secretary at EBC for many years. She loved people and they truly loved her. This year, she joined her mother and siblings in celebrating Jesus' birthday in His presence.

We left last Friday night and arrived in FL on Saturday morning. It was nice to be able to leave and not have to worry about anything. We have a great ministry team. David and Joey led our Christmas Eve service with several hundred in attendance, and Justin and Joey led our Christmas morning service. I've already heard so many positive comments! Many pastors worry when they leave town, but I'm blessed with some great friends and co-workers who are very capable leaders and faithful ministers.

We drove through the night last night and arrived home at approx. 4:30am. A few hours sleep and we squeezed in another day to enjoy and serve! Without a doubt, we realize that our family is so blessed and we thank God that all of our "needs" and most of our "wants" are met. We are thankful that our family got to spend Christmas together. BUT, most of all, we are thankful for the gift of a Savior!

Why are anti-Christian bigots so eager to prey on Tim Tebow?

You have got to read this commentary by Todd Starnes. He points out that we would never be permitted to treat a Muslim, or a minority, the way that people are treating Tim Tebow due to his Christian faith. Click on the following link to read the post http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/?s=tebow&x=3&y=4

Holy Land - 11.23

The trip home was long, so I'll spare you all of the details. Our flight left Tel Aviv on-time and took approximately 12 hours. Flora, Zack, and I had the emergency row with room to stretch out! Upon arriving at JFK, there had been a medical emergency on the plane, so they would not permit us to unload. It turned out to be dehydration; but rather than move the passenger to the front of the plane so that paramedics could get to him quickly, Delta chose to leave him at the very back of the plane. This was a slight delay, but caused us to almost miss our connecting flight.

Allow me to summarize: Leave the plane, claim our baggage, proceed through customs, go recheck our luggage, go through another security check, and of course the terminal we had to get to was literally on the other side of the airport. I'm not kidding... we walked and walked, got the the terminal and had to go down an elevator, literally had to leave the buildings,we crossed a street, entered another building, walked some more, and heard them saying "last call for passengers on Delta flight ____" while we were still six gates away. I left Flora to help the Frazier's and I ran ahead to tell them we had more coming. In the end we DID make our flight and arrived safely in Atlanta.

We claimed our luggage, and as soon as we walked outside, we caught the shuttle to the hotel. Not long after, we were on the road again. A Chic-fil-et lunch gave us some energy for our five hour drive home. It was a long day, but the thoughts of Thanksgiving dinner the next day kept us going. It was a GREAT trip and I would recommend it to everyone! Thanks to those who made this trip possible!

Holy Land - 11.22 (Part 2)

From Caiaphas' house, we learned much about the Old City of Jerusalem on the southern side and saw the Ophel leading "up" to the Temple Mount. From this vantage point, we could also see the layout of the Western Wall and the close proximity to where they believed the Holy of Holies to have been. This view gave great understanding as to "why" the Jews go to that particular place to pray.

Upon leaving Caiaphas' house, we went to lunch at the Ambassador Hotel, where we enjoyed hamburgers and French fries. This was the most "American" meal that we encountered while in Israel. In the lobby, "Juan Dollar" (the merchant at whose store we shopped on the previous night) met us with prayer shawls. The story and understanding of the prayer shawl is quite interesting and I purchased one to use as an object lesson with our church at some point.

After lunch, we walked the Via Dolorosa, the road that Jesus walked from His trial at Pilate's to the place of the crucifixion. Click here for pictures http://www.biblewalks.com/Sites/ViaDolorosa.html
Due to our tour guides' contacts, we were able to get into a section of the real Via Dolorosa which is located below the modern streets of Jerusalem. We ended our journey at the Damascus Gate and then loaded on the buses for a ride to Gordon's Calvary. Click here for pictures of Gordon's Calvary http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/jerusalem-garden-tomb

Was Gordon's Calvary the actual place of the crucifixion and burial? There is some conflicting viewpoints, but either way, it has been the traditionally accepted site. There is now a modern Arab bus station in front of Calvary, and the tomb was modified during the Byzantine period. In spite of the changes and the varying opinions, the more important FACT is that -- Jesus was not on the cross and the tomb was empty! We enjoyed communion together (the pastors in the group served) and this was a very special and very humbling time together.

As we gathered together at the hotel, someone asked about clarification on the Bar Mitzvah. The occur for Jewish boys at age 12, which is the accepted age at which the boys are old enough to carry the Torah. The Scriptures are bound on their hand and forehead. A leather strap wraps around the left arm, as a symbol of binding the Scriptures close to the heart. The prayer shawl (Talit) is pulled over the head and closed as a personal tent for privacy during prayer. Only the men have the prayer shawls and this is what Deut. 22:5 refers to when it says that a "a woman shall not wear that which pertaineth to a man..." From this verse, some have devised that women should not wear pants, but even the men in Bible times didn't wear pants. A full understanding of the Jewish culture, reveals that this passage is clearly making reference to the prayer shawl. The Bar Mitzvah is a celebration complete with a entry parade, family cheering, and women throwing candy. The candy is symbolic to remind us that the Scriptures are sweet. This celebration is full of meaning and we were blessed to be able to see these celebrations during our visit to the Temple.

During this meeting, we were given the instructions for our departure times, luggage checks, etc. We would have time to eat, shower, rest, and load up to begin our journey back to Hartsville.

Holy Land - 11.22 (Part 1)

This would be our last day of "touring" in the Holy Land, so our tour guides really packed it in. They rearranged the route to beat the 50 busses of tourists coming off the cruise ships. We started at the Garden of Gethsemane where we saw eight olive trees, five of which are dated to be over 2,300 years old. That means that Jesus walked among these trees, and so did we! Most of the olive trees were cut from the Mount of Olives by the Muslims, in an effort to eliminate the possibility of a new King (Jesus) to be anointed with oil from the Olive trees on the Mt. of Olives, as is required by Jewish law. This was another Muslim attempt to stop Jesus from returning as King -- even though they say they don't believe in Him!

Not far from these olive trees is the Stone of Agony, where Jesus prayed and sweat drops of blood. The Rock of Agony is directly in front of the pulpit at the Catholic "Church of All Nations" with an iron fence shaped as thorns surrounding it. Interestingly, this Catholic church has no religious symbols, is open 24/7, and has widows made of Alabaster. These windows are symbolic of the Alabaster vials that contain the olive oil with which the new King (Jesus) will be anointed.

We went to a private area of the garden for a service. On the way, several in our group noticed the clovers with red spots on the leaves. The red spots are symbolic of the drops of blood that Christ shed as He prayed in the garden. The Garden of Gethsemane is the only place in the world where these clovers can be found. Is that just a coincidence?

The next stop was a children's hospital at which we distributed toys and Randy presented the Gospel using object lessons with a basketball. The hospital also contained a school. The children were in their uniforms, well behaved, and learning on their laptops. It was exciting to see the educational opportunities for these children.

We continued to the house of Caiaphas, the High Priest. This was the place where Jesus was tried, scourged, and Peter denied Christ. We saw the scourging area and how they tied and stretched those who were being scourged. We saw the salt pools into which they dipped the sponges to mop over the open wounds and increase the pain. We saw the Roman scourge with its leather straps and metal barbs. We saw the pit into which Jesus was thrown (approx. 12 feet deep hole) and the rocks against which He leaned to cool His back after the scourging.

We went outside for a brief lesson and heard a rooster crowing! We saw the Jericho Rd. We looked across to the Mt. of Scandal, and could see the close proximity of Caiaphas' house to Jerusalem, the Kidron Valley, and the Mt. of Olives. It was only about a 12 minute walk from Caiaphas' house to where the soldiers apprehended Jesus and He could see them coming the whole way. This was an amazing place!

Holy Land - 11.21

This day started by standing in a security line and waiting to enter the Temple Mount through the Tanner's Gate, located next to the Dung Gate. We learned much in the line as the conversations and teaching focused on the Islamic belief in eternal reward for deception in this lifetime. The more they deceive, the greater the reward. For the first time, we also saw Jews begging for alms outside the temple.

Once inside, we saw the Eastern Gate, which the Muslims sealed to keep Jesus from returning to Jerusalem as He said He would. Question: Why would you seal a gate to keep out someone you say you don't believe in? Why would you install a cemetery in front of the gate to keep out Jesus, the Jewish Rabbi? Why would you cut down the olive trees so this King could not be anointed? Answer: Because deep down, you really do believe! Actions speak much louder than words!

While at the temple, we also saw the Dome of the Rock that covers the place where Abraham offered Isaac - the son of promise. This event was a picture of salvation revealing that God would offer His promised Son, Jesus. (Muslims believe Abraham offered Ishmael - the son outside the promise.) We saw the "Place of the Spirits," which many believe is the location of the Holy of Holies. We sat on the steps of the South Gate looking over the old city. As we walked, we sampled Pomegranate juice. We saw the great wall that Herod built as a retaining wall and saw the stones that were still present from the time when the temple was destroyed. We saw the area where the place of the money changers and where sacrifices were sold. We saw the old road around the city and the narrow road used by those who had already cleansed themselves. There was so much history and so many light bulbs coming on as we walked, saw, touched, and learned about the temple. Click on either or both of the following links for some great pictures and much information about the temple: 1) http://www.bibleplaces.com/templemount.htm 2) http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/jerusalem-temple-mount

One of my favorite spots to visit was the Western Wall. After seeing and understanding the layout of the temple and the surrounding areas, "why" the Jews choose to pray in this place now makes sense. This is the closest point to where they believe the Holy of Holies was. The men in our group had to cover our heads with a hat or a one of the yarmulkes or kippahs they provided. The prayer areas were divided with men praying on one side of the fence and the ladies on the other. There were many Bar Mitzvahs in progress during our visit. These are held at the temple on Mondays and have great meaning in the various ritualistic components.

Our next stop was the Old City for lunch, shopping, and puddle jumping (it was raining). The Old City is interesting with so many shops and all of them packed so together tightly. Each street looks almost identical and it did take us some effort to find our way back to "the Fountain," which was in close proximity to our meeting place. Everyone was soaked (especially the lady who was standing on the sidewalk when the car hit the puddle beside her), so we went back to the hotel to dry off and take hot showers.

Just before supper, the group met to ask questions, share testimonies, and to discuss our plans for tomorrow. This was a special time, and I especially enjoyed the answers that explained how much we get "wrong" when trying to teach Jewish tradition from an American viewpoint. Many will give an account for teaching American preferences as Bible doctrine!

Holy Land - 11.20

We finally reached Jerusalem! It was Sunday morning, and we were sitting on the Mt. of Olives overlooking Jerusalem. The view was breathtaking as we enjoyed our Sunday morning service and observed communion together. As we were leaving the Mt. of Olives, some rode the camel; but there was not time for all. Vendors surrounded us on every side and it would continue as such until we left on our final day.

We went to the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus healed the lame man in John 5. The ruins were well preserved and you could easily picture the various pool and patio areas as they once stood. The Church of St. Anne is in close proximity to the pool, so we were able to tour it. The church was built in approx. 1129 by the Crusaders. The Muslims conquered the Crusaders and turned the church into an Islamic school for girls. Our group sang (our guide was a trained vocalist) and the priest thanked our people for bringing the rains of blessing to their land.

We drove past and overlooked the Valley of Gehenna, where babies were sacrificed to the god Molech (II Kings 23:10; Jer. 32:35); and continued on toward Bethlehem. It was only about five miles and we sang Christmas carols on the way! Bethlehem is located in the West Bank, so we had to have our passports ready and armed guards walked through the bus for a quick sweep. Evidently none of us looked too suspicious.

We ate lunch at "The Tent Restaurant," which had a great ambiance with long tables, bench seating, and burlap roofing. The food was great. As we left, we saw a shepherd with his flock of sheep and almost lost one of our group members (from another church) as she stepped out in front of a speeding car. Her guardian angel almost lost his job that day!

After lunch, we made our way to the Shepherd's Field, where it is traditionally believed that the angels announced Jesus' birth to the shepherds. We were able to wander through the caves where the shepherds and the sheep slept. This was a very neat site and offered a great view of Bethlehem, which was in very close proximity.

Next was the Church of the Nativity -- the place observed as the birthplace of Christ. We waited in line for approx. 1 hour. The church constructed over the site was huge! It was built by the Byzantines, had a Crusader mosaic of gold on the wall, a mosaic floor over 1500 years old, ornate oil lamps hanging, chandeliers, priest saying "quiet," and candles being sold. (Our guide stated, "Nothing has changed." They sell candles for $12 each, but you can buy the same ones outside for only $1 each.) This place was "cold," "empty," and a symbol of "dead" religion! It reminded me of Matt 7:22.

We eventually made our way into the small cave, where an elaborate and ornate structure was built over the birthplace. A 14 point star marked the spot. People were bending over touching it, kissing it, etc. There was pushing, shoving, priests bringing people in the wrong way if they paid them on the side, etc. This site was my least favorite of all and opened my eyes as to "why" God has not revealed things like Noah's Ark, the Ark of the Covenant, etc. When these items or places are found, people begin to worship the items more than God.

We left the church, went shopping in Bethlehem, and then returned to the hotel for supper and bed.

Sunday Summary - 12.04.11

Today was the first Sunday that we focused on Christmas for 2011. The AM message was about the difference Jesus made in the lives of individuals and also the world. He was well received by some, and rejected by others. It was a reminder that each of us must choose "what will we do with Jesus?" We had a lady pray to receive Christ today! PTL. We were also supposed to have 3 baptisms this morning, but had to reschedule them due to the set for the Christmas program. It is huge and covers the baptistery and the screens. The program is next Saturday and Sunday at 6:00pm, so we should be back to normal soon, and a special "thanks" to everyone who is working so hard to get the set completed.

On Sunday night, I preached on the journey of Jesus. Interesting that it was the first time that the Creator became as the creation, that eternity was restricted to time, that God was "born," and that God "died." These are some deep thoughts! Following the evening service, our church family gathered outside for the lighting of the new nativity set that our Keenagers initiated. A special thanks to Leslie Odom for all of the coordinating efforts, and to Debra Carmona for making the figures look "life-like." May all who see it be reminded of the simple birth and Gift of the Savior; while forgetting about the symbol of personal greed and commercialism that Christmas has become.

Holy Land - 11.19 (Part 2)

During our drive, we learned another interesting fact about Jewish culture. It is traditional for Jews to consume pomegranates on Rosh Hashana because the 613 seeds, which correspond with the 613 mitsvot or commandments of the Torah. Of the 613, 2/3 refer to "don'ts" while 1/3 refer to "do's."

We finally arrived at Mt. Carmel, where Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal and called fire down from Heaven (1 Kings 18). The "mountain" is really not a mountain at all, but rather a mountain ridge of approx. 30 miles long, with the highest point reaching 2,200' above sea level. We stopped at a picturesque overlook, from which we could seek everything around us, including the Valley of Megiddo. The view was breathtaking, and the cold winds also took your breath away! People were huddling together, and really getting to know those around them.

From that site on Mt. Carmel, we went to have a Druid lunch nearby. The primary meat was chicken, but there were also many other things to sample. The single shot restrooms made for long lines on both the men's and women's sides, but no one was getting back on that bus without making the pit stop. (Our driver didn't stop very often!)

The next stop was Caesarea by the Sea. This was the place of Herod's palace on the Mediterranean Sea. We saw the Hippodrome, the remains of the temple of Roma & Augustus, and the theater that had been excavated. The theater faces west, and we sat in the theater for our service. We saw and stood where the Apostle Paul was chained as he testified before Herod. We saw the remains of Herod's fresh-water swimming pool that extended off the back of his palace and protruded over the Mediterranean Sea. We saw the amphitheater where games were played and Christians lost their lives. The site was closing for the day, so we didn't get to stay very long. We left, then drove a short distance to the twin high-level aqua ducts that were 12 miles in length and carried fresh water to Caesarea by the Sea. One side was cold water, and the other had been modified to produce sun-heated hot water. Herod was a master builder!

As we were leaving, our guide stopped by some native thorn bushes to show us the thorns used to make the crown of thorns that was placed on Jesus' head. The thorns were literally 2-3 inches long, and not the small sand spur style thorns that so many people refer to. These thorns, once dry, had been proven to penetrate into bone! I brought a 12" piece of the branch home with me, so people could see just what these thorns were like.

We made our way to the Olive Tree Hotel in Jerusalem, which would become our base for the remainder of the trip. The hotel was beautiful, but the rooms were a little small. The half doors on the shower stall kept half the water from splashing on the floor. On the flip side, the food was delicious! They had a buffet at every meal with much variety, and delicious desserts. After supper, most of our group went out for a walk on the town, only there isn't much nightlife in Jerusalem. We walked a few blocks in two different directions only to find nothing. At this point, most chose to call it a night. Justin and Zack continued exploring and found their way to a section of the Old City. They told us about it the next morning...but there wasn't much to tell, as I think we actually found a place with fewer things open at night than Hartsville. :-)

Holy Land - 11.19 (Part 1)

This morning the weather was beautiful and we started our day with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. You can watch a generic video of the boat ride at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbkWW6ekG4o The waters were calm as we set sail, but became increasingly rougher during our ride. We saw rain in the distance, but the sun rays were bursting through the clouds as though to pinpoint the very place where Jesus walked. It was amazing!

During the ride, they reminded us that the lands on the east side of the lake is Gentile and on the west side is Jewish. When Jesus cast the demons out of the man and into the swine, the pigs ran off the cliff on the east side of the lake, since there would be no pigs in Israel. The guide also pointed out an interesting fact about the two multiplication miracles that Jesus performed. He fed 5,000 men on the west side and there were 12 baskets left over, representative of the 12 tribes of Israel. He fed 4,000 on the east side and there were 7 baskets left over, representative of the 7 Gentile churches in Revelation. Through these miracles, Jesus provided an object lesson that salvation was open to everyone!

We next visited Gideon's spring, the place where God whittled away at Gideon's army. The spring was actually dried up now, but site has been well preserved and you could almost picture the soldiers kneeling to drink. There were two turtledoves in the rocks just above the spring, serving as a reminder of God's goodness and blessings. Gideon's spring is located in the Valley of Megiddo (or Valley of Jezreel), where the battle of Armageddon will take place. I got a strange feeling as I looked across that valley, and saw a playground with swings and a swimming pool. Oh how this place will change! See a picture and some additional commentary at this link http://www.biblestudy.org/biblepic/megiddo.html

From there we went to Nazareth. In Jesus' day, the population of Nazareth was approx. 180; but today, there are almost 70,000 - and all Arabs. The city was very crowded, busy, and dirty. Many houses were left looking incomplete, because they pay less in taxes while building (no matter how long it takes to finish). We saw Mary's house, and surprisingly... another Catholic church built on the site. You really have to look past what they have done to "preserve" the sites. I think in reality, there is often more worship of the site, than there is of the Savior. We also saw Mary's well as we passed through.

From here, we were off to Mt. Carmel. I'll tell you more about that soon. On our way, we saw Mt. Tabor, which many believe was the Mt of Ascension.

Holy Land - 11.18

Another beautiful morning following our normal routine of up at 6am, breakfast buffet at 7am, and scheduled to leave by 7:45am. That was a good plan, until one person (out of 90) overslept and another left something in his room. It was nice NOT to have to repack our luggage, since we would finally be staying for a second night in this same hotel. The only thing to pack was a swimsuit for those desiring to be baptized in the Jordan River.

We drove through the city of Tiberias and along the Sea of Galilee. It was a little overcast, but absolutely beautiful! Our first stop would be the city of Caesaria Philippi, also known as Banias (Paneas). The city was the location of the temple to Pan, the half man - half goat god. Pan was known for his vile sexual perversions and the area was an example of the great wickedness found in the heart of man.

At this site, there is a cave known as the "Gates of Hell" containing a pit and a river flowing from it. It was believed this was the river Styx, the passage way to the underworld. An earthquake resulted in the pit being filled in. There is still a river flowing through Banias. This river is the source for the Jordan River. See pictures and read more on this link: http://www.bibleistrue.com/qna/pqna45.htm

It was at the "Gates of Hell" or near this location that Jesus said in Matt 16:18, "...I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." He was implying that all the wickedness of the world, could not stop God's plan of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ! This was an object lesson to His disciples, and a promise to mankind!

As we were leaving Caesaria Philippi, we saw Mt. Hermon upon which it snowed during our visit and set a record for the earliest snowfall on record for that location. We passed through the Golan Heights, the area belonging to the tribes of Dan and Mannaseh. This area borders Lebanon, and in biblical times, Golan was a city of refuge.

We continued to the Mt. of Beattitudes at which we had a service in an outdoor theater located near the site of the feeding of the 5,000, and the traditionally accepted location where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. This site offered a beautiful view of the Sea of Galilee and (as it is with so many sites) it housed a Catholic church and school.

We enjoyed lunch at a Lebanese restaurant, where some enjoyed whole Talapia (fish) with the eyes looking at them as they picked the meat off the bones. The meal also included French Fries, and bread & hummus.

Due to the time and overcast weather, we postponed the boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and went to the Jordan River for the baptisms. The baptisms were only symbolic and allowed people to be baptized in the same river where Jesus was baptized. For $10, you got a robe, towel, and certificate.

All was well, until we got into the water -- It was FREEZING, but the Muskrats and the large catfish we shared the water with didn't mind the temperature at all. This was a very special time as I was able to baptize those in our group, then Justin baptized Flora and I. This was a memory we will never forget.

From there, it was back to the hotel for a warm shower, followed by supper and a group meeting.

Holy Land - 11.17 (Part 2)

We entered the West Bank and made our way into the crowded, dirty streets of Jericho. It was quite a change in scenery and a drastic contrast from the Dead Sea. The West Bank is under Palestinian control, with a dominant Arab population. The Arabic food (chicken) was wonderful and there were many other dishes to sample. The staple at EVERY meal was pita bread and hummus.

At this one location, there was a fresh market with souvenirs, produce, and Pomegranate juice. In addition, it was the first of several places to ride a camel, Elisha's well/spring was in the parking lot, and there was a rooftop patio on top of the restaurant that offered a great view overlooking the old city of Jericho.

The remains of the old city of Jericho offered another shock to our system. In reading the Bible story, I've always pictured a large city with massive walls. The city was actually rather small. While it was unexpected, it also made perfect sense that the city could not have been too big, if the people marched around it seven times! The remains proved that the walls indeed fell outward and pots were discovered that were still full of grain, proving that this city was not defeated through the normal method of starving the people out. From Jericho, we could see the Mount of Temptation. There is a monastery built up on the mountain, making it easy to spot the general vicinity where Jesus spent 40 days being tempted.

Next, we made our way to the Sycamore tree that is symbolic of the one that Zacchaeus climbed in this effort to see Jesus. The tree was HUGE and really looked like the Keebler elf tree. Interestingly, the tree was surrounded by a fence, I would suppose it was an attempt to keep future Zacchaeuses from climbing it. As soon as our bus stopped, we were surrounded by street vendors and they kept selling as we were trying to take a group picture. They did have some good prices and products; and we DEFINITELY had a group of shoppers! It was there that Zack got his Arab headdress called a Keffiyeh. Several of our ladies also purchased some beautiful necklaces.

We made our way to the next hotel - the Gai Beach Hotel located on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The rooms were very small and very plain, but the view of the Sea of Galilee was beautiful! We enjoyed our choice of steak, liver, chicken, an Italian dish, and several other items for supper. I don't think they expected the rush for steaks, as people waited in line for more steaks to be prepared, while passing on the other items! (Let's see... steak or liver...is that really a choice?) This restaurant also had a Hummus bar in which they would prepare your personalized dish of Hummus with whichever spices you selected mixed in. The final course... the dessert bar. It was great!

We capped off the night by using Justin's iPad to Skype our daughters; followed by listening to the Jewish hotel singers "butcher" American songs. They did a beautiful job on the Jewish songs... at least we think they did. :-)

Holy Land - 11.17 (Part 1)

We followed our normal routine of waking up at 6:00am, bags out and heading to breakfast by 7:00am, and on the road at 7:45am. The bus ride was short and we were soon at our first site -- Masada. We rode the cable car to the top and were amazed by the site, by Herod's creativity, by Roman ingenuity, and by the story of those Jews who chose to die there. Rather than be captured by the Romans and in order to avoid "suicide," the Jews devised a plan of mass murder, in which they divided nearly 1,000 people into 10 groups. Ten men were selected and each was instructed to kill 1/10 of the people, or one of the ten groups. The next man would kill the killer, then kill those in his group. The process was repeated, until the last man took his own life. Those who did the killing used a lottery system to determine the order and the one man who would ultimately be guilty of suicide. The story was told by two women who hid themselves and survived the attacks. You can read more about this event and see some pictures by clicking on these links: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Archaeology/Masada1.html or http://www.bibleplaces.com/masada.htm

From Masada, we continued to En Gedi and saw the cave where it is believed that David hid when he fled from King Saul. Click on this link for pictures http://www.bibleplaces.com/engedi.htm

We stopped by an Acacia tree for a quick lesson on how soldiers made arrows and how God shapes us, then continued along a designated road (between the mine fields) to the place of the Jordan River where it is believed the Israelites crossed and Jesus was baptized. This was one of the most shocking sites, as the river was very narrow. We could have easily tossed a rock across the river and landed it in the country of Jordan. The river was dirty and full of bull rushes, but plenty deep enough to baptize.

From there, we went to the Qumran Cave #4 in the Essene community, the place where the Dead Sea scrolls were found in the late 1940's. The Bedouin boy's father first made a pair of sandals from one of the leather cases, the scrolls were then sold for $29, and then in 1954 they sold for $250,000 (the equivalent of over $2 million today). An earthquake had greatly changed the area, but the cave was easily recognizable.

From here, we set out for lunch at the city of Jericho.

Holy Land - 11.16 (Part 2)

As we left Joppa, we saw the beautiful Mountains of Judah, and the Valley of Ajalon (Joshua 10) where God caused the sun to stand still. Our guide also pointed out the traditional road to Emaus, where Jesus met and walked with the two disciples. He explained how the disciples knew Jesus when He broke the bread in Luke 24:35. The "religious" Jews took the wine, then the bread. Jesus followed traditional Judaism and broke bread, then took the wine. This was quite interesting and proved to be one of many things that non-Jews miss when reading the Scriptures.

In explaining other Jewish cultural aspects, our guide explained that only the city of Jerusalem and the Tribe of Judah focused on exclusive worship of God; while the other cities engaged in "inclusive" worship of a variety of gods. This shed light on how Samson (tribe of Dan) would even consider taking Delilah (a blue-eyed daughter of the Philistines) to be his wife. Again, a simple illustration of what we miss, by not having an understanding of Jewish culture.

The guide continued to explain the Book of Judges from a Jewish perspective. While we think of Judges as if it pertains to legal aspects; the Judges were actually war generals or military leaders. We would probably better understand the biblical period of the Judges if we called it the "Book of Military Leaders."

Our travels next took us to the Valley of Elah, the place where David defeated Goliath (1 Sam. 17:40). We were able to walk in the the brook (now dry) where David picked up the five smooth stones. Several in our group took a rock from the brook as a souvenir. The site has been confirmed by archaeologists after discoveries (including pig bones & pottery) from the Philistine camp.

We continued to Be'er Sheva, to see Abraham's well (Gen. 21). The guide pointed out that the name "Abraham" means "Father of many, but Abraham didn't have any." Abraham was actually a laughing stock among the people, but he believed God in spite of it!

We got a lesson pertaining to desserts. There are actually six different words used in the Hebrew Bible, pertaining to six different types of deserts found in Israel, but our English word "desert" limits our understanding to one type of desert. We got a detailed lesson on the differences between them and were drilled with the fact that the "desert will bloom again" and saw evidences of it.

We concluded our travel day by reaching the Dead Sea at 1270' below sea level, bordered on one side by Israel and the other by Jordan. It is really a "lake," but there is no word for lake in the Hebrew language, so it is called a sea. We ate lunch beside the Dead Sea, checked into the Le Meridian Hotel (one of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed in) and later swam in the Dead Sea. Justin and Zack swam (floated) out to where we almost couldn't see them and collected bottles full of Dead Sea salt. The lake bottom goes from soft to jagged, due to the salt and mineral deposits. See pictures and read about the Dead Sea here http://www.bibleplaces.com/deadsea.htm

I think most in our group passed on the optional hotel spa treatments, massages, etc.; and after a huge buffet supper, most retired for the night. Justin and Zack found a McDonalds where they could access free Wi-fi, and Flora & I went out to walk and explore the small city. We later met Justin at McDonalds so we could Skype with our girls. Interesting note... we must have seen 12+ cats that night, but have only seen one dog since landing in Israel.

Holy Land - 11.16 (Part 1)

On Wednesday morning, the wake-up call came at 6:00am, left for breakfast and put bags in the hallway by 7:00am, and the group was scheduled to depart at 7:45am. Breakfast was interesting. It was the first of many Israeli buffets consisting of many familiar and unfamiliar items. For the traditionalists, there were eggs, cereal, yogurt, fruit, etc. For the adventurers, there were barely recognizable eggs, other unknown dishes, and plenty of bagels and lox. It appeared that most stayed with the "safe" dishes for the first day. While everyone was claiming their luggage, I spotted computers in the hotel lobby with free Internet. I quickly went over to check my Fantasy Football scores from Sunday, and to set my teams for this coming week.

The bus pulled out of Tel Aviv (the "City of Springs" with a population of 500,000) by 8:00am and we started the day by learning a few Hebrew terms: boker tov means "good morning;" toda means "thank you;" and shalom means "peace, but can also be used for "hello" and "goodbye." After the language lesson, we learned about the Israeli military. Every Israeli man is required to enlist from ages 18-21, women 18-20, and all remain in the reserves until age 46. The only exemptions are for Hasidic Jews, and no Arabs are permitted to serve in Israel's military!

We soon arrived at Joppa (written and pronounced Jaffa in Israel). Jaffa means "beautiful" and is best known as the place Jonah tried to flee from God, and boarded a ship heading to Tarshish. We also read about Tabitha (Dorcas), Peter, and Simon the Tanner in Joppa. We visited St. Peter's Church, built on the location of Simon the Tanner's house and had a very interesting experience. With people sitting in the pews waiting for mass to start, our group leader paid the priest to delay the service and allow us to meet in there for a brief service. The priest took the money and delayed the Catholic service so the Baptists could meet. That gained a few chuckles from those who realized what had occurred.

Read more & see pictures of Tel Aviv, Joppa , and St. Peter's church at http://www.bibleplaces.com/joppa.htm

Holy Land - 11.15

Tuesday, November 15, was a blur. The day started over the Atlantic ocean. The pilot actually asked everyone to close their window shades as soon as we took off; since by flying east, we would be experiencing the sunrise in just a few short hours. We were served supper, then breakfast on the plane; but due to the time change (7 hours ahead of USA), we skipped lunch and didn't even miss it.

The flight took over 10+ hours, and we arrived at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv at just before 3:00pm Israel time on Tuesday. We collected our luggage, gathered everyone together, then passed through Customs as a group. It was seamless and surprisingly easy.

After Customs, we left the airport and immediately boarded a Mercedes brand charter bus where we were introduced to our Arab driver, Adel, and our Italian guide, Fabresio. The bus took us to the Grand Beach Hotel in Tel Aviv. The hospitality of the Israeli people is admirable and we were greeted with drinks and desserts in every hotel, and even in some shops. In the hotel lobby, we were handed an envelope with our room keys and luggage stickers with our room numbers printed on them. We put the stickers on our luggage and the hotel delivered the luggage to our rooms. That especially worked well, since you could only get about 6 people on the three small elevators, and there would have been no room for people, plus luggage. We were given about an hour to freshen-up, then we met in the dining area for our first Israeli buffet. It was delicious... especially the array of desserts! Water, juice and coffee were included with most meals; and Coke products could be purchased for $3-$4 each. (That only sounds high, until you hear that gasoline is $12 per gallon in Israel.)

After supper, several of us took a stroll to the Mediterranean Sea, which was located just across the street from the Hotel. We then retired for the night, and and prepared for the next day that would start at 6:00am. Oh... I must confess that in misreading my watch, I was up MUCH earlier than we needed to be, and checked it carefully in the days that followed.

Holy Land - 11.14

Staying overnight in Atlanta was a GREAT decision. It allowed us to sleep-in, start fresh, and enjoy a good hot breakfast at the hotel. It also removed the stress of leaving early, traffic delays, possible car problems, extending the travel day, etc. It added a little expense to the trip, but it was definitely the way to go! When we were ready, we simply locked our cars in the secure parking lot, and loaded onto the hotel shuttle bus.

The driver dropped us off at the Delta entrance and the check-in process began. I used to frequent the Atlanta airport when living in Marietta, GA; but haven't been there in a while. The Delta self check-in and lack of real people to assist with our questions about a seat change was frustrating, but not earth shaking. In the end, everything worked out fine and all requests were accommodated at the gate.

In Atlanta, we met half (approx. 40) of the total travel group (approx. 90) that were going to tour the Holy Land with us. Our flight left at 1:40pm and we were on our way to JFK in New York. On the flight, I started the book, "Radical Together" and finished it during the layover at JFK. It was a great read that challenges Christians to think about reaching the world with the Gospel.

While waiting at JFK, we enjoyed a slice of Sbarro's pizza, followed by coffee and a donut from Dunkin Donuts! We had plenty of time to walk it off during the extended layover. At approximately 8:00pm, we started loading aboard the 747 and left on-time at 8:55pm for our 10+ hour flight that would also result in a loss of seven hours with the time zone adjustment.

Holy Land - 11.13

Sunday, November 13 was the departure date for our EBC Holy Land travelers. Those in our group included Gary & Flora Colboch, Justin Facenda, Milton & Pat Frazier, Billie McManus, Ramona Pippin, Zack Pippin, James & Jane Sparrow, and Dickie & Tammy White. We had a great time and I gained MANY sermon illustrations througout the trip, but I promised not to share too many!

On Sunday, we attended the morning services at EBC, enjoyed a Bojangle's chicken lunch together in the Fellowship Hall, then loaded for the trip to Atlanta. We took 3 vehicles (1 being a Suburban for sake of the luggage). Our departure goal was 1:00pm, and we were right on schedule. For the sake of convenience, we stopped in Lexington to save Zack the trip to Hartsville. When Zack got out carrying a bag only slightly larger than a computer bag, I thought he was joking; but having traveled extensively, he had truly packed for a 10 day trip in a bag smaller than the typical carry-on. I was taking notes for my next trip!

The rest of the travel day was rather uneventful and we arrived in Atlanta at approx, 6:00pm. Upon arriving at the Drury Inn at the Atlanta Airport, I was informed that they didn't have a reservation for us. The company we booked with had actually made our reservation at the Drury Inn in Marietta, which was 1 hour away. The hotel staff was great, made the correction, and accommodated us without any delay. I'd recommend them to anyone, and will definitely stay there again when flying out of Atlanta. Another great example of the benefits of customer service!

There was a Ruby Tuesday next door to the hotel, where we enjoyed supper. There was excitement in the air as we were finally "really" underway on our long anticipated trip!

Just Returned From the Holy Land

Last night, we returned from a 10 day trip to the Holy Land. The trip started when our church family designated our 2010 Christmas offering toward sending the Frazier's back to the Holy Land for one more visit. Milton & Pat served our church for 36 years, before he went to serve as the Chaplain at Piedmont Bible College in Winston Salem, NC. The Frazier's led 17 trips to Israel and we all knew they wanted to go one more time. Our church family desired to be a blessing to them, so God's people gave generously. Once we knew they were going, we opened the trip to the church and had an additional 10 people (including my wife and I) who joined them for the trip.

The trip was absolutely amazing and really brought clarity and understanding to the places and events recorded in the Scriptures. I plan to tell you about the trip on a day-by-day basis via this blog. I feel this will be the easiest way to convey the information to the most people. So, check back daily over the next week (or more).

I feel that EVERY Christian should visit the Holy Land at least once in his or her lifetime. In fact, every church should make a concentrated effort to send its pastor to Israel, and seminaries should require the trip for pastoral majors. It was eye opening and confirmed our misunderstandings and efforts to "Americanize" the Scriptures, without regard for or understanding of the culture, customs, language, geology, and geography of the Jewish people and land.

One thing is for sure... I will never be the same after this trip!

Trunk-or-Treat 2011

AMAZING... doesn't quite cover the experience of last Sunday night EBC's Trunk-or-Treat. Nearly 2,000 people showed up for this Halloween alternative event. Over 40 car/truck/and motorcycle trunks were decorated and candy was being given out from each trunk! Prizes were given for best decorated trunks and the winners were: 1st Place - the circus side show, which included a bearded lady; 2nd Place - Popeye & Olive Oil, who were handing candy out of their boat; and 3rd Place - our own cafeteria staff serving it up with pots and pans!

In addition to giving out over 1,200 pounds of candy, those who came enjoyed concessions, ponies, and inflatable games. Almost 500 Bible were handed out to those who said they didn't have one in their home (that still blows my mind), and gospel tracts were given to each person!The only snag of the whole night was that the inflatable provider only provided 1/2 of what he was contracted to bring, so the lines were a little longer than they should have been. For that we apologize and that problem will be fixed for next year.

I want to thank all of our EBC folks who brought candy, decorated trunks, helped with concessions, security, keeping candy stocked, event setup, cleanup, and anything else that was needed. God has truly blessed EBC with some amazing people!

Sunday Summary 11.06.11

This past Sunday was EBC's 85th Homecoming service. Pastor Emeritus, Milton Frazier, reminisced during our Life Group hour. He and Pat served EBC for 36 years and he shared much of the history of our church and then gave us a challenge to keep reaching people with the gospel.

Paul & Cathy Youmans returned as our guests of honor, and Paul preached in our morning service. The Youmans served as Youth Leaders at EBC in the early 1990's and God is now using them to lead a church in Orange City, FL. This was our first year without a Homecoming feast, but we did enjoy a time of Krispy Kreme Donuts, coffee, and milk between the Life Group hour and worship service. The Life Groups met for prayer and fellowship groups on Sunday night.

In the past two weeks, we have seen 3 people baptized and to join our church family. Jamie and Brandi were recently saved, followed our Lord in believer's baptism, and joined our church family. Bill & Jody have jumped into service with both feet. We had two more children register for AWANA... which is now running over 100 children! It's been exciting to see what is happening at EBC after 85 years!

Sunday Summary 10.23.11

Yesterday was a wonderful day at Emmanuel. We were blessed to see Kerri follow in believer's baptism after trusting Christ as her Savior just 2 weeks ago! In addition, last week, we celebrated the addition of two new families to our EBC family - Bill & Jody, and Lori & her 2 daughters.

Yesterday's message was the first in a three-part series on biblical principles for handling personal finances. I'm drawing information from various authors including Ron Blue, Larry Burkett, and Dave Ramsey. These men understand that handling money is a spiritual activity and they give some wonderful financial principles derived from the Scriptures.

Our church, as most churches, has been hit by the downturn in our economy over the past few years. While our giving is strong, individual families are hurting. This series is designed to make sure we are wise stewards (asset managers) of the resources that God entrusts to us. God has promised to bless us with much, if we prove ourselves to be faithful with the little. We'll have two more weeks in this very practical series.

Last night, I shared from my heart the concerns I have as a pastor seeing people professing with their mouths to know God, but in works denying Him. Based on what the Bible teaches, there are many who claim to be saved, but they won't be in Heaven. (See Titus 1:16, and Matt 7:22-23)

Emmanuel Bible Insitute

Emmanuel Baptist Church brings another first to Hartsville, as it launches the Emmanuel Bible Institute. In 1963, Emmanuel Baptist Christian Day School was birthed. Forty-eight years later, ECS is still going strong and remains an academic leader in Darlington County. This fall, Emmanuel started a new arm of its educational ministry as it opened the Emmanuel Bible Institute in an effort to help Christians grow in their relationship with God by gaining biblical knowledge.

Emmanuel Bible Institute (EBI) will focus on teaching the Bible, not denominationalism, so it will be a great educational tool for any individual believer, lay leader, or pastor. Since EBI is web based, the church hopes it will not only benefit people locally, but will also benefit missionaries and national pastors world-wide through the online resources and training. EBI is a professionally-planned, state-of-the-art, online Biblical program that will allow Christ-followers around the world to learn biblical truths at a college level from the comfort of their own home. Each student will be able to study at his personal computer, on his own schedule, and at his own pace using online video, integrated presentations, online and printed curriculum, printable student workbooks, quizzes that are auto-graded online, unit tests, and will eventually include an online bookstore.

The EBI program will consist of three courses of study: Old Testament Survey, New Testament Survey, and Systematic Theology. Each of the courses will consist of forty-five lessons, broken down into three semesters of fifteen lessons in each. The fee for each semester is $105 or just $7 per lesson. Upon completing all three courses, the student will receive a Certificate in Biblical Studies. After earning the certificate, the student will have the opportunity to take an Institutional Challenge Exam (ICE Exam) at Liberty University or another participating college and may receive up to twenty-four college credits. In addition, accreditation will be pursued through the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACCS).

Mr. Robert Johnson, who will soon complete his Ed.D from Liberty University, will serve as the Dean of EBI. Mr. Johnson also teaches Bible classes at Emmanuel Christian School, and will implement the EBI curriculum into the ECS Bible classes in 2012-13. This will mean that ECS students who complete all three EBI courses, could attend a participating Christian college, take an I.C.E. exam and receive up to twenty-four college credits toward Bible or electives.

Those interested in more information, may call the church at (843)332-2271 or visit the EBI website at www.emmanuelbibleinstitute.com.

Sunday Summary 10.16.11

A special thanks to everyone who filled-in yesterday in Joey's absence. Rob, thank you for coordinating and overseeing things to make sure all went smoothly. Heather, thank you for leading our congregational worship through music this morning. God has blessed us with wonderfully competent and talented people!

In the morning service, God blessed us with 4 new members and 1 coming to be baptized next Sunday. I challenged our folks to fulfill the Great Commission, as too many believers see Matt. 28:19-20 as the "Great Suggestion." I often hear excuses that make you think some believers feel they have been given and exemption, opted out, been excused, or feel it doesn't apply to them. I've heard others state that they don't have the "gift of evangelism"--- FACT - no one does, in spite of what some spiritual gift tests imply. Every believer has been commanded by Jesus to share the message of God's love with others.

Last night, we had a WONDERFUL time of communion! Pastor David and I were able to speak encouragement to our church families and thank them for the role they play at EBC. Following, a deacon prayed with each family and other deacons served communion to them. The families were able to then go back to their seats and take communion together. It was a very special time of tears, hugs, and encouragement. At EBC, people truly love God and love each other.

Lord, thank you for what YOU are doing in our church family. Thank you for people who truly love You and seek to share Your love with others. Please continue and protect the sweet Spirit of unity that we are experiencing as we seek to serve You!

The Power of Unity

Just a quick thought... Due to the focus on sharing the gospel through JH, our church is experiencing a great unity as we work together to fulfill the purpose to which God called us. A church that is focused on its mission and is busy trying to fulfill it, doesn't have time to get distracted and focus on things that don't matter. In the churches that are growing, I'm assuming they are united in purpose and lives are being changed through salvation, baptism, and discipleship. In those that are infighting and struggling, I would bet that there is division and they rarely (if ever) see people saved, baptized, or discipled.

What a great lesson Jesus taught us at 12 years old... We (the Church) must be busy about the Father's business, they we wouldn't have time to fight over non-essentials.

Judgement House 2011 (Weekend 2)

The word "amazing" would not suffice to describe what God has done through Judgement House this year. We had 2,458 people walk through JH, 361 make decisions for salvation, and 194 recommit their lives to Christ. After eight years, we have had over 12,500+ people walk through JH at EBC. A special thanks to everyone who volunteered to make JH a success!

A couple of great stories: 1) A little boy walked through heaven, turned to his dad and asked, "Where's my mommy?" The mother had died this past Mother's Day. 2) A mother and her two daughters were all saved at JH. They were in different groups, so none knew of the other's decision, until they arrived outside. 3) A youth pastor sent an e-mail telling us how much JH impacted his youth group and revival was beginning. 4) A wife was standing on the sidewalk crying and when I asked her if she was okay, she stated, "I've been praying for my husband for years and tonight he accepted Christ!" There are so many other stories that people told in their own words on the testimony boards posted around our Worship Center. I hope our members will take time to read them and feel the impact of your hard work.

Jeff Huey preached yesterday and God moved. We were encouraged to add spiritual items to our bucket list such as: 1) Know Christ, 2) Serve Him, and 3) Lead others to Him. Two adults that were saved in JH came down the aisle to make that public and my wife had the privilege of showing a lady how to be saved. It was a good day, in spite of the tiredness due to JH.

Judgement House 2011 (Weekend 1)

This is our 8th year to host Judgement House at Emmanuel. In the first 7 years, over 10,000 people have walked through JH at EBC, and we expect 2,000+ again this year. This has become our largest evangelistic effort and our church family has really bought in! In fact, this is the first year that people are "dependent" on our church staff and we are serving as "support" personnel. To me, that is the sign of a great church, and a very strong ministry!

Again this year, over 100+ volunteers are involved as actors, tour guides, counselors, registration, security, concessions, runners, support personnel, and more! This year, JH is being offered on Oct. 1-2, 8-9 and all of our reservation slots are already full. We've reserved room for walk-in's, but we encourage those to come on Saturday night beginning at 5:00pm.

The results after the first weekend are as follows:
- Over 900 people walked through.
- 121 salvation decisions.
- 73 recommitted their lives to Christ.
- 4 to be baptized this Sunday.
- And many amazing testimonies!

I want to especially thank Justin, Billy, and Brian for their leadership and oversight of JH. I also want to extend our thanks to Jeff and his team for ALL the help that Extreme Ministries provides! These guys have become like family and I invite you to come hear Jeff preach this Sunday at 10:30am at Emmanuel. You will also see the baptisms and hear some testimonies from JH.

Sunday Summary 10.2.11

God's Spirit was certainly moving this morning at Emmanuel! People were tired from Judgement House and that is often a recipe for problems; but this morning was awesome. We had several families visiting, the spirit was sweet, and the altar was full.

Our choir did an arrangement that powerfully listed the names of God and brought people to a spontaneous standing ovation. Rob shared a testimony of how EBC included and embraced his family, as no other church they've ever been part of. Justin gave a report of the decisions from Judgement House. People were honest in their response and many tears were shed.

This morning's message was entitled, "Learning to Trust, Brings Peace to Life's Storms." I've really been moved lately with the number of people in our congregation that have been affected by cancer, other health issues, death of a spouse, job loss, wayward children, poor decision making, etc. My heart is breaking for them and God brought Psalm 22 to my mind this week. The Psalmist felt that God had forsaken him in those difficult days, only to realize that God had revealed Himself in those dark times as He never could have without them.

Two thirds of our congregation was honest enough to say they had felt that God was distant during their difficulties, but the sermon reminded them that God is faithful. He is our Shelter, our Deliverer, our Protector, our Provider, our Strength, and so much more! In our darkest days, we must keep your eyes on Jesus. In addition, remember the old cliche; "It's always darkest before the dawn."

Studying Bible Doctrine is Essential

I am amazed by how many Christians (pastors and church members) don't understand even basic Bible doctrines. It is no wonder today's churches are shallow and struggling! Well, I'm excited to tell you that we've had to "cap" our Bible Doctrine 101 class at Emmanuel. We now have over 40 adults enrolled in the class, which meets every Sunday morning for one year. Over the past three weeks, I've been teaching on how we got the Bible, who wrote it, where it was written, in what languages, how it was translated, which version is the best, whether our copies are reliable, why only 66 books were included, how to understand the Bible and find things in it, and more. Future weeks will include the doctrines of God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Salvation, Angels, Heaven/Hell, Last things, etc.

Common sense tells you that not every denominational interpretation of doctrine can be right, and so many people don't know what to believe today. Just consider a few common discrepancies:

· Bible (Is the Word of God vs. Contains the Word of God)

· Eternal security (Can’t lose salvation vs. Can lose salvation)

· Hell (Is literal vs. Is not literal)

· Baptism (Symbolic vs. Washes away original sin)

· Lord’s Supper (Symbolic vs. Literally becomes the body & blood of Christ)

· Creation (Intelligent design vs. Evolution / Literal days vs. figurative days)

· Salvation (Faith vs. Works)

· Holy Spirit (Fully indwelled at salvation vs. Saved then later filled with the Spirit)

A common practice in too many pulpits today is to read the Scriptures and explain what we "think" a passage means. The problem is that we don't have that right or liberty. Our responsibility is to study the passage, do our research, and then interpret what the passage meant in the original context. Doctrine must be studied in the context of the writer's intent, not the reader's interpretation. I encourage you to follow the instructions of Matt 28:19-20 as you study, teach, and make disciples who are fully devoted followers of Christ and rightly divide the Word of Truth.

Real Cost of Discipleship

I've been reading the book "Radical" by David Platt and it has really challenged my thinking. It has made me ask some deep questions and to wonder what God thinks when He looks at modern Christianity. Does today's religious scene make God want to vomit when he hears televangelists selling miracle water... when preachers are hyping the think and grow rich mentality... when terms like "fun" and "exciting" are used to describe the church for which Christ died... when people argue over worship styles... when preachers use gimmicks to draw crowds... when programs like TBN (The Big hair Network) cause unsaved people to poke fun and Christianity... and the list goes on.

I wonder if it breaks God's heart to hear people make comments like, "I'll participate in worship, if... it doesn't interfere with my tee time, my child's softball tournament, dance recital, work schedule, or any other personal conflict. Rather than putting Jesus first and following Him, we seem to want a Jesus Who doesn't expect too much... One who accepts us where we are, will understand when we choose things before Him, is okay with our pursuit of materialism, is okay with casual commitment... you get the picture.

Modern Christianity seems so different from what Jesus described. In Luke 9, Jesus said that if you want to be my disciple you must deny yourself (not indulge yourself), and take up your cross. He said that you may end up homeless, that He expects you to love Him more than family, and that He expects you to be willing to give up everything for Him. He wants full and exclusive commitment. When Jesus said "Follow Me," those chosen got up, left it all, and followed Him.

In all honesty, I guess the religious scene hasn't changed much since Jesus' day. The multitudes back then gathered when there was "excitement" or something in if for them, but then scattered when Jesus preached on commitment. He ended up with twelve that were sold out, committed followers (actually only 11). Jesus didn't sugar coat the gospel for fear of offending anyone, instead He explained the cost of discipleship and let people decide. The expectation hasn't changed and the question remains, ARE YOU WILLING TO FULLY COMMIT TO FOLLOWING CHRIST?

Favorite e-mail I read after 9.11

I am extremely patriotic and appreciate my American freedoms, and this great nation in which I have the privilege to live. Following is my favorite read after the 9/11 attacks. We all know how e-mails change and often conveniently leave off the credit information; but to the best of my understanding, this was an editorial by Mark Meehan and published on July 12, 2002. (If this credit is incorrect, please forgive me.) I want to give proper credit to the writer for a GREAT article! Here it is...

"I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture, here in the USA. Since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Americans. However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the "politically correct" crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others. I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to America. Our population is almost entirely comprised of descendants of immigrants. However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand!

This idea of America, being a multi-cultural community, has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. As Americans, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle. This culture has been developed over centuries of struggles, trials, and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.

We speak ENGLISH, not Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language - ENGLISH. "In God We Trust" is our national motto. This is not some Christian, right wing, political slogan. We adopted this motto because Christian men and women, of Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is and always will be part of our culture!

If the Stars and Stripes offend you, or you don't like Uncle Sam, then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from. Remember, "Delta is ready when you are and they can have you there by nightfall."

This is OUR COUNTRY, our land, and our lifestyle. Our First Amendment gives every citizen the right to express his opinion and we will allow you every opportunity to do so. But, once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about our flag, our pledge, our national motto, or our way of life, I highly encourage you to take advantage of one other great American freedom, THE RIGHT TO LEAVE."

Remembering 9.11.01

Since 9/11, our church has remembered the victims, honored the heroes, and recognized our local heroes annually. This past Sunday, on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, we did the same during our 10:30am service. Volunteers prepared and served breakfast to nearly 90 first responders, plus many family members, then honored them in our service. Following Jeffrey's baptism, Paige opened the service with "God Bless America." Comments were given by Mayor Pennington, Senator Malloy, and Representative Lucas. Music, multi-media, and all aspects of the service focused on remembering 9/11.

I preached on three spiritual comparisons to 9/11: 1) The fire at the WTC were temporary - the fires of hell are eternal. 2) Heroes gave their lives to rescue those perishing in the WTC - Jesus is the Hero Who gave His life to rescue people from hell, and give them eternal life. 3) Those perishing had to decide which way to go - We too must decide whether we will follow Jesus and be saved. Nearly 700 people heard that message and God blessed with 3 first responders and 1 college student choosing to follow Jesus. PRAISE THE LORD!

Emmanuel Baptist Church remembers the attacks of 9/11 and we continue to pray for the families of the victims. We also pray daily for our local first responders and appreciate the service you provide to our community! THANK YOU!

Praise the Lord Report

In the past few weeks, we've seen 4 saved, 3 baptized, and 4 new members added to our church family. In a small town with no population growth and 142 churches... that's a God-thing and we realize it! So, to God be the glory for the great things He is doing at EBC. Lord, help us stay focused on the MAIN THINGS!

Is Your Spiritual Vision 20/20?

Comedian Dennis Swanberg tells the story of his trip to the Super Bowl with his teenage son, Dusty. Their favorite team made it to the Super Bowl, so they planned a father-son road trip. They made the hotel reservations, mapped out the directions, packed the car and left; but they had a problem…they forgot to purchase tickets. Upon arriving, they found the game was sold-out. Dennis saw only one option; he had to purchase tickets from a scalper. The scalper sold Dennis two tickets for $800 and they entered the stadium. Finding their section, they climbed higher and higher… all the way to the very top! By the time they got to their seats, Dennis’ blood was boiling to think he paid $800 to sit on the top row of the stadium. Dusty, on the other hand, has ADD and was already getting into the pre-game festivities and cheering loudly. Dennis’ blood pressure continued to rise, until Dusty spoke something to this effect: Dad, these are great seats! We can see everything the blimp sees!” At that very moment, Dennis realized the depth of Dusty’s statement and began to look at things in a whole new way.

A “blimp-size” vision! That’s what Christians need… the ability to see the big picture, and to gain a new perspective on life’s challenges. So, what would keep a believer from seeing life this way? Some have blurred-vision and they’ve lost focus of what is really important. Some have double vision and want to live for Christ while enjoying the pleasures of sin. Some are nearsighted and they can’t see beyond themselves. Some are farsighted missing the importance of doctrine. Some have sin cataracts blocking their spiritual vision. Some have Glaucoma and the pressure of bitterness is building inside them, because they refuse to reconcile. But, others have experienced corrective surgery, and their spiritual eyes are fixed on Jesus! He restored their sight and they clearly see His love, forgiveness, acceptance, and grace.

During an eye exam, the optometrist measures our vision against the standard of 20/20. We measure spiritual vision against the standard of God’s Word. Since the two great commandments are to love God and to love people, it would seem that those with healthy spiritual vision should be exhibiting love for both. Other diagnostic tools might include looking for the presence of spiritual fruit as described in Gal. 5:22, examining the way a person views the church, treats his family, and shares his faith. These tools and others can help us to determine the health of one’s spiritual vision.

No doubt, that during your eye exam, the optometrist asked you, “Which is better, A or B?” The spiritual diagnostician might ask, “Are you looking backward or forward?” Looking in the rearview mirror focuses on the past mistakes and failures, instead of future possibilities. The Apostle Paul states in Phil. 3:13, “…Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” Accept God’s forgiveness and believe the cliché, “The best is yet to come!"

Finally, the size of the vision is also very important. The Bible states in Phil 2:4 that “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” If we are going to have a God-size vision, we must look beyond ourselves. One songwriter said it this way, "Let me see this world, dear Lord, as though I were looking through Your eyes." Think about it, if Dusty Swanberg got excited about seeing what the blimp saw, Christ-followers should get even more excited abut seeing things from a heavenly perspective! Let’s try to see this world through the eyes of Christ and reach it with the love of Christ. Now that’s a God-size vision!

Sunday Summary 8.7.11

God continues to bless at EBC. We started this morning's service with two baptisms! Kim and her daughter, Haley followed the Lord in believer's baptism. Pastor David shared that in talking to Haley, she praised her Sunday School teacher for talking to her and helping her to understand salvation clearly. Thank God for people who invest their lives in others!

It was good to have Heather leading this morning. The band and most of the choir were back from vacation, and our attendance was beginning to climb back up. God blessed us with many guests and we look forward to getting to know them and sharing the vision and blessings of what God is doing at EBC.

Today, I continued the "Peacemaker" series with the topic of Church Discipline. So many churches are afraid to intervene when a friend and family member engages in sin. They fear the fallout and don't trust God to bless "His" plan. Church discipline is God's plan for loving the wanderers back to Himself. Consider these Scriptures:
Heb. 12:6a NIV - … the Lord disciplines those He loves…
Ps 94:12a NIV - Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD…
Rev 3:19a NIV - Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline…

Church discipline is about love... forgiveness... restoration... and reconciliation! It is a wonderful thing and would make a difference if more churches practiced it. It flies in the face of the "crowd" mentality, but it is a required part of the true "church" mentality. It calls sinners to repentance and deters discord and division in the church.

Churches, families, work places, teams, and more; would be different if God's people would just implement God's plan for conflict resolution. Consider the steps of Matthew 18:15.
1) Correct if a person is in sin --- get over issues of preference or policy.
2) God to the person individually.
3) Take 2-3 witnesses (Friends who also care about this person.)
4) Take it to the church (Only if necessary.)

If at any time during the process a person humbly admits their fault and repents, they are to be reconciled to the individual and to the church. I'll write more about this in the coming days, as it is a topic that is rarely taught and/or implemented.

Congratulations President Obama on another first

Congratulations on so many "firsts" Mr. President! Just to name a few, you are the first mixed race president (1.20.09), the first President to skip the Salute to Heroes Ball, honoring Medal of Honor recipients (1.21.09), the first President to bow to a Saudi King (4.2.2009), the first President to brew beer in the White House (2.6.11), first President to host "transgender" meeting at White House (5.5.11), first President to fail so miserably in providing economic leadership that the US Credit Rating has been downgraded for the first time in our history from AAA (8.5.11).

Among the reasons cited by S&P were our political instability and increasing debt. If the US Treasury Note is not a AAA value, then what is? But, even the world is watching our lack of leadership and growing debt! I'm no National Debt expert, but according to my personal calculations, the National Debt can be broken down approximately as follows: per taxpayer is $1,026,138; per citizen is $176,281; and per family is $669,103. When President Bush left office, the National Debt was approx. $10 trillion, and in just three years under President Obama, we are now over $14 trillion and climbing! Just to pay the interest on the National Debt would cost every US citizen approximately $11,644 annually -- that's just to service the interest on the debt! At what point will we stop the insanity and think about the future? Again, I am not a National Debt expert, so you may want to do your own calculations; but these numbers are astounding.

So, again, congratulations Mr. President on leading the United States of America to another first. God help us!

Church Unity Results in God's Presence & Blessing

You've probably heard the old story about the little boy who was sick and stayed home from church on the Sunday of the annual Easter program. Upon returning from the service, his brother stated," You should have been there... Jesus showed up today." The little boy was so disappointed and proclaimed loudly, "I had to miss the one Sunday that Jesus showed up at our church." Well, let me ask you, when was the last time God showed up at your church?

Emmanuel is so blessed to see people being saved, baptized, and added to our church on a regular basis; but that wasn't always the case. Just as Aachan's sin spoiled the blessing for an entire nation, sin among our staff stifled our growth at one point. Just as division between Jews and Gentiles split divided the early church, we, too, have experienced division and discord. Just as Judas refused to buy into Jesus, we've had some refuse to buy into our efforts to share Christ. Some of the difficulties have moved out of town, some now bless other churches, and some continue to bless us; but others have selected to put aside the conflict and reconcile with God and others. PRAISE THE LORD!

I personally believe that God desires to work in every church, but He can't; because of the lack of unity! This Peacemaker series has helped us to celebrate our differences, agree to disagree (agreeably), focus on Christ, and renew our vision. It has taught us how to resolve conflict. It's brought a sweet, sweet spirit into our church family and we know that it's the Spirit of the Lord! Our prayer is that God will help us continue in unity, strive to live peaceably, and unite in our passion to share Christ, and reach a lost world.

Thank you, Lord, for the wonderful work you are doing at Emmanuel! Please dwell among us and use us to impact eternity!

Debt Ceiling Debate is Political Maneuvering

As Washington continues to bicker over the Debt Ceiling, I grow increasingly tired of seeing the American people used as political pawns. The rhetoric used by the President and Speaker Boehner during their televised comments just fueled the fire last night. This whole debate is ALL ABOUT POLITICS! Have we forgotten that John Boehner and Harry Reid had already agreed to a 6 month plan, but President Obama would not accept it. He didn't want this topic to come up during the 2012 election year. Obama KNOWS what is best for the country, as evidenced by his 2006 vote AGAINST RAISING THE DEBT CEILING when he was a US Senator. In fact, the Democrats in the Senate voted unanimously AGAINST it. The President has proven his ability to flip-flop on the issues, but he still offers no real leadership and has offered no plan of his own to date. He offers no original thoughts and simply criticizes anything that doesn't carry through the reelection year --- What does that tell you? It tells me that he is more concerned about keeping his office, than doing what's best for the country.

To add more fuel to the fire, it was reported this morning that General Electric (GE), the 4th largest company in the US is moving its headquarters to China. What an irony that the CEO of GE, Jeffrey Immelt, is the Chairman of President Obama's "Council for Jobs and Competitiveness." It is also ironic that GE has avoided paying taxes? So, by "balanced approach," the President really means we "MUST" increase taxes on the wealthy, so he can continue granting tax break favors to his friends (like Immelt) and corporations such as GE. More political games and no wonder no one believes what he says!

These debt ceiling discussions (in my opinion) are nothing but political maneuvering, without any real consideration of what is best for our country. Our credit rating is at risk, the economic recovery is at risk, and the reelection of those in Washington should be at risk! It's time to make some serious changes in Washington. My suggestion is term limits for all politicians, so they get back to representing the people, rather than protecting their reelection to office.

Peacemaker Series

Yesterday was another amazing day at Emmanuel Baptist Church. I'm continuing the sermon series entitled the "Peacemaker" and based on the biblical concepts taught in Ken Sande's book by the same title. This series is one that I would encourage EVERY pastor to teach to their congregation, and one that is essential based on all of the strife we see in today's churches.

This series is being developed for the purpose of teaching our people how to resolve conflict based on biblical principles. We see so much relationship trouble in the church, on the job, and even at home. We see people leaving churches, employees quitting jobs, and divorces even among professing Christians. What if "we" the "Church" would take the lead in teaching people how to handle conflict?

This series has been difficult and has broached subject such as "Judging," "Finding real peace," "How to hand criticism," "Forgiveness," "Confession," "Church discipline," and various other such topics. It is challenging our people to be Christ-like, rather than self-serving. It is encouraging them to please God, rather than defend self.

The best part of each Sunday is to watch people walk across aisles and embrace each other, to watch them come weeping and kneeling humbly at the altar, to watch people staying around 30 minutes after the service to talk with each other. I've received notes, e-mails, and heard personal testimonies of relationships that have been restored! Praise God for what He is doing at Emmanuel.

Ken Sande, thanks for listening to God and writing this series. Steve G., thank you for introducing me to it. God, thank you for using it in the Emmanuel church family!

VBS "On-the-Go"

Vacation Bible School brings back many wonderful memories of games, crafts, fun, and especially the snacks! Funny to me how VBSseems to have changed through the years, as churches began using standardized curriculum and parents began using VBS as free childcare by putting their kids in a different VBS each week. Have we somehow lost the true meaning of VBS? Has it in effect become simply a CBS, or "Children's Babysitting Service?"

I am so proud of our Children's Pastor, who last year had a vision to take VBS to the children who might never get to go. Rather than inviting parents to bring their children to one more church, we took VBS to the children whose parents may be working, others whose parents would not bring them, and some whose parents could not bring them. We took VBS into various apartment complexes, and even the local Boys & Girls Club. We saw over 30 children accept Christ!

This concept of VBS was not only good for the children, but also GREAT for our adult and teen workers, as well as, our church's children who also attended in this setting. It took our people out of their comfort zone, exposed them to things they were not familiar with, and allowed them to hear stories that broke their hearts and gave them a small glimpse into the lives of these children.

Within the church, we too often use attendance numbers as our measure of success; but with this style VBS success was measured by souls saved, tears shed, hugs distributed, and lives changed... mostly the lives of our church members. I extend a heartfelt 'THANK YOU" to everyone who made this possible through donations, teaching, serving, prayer, financial support, and more! Pastor David, THANK YOU for your vision to reach children beyond our walls! Managers and Directors, thank you for allowing us minister to the children in your community! God, please give us this opportunity again next year!

Sunday Summary 7.3.11

Last Sunday was a great day at Emmanuel. The crowd was down due to people traveling for the holiday weekend, but it was a great reminder that God's presence isn't dependent on big crowds. Interestingly, our Doctrines 101 class was one shy of our record attendance as we concluded our section on Angelology with a discussion of the existence of Satan and demons.

Great job by the new trio of Jill, Luke, and Tony. God blessed us with another incredibly talented musician in Paul. I noticed you moved to a new instrument this week. Perry, the Worship Center looked great! Thanks to everyone who filled in for those traveling. It was a seamless morning.

I continued preaching the "Peacemaker" sermon series and focused on Charitable Judgments. Those outside the church can quote the verse, "Judge not...;" while those in the church are very good at "judging." We encouraged people to examine the beam in their own eye, before worrying so much about the speck in someone else's eye. It was a message every believer ought to hear and would result in fewer church conflicts if believers would apply it. This sermon series is being taken from the book "The Peacemaker" by Ken Sande and I highly recommend reading it.

We closed out the morning service with 5 coming for membership (23 adults just completed our membership class). Even though it was a holiday weekend, we returned Sunday night with good crowds for our electives... probably due to the ice cream fellowship that followed. :-)

8th Annual Fireworks Festival

It never gets old. This was the 8th year that Emmanuel Baptist Church partnered with the Greater Hartsville Chamber of Commerce to host the Family Fireworks Festival on our campus. The crowd annually exceeds the population of our city and the event includes: a full carnival, car show, food & craft vendors, a kiddie section, stage entertainment, gymnastics, dance teams, and of course... the largest fireworks display in Darlington County!

The event is not done for profit, but rather as a service for the community. The cost of the event was underwritten by the following major sponsors: City of Hartsville, LifeCare Hospice, NUCOR, Raceway Automotive, and Sonoco. Additional sponsors included Norton Funeral Home and SPC Credit Union.

To pull off an event this size requires nearly 100 volunteers and my thanks goes out to every one of you. We could not do it without you! We used the City of Hartsville's mobile stage, Senator Malloy served as the MC, the band "Nonymous" (and yes it's spelled correctly) provided the entertainment, Mcleod Farms sponsored the pie eating contest, Sonic sponsored the hotdog eating contest, Krispy Kreme provided the donuts, Carolina Printing donated the trophies, Koss Motor Sports organized the car show, Pleasant Valley Stables coordinated the Kids Zone, Coker College provided the golf carts, the Sheriff's Dept., SC State Troopers, and Hartsville Fire Dept provided the safety and traffic control, and I apologize if I left someone out. Thank you to everyone who had a part, especially the congregation of Emmanuel for your vision and desire to be a church that is involved in our community.

My thanks also to the Chamber of Commerce. This was its last year to partner with Emmanuel, but we appreciate the opportunity to work together. The event will go on and we've been approached by other entities desiring to partner. We will obviously need more sponsors, but we're certain that God will provide. In fact, we already had vendors register for next year, and we are looking at rearranging the layout to double our vendors and grow the event. Mark your calendars for the Friday, before July 4.

Thank you, again, to everyone who came out to celebrate Independence Day with us!