Sir,

Thank you for your loving email stating that I am worse than Jim Jones for not posting your slanderous comment on my blog.  I sent you an email, but it has been my experience that sinners do not post their real name or email address so I thought I would make it easier for you to receive this reply.

I am only posting this note to you in the hopes that you would repent of your wickedness and receive the forgiveness that comes with knowing Jesus.

I know in your self-righteousness that you think you are serving the Lord but your rebellion, slander and gossip show that you have neither been converted nor redeemed.

I have a clear commenting policy but you chose the way of Korah instead of submitting to authority.  I will not go so far as to say that your father is the devil but you are practicing his ways.  Maybe you have no pastor to rebuke you so you may thank me for taking the time to do this myself.

I do not allow gossip and slander on my site because it is sin.  If you want to create websites that peddle filth you and other pornographers will have to answer for that in the great day.  It is my earnest prayer that you would repent and receive cleansing before that day comes.

In Christ

Carl

• Had a pretty lousey week.  As a preacher, you cant’t bring that to the pulpit.  Your people are counting on you to keep it together.  But I know that God wanted to use that to show people that He has to be their source, not me.
• God showed that He is the source, not me.
• We had real breakthrough for the first time in worship.
• I had an open vision of Jesus on the throne during worship.  seriously touched me.
• Wesley recapped the service, interesting tidbits I did not know.
• A young man received forgiveness from sin.  I never get tired of seeing that.
• Had some new people ask how they can get involved.  Praise God!
• Had a couple complain that we only have one service a week.
• I had a few penguins leave because the room was too cold.  Gotta figure that one out.
• Photos here.
• Had a young man get touched by God.  He saw his grandparents walking with Jesus in heaven.  He did not talk to them or pray to them (its not necromancy) but he seemed to be greatly touched by it.
• Highest attendance ever.
• Altar call for those called to full time ministry was full.
• Audio is here.

I will readily admit that I am still learning this preaching thing.  We have a bunch of new believers at The Mission and I saw the need for some teaching.  So I did a series of messages titled Christian Living, and the teaching was good.

We talked about how to live for God, sanctification, controlling our behavior, hearing God, guarding your heart.  All these are good things.  But deep in me I was ready to preach.  I like to preach.  I like to think it is what I am called to do.

We were starting a series called supernatural and I was seeking God on direction.  Then it hit me.

You can teach through a series with authority if you have studied, researched, articulated and planned enough. You can equip people to read the bible and study the Scriptures and build up their understanding and gain knowledge.  With proper preparation the people will learn and you will show yourself approved.

But if your goal is to enable people to encounter the presence of the living God you better come with more than that.  Yes, study.  Yes, prepare.  Yes, plan.  But if you have not been to the mountain top to see the King then you are all alone in that pulpit.  And as good a teacher as you are, the people can find a better one.

I remembered that I am not called to teach bible studies from the pulpit.  I am called to come back down that mountain with a message.  My people expect that.  They need it.  And I owe it to them to seek the face of God and “come with it” to our Friday night services.

I don’t mind teaching according to my faith but I would much rather preach according to His faith.

I dare you to only watch this video once.

My server has recently been moved to a new data center and the bugs obviously have not been worked out thus the down time in the last few days.  Can you tell according to this graphic when my server went down?

Found this little clip of Sarah Pallin talking to the Wasilla Assembly of God.

I think it was a Master’s Commission graduation ceremony.

Check it out.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1766638341

• I doubt I am going to keep this up.  I just don’t enjoy it.  Hopefully some other Missionary will begin to do this and I can just link to theirs.
• photos here.  Great job Catherine!
• A dude got saved who is about to ship out for Marine bootcamp.  That’s cool.
• We really had to tarry in worship.  We just were not going to move on till the Spirit of the Lord came.  He really broke through.
• I love preaching when the Holy Ghost is present.  He make the Word so alive.
• Wesley turns 20 on Sunday.  Everyone needs to remember to hit him or something.  We got him a cake.
• More first time guests.  I love that.
• I feel like we are starting to hit our groove.

This is not a political post.  This is  a post about the need for a revival of religion in the United States.

We have a two party system in America.  One is characterized as the “social liberal” party, the Democrats, and the other the “social conservative” party, the Republicans.  In the last thirty years the American electorate has been herded like cattle to vote for one party or the other according to these labels.

The social conservatives often touted “traditional family values” in an effort to stem the tide of the weakening of the moral standards we Christian feel is important to keep this country strong.  That is why this years Republican ticket has me baffled.

The man at the top of the ticket is married to a woman who runs one of the largest beer distributors in the country.  Many Pentecostal ministers make a vow that they will not even take a sip of liquor and almost all Christians believe that drunkenness is sin.  Yet the top of the ticket makes its money off of drunkenness.

The second slot on the ticket is a woman who has left her five children, including a toddler, at home to pursue a career.  She did this by choice, not because of economic need.

Aren’t these the liberal values that the moral majority was supposed to protect us from?

The truth is that the Republican party is no more Christian than the Democratic party.  One was able to co-op the brand name better than the other.

Politicians can’t bring moral reform to the United States.  Only Jesus can do that.  This political season has convinced me more than ever that this country needs revival.

There is a song out titled “The God of This City.”  It’s a hit right now.  Nothing special about that.  But when you read the back story about God of this City you can see that this one is a little different.  Greg Barnett posted it here.  I encourage you to go read it now.  There is a video for the attention impaired.

What happens when Christians decide to get missional?  They start to hear the hearbeat of God.  God begins to speak through them.  Prophetic utterances come forth.

And ordinary Christian pop gets anointed.  That’s what will happen with your preaching if you decide the same.

Plantronics DSP-400 Digitally-Enhanced USB Foldable Stereo Headset and Software

I am starting a podcast soon and this is the final piece of the puzzle.  I need a decent headphone microphone.  Not a great one, because I can’t afford a great one, but a good one.  If you can recommend one in the $40 to $50 range please do.

I also wanted it to have a USB connection.

Logitech ClearChat Comfort USB Headset

But here are the two that I am looking at.  I have annoyed the folks following me on twitter too much already. So if you have any input, please chime in.

• Plantronics DSP-400 Digitally-Enhanced USB Foldable Stereo Headset and Software

• Logitech ClearChat Comfort USB Headset

I am going to use them in conjunction with Skype.  I know some of my international readers use skype so surely you have an opinion on a good skype headset.

Don’t leave me hanging!