One of the great honors that has been bestowed on me over the years is to be asked to serve on various ministry's  Board of Directors.  Some are just honorary, but many are actually working boards that require regular meetings and input. I have always been humbled to serve these great organizations. Some are now inactive but most are still actively pursuing their Gospel mandate. here is a partial list of the ministries I have served:

First Assembly of God, White Deer, Texas 1972-1974
First Assembly of God, Rockwall, Texas 1974-1980
Faith Chapel, Rockwall, Texas 1980-1983
Amarillo Christian Center (Victory Church), Amarillo, Texas 1983-1989
Christian Life Center, Broken Bow, Nebraska 1989-1995
International Christian Center, Jacksonville Florida 1995-1996
Cornerstone Church, Inc, Jacksonville, Florida 1996-Present
Don Normand Ministries 2000-2021
Workers Together With God (Honduras-Jim & Linda Tjelmeland) 1994-Present
Dove On The Rise Ministries (James Maloney) 1998-Present
Branford Oasis Church, Branford, Florida 2003-Present
Burning Plow Ministries (Kenya-Don & Becky Cameron) 2012-Present
Planet Evangelism Ministries (Joshua & Diane Heines) 2020-Present
Wildfire Kingdom Revivals (James Finley) 2022

I have also served unofficially as an an advisor to several other ministries over the years as well as committees and councils, schools and seminaries.  Though I cannot claim any credit for the successes of these wonderful ministries, I can say that it has been a real joy to play however small a role in the work of God all my adult life.

You may ask why me and how? It is all in being there for people with a listening ear and helping hands over time. People learn to trust you and value your opinions. All for the Glory of God! 

I turn 72 today. I know, it is hard to believe. LOL. It is true though. I was born on this date, October 24, 1950 at approximately 10:00 P.M. at St Anthony's Hospital on the corner of Polk Street and Route 66, in Amarillo Texas. This life has taken me on a great journey and to many places. I have met many wonderful people and have made friends with folks of various nations.  God has paired me up with two powerful wives: Norma (1970-2003) and Ruth (2008-present). My natural children, Heather and Aaron are awesome! With Ruth came three daughters, Amy, Angielyn and Ashley whom I have learned to love as my own. Then together Ruth and I have 12 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. Aaron's wife, Stephanie, is just amazingly perfect. I truly enjoy Bobby, Amy's husband. Then there is my wonderful church family.  I am truly a blessed man! 

My greatest thrill is knowing my Lord Jesus Christ! It has been my honor to co-labor with Him in ministry all of my adult life.  To represent Him in proclaiming His Gospel is how I get the greatest satisfaction. I aim to do that as long as I have breath.

Some men my age are already retired and doing who knows what, but for me, there remains work to do. The greatest move of God in the history of mankind is upon us and I intend to be in the midst of what God is now doing in the earth.  Whatever He is up to...count me in! When my time comes to leave this world, I will go gladly with His name on my lips and a heart filled with His love. 

 

CONSIDER THIS!

The Holy Spirit dwells within every Believer who is truly born again. Think about the potential in this one truth.  Literally millions of people scattered over the whole earth carrying the Divine Presence in their persons. Consider this along with Who He is and what powers He possesses.  Truly, we are a mighty slumbering army!  It causes me to wonder when and in what way, God is going to call up His troops. It is like He has Holy Spirit filled "sleeper cells" hidden away in reserve for some special moment in the Grand Design.  Is He pulling the trigger that unleashes us on the world? 

If we believe that God is all He says He is (and we do) and if He actually dwells in the midst of us (and He does) then the world has never witnessed us at our full potential.  I am remembering how Smith Wigglesworth once stepped onto a busy factory floor and just stood there looking around. Suddenly all the workers fell to the floor under the convicting power of the Spirit and began to call out to God in repentance. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would be in us and would convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. If all believers who carry the Spirit of God would release His convicting power on those around us at the same time, there would be wholesale revival of historical proportions!

I know there is much more to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit than we, His Church, has ever experienced. All of creation is groaning for the full revealing of the Sons of God.  When that comes to pass, we will witness a glorious harvest of souls and pass to the next generations a great legacy!

Scripture references:

John 14:15-18

John 16:7-15

1 John 5:4-8

Name Droppers

 Who do you know? We live in a time when folks are so insecure that they struggle to find some famous individual they can claim to be “close” with that makes them seem important. Name dropping is the practice of one up man ship in which people claim significance over each other in conversation. The Truth is, in God, no one is insignificant!! We all matter to God and He loves us equally. 

The One whose name is worthy of elevation above all others is Jesus Christ who gave Himself for us all. I don’t care what big names you throw around, I hang out with Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Try to top that!

 FLAGS ARE AT HALF MAST ALL OVER THIS NATION TODAY as we mourn the deaths of 19 school children, 2 teachers and the lone gunman who shot them in cold blood.  This is an absolute tragedy of the highest proportions. Its impact will be felt by us all for a long time. The names and pictures of the victims are already published as well as all the usual talk about whose fault it is. Calls for gun control immediately started rolling in from those same voices who demand the freedom to abort babies inside and out of the womb. Attacks on individual freedoms and the Second Amendment are predictable as ignorant arguments come forth to further political agendas. Caught in the middle are the grieving families and shaken community of Uvalde, Texas.  This scenario is repeated over and over again every time such an outrageous tragedy occurs and nothing changes.

I believe that if not a single gun existed in the United States, there would still be mass killings. The perpetrators would simply choose different weapons like automobiles, bombs, knives, poison, etc.  This is because the means to kill is not the problem!  The root cause of such horrors is the depraved condition of the human soul. People are lost without God and void of morality. Children grow up in a godless environment with no moral compass and no adults to guide the development of a conscious, that ability to self govern.They are brought up in an environment where "no" is a dirty word and discipline is a lost art.

The solution for this madness is not gun control or more invasive government snooping into our privacy.  The answer is to revive our lost national morality. Repent of the failed course we have been on and turn back to the morals of a civilized society. We must return to God, His Word, His Laws and His Love.  Children need to grow up in a real family with loving caring parents (Male and Female) and taught value for Human life,  respect of private property, and the rule of Law. This takes time and effort and will not be done unless we believe these principals ourselves. That is why people clamor for the government to do something. The same government who just voted to spend 40 billion dollars on weapons of war for the Ukraine war. We must repent of our stupidity, laziness and hypocrisy!

What kind of message does this hypocrisy send to the next godless eighteen year old who grew up in a loveless hate filled confused environment where he was taught nothing good and everything evil? 

This boy who just murdered 21 people in Texas is the product of a society that is rotting and dying for want of Jesus Christ and the love of Father God.  It is my determination to spread the word that "Jesus is the answer for the world today. Above Him there is no other, Jesus is the Way".

 I was thinking about my friend James Maloney's last message preached at our church in August of 2020 before he went to Heaven that December. He spoke about "Connecting With God As Sons" the night before, he spoke on "Being God's Friend". Both of these messages were from the heart of a man who had discovered the infinite value of a deep personal relationship with God. This from someone. well acquainted with the supernatural manifestations of signs, wonders and miracles which were quite common in his ministry. He once told me that each miracle and each healing just made him want to know Jesus more. James was a true friend to me. We talked often about a lot of deep things. In my last few conversations with him in the month before his passing, the conversation was all about relationships. He actually sent me several photos of his family. He was so proud of his new grand daughter! James taught me a lot about God's supernatural gifts, but in the end it came down to "who do you love". 

 This little chorus that we sing at our church, speaks to the necessity of depending on the Lord Jesus Christ for strength, protection and deliverance.  

Sometime we face insurmountable opposition from forces we cannot control or overcome in our own strength. By trusting in the Lord, we are able to tap into His Divine energy for the task. "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the lord, and in the power of His might" Ephesians 6:10 and Ephesians 3:16 (KJV)  "That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man".

The Psalmist David discovered a place with God that became an impenetrable shield. He referred to God as "shield and buckler"

Psalms 91:4-7 (KJV) He shall cover thee with his feathers,

and under his wings shalt thou trust:

his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night;

nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness;

nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

7 A thousand shall fall at thy side,

and ten thousand at thy right hand;

but it shall not come nigh thee.

We are living in times of trouble, danger, threats, pandemics, wars, etc. It is good to know that there is One willing to shield us in the midst of it all!

Then if per chance we become captured by some evil thing, God is our Mighty Deliverer! 

Psalms 50:14-15 (KJV) Offer unto God thanksgiving;

and pay thy vows unto the most High:

15 And call upon me in the day of trouble:

I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

After all, Jesus said that deliverance was part of the reason for His coming into this world; 

Luke 4:18-19 (KJV) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Make Jesus your source of strength and power. Make Him your place of safety. Make Him your Shield. Call upon him today to deliver you from everything that holds you captive! There is great freedom in Jesus Christ our Lord!  Run to Him, call upon Him, Seek Him and you will find Him!

1 Chronicles 16:10 (KJV) Glory ye in his holy name:

let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.

 Without God, Mankind is very very lost! What an understatement! The Roman Pontius Pilate asked Jesus, "what is Truth?". His question reflected the total darkness of the human mind that does not know God. The embodiment of Truth was staring him in the face and he could not see it. Jesus declared in John 14:6, "I am the Truth." 

We are living in an age when lies are so prolific that the truth has become obscured from view. When truth is lost, there can be no freedom. John 8:32 "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."

The more lies people believe, the less freedom they have. Lies suck the liberty out until there is nothing left but tyranny. We must contend for the truth!

(AMP) Galatians 5:1 IN [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off].

It is a foolishly dangerous thing to listen to liars, compromisers, scoffers and false teachers in any setting. This can be in the process of education or on the daily news or in a public eatery. Those who deny God, the Bible, true history or science will get you to bow your knee to tyrants, villains, bullies, thieves and murderers.

Psalms 1 (TPT)  THE TREE OF LIFE

1 What delight comes to the one who follows God’s ways!

He won’t walk in step with the wicked,

nor share the sinner’s way,

nor be found sitting in the scorner’s seat.

2 His pleasure and passion is remaining true to the Word of “I Am,”

meditating day and night in the true revelation of light.

3 He will be standing firm like a flourishing tree

planted by God’s design,

deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss,

bearing fruit in every season of his life.

He is never dry, never fainting,

ever blessed, ever prosperous.

4 But how different are the wicked.

All they are is dust in the wind—

driven away to destruction!

5 The wicked will not endure the day of judgment,

for God will not defend them.

Nothing they do will succeed or endure for long,

for they have no part with those who walk in truth.

6 But how different it is for the righteous!

The Lord embraces their paths as they move forward

while the way of the wicked leads only to doom.

Part Two

What can we do about all the bad seed we have planted over our lifetime? Obviously, we do not want the harvest they will bring! So then, are we doomed to face the consequences of our own mistakes? No! At least not totally. There are some steps we can take to eliminate or at least greatly reduce our evil harvest.

REPENT. God gives forgiveness and crop failure to those who are truly sorrowful for their sins.  We know "that if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things are become new" 2 Corinthians 5:17  This enables us to be free of eternal punishment for past sins and also to no longer own their harvest.

RENEW.  Once we have repented of planting bad seeds, we need to reform our actions to match the harvest we desire to reap. Romans 12:2 (KJV) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.  We change our thoughts and speech and actions by renewing our minds according to God's will which is His Word.

REPLANT.  The best way to change a crop is to overwhelm the old seed with lots of new, more powerful seed.  We must actively engage in a fervent campaign to plant good seed by speaking prophetically (under Divine inspiration), and doing good every where.  Acts 10:38 (KJV) How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.  Believe that as God was with Jesus, so is He with us as we go about doing good.

REJOICE.  Take joy in the expectation of a great harvest to come! God has high expectation of our lives bringing Him a good return from the investment of His planting Jesus as Seed into our lives. His Word will not return without the intended harvest! Colossians 1:27 (KJV) To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Isaiah 55:10-11 (KJV) For as the rain cometh down,

and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither,

but watereth the earth,

and maketh it bring forth and bud,

that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:

it shall not return unto me void,

but it shall accomplish that which I please,

and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

The whole Earth operates by the Law of seed time and harvest. Genesis 8:22 "While the earth remaineth, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

Every living thing begins as a seed and produces more seeds for generational purposes. You began as a seed yourself and all you do is governed by this law.  Your life is a seed that produces a harvest. Your words and deeds are seeds that produce a harvest. 

The harvest is determined by what seed is planted. Genesis 1:11-12. This law prohibits any variance from this principle. Galatians 6:7 "God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

If people could just get this one thing into their heads, they would be able to predict their own harvest. i.e. If you plant corn seeds you can expect corn. If you love you will be loved.  If you use angry words, people will respond angrily. etc, etc.

Going through life ignorant of this law of seed time and harvest will cause strange behavior,  such as blaming everything on the devil or even God. Yes, God put this law into effect, but we are responsible for how we live accordingly.  Do not blame God for a harvest you did not want when you planted the seed for just that!

Most of what we call "judgment" is simply the reaping of a harvest based on the seeds we ourselves have planted.  It is not God beating up on us, but rather the fruits of our own wicked behavior.  We live in a culture that does not understand this, so we do not take responsibility for the consequences of our own actions.

Can we pray for crop failure? We can, but do you really think God will suspend His own laws? Perhaps we should pray for His forgiveness and mercy as we repent of our disrespect for His laws.  Make the law of seed time and harvest work for us rather than against us. 

Think of your own mind as a fertile ground that will grow anything that is planted in it. Watch out for what enters there through the eyes and ears. Cast down every thought that could produces a bad harvest. Watch over each word that comes out of your mouth so that you only say what you want to grow. 

Remember this always, "WHAT YOU SOW YOU GROW!"

 IT IS TIME TO INTENSIFY!!!

Yes, 2022 is a year that will probably make or break a lot of people.  Things are really heating up. All around we see signs of trouble, conflict, turmoil and disorder.  We hope and pray for better days, but the truth is, our enemy is aware that time is short so he is fighting mad. What do we do?

Intensify.  We must, with conviction, meet fire with fire.  Whatever you think is a good thing to do, do it more. Pray more. Love more. Fast more. Read your Bible more. Witness more. Go to church more. Give more, etc. etc.

The only way to navigate the storms that lie ahead of us, is to get as close to the Lord as possible. He can take each of us by the hand and lead us peacefully through whatever lies ahead.  

Do not put your trust in government, economics, medicine, education or anything else of this world. Only Jesus can be trusted. Only Jesus can satisfy your soul. Therefore, intensify your efforts to get as close to Him as humanly possible.

Read Psalm 1; Psalm 23, Psalm 91; Joshua 1; Matthew 5