Need A Boat? Want to Help a Good Cause too?

The boat pictured here has been donated to the South Roaoke Baptist Association to be used to help raise funds to supply a vehicle for Pastor Sigwayne in Swaziland. Pastor Sigwayne has been keeping one of our new works there going and now his transportation has failed.

This hand crafted river boat with trailer, boat, motor and trolling motor has been appraised at $1,900.00. The boat itself is new; the motor is a 25 HP Johnson. The boat is ready to go with all registrations.

We will be accepting bids until September 15th. We you please help us spread the word and invite people to bid by calling 252-756-4332, or emailing srba@suddenlinkmail.com. Full payment for the accepted bid must be made.

Depressed About Heaven?

Recently I purchased Randy Alcorn’s new book, Heaven. I’ve read about 5 chapters so far and am finding it to be quite good, though I am just now getting to the real meat of the book. Well, I haven’t actually read it, I’m listening to it on audio CD. By the way, if you’re a slow reader like myself, this is a GREAT way to digest some wonderful books. Just pop them in the old CD player and listen to your heart’s content.

Something that I discovered in this book that I find amazing is just how many people seem to have a not-so-pleasant view of heaven. If fact, while doing his research for this project, Randy came across a great many people, who even though they believed they were going to heaven, didn’t seem all that excited about going. Why? Because they think it’s going to be boring and lifeless. A great many people have the idea that all we’re going to do is float around on the clouds and play the harp. Others think that heaven is just going to be one very LONG church service. I must confess, that if that was truly all heaven was going to be like, I’m not so sure I would be excited about going either. Of course, then people feel a little guilty because they “know” in their heart, they should be excited to go. Many then think that somehow they’re just not as spiritual as those pious individuals who are truly longing to go. Even in the church, Randy discovered that a great many people get depressed when they think about heaven. In fact, he has even spoken to some pastors, who get depressed when they think of heaven! Sound absurd? Well, maybe a little, but I believe I understand where they are coming from.

So, what has caused this terrible problem among God’s people? Biblical ignorance. To put it plain and simple, we, as the church, have not really taken the time to delve into the word of God to discover what God has revealed about this place called heaven. To site an example of this, in one particular systematic theology textbook, which is over 700 pages in length, only 1 page is about heaven?! That’s not a typo… only ONE page about heaven. Absolutely unreal, but it’s true. And so, since we really don’t know what God says about heaven, all kinds of false ideas have been brought in to fill in the gap, like gaining wings and playing harps.

Unfortunately, many theologians and pastors believe that heaven is one of those things about which God has kept secret from us. They unfortunately believe that it is a total mystery and that we really can’t know anything about it. Well, it’s true there is a lot we don’t know… but on the other hand, there is a lot we do know. We just haven’t take the time to dig out the truth that God has revealed in the Scriptures. And when you stop and think about it, would this not be a pretty clever strategy of Satan, the enemy of God… to keep the best that God desires to offer to mankind shrouded in mystery and confusion? I mean, if Christians aren’t looking forward to it and aren’t excited about it, why would we be very motivated to tell anyone how to get there? To tell you the truth, after hearing the first couple of chapters of this book, which is about what I’ve been talking about, I’m about ready to plan a sermon series on the topic of heaven, which at some point down the road, I may just do.

But you know, in my opinion, even if God had not revealed one thing about heaven to us, could we not still be looking forward to this incredible place simply by knowing the character of our God? Considering how much God’s loves us, and how much He desires to bless us, and how incredibly artistic and imaginative He really is (by observing the world around us) shouldn’t we able to trust our great God to know that whatever He has in store for us will be a million times better than anything we have experienced so far? I believe so. Friends, I don’t know if you’re one of those people who really don’t get excited about heaven or not, but let me offer a couple words of encouragement as I close. First of all, don’t feel guilty for not really being excited about heaven, if all you know of heaven is the lies from Satan and the world. Second, take some time to reflect on the wondrous creation that is all around you, and remember that as wonderful as this place is, it is still marred by suffering, death, and sin. However, one day its going to be re-created (or resurrected) and it’s going to be just as it was meant to be in the beginning. The Bible says in Revelation 21:1, “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.” (NKJV) Friends, I can promise you, heaven will not be disappointing or boring; it’s going to be more wonderful, more exciting, more adventurous, more beautiful than our minds can even imagine. Take some time to see what you can discover from God’s word what He says about heaven.

p.s. the pic at the top is just some clipart I found on the internet.

Feeling Sorry for Christian Teachers in Public Schools

I’ve never been a teacher, so I’m not exactly sure how it works... if it is mandatory to join or whether teachers are extremely pressured to join the National Education Association. But I do know that most public school teachers are members of the NEA. Which is why I entitled this post what I did, because for Christian teachers in the public schools, there must be a serious tension within them, trying to be faithful Christians and yet having to be members of the NEA as well.

Why would I say such a thing? Simply because of the all the radical Anti-Christian positions that the NEA itself takes. Just the other day I was reading an article about the NEA’s most recent annual convention that took place in Washington, D.C. over the 4th of July weekend. The convention attracted some 9,000 delegates. Before the actual convention started, delegates sported all kinds of buttons with provocative slogans such as: “Gay Marriage causes Global Warming only because we are so hot,” “Hate is not a Family Value,” “The ‘Christian Right’ is Neither,” and “Gay Rights are civil rights.” Now, if that wouldn’t make a born again Christian a little uncomfortable right off the bat, I’m not sure what would.

But what about the actual business of the convention? What kinds of resolutions were passed by this noble convention of public school teachers? Well, first of all, all kinds of resolutions were passed that have absolutely nothing to do with better education. Resolutions supporting the state-hood of the District of Columbia (what is that about?), a “single-payer health care plan” (i.e. government run), gun control, and even the ratification of the International Criminal Court Treaty (yeah, this is really what public school teachers should be focus on)

So, did the convention actually have anything to say about education in public schools? Unfortunately, yes. First, the NEA “fiercely opposes any competition for public schools, such as vouchers, tuition tax cuts, parental option plans, or public support of any kind to non-public schools.” That’s a real shocker!

“The NEA strongly opposes designating English as our official language even though such a designation is supported by more than 80% of Americans.”

Of course, the NEA opposes home schooling, unless of course the parent is a state-licensed teacher and is using state-approved curriculum. And speaking of home schoolers, the NEA doesn’t support home school students participating in extra-curricular activities at the public schools even though their parents pay school taxes too. Go figure.

Oh, but it gets a lot worse. For example, the NEA resolutions includes feminist ideological goals such as “the right to reproductive freedom” (i.e. abortion on demand) and “the use of non-sexist language,” i.e. censoring out all masculine words such as father and husband.

Are you troubled yet? Well, hang on because “the influence of the gay lobby is pervasive in dozens of NEA resolutions adopted by the 2008 convention delegates.” And just in case you don’t know, “diversity is the code-word used for pro-gay indoctrination in the classroom.” Some examples are as follows:

-“The NEA demands that ‘diversity-based curricula’ even be imposed on preschoolers.”

-“The NEA urges it’s members to offer ‘diverse role models’ via the ‘hiring and promotion of diverse education employees in our public schools.”

-“The NEA puts ‘domestic partnerships, civil unions, and marriage on an equal footing.”

-“The NEA wants every child, regardless of age, to have ‘direct and confidential access, without notification to parents, to comprehensive health education. That would include things such as learning how to use condoms for premarital sex, as well as social and psychological programs and services.’”
-“The NEA wants all sex-education courses, textbooks, curricula, instructional materials, and activities to include indoctrination about sexual orientation and gender identification plus warnings about homophobia.”

I guess you can see now why I entitled this post “Feeling Sorry for Christian Teachers in the Public Schools.” And if there was ever any doubt in anyone’s mind why my wife and I are seriously considering home schooling our own children, I hope this articles opens the blinds and lets the light in for you. Christian teachers… God bless you on your mission field; you are in my prayers!


All references and quotes for this post were taken from an article entitled “NEA Delegates Adopted Radical Agenda” by Phyllis Schlafly, a writer for the weekly newspaper, "Human Events."