A church-goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. “I’ve gone for 30 years now,“ he wrote, “and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. but for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them. So, I think I’m wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by preaching sermons at all.“

This started a real controversy in the “Letters to the Editor” column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks as people discussed the merits or demerits of church attendance until someone wrote this clincher:

“I’ve been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this…They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!“

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

Years ago, in the hills of Kentucky , a young boy got up every day and observed his grandfather reading from his well-worn Bible. Finally one day the boy asked his grandfather why he read his Bible so often. “I try to read it too, but I can’t understand most of it, and I forget what I’ve red soon after I’ve finished reading something in that Bible. What’s the use of even reading it?“ The old man didn’t reply, but took the old, dirty coal basket after putting coal in the stove, gave it to his grandson, and said, “Take this coal basket down to the creek and get me a basket of water.“ The boy obeyed, but before he got back to the house all the water had leaked out of the basket. “You’ll have to move a little faster next time,“ and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. Of course, he came back with the same result and declared that it was “impossible.“ instead he wanted to use the bucket. But his grandfather insisted that he use the basket. “I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You’re just not trying hard enough.“ So off the boy went again. Even though he ran hard and fast, the water still leaked out of the basket, with the same result once again. “See Papa, its useless!“ “So you think its useless” replied the old man? “Look at the basket” The young fellow looked at the basket, and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different. instead of a dirty old coal basket, it was clean.

“Son, that’s what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out.“

How true that little story is, as the Word of God changes us from the inside out, and slowly transforms us into the image of Christ!

If you took the same excuses people use for not going to church and applied them to other important areas of life, like washing, in the following example, you’d realize just how inconsistent our logic can be!

Reasons For Not Washing:

-I was force to wash as a child.
-People who make soap are only after your money.
-I wash on special occasions like Christmas and Easter.
-People who wash are hypocrites. They think they are cleaner than everyone else.
-There are so many different kinds of soap, I can’t decide which one is best.
-I used to wash, but it got boring, so I stopped.
-None of my friends ever wash.
-The bathroom is never warm enough in the winter or cool enough in the summer to wash.
-I’ll start washing when I get older and dirtier.
-I can’t spare the time to wash.

Sounds pretty silly when presented this way, doesn’t it? I’m sure you have never said any of these things, right? We never really know what will happen in a service when we go to church. It may be that the very word we need to hear will be spoken that day, but even if we are not directly addressed to a particular need, something is being added to our spiritual strength. That’s why the Apostle Paul was so adamant in telling us to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. He knew that every time we came together there would be an impartation from God of what we really needed to build up our spiritual body!

E. Owen Kellum, Jr. tells the story of the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who was talking to a man that didn’t believe in giving children any religious instruction whatsoever. His theory was that the child’s mind should not be prejudiced in any direction, but when he came to years of discretion, he should be permitted to choose his religious opinions for himself. Coleridge said nothing, but invited his guest to view his garden. When they went out back, only weeds were growing where Coleridge had pointed out his garden. the stunned guest said, “Why, this isn’t a garden! There are nothing but weeds here!“

“Wee, you see,“ answered Coleridge, “I did not wish to infringe upon the liberty of the garden a chance to express itself and to choose its own production.“

Well, I guess that you get the point. Our children need Sunday School and Church, and we need it also. When you are down to nothing…God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible, and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical and our spiritual nourishment!

Rev Ronald L. Brown
Pentecostal Voice of TN

The World Wide Web (www), introduced to the public in 1991, has since grown almost beyond belief. It is no longer a select group of people who have an online presence, but countless businesses, organizations, churches, schools, families, and individuals now have a Web site.

A wealth of knowledge is at your fingertips as you explore the World Wide Web. From many sites you can register for an event, download forms, and make purchases. If you are sick, you can look up your symptoms or examine side effects of medication. You can find news reports, weather conditions, driving directions, recipes, home decorating tips and how-to instructions, along with hobby and craft ideas. Many religious organizations and churches are taking advantage of this avenue as well, and you can find many sites that contain religious articles, devotions, and various Bible translations and commentaries. In addition, many sites now offer live streaming of services and religious broadcasting that you can view.

There are many practical and helpful ways to use the Internet, but there is a dark side to it as well. Sites depicting ungodly lifestyles and beliefs such as gay/lesbian culture, witchcraft, New Age, and false doctrines are all accessible. Online gambling in the form of online casinos and poker game sites encourage a gambling lifestyle. Pornographic images can be viewed with just a click of the mouse. You can converse with strangers in chat rooms and build a relationship with another person based upon a fantasy.

In order to avoid the temptations of the Internet, we should know the dangers that lurk in cyberspace and set up guidelines to avoid the pitfalls. Just as businesses post escape routes and schools practice fire drills, we must set a plan in motion for our Internet safety. Many years ago I heard a visiting minister say “a river without banks is a swamp.” If we wade into the river of the Internet without any boundaries, cautions, or pre-set escape plans, then we are setting ourselves up for a fall. However, by educating ourselves about the aspects of the Internet that pose a threat, we can protect ourselves, our marriages, and our children.

Some common uses of the Internet besides Web surfing are e-mail, instant messaging, chat rooms, and social networking sites. Be aware of the potential dangers of these seemingly harmless activities.

Instant Messaging: a computer application which allows for communications in real time, a live chat and e-mail service. Limit communication. Do not use instant messenger to talk to anyone you do not already know. Be careful about talking to members of the opposite sex, even if you do know them.

Chat rooms: a site on the Internet where a number of users can communicate in real time (typically one dedicated to a particular topic). No online relationship should be a substitute for interaction with the real people in your life. “Those who are curious about meeting and chatting with others around the country or even the world, have no idea how they can get caught up in this cyber world and become terribly addicted. Not only is the addiction hard to overcome, but it can destroy the life of your family. Be careful to not let your curiosity get the best of you. It is definitely not worth the damage it can do to your life.”

Social networking sites such as My Space and Everyone’s Connected allow the users to post and reply to messages, post and view pictures, and also have chat and friend list capabilities. With millions of members and over 100,000 new users registering each day, these sites have seen phenomenal growth. Parents should be especially watchful of their thirteen- to sixteen-year-old children, who seem to gravitate to this tool, and should advise them about what information is acceptable to post on their personal profile that others are able to see.

Safeguard yourself, your marriage, and your children by monitoring your Internet usage. Set limits and boundaries and be vigilant in your guard. Reevaluate your Internet habits and cultivate the fruit of self-control and temperance in your life. Pray for a soft heart that is willing to receive correction. Determine what precautions and limits you should set for yourself, or what changes you need to make, in order to avoid misuse of the Internet.

Accountability is the key to successfully navigating the Internet. Be accountable to your spouse, your friends, and your children, and expect the same measure of accountability from them in return. Mothers, our children are growing up in this technically savvy world. We cannot sit idly by while they are allowed to use the Internet. We must learn all that we can so that we can be a better guardian of our children and their Internet access. Read articles that keep you up to date on the current trends among youth. Visit the sites that your children like to visit to see for yourself what is being posted on those sites. If you are married, you and your spouse should have access to each other’s e-mail accounts and computer access. If you are single, set a structure in place to channel your Internet activity and find a friend who will hold you accountable.

Time management is crucial. Do not neglect other areas of your life in pursuit of the elusive “reality” of the Internet. Monitor the time you spend and the sites you visit. Recognize your tendencies to waste time, visit inappropriate sites, or replace interaction with real people in your life with those you meet online. Divest yourself of anything else that might prevent you from living an overcoming life.

Take practical measures that can help you to implement Internet safety. Place your computer in a general area in your home where other family members may be present during the times where the Internet is in use. Use filtering software to block inappropriate content or to restrict access. Set time limits for Internet use and abide by them.

With every privilege comes a responsibility. Romans 12:21 says, “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Exercise caution when exploring the Web and arm yourself with knowledge of the pitfalls so that you can navigate safely through the worldwide, wonderful Web.

References
Internet sources:
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/myspace.htm
http://www.bsafeupci.com
“Kids, Blogs and too much information” by Bob Sullivan http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7668788
“The Veiled Threat” by Nancy A. George, Savvy Family, June 2005
“‘Bloggers’ rush to post eyewitness accounts,” USA TODAY, Friday, July 8, 2005

by
Barbara Braswell

Gwyn Oakes, President of the Ladies Ministries discusses how she manages time.

I am often asked the question, “How do you find the time to do all that you do? How do you keep up with your travel schedule and Ladies Ministries’ responsibilities in addition to being a wife, mother, and grandmother, as well as maintaining a home?” I take direction from the Word of God and use tools of organization readily available today.

The women of the Bible must have been fairly good housekeepers as not a lot is mentioned, but Paul did write to Titus in regard to teaching women in the church. He wrote that the older women should “wisely train the young women to be sane and sober-minded—temperate, disciplined—and to love their husbands and their children; to be self-controlled, chaste, homemakers, good-natured (kindhearted), adapting and subordinating themselves to their husbands, that the word of God may not be exposed to reproach—blasphemed or discredited” (Titus 2:4-5, The Amplified Bible). Pretty heavy job description, isn’t it?

The New International Version of the Bible uses the phrase, “Be busy at home.” When my house is in order, I work much better. It takes only three or four minutes to make a bed, but gives me hours of satisfaction. A clean house actually causes me to feel better about myself. I suggest the following advice.

If you need help in maintaining your home, ask for it. If you have children, train them to help. All four of my children helped in our home and are better adults because of it.

Establish a lifestyle of practical habits. When I go out of town, I make certain that dated or deadline tasks are tended to and unattended items go neatly into a basket until I am back from my travels.

Simplify your life as much as possible. I keep two calendar/organizers, as I prefer a written agenda that I can view at a glance. My purse-size organizer has a refillable calendar, checkbook, and room for credit cards, etc. My larger organizer is a zippered three-ring-binder with a calendar, blank pages, and speaking material. Engagements are noted with details on the date on the calendar and checked daily. I insert a calendar for the upcoming year as soon as it is available, and all known events are entered immediately so as not to double-book or forget an upcoming engagement. When God gives me a thought, I write it down immediately on one of the blank pages.

Start each day with a fresh list. I do not always get everything completed from day to day so the items left undone are carried over to the next day and I then handle tasks according to priority. I feel it is best to answer the phone when possible as getting back with someone is not always convenient and often consumes more time. Communication is a very important part of a Christian’s life—whether in or out of an office. I do take advantage of that wonderful thing called e-mail! Also, choosing several small jobs for a certain time daily and getting them out of the way when thinking with a clear mind allows me time for “larger” duties.

Who knows—we really may become Titus 2 women if we keep at it!

“The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry.” I am ever so thankful for that verse in Psalm chapter 34.
My wife Julie and I have started each day out with prayer for many years. We hold hands and ask God to protect us, to provide for us and to guide us throughout the day. When our two children were home, they were included in our circle of hands.

My mother did the same before we left for school as children. And when something was medically wrong, she learned to ask God for help even before thinking of a doctor. When my hands were covered by 40 warts which made it difficult to even put my hands into my pockets, my mother took them into her own and asked God to take away the warts. I don’t know when they disappeared but two days later I was surprised to find that all were gone, with not a trace left behind as scars of their passing.
He also hears the prayers of children. In 1991, I was serving as a U.S.Marine in Okinawa, Japan, and it was one week before Christmas. I had missed the holidays with my family the year before because of the Gulf War when I was in Saudi Arabia. My wife was teaching her teen Sunday School class in Gainesville, Florida, when she told them she did not believe she could stand a second consecutive Christmas without me. She asked her class at the Pentecostals of Gainesville to pray for her, to give her strength through the holiday season.

That was on Sunday. As you move west around the globe, you cross the International Dateline and when you do so the date is Monday. Okinawa was on the other side of the Dateline. Later that day I received a phone call in my office and the caller said, “I can’t explain how this happened, but I have a piece of paper that says you have orders for your next duty station and that you are to leave Okinawa on Friday.” Friday was two days before Christmas! The next location to which I was directed report needed me badly enough to cause the Marines to shorten my normal tour of one year to 270 days, an option rarely used by the Marines. My plane landed in Florida the day before Christmas and that’s how God answered the prayers of those children.

October 30, 2006 began very normally and I left my home in Smyrna, Tennessee, on a day-long business trip after Julie and I again asked for His divine protection. Little did I know how badly it would be needed just a short time later.

I drove east on interstate 40 to Cookeville, Tennessee, where I planned to take Highway 111 north toward Livingston.

Traffic was heavy on the exit ramp. I finally reached the stop sign and waited for traffic to clear on Highway 111. The two southbound lanes were empty so I drove across them to the median. I looked to my right and the two northbound lanes contained traffic. A small pickup approached in the nearest lane while in the other lane. I reasoned that when the small truck passed, I would pull in behind it. I watched the trucks approach and saw no changes in their positions. When the pickup passed in front of me I accelerated on the entrance ramp. As I did so, I distinctly heard the words “Don’t do that!” So I turned the steering wheel sharper to the left which put me on the shoulder parallel to the lane, instead of in it.

As soon as my truck reached that point, one of the tractor trailer trucks roared by in the lane I had intended to enter. Had I done so, I would have been directly in that truck’s path. I believe God spoke those words to warn me because we asked him to do so only 70 minutes earlier.

It is for these reasons that prayer has always been a big part of my life. I believe the Word that says, “His ears are open unto their cry” and verse seven of that same chapter says what He does when He hears us. “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.”

by Dave Treadway
Pentecostal Voice of Tennessee

We would like to congratulation the children who participated in the King and Queen Pageant which raises money for Save Our Children.

We would like to thank the parents and grandparents who helped the children raise money for this worthy cause. K and S Trophies donated the beautiful trophies and each participant gets one. The rushings did a great job counting and reporting the offerings and Wendy helped with the robes, Thanks.

Thanks to Lindsay Monroe for designing the set; she and Tammy Brantley for being our Stage Crew; and to Brandy Scott for taking our pictures.

All the people who helped in any way, Thank you.

Here are the winners per division

Division I

(Boys in order)
Hunter Hogan
Landon Campbell
Kaleb Blackburn
Conner Wright

(Girls in order)
Stephanie Reed
Anna Marie Campbell

Division II

(Boys)
Dakota Harris
Garrett Harris
Blake Campbell

(Girls)
Micki Brawley
Mackenzie Conn
Julieanna Seckler

Division III

(Boys)
Austin Hogan
Cory Blackburn
Robert Reed
Andrew Campbell

(Girls)
Rachel Haynes
Abigail Full
Erika Sons

Divison IV

(Boys)
Lucas Scott
Collin Wright

(Girls)
Lindsey Hill
Brooke Baltimore

Division V

(Boys)
Lawrence Monroe
Aaron Conn
Alex Reed

(Girls)
Sarah Monroe
Emily Full

These Children help raise $3786.10 for Save our Children. Praise God.

Thirty Seven years old and facing 99 years in prison at hard labor! The results of a drug dealing and alcoholic life. No hope of ever getting out. No, not in this life.

My mental and physical abuse against my wife and children had come to an abrupt end. No more chasing them down the highway and through apartment complexes in fear, for their very lives. They were safe now from the maniac that tormented and abused them for so long.

The death grip that hell had on me through alcohol and drugs; in which for me, that covered everything from beer to vodka, drinking mouthwash and after shave lotion; Eating spoonfuls of coffee grounds. Yes. Coffee grounds, acid, mescaline, cocaine and valium…just to name a few. If it altered my way of thinking, I did it. Lots of it! Drinking a fifth of vodka every night and chasing it down with a six pack of beer was really a slow night for me. Weekends were half ‘half gallons’ of semi-frozen vodka and porn movies! I had my living room arranged to where the couch was the closest to the refrigerator.

I worked a maintenance job in apartment complexes at the time, when I would go to repair something in an apartment and the families were not home…wow…party time!

I looked for the liquor closet, drink my fill, and then find the medicine cabinet and stock up on prescription drugs. Well, wouldn’t it be obvious that pills were missing? Sure, I would open the capsules, removed half of the medication and then re-seal them. There were many times that I passed out on the floor of someone’s apartment three or four hours later I would wake up to scramble to the door!

The devil was out to have me killed. Although he cannot do it himself, he will lead us into positions and places to where we will do it ourselves! Many times I had thought of suicide! But, something that was more over-powering than the urge to die would miraculously intervene.

When it’s all over…it’s not over.

On July 21, 1990, I was arrested on a felony charge. The devil just knew he had won another soul.

One last attack for the kill. The next two days were pure hell for me. My wife immediately began to see someone else. It was definitely over with us. If I had ever thought of suicide, it was never as strong as it was now. It seemed as though all of hell itself was on the scene to watch the devil’s finale. I had set the time for my hanging the hour had come.

Thoughts began to race through my mind about a fellowship, a walk that I once had with Jesus many years before, it was such a peaceful time so joyous. But, it was just too late now. I was convincing myself that I had gone too far. Even God could not love me anymore! As I made my move towards the gallows, I heard a once familiar voice whispering ever so gently…chose you this day whom you shall serve.

It was none other than Jesus himself in the midst of Satan’s arena of hell giving me one last chance and choice! I cried out in repentance and begged His forgiveness! The bondage of sin and hell were broken at last by the presence of my Lord and Savior! I really didn’t care now, if I spent 199 years in prison, I would serve the Lord through it all. I received the baptism of the Holy Ghost in prison.
I never expected to ever get out. I immediately began to teach Bible studies, praying for people (both inmates and free people); I saw one man in prison (Doug), raised from the dead, many healed, many turning to God. I was made a trustee working on their computers, alarms, and security systems. They did not see me anymore, but they saw and trusted the One who had truly set me free! They saw more than just jailhouse religion.

The Lord took 99 years and turned it into two and a half years of studying, praying, and fasting. I was miraculously released in the fall of 1993 and the Lord blessed me with a prison ministry at the St. James Youth Detention Center.  I saw many young people changed by the glory of God. We baptized 35 young people, (in one service), into the wonderful name of Jesus. Now sixteen years later, I am still living for God . I have never looked back. And never went back to drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes! When Jesus does it, it is done right!
I want to thank my pastor, Rev. Robert Sims of Harvest Point in Portland, Tennessee, who encouraged me to write my story.

Pentecostal Voice of Tennessee

It was a cold day for Egg Hunting, but I think the only ones upset were the parents as they tried to keep up with the kids as they cleaned up on eggs, bunnies, and cash!

See large pictures of the hunt

Thomas Edward Lawrence, born on August 16, 1888 in Wales, was educated at Oxford as an archaeologist. To most, if not all, that is an unrecognizable fact. In World War I he was sent by the British government to Egypt as a British military liaison to the Arab tribes, who were involved in a revolt against the Turks of the Ottoman Empire. He led guerrilla warfare in desert raids for the Arabs to divert the Turks from the British. He became a hero among the Arabs, and was known as Lawrence of Arabia.

To show the Arabs appreciation for their help in the struggle against the Ottoman Empire, the British brought some Arab Sheiks to London, England to address the Joint House of Commons and the British Parliament. They also had an audience with the Queen. The offer was made to these Arab sheiks to take back to their desert homes anything that they would like, if possible. One Sheik said “follow me.” He went up to his hotel room and showed his hosts the bathtub faucets. “This is what I want. “ He thought that if he could only take back those faucets to his desert tents in Arabia, he could have water simply by turning on those faucets. Of course, the magic was not in the faucet, whether made of simple metal or 24 carat gold, but in the water supply and plumbing behind the faucets. It had to be connected to a water supply. Your garden hose is useless unless attached to a supply.

So it is with our lives. No matter how talented and capable we might be, we must be attached to the true source of power, which is the Spirit of God. Fancy faucets without a source are useless, and talented lives without t he “anointing” will not touch and help other people. God does use human instrumentality, just as a faucet is necessary to get water to the right place. God works through human vessels.

It’s remarkable to me how God can use anyone that becomes committed to Him! Moses stuttered; David was too young and then had an affair in later life; timothy had ulcers; Amos was a fruit picket; Jacob was a liar; Solomon was too rich; Abraham was too old; Naomi was a widow; Peter denied as was cowardly; Paul was a murderer (as was Moses); Jonah ran; Miriam gossiped; Gideon and Thomas doubted; Noah got drunk; Jeremiah was depressed and suicidal; Elijah was burned out; Samson had women problems; Martha was a worry wart; and Lazarus was dead! Yet God used them!

In II Kings 4:6 in the miracle for the widow to pay her debt it states, “And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, bring me yet a vessel.  And he said unto her, there is not a vessel more, And the oil stayed.” What stops a move of God is lack of a vessel. God chooses to work through imperfect, flawed, inconsistent humanity. God simply needs “vessels” through which His power can flow. “I will work,  and who shall let it?” (Isaiah 43:13). It was said of Paul that he was a “chosen vessel’ to take the message of Christ to the Gentiles, Kings and the children of Israel. Remember, it was God in man (a human vessel) that brought forgiveness of sins for all of mankind. We need God! God without man is still God, but man without god is lost for eternity.

Sir James Simpson, the discoverer of chloroform that was used as an anesthetic and relieved torturous pain in surgeries and medical procedures was once asked the question, “What do you consider to be the most valuable discovery of your lifetime?” He replied, “When I discovered myself a sinner and that Jesus was my Savior.” As you progressively commit your life to Jesus, you discover that there is no power in you, but that you are a sinner saved by grace! You need Jesus, and with His Holy spirit in you, there can now be a flow of His power out of your life to touch others with the gospel, and all its benefits!

Rev. Ronald L. Brown
Pentecostal Voice of Tennessee