A UNDERSTANDING OF THE ECONOMY: SECULAR AND BIBLICAL

HAVING A BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE ECONOMY
Part Two

Having a secular understanding of how economy works is good. Econ 101 is good to learn. To understand how products are priced will help us to stay calm. Then having a biblical understanding of living in our economy is good to learn. Knowing facts gives us some control over our feelings and thinking. If I know why gasoline prices are up, if I know why Union Mills have to price full size cakes at nearly $50, and why prices at Mex-Itali have to be raised, then I am more calm, and I know if I have to make some adjustments in those produces I buy.

There are many resources that can give us good direction. I researched the pricing of gasoline this week. Why have the price of gasoline raised? Research does help you understand what is really going on in the pricing of any commodity. Now to know these fact we can learn from the people who know these things.

The second point I want to point out: Understanding how we as Christians should respond to the raising prices of commodities. To know how we should respond and live in this culture, we need to turn to the Word of God.

Over the last forty years we have certainly learned from a few Christian teachers on this subject of financial issues. We have being to a number of financial workshops by Christians teachers. There really has being no shortage of resources on this subject.

Personally I am no authority on this subject, I can certainly say, I have studied the topic, tired to put in place some of the principles we have learned. And I might add while we have tried to practice good financial principles over the years, there have being many times in which we have failed in this area. But simply because you have failed is no reason to quit trying to do it better the next time.

A BIBLICAL PROSPECTIVE ON LIVING OUR LIFE IN VIEW OF THE GLORY OF CHRIST.

We need a right biblical view of the purpose of spending and buying and wealth.

1. If we think that we can get rich by our own power, we will become the victims of our own schemes….”For it is (God) that gives you power to get wealth.” Deuteromomy 8:18
   


2. The purpose of money is not to free us from daily dependence on God, but to demonstrate God’s love and power in our lives. “If God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith.” Matthew 6:30
   


3. You have heard the ad “BE YOUR OWN BOSS?” Really that is not correct. We don’t live like we really would like. I really truly would like to buy a Nissan GTR . Chevy Corvette Z06 vs. Porsche 911 Turbo. But the Porsche 911 cost over 135,000 dollars. So we need to accept Scriptural restraints, and go to K Mart and buy a Hot Wheel Porsche 911 Turbo for lest than a dollar. “For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman; likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant.” I Corinthians 7:22
   


4. If we fail to fully apply God’s principles of the usage of money, God sometimes allows riches with sorrow or the devouring of our assets. “You looked for much, and, lo, it came to little, and when you brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? Said the Lord of hosts, Because of mine house that is waste, and you run every man unto his own house.” Haggai 1:9
   
   To continue:

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GASOLINE PRICES WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THEM?

Daily Complaining But Little Adjustments. Gasoline Prices, The Work Place, Church, Living Life, Finances, Marriage, Relationships, etc.

Part One

I was asked this week “What was the lowest gasoline price that you can remember?” I don’t remember what the price was growing up!

In 1960 the gasoline pricewas $0.25. In 1966 we attended Bible Baptist Seminary; and in Arlington Texas, the price of gasoline was $0.17. I worked at a gas station for $1.00 per hour. In 1971 while pastor of Madison Baptist Church, the gasoline price was $0.30; and in 1973 the price went to $0.50, and we felt we were going to go broke at those prices. Then the price went to $1.00 in 1999, and of course, the rest is history. In 2007 the price went to $3 and in 2008 the price is now at $4.

I can remember thinking at each increase of gasoline, the price has to come back down. Yet for a while they would come back down, then up they would go again.

You can take several approaches to this issue.

1. Get mad and fuss all you want. Complain, complain, and complain, or
2. Learn Econ 101 and 201 then
3. Take personal responsibility, and do what needs to be done and learn to
4. Take up the system of personal accountability.
   

But remember this, government intervention is not going to prevent the rise of oil prices. Secondly, boycotts at the local BP, Super Quick or Kroger, or Speedway are not going to work. Thirdly, the current President of the United State or the next President of the United State is not going to change the fluctuation of the gasoline prices. And you really can do something about the gasoline you use.

SO HOW ARE WE GOING TO DEAL WITH THE RISING OF GASOLINE PRICES, THE RISING COST OF FOOD, AND THE HIGH COST OF EATING OUT, OR FLYING ON AMERICAN AIRLINE?

HINT:

• If you are going to buy a Mercedes 500 SL, or a Ferrari F512M or a Lamborghini! Buy a Hot Wheel. They are still 95 cents at your local store.

FIRST A LOOK AT THE GASOLINE PRICES:

(If you Google gasoline prices, you will learn a great deal about this issue: Like the following:)

Oil prices fluctuate wildly. So do gasoline prices. No amount of government intervention is going to prevent the market from fluctuating.

Every spring gas prices go up. They hike even more in the run-up to the Memorial Day weekend and remain high until after Labor Day. Every year we grumble about price gouging and ruthless profiteering just as the higher travel season of summer comes on. Those stinking oil companies have us over a barrel, right? This year it’s far worse. $4 gallon gas with record oil industry profits! What’s up with that?

So what happens you hear like clockwork: Let’s boycott the gas stations, Somebody comes up with some grand plan to punish those filthy rich oil companies. It usually boils down to some kind of targeted boycott. One year the plan was to boycott all Exxon stations. Another year it was to not buy gas on a given day of the week. Another year it was to boycott both Exxon and Shell stations. BP, Super Quick, etc.

It’s my understanding, the whole idea behind these efforts is to create some kind of collective bargaining power, to show consumer muscle in order to ultimately force lower gasoline prices. While it is natural to want to do something to attack the perceived injustice, all of the efforts I have seen suggested suffer from shocking ignorance of how the free market works coupled with childish ignorance of the oil industry.

Most calls for government intervention are founded in frustration and/or a desire to protect one’s turf. Turf protection is why you can’t legally pump your own gas in Oregon, for example. That’s not where Wright is coming from. Many consumers are frustrated with gasoline prices right now. That is understandable.

But most frustrated calls for government intervention are also founded in ignorance of how things really work. I suggest that except for emergency cases, any call for government intervention should be approached calmly and deliberately with an eye on getting a firm grasp on how the matter actually works and what effects intervention is likely to cause. I am not saying that there is never a place for government intervention. I’m simply saying that there is a right way to approach such questions.

From what I have been reading, government intervention or boycotts of gas stations will not work.

But there is a way we all can get through this: “Personal accountability.”

I will give you a website next to give some answers to the above.

THE SHOOT OUT BY WHISNANT AND WILLIAMS

THE STORY OF THE MAN WITH A DIGITAL CAMERA
Part One

For an early birthday gift the kids bought me digital camera. Now, I have always loved taking pictures. I am not a professional, nor do I have a professional camera, but that has not stopped me from taking pictures.

The picture above is a photo of me taking a picture of my niece April while she was taking a picture of me. What a fun shoot out! April is a professional photographer, who is getting as good as I am! Check out my link to Photography by April Williams.

TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY

TIME: LETS TAKE TIME SERIOUSLY

The Word of God in the Bible has a lot to say about time. The most important thing it says is something we know already—that our time is limited. We are given an appointed time to live. Time can be used or wasted, it can be invested or squandered, but either way, once used, it can never be regained.

Time is the substance of life, because we have such a limited supply. The most famous passage in the Bible about time reminds us that there is a time for everything in life. Here are the first four verses from Ecclesiastes 3:

• There is a time for everything,

• And a season for every activity under heaven:

• A time to be born and a time to die,

• A time to plant and a time to uproot,

• A time to kill and a time to heal,

• A time to tear down and a time to build,

• A time to weep and a time to laugh,

• A time to mourn and a time to dance. (footnote: I have not had the time to dance yet.)

God has given us enough time to do every thing that is needed to do. Each person has been given twenty four hours a day; every person in the whole world has the same time. You cannot say, “I don’t have enough time in the day to do what I need to do.” You need a ‘to do list’ for what you need to be doing, rather than simply doing those things that are not necessary.

We always have plenty of time to do everything we need to do. My time belongs to the Lord, and thus, it’s important that I spend my days as unto the Lord.

Time really is important because time makes up the things of life, and when time is gone so is life. Therefore, what I do with the moments of my life, the opportunities I take, the people I talk to, the path I follow, all of it is important because sooner or later, for me and for you, time will be no more.

Each day it seems we hear about a friend, a loved one, someone we know well, has passed away.

All of us are slaves to time more than we like to admit. Have you noticed as you eat at Mex-Itali or Bob Evans, a person at the table next to you pulls out a cell phone and puts it on the table so he wouldn't miss a call. He has a pager and a beeper on his belt just in case he was busy on the cell phone. We seem to be glued to our cell phones. I can’t keep up with all the phones, so much so that we talk more on the phone than we do in person.

And to save time we have changed the way we communicate:

• If you are over 60, you remember handwritten letters.
• If you are between 40 and 60, you rely on e-mail.
• If you are under 40, you prefer instant messaging,
• If you are under 30, you communicate via Facebook or MySpace.
• And if you are really on the cutting edge, you Twitter. (If you don't know what that is, ask someone in their 20s.)

Time has become the new currency of life. For most of us, time is more important than money. We will spend money to save time; whereas, our parents would spend time to save money. In a world where most of us feel stressed out, we value our free time more than a few extra dollars in our pocket.

How Much Time Do You Have Left?

How much time do you have left? No one knows for sure. We see someone today we know, and they have passed away the next day.

Psalm 90: 12 says, “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Have you ever numbered your days literally? That’s hard to do because no one knows how many days they have left. But that’s precisely the point. Numbering our days keeps us from the ultimate folly--thinking we will live forever and therefore giving us excuses to put off doing what we know we ought to do. A stanza of a famous hymn puts the matter squarely before our eyes:

Words: Isaac Watts, The Psalms of Da­vid, 1719.
Music: St. Anne, Will­iam Croft, 1708 (MI­DI, score).
This hymn was sung at the fun­er­al of for­mer British prime minister Winston Church­ill in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, 1965.­

• Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
• Bears all its sons away;
• They fly, forgotten, as a dream
• Dies at the opening day.

The Bible reminds us to redeem the time (Ephesians 5:16 KJV). One translation says “make every minute count.” When a man knows he is going to die in the morning, it has a wonderful way of concentrating his mind. Most of us don’t think we are going to die tomorrow and that’s why we let time slide by thoughtlessly. \

What would be your final thoughts. Sometimes we don’t have the time for a final thought.

Life changes so quickly. You can be a United States Senator, one of the most powerful men in the world, and one morning you have a seizure and then another one. When the doctors investigate, they discover an inoperable brain tumor. Suddenly your life is measured in terms of how many months you have left. That’s what happened to Ted Kennedy last week.

• Or you might be a greatly beloved Christian singer whose songs have touched millions around the world. Suddenly tragedy strikes and a child dies in a heartrending accident. In what was the saddest story of the week for most of us, that happened to Steven Curtis Chapman and his family. Life is so short, so fragile, so uncertain for all of us. No one knows what the future holds.

Life is so short, so fragile, so uncertain for all of us. No one knows what the future holds.

• On December 22, 2005, Tony Dungy, head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, got the phone call every parent dreads most. His son James, 18, had committed suicide. No matter who you are, you are never ready for something like that. Suicide leaves an indelible mark on those who are left behind—a deep pain that never goes away. What do you say in that instance? Because he is a Christian with a strong faith in God, Tony Dungy spoke at his son’s funeral service. This was his advice to other parents:

Hug your kids every chance you get. Tell them you love them every chance you get. You don’t know when it’s going to be the last time.

Every time we go to Lexington, KY, the boys will give Charity and me hugs. I now know how important that is. We had a fun lunch with Kyle and his girlfriend Sunday; Sunday we had a great time with Eric and Leslie; then on Monday, Chad and Heather and Kyle and Brittney came over for a cookout.
What a great weekend -- spending time with our kids.

Charity and I have some time left, we don’t know how long; but it’s time we need to use wisely.


WHAT IF YOU KNEW YOU HAD ONE MONTH TO LIVE?

If you had ten years left? What would you do, who would you call, who would you e-mail, who would you go see? Where would you go, what would you do that you had planned to do for years? What business would you take care of?

SOME OF US NEED TO DO SOME THINGS TODAY:

• Some of you need to view life as if it matters.
• Some of you need to look at life in a different manner.
• Some of you need to hug your wife, your children.
• Some of you need to get a job.
• Some of you need to spend more time with your family.

Others of us need to get serious about our relationship with Jesus Christ. “I’m going to serve the Lord some day,” we say. If you are going to serve him someday, why not today? What do you gain by putting him off? How can you be certain that when tomorrow comes, you will still want to serve the Lord?

Check out this article about how can you know you are going to Heaven?


Take time today to check out how you are DOING WITH YOUR TIME.

Vacation Trip To Texas in 2008

GOOGLE READER FEEDBURNER and PSALMS and FRIENDS

GOOGLE READER RSS AND FEED BURNER

GOOGLE READER

The link will give you direction as to how to use a RSS. Its a new way of reading your favorite websites. Read Google Reader 101 for the information. Great stuff. I am only at the 101 level here so I still have a lot of learning to go. But as the blogger or weblogger says GROW BY LEARNING Keep growing, it's good for your brain. I will change to just get better.

RSS FEEDER

If you want to read this blog in another format my address for the RSS is found here. I am getting good at this 101 stuf

NOTES ON THE READER

I am posting NOTES also on the Google Reader that will be different from this Blog.

NOTES FROM FRIENDS

Charity and I realize we are busy people, and tired at the end of the day. Sitting down and watching TV seems to be the norm for tired folks at the end of a working day. But if we get inspired, we find ourselves doing some good projects.

Taking the time to focus on projects is really a discipline to accomplish. We can control our activity by discipline. Doing an activity 21 days will lead to a habit. Eating takes one day. Tuesday's is House and NCSI on TV and when they moved it to MONDAY I missed the finals.

When I don't leave the house at 10 to get to work by 11, I am late. When I am focused on a project I find myself tuned in to seeing it accomplished.

Thanks for the emails we have received, thanks for the Updates on your family. It's good to stay in touch with friends. "I wonder what Allen Barnhart is doing." Most likely what he has been doing for twenty years. Charlie Cox ? Randy Webb? (He does keep us updated) Shawn and Nicki Hines keep us updated. My good friend is DeWayne Prosser, he is still preaching, think of that. Only to name a few. Thanks, Charity and I enjoy them.

Psalms 16

1. Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.


2. O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my LORD; my goodness extendeth not to thee (I have no good beyond thee);


3. but to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.


4. Their sorrow shall be multiplied that hasten after another god; their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.

• The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup; thou maintainest my lot.

I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel; my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.

• I have set the LORD always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth; my flesh also shall rest in hope (dwell in safety).

• Thou wilt show me the path of life; in thy presences is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

UNION MILLS IS A PERSONAL BUSINESS

C

CHARITY WHISNANT AND THE CREW AT UNION MILLS

My lovely wife, Charity, co-owner of Union Mills, with her sister Debbie are doing wonderfully working together in this bakery business. They give the glory to the Lord. Both ladies love the Lord and bring that message to the business. You generally just don't drop by the bakery for a pie or cake, or sugar cookies or rolls, you are welcomed with a friendly greeting, a conversation, and you become a friend.

If you drop in to buy a few sugar cookies, most likely you will leave with a dozen. Debbie is not going to let you off with just a few cookies. You might leave with a loaf of bread, some candy, and a dozen cookies. And with a smile on your face, you leave saying, "how did that happen?"

If you come in to the bakery, you will be able to talk to Charity or Debbie as long as you want, even if it's after closing hours (provided it's not busy like this week). As a matter of fact, just because the sign says "Closed," it doesn't mean we are closed. I tease the girls that the closed sign is merely a suggestion. And sometimes they will wait on you to get to the bakery to pick up an order after 5.

Last night Charity came home about 7 p.m. and was up around 10 p.m. and back at work around 12 a.m. This is another busy weekend for the crew. High School graduations.

Five girls were at the bakery this morning at midnight getting ready for the rush of people who will pick up about 120 cakes, and who knows how many cookies, bread, and rolls. And all before noon. Two or three others will be in later this morning to help. Now there are a few guys, like me, and Rich and Bob who come in and do a little work. It's a real good team effort by the whole crew. (Sondi, Tammy, Kindra, Illy, Charity came early early, then Debbie, Mary, Keri came later, and of course I was there later, Bob came and was the carry out fellow, and of course early in the week Rich came. Charles mowed the grass, and Mr Gibson planned flowers and trimmed the shrubs. Now did I miss anyone.

It seems that all of the team takes personal responsibility for their work. This is my personal opinion as I see it, but it seems the workers at Union Mills practice personal accountability.

I received Dave Mills Quick Notes e-mail and this is what he had to say this week:

• the boss asks the team, "So, do we all agree with this new plan?" Heads nod, thumbs go up, and polite smiles abound. But not three minutes later, at the Water-Cooler Huddle, colleagues murmur, "Wow, that was a dumb idea." "Where does he come up with these schemes?" and "Doesn't she know it'll never work?!" And even worse is when we blame others for our whispered water-cooler whining with, "Well, our culture doesn't allow people to speak up" and "My boss really doesn't want input from me."

This attitude doesn't seem to be the norm for this group. Of course they have fun, but they are serious about their work and their product. And they really like each other most of the time and appreciate each other all of the time.

Debbie and Charity work as a team, and it seems that the other workers work as a team as well. It seems to me, that each one thinks that the business is theirs. They take pride in their work, to do it well.

What is really good, I think, is they seem to all love the Lord, and they want to illustrate to the public how a business can operate with values that would be honoring to the Lord.

All of them would make Bob and Lenora Temple proud.

CHECK OUT GOOGLE READER FEED ON THIS POST: CLICK HERE.

ACCURATE TO PROVIDE A CORRECT POINT OF TRUTH

MY OFFICE DESK AT HOME

GOD'S WORD IS OUR ONLY DEPENDABLE SOURCE OF TRUTH

When you are faced with "What is the truth," God's Word will be accurate. You might ask what about creation, what is the truth? How old really is the earth? Is there really a climate change? What about marriage between two people of the same sex? Should have the state of Texas taken custody of about 450 children from their parents right? The Third Court of Appeals in Austin said the state offered "legally and factually insufficient" grounds for removing the children.

• High Schoolers in Texas will be required to learn about parenting and family values in the fall. Really, do the state schools have a accurate point of view of family and values? Dallas Morning News. Where is the most dependable place to learn the truth about vaules and parenting?

• McCAin rejects televangelist's John Hagee and Ron Parsley endorsements after they both made comments that was out of the main stream. USA Today. Hagee preached a sermon in 1990's about his views. Doesn't pay to record your sermons. John MacArthur, Jr and John Piper have for over 20 years. I have sermons I preached in 1971 at Madison Baptist Church, and the sermons I preached in First Baptist Church in Altoona, Kansas from 1980 thru 1996. I will not be endorseing any of the current folks running for the President of the United States.

Controversial views? By whoses standards are views controversial? The media or the Bible?

Can I say this again, the Bible is God's Word on truth. The truth is, God has the final word on what is right or wrong. God's word is only controversial to those who do not see God as sovereign over all His creation.

Global Warming. Are the current natural disasters we are seeing today brought about by "global warning"? Is there an reliable viewpoint on this issue?

You are getting the point here: Is Fox News correct verses NBC News in their worldviews? Can we say their are dependable in bring us the truth?

Jerry Falwell was controversial by whose standard?

Always view the worldview by the Bibleview

Princeton theologian and scholar Dr. Charles Hodge rightly warned:

• "No amount of learning, no superiority of talent, nor even the pretension to inspiration, can justify a departure from the . . . truths taught by men to whose inspiration God has borne witness. All teachers must be brought to this standard; and even if an angel from heaven should teach anything contrary to the Scriptures, he should be regarded as anathema, Gal. 1:8. It is a matter of constant gratitude that we have such a standard whereby to try the spirits whether they be of God" (Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972], p. 395).

YOU CAN BE SURE..... THE WORD OF GOD THE BIBLE "to be accurate: able to be trusted to be accurate or to provide a correct result."

Check out:

GOOGLE READER FOR THIS BLOGGER.

GROW BY LEARNING. COM WEBSITE

CHARLES ON HIS NEW JOHN DEERE

CHARLES ON HIS NEW JOHN DEERE

Folks after six years pushing a lawn mower cutting this lawn at our home, Gary Pendletion provided me with this JOHN DEERE 318. Now is that class our what?

I almost thought I would have to take John Deere Driving lessons! Kidding.

So what a week so far. Upgraded from the 56 dial up to the hp DSL. Now the problem is having the line phone ringing with all those Telemarketers.

Tonight, Charity took these pictures and I was able to download them on to the computer, and put them on the Blogger. Now is that 21st Century or what?

STILL WORKING ON THE NEW SET UP

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Upgrading is still in the works this week. Coming into the 21st Century is a learning process. Grow By Learning is the name of this Blog and its true in many ways. From Windows 98 to Windows XP Home is like driving a 96 Dodge and a 08 Dodge. (Only if I have a rental)

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And yesterday I was riding a John Deree Tractor mowing our lawn. That was a first in the seven seasons I have used a push mower. What was I thinking!

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I am still in shock with the High Speed Internet DSL. I could before DSL drink a cup of coffee before I pulled up a website. But its good. Ok so life on the Web starts at 60. Like it.

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And Google Reader is really good. So is Mozilla Firefox. So is Microsoft Word and Office 2007.

WAYS TO IMPOROVE YOUR BLOG BY SERVING YOUR READERS

When I was pastoring and teaching in a local church, I was daily praying that I could serve the people who were under my care as their pastor.


Abraham Piper said this:

• Truth needs to be proclaimed, but trueness alone doesn’t make what I have to say worth saying. I need to say true things well.
• It motivates me to concentrate on presentation when I realize that badly written truth is almost as bad as being just flat wrong.
• Falsehood well said, doesn’t serve readers. It won’t lead people toward what is worthwhile because it’s, well, false. Truth poorly said is similarly unhelpful. It won’t lead people toward what is worthwhile, because it’s unclear or boring.
• In order for our message to spread—in order to transfer value from us to an audience—each blog post should be a purposeful marriage of quality content and engaging presentation.
• Over the last 500 posts I have continued to grow in learning how best to present truth and my life experiences so they will glorify the Lord and give you the reader some helpful material for your spiritual growth.

As I upgrade my learning of Blogger and as I read other Bloggers, I am learning new ways of bringing the GROW BY LEARNING Blog in a pleasant manner. Today our culture demands that we give them a reason to buy their products. I walked into Kroger's today, and they have changed the front entrances. Before you even go inside the store, before you see the fruit, bread, and salads, you see the front entrance. You are drawn into the store by how the store looks on the outside.

YOU ARE GOING TO READ A BLOGGER'S BLOG - FOR WHAT REASON?

You are going to read a Blogger's blog - Why?

• Because of who I am?
• Because you know what I am going to say is going to be good?
• Maybe you are going to read the post because you are going to see how badly it is written.
• Because it has a unique perspective.

WHAT IS GOING TO GET YOU TO COME BACK TO A BLOGGER'S BLOG?

The question could be, how is the blogger going to get someone else to sign on to his or her Blogger or website? And, secondly, if that is accomplished, what is going to be the key of having that person return to read and view their blog another time?

• How do businesses get people to visit their business? You are drawn to a store by a subliminal message that sometimes you are not really aware of. Really.
• Why do you pick up a magazine to read? Generally, the magazines are placed strategically so that you will see them and be drawn to pick them up.
• Millions of hours and dollars are paid out just to get the public inside their business. Have you noticed the balloons on new cars at the Car Dealership!

The culture will tell us the way most of us view how we are to do things, say things, and how we buy things.

• I wear my watch on my right hand.
• You are to wear white socks when wearing shorts, and short socks at that! What's up with that?

I read weekly from websites "HOW TO GET MORE TRAFFIC TO YOUR BLOG OR WEBSITE." I am amazed how much time and research goes into this effort of getting more people to view the websites.

I started out blogging with the idea that only my kids might once in a while read what I was writing; and the fact is, they were not reading many of them. Busy schedules.

Then later, some suggested that I needed to be careful what I was writing, because some in the church were reading the articles. I was rather surprised that anyone was reading them.

Then I received some e mails from some who were reading the articles. That was nice.

Then I starting thinking, "I am writing some good articles that I would like to others to think about. "

SO HOW DO I GET OTHERS TO KNOW THAT I EVEN HAVE A BLOG WEBSITE?THEN HOW DO I HELP THEM WANT TO COME BACK FOR ANOTHER VISIT?

• Make it easy for them to get on the site: NOTE MY GROW BY LEARNING.COM WEBSITE. "You are just a click away from my blog." Just a click. I didn't know how to do that until this year. I didn't know what a hyper link is until this year.

Don't you hate to call on the phone and get the recording, "In order to better help you, listen to the following options so we can direct your call." I really get rather irritated, don't you? Give me the operator please. Make it easy for me to get the information I need now. "Make that call now," we are hearing a lot. "NOW." In other words, how can I get on the website without much effort.

The e mail concept was helping my readers get a reminder in their inbox that I had another good article. Just click and read. A friendly reminder. Don't we get a few friendly reminders?

As we will check our inbox daily, I have FeedBurner, which makes it easy to receive content updates in My Yahoo!, Newsgator, Bloglines, and other news readers. This happened last week. Of course, you can get updates via e mail of our Blogger blog. Goodness.

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List for me, "I TEND TO GO TO THE WEB SITES THAT ........"

GOOGLE HAS BOUGHT OUT FEEDBURNER.

Another way to view this blog is by going to

Feeds.feedburner.com/GrowByLearning.

Click Here

APRIL 15TH 2007 THOMAS ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH

APRIL 15TH 2007 THOMAS ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH, LYNCHBURG, VA.

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I am upgrading: the kids bought me a Kodak Digital, I needed an upgraded to use it. The kids bought me a Cannon Scanner, I needed to upgrade. Tim and Sherri gave me a new 19' monitor, I needed to upgrade. Okay I get it, I need to get into 21st century. Now that I have I am learning how to use this new 21st century computer. Now I need a printer/scanner/fax/copier. Oh and now its the High Speed high speed. that is coming Monday.

Can you believe this is my 501st post. This has been a real joy for me, and Charity. Its been a learning experience. Its been good to work with Charity in these projects. And we still like each other.

Today I have learned how to upload pictures again. Maybe. If I could get Stephen to sent the pictures that was taken of us in Lynchburg, that would good to upload on the blog.

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HOW TO DEAL WITH HOMOSEXUALITY

NO MATTER WHAT

THE SIN IS,

HOMOSEXUALITY

OR ANYTHING

ELSE, GOD HAS PROVIDED

FORGIVENESS,

SALVATION,

AND THE HOPE OF

ETERNAL LIFE TO

THOSE WHO REPENT

AND EMBRACE THE

GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

Many of you already know by now, the California Court ruled that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. Does the Bible abide by the California ruling?

They stood and applauded Ellen D on her show as she announced she was finally getting married. To my knowledge, she doesn't claim to be a Bible Christian. Sin is sin if you are a Christian or if you are a Catholic, or even a non-believer in God.

Sin is that which God has deemed (which we do or don't do) is not to His glory.

• Of course we have watched for years this surge of interest in affirming homosexuality. "Whether it's at the heart of a religious scandal, political corruption, radical legislation, or the redefinition of marriage, homosexual interest has come to characterize America." John MacArthur

To think of the success of this agenda, even some national churches have wavered on this issue. To think now, many folks are wavering on this issue that marriage could be man to man and woman with woman. While sin is sin, living with unmarried man and woman is not the same as man with man, I don't think.

A few years ago, ten maybe, your sexual life was not talked about; but if it were, and you were a homosexual, you were not looked upon as normal. Rock Hudson kept this secret until near his death.

Today, it's out in the open. So how should we respond to the success of this agenda that the homosexual community of a few have? Should we just accept this recent trend toward tolerance? Should we just exclude homosexuals with hostility and dislike?

Of course. in my youth we never knew who was a homosexual; therefore, the issue was never an issue. Today, it's okay in many circles to be a homosexual. In the workplace, in the sports field, in college, you now know those who are homosexual. And it seems you really have to balance your response about this issue.

Of course, some advocates have been rather successful or effective in selling their warped interpretations of passages in Scripture that address this issue.

Ask a homosexual what the Bible says about their lifestyle. They will almost to the person say, "I could be a Christian and still have my lifestyle."

Might I say, any pro-homosexual arguments from the Word of God are nothing but strawmen, that is smokescreens.

The activity is the sin. While all men and women are sinners, the activity is sin as well. If God condemns an activity, it is sin. IF the state of California says it's ok, God doesn't change his mind on the issue.

WHY DOES GOD CHARGE THE ACT OF HOMOSEXUALITY AS SIN?

First, it changes God's fundamental design for human relationship - a design that pictures the complementary relationship between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:18-25, Matthew 19:4-6 and Ephesians 5:22-23) You understand that the Christian's first position is to take the view of Scripture.

You rightly ask, "Then why are so many people, and even Christians, persuaded to believe what the homosexuals have said the Bible is saying about their lifestyle?" While the Bible is really clear about this issue, this is rather simple. PEOPLE WANT TO BE CONVINCED. Sinners, Christians and Non-Christians have to defy reason and truth and accept error to quiet their accusing consciences (Romans 2:14-16). Man would rather believe a lie than the truth to cover up their own deeds of sinful living.

While as I learn of some people that I like, are now open about their lifestyles, I must not be hostile toward them. At the same time, I must not yield to say it's now okay to have this lifestyle, since the Courts are saying it's okay.

As Christians we are to uphold the Word of God, not the Courts of the United States in matters that are Biblical. We are not to be intimidated by homosexual advocates and their view of what is sin. Their arguments are without substance.

You can read all the new translations you want to try to convince yourself that lifestyles different from what Scriptures teach is right, and you will still be wrong.

With all this said, there is another side to this. We are to be Biblical in our approach to this issue as we would be to any sinful behavior and to anyone who is in error of their living.

In reality, a person who has not been freed from the bondage of sin, is not free from sinful activity. They really can't see the sinfulness of sin. They are not necessarily being defiant, they really just can't see why what they are doing is wrong.

It's the same I believe, when you are trying to convince a person to become a Christian, and they will say, "Why, I am already a Christian." In their mind they do not see the reason why they are sinners, and God is not accepting of them. Many people are offended when you say they are not going to Heaven unless they are born again. They really believe they are going to Heaven, because God loves all people, and He and Peter will allow all people who are good to enter into Heaven. Isn't that what the world says?

If you have a friend who is homosexual, what do you do? First, don't accept his interpretation of Scripture as truth. It's not. Secondly, do not be intimidated. Because you shouldn't be. Don't get hostile, name calling, or whatever you might like to say. Do as you would be with any person who is not a Christian. If asked what you believe about their lifestyle, don't back down. But also do it as an act of love toward the sinner, "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8.

They might say, "I am a Christian." They might say, "The Bible doesn't say it's wrong." Make sure you understand what the Scripture is saying before you speak so you won't get it wrong. However, remember that only God, by the Holy Spirit, can change hearts and beliefs about their sinful activities.

What you are trying to do is not to bring damnation on the head of homosexuals, you are trying to bring convictions so that they can turn from that sin and embrace the only hope of salvation for all of us sinners- - and that's through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

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MAY 15TH 2008 LOOKING BACK

MAY 15TH 2008

One year ago Charity and I traveled to Lyncbhurg Virginia to visit with my Mom and sister and her son Stephen. Mom wanted to go back to Lynchburg to visit and go to Thomas Road Baptist Church and visit with Jerry and Macel Falwell.


Since Stephen wanted to attend Liberty U. this was a good time for Ellen. We had a great time visiting Mom. On Sunday we attended the Thomas Road Baptist Church, the new building was beautiful. The three services that Sunday and we were in the last two. Jerry Falwell preached and was go as he has always been. Following the service I got up enough nerve to go down an visit Macel. She was as gracious as a preacher's wife. We had a great visit with her and then with Jerry. Then we all went out to eat.


Eating and sitting beside Macel and Jerry was wonderful. Who would have known, one month later Jerry would be called hometo be with the Lord. Jerry said that say, "My dream and plans for TRBC and Liberty U will be fulfilled by my sons."


Mom this year 2008 was 86 years old. And we traved to Texas to visit. Ellen had a birthday today and is doing just great.


I am still working on this new computer and hope to be up and running by next Tuesday with some new High Speed. And getting all the software running.

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CHANGE IS CHALLENGING 2008

TODAY MAY 15TH 2008

Change is challenging. Yesterday I finally bought a new computer. Since I had a new monitor, (given to me by a frined) with a gift from my daughter, I had enough money to purchase an XP Home computer. Well, it's been since 2003 that I have had a Windows 98. Change was needed

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Rather than change out the old harddrive I went with the new. This means adding all the software. This is going to take time and losing all the other saved material. This is going to be like getting rid of all your 20 years of old clothes. This also means I am going to up date to high speed. Dial Up has been my life for five years. But with time I will get back on track.

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TODAY IS ALSO MY SISTER'S BIRTHDAY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLEN SAMPLES

MY DESK TAKES ON A NEW LOOK

MY DESK AT HOME HAS TAKEN ON A NEW LOOK

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With a Bible open and a picture of my wife looking at me, these things will cause me to study diligently. With a new monitor to view the material, I have more room on the desk. Oh and a cup of coffee at hand, and a few Hot Wheels to keep me balance.

I have added FeedBurner to the Blooger. I am not really sure what that really means, or if that will help the readers of the Blog, but they say it will.

My Blogger is different then my Homestead Site. They both have GROW BY LEARNING title. The URL to the blogger is CWhisna.blogspot.com and the URL for the Website is Growbylearning.com.

Thank you for the e mail Charity and I have received in response to some of the articles on the Blogger.

LARGEST SUNDAY SCHOOLS OF 1969 WHERE ARE THEY NOW

THE LARGEST SUNDAY SCHOOLS OF 1969

WHAT ARE THEY DOING IN 2008

40 YEARS LATER

Revitalize Your Church: Top Ten Sunday Schools 40 Years Later

• In 1969 I was really into the top 100 churches in America. I was married in June 1969. I had just finished Seminary in May of 1969. I was attending Gideon Baptist Church and was the church Bus Director, and Charity and I were directors of the Children's Church Ministry.

I had read Elmer Towns' book, America's Top 100 Sunday Schools, and I had this idea of writing those churches and asking for information about their Sunday School and Church. Eighty-five churches responded back, and I received their newsletters. Over the next few years I received thousands of papers, and I cataloged them all by churches. What a resource of information.

I had wondered how those churches were doing. Today I received a email from Todd A. Rhoades and he mention the churches of 1969 that gave information about these churches. And he give the link above about the same churches. Read both articles.

Of the top ten Sunday Schools in 1969, I have visited eight. I was just in Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg in May of 2007. TRBC is the only church that is still in the top ten in attendance. All eight churches had ties to the Bible Baptist Seminary in Arlington, Texas, founded by J. Frank Norris. They had ties with the Baptist Bible Seminary in Springfield, MO.

Charity and I went to Thomas Road Baptist Church in 1970, and I had told Charity I knew Jerry Falwell personally. She said, "Right." That is a story that I will post later this week. His picture is at the top of this post. He passed away May 15, 2007.

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THEOLOGICAL WORD OF THE DAY

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I was on this site C. Michael Patton, he was posting about "Would the Real Emerger Please Stand up? and in the process he had "Theological Word of the Day" feed. For fun, I thought I would provide this feed on my blog. So let's see how this works, and if it is correct.

TODAY CHARITY IS MOTHER OF THE YEAR 2008

Mother of Eric, Becky, Chad and Kyle

• Today I have had my mother for 60 years.
• Charity as been the mother of my childen a mother for 37 years.
  
• Today Charity will be without her mother for the first time.
  
• Today Eric, Becky, Chad, and Kyle will call their mother. They sent her a bow k (bouquet) of flowers from Eric and Leslie, Becki and Joe, Chad and Heather, Kyle and Brittany.
  
• Today Leslie my daughter in law will have a mother’s day without our granddaughter Katie.
  

Charity lost her mother this year, and Leslie lost her little girl.

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Motherhood starts at the moment you are pregnant with a child, and you will be a mother until you die. I remember Mrs. Dennison who was 90 was always concerned with her daughter who was 70. I heard of a lady who was 103 who took care of her 86 year old daughter. You are always a mother.

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When I was pastor/teacher in Altoona, we always had a mother of the year. This was always a very special time with all of our mothers. I wish I could describe to you every mother at First Baptist Church, Altoona, Kansas. What a privilege to know them and to learn from them.

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Motherhood is difficult isn’t it? If I would ask Mom about raising us children, I am sure she would say, "It wasn’t so hard." Mothers seem to say that. She believes I was just about perfect, and Don was the hard case (and her favorite), and then there is my sister Ellen, who really was a case load. But you know, Mom would say, "It’s been no really big deal." Mothers do that you know. Now Ellen is a mother of a fine young man, and a mother to a beautiful young married mother of three, April Williams.


Moms spend a lot of time doing for their kids. They spend a lot of time crying over their kids.

They spend a lot of time praying for them. They spend a lot of time feeling guilty about things they wished they had done for their kids; and they are happy about how their kids love them.

They love the phone calls from their kids. She loves them when they help put up the Christmas tree, that her husband has refused to do for ever. (who would that be?). She loves her kids when they get together and provide heat for the house, and a dehumidifier (d who did a fly er), and other helpful ideas. Kids are great when they grow up.

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Mothers love their kids, even when they are in each others faces. Mothers! We generally don’t really like them until we grow up or become parents ourselves.

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MOTHERS ARE A GIFTED FROM GOD, DON'T YOU THINK!

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Charles Proofread by Charity who corrected the word dehumidifier for me.

ANNA JARVIS....

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but even the "mother" of Mother's Day was disappointed at the commercialisation of the event and ended up getting arrested after protesting at a Mother's Day festival. American Anna Jarvis, who made it her life's mission to have an official day honouring mothers proclaimed, confessed before her death in 1948 that she regretted having ever having started the Mother's Day tradition.But honouring mothers is not new. According to cards.com, the earliest tributes to mothers date back to the annual spring festival the Greeks dedicated to Rhea, the mother of many deities, and to the offerings ancient Romans made to their Great Mother of Gods, Cybele. Christians celebrated this festival on the fourth Sunday in Lent in honour of Mary, mother of Christ.


In England the holiday was expanded to include all mothers and was called Mothering Sunday.However, the modern celebration was the brain child of Jarvis, in honour of her own mother, also named Anna.In 1905 when Anna Jarvis (snr) died, her daughter started a campaign to memorialize the life work of her mother and began to lobby prominent businessmen and politicians.In 1908, Anna wrote to the Andrew's Methodist Church in West Virginia requesting that a Mother's Day service be held in honour of her mother, who was a Sunday school teacher at the church. The first official Mother's Day celebration was held at the church on May 10, 1908.

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Jarvis sent 500 white carnations to be worn by each son and daughter and two by each mother in attendance. Five years later, the US house of representatives adopted a resolution calling for officials of the federal government to wear white carnations on Mother's Day.

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In 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed a Bill recognizing Mother's Day as a national holiday.According to mothersdaycentral.com, the holiday flourished in the US and flowers, especially white carnations, became very popular. One business journal, Florists Review, went so far as to print, "This was a holiday that could be exploited."The commercialization of the day disturbed Jarvis so much that in 1923 she sued to stop a Mother's Day event, and, according to mothersdaycentral.com, in the 1930s she was arrested for disturbing the peace at the American War Mothers group - protesting against their sale of flowers.

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In 1938 an article in Time magazine reported that Jarvis was fighting to copyright Mother's Day.

On its website mothersdaycentral.com said in opposition to the flower industry's exploitation of the holiday, Jarvis wrote, "What will you do to rout charlatans, bandits, pirates, racketeers, kidnappers and other termites that would undermine with their greed one of the finest, noblest and truest movements and celebrations?" Jarvis died in 1948, blind, poor and childless. However, Mother's Day lives on and it continues to be a bumper weekend for florists, restaurants and gift shops.

EXPLANATION OF TERMS ASSOCIATED WITH BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION

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I know, what you might be saying: "theological teaching is for the Seminary not the church. " But can I say, every church, every pastor and teacher, and preacher, has a belief system of what is believed about the Bible. They may not use the terms, but they have the belief. And their belief will lead to what they teach, preach. Know the terms and you will generally know where they are going with what they believe. Of course some people are all over the board with what they believe.

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TERMS:

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Hermeneutics

• is the science and art of Biblical interpretation.

Dispensationalism

• is that system of theology which attempts to develop the Bible’s philosophy of history on the basis of the sovereign rule of God. It represents the whole of Scripture and history as being covered by several dispensations of God’s rule. In this system there are usually, but not always, seven dispensations.

Covenant Theology

• is that system of theology which represents the whole of Scripture as being covered by two or three covenants. It explains all relationships between God and man from the beginning to the end of time under the Covenant of Works, the Covenant of Grace, and (sometimes) the Covenant of Redemption. Reformed/Covenant theologians teach that Old Testament Israelites and New Testament believers are one people and that the church is but a continuation and successor of Israel. The church is usually understood as including the saints of all the ages. They teach that the church, as the successor of Israel, has now absorbed and appropriated Old Testament prophecies and promises. According to their thinking, the promises which God made to Israel are now being fulfilled by the church or they have been forfeited because of Israel’s unbelief. The aspect of Covenant Theology which teaches that the church has inherited God’s promises made to Israel is known as Replacement Theology. Covenant Theology is directly opposed to Dispensationalism which makes a clear and Biblical distinction between God’s program for Israel and God’s program for the church.

Reformed Theology

• is closely related to Covenant Theology. The relationship is so strong that R. C. Sproul even acknowledges that Reformed Theology has been nicknamed Covenant Theology. Covenant Theology developed out of Reformed Theology after the Reformation. There are two doctrines which are central to the Reformed Theology: Covenant Theology and Five Point Calvinism.

The Millennium or Millennial Kingdom

• is a period of one thousand years often identified with the many promises of the Old Testament of a coming kingdom of righteousness and peace on earth. Premillennialism is that system of theology which teaches that the second coming of Christ precedes the millennium. All Dispensationalists are Premillennial, whereas only a segment of Covenant Theologians are.

Postmillennialism

• is that system of theology which teaches that the second coming of Christ follows the millennium. Postmillennialism holds that this present age will end with a period of great spiritual blessing corresponding to the millennial promises accomplished through the preaching of the gospel. The whole world will be Christianized before the return of Christ. This view is held by a segment of Covenant Theologians.
  

Amillennialism (literally No-Millennium)

• is that system of theology which rejects the idea of a literal millennium. The major segment of Covenant Theology embraces Amillennialism.
  

Preterism

• is that system of theology which teaches that prophetic events were actually fulfilled at the time they were written and are now in the past. Christ is viewed as already having come to destroy Jerusalem (A.D. 70) and establish His kingdom. Preterists are either Amillennial or Postmillennial.

Sources: These definitions are taken from the writings of John Walvoord, Charles Ryrie, Renald
Showers, Thomas Ice, George Zeller, Laurence Vance and Arnold Fruchtenbaum. Dictionary of Theological Terms.

INDEPENDENT BAPTIST and SOME OTHER CHURCHES

• WHAT ARE THESE TERMS ABOVE? WE JUST BELIEVE THE BIBLE.
• Doctrine or Theology is for the Seminary not the Church.
• Members will generally never hear these terms.
• Most churches have a doctrinal statement. "Statement of Faith".
• The Teaching will always lead to one of the Terms stated above.
• The Teaching/Preaching will always have a "hermeneutical element."
  

THE WORKPLACE IS TO BE UNTO THE LORD

Today Charity and I will be working a few extra hours at our respective jobs. We have always viewed our secular jobs as a ministry unto the Lord. Where we are washing dishes or making wheat bread we enjoy our time we are at work. When you are in the workplace and you are known as a Christian, you need to realize that you work as unto the Lord and to allow others to see your testimony for Christ.

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Too often I hear what others are saying about others who work in the workplace. I often ask myself, "What are they saying about me when I leave work?" I wonder what my employer is saying about my work on the job? At the end of the day, I want to make sure I have a clear conscience that I have done the best possible service as I possibly can.
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My employer in the secular workplace, or my Savior in the Christian ministry is to be done as unto the Lord. When I have left a ministry in a local church or in a job, I need to be able to say, "I have a clear conscience, that I have done the best possible job that I have been allowed to do.

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Then I can walk away with the knowledge I have done my best.

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WHERE DO I COME UP WITH WHAT I WRITE ABOUT SCRIPTURE AND THEOLOGY
LEARNING TO SAY WHAT YOU HAVE READ IN YOUR OWN WORDS.
SAYING THE SAME THING IN DIFFERENT WORDS !

I can talk from Ohio to Texas without notes, Charity tells me, so why do I use notes when I preach? I generally don’t say, "Charity, I got this point from MacArthur, Spurgeon and Edwards." But when I preach I am trying to be correct. And when I write on the blog, I do try to be as correct as possible.

Can I say up front in blogging, I am generally not the first person to come up with what I say.
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When I am speaking of theology, there are far too many good people out in the Blogger and Wordpress and Com. etc that do a far better job then I, and will address the issues of the day. If I were to give credit for what I say, I would have to say, every article I write has the flavor of what I have read in some book or article on the Web.

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I have no problem giving credit to anyone. I love to drop names of those who I am reading. As much as I read Blogs, I note that there are a lot of the same quotes, from the same folks. You can quote Spurgeon, the Puritans, Calvin, Edwards, Packer, MacArthur, Luther, and all those folks.
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From the very start of my ministry, I have said up front in my teaching, I study from those who know more than I do. I am not your typical fundamentalist who claims he only reads the Bible for his sermons. I remember trying out for a church in Texas when I was in Seminary and I used notes when I preached and the committee said they didn’t believe preachers should use notes. I do not think I have taught many lessons or preached sermons that have not being bathed in a lot of research and study.
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I believed when I was called to preached that God would give me an extra ability to know the Scripture without research and study and prayer and learning. I believed I would have a better ability to write and think and a skill of better interpretation of Scripture. As a matter of fact I have felt guilty that I have not been able to.
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Instant interpretation of any verse in the Bible has never been something I have had the ability to do.
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Of course, now after some forty years of study, I have retained some of what I have read and studied and have been able to assess and build a frame around what I believe about the Scripture. Today I most likely could give you an opinion on just about any subject in the Scripture. But I have not stopped learning.
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So when someone says "Charles, what do you think?" I will gladly say what I believe. What I believe has come with a lot of study. What I hope is happening in my mind, is that the Holy Spirit is helping me have the right direction in my thinking.
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So when you read this blog about theology in Scripture, remember it’s from a lot of study and research from those who I trust the most to learn from over the last few decades. What I write is not in a total vacuum, where I get it just from my own mind without study.

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