When Foundations Crumble

This is the Voice of One.

So here we are halfway through the year 2011. I’m not so sure I like 2011, because it is the year that forces of nature threw a mighty temper tantrum and a big chunk of my hometown disappeared. This disaster weighs heavy on many hearts. From posts from my Facebook friends it is clear that not only are folks who presently live in Joplin affected, but a lot of Joplin expats (those who have moved away) grieve also.

I remember many years ago, back in the day, when I was a young single reporter in Joplin. It was in the wee hours of the morning (about 2:00am if I recall) and I’m driving through the downtown area of 4^th and Main, on down toward 2^nd. When what did I see but someone come to the corner of the intersection and start hawking the latest edition of the Joplin Globe. What they were doing there, and just how many papers they thought they were going to sell remains a mystery to me this day. I saw him there more than once, and I saw him sell a paper or two to passers by. Perhaps he was just waiting on a particular customer to come by before going on to other routes? Who knows. But as I’m driving on by there on this particular night I saw a fire truck on its way back to the main station, there off Virginia Ave. at City Hall, and it struck me: this all just looked so “America!” I had recently been to Fred and Red’s (the joint just featured on “No Reservations” with Anthony Bourdain on the Travel Channel) and the thought occurred to me at that time, you know, when you’ve got counter top lunch spots like Fred and Red’s still to go to, when guys still hawk newspapers on the street corner, and who doesn’t love fire trucks? Well, I thought, the Republic is just fine. All is well with the world, and all is as it should be in these here United States of America. That was so long ago!

But now things are so very different. And maybe this is why we grieve so much. It’s not just buildings and property and landmarks that are gone (not to mention the human cost!), it’s a place called home that was supposed to be there now and forevermore. It was a foundation to our world, and even though we travel far and away still we know that we can come back to our foundation and see it as it’s always been, to drive its streets to walk the mall to stroll downtown to know and feel our own security, our own little world. We took this for granted.

But no more. It’s gone, and so is our security and so is the foundation to a big chunk of our world. Yes, Joplin will rebuild. But it’s our foundation, our home world, if you will, that we grieve.

So I guess it’s true after all. At the end of the day all we really have to cling to is God. Now, when we say “I have a home in Heaven,” I guess we’ll have to mean it!

Closed Circuit to Oak Manorites…

Big doings going on at the church. The A/C in the activities building has given up the ghost and it is going to cost some sheckles to get it going again. Your Chairman of the Board, your Deacon in charge of Buildings and Grounds and your Pastor had a meeting today to discuss these things, the long and short of that being we need to discuss this at the regularly scheduled monthly board meeting coming up Sunday. We have some thoughts on the matter, and are anxious to solicit yours.

The Dave Whitmire Prayer group meets Saturday at 6pm at the Whitmire home in Springdale. Great food, fellowship and industrial strength prayer are on the agenda. You are invited!

Carolyn is going to spend some time in Joplin this weekend. She sent a post out with ideas if you have a desire to go and help out. If you want in on any of that action contact her.

Top Ten List of Armageddon Letdowns

This is the Voice of One.

Here we go again. Once more a would-be prophet has decided that he has figured out The End of Days. Cool! So with that in mind, here is a top ten list of Armageddon Letdowns¹!

10. And heeeere’s God!

Taiwan native Hon-Ming Chen founded a toxic mix of Buddhism, Taoism, and UFOlogy called God’s Salvation Church that showed up in the U.S. in the early 90s. 160 of them set up shop in Garland, Texas in 1997. Their big prophecy: that at 12:01 a.m. on March 31, 1998, God would appear on a single TV channel across North America and save his followers from the doomed planet. So when God missed his cue and the TV show didn’t happen the group became, shall we say, confused. Chen is reported to have offered himself up to be stoned or crucified, but thankfully for him nobody took him up on it. The group dissolved, many of them going back home to Taiwan.

9. The Amazing Criswell Amazes! Not!

They called him "The Amazing Criswell." Charles Criswell King was a radio and TV broadcaster turned psychic. In March 1963, he “correctly” announced that John F Kennedy wouldn't run for re-election in 1964 because "something was going to happen to him." Riding that lucky shot to fame, Criswell predicted back in 1968 that the world would to cease to exist on August 18, 1999. Oops.

8. 88 Reasons Why Jesus Didn’t Return in 1988!
You’d think he’d be smarter than that.. Edgar C. Whisenant was a former NASA engineer and a bible student. He sold four and a half million copies of his tome, “88 Reasons Why The Rapture Could Be In 1988.” Televangelists took up the cause and started airing tips on how to get ready. This reporter, your humble servant, covered this story and recalls how folks maxed out credit cards and walked off jobs and all kinds of stuff because the end is here. Oops. Didn’t happen. I know. My camera was rolling on the Fayetteville square at the appointed hour. So when this didn’t happen, he went on to recalculate his prediction to1989, 1993, and 1994, writing books for each year. Sales weren’t so strong.

7. UFO’s To The Rescue!

I think we all remember the Heaven's Gate cult, a UFO-centered group based in San Diego. Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles were co-gurus. Their big thing was that our planet was about to be "recycled," and the only chance for human survival was to escape on a UFO trailing the Haley-Bopp Comet. On March 26, 1997 (when Hale-Bopp was at its brightest) the bodies of 39 members of the group were discovered by police. I guess they had beamed aboard the UFO by committing mass suicide. We’re still waiting for the earth to be "recycled."

6. Y2K!
Remember all the hysteria about how all computers will shut down when the year 2000 hits, because when many manufacturers made computers they didn’t put “19” in the year but just used the last two digits. For instance, 1988 was just 88 to the computer, and so when the ascending numbers suddenly become invalid we would see worldwide computer failure and Armageddon. Maybe it was the preparation that went in to forestall the computer glitch, or maybe it just was not big deal to begin with but either way Y2K was a bust. Thankfully!

5. 1844: It’s Miller Time!
He was a prosperous farmer, a devout Baptist and a man who became infatuated with prophetic symbolism. William Miller boldly predicted the coming of Christ, eventually focusing on 1844 as the date. He garnered a large following who became known as “Millerites.” When Miller Time hit in 1844, well, nothing happened. It was dubbed “The Great Disappointment.” The sect drifted away disenchanted and confused. And disappointed.

4. The Sun Goes Kaboom!! Well, maybe not.
A meteorologist by the name of Albert Porta came up with the amazing prediction that on December 17, 1919 an alignment of six planets would create such a significant magnetic current that the sun would explode, engulfing poor helpless planet Earth. Oops.

3. Nostradamus (that’s all you need to say!)
Folks have gleaned such things from his writings as Hitler’s rise, The Great Fire of London, and even the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the death of Princess Diana. Wow. This guy was good! Well, maybe not. Apparently his so called predictions was just weird stuff he made up, and then his words have been twisted around to fit whatever someone wants it to fit. Remember his prediction that in "1999 and seven months . . . from the sky will come the great king of terror." Well, something may have fallen from the sky that day but we missed out on all the terror.

2. December 2012! Oh My! Oh My!
Here is the big one right now. It seems that the Mayan Calendar abruptly ends in December 2012. Because of this, every apocalyptic vision under the sun has been prophesied. We don’t know what will happen, but we do know this for a fact. The Mayan calendar abruptly ends in December of 2012. Who knows. Maybe they had company…like the Spanish Conquistadores? Maybe their union contract ran out? Maybe they lost interest? Maybe they ran out of stone to write it on? Stay turned, we have a year and half to go on this one!

And the number one Armageddon Letdown:

1. 5pm Local Time May 21^st 2011: Panic Now!

Well, we have to put this one up because it expires tomorrow (at this writing). Some California radio pastor named Harold Camping says he has researched the Bible and says that on May 21^st 2011 there will be a world wide earthquake that signals the Rapture and the end of the planet in a process that culminates with the utter destruction of earth in October of this year. The media is awash in it as his followers spread across the planet bringing the message of doom. Never mind this is not the first date he’s put forward for this to occur. There is so much that I could say here I will just leave it at this:

What part of “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father . . .” do they not understand?²

Let’s try that again:

What part of “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father . . . ” do they not understand?

Do you understand? I think you get the point.

I’ll see you Sunday morning!

Closed Circuit to Oak Manorites:

Thank you for your responses to prayer requests for Jordan Powers. We shall see the Lord’s will be done!

Don’t forget that on June 5^th we are going to be honoring our graduates. Graduate Recognition Day is Sunday, June 5^th and we will be having a reception after church. Please bring snacks, finger foods, cookies, and so forth. We will be honoring and recognizing Karina Crabb, Jordan Powers and Amber Mackey

Also, remember that this Sunday we will have our monthly board meeting. We will convene right after church services. Please make every effort to attend!

I’ll see you Sunday morning, if not before!

This is the Voice of One

Isaiah 40:2-4

² Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD’s hand
double for all her sins.

³ A voice of one calling:
“In the desert prepare
the way for the LORD^[a];
make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God.^[b]
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.

¹The source of much of this post is here: http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/scitech/2011/01/01/doomsday-duds-armageddon-predictions-proven-wrong/#ixzz19oXTffHp

² See Matthew 24:36

April 23, 1976 + 35

April 23 1976 was the happiest day of my life. It was on that day that I, accompanied by my best friends, followed Pastor Irv Dally into the sanctuary of Blendville Christian Church in Joplin. Moments later as I stood there, the most beautiful woman in the world strolled down the aisle of said church (with her dad, Orval) and astounded all (and ignored the advice of all!) and said “I do” when Irv asked Carolyn Eldridge if she would take little ol’ me as her lawfully wedded husband.

That was 35 years ago. Wow. She’s one tough mama to put up with me all these years!

Back in those days there was a song that was popular that hit the charts when we were dating. It was “Love Will Keep Us Together” by The Captain and Tenille. To hear that song transports me in time back to those happy early days. Love has kept us together, as well as a dependence on both each other and on our Awesome God.

It hasn’t always been easy, of course. Carolyn made a commitment early in our relationship that she would never consider divorce. Murder, yes! But divorce? No!

The years rolled on, and along came Josh, Amber and Jordan. Those three little kids are now grown up adults themselves. They’ve all been taller than me for more years than not, it seems! And of course there is the joy of our beautiful granddaughters, Kaila and Eliana and our grandson, Conner, who we really did pump full of sugar and caffeine once and send home. Yes, it is satisfying.

So here we are traveling together on the long and winding road of this wonderful thing we call life. “It’s you and me against the world!” I would say. 35 years later, I find myself wishing the world hadn’t of won so much!

Right now there are problems and hassles and uncertainties abound. Still, though, it can be said that life is sweet. We have our awesome family, we have our awesome church family that means more to us than you will ever know, and we have each other. And we have the Lord.

Amber said to me once that she cannot imagine Carolyn and I not being together. Neither can I.

To Carolyn what can I say but I love you now and forevermore!

I’d call that a successful marriage by any standard!

Rare photographs from the rehearsal dinner. First: Tommy poses for the camera next to Bill Lisle. These folks were the bride's members of the wedding party. Second: My mom and dad, best man Johnny Willis, my sister Dana, and two of the most precious people this world has ever known: Irv and Betty Dally. Third: a scurvy band o'cut throats known as the groom's members of the wedding party. Ted and Barbara Easley, Bob Phillips, the Russells, and the Richardsons.

Johnny Willis (best man), Steve Russell (groomsman), Your Humble Correspondent (groom, yes I was smoking a Winston Menthol 100 when this photo was taken), and Ted Easley (groomsman).

The early years!

Ps: Oh, remember The Captain and Tenille? Did you know they were married? And do you know they are still married, and having enjoyed a long career in the music world they live now in Prescott, Arizona. Love kept them together, and it will keep us together as well. Live well in the Lord!

This is the Voice of One!

Welcome to April!

In the news this hour, the 2011 baseball season has started. I always look forward to the opening day because this is the one day that I earnestly seek a win by the Kansas City Royals. You see, having once lived in Kansas City and having spent the majority of my life in the proximity of Kansas City I cannot help but feel a measure of loyalty to Kansas City teams, such as the Royals and the Chiefs. I really want them to win the first game or two, so that for one glorious day I can brag about the undefeated Royals! Our own Mike Armstrong was at the season opener, so luck was in the air! Play ball!!

What? The Royals lost to the evil Los Angeles Angels, 4-2? I am denied! Oh well, there’s always next year. Which brings up the point, when you begin the year by saying “there’s always next year,” maybe it’s time to find another team?? Sigh. I think I’m going to stick with the Arkansas Naturals. I love going to those games, so take me out to the ball game! Take me out to the park….

We have to talk about something serious now. Folks, there is a segment of our society that has been neglected when it comes to holidays. Christians have Easter and Christmas, Jewish people have Passover and Hanukah, Muslims have, oh, what do they have? Ramadan or whatever it is. Wiccans even have Halloween, fer cryin’ out loud!

Pity the poor atheists. They have nothing. All the people groups of the world have a special holiday of their very own, but atheists? Nothing! Zero! Zip! Nada! I think that’s so sad!

But that all changes now! By special Congressional decree, President Obama has signed a proclamation declaring today, April 1^st, as Atheist Affirmation Day! Woohoo! At last the recognition they deserve!

Congratulations. See Psalm 14:1.

Finally in the news this hour, We continue to pray for the Mustard Seed Global Fellowship as they work in Japan. Here is an excerpt from their latest update:

The team in Ishinomaki has established a supply storehouse in the sanctuary of a local church. Many people who have had no previous connection with the church are hearing about the supplies being provided and going there to get the food, water, hygiene kits, diapers, and other supplies that our MSGF guys are busy keeping stocked and organized.

When they aren’t making trips to Sendai for gas and supplies to keep the church stocked, they have had multiple opportunities to help the helpless in Ishinomaki. They went to the home of an 80-year-old woman who is a member of the church where they are staying. Her home had been completely flooded, so they worked hard to remove damaged appliances, waterlogged tatami mats, and clean out the grime and mud that coated everything.

James 1:27 says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Christians helping Christians can be a powerful testimony to those outside the faith. The widow’s neighbor saw what our team was doing and was very touched. She came over to talk to them and thank them for helping her elderly neighbor. They took the opportunity to pray for her and Andy Rodriguez explained that the woman began weeping as they prayed for her. It was a very powerful moment.

And there is much more. One question: how can we help them? Whatever it is we can do to help them is our responsibility before the Lord! You might go to their web site www.msgf.com where you can find a link to donate.

Closed Circuit to Oak Manorites:

We've been praying for baby Heidi earnestly: last report they have the newborn's chest closed, and she's doing well. Keep those prayers going ever heavenward!

Final personal note: after such a dreary week I so look forward to surrounding myself with my church family, which is true family. Our topic this coming Sunday is a very serious one. We are going to talk about suffering. Why do we live in a world with suffering? Let’s cut out the trite old adages and get down to the question and answer it. We will do that Sunday morning. I’ll see you there!

A Bit of Disappointment In My Life

-in this edition of The Voice of One, a slimy movie producer pushes anti-Christian themes, a news commentator spews stupidity, a new translation of the Bible panders to the politically correct, and we see a group of awesome people doing an incredible great work amongst a noble and proud people. Read on!

So there is a bit of disappointment in my life right now. I have really been looking forward to seeing the new movie “Paul” which opens today nationwide. I figured I would grab Jordan and we’d rush off to the theatre to see what promises to be a very funny movie.

But I will not be seeing this movie after all. In it, two guys traveling across the desert happen upon an alien who has escaped from Area 51. Chased by the evil FBI, they help the alien return home. Lots of funny stuff, according to the ads. But apparently this movie has a very strong anti-Christian theme. A review I read says that one of the characters is a Christian. But when zapped by a vision that refutes her faith and dogma, she recants her faith and the party starts. Kinda sorta.

Oh, give me a break! A fake Christian sees fake, made up data from a fake, made up cartoon character and so she has a fake recantation of her fake faith. No biggie, I guess but you and I both know that those who hate the church will cheer. And I’m supposed to spend my money to help this?

Here’s what I think. The producers of this fine piece of work are cowards. Sissies. Wusses. Chicken! So they attack Christianity. What’s the church going to do about it? Nothing!

My challenge to them is this: how about you produce a movie doing a similar number on Islam! Yes! There’s the ticket!!

What? You say you can’t? Why not? Are you cowards? Sissies? Wusses? Are you chicken? Of course you are! You know what they’d do. As I think about what they’d do to you, I recall the theme of an old, old movie: “Now, that’s entertainment!” (let the hate mail begin!)

It has become very vogue to trash anything smacking of Christianity. MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell spewed this week when another commentator referenced the book of Revelation when talking about the Japanese situation. O’Donnell said the book of Revelation is a work of fiction describing how a truly vicious God would bring about the end of the world. No half smart religious person actually believes the book of Revelation, O’Donnell ranted. They, the enlightened, are certain their God would never turn into a malicious torturer and mass murderer beyond Hitler’s wildest dream.

Wow. To showcase such Biblical ignorance and stupidity on national television is distressing, really. How embarrassing! O’Donnell has no idea what Revelation is about. None. Zero. Zip. Nada. But sad to say less than knowledgeable people might fall for it.

There’s a lot more anti-God sludge forging its own tsunami across the theological landscape. It seems the new 2011 version of the NIV bible translation has removed most sexist language (he is them, fishers of men has become fishers of people, and so forth) although God is still referred to in the masculine tense. That’s all fine and well to make the Bible politically correct, I guess. But did you know they took away Mary’s virginity? She is no longer a virgin, but a young woman. The translators will say that technically the original word is young woman. Technically, perhaps. But it also means virgin, and in this application it has for thousands of years.

John the Apostle said in his Epistle that there are many anti-Christs, and you can tell who they are because they are supposed to be Christians, but deny Christ and lead folks astray.

There is a tsunami of blasphemy and heresy sweeping the churches in a big way. Since the fall of Rome, according to one view of Revelations that I think is pretty good, Satan’s power has been abridged and cut back. This was graphically illustrated in Revelation by the vision of the thousand years. But I fear that thousand year stretch is over. We have entered the time when “Satan will be released from his prison ⁸ and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. ⁹ They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves.” (Rev 20:7b-9)

We are living and breathing Armageddon here and now. It is everywhere around you. You can’t even go to the movies and escape! All we can do is follow the advice of Paul and put on the full armor of faith (see Ephesians 6).

So, back about the movie. Yes, they have every right in the world to make it. But I have every right in the world not to watch it. I will spend my money elsewhere and if you were thinking about seeing this movie, I urge you to do the same. And that's too bad. It does look funny.

In other news,

Who could not be anything but impressed with the awesome Japanese people, who have shown what they are really made of? In the wake of the terrible earthquake and tsunami we notice there has been no looting, no riots, no fighting as folks scramble for survival. No mobs at places were commodities are handed out, but instead orderly lines. We cannot help but remember the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and that awful mess and all that nastiness. Every time back in the day when I covered a tornado I noticed that either National Guards or law enforcement was posted to keep out looters. Doesn’t that make you feel ashamed, America?

Japan is not a Christian nation as such, yet they embody Christian principles in a way we Americans will never achieve.

I want you to go online to the website of the Mustard Seed Global Fellowship (http:://www.msgf.com). You will find some Ozark Christian College folks doing a great job in planting churches in Japan, and right now they are working at bringing relief to this great land and this great people. Click on the link to the churches, and click on that link to hear sermons. It’s very interesting! Carolyn and I threw a few shekels their way. You might ponder the same!

This is The Voice of One.

Isaiah 40:3

A Frightening Friday Morning

Good Friday! Yes, this is the weekend I've spent all year dreading! Daylight Savings Time (a tool of the devil) kicks in this weekend. So that means when you go to bed Saturday night set your clocks ahead one hour (remember: spring ahead/fall back). Yes, we shall be robbed of an hour of precious sleep. Actually, a lot of folks like Daylight Savings Time so what can we say but welcome to an extra hour of blessed sunshine!

The Mighty Mighty Prayer Warriors of Oak Manor CC have been summoned to arise and lift up industrial strength prayer for so many bad things going on right now. I'm referring, of course, to the horrific news coming out of Japan. Officials are calling it the worst earthquake in Japan since records were kept, and the body count continues to rise. The tsunami is hitting Hawaii and even the west coast of the United States is under the gun as the tsumani arrives on our shores.

Can you imagine the power of something that can send waves of water surging all the way across the Pacific Ocean? Truly, the puny, pathetic power of the hand of man pales in comparison to the hand of God!

I am very happy and relieved to report that folks we know in Japan are checking in and are Ok. Our daughter-in-law Ryoko got through on the phone to her mom this morning. Everyone is Ok, and her brother Muneo has been stuck sleeping in his office because the trains are down.

There is a church planting group from Ozark Christian College operating in Japan. The Mustard Seed group has checked in and they are all right. Team member Brigette Relyea, daughter of missionary Marsha Relyea, reports on her Facebook page: “After the big earthquake, we are all Ok here in Nagoya! But please pray for the people who have been/are being hit by the tsunami on the northeast coast.”

A serviceman on our Military Prayer List, David Kelly in South Korea reports that Korea has been shielded from the quake and tsunami. “Everything is Ok,” he writes. News reports indicate military resources all through the Pacific are on high alert.

Industrial strength prayer is called for! And not just here in the Pacific, but you may be recall missionary Christina Skelton has had to be evacuated from the Ivory Coast in Africa due to civil strife that is ravaging through that country. News reports today indicate the government of disputed President Laurent Gbagbo has banned United Nations and French peacekeeping aircraft from flying in Ivory Coast, as the African Union considers how to resolve the crisis. Christina has been safe so far: more industrial strength prayer is needed!

As all of this is going on, it seems like we are having a political meltdown in this country, which has dominated the news of late as all kinds of rather disconcerting rhetoric is being launched by less than responsible individuals who feed on all the chaos. Yes, more industrial strength prayer is needed!

This is the call. Pray hard!!

Closed Circuit to Oak Manorites:

There are two prime opportunities for all of us to gather together for some pure industrial strength prayer. The first of these is the Dave Whitmire Prayer Group, which kicks off Saturday evening at Dave and Janice’s house at 6pm, Central Standard Time (CST). The second opportunity will come Sunday morning when we gather together for Sunday School action which kicks off at 9am Central Daylight Time (CDT), and our worship services that begin at 10am CDT.

So how about some happy news? Our WISH ladies are hosting a special meeting tomorrow, Saturday March 11^th from 11am to 1pm CST. Special Guest Cheryl Hill is going to be on hand to discuss “New Beginnings.” Ladies! Be there or be square

Pastor Mackster

Ps: How do you know if you’re going to heaven? Can you know if you’re going to heaven? I have the answer for you Sunday morning! I’ll see you then.

I'm In Love With God

I'm in love with God. It's as simple as that.

Ok, so here we are in this world that is cursed and fallen and we are cursed and fallen and wretched in so many ways. We want to be reunited with our Heavenly Dad, but we are just too nasty and naughty to pull it off.

Here's the problem. God, who is perfection, cannot tolerate anything that is imperfect. That's the very nature of God. So when he demands that we, his creatures, also be perfect as he is perfect, well, then, we're in big trouble. We can't do that. We can't pull it off.

Why would God make such a demand of us? Did he intentionally raise the celestial bar too high, so that we cannot help but be left out? Are we striving for our own version of perfection in vain, while God sits back laughing at us knowing we're going to fail?

Well, no.

Ponder, if you will, two aspects of the nature of God. First is the Righteousness of God, the part of God that demands justice. God, being perfection, cannot tolerate even one little itsy bitsy tiny minor sin by one of us, his creatures. None. Zero. Zip. Nada. To accept even one little itsy bitsy tiny minor sin by one of us, his creatures, violates his perfection. Can't be done. So when we do something bad the righteousness of God demands punishment, and will not be denied.

Secondly, however, is the love of God. The love of God demands that even though the creature has really blown it, God and his creature shall be reunited. Period. This love of God will not be denied.

So you see the crisis of the cosmos. How do you punish the creature (the only punishment is the death of the imperfect, flawed creature, by the way) and still be reunited with it? Can't be done. Or can it?

Enter the solution: God knows full well that for us to abide with him forever we must be perfect as he is perfect. God knows full well we can't deliver on that demand. That's where Jesus comes in. Jesus provides the way. So here I am, an imperfect and flawed creature. I must be punished for my sins. Punishment was thereby meted out: on Calvary. Jesus took my punishment for me. Since the punishment for my sins has been delivered, when I meet him then I achieve the perfection that am so horribly lacking in now.

God made a demand I couldn't meet. So he met it for me. Yes, even me.

So I'm in love with God. Now how can I make you in love with him, too?


Pastor Mackster
The Voice of One