Stop the yelling and do something?

Collin Powell said that the republican party should stop yelling at the world and listen to them. He also said that they have gone wrong somewhere and have to get in touch with the people again.

I believe that the same can be said of the church! We need to stop yelling at the world and show our love in tangible ways in our community to show Christ. This year, I plan to lead our small church in service to reach the community. Not yelling at them but loving them through service thus fulfilling the "LAW OF CHRIST" (Gal 6:2) which i believe the bible tells us is LOVE! {1 Cor 13}.

Get ready to try new ways to serve as we go forth this year and make a difference for the Kingdom.

ET Ramblings

MISSION POSSIBLE BBQ~~

We had a BBQ to raise some funs for our mission trip to Panama and Honduras.

We started the day out with music on the lawn!

More music!

Pastor Gary (Our intern raises $150)
Here is Gary enjoying the feast of cream!



ZACH is also going to Honduras.He had rededicated hi life to Christ a couple of months ago

and got baptized last week...We raised ($500) for Zach

Zach's Brother was working but raised $1000!!!

OK, Then I got it! from all sides for both me and Luke (Zach's Brother)

So many are willing! Move over Heath!

I got $1000 and along with the other $1100 we have in, I am fully supported!!! YEA!!!

What a cool time with everyone...

ET RAMBLINGS

SUMMER JAM!

OK THIS IS THE BIGINING OF THE DAY WITH CHOCOLATE SLIP N SLIDE!

Here are some kids getting ready to go

Here I go scoring for my team!!

Ronnie and kids arwe jealous of my slide!

Here I go again on the soapy slide!

Brianna (jam worker!) on the soap slide!

We are very tired at the end of the game

Pastor Gary (my intern from BBC) in chocolate!


Bri resting after a hard game

Hope alive!!!

Josh Hamilton -- I'm Proof That Hope is Never Lost
Hamilton Uses Growing Platform to Tell Story

Asleep in the Light!

“Asleep in the Light!”

July ‘08

Keith Green wrote this song about the church:

Do you see, do you see,

All the people sinking down

Don`t you care, don`t you care,

Are you gonna let them drown

How can you be so numb,

Not to care if they come

You close your eyes,

And pretend the job`s done"

Oh bless me Lord, bless me Lord",

You know it`s all I ever hear

No one aches, no one hurts,

No one even sheds one tear

But He cries, He weeps, He bleeds,

And He cares for your needs

And you just lay back, And keep soaking it in,

Oh, can`t you see it`s such a sin?

Open up open up, And give yourself away

You see the need, you hear the cries,

So how can you delay

God`s calling and you`re the one,

But like Jonah you run

He`s told you to speak

But you keep holding it in,

Oh can`t you see it`s such a sin?

Cause He brings people to your door,

And you turn them away

As you smile and say, "God bless you, be at peace",

And all heaven just weeps,

Cause Jesus came to you door,

You`ve left him out on the streets

The world is sleeping in the dark,

That the church just can`t fight,

Cause it`s asleep in the light,

How can you be so dead,

When you`ve been so well fed

Jesus rose from the grave,

And you, you can`t even get out of bed

Oh, Jesus rose from the dead,

Come on, get out of your bed

**************

It is funny that the church, which should be the full expression of Christ to a dying world, would be classified as asleep in the light! But it is true! We let celebrities and politicians do the work of the church by reaching those in need. We are no longer a hospital for the sick but a country club for its members!It is time to wake up and serve instead of being asleep.Gal 6:2 says; “Carry one another’s burdens and in this way fulfill the LAW OF CHRIST!

The Law of Christ is shown in 1 Cor 13…And let me show you the most excellent way… LOVE!As we continue to Connect with Christ and connect with others, our focus will be the community both near and far.

Join with me as we pray to find ways of reaching our community for Christ. Please feel free to email me with ideas and ways to make a difference in the community. No idea is too big or small.

In order to reach this generation we will need to do things we have never done before to reach people we never reached before. Some will work and others will fail. The great thing about our journey is that we will find out what works and do it well! Please join us in fulfilling the great commission in light of the great commandment.

God bless

Pastor Ed

If your interested we started a facebook community :

Heavenly Minded, Community Driven

...to share ideas on reaching the community. Please join and share!

A Picture says a thousand words

Ordination in Michigan

I was in Michigan for ordination of Cheri Wellman and recieved this picture from Nathan Bills who was also ordained.

Youth dress from the mess

Here is our team!

Holy Ghost powder!

Clean version of our team??

Getting the ball ready for slip N Slide

Chocolate kick ball???

Wet and Wild Kickball

1st Base - Bubblebath

2nd base - Chocolate syrup

3rd base - pool with fish

Home - Slip n slide (with fish in your mouth to score)

Daniel getting ready to pitch-runner on first

Bri, Steph and Alrlene (Basketball team)

Pastor Ronnie

Peter and Tom hug after chocolate westling

???SLIP & SLIDE - YOUR OUT!

Anthony - WHAT?

BRI w/waterproof rubber cast

The wild man!!

Boy did we have fun!

ET RAMBLINGS...

Converge 08 - Youth weekend Retreat

Ronnie after swinging into river

Peter, Ronnie, Josh and Anthony

As I am resting from the weekend youth retreat (Converge 08), I am reminded again why God saved me. This weekend we had churches and teens from Maryland, NJ, PA and Delaware participate. We had over 60 teens attend and the weekend was fun as we swam, went tubing down the river, worshiped, camped out and did various games.

We also saw 6 teens accept Christ on Sunday night and others rededicated their lives to have Jesus as their Lord!!! One teen accepted Christ as we were getting ready to take our camp group picture. I got to pray with him as the rest of the teens and adult leaders watched. What a great picture. I knew that God was doing something in this boys life at the Sunday night rally because as I gave the call to accept Jesus he wanted to come but his 2 friends were laughing. He had cut marks all up and down his arms. Jesus just wiped that away!
THEY ARE NOT LAUGHING ANYMORE BECAUSE HE IS A CHILD OF THE KING!

Pretty Cool!

TEENS IN THE RIVER

DOUBLE TROUBLE

ZACK & DUSTIN

ETRAMBLINGS...

April showers bring....

May is upon us and as the saying goes April showers bring…Wait a minute...we have had very little rain in the last month, yet the flowers are still popping up. We can see that some bulbs and seed grow, even in times of drought. I guess that is because they were deeply rooted years ago.

How about us! As we continue our “Transforming Lives” series this month, we need to remember that our lives should continually be transformed to the image of God. So how do we do this?

Last month, we saw that the “purpose of God for the people of God is to become like Christ. Christ likeness is the will of God for the people of God. It is the eternal predestinating purpose of God (Romans 8:29), it is the historical purpose of God (Corinthians 3:18) and it is the final (eschatological) purpose of God 1 John 3:2.

Three perspectives – past, present and future! All of them are pointing in the same direction: there is God’s eternal purpose, we have been predestined; there is God’s historical purpose, we are being changed, transformed by the Holy Spirit; and there is God’s final or eschatological purpose, we will be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. All three, the eternal, the historical and the eschatological, combine towards the same end of us being like Christ.(Stott)

Last month, we studied:

1. The Power of seeing through Spiritual Eyes (2 kings 6:8-17)

2. The Power of the Inspired Church (Acts 2:36-47

3. The Power of our Fellowship with God! (1 john 1:1-4)

4. The Power of our call to Christ likeness. (1 John 2:6)

This month we will be looking at:

5. The Power of God’s Mercy (Rom 12:1)

6. The power of a renewed Mind (Rom 12:2)

7. The power of our call to Unity (Heb 11:40)

8. The power of Sharing Christ (Acts 17:16-28

If there has been no rain in your life for a period of time or if you have had a period or season of drought, do what David did in 1 Sam 30:1-6. After his family and the families of his warriors were taken captive and his men were plotting to kill him, David was encouraged, restored and found strength in the Lord. Spend time with him!

May God bless you and may we be grounded in the truth to help us in the times of drought.

ET Ramblings...

Family Fun in Florida

“THE ROAD TO EMMAUS…REMEMBER!”

Luke 24:30-32 when he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

Has your heart ever burned for God and scripture opened up for you by the power of the Holy Spirit! If you have then you would want everyone you know to have that opportunity!

God is doing a new thing around us. Lives are being transformed much like the seeds and bulbs gathering nourishment from the April Showers. We need to be ready and continue to remember what our God has done for us, what he is doing now , and what He will do in the future!

The Harvest is plentiful! We need workers.
· Workers that will remember what God has done for us through His son, Jesus Christ.
· Workers, who know Christ in an intimate way, so that they can share Him with others.
Let us remember and be those people!

Jesus came, died and rose from the grave so that we might have the opportunity to be with Him forever. He came to make salvation possible for all mankind. In this regard, He left the church to tell the world about Him. He left the church behind so that in our fellowship with each other in unity, people will know God sent Jesus Christ (John 17).

As we wait for His return, let us pray that floodgates of Heaven open for our community!!! May we remain united and committed to Him!

Repent, for the Kingdom of God is here!!

ET Ramblings...

Date setting???

HERE IS A EMAIL FROM A PSTOR FRIEND IN CLINTON ON THE COMING OF JESUS.

Interesting...

****************************

Good morning Pastors,

I have to smile at the never ending efforts to predict the Lord's return.
Here's the latest one in this part of America:
(regards,
Andrew)

***
Sir Isaac Newton, who lived some 300 years ago (1642-1727), was one of the greatest geniuses in all history, with perhaps the highest I.Q of anyone in history. He is called "the father of modern science" and "the father of the industrial revolution." He discovered many scientific laws. God chose Isaac Newton to impart many of His deepest secrets and riddles . Newton was a devout believer in Christ and Bible scholar, fluent in ancient languages, and who translated directly from the Hebrew and Greek. He was unusually drawn to the prophet Daniel, which he began studying at age 12 and continued until he died at age 85. In fact, The Columbia History of the World, a secular history book, remarks, "At the end of his days he spent more time studying and writing about the prophecies in the Book of Daniel than he did in charting the heavens." Apparently, God Himself put in Newton's heart this burning desire to study Daniel, then gave him the key to the timing of Christ's return. Could this be the final profound secret the Lord revealed to this godly genius near the end of his life -- a secret "accidentally" discovered in the Library of Congress and republished just in the last few years -- a secret so simple that most have missed it? If Newton was correct in his interpretation of Daniel, the prophet to whom God gave specific timing, then the return of the Lord Jesus Christ will be very, very soon, indeed! Newton's understanding of one key passage in Daniel chapter 9 is fundamentally different from that of most common interpretations. In about 550 B.C., God gave the prophet Daniel a view of history to the end. From Daniel 9:25, scholars usually add the "seven weeks (of years, or 49 years) and 62 weeks (434 years)" to get 483 years and calculate the time of Messiah's First Coming. However, Newton says there is no linguistic basis for adding those two numbers (49 and 434), and to do so is "doing violence to the language of Daniel." Newton says the two numbers separately speak of both the First and Second Coming, both being counted from the "going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem." Some commentators agree. Newton says the "62 weeks," or 434-year part was fulfilled at the First Coming, and the "seven weeks," or 49-year part will apply to the Second Coming. And three centuries ago he saw in the Scriptures and wrote about the rebirth of Israel at a time when such a thought was preposterous. Amazingly by faith and understanding of the Scriptures, he foresaw a "friendly kingdom" someday again issuing the "commandment to restore and build Jerusalem." Now, centuries later, that "friendly kingdom" may have been the United Nations, which decreed Israel's rebirth in November, 1947, causing Israel to be reborn in May, 1948. The above is taken from my essay on Newton written in the mid-1990s shortly after obtaining a copy of Newton's commentary on Daniel from the doctor who discovered Thomas Jefferson's personal and initialed copy of it in the Library of Congress, and who then got permission to reprint it in the original, difficult-to-read olde English script. The essay is at http://choicesforliving.com/spirit/part3/newton.htm. However, my speculations back then wrongly assumed the final 49-year count began when Israel was born in 1948. At the time, I thought we were so close to the Lord's return it did not occur to me that the count should probably begin on June 7, 1967, when Israel captured Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. Now, Sid Roth of Messianic Vision ministry is promoting a new book on the subject, Newton's Riddle by Neill G. Russell, which contains additional information about Newton and his understanding of the end times.Sid says, "Before his death in 1727, Sir Isaac Newton, the famous physicist, concealed a prophetic script in one of his journals. This mysteriously coded script detailed crucial future events involving Israel and the return of Jesus. Incorporating Sir Isaac Newton's extensive research, Bible prophecy, and the bond that exists between America and Israel during the final days of planet earth, Newton's Riddle by Neill Russell is a captivating, suspenseful tale ripped from tomorrow's headlines. I have never read such a current, prophetic book. Newton's Riddle is a 'now' book for the most critical juncture in human history. You will not be able to put this biblical thriller down."Sid quotes from the book where it explains Newton's calculations of adding 49 years to the June 1967 date. Based on "Newton's riddle" the book says, "Messiah's possible return to earth will be on or before the year 2016."However, that is apparently based on using modern (365-day) years in the calculation. As I pointed out in my e-mail dated February 20, 2008, if you use exactly 49 Jewish (360-day, prophetic) years from the day Israel captured the Temple Mount on June 7, 1967, you get 49 X 360 = 17640 days, which amazingly takes one exactly to September 23, 2015, the Day of Atonement 2015. Now what I am about to say is personal speculation. If you go back 7 years from the Day of Atonement in 2015, you arrive at the Day of Atonement in 2008, October 9. Could this be the beginning of the final seven years? This is further personal speculation. If the final 7 years do, in fact, begin October 9, 2008, then the rapture could be any day before then, such as in the Spring 2008, as many believe.

********************
Reason to be ready? or hoax? Anyway you put it, we have a job to do and need to be doing it now!!!

ET Ramnlings...

Rest in peace, Mike!

Encouragement!

Another one of my friends passed away today of cancer. He went with me on various missions trips to Nicaragua and was health a year ago.

As I was reading another friends blog I saw this:

I was saddened when I heard that Larry Norman passed away early Sunday morning.
He was my favorite singer during my teenage years -- and I learned guitar by playing his music.

His last word to his friends were this:
"I feel like a prize in a box of cracker jacks with God’s hand reaching down to pick me up.
I have been under medical care for months. My wounds are getting bigger. I have trouble breathing. I am ready to fly home."

We need to remember, in Larry's words -- "We're only Visiting This Planet"

Remember, one day we will see our friends and family that put their trust in Jesus!

ET Ramblings

We love you

In the valley, Calling on the Name of the Lord!

I just got this email, seconds after emailing my friend and co-short term missionary to Nicaragua:
**********************************************

To Family, Friends, and Customers:

Mike passed away at 2:00 a.m. this morning at home surrounded by his son's, Corey and Kyle, their loving companions, Daphne and Alicia, and me.

He fought the process of death just as he fought the battle against his cancer, with complete bravery and fortitude.

He is finally pain free.

Mike will be cremated and we will plan a service/party here in Wallace in his honor to be held some time at the end of the week. We will post details as they are finalized.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made in Mike's honor to the Humane Society of Duplin County, PO Box 88 Kenansville, NC 28349.

We thank you for your friendship, love, understanding and joy that you shared with him during his short journey here on Earth.

Love,
Colette

***************************************************************

Yet another friend dying of Cancer!! OH HOW I HATE CANCER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My fondest memory of Mike, who I have only been with in Nicaragua, is of his smiling face and knowing he's is thinking of something smart to say next. His generosity was unlimited. I had a need in a village in Nicaragua for a metal fence to secure the church and He came forward with another person and paid for the fence. His love of the children was outstanding as he worked in the Pharmacy. He will be missed!

The greatest victory is that He is with His Lord and Savior!

I lift my eyes to the hills...who can I depend on...THE LORD!

ET Ramblings...

Mountaintop

Well yesterday I attended Brooklyn Tabernacle Church's staff meeting with Jim Cymbala, met with a man named Bishop, who spent 51 years in prison and attended the 4 hour prayer meeting (5-9 pm). Besides the obvious time alone with God and hearing Jim speak about our fellowship with God, I was considerably blessed by two things:

1. My time with Bishop. Back in 1956, Bishop killed a man on the streets of Louisiana. He was sentenced to death. While in prison, a chaplain prayed for him like this..."Lord do not heal his body and flesh but heal his soul." Bishop went on to tell us that that night in 1963, he went on to pray to God and if God was real, He needed to show him or else he was going to kill himself in his cell. At that moment, bishop felt a large rush of wind and He felt his heart melt and accepted Jesus as his Savior. Ever since, Bishop led the church ministry in the Prision. God interviened and for some reason his death sentence was changed to life in prison and then He was released 6 months ago. 51 years in prison! He was released with $20 and a bus ticket. God's grace. He said God could not use a murder, He could not use Moses the murderer, He could not use David, the murderer and God could not use Bishop, the murderer but God could use all these men who repented!!! He continued to believe even in the pit of Satan's people! God protected him and now He is preaching to young men and old about Jesus. He had over 1,200 men accept christ in the prison ministry that he had. BTW, Bishop killed a preacher!!! How God works.
2. The second was the Prayer time. People kept on coming in. With all the cares and troubles in the world, especially in Brooklyn NY. They needed to meet with God! most people in the Anglican churches want to do their time and leave, yet they people were hungry for God. they wanted to be with him. Being there was different. I have been in St Patricks Cathedral and other big churches but this was different. It seemed that God lived there! The house is definately a house of Prayer. we prayed and worshiped and prayed and annointed and prayed and heard the word and then Prayed more. Together, alone, in small groups, in holy huddles...lifting our voices to praise His name for what seemd like seconds but turned out to be 5 hours.

On the mountaintop, I wondered if we could sustain the praise when we were in the valley. Do we hunger to be with God? I mean really hunger it! thirst for it.

When we get down to it that is all He wants!

ET Ramblings

Brooklyn Tabernacle!

I am on my way to NYC to meet and pray with Jim Cymbala and his staff at Brooklyn Tabernacle Church. Later I will get to hear and maybe talk with Rick Warren.

What an opportunity to talk to two men who wrote books that have encouraged and inspired me. I can wait!

I will give you an update when I get back!!

ETRamblings...

Glenn Sturman

I have just come back from Central Montgomery Hospital in PA and am extremely saddened to inform you that Glenn Sturman has lost his fight with cancer this morning at the age of 25. He leaves behind his wife of a year and a half, Faith; as well as his parents brother and inlaws.

In Isaiah 61, God says that He will comfort all who morn and provide for those who grieve. He will bestow on them a crown of Beauty instead of ashes; the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

Our prayers need to be lifted for Faith and Glenn's family (Dad, Mom & brother) who are struggling in the heaviness of this news. I got to share with Glenn's parents from Psalm 22, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent. 3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. 4 In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. 5 They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed."

While it may seem that God did not hear our prayers He did! And He heard Glenn's prayers. Last night, Glenn told Faith that He believed and trusted in God. Psalm 22:8 "He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him." God heals completely !!!!

I remember praying with Glenn in the hospital and for the first time he responded at the end of my prayer with a hearty AMEN. Faith, who exemplified the unconditional love of Jesus, was an inspiration and rock to Glenn and his family. She had asked Glenn to think about praying for himself as it seemed everyone else was praying for him. He prayed with her!

What faith it must have taken for Glenn to stand in our congregation and come and get anointed with oil per James 5 (even while he had no strength). Glenn loved our church and even invited his friends who were moving to the area.

While my heart is heavy, my spirit is being renewed with hope. 'Why does bad things happen to good people' is not the correct question to ask. the correct question to ask is...Who is your Lord, when bad things happen to good people.

Glenn really appreciated and coveted your prayers. They made a large impact on him. Please continue to pray for the family and let us be prepared to act in response to any need that is presented as the body of Christ. I will let you know what needs to be done in the hours and days ahead.

That depends on the meaning of "IS"

Ok, so it is 6 am and I have been awake for 3 hours as I am coughing out some mean stuff in my lungs. Last weekend, I had the privlege of hearing Pastor Jackson from Spring Lake and he openned my eyes to something in a Psalm that is usually read in Funerals.

Lets look at the verbs:

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want;
He makes me lay down in green pastures
He leads me beside quiet waters
He restores my soul
He guides me to righteousness for His name sake
Tho I walk through the valley of the shadow of Death
I will fear no evil becaue you are with me
Your staff and rod comfort me
You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies
You annoint my head with oil
my cup overruns
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever!

It is quite obvious to me that my God cares and Loves me and that

HE IS SOVERIEGN!

ET RAMBLINGS...

Sick Again!

That's right, I got enough flem in my chest to mold a miniture King Kong! Or is it Godzilla?

Oh Well, God always has a way of slowing me down. I left work yesterday after lunch and just veggied in the couch with around three blankets on. My kids and wife left me alone which is always a good thing when Dad is sick. (I am a big Baby!)

Although I had a restful but sleepless night I feel pretty good right now. I can't wait for Sunday!!!! No not the Superbowl, but our game...

THE WORD vs COVENTIONAL THINKING

Just like the college sports motto...

I LIVE FOR THIS!!!!

ETRAMBLINGS

FOLLOWING THE LAW: LOVE

The month of February is forever associated with the word LOVE! February is the Love Month! Valentine’s Day! Giving presents and showing signs of our love and adoration to others…Does this mean that the other 11 months of the year should be void of love? Absolutely not but there is something special about February…It may be an acute awareness of how we should focus our love towards someone special in our lives.

If we focus all our energy to show gratitude for the one person we truly love into one day (Valentine’s Day), then we have 364 days to show others, our neighbors, the love that should emanate from our very soul because the spirit of Jesus Christ lives in us. Jesus tells us that our neighbors are all around us!

In Gal 6:2, Paul writes “Carry each other’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

So if we carry each others burdens (helping because we see people’s needs and hurts through God’s eyes) we fulfill the Law of Christ.

So what is the “Law of Christ”?

May I quote a line from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians…“And now I will show you the most excellent way.”

Go and read the 13 verses of 1 Corinthians 13. Go to verses 4 through 8 and put God in lieu of love because scripture tells us that God is Love. Then put your name in lieu of love because we are to be imitators of God!

May the Love of Christ dwell richly in you!

ET Ramblings

The Untouchables!

So here we are posing for our church directory which is being finished as we speak. We took this picture back in October!!!!!

As we look back on 6 months, there have been alot of changes. The small country church is very different from the big city church but God is in love with everyone!!!! He needs different people for different jobs. I've learned that a NY boy does not need to know the area and the people (in's and out's of an area) to minister there. He needs the power of the Holy Spirit! It is not about what we know and can do, it is about the Spirit of the living God working inside the individuals. Just as I asked God 'How can a NY city boy minister in Michigan, I asked the same question of God...How can I minister in a rural setting were almost everyone told me not to go." The reason was very clear but I did not understand it fully.

So How can I minister in a small rural setting of NJ.

You see my calling is still the same! It never changed!

Look at Matt 10 which says:

"Don't begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don't try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, [who are the lost? Anyone who doesn’t know Jesus and live for him].. confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. TOUCH THE UNTOUCHABLES, kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously." (The Message)

Wherever I am, I am to go to the LOST! the Untouchable! (THEY ARE EVERYWHERE) I have been given much and much is required!

God’s love is for EVERYONE – no one is a LOST cause. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish (die) but have eternal life” John 3:16

Lets start by touching the untouchable like Jesus did! Lets finish the job and go home!

ET RAMBLINGS...