Go To Church or Go To The Gym?

Hello Everyone,

I read something this morning that reminded me of a terrible trend in America… it’s about church attendance. The article I’m going to reflect on does not infer a bias or hostility toward my new-to-be-President… only, it reflects my opinion on where we are heading in America… and where Christianity is heading if we don’t pray and participate ourselves. So I thought I would post the article I read and give a closing comment… happy reading… 

President-elect Barack Obama has yet to attend church services since winning the White House earlier this month, a departure from the example of his two immediate predecessors.

On the three Sundays since his election, Obama has instead used his free time to get in workouts at a Chicago gym.

Asked about the president-elect’s decision to not attend church, a transition aide noted that the Obamas valued their faith experience in Chicago but were concerned about the impact their large retinue may have on other parishioners.

“Because they have a great deal of respect for places of worship, they do not want to draw unwelcome or inappropriate attention to a church not used to the attention their attendance would draw,” said the aide.

Both President-elect George W. Bush and President-elect Bill Clinton managed to attend church in the weeks after they were elected.

In November of 1992, Clinton went to services in Little Rock, Ark., on the three weekends following his election, taking pre-church jogs on the first two and attending on the third weekend a Catholic Mass with the Rev. Jesse Jackson, with whom he was trying to smooth over lingering campaign tensions.

 In the weeks after the contested 2000 election, Bush regularly attended services at Tarrytown United Methodist Church in Austin, Texas, and Al Gore was frequently photographed arriving at and leaving church in Virginia.

On his first day as president-elect, following weeks of Florida recounts and court hearings, Bush went to church with his wife, Laura. They attended an invite-only prayer service on Thursday, Dec. 14, at Tarrytown United Methodist Church. About 300 people attended, including top campaign staff and visiting clergy. During the service, the Rev. Mark Craig, senior pastor at Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas, told Bush, “You have been chosen by God to lead the people.”

Obama was an infrequent churchgoer on the campaign trail, though he did make a series of appearances in the pews and pulpits of South Carolina churches ahead of that heavily religious state’s primary.

The issue of where he worships is, of course, fraught. For about two decades, Obama and his family attended Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ. But, with the public disclosure earlier this year of incendiary sermons at Trinity by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama and his wife, Michelle, in June resigned their membership in the large South Side congregation.

At the time, the then-Illinois senator said that he didn’t want his “church experience to be a political circus” and expressed regret for the unwanted attention members of the congregation had received, noting that some reporters had taken church bulletins only to call sick members and shut-ins.

During the campaign, Obama returned to Chicago to attend the South Side’s Apostolic Church of God on Father’s Day Sunday to give a speech aimed at the black community on the importance of fatherhood and family.

A number of Washington, D.C., churches of different denominations and traditions are now competing to become the spiritual home of the new first family.

The Obama aide said the family “look[s] forward to finding a church community in Washington, D.C.” article by: Jonathan Martin and Carol E. Lee of Politico

 This story is not isolated to just political untouchables but to the ordinary Joe church members of Maumelle. Today we live in a time when people allow many other activities to trump their church attendance… out of the 52 Sundays per year many find that 25-30 church touches are enough! That’s right, when we look over the average nominal church attender here in Maumelle (FBC)  most people say they are pretty committed and yet attend at best half-the-time. When I grew up (I know, here we go again) I was a boy scout but didn’t miss Sunday… I played every sport but didn’t miss Sunday… caught fish but didn’t miss Sunday… well, you get the point. I know people say times have changed… but I say that Christians have changed!

Not all Christians are this way… unlike our President-to-be or regular folks right here… we wouldn’t dare replace worship in our lives for the system of this world. I love to worship with God’s people! I know there are times of sickness, travel, etc… but to purposely layout, not get up, or what ever else one might do… continues to shape our churches and our country. Remember parents your children are watching to see what’s important to you!

Well, just my opinion…

Jeff Beshears

Economic Recession Pushes Prophecy To Back Pages Or Does It?

I wanted to update today with some news from the prophetic front… see right now most everyone in the world is obsessed with the current state of the economy… and probably for good reason! The wheeling and dealing going on to frustrate the collapsing banks, wall street, housing, or whatever you want to pick out is front page news and occupies each news broadcast. However, with little fanfare or large font type script something has happened that does indeed point to fulfillment of prophecy found in the Bible. Dr. Jimmy DeYoung gives a good summarization of the Iranian accomplishment to obtain bomb-grade nuclear fuel… read his take on this happening…

According to nuclear experts who have analyzed the latest report from global atomic inspectors, Iran has now produced roughly enough nuclear material to make, with added purification, a single atomic bomb. A routine update from the International Atomic Energy Agency which has been conducting inspections of Iran’s main nuclear facility states that the Iranians clearly have enough enriched uranium for at least one nuclear bomb.

Jimmy DeYoung goes on to say… 

However, nuclear experts say that Iran would have to further purify the fuel and put it into a warhead design, a technical advance that Western experts are unsure Iran has yet achieved. 

  The fact that nuclear experts say that Iran now has enough material to make one atomic bomb is evidence that Bible prophecy is ever so close to being fulfilled.

The world has been standing by watching as Iran has manipulated the United Nations inspectors just long enough to achieve its goal of enriching enough uranium to make a nuclear weapon of mass destruction. Now the latest report from the United Nations inspectors has led nuclear experts to conclude that Iran can now produce at least one atomic bomb.

This report is solid evidence that the end time scenario that can be found in Bible prophecy is as I said, ever so close to fulfillment. From Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38 we learn that Iran is a major player in the last days. Israeli President Shimon Peres said recently that Iran is obsessed with its quest for a Middle East region religious bloc with its Islamic faith at the center of this bloc.

All Middle Eastern nations have a healthy fear of Iran. However, they all are to some extent into this dominant religious bloc. The ancient Jewish prophet Joel revealed the formation of a major military army, the largest ever formed on the Earth that will attack Israel at the beginning of the seven year Tribulation Period (Joel 2).

Iran’s capability to have a nuclear weapon of mass destruction right now does indeed set the stage for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled.

Each day financial guru’s hunt for a magic bullet that will kill this disastrous, unprecedented, global financial catastrophe… however, each day we are getting closer to the real melt down… after the church is taken out… then the Tribulation. Remember, Jesus said He would come at a time when no man knows the hour… could it be today? I hope you are ready friend… money or no money Christ is coming again soon. Have a good day…

Jeff Beshears

Gimbal Lock

In the movie Apollo 13 Tom Hanks character tells Houston that he is very near Gimbal Lock. Following the explosion on the spacecraft the module is spinning out of control and the guidance system is having difficulty keeping its three axis lined up…What is Gimbal Lock? Well, here is a complicated description… read it and I’ll tell you why I choose this for my article today.

Old-style inertial-guidance systems used a “stable platform”, held in a
fixed orientation in space by gyros.  To do this, the connection between
platform and spacecraft needs to be able to rotate in several directions
at once.  This is done by putting several gimbals in between platform and
spacecraft, each one a ring which rotates on pivots supported by the
next-biggest ring and in turn supports the pivots for the next-smallest
ring.

Three gimbals is the minimum for free movement in any direction, since
there are three axes on which rotation can occur.  However, if the gimbals
are moved suitably, you can line up the innermost pivots with the
outermost pivots… in which case those two can only handle one axis, and
so there is an axis which neither those two nor the third can handle.  If
there is then a rotation around that axis, the result is loss of the
platform’s stable orientation.  That’s gimbal lock.

Adding a fourth gimbal gives enough extra freedom of motion that the
problem goes away.  However, each gimbal also adds complexity, bulk, and
weight.  For Apollo, the decision was to use only three gimbals and rely
on the astronauts to avoid sequences of rotations that would produce
gimbal lock.  This was normally not a problem, but became a troublesome
complication when Apollo 13 had attitude-control difficulties after the
tank rupture.

If you hit Gimbal Lock…you’re finished! Today as I opened up the news stories coming out of Washington I noticed several headlines… for example: 1) If the big 3 go down it will be catastrophe for America. 2) Paulson says bailout original plan needs to change to avoid collapse. 3) Washington leadership not sure about next plan for stimulus. Believe me… there were plenty more negative headlines. So, as I pondered the hysteria racing across our country I thought of Gimbal Lock. Yes, many people are grabbing at the wheel and trying to keep it from Gimbal Lock. The whole thing is swinging from side to side and round and round… and nearing that flat spin as in the movie Topgun.

Our country has called out for “change” and has gotten it in a new president-elect. Our country has called out for financial survival and the printing presses are doing all they can to catch up. Our country has called out for inclusion of every kind of immoral lifestyle and ideology and are getting it in new laws. However, the one thing our country has not done… is cry out to God! Obama said it best in his speech… we are a post-Christian nation. If we are to avoid USA GIMBAL LOCK we best get to “cryin out” to God. God said, ” if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Just my thoughts today,

Pastor Jeff

Pumpkin Patch

This years Pumpkin Patch (Oct. 31,2008) went great! I want to thank everyone who participated in making Pumpkin Patch a great outreach to the community. We had nearly 100 families who registered and made their way through the activities during the evening. This year we had the “Good News Room” in which a video of the Gospel was played for the kids… and the parents watched as well!

Over the years we have tried to keep the Pumpkin Patch fresh with new ideas and games. This year we made the MAZE… different from the booths/games of the past but nevertheless new and challenging for all ages. In the past we have had a tent and kept all our activities outside (makes clean up much easier); we have had games all down the hallways; and we have made booths in the activities center to the point you couldn’t move people with a stick… Each year that we do Pumpkin Patch we hope it will be a good outreach event to the folks in Maumelle… and a good way to introduce families to the ministry of FBC and the Gospel of Christ.

Finally, we couldn’t pull of Pumpkin Patch without good leadership and the help of the entire congregation… thanks to Phil, Tonia, and Kim for all the planning… thanks to the FBC congregation for all your help.

Finally, Finally, today is Monday November 3… don’t forget to vote tomorrow!

Blessings to each of you…

Pastor Jeff