It is the ten year anniversary weekend of 9-11. We don’t actually mention the year when we talk about it, because the day is forever etched in our minds due to the heinous acts brought about upon our country by Muslim extremists.

Regardless of who we are, all of us have been affected by the actions of a few upon that day. Most of us, with the exception of a few toddlers, or perhaps some living in far away lands, can tell you what happened on 9-11 by just mentioning the date.

It has changed the way all of us live our lives to some degree, and for many of us we can tell you exactly where we were when it happened. Our memories take us back to that very moment without much difficulty.

We Remember Where We Were When…

It is actually hard to believe it has been ten years, unless I stop and think about it. Over the last few days, there has been lots of commentary online, on television,  and wherever else we get our news. We talk about it with friends and family, and perhaps think back to the day and can tell you where we were, and what we were doing, and how we reacted the moment we heard.

Most of us had never really been affected as much by an event in our lives, on a particular day, until that moment. Yes, we can remember births, deaths, and other moments in our lives, but events that really change who we are, don’t happen very often.

I could tell you in detail the exact moment I heard about 9-11. I know where I was, what I was doing, and how I was drawn to the ongoing news about it. I couldn’t drag myself away from the television for several hours. It affected me. Our country had been attacked.

Yes, there were many who lost their lives, or loved ones upon that day, who were more deeply affected than I was, but the shock of it all will forever be a moment I won’t forget.

It reminds me of hearing stories from my parents and others when I grew up of the assassination of JFK. To this day, my dad could tell you, where he was on that moment.  I remember stories from teachers and family who would talk about the great depression in similar fashion.

These were events that altered the course of their lives. But, when those hijacked jet airliners hit the twin towers of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on 9-11-2001 all of us had the course of our lives altered.  Even those yet to be born will be affected by that day, and will study about it in school history books for years to come. It changed our lives.

 

I Remember…

Maybe it was the news coverage, maybe my own thoughts, or perhaps a dream, but I woke up around 3:00 AM this morning, thinking about all of this. It brought me back to a memory of another time and another place where I was preaching about ‘Memorial Stones’ in a church where most of my family attended.

I recall the day I was supposed to preach going down by the river and getting several large stones to set up by the pulpit as a visual aid for my message. I wanted the message to impact those who heard me.

I really don’t know if anyone remembers it, but I do. In Joshua chapter four, the scripture talks about the children of Israel getting ready to go into the promise land, and Joshua commands twelve men to take stones with them, and leave them by the banks of the river Jordan.

⁶That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?

⁷Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever. Joshua 4:6-7

 

Memorial Stones

We all have moments in our lives we remember. Most of the time when we talk about memories, we talk about the good times. We don’t use stones to help us remember, but most of us have photos, or some other token that will remind us.

In fact, there are entire businesses built upon this fact. Who hasn’t went on vacation somewhere and brought back some small souvenir. Maybe a t-shirt, or perhaps a small icon of a monument, and most of us also take lots of photos.

For those of us who have become friends on Facebook, occasionally someone will post a photograph of a church camp, or some other moment captured in time, and we can look back on that image and recall good times in that place, or with those people.  It is a good thing to remember.

Of course, not all of our memories are good, but it is still good to think about moments in our lives that changed the course of our destiny.

Maybe we can think back to the day we first went to school, or when we graduated for sure.

For some of us, we remember fondly back to the day we got the Holy Ghost or were baptized. Maybe it was in our local church, or perhaps at camp meeting. I recall very vividly to this day my experience at camp meeting. I can still recall the yellow shirt and white jeans I was wearing in the tabernacle at Rocky Mountain District Camp. Camp on the Boulder.

It was a good place, and many of my family and a lot of friends remember good times at that place. The power of God was so strong there. Many miracles took place there. I heard many great messages there from many men who have become leaders and icons of our faith, and I am forever grateful for the messages that they preached that impacted my life.

I know many who were there that it forever changed the course of their lives.  There are some, as well, who I recall pouring out their hearts before God, but yet, they live a far different life now than they seemed to want then.

 

Where Were You When…

Was it simply that their lives were not as impacted as it seemed at the time? Or perhaps, other events occurred later that also changed the course of their life?

Last night I watched part of an interview with Piers Morgan. The man he was interviewing owned a company that was in the World Trade Towers at the moment the planes struck the towers on 9-11. More than six hundred of his employees died on that day.

That particular morning he would have been there as well, but it was the first day of kindergarten for his son.  He had chosen to be there for his son’s first day of school and he showed a photograph of the moment. Little did he know at that very moment the terrorists had plunged one of the airliners into the first tower at World Trade Center.

When I woke up at 3:00 AM, I wasn’t thinking about all the people who lost their lives on that day, or that it took our country into two wars, or the effect the event had on this man particularly. I was thinking about his son.

What stories did this little boy hear growing up? His son would be a teenager now. What did he hear from his dad and others about what happened? He lost an uncle in that event, but how else was his life affected. What was he told? And is he living the life his father expected for him before that event?

 

Has It Changed Anything?

Sure, forever there are little things that have changed. Like all of us, getting on an airplane now is different. Probably, due to the changes in his dad’s company, it has changed some things. But is his life better or worse because of it, or do they even still talk about it? Is it just an after thought?

I could ask those reading this the same questions.

I remember some who were so full of excitement, and love for God and their families when I remember back to church camp. It was more than just a religious experience for those of us who got to attend, it was indeed, life changing. There are memories from those days that will forever be fond for me.

There were a lot of fun times, a few times when not everything was so fun. I recall one year when most of the camp ended up leaving sick due to some bug in the water system. But for the most part I remember good things.

For some though, I wonder if those moments meant as much as they did to me?

I also recall moments at the church I attended where lives were transformed. Messages that some individuals preached with anointing from the same pulpit I did. Some of them have passed now, but I can still recall moments of their messages that deeply affected me.

I recall my uncle preaching one Sunday, on ‘A Piece Of An Ear.’ He’s passed on now in a much better place and I am looking forward to the moment I see him again. I recall him with great love and fondness for the impact he made on my life.

Others I recall with great detail about the way they dressed up to make a point, or what happened at the end during the altar call. I remember praying for some and seeing change in them.

But where are they now? Although the message was impacting for me, and changed my life, did it change theirs? Sure, I realize other events have happened in their lives since. I know that some of them went through hardship that seemed to have no limits. But when they look back at the ‘memorial stones’ in their lives, what do they recall?

 

How Did It Affect Them?

The teenage boy whose dad took him to kindergarten on 9-11, has his life been good? Is he headed in the direction his dad had in mind for him on the morning he documented with a photograph at his child's school? Is he happy?

Or has his path taken a direction that his father would never approve of? Is his son now involved in drugs or some other situation that his dad only hopes will change before it is too late?

We all have events like this. Moments in time that altered our lives, sometimes shattered them. But how has it affected our children? Are they ok? If we could go back to the moment our life was changed, what were we thinking would be the outcome then? And what about our leadership? Are they leading us in the direction we should be going?

Politically, I am sure not many of us would say yes. I think most of us had a different future in mind when we look back to the moments the course of our lives changed.

I wonder if the spiritual ‘us’ from those moments would be happy with where we ended up?

 

Is Who We Are Who We Were Meant To Be?

If we could step back to some of the moments in time to where we were happy, where good things were happening, would we look forward to the moments we had children and be proud of where they are now? Or would the ‘us’ from that moment not be happy with the outcome of our lives or theirs.

Has our leadership taken us the wrong direction? Watchmen, what of the night? Are you leading us in the direction that is right for our souls? In Isaiah we can read of them setting the watchmen on the wall to keep their eyes open in case something happens. There is a reason God sent forth preachers and ministers. they are not just there to say a pretty message on Sunday. They are supposed to be watching for our souls and leading us in a direction that will ultimately take us to the promise.

Sadly, some have gotten more caught up in personality and performance more than in protection.

Just as 9-11 has affected all of us, the direction the ministry set for our churches also affects us. It can alter our destiny. Are we heading the direction we are supposed to be, or have we ended up off track and are just riding the rail into a path of destruction? Are you happy with where your church is? Are souls being reached? Are lives being changed? And more importantly, is it a good change?

Watchmen, what of the night?

But, it doesn’t just fall to the ministry.

When Joshua commanded them to set memorial stones, he left a lot of the responsibility on the parents. Whether or not we like it, or even accept it, it is mostly the responsibility of those of us who are older to prepare the way and direct the course of those who come after us. If we are parents, it is our responsibility to give proper direction to  our children. We should be leading them in the paths that will not only benefit them in this world, but in the world to come.

 

Where Are You Now?

Are you where you expected you would be ten years ago? Fifteen? More? Is this the course you set for your life?

Philosophers, politicians, and others in our daily lives have led us in a direction that tends to blame the responsibility on others. It is our parents fault that we ended up this way or that. Or it is the fault of the former leader because he didn’t direct us the way we now think he should have. It is very easy to look back and cast blame for our current situation.

To some extent, they may be right in a global sense, but in personal responsibility, the blame should be cast upon ourselves.  Sure, if our lives are not where they need to be, some of the responsibility can fall on our parents and leaders. We are supposed to set the direction for the generations to come. But ultimately it all comes down to personal responsibility.

Whether we are talking about our emotional, physical, secular needs or our spiritual needs it is our own responsibility to take charge of where we are. But it is still up to those who have gone before, especially our parents, to guide us in the proper direction.

So, I ask you, did you point your children in the right direction? Are you truly happy with their lives? If you could go back a few years, would you still be happy with their lifestyle? Would you do anything different? And are you happy with your own life? Is this where you thought you would end up?

 

Where Are We Headed?

The course of action that father took on 9-11 forever changed the direction his son’s life will take, just as much as the terrorists who hijacked those planes.

Some sacrificed their own lives to save others. While they are remembered as heroes and possibly protected us from what could have been an even greater tragedy, it still changed the lives of those they interacted with. Many of our military have also made sacrifices for our freedom that personally changed the lives of those who knew them, but it also changed the course for the rest of us.

Each of us holds the responsibility for what happens to the next generation. It doesn’t matter if we are parents, ministers, friends, teachers, or we just pass someone on the street.

The words that come out of our mouths, and the actions we take will affect someone else’s destiny.

Cain, after slaying his brother, asked God, ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ YES!

We truly are our brother’s keeper. What you do today, no matter how significant it seems, it will have an effect on someone. We all have responsibility for our lives, for the lives we touch, for our family, for the generations to come.

What will your answer be, when someone asks…

 

Where Were You When?

FREE TWITTER BACKGROUNDS!

The last couple of weeks have been to say the least trying. I woke up in the middle of the night close to the end of October and blood was coming out of my mouth and nose. The very next day, someone I was very close to decided that I no longer was a welcome part of their life.

I struggled for days with my emotions and health. The blood kept gushing out of me. I would go to the ER and run tests and they would send me home saying they could not find anything. It didn’t make any sense. How could so much blood be coming out of me and no reason why? What could possibly be the reason I would lose the one person that meant a lot to me? Why was all this happening?

My first instinct was to think I must have surely did something wrong. I thought about Jonah, not sure why, and how he was tossed about on the sea with the other passengers on the boat and they all would have died had he not come clean with his refusal to do what God had asked. But, no, I was trying to do exactly what God had requested of me, so that didn’t make sense. Apparently, God was mad at me for something, otherwise that wouldn’t happen.

It is very easy in the midst of a trial to assume that God is the reason for our troubles. I mean after all, He is God. He has the power of life and death, surely he knows what is going on in our lives and as thus, he must be responsible for it.

I admit I was not happy with God. Vomiting up blood, taking away someone who mattered to me. How dare he? And yet, the more I began to reflect on it, the more I realized how selfish I was being. Sometimes, life just happens. I know, it does seem it happens to us more than other people, but still and all it is still life. And more than that, we still have God, even if we are sick and hurting.

Someone asked me if I had ever read the book of Job. I have been through quite a few battles in the last several years, and yes, even before that, I had read the book of Job. I found myself compared to him in many instances when the doctors could not explain how I lost so much blood, and then got leukemia, and then too high of red count. It really doesn’t make sense to our natural minds.

We like to think that this is the way God is testing us. Allowing the enemy to put us through the ringer and realizing that in the end Job had three times as much as he had before. It is a nice thought to believe that when this battle is over, not only will we have what we lost, but even more so. But what if that doesn’t happen. What if we never get the answer we are looking for? Are we still going to keep the faith?

Next week is Thanksgiving in America. The day we all sit around and stuff our faces and fall asleep in front of a TV blaring some football game. Or perhaps we play games with the relatives that normally we don’t even have time to talk to, let alone really spend time with like we used to.

We have gotten so busy with our day to day lives that many of our friends, and yes, even our own family go unnoticed. Sure, when they call, we say hi, be nice, and maybe even pray for them, but when it comes to spending time with them, well most of the time, we just find too much to do for that to happen.

So, we will get busy making a turkey, baking a few pies, perhaps actually peeling potatoes instead of mixing up those packaged ones. We might even find time to make a cheese ball, or perhaps that famous cranberry salad. But, I wonder when will we find time to be thankful?

Are we thankful for our company? Are we glad that our family is not somewhere in a foreign land being shot at by an enemy? Are we thankful that even though times are tough, we still have food we can prepare? Have our lives been so busy with things and ideas and people, that we have forgotten to take time to really be grateful and tell God thanks for his keeping power?

In many places around the world, the stuff we take for granted doesn’t even exist. And yet, in those places many people are thankful for whatever they can get. We wonder why they have so many miracles and we hear stories of amazing things,but maybe it is just as simple as saying thanks to God.

In the story of the ten lepers, Jesus healed them, but only one came back to thank him. The one that did was made whole.

We don’t often think too much about leprosy, but those with it were outcasts, no one visited them, no one allowed them to come around the dinner table. At times, they might be missing fingers or toes, perhaps the skin would flake off on whatever they were doing. They could have even been missing an arm, leg, or even their nose.

Yet, they went away and did what Jesus commanded. They went to show themselves to the priest, but the one that came back was made whole. He didn’t have the scars, he may have been missing an arm, and that was back. The bible says he was whole from that very hour. All because he said thanks.

It is an amazing concept. Having a thankful heart can change our very life. I wonder this year, if instead of being in such a hurry to grab the yams, or perhaps that turkey leg, we can stop for a few minutes and find something in our life to be thankful about? It could change our lives!

In honor of Thanksgiving I have included a FREE downloadable Twitter page for anyone who is interested. The dimensions are 1216 x 983 pixels.

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If you haven’t heard of Twitter by now, come out of the cave and into the sunlight.

According to recent Twitter statistics, there are 160 million people on Twitter. With 370,000 new people joining each day, the likelihood is that almost everyone you meet is already on there.

If not, you can pretty sure guarantee that the majority of your church 40 years and younger is active on Twitter, either by cell phone, website, or some other application on the internet.

 

Is it for your ministry?

Yes, it can be. Your ministry or church can keep your members, friends, and even new prospects up to date with happenings in your ministry with a ministry Twitter account.

Special events or announcements, prayer requests, scheduling changes, special offers on CDs, or books, and many more uses to numerable to mention are available to all of us through 140 characters on Twitter.

You can also update your website or Facebook page at the same instant either by the Twitter page, an email or text, or even with applications that are available to most cell phones. Share photos, share links to other sites or events, share your burden, free and easy. It can definitely benefit your ministry.

However, there are a few suggestions or guidelines I would make in having a Twitter account for your ministry.

 

The Basics

I cannot stress this enough. Have a separate account for your ministry than you do for your family and personal thoughts.

Too many times between family and friends we may say things, that will have an effect on other’s perception of our character. We may not even do it intentionally, but sometimes, things are said that we did not mean, or we may accidentally post a link to some site, and have it wrong or there could be something on part of the page, and people may get the wrong idea.

Keep your ministry and your personal life separate.

That being said here are a few more tips:

• Don’t make claims you cannot back up. It will be on the internet forever.
• Do not post photos that you wouldn't want someone to see. Again, it is online forever.
• Don’t become all holy on Twitter. Be who you are all the time, not just show how righteous you are online. People will find out you are a hypocrite.
• Focus on sending tweets that are vital. Do not ‘forward’ or ‘retweet’ every kitty link that comes your way. People will stop following you.
• Do not use Twitter to criticize the speaker at a conference. Use it for encouraging, uplifting comments. Remember the person you criticize has a Twitter account too.
• Don’t tweet during your own sermon.
• Remember Twitter is just a tool like many others available to help spread the Truth of God’s word.
• Don’t follow everyone who follows you. You will not be able to keep up with everything everyone says. Ministries should be leaders more than followers.

There are many more tips I could write but I will cover some of those in future blog postings. I may also offer FREE Christian twitter backgrounds, so stay tuned.

 

A Few Terms

Twitter ID – The name you choose for your profile. Without one, you cannot participate in Twitter.

Tweet – Your message sent out to your followers in only 140 characters. It is also live for anyone to see on your Twitter page unless you change your privacy settings.

ReTweet – (RT) Essentially it is forwarding what someone else has said to your followers. However, the 140 character restriction applies, so it may be hard to add your own take on the saying.

Twitter Page – Your own personal page that will have a small bio, your most current tweets, your lists, and people you follow.

List – You have the option of categorizing your followers by topics. For instance I have lists for friends, networking, designers, church, and other lists. My followers are categorized in the lists in how they relate to me. It can be more than one list, but it helps you keep track of who is who.

Followers – People who have decided to get updates on what you write. You have the option of deciding if they can follow you, and if you want to follow them.

Direct Message – (d) Sending a message direct to one person and bypassing everyone else or your Twitter page. You must be followers of each other for this to work.

@ – You have to use the @(TwitterID) to reply, reference, or otherwise include specific individuals in your tweets.

 

And…

Since the inception of Twitter, many other words have been crafted using the Tw prefix. Tweeple, TwitPic (for photos), Twittonary, and many more. However, if you start adding Tw to all your words, “Twust me, you will look like an twidiot.” LOL

These are just a few guidelines and tips for using Twitter. If you are looking to make your church website match your Twitter page, or perhaps you just want a custom Twitter background to display the message of salvation, contact us, we can help!