My Top Five

I keep seeing posts by my Facebook friends listing an item for which they are thankful. It started on November 1 and I suppose will run through Thanksgiving on the 28th.

I have resisted the temptation to make these entries each day, though I am very thankful. In fact, I have so much to be thankful for a mere 28 days would not be sufficient. What I will do is list the top 5 things for which I am thankful.

Numer One - The forgiveness of my sins through the redemptive work of Christ on the cross. My salvation is a gift from a loving God given to an undeserving sinner, me. If I had to become good enough to deserve eternal life I surely would have come short as does everyone in this world. The only way I will make it to heaven is because God has promised me that if I would receive His Son as my Saviour I could go. Wow, I am really thankful for that.

Number Two - A loving, patient, humble, godly wife. I chose to enter the gospel ministry years ago because I felt the call of God. She has followed me into that calling faithfully. I have dragged her half way around the world to live an extremely difficult life in Africa. She survived spiders bigger than a man's hand, no electricity, no water, no washing machines, no medical services, and the list goes on. (And she still loves me) I am so thankful my wife loves God, hence she can love me.

Number Three - My kids and their families.

My five children. They are not perfect. They may never win an award for child of the year. But, they all love God and are "good" people. To me, those two things are more important than just about anything else. While they are very different one from another, they each are kind to people, friendly, easy to get along with, gentle in spirit and most of all, love their family. I am a proud Papa when it comes to my kids. They are what they are by the grace of God and the good parenting skills of their mother. For my children I am extremely grateful.

My daughter in law takes good care of five of my grandchildren. She is a good woman who loves my son and loves God. She makes sure my grandkids know about God and gets to church where they can learn even more. That is important to me.

My son in law is a good man who treats my daughter with love and respect. He is a hard worker and a good provider. Thats important to me.

My soon to be daughter in law is a sweet, kind, loving mother. Because my son is still in school chasing advanced degrees in music her willingness to sacrifice for him makes me happy. I am thankful for the mates God has brought into the lives of my children

My grandchildren, three girls and three boys, each are a blessing to me. This Christmas we will all be together as a family. I am so amped up about this Christmas. I am thankful that God has worked it out for us to be together.

Number Four - My church. Our church has gone through its share of ups and downs recently. Through it all there remains a loving family whose hearts are knit together by love of the Saviour. Our church family is a faithful group of families that week in and week out come together with a spirit of worship and praise to our great God. I am blessed to be its pastor.

Number Five - My country. Having lived abroad I can attest to the excellence of the USA. She is not perfect. She never has been or never will be. While there is corruption in the political realm of our country it does not diminish the excellent spirit of all true Americans who have a huge heart of compassion for those less fortunate. At any disaster in the world America is almost always the first on the scene to help and usually the largest donor of aid. We often help those countries who had previously spit on our flag. We do what we do because of who we are, Americans. We do what we do because it is right. I love America, with all its faults. I would rather live here than any other place in the world. I am thankful to be an American.

Well, there you have it for what it is worth. My top five. What's on top of your list?

Words - Be Careful

It's been nearly a month since I last posted on the blog. There has been so much happen since then. I really have only one excuse, procrastination. Can that be an excuse? Oh well, at least it is a reason.

I was able to perform a wedding yesterday. As I spoke to the young couple and gave them my "charge," I said something that resonated with me in a particularly striking way. Yes, God even speaks to the preacher when he is in the pulpit. I said, "You both are starting with a clean slate today. You have the opportunity to make your marriage whatever you desire it to be. What your marriage will become will be determined by the choices you make." I know, not really profound, right? What struck me so strongly though is the fact that many of the little decisions we make ultimately work together to change the course of a marriage. Little choices can make major directional shifts. The Bible says says in James chapter three that great ships are turned about by very small helms. The little choices in life can make major directional changes.

The other day I was floating around in our backyard pool. The pool is not big enough to swim in but the kids enjoy it. I was lying on a float and just drifting around with the currents from the pump. The gentle breeze would push me one way or another. I found that if I stroked the water one time I could change the direction that my float was going. It did not take a lot of force. I was not thrashing around. Just a little push of the water and I was going in a different direction.

This reminded me of our marriages. We often say or do something while in an emotional state that we later regret. Sometimes we react (in an ungodly way) rather than respond (in accordance to the Spirit) and we later regret that reaction. It does not take much to change the attitude and atmosphere of the home.

I often remind our church family that once words flow from our mouths no matter how sorrowful we are, we cannot take them back. Our spouses may choose to ignore them or forgive us but the damage is already done. Be careful what you say and how you say. The Bible teaches us that "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." What this means is the right word, at the right time, given with the right motivation ministers grace and blessing.

We all could use a little more temperance and self control in our relationships. Remember the Bible also says that it is the little foxes that spoil the vine!

Pray For This Church

Yesterday, a tragedy struck Colonial Hills Baptist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. A bus carrying many children and adults over turned on the interstate and crashed. Three people were killed and many were injured. The press released two of the names of the deceased, Chad and Courtney Phelps, the youth pastor of the church and his wife. The bus was returning from a week long youth camp in Michigan and was only a mile or so from home.

As believers we know God is control and has a purpose for allowing this tragedy. We know those who died in the Lord are with God in heaven. Let us pray for God's healing grace to cover this church family.

The Problem With Kids Leaving the Church

I saw this article posted by a pastor friend and thought I should repost. There are a lot of good points made by the author. To all my church going friends, please take the time to read it.

http://www.churchleaders.com/youth/youth-leaders-articles/159175-3-common-traits-of-youth-who-don-t-leave-the-church.html

God Bless America

I recently posted this on my Facebook page and thought I would post it here because some do not use Facebook.

Having lived in another country for nearly thirteen years, I still believe America is the greatest country on earth. She is not perfect, never was. She is not Christian, never was. (A country cannot be "Christian" but only stand for Christian principles. In 313AD Constantine tried to make a Christian nation and it was a mess.) What makes America great is her nobility. Where is all the foreign aid when disaster strikes within the shores of our nation? It never comes. America is always the first to send funds to other countries when disaster strikes there. America has extremely generous immigration laws, but they are laws to be followed. Try gaining residency in a foreign country! This is truly the land of opportunity. For the most part, if a person is willing to work he can find work enough to feed his family. If you desire to hate on America, I suggest you move to another country for a while. You will come running back and kiss the ground. God bless America!

A Father's Life

I just finished a week of volunteering at a classical guitar music festival here is Houston. This is my second year doing this. My son competes in this festival each year and has done very well. This year he placed second amidst some very stiff competition. Part of my duties this year was to be back stage to proctor the competitors before they performed. I would announce each one prior to their entry on stage.

As a father, I will admit my prejudice. Our son, JB, played extremely well. Maybe the best I have ever heard him. It brought tears to my eyes, literally. I had a lot of time to reflect on the week and here are some of my thoughts (a bit random maybe).

Wow, that is my son? - Musical abilities run in our family a little. My wife was first chair violinist in her high school orchestra. My oldest son plays a variety of instruments. My daughters have some skills on the piano. My youngest son is doing well taking cello lessons. I have played guitar since I was about ten years old and currently am going through my second childhood learning to play the ukulele. So music runs in our family, but wow, not like this. JB has exceeded all of us.

What a roller coaster of nerves. - There was so much tension in the air surrounding the competition. I remember playing sports when I was a kid. I used to get so nervous before a big baseball game or a wrestling match I thought I was going to throw up. I could see the nerves visibly on all the competitors faces as they were preparing to go on stage to compete. It was amazing to see how they were able to get the nerves under control and perform with such silky smooth ease. Hats off to them all.

My son has a gift from God. - JB only started playing the guitar back in 2007. He started out teaching himself off the internet. Very soon after he was able to find a teacher locally that really made a huge difference in his playing. Whether she (Valerie) knows it or not she is a gift from God as well. Its been said that we are what we are because of the people we meet. Some impact us negatively and some positively. Its up to us to choose which way we allow people to influence us. I am thankful that JB has been able to take the good from the people he has met in life and rise above the negative. Many have wasted the gifts given them. My prayer is that JB will not.

Pray for Suburban Baptist Church in Moore, OKlahoma

Storms have ravaged the midwest. Oklahoma has been hit particularly hard at least three times in the past two weeks. No sooner had folks there gotten things dried out when another storm would dump 7-8 inches of rain on them again. The loss of life from the tornadoes has been staggering. It seems almost surreal that that area would be hit three times in such a short period of time. I am sure the good people of Oklahoma must be asking themselves many questions. Why us? When will it end? How are we going to get through this? Are there more dangers ahead?

I have been in contact with a sister church, Suburban Baptist Church, in Moore, Oklahoma. We will be sending an offering directly to them to help seven of their church families who have been devastated by the storms. I know that what we will be able to send will only be a drop in the bucket compared to what is needed. Some have lost all their possessions. We trust that God will use our token to bless these dear folks. By God's grace, none of their church suffered any fatalities. 

If anyone would like to donate to these seven families feel free to send a check to the church and we will forward it on with our offering. You can contact me at info@thechurchatkaty.com and I will let you know how to send any donations.

This week I would like to focus on another church member, Dan Rebsch.


Through Bill Gothard’s Basic and Advanced Seminars, the Holy Spirit worked in my heart by showing me the truth of His Word. I had never received so much Biblical truth as I received at those seminars. When I realized that the religion I was following was teaching a different doctrine than that of the Bible’s, I made a salvation profession to Jesus, left that other religion and began a new life in Christ. I have never looked back or regretted that decision even though it cost most of our friends and family members at the time. 

Dan & Granddaughter Melissa

I like to make time in my schedule for staying in shape by running and weight training. I usually run three miles at Memorial Park 2-3 days a week during lunch. I do my own weight training at home in my garage also 3 days a week. 

I enjoy teaching the adult Sunday school class because I love to research Biblical topics which broaden my understanding of God and His word. I love any type of in-depth scripture learning. As Pastor’s deacon, I enjoy being able to serve him and the church in areas of leadership and assistance. One of my other favorite church related functions would be when we have missionaries come in and present their ministries. Since one of my daughters is a full-time missionary wife in Ukraine and my other daughter was on the foreign mission field before marrying a young pastor, I have a soft spot in my heart for missions. 

At The Church at Katy, I serve as deacon with responsibilities for keeping the missionary bulletin board, purchasing all the church supplies used on Sundays and for special events, teaching Sunday school, setting up the church weekly, and keeping Pastor in line. :>) Outside of my church responsibilities, I, along with my wife, do an outreach to the Chinese on Friday nights. The group is known as the American Chinese Fellowship (ACF) and my wife and I teach a beginners Bible study every other Friday. 

Jesus Loves Me This I Know

"Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows." - Luke 12:6,7

Have you ever wondered why you are here? What is the purpose for your existence? Does your being here really make a difference?

These are all questions many of us have asked ourselves at one time or another. Usually we contemplate these deep things when we are discouraged or upset, when we are going through a difficult time in our lives. It is this mindset that opens us up to thoughts of despair and gloom. We tend to feel sorrow for ourselves when life gets difficult as though no one else has been where we are:as; if our trial or burden is greater than what others have faced.

I don't intend to minimalize your burdens or trials. Whether they be large or small, they are personal to you and therefore important. It helps, however, to keep a proper perspective on things.

"There hath no temptation taken you but as is common with man." - 1 Cor 10:13

This verse teaches that whatever you may be going through others have as well. The verse goes on the tell us that God is faithful to make a way for us to bear up under the trial and come out victorious.

God promises us that he will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb 13:5). He also promises that no good thing will he withhold from us (Psa 84:11).

We are taught a song in church from a very young age. "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so." What a thought. The creator of the entire universe cares about ME! Wow.

So the next time you feel discouraged or down, remember, God loves you (more than many birds).

Delight in the Word

When I was a little kid I always had hand me down baseball gloves. When my older cousins got a new glove I would get their old one. They were often well used, sometimes to the point of ripping apart. I wanted a new glove so badly I begged my mother. Back in those days there was a reward program called S&H Green Stamps. When you shopped they would give you some stamps that you would fill in a book. When you got enough books filled you could redeem them for items out of a catalogue. One day my mother gave me her books of stamps and told me I could get a new baseball glove. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

I slept with that glove. I wore it around the house all winter long. I oiled it, folded, it, worked on it, and slept with it some more. I would hold that glove up to my face and deeply breathe in its scent. Ahh, cowhide leather. What a smell. It was wonderful. I was the happiest little boy on earth. I delighted in that glove.

A little over the top you think? Maybe. But that glove meant the world to me. I treasured that glove. My mother sacrificed a great deal for me to have that glove. Most of us have something in our life that we treasure as much as I did that glove. What is it that you treasure? What do you delight in?

Why is it that we can delight so greatly in something so mundane as sports equipment? Or a car, or boat, or purses, or shoes, etc., etc.? Some people would nearly kill over their guilty little pleasures. Why do we delight in these while the most valuable treasure of all goes unused and unvalued? The Word of God is something that is far more valuable than anything I've listed so far, and yet most Christians ignore it until Sunday.

The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 1 "His delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night." He goes on to say, "And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." Wow, what a great promise.

There are scores of other verses that teach much the same as Psalm 1. Psalm 119:14 says, "I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches." 2 Tim 3:16,17 teaches that the word of God is profitable for the man of God equipping him for all good works.

Spend some time with the scriptures. Learn the value of them. Delight in them.

Mothers

Yesterday we celebrated Mother's Day. For many of us our mothers are no longer with us. We sure do miss them. It is especially hard this time of year when so many pay tribute to their moms and post pictures and so forth.  We share their joy. Those of us without mothers who are parents get to enjoy Mother's Day from the other side, the receiving side. Though I am a father I enjoy the celebration of my wife and her children. She truly is a great mother. The things that make her a great mother are a reflection of God's relationship to His children.

Isa 66:13 - As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you. (Never a truer statement)
Hos 13:8 - I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps. (Don't mess with a mother's children)
Deut 32:11-12 - As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh ten, beareth them on her wings: (Mom to the rescue)
Isa 49:15 - Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget. (A mother's love never wanes)

These verses are not saying God is feminine. We do not call him God the Mother. The bible clearly refers to as our heavenly Father. Rather, these verses teach us that whether we are male or female, mothers or fathers, we are to conduct our lives living the image out of God. Mothers are to be Godlike in their relationship with their children.

We celebrate all mothers, especially so those who are living their lives to the glory of God. So if your mother is still living, give her a hug, tell her much she means to you.

Topsy Turvy World

We are living in marvelous times. I call the times "marvelous" because I "marvel" at how society has allowed political correctness to rule the day. I grew up in simple times. Times when the lines between right and wrong were fairly clear cut. I was told where my parents drew the line between what was right and wrong and I paid the price for crossing that line. I was held accountable for conducting myself according to rules of what was right and wrong. If I crossed that line at school I paid the price with the school, then I paid the price again when I got home. I was expected to "act right" and obey the rules (of right and wrong) at school. My parents supported the teachers and the school administration in whatever disciplinary actions they took to correct my "wrong" behavior. Today is not the same "times" I grew up in.

Satan would like you to believe that the lines between right and wrong are blurred. He would like you to believe those lines are ambiguous and can be moved as it suits you. He would like for you to believe that it does not matter what you "do" just what you believe is right in your own heart. So just go ahead and indulge yourself.

God has given us His set of "rights and wrongs," the Bible (law). Cross God's line and you will pay the price. I did not say that, God did.

Rom 3:23 - The wages of sin is death.
Num 32:23 - Be sure your sin will find you out.
1 John 3:4 - Sin is the transgression of the law.
Heb 9:27 It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment.

America is heading down a very dangerous path. It is a path which leads us further and further away from God. Our Father has graciously warned us of this in scripture when He inspired the prophet Isaiah to pen these words:

WOE unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter. - Isa 5:20

Most Beloved Gospel Singer

In the past two weeks the world lost a man that was called, "The most beloved gospel singer," George Beverly Shea. Shea was most known for singing at the Billy Graham evangelistic crusades for over fifty years. When Dr. Graham first met Shea and asked him to be his singer at the crusades he was more popular than Billy Graham. His beautiful baritone voice was truly a catalyst for the ever growing attendance at the meetings.

The thing that strikes me most about this man was his humility. Here was a man that turned down many opportunities for fame and fortune when he was a young man in order to sing for the Saviour. Together with Dr. Graham, they saw countless numbers
of souls come to a saving knowledge of Christ. His music prepared the hearts to receive the word of God. When asked what he hoped people would remember about him he quipped, "that I sang on key."

Over the past year there have been many superstars of the entertainment world pass into eternity. The news channels all lined up to report the tremendous tragedy of the loss of this one or that one. Many of these people did not honor Christ with their lives. Some may have been believers. I do not intend to disparage the loss of these people. I am sure they will be missed. I only want to point out that the world truly lost a hero of the faith when George Beverly Shea died. While the majority of the world's population did not even hear about it, the angels of heaven are rejoicing to receive him into their presence. He should fit right in with all the praises being sung!

Good News From a Far Country

My family and I spent nearly sixteen years as missionaries to the country of Ghana, W Africa. I can still remember the first time (1994) I heard about this new thing called "email." I heard you could could send and receive letters electronically. What a great idea. I would scour the capital city of Accra looking for anyone who knew how do this thing called email, never to find them. In 1989 on my first trip to Ghana I would have to wait in line at the post office for hours upon end waiting to see if they were able to get a phone line open to America. I could wait as many as three days before I could call my wife back home. I once received a box of cheese and sausage that was sent as a Christmas present. It arrived sixteen months after it was sent. I found out it had been sitting in the corner of some rat infested office somewhere. Obviously we had to throw it away. Things are better now for missionaries than we had it. Things were better for us than they were for thousands of missionaries before us. Times are changing. Technology is changing. Communication is getting so much better worldwide.

My wife has a ministry of hand making cards. They really are a piece of art when she is finished. All of our missionary families, each one in the family (60+ cards total), receive a hand made card from our church for their birthday. Each married couple also receive an anniversary card. My wife personally makes a card for each member of our church (80+ total). The ladies of the church get together to make the cards for the missionaries. Today a group of our church ladies got together and had a brunch then spent several hours snipping and glueing and making cards. There are ways to send cards electronically over the internet. We certainly could do it much quicker and easier that way, but with each hand made card a prayer is offered up for the blessing and watchcare of God upon the recipient. Our ladies really do care for the missionaries we support and we want them to know that.

Many missionaries feel isolated. With all the technology available that should never be the case. FaceTime, Skype, chat rooms, Vonage, smart phones, texting. All this technology makes it so simple to keep in touch with friends and family living abroad. Having lived in isolation I know what it means to get connected to home. Is there someone you can bless today by simply connecting with them to say "hello" or "I was just thinking about you"? You don't have to make a hand made card or send a gift box. Just use the technology available and make an effort to bless someone.

"As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country." - Proverbs 25:25

Can't A Guy Get Any Privacy Anymore?

There is  major golfing event going on this week called The Master's. For many of you this means nothing. For the golf enthusiast (I am about a six on a scale of 1-10) this is a big deal. I love to golf, unfortunately my golfing skills are on par (pun intended) with my ukulele skills (see previous post). One of the things I admire about this sport is the tradition of honesty that accompanies the game. A player will call a penalty on himself even if no one else sees it. Its actually pretty incredible when you think about it, especially with as much money that is on the line with every stroke.

The world of golf is changing. Because of the technological world we live in we now have TV viewers calling in and reporting an infraction. For some of the more famous golfers almost every move they make is caught on air. This week Tiger Woods was forced to drop his ball after he had hit it into the lake. By rule, he should have dropped it as close as he could to the spot of his previous shot. Instead he dropped it a few feet further away from the hole. A TV viewer called someone from the tournament and questioned the legality of the play. The next day Tiger Woods was penalized two strokes for the error.

You and I do not live our lives with a TV camera following us around (did I hear a roaring AMEN?). Often we can get away from everybody and everything and enjoy some quiet solitude. Sometimes when we feel like no one is watching we even indulge ourselves with a little guilty pleasure (an extra chunk of milk chocolate, large scoop of ice cream, a little more sugar in the coffee, etc.) No one will know, why not? That is the way many Christians live their lives. No one will ever know.

The Bible teaches otherwise. We can do nothing in secret because the Lord sees it all. We cannot hide from the all seeing eye of a Holy God. The Bible says, "For nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid, that shall not be known and come abroad."- Luke 8:17

Knowing that God is ever present with us will revolutionize our lives as His children. So to answer my own question, no there is no privacy.

Haley has another biography to share this week.


Helen Jorski 

We are often thankful for our young people, as they are the next generation of Christian leaders. It is a joy to watch them grow in the Lord over the years. At 20 years old, Helen is one of our accomplished pianists here at The Church At Katy. You can always count on her to cover for an accompaniment on short notice. And I do mean on short notice! But playing the piano isn't the only thing she's good at. Helen is also studying to become a Paramedic, and is currently working with the local fire departments around Houston, and in the ER at one of the hospitals nearby. As well as her love for the Lord, Helen also possesses a love for the outdoors: hiking, camping, rock climbing, canoeing, and everything in between. A very kind and gracious person, she is an ever helpful and willing servant of God. 
Helen: "My favorite thing about the church is the balance Pastor Taylor has that is reflected in the church family. He wants people to seek out God, not to fit inside a man made mold. He is solid on biblical doctrine and he's not afraid to preach difficult or unpopular things. At the same time he believes in 'purple socks.' If the Bible is unclear or doesn't say much about an issue, he doesn't try to force his personal convictions on others. I love that he would rather have someone believe something different than him and have sought out the issue before God than to blindly agree with someone else's convictions. And I love how this belief is demonstrated by many in the church family. I think it's a healthy and biblical implementation of grace." 

Farewell Brother Cliff

Cliff & Patricia Ward

Just two weeks ago I featured Brother Cliff Ward. This past Monday he suffered a fatal heart attack. He was literally two minutes from the hospital but still he did not make it. Just last Sunday at church (Resurrection Sunday) he was laughing and enjoying the worship of our Lord. He shared the Lord's Supper that morning with us and commented how much he loved to celebrate the Lord's table with the church. Cliff was considered by many to be the grandfather of the church. He always had a kind word of encouragement for anyone and everyone. He loved to have the kids from the church come to "the country" as he liked to call his place in Waller. Cliff will be severely missed, but we know that our loss is heaven's gain. His wife Patricia (Angel as he called her) I am sure welcomed him with open arms. 

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." - John 14:1-3

Train Up A Child

We planted a pair of fruit trees this week in our yard. It will be a few years before we see any fruit from them but we will water them, fertilize them, weed them and watch them as they grow. We will certainly tend these trees with the expectation of one day enjoying the fruit from years of invested labor. Right now they are tender and vulnerable. We will have to make sure that when the strong winds blow that we anchor them down and protect them from damage. If any insects infest them we will have to apply the proper treatment to fend them off. There will be times when we have to get the pruners out and prune them so their branches will be productive. A lot of work goes into raising a tree from a sappling to a full fledged tree bearing optimal fruit. If we leave them alone and put little or no effort into raising them they may eventually produce a small amount of fruit. But if we want to see the greatest yield from these trees we must make the effort on a regular basis to see to it that the trees are cared for.

The same can be said for raising children. Boy does it take a lot of work! If we desire to see our children grow into godly spiritually productive children, then we the parents must put in the effort to make it so. A child left to himself will most likely grow up to be spiritually unfruitful. Oh, there may be some good that comes out of their lives. They may even grow up to be pretty good people. Training children to grow up to serve God and bear spiritual fruit, however, takes effort.

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” - 3 John 4

From time to time I want to feature one of our missionary families. This week I want to introduce you to the Peter Chamberland family. This family serves with the Rock of Ages Ministries.

I have known Peter and Crystal since 2004. As a missionary in Ghana our prison ministry outreach began to explode. We were preaching weekly in the prison as well as tending to nearly 200 prisoners doing bible correspondence courses. The work load was becoming too much for us to handle so we called on the Rock of Ages Prison Ministry to come to see what they could do to help. A team of five men, Peter included, came for about a week and surveyed the country's prisons. When all was said and done they had agreed to pray about taking over our ministry and expanding to the rest of the country. Over the next several years Peter led teams on short term trips to Ghana and other neighboring countries.

He continues to travel extensively overseeing the prison work in many countries. Our church started supporting Peter's family in 2008. 

March Madness Bracket Time

Its that time of year again when we get to show just how little we really know about predicting the outcome of anything. March Madness has arrived. Its that time of year when many of us sit down and put to paper our predictions for who is going to win the NCAA basketball championship. Along the way we fill out predictions for every single game throughout the tournament. That means we start with 64 teams, then down to 32, to 16, to 8, to four, then 2, and finally the championship team. A few days ago (before the games actually started) I felt real good about my picks. I was fairly certain I was going to have a higher than average winning percentage. Unfortunately they started playing the games and I once again was proven to be pretty dumb concerning college basketball. I cannot count how many times I have shouted "unbelievable" at the television.

Its really the same way in the spiritual realm. How often do we presume to tell God what we think is going to (or should) happen. We have no way of knowing the future concerning the day to day happenings of our life. Sure God has revealed some biblical prophecy. We can know the certainty of those events. But even with revealed prophecy our understanding of the details is often shrouded in mystery and shadows. God has not chosen to reveal everything to us, only what we need to know.

While we may get frustrated with the teams we pick for playing poorly or coaches making bad decisions, we need not worry about what God is doing in this world. He has it all under control, even if He has not filled you in on all the details.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." - Isa 55:8-9

"The secret things belong unto the Lord our God..." - Deut 29:29

(By the way, I predict Louisville over Indiana in the championship, 77-72)

Here is Haley's biography of another one of our church members, Clifton Ward.

A retired Naval Master Chief, Cliff has been with us nearly six years now, and currently serves as our church's "greeter and seater" as he likes to say. A true gentleman, Cliff makes sure all of our visitors and members feel welcome; visits with them, as well as helping with seating arrangements. "I like the friendship, fellowship, and preaching. He (Pastor Taylor) is very Bible specific. He preaches with conviction, but it really comes from his heart," he said about The Church At Katy. 
Every year, when given the opportunity, Cliff likes to freshwater fish when he is visiting in Georgia. A wonderful friend, and Godly man, Mr. Cliff is one of my favorite people at The Church At Katy. He always greets me warmly with a smile and a firm handshake. I like to think of him as an adopted grandfather; he's just got a way about him that makes you smile and feel good about yourself, like all great grandfathers do. 

Too Good to be True

The weather has been tremendous here in Katy this week. Low humidity, temps in the 70's, no rain. Days like this are few here in Texas so we enjoy them while we can. Soon it will be brutally hot and humid. As I watch the weather report from across the nation I am once again reminded why we left Chicago and never moved back! The weather! By normal standards the winter was fairly mild up north. When winter finally hit, however, it hit with a vengeance. By my count three fairly heavy snowstorms hit and left some areas virtually shut down for a few days. I kept watching the weather forecasts and thinking to myself, "When is it going to hit?" Having lived there for many years I knew winter had to show its ugly head sooner or later. The mild winter had to be "Too good to be true."

So many Christians live their lives with this mindset. God blesses and things are going great. A believer in his mind thinks, "Can this good thing last?" He lives his life waiting for the bottom to fall out and for things to turn sour. Even when the sun shines and there are good days he cannot enjoy the blessing because he is waiting for the other shoe to drop.

You know it is true that life is a cycle. There are good times and there are bad times. You need to remember that the bad times never last and they are usually not as bad as we allow our sanctified imagination to make them out to be. Christian, get out of the habit of focusing on what may go wrong and enjoy what good God is doing right now in your life. He loves you and wants the very best for your life. 

"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." - 1 Cor 2:9

Here is another biographical entry from Haley Simpson.

Marci Simpson is known for her passion for gardening. She grows two types of things: a variety of plants you grow in the ground, and 8 spiritual plants that are currently growing in her home. A wonderful woman and an excellent mother, Marci also homeschools 6 of her 8 children; her two oldest being graduated from high school. She is a genuine servant of God, and a blessing to our church. "We had been looking for a church for about a year and growing discouraged when we decided The Church At Katy was our church," she said, "What attracted me to it was the use of the KJV of the Bible, traditional hymns sang in the services, and the family integration and atmosphere. To me, church is a family event and I like having my kids sit with me during the service."

Ever Stop Worrying?

When our kids are little we stress over every step they take when they are learning to walk. Our hearts stop when we see them going up or down the stairs. Lifting themselves up around the coffee table always makes the heart race.

The first few days of school are always a parent's nightmare. Will they do ok? Will they make good friends? Will they get on the right bus?

Don't get me started on the teen years. Driving - do we ever stop worrying? Dating - Don't want to think about it.

Kim said to me this evening, "Do we ever stop worrying about our kids?" My answer is - NO. While we know that we are supposed to do the best job we can to raise them with a healthy fear of the Lord and leave the rest up to God, we can't help but worry if we did a good enough job. God is trustworthy. He will do His part, it's our part we worry about.

Its kind of like a ship builder who spends years of his life building a sailboat. The day finally comes that he takes the boat down to the ocean for its maiden launch. As he lowers the boat into the water he thinks back to the days in the shop when he was glueing and nailing the boards together. He remembers one day in particular when he was in a hurry and may have taken a short cut. Or he may remember when he skimped on the materials in order to save a little money. Launch time is here now and he has apprehension. Will his little ship stand up to the rough seas?

Thats what it is like for a parent and his child. Life can be rough. Sending your child off to face this old world is scary. There are forces out there that are just plain evil. Your child must face them sooner or later. Only what you have invested in them in time past will help them.

Ever stop worrying - NO!

"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." - Pro 22:6 (O Lord let it be true in the life of my children.)

This week I would like to introduce you to another member of our church. Caryn Peng Ho. Here is a short testimony.

My name is Caryn. I got saved when I was 16 years old. After graduating from high school, I had an opportunity to attend Pensacola Christian College where I received most of my Biblical training and became grounded in my faith in Christ. 

I heard about the Church at Katy through a very close friend of mine. Before that, I was serving at a local Chinese church as a pianist. I love Pastor Taylor's messages, the church families, and that it was close to home. This year would be our fifth year at the Church at Katy. My family really loves this church. I have learned how to be a submissive wife, a lovely mother, and an obedient child. There are always something or someone I can learn from. 

Currently, I am serving as the church Treasurer. 

The Heart Beat of God

As a pastor there is no greater joy than to know our church is doing what pleases God. I firmly believe that God is well pleased with a church whose thrust in ministry is to see the gospel of Jesus Christ spread around the globe through the ministry of foreign and local missions. We just completed our fifth annual missions conference. What a blessing it was to be able to spend time with some of God's choicest servants. We shared our conference with two missionary families. One whom I've known for a number of years and one I just recently became acquainted with. My soul was stirred and challenged once again as these missionaries shared their call and burden for their chosen ministries.

John and Esther Shrader, along with their eight children, are on their way to Zambia, Africa. Of course this field is dear to Kim and me because we lived there for a number of years. We know first hand what John and Esther are facing. We know the sacrifices they will have to make to live in that place. It was a sweet time of fellowship with these dear folks. You can see more about their ministry at: www.http://teamzambia.com




Bob and Vicky Taylor are the directors for Heartland Baptist Missions. Their heart is to serve those families who are with their board. There is not enough space on this blog to tell you all that they do and all they need. I will leave you with just a few thoughts about these sweet friends. Bob and Vicky led a team of college students to our ministry in Ghana back in 2005. For ten days they labored and served not only my family but our church family as well. The college kids came prepared to serve and be a blessing. They were taught that by Bob and Vicky. Learn more about their mission at: www.http://heartlandbaptistmissions.org

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."      
                                                                                3 John 4

Humility

Kim was recently listening to the radio while working in her craft room. She heard a man speaking on the subject of humility. He  defined humility in a way that really spoke to her. When she shared this with me I thought this would be a good subject to put in the blog. The Bible says there is nothing new under the sun. We seldom have original thoughts anyway so I am "stealing" this thought in order to share it with you.

How often have you heard people say about themselves that they are worthless, no good, or just plain awful? I have heard many people live their lives with this cloud surrounding them echoing the Biblical words, "I am a worm." This is their attempt to be humble. Humility is a grace that we should attempt convey. But what is humility? Jesus was our best example of this virtue. He certainly would be a good one to follow. So how did he portray humility? Did he go around telling everyone how worthless he was? Did he have a dark cloud around him? Not at all.

What the speaker on the radio said that day was. "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less" - CS Lewis. Humility contains the aspect of putting others and their benefit ahead of your own. I recently got a flyer in the mail for a youth conference. They were calling it "iConference." Taken from the term the iGeneration where we obsess about our iPads, iPods, iPhones, iMacs, etc., the play on the word "i" was obvious. We are living in a me first generation. Rev 3:14 is address to the Church at Laodecia. This church is characteristic of the church in our historical timeframe. The word Laodecia means "rights of the people." Boy does that ever make sense. Look around and notice the clamor for the rights for gays to marry, the right of the mother to terminate her unborn child, the rights of illegal immigrants, the right to bear arms, and the list goes on and on. We are obsessed with our rights.

Jesus came to "give himself a ransom for many." He demonstrated the greatest degree of love by dying on the cross for the sin of mankind. The Bible says, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Jesus demonstrated the greatest degree of humility by putting others ahead of himself. He died so we might live.

A New Adventure

Maybe I am going through a bit of a mid-life crisis or maybe I have just lost it a little bit. Either way, I recently bought a ukulele. OK, now that the laughter has died down a bit I just want to say, I AM HAVING A BLAST. I started playing guitar when I was just a little guy about 10 years old. I was never very good but I loved to play. I have played all kinds of music in my life. At Christmas time I bought JB a small ukulele just for the fun of it. I had it around the house for about six weeks prior to giving it to him for Christmas. During that time I could not help but pick it up and play around with it a little, you know just to check it out and make sure it was not broken or anything! I enjoyed it so much I started looking around for a good deal on one for myself. I have gotten on the internet and began teaching myself how to play. One day I want to be able to play well enough to play in church. At least there not too many people will laugh me out of the building! Anyway, thats my story and I am sticking to it.

"Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings." - Psa 33:2

"David also commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers as the singers who should play loudly on musical instruments, on harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy." - 1 Chron 15:16

"I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel." - Psa 71:22

Logan the usher

This week I want to introduce you to another church member. My dutiful assistant, Haley, has been preparing bio's for me to include so this is her first contribution.

Logan Simpson is one of our ushers at The Church at Katy. He works as a computer tech guy for some of the local schools in Houston. At 22, Logan is also a talented comic book artist/illustrator , T-shirt designer, and is developing his own T-shirt company. When asked what he enjoyed most about the church he said, "I really like our pastor. He has a great style in his messages, and I appreciate how he adheres to the truth. He isn't afraid to talk about the touchy subjects, and he really hits the nail on the head." (Thanks for the props Logan the check is in the mail!!!)

Do It As Unto the Lord

Kim and I have been doing a marriage counseling session each Friday night with another couple. This is the second time we have used this particular teaching material. One thing that stuck out in my mind this time through is the statement, "whatever you do, do it as unto the Lord." The basic premise or principle this taught me is that I am to show my love to my wife as though I were showing my love to the Lord. When I do this, her actions are secondary. It does not matter what she does or what she says. I am loving Christ through her. If you stop and think about this it changes everything. So much of what we do in our relationships is based on responding to what others say and do. Would your arguments with your spouse stop if you thought you were relating to God? I dare say this one thought will revolutionize your marriage.

Pastor Nixon Ackon is one of the missionaries our church supports. Nixon is a missionary with the Rock of Ages Prison Ministries in Ghana, W Africa. I first met Nixon back in 1998 while I was living in Ghana. I was out in town soul winning and inviting people to our newly established church, Rehoboth Baptist Church in Takoradi. I went to a little hardware kiosk to follow up with the lady who owned the store. Nixon was there doing the same thing for his church. We began to talk about our respective churches. He claimed to be a Baptist pastor but as we talked he confessed that he only chose that name for his church because he had met some people from the USA that were Baptists and he wanted to associate with them. He asked if we could work together. I asked him about what he believes the Bible teaches about certain things and realized very quickly we were not in agreement doctrinally. I invited him to my house where, for the next several months,  we studied the Bible together, in particular the doctrines that make me a Baptist. Soon after that time Nixon went back to a Baptist Bible Institute and studied further, was eventually ordained in our church, and has been serving the Lord faithfully ever since. Nixon, his wife Mary, and their children were a very faithful family in our church for many years while we served in Ghana.

Home Sweet Home

Earlier this week we returned home from an eleven day, 3,600 mile trip that took us through ten states. It a great trip as trips go. We got to see a lot of family and friends we had not seen for a while. We did not get to see everyone we wanted to because of work schedules and such but it was good. Micah (our now 13 year old) got to see and experience a beautiful snowfall. We were able to attend our son JB’s junior classical guitar recital. The time away (coupled with many hours behind the wheel) afforded me the opportunity  to do a lot of meditating, thinking, and planning. I must confess that I needed the time away.

As good and enjoyable as the trip was, Kim and I both said when we walked through the door, “It is so good to be home.” Most of us have had this feeling of getting back home after an extended time away. Why is it so? What makes home such a great place to be? 

Home is a place where we can be ourselves. If we want to walk around barefoot and in our PJ’s we can! If we want to kick back and do nothing at all, we can. If we want to raid the fridge for a little indulgence, no one cares. Most of the time it is a place where we can be who we are without wondering if we are offending someone or getting in someone else’s space. We don’t have to be on edge. And the valleys in our mattress fit us perfectly.

This is the feeling one should get when he comes to church regularly. Church should be a place where you feel comfortable being. It should be a place where you fit in and can be who you really are without putting on a facade. It should be a place where you look forward to going.

“Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.”

Irresistible Force - Immovable Object

We took a three day journey to the Midwest to see family that we have not seen for quite a while. Traveling to the north in January was not exactly the most desirable timing, but, it worked out that way. Micah, out 12 year old, has never seen snow. He began to pray that it would snow while we were there. I was born and raised in Chicago so I was praying we would not see snow. God loves it when children pray so Micah got his prayer answered. I had to be satisfied with a resounding "NO" to my prayer. We arrived to -1 temps. Our first morning we woke up to a beautiful six inch snowfall. I have to admit it was a beautiful site even though driving in it was no great bargain.

We often pray with faith only to have God answer our prayer with "NO." Think about that. When God says no to us He may be saying yes to someone else's request. It all works together for good and God knows what is best.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." - Rom 8:28

Justified Freely!

Missionary Roger Hopgood shared in our morning services today. He is a missionary to our nation's military primarily in the Northwest. What a tremendous ministry it is to take the gospel message to the young men and women who serve our country.

This week I'd like to introduce you to a great family in our church. Patrick and Debbie Hughes have been a tremendous blessing and encouragement to our church. They have been in the daycare business for over sixteen years and have a big heart for young people. Patrick is a flight instructor. They both attended Bob Jones University together and were married shortly after leaving school.  They have four beautiful and talented children. Patrick has been a great encouragement to me personally as he leads music, teaches both children and adult classes, and has taken up the mantle of doing whatever needs to be done. Debbie has a big heart of compassion and uses her gifts to edify and encourage the ladies in our church.

Rom 3:23-26 teaches a wealth of doctrine that is ultimately important to our faith. Verse 24 says, "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." 

Verse 26 says that God justifies those that "believe in Jesus." Comparing other scriptures we understand that simple belief in the fact that a man named Jesus once existed does not justify anyone. The devil believes in Jesus but he most assuredly is not saved. The belief that saves that the Bible teaches is a transfer of trust onto the finished work of Jesus Christ through His death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus' death paid the demand of God for payment for sin. God was "propitiated" by Jesus' sacrifice of himself on the cross. Because Jesus redeemed us, we stand justified before a holy righteous God.

What a tremendous thought. Thank you Lord!

Second Entry

Here is my second entry. I have thought a lot about what format this blog should take in order to keep people interested in reading it. I have lots of ideas so we shall see what path we choose!

Haley Simpson

I would first of all like to introduce my Assistant Editor in Charge of Keeping Me On Track, Haley Simpson. Haley is 18 years old, recently graduated, and eager to serve the Lord with her many talents and interests. She loves art, is a fine musician, and has a very servant minded spirit. Haley is still seeking God's path for her life. She would like to get involved in designing and producing Christian themed T-shirts. I have asked Haley to assist me in gathering information about the people in our church so we can introduce them to you over time. So if you are a member of the church and Haley comes to you asking questions please do not turn her away!


In church I am just coming to the end of series of sermons I have been preaching on the letters to the seven churches in Revelation. It has been a great study as I have sought to make this biblical prophecy relevant and practical. One of the things that has impacted me personally from this study is the progression of sliding away from God's intended purpose for the church. In Rev 4:11 the Bible teaches us that we are and were created for God's pleasure. Everything we do or do not do in this life should be pleasing to God. Paul said it this way, "Whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God." The big "take away" from this series has been that it is not about you/me/us, but it is about God. We see in the rebuke to the churches a gradual sliding away from a God centered existence. I am quite sure that the Church of today hardly resembles the church of old. In some cases that may good. The world is evolving and changing. In some aspects we must change with it in order to be an effective witness of the gospel. However, we must never allow our principles, doctrine, and purpose to change. Methods change but principles do not. What God deemed as sinful and repugnant years ago is still sinful and repugnant. God's Word does not change neither does His standards of morality. If, as I believe, we are in or close to being in the Laodecian Church Age, we need to take heed and repent. Apathetic Christianity is deplorable to God.

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Missionary Robert Bottom

Over the next couple of weeks our church family will be blessed by spending time with two missionaries, one we support and one we are hosting for the first time. Missionary Roger Hopgood, missionary to the military, will be presenting his ministry during the Sunday School hour on January 20th.

Missionary Robert Bottom, missionary to the Harris County Prison system, will be filling the pulpit morning and evening January 27th. Our church has supported the Bottom family for four years. Missionary Bottom is an excellent preacher. You will be blessed by hearing him.