A Farmer's Journal

Ready For Snow

2012-02-27T21:43:00.000-06:00

Those that know are saying we're supposed to get hit with a major snowstorm starting tomorrow so today I filled the four wheel drive pickup with gas, ready for action. The skidsteer is fueled up waiting for snow removal cause on the farm its our own responsibility, we don't have folks doing it for us. Let er come I say, because it would be good to bust this dry spell we've had since late summer. Give us a couple feet or more before spring melt so the potholes and creeks can be full. It was the nicest winter I ever seen up to this point I must admit, but I'll take a month of old fashioned northern winter here gladly.

^"You see, we are not like the many hucksterswho preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us." 2 Corinthians 2:17

There we have it, they musta had TV 2000 years ago! Well, maybe not but human nature is still the same. Imagine, during the very first spreading of the Gospel folks were already on the huckster train! Incredible! People were the same then as they are now. But that's the way it is in a fallen world. But I ain't worrying about that, no sir, we just keep on pluggin out here in the countryside, an area where most of them hucksters would never give a second glance. If I ever learned anything its the fact that God moves when the simple Gospel is preached. And simple it is when I have anything to do with it. Because I couldn't get all fancy like the hucksters do no matter how hard I'd try. Plus I figure why try hard to be something I ain't! I'm a farmer and the less complicated the better the way I figure it!

Oh how I hate complicated! And oh how I love simple! Today was a really good day on the farm because it was simple. The only time I get a little growly is when it ain't simple. Yes, I do tend to still get a little growly, although it ain't like years ago. Now when I get growly I pretty much shut up, which can be a plus for the folks living in close proximity to me. Pretty much all of today I was working alone, except for faithful dog Rooster who doesn't care if I'm happy or growly. His only aim is to please, most of the time way to much. Can't wait for a few years from now when he slows down a bit, trouble is I'll probably slow down to and then he'll appear the same speed as he appears now anyhow. Durn!

This past week over at the county seat preachin those services has taught me allot. But the most important thing it taught me is that God honors His Word when its preached simply and in faith. A bunch of folks from the county seat came out to the countryside last evening to our little church to hear the guest speaker there and was it ever a nice feeling to see so many come from the church I preached at last week. Them folks were still on fire and another thing that makes me happy is to see churches getting out of their walls and joining up with other area churches like last evening. When this happens I do believe God is pleased way more than we could ever imagine. I think one of the biggest setbacks for the faith is church folks just hiding in their churches and never having much to do with other churches in the area. There's a special energy in the air when folks get together in the Name of Jesus! But I do know of area churches that flat out refuse to have anything to do with anyone outside of their particular denominations. Very sad to say the least and I know it saddens God more than anyone.

Well, like I said, getting ready for a possible northern storm in these parts tomorrow. Dreaming of spring! Dreaming of planting, dreaming of green grass once again. A month from now the spring birds should be returning and I can't wait to hear something other than crows. When and if the storm comes I can just ride er out. No obligations this week. Simple. Even a winter storm is simple!

Old Time Holy Ghost Church

2012-02-24T19:23:00.000-06:00

Friday night and I just finished some chicken fried steak and having a cup of coffee now. Its kind of windy outside this evening but I'm inside so it doesn't matter a whole lot. Its kinda hard to imagine that spring is a month away, because this is the fastest winter I have ever seen. If you want to call it winter. But they say we might be getting snow this next week or so and I say let er come. Sure beats getting a heavy snow before Thanksgiving and having it stay all winter like last winter. I remember folks were getting pretty edgy last year around this time, spending week after week, month after month in the dead of winter. But now I hope to get off my butt and get some stuff done before the real spring arrives here on the farm. Just came back from town a little bit ago, from the library, (its free), and reordered again the book Foxfire 7. I've read it a few times in the past seven years but just got an urge to read it all over again. Love that volume, its about mountain religion and there's a gold mine about the Holy Ghost explosion that happened in years gone by out in the sticks. Through the last few years I've had tastes of those kind of services but after this week's services I got a full load!

Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:19-20

Amen and Amen! I got it figured out what's wrong with so much of Christianity today, its simple, church is a show. Think about it, a feller comes to church, sits down, does what he or she is directed to do, sit down, stand up, even kneel, sit back down and listen to a sermon, get a blessing, get up and go home. Most everything is done in order, pre determined, and the only responsibility is to show up. But that changes in old fashioned Holy Ghost meetings! Because a person never knows what's gonna happen and a feller isn't all that interested in checking their watches either.There isn't anything like seeing people all over a meeting spontaneously praying over others, the laying on of hands, popcorn testimonies happening at any given time. Oh Lord, give me that kinda meeting any day over rigid church services! Nowadays folks think that you have to be dignified in church, putting on a show is more like it, but it was never meant to be that way.

To put it bluntly, I never know what's gonna happen on the farm, you just never know when a person wakes up in the early morning and for me to sit through a "proper" church service just doesn't cut it. Why? There is absolutely no power of God in a service like that. The preacher who's church I preached at this past week is something else I tell you. A Georgia boy a long ways back, worked in the cotton fields, and they had a truck farm where they raised vegetables that they took to Atlanta and sold at the farmer's markets at the time. They farmed with mules and there's some stories to tell about all of that. And oh how I love to hear his old time stories. He was saved at 15 I believe in an old fashioned Pentecostal Holiness church where they had a big pot bellied stove in the middle. And it was hot outside and hotter inside the church building. He, being a boy, asked an old granny there why they had that big pot bellied stove sittin over there and she said it was to burn the devil out of you. He said for weeks he sat as far away from that stove as he could get cause he was scared to death of it till he learned she was a joking. But them old services were anything but boring! Powerful preachin but the thing about them churches was they were spontaneous. Popcorn testimonies, people prayin for each other, folks laying hands on people in need, all directed by the Holy Ghost. So much of that has been lost nowadays and the biggest problem is, and this usually seems to be the case, is that folks get dignified.

This past week the services were far from dignified. And the Holy Ghost moved so powerfully I am still amazed! So very, very much happened I'm still sorting it out for myself. But I guess I should'a known. Here and there back home in our little church when I'd do a service I always relied on folks to get out of the pews and get involved. So I guess this just naturally carried over to these specials over at the county seat at the Church of God. And I'm thankful that the pastor was from the days of the great Holy Ghost movements and allowed freedom in the services. But the thing that floored me the last two nights of the services was when that pastor said he hadn't seen a movement in many, many years like what was starting in our simple services. And I ask myself, how come with all the really good preachers in the area God has to pick a nobody like me to be the one speaking and praying, I should say the main one speaking and prayin

Yep, I am excited, more excited than I've ever been! Didn't really plan on services like that, they just happened. Because the Gospel is simple, very, very simple and I don't like to complicate it all up. Folks all over were praying for these meetings and that's the biggest thing! I can see a Holy Ghost revival sweeping the countryside, not only in our meetings but in churches in the area that never had a Holy Ghost meeting ever. God likes to strip away the fake and bring reality to His churches. The Gospel is hope, the Gospel is life, the Gospel is the answer to all of man's needs, why bury it under a rug and get all dignified with dead letter religion?

Back Home!

2012-02-23T19:35:00.002-06:00

I am finally home this evening after four nights straight preachin and prayin at the county seat Church of God. Today was strange just being able to work without the thought of a service to do in the evening. The services went better than my wildest dreams and I guess I could give a quick recap here of em. Started Sunday morning after chores, got cleaned up and headed out for the Sunday morning service. Preached er, headed home and did some more chores and headed back for the Sunday evening services. And the rest of the week from Monday through Wednesday preached every evening. But that's not the real story. The real story is how God moved when the people received. Now I can preach this and that but for some strange reason I always get back to the subject of "only believe". Reckon I'm a faith preacher when you get right down to it and a result of people listening to things like this is their faith increases and God moves because the Bible says that without faith its impossible to please Him. I figure He musta been pretty pleased because move He did and the list of testified miracles staggers me. But the biggest miracle of all is when someone comes up and says, "I want'a be saved!"

Oh Lord! The deaf hear, (quite a few of them I might add), the lame now walk, skin diseases that baffled doctors went from terrible to barely a trace left by the final service. I will be writing about different stories for a long, long time from these services. But they aren't over. The people don't want them to stop, nor does God by the looks of it. So in a week or two they will resume every Sunday evening. I can honestly say I have never been so tired in my life as yesterday. I preached sitting down most of the time. But when we are weak than He is strong and that's exactly what happens when the Holy Spirit hit the service after the sermon. Book of Acts in 2012 I call it.

But today, even being tired, I felt good on the farm. Trusty Australian Shepherd, Rooster accompanying me as I cut wood and was just thinking of the mighty miracles God performs when we let Him. As tired as I was I felt great today cutting wood and still do feel good! And I want to thank folks for the prayers covering these services! You know, for years I've written about the old time farmer preachers and one of my favorite subjects has been the old Holy Ghost preachers in the backwoods in years gone by. How they'd farm by day and preach some building shaking sermons at night. Never really imagined I'd live it but that's changed now. There's nothing different now then there was back then and there's nothing different now than the Book of Acts. God is the same, only people change. But when people can get lined up with the Word, God moves mightily!

Reckon I should get my nose to the grindstone here on the farm although nothing was neglected during this time of revival meeting. But there's allot to do here. The corn drier I bought arrived Sunday between church services. The guy I bought it from didn't take the top off for the 50 mile journey bringing it here and I hope there weren't allot of people without power because of it cause he said he hit to electric wires that were a bit low but he just closed his eyes and floored his pickup. Oh well, that's country life. At least I wasn't pulling it. Time for some machinery repair, our bush hog offset disk needs new blades and at a hundred dollars a piece that adds up, but I'm ordering them now. The cattle are doing great and they're still getting fed out on the back forty although those that know say we could have our first good snow this winter come Sunday. We'll take that moister without complaint!

So now that I'm home I can get back in the saddle here and keep on a writing! Its so nice to be home tonight but at the same time I miss those folks, those folks so hungry for God. I'll miss those moves of God over that way the next week or two, but what God has started we will continue!

Farm and Ministry News

2012-02-17T19:14:00.000-06:00

Well, back in the saddle here tonight. Has been a busy week with a few unexpected turns but now to get er done and going. In two days I'll already have two church services under the belt with three more to go. Things are falling into place and I can't wait for a week from now when I'm long done. But looking at the bright side, a year ago tomorrow I went under the knife and that began the roughest year I ever had in my life, so I'll sure take this instead! Feeling pretty good the last couple of months and I hope it will continue. been making firewood here and there and hope to really get going with that later next week.

Here's a photo I snapped yesterday while cutting out some boxelder trees that were encroaching into a field. The branches scape the tractors and combine and its not good. And the trees that grow out at an angle take away from original field so a farmer just gotta get out there and trim em out. But there is a plus because its all fuel for winter heating. In fact on this farm there is no petroleum fuels used for heating at all and that is saying something because there's allot to heat. But as far as heating goes we're pretty self sufficient. Then a couple of days ago I bought an older used corn drier. I call it Cinderella, because it looks a little rough now but that will change with a little work. On a farm, especially a family farm you don't get ahead by blowing all the money on new equipment. We make do with cheap stuff and try and make a living instead of giving a banker a good living.

All in all things are moving along! But even with all them services coming I am looking forward to something bigger. I'm kind of glad too, because they have been occupying my brain long enough. The other night at prayers at church a friend started praying for the men of the area to get on fire for Jesus and that's right up my alley. I've been dreaming of that for years but always get met with men saying they're so busy, mostly watching TV and stuff, but that's the way it is. And that's why we're in the shape we are to in society the way I figure it. When prayer was over I jabbed my finger into this guy's shoulder and said he just got drafted into the Lord's service. Then yesterday evening I was talking with a young man at the funeral wake we were attending and he is on board also. In fact he wants to meet out here on the farm often to get more and more of Jesus. I'm pretty excited let me tell you when even a handful show interest because God is moving in the hearts of men. There is no telling where this will go but if its of God there is no limit. The only job I have is to step out in faith. I must say, this gives me a little more fire for the services coming up soon!

So tomorrow is a double chore day. Get the chores for Sunday mostly wrapped up to so I'm not bogged down for hours doing that Sunday morning. I'm posting the times of me preaching just in case someone is interested. This will be farmer preaching, nothing fancy, just to the point simply. Any and all are welcome!

Here's the address:

Trinity Chapel

514 NE Third Street

Little Falls, MN

Sunday evening Feb 19th at 6 PM

Monday through Wednesday Feb 20-22 7 PM

Does Not Doubt

2012-02-13T20:16:00.000-06:00

^"So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." Mark 11:22-24

Monday evening after a good day here on the farm. Made a pile of firewood and that pretty well took up my afternoon. Spent the morning doing chores and ordering inputs for the planting season that's coming up around the corner. This winter is just speeding by, must be because its so nice out, not buried in snow, not yard bound for months. Its easy to keep the house warm too, its easy on equipment, its easy on vehicles, and its easy on these farmer's bones.

Jesus says to believe when we pray, believe when we ask. And I was dwelling on that this evening while preparing a message for next week, even though this won't be in any of the messages, unless it just pops up which has happened more than once. Believe with our heart, and the heart of a Christian praying should always be the same heart as God, the same will, and when this happens the request in prayer will always be answered. I've seen these verses used so much for the carnal wants of carnal man, but when you get right down to it, they aren't for that at all. On the farm I use these verses all the time, but I examine myself once in a while, wondering if I'm wanting things so I can be "somebody" or if I am wanting things because its in God's will. The Bible, which is he Farmer's Handbook, is the guide. God doesn't want a farmer to go belly up, God wants the farmer and the farm to succeed for His Glory. Not for the farmer's glory, but for His Glory. But when a farmer is living in God's Glory there isn't a better place to be.

The more and more a person gets into the Word and prayer the more and more one gets into the will of God. It becomes the very center of life itself and soon a person realizes they wouldn't want to be any other place. Now to an unsaved person or even a carnal Christian, (that's one that is fascinated by the world system), there is no understanding of this, or at least very little. There is no realization that the person going after God with all their heart is being set free from a bondage that is crushing. Free to live the way God intended for them to live!

So when we pray on the farm its not only for us, its for His crops, His livestock, His family. We believe Him and we believe when we pray those prayers will be answered. Its not for "us" only, we're hooked up with Him!

Farmer Faith

2012-02-11T19:16:00.000-06:00

The week is officially done here on the farm. We had a bit of a cool down the last couple of days but still its nothing compared to a normal winter. Since September the farm has received less moister than anytime in recorded history. Luckily these months are the months when it really doesn't matter as much as growing seasons do. Last summer I was wondering if we'd flood away, then in late August the moister shut off. That made for the easiest harvest I ever seen. We didn't have to worry about mud or wet conditions at all. I do believe out biggest snowfall this winter was under two inches, and that melted off in a few days. Today with the below zero wind chills dust was flying as I was feeding cattle. Strange winter for sure, but a farmer keeps going preparing for spring. With the cattle sale done for the year its kind of my quiet time on the farm, if there is such a thing. And in a week the five services are scheduled at the county seat. Almost prepared for that.

^"Put your hope in the LORD.
Travel steadily along his path.
He will honor you by giving you the land.
You will see the wicked destroyed." Psalm 37:34

Oh how I love that verse! Put your hope in the Lord!! And He will honor you! Kind of a farmer Psalm the way it looks to me, in fact there's other verses in this same Psalm that I use quite often such as this,

"Trust in the LORD and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will give you your heart’s desires." Psalm 37:3-4

It takes allot to run a farm but I do believe the most important thing is putting God first, because if we don't everything is for nothing when you get right down to it. I often wonder how I'd survive without the Lord and without the farm. Take for instance these five services coming up that I will be preaching. It takes allot of prep to do that, in fact I've never done anything like this before, so many back to back. But I catch myself saying that when its all done I can't wait to just farm. I never, ever look for preaching but it happens. A fella just has to trust God, not worry about pleasing man, and when its all done there is the farm. I keep saying, as soon as this is done I'm going to do this or that on the farm, and I certainly will. These services coming up are in obedience to God and I'm not worrying about pleasing people. This is all I can do, do my best in faith and know that the farm awaits me.

I often wonder why church folks have such a rough time with faith. Because to tell the truth I believe a person couldn't farm without it. Maybe that's why faith is so easy for me, because I live a life of faith. Even when I wasn't Christian I lived a life of faith. Might not have been faith in God, but it was still farmer faith, because there is not one thing on a farm that doesn't have to do with faith. From crops to livestock, its allot of work, all done in faith. Because a person sure doesn't see the end result in the beginning, such as when a farmer is plowing the field to plant a crop. It hasn't even been seeded yet, but there's a faith there saying a good crop will result. There's a faith saying timely rains will come during the growing season. There's a faith there saying the harvest will be good! All faith, believing in things we cannot see at the time. But we believe and get started.

Yes, its easy for a farmer to understand faith. Its easy for a farmer to take that same faith he has in farming and use it in his believing Jesus Christ.

Go, Sin No More

2012-02-09T18:35:00.000-06:00

Winter marches on here in the northland, but another nice day here. The temps are supposed to drop a bit tonight and tomorrow but all in all its been an easy winter.Yesterday the calves were sold at a salebarn north of here and the prices were out of this world and I ain't complaining because I know many years where they were the complete opposite. Here's a quick pick I snapped off during the sale. These weren't my cattle, shot this before ours came out because the last thing I could do when ours come out is take pictures. So, now that phase of the year is done and gone and in a couple of months we can start all over again when calving starts up.

“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”
“No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” John 8:4-11

Amen to this! I've been thinking about this Bible story, this gospel story allot lately. Read it many times but lately its been pricking my heart more than usual. This is really the raw gospel presented here and the more I read it the more it tells me what Jesus really did for us. Even though the woman in this story was probably set up so they could use her to trap Jesus, she more than likely really did commit adultery. The Law of Moses states that she must be stoned to death because of her sin. Would Jesus agree with the law that God gave to Moses or would He throw the Law out and defend her? In other words, would He go against a Holy God and let the sin slide by. The accusers were right in many ways, the Law demanded she be stoned, If Jesus would agree with them that would elevate them up to being superior to the Jews over Jesus. If Jesus said to let her go, He'd be going against the Law of God in front of everyone, proving He was not the Son of God.

But what did He do? He trapped them in their own trap! No one could dare cast that first stone. But did Jesus disregard the Law of God by doing this? The answer is no. He didn't let the adulterer off the hook, no more than He lets our sins slide by with a wink. Jesus knew where He was headed, He was headed to the cross to pay the penalty for that woman caught in adultery. No different than anyone of us who deserve death and hell for all of our sins. There is not one person good by themselves, not one. But Jesus took it upon Himself to save us who could not save themselves.

This is the Gospel in a nutshell. He took our sins and tells us to sin no more. To change our ways and to follow Him and Him only. And when we realize what that means a person wants to follow Him. Its life itself! Isn't it simple? It should make people pretty happy when you come right down and think about it! This is what drives me, the simple Gospel, the only hope for any person on this earth. There are no other hopes, none! This is it and its more than enough!

Apart From Me You Can Do Nothing

2012-02-07T18:57:00.000-06:00

Today was the day here. The calf crop left the farm. This evening I'm going through withdrawals, glad they're gone, but kinda miss em, and tomorrows the sale so I get a little jittery. Even when I know they are outstanding calves the old jitters come back. But looking at the bright side, calves are at record high prices, and brighter yet is the fact that two days after selling calves last year in February I had my operation that laid me out for a long, long time. This year no such thing that I know of, especially during calf selling week. So there's allot to be thankful for I figure. These pictures I snapped on the run this morning so pardon the quality of my "dumb phone". Now tomorrow morning I enter the new phase, no calves to feed! Will be strange for sure but I still have a hundred cows to tend and this and that.

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

Amen to that! Just finished up a sermon tonight and this is one of the verses in it. For apart from Me you can do nothing! Gonna be a farm sermon, that it will, and will be using a farm parable, well actually a true story of one of our calves years ago that should'a died but it didn't and over the years produced 16 calves so far. Not bad for a little heifer that was in a coma for a month. One that I stomach tubed the milk into her twice a day while she lay unconscious, her hair all falling off and she actually stunk from rotting. But a month later, one night at two in the morning while I was doing a calving check, I checked on her as she lay in a pile of straw in the warm pig nursery at the time and she had woke up out of her coma and was standing up naked. No hair on her. Never will forget it. Now 16 calves later she's still going, every calf a top calf and another coming soon. I had allot more spunk back in them years to even take the time to care for her daily like that. To gently lift her head as she lay there with her eyes closed, gently inserting the stomach tube down her throat and giving her the warm milk. Turning her over once in a while to slow down the rotting of her flesh as she lay there burning up day after day. There is no reason on earth she should have survived, but she did. I can tell you, she will never be shipped or butchered, she's part of the farm and she will live out her days and be buried here.

She makes me think of how Jesus watched over me while I was in a spiritual coma all those decades. And now that I was awakened, in pretty rough shape I might add, a fella has the chance to become productive for Jesus just like that little heifer did for the farm. That heifer was not worth one penny when she came to, and neither was I. But God can take a nothing, a zero and make it into something highly productive! In fact He specializes in it!

To Be Content

2012-02-05T17:13:00.000-06:00

"How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." Philippians 4:10-13

Late Sunday afternoon here, was in church earlier and then came home and took a nap and that sure did feel good. Was a bit tired out but now I'm not. I hear there's a big game today here in America but that doesn't interest me none, as neither do the commercials. Why worry about the unreal when a person can live in the real, in Jesus and eternity! Plus I can pretty well bet as far as eternity is concerned all the hype won't even make it, it'll be burned away with all the other worthless stuff.

Ol' Paul nails er on the head with those verses I tell you! And the secret in living an abundant life is to be content with the situation your in. Been thinking about that lately. Years ago when I had very little I was happy. Didn't have much money, believe me it wasn't much, and I survived and didn't starve to death. But lately I've felt pressure quite simply because farming nowadays is going pretty good. Then it dawned on me, the more money flowing in the more pressure. The more responsibility to use it wisely and make sure too much isn't lost to parasites such as government etc. But it surprised me a few weeks ago when this realization hit, more time is being taken from life protecting what a person has earned. This is not good. One has to be careful of course but not to the point of it taking over our minds.

Plus I've been thinking about world events and such. One of these days soon anyone that is worrying about what they have acquired will really be worrying I can tell you. Because when she goes down the tubes there will be nothing stopping er. But to a Christian this is not the end, its just the birth pangs of the real beginning. Now with this said, what does a person do? Well, there's no way to stop it all. As for me, I'm gonna keep living for Jesus come what may. Going to keep farming, going to plant and harvest till I can't. But most importantly one has to live for Jesus and nothing else. One has to spread the Good News, because that is the one thing that will survive into reality!

What a privilege to spread the Gospel, even if its in simple farmer style. I get around a little bit on the internet, and basically all I'm interested in is the spread of the Gospel around the world and I have found that the greatest moves of God are where the Gospel is being preached the simplest, in faith that God does back it up. And back it up He does! I have also found out that many professing to be Christians are the greatest enemy to moves of God. Seems they refuse to acknowledge that God moves today. But that's their problem, not mine. God sure does move when His Word is being spoken forth!

I've mentioned it several times in the past, that is a farm can become a generating unit for the Kingdom of God. I'm not talking about a place where folks come to as a retreat, I'm talking a working, paying farm that's purpose besides making a living for the family is to become a spot that empowers the Gospel in this day and age. In our own family world missions has become a reality with one daughter studying right now for missions. Its humbling when a person gives up what others figure as normal and looks at life as an opportunity to serve our God. So thus far in these past few short years the farm is birthing a missionary. Plus there is local preaching by yours truly in farmer style and of course I don't really know any other way cause if I attempted to do it any other way I'd be faking it.

There's so many things happening here its unbelievable. When anyone, and I mean anyone is willing to serve God, He makes a way. I truthfully can tell you, I never dreamed of the things we are doing now a few short years ago. Well, maybe dreamed a little but never figured any would come true, was just nice to dream. But God takes nobodies and uses them for His glory. In two weeks I preach 5 services back to back and am nervous for sure, but also excited. Funny how when something like this is coming up its hard to see beyond it, all attention is focused on that. I've preached single services now in various places in central Minnesota and figures I had finally reached my maximum, but God must have fun stretching a fella more and more.

A Harvest of Blessing

2012-02-03T18:20:00.000-06:00

^"So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up." Galatians 6:9

Still a warm winter here and was able to haul manure out today, direct to the fields instead of stockpiling it and that suits me just fine. Some years I have stockpiles so big that every available moment in spring I'm hauling manure, but such is not the case this winter. You never know what any given year will bring on a farm, just never know. But I praise the Lord that I won't be hauling for weeks in spring because that frees up allot of time for me for once. In the next few days, not sure when, we'll have to pluck out the replacement heifers from the calf crop and get the rest ready for shipping out this coming Tuesday. What a relief it'll be to say good bye to all those calves!

I love the verse up on top here! Quite simply because its in farmer talk like so much of the Bible is. And you know, I can relate. A few years ago, during the multi year drought we had I had planted a field into hay one spring. I do that with what's called an oats cover crop. I plant the hay with the oats in spring and the oats comes right up, protecting the hay seedlings somewhat and we get a harvest of oats grain, plus all the oats straw, the field is cleaned off and the hays takes off. Usually. Well, the next year when it was just hay it was very poor indeed, and had allot to do with the droughts. The year before when I planted that field I planted the hay seed pretty heavy, which I always do because you get what you sow. That fall, the first year of hay I put 28 cows and 1 bull out there in the fall figuring I'd plow it up the next spring because the crop was so poor. They ate it down to black dirt and I figured that the field would freeze out if anything that coming winter. The next spring I didn't get around to plowing it right away and was planning on putting silage corn in there which can be done last as far as crops anyhow. As planting season went on I'd have to drive by that field and it looked lush and thick with hay. Finally I decided to let it go and keep it in hay because it was beautiful! That summer the field I was going to plow under gave more hay per acre than any other field. I reaped what I sowed! The droughts ended and I don't know how, but the hay I planted came up and taught me a lesson. When we plant properly in faith, not holding back, we harvest what we plant. I just plowed that field under this last fall because I rotate here and even though that field was still producing record amounts of hay it was time. I took three crops off of it this year and when I plowed it down it was lush hay for green manure.

There's allot of faith lessons out here on the farm, and they sure go with what the Bible teaches. Its sad when I come across folks who don't even believe in God, let alone believe Him. I can't even imagine waking up in the morning with not one ray of hope in life and truthfully there is none without God. The only hope is to make it as far as you can and then you fail. Time and age, if your lucky, will bring you down. Not even to mention an untimely death or accident or sickness. Without God people are like the living dead, existing but in reality for no reason. But when folks that believe Jesus live and plant in faith and not give up they can expect a harvest. No matter what it was that was planted, when good is planted there will come a harvest. And a big one!

Stretching Out Your Hand

2012-01-31T18:57:00.000-06:00

Around here the weather is like late March weather. Almost 40 above during the day, the little snow we have is melting. But I ain't complaining cause it sure is easy on the cattle and on the farmer. Its nice when a person ain't hit with cold shock walking out the door to go to work on the farm! Hauled a load of corn into town this afternoon to keep me out of trouble, and this morning we sorted out some steers for butchering tomorrow, plus looked over the calves for selling next week. The best bunch of calves I ever had and they look good with this mild winter we've had. The reason being that the cowherd is never home except for around an hour daily to eat their silage and then its back out to the hay feeding field, a hay field I'm gonna plow down come spring. Talk about nice, they're spreading the manure, not me and the calves get to be in the cow's big barn and lot every day as soon as the cows head on out. So with all the room, everything really bedded down nice and clean, them calves are the best ever! Today on the way out to the hayfield with the Bobcat to feed three round bales to the cows I have to cross the creek on our own home made bridge and when I did I had a sight I haven't seen in a few years now, otter tracks in the fairly fresh snow. I had to stop and take a picture with my "dumb phone", I call it that cause it sure ain't one of them bigshot smart phones but me and it get along pretty good anyhow. In fact I still haven't figured that simple thing out and figure when my contract is up I ain't upgrading cause I can't even figure this thing out. But here's the picture taken this morning during cow feeding.

^"Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” Acts 4:29-30

Amen to that!! I gotta tell you, I'm in one of my old timey moods tonight, might be the nice weather, I don't know, almost like spring fever, but what ever is the cause I am just in a down right good mood. They're talkin at our little country church that every Wednesday this month its gonna be nothing but prayer, prayer for two things. One is for a special guest speaker coming to our church at the end of February and the other is for the five services I'm gonna be preachin in a couple weeks. And I was thinking, that prayer is pretty important and I sure won't tell any readers here not to pray either! But I love these verses, they really give me a lift! That's real prayer, so much so it got included in the Word of God! They were prayin for boldness but that ain't all, they were prayin for signs and wonders, for God to stretch forth His hand and heal those who needed healing. And I don't think they were talkin signs and wonders for church folks to see, although it couldn't hurt none that's for sure. No, they were talkin about healing and signs and wonders to follow them where ever they went proclaiming the Word of the Lord!

I figure in this day and age signs and wonders and healing had better come back in the church too, cause there sure ain't the Holy Ghost fire like there was in the Book of Acts nowadays in most churches. Shock the church back into reality, and set out like in the Book of Acts or even the early days of Pentecost in the rural areas of this country. But what would it take I ask myself. Why so little signs and wonders and healing nowadays? Simple, its lack of belief. Folks believe more in the world around them than in God. The greatest moves of God are with the people who have little to lose. Just like the oldtimers on little farms, living simple, very little if any money. Next to nothing medical facilities, very little distractions from society. They weren't chasing any new fads or anything like that. Just living simple is all. Very little coming between them and faith in Jesus! That is the problem today without even a shadow of a doubt. The idolizing of material "stuff" stops belief. And when there is so little belief, there is no move of God. And let me be clear here, going to church means absolutely nothing when it comes to our state of belief.

I don't know about anyone else, but I don't want anything coming between me and God. The oldtimers and folks around the world that live in what we call a poor condition are actually in a better position to believe. They don't have "stuff" in the way. We do! They didn't have to get rid of the worldly desires as much, but we are programed to think we can't live without them. In western countries religions are even developed out of Christianity saying God wants us to have stuff! That its a measure of our faith, the more stuff we have, the more faith we had. But I will say that's a lie from the pits of hell! Heaven is going to be populated by the poor, the downcasts of society, the losers of this world, those who place their hopes in Jesus.

Out here in the country I'm just'a thinking. Do I want to keep up with society, or keep up with Jesus? The answer is becoming clearer and clearer, to live simple, to live for Jesus! A life where when a person walks out the door in the morning going to start the day with chores and things, he or she knows that Jesus is Lord of their life and nothing else matters. We work for Him, happily doing our business. Asking for a blessing over the family, the farm and the day. Prayin as we work, praising any time during the day. This is the life! And very importantly, sharing it with folks!

Your Faith Has Made You Well!

2012-01-30T19:57:00.000-06:00

And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.” Mark 5:34

Amen and Glory to God tonight! Nice day in these parts again, I'm getting spoiled if I must say so! Got a little cattle sorting work to do tomorrow and who knows what else. I'm kinda single minded now though with the five services coming up in a few weeks, about all that's on my mind when I ain't thinking about the farm. Been dwelling allot on Mark chapter 5, because its a biggy when it comes to faith. I know allot of folks figure God will move when He wants to move and we have very little or nothing at all to do with it, but that sure ain't what the Bible says when I read it. This theme is really getting into me for the upcoming services. Faith, belief. and the huge importance of it in the Christian walk. The bible says its impossible to please God without it so it must be pretty big!

One thing a person can't help but notice, and this isn't the only place by a long shot in the Gospels that cover this, is Jesus says that the lady's faith made her well. It wasn't Jesus walking by with power flowing out of Him to heal everybody in the crowd, it was her faith. In fact she was the only one recorded that got healed there. She was the one who believed and acted on it. Quite an act too, considering she was more than likely illegally there, but desperation drives people to Jesus. You see, she was considered "unclean" by Jewish law and wasn't supposed to be amongst normal folks. But when there is nothing left but hope in Jesus a person combines it with action, and grabs on to the Saviour and things happen.

Yep, just dwelling on this, just dwelling on case after case in the Gospels, people with no earthly hope left, none, that went after Jesus! And go after Him they did! And there is not one recorded case of Jesus saying "stay sick, it glorifies God". Not one, in fact time after time it says He healed them all. All the hopeless, the multitudes that would come with a spark of faith, sparked by what they heard of Jesus as it swept the countryside. Hope put into action, they came and Jesus healed and delivered.

This is so in my heart now that I can't contain it any longer and praise God that there is an opportunity to preach it! Its an honor, in fact there is no greater honor that I can think of than to preach the Good News! Its not a list of rules, its hope! The only hope any person on this earth has. There is nothing else lasting, not one things. Jesus!

Hope, A Way Of Life

2012-01-29T19:52:00.000-06:00

^"Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12

Sunday evening here, just sitting back tonight. A good Sunday, great church service, was visiting with good friends afterwards for a few hours, and now to settle down and get ready for the week to come. Got to butcher three steers this coming Wednesday, plus a multitude of other work this week, but I'm hoping that the week is a solid farming week, not bothered all too much by outside of the farm things. The evenings will be for getting ready for the five church services coming up in a few weeks. And I'm hoping there will be ample time to get ready and get it all in me.

Sunday evenings are always a time to reflect over the past day and week and look forward to the week coming up. Farming is a life of hope, hard to think of it any other way. Hoping for a good week, hoping for a good year, hoping for good calving this spring, hoping for the right weather this coming grazing and crop season. A farmer lives life in hope. There are so many variables its staggering! I was told this past week at a meeting at church that I live a dream life out here on the farm, and in some ways I do, can't deny that. But, and this is a big but, there are things in it that very few folks working out have to worry about. Like being around seven days a week, never a day off, or at least a whole day. At the mercy of the weather, markets, and a host of other things we have no control over. But we have hope, hope for a good year, hope for a nice spring and summer, hope that as the year goes by there won't be too many machinery break downs that can suck away money faster than most folks can imagine. Hope, its a way of life.

And hope we do. Hope for the possible and hope for the impossible. But with God, all things are possible! These last few years have been something else with farming and faith. The two are becoming inseparable now as time goes on, more and more. Its to the point that I wouldn't even step my foot out the door in the morning of I didn't have faith that God was with us. Not an inch would I move because to me it would be a terror knowing I was going out into the world without the One who created it. I wonder, I really do, what would life be like again, without any hope? How could I live without the hope of Christ in me? That thought brings terror like no other!

But God said in His Word that He would never leave us or forsake us, never leaving us to ourselves. Only believe, only believe that He is with us and let me tell you, He is with any believer every step of every day. So many blessings when a person believes and hopes. Yep, farming is a way of life that requires faith and hope. Nothing easier than for a farmer to be on fire for Jesus if they so choose. Nothing easier than spreading that faith and hope because its so ingrained into a person.

So now its time to get back to work on those special services, its kinda the big thing for me right at the moment. To spread the gospel to whosoever will listen. To spread it with a farmer's perspective.

I Am The Worst Of Them All

2012-01-25T18:39:00.000-06:00

^"This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life." 1 Timothy 1:15-16

Amen! Trustworthy saying indeed! I've realized this over the past few years. Sometimes folks really listen to someone that was "the worst of them all". I reckon I ain't like some that have had the faith since youth, God bless those that do! Nope, I sure didn't have it, but was what you'd call the worst of sinners for a long, long time spanning decades. But there comes a time when a person meets face to face with what is truly real and everything changed since that day. Meeting Jesus never leaves a person the same. If your the same you didn't meet Him, simple as that.

But God is my deliverer! Believe me, He sure was and is! But a while back I was wondering if I was just plain nuts or what because quite simply things happen in my life, allot of things that can't be explained away as coincidence. There have been so many moves of God, some would call them miracles, and I was wondering do I have an over active imagination or is this all really happening. But one person who is very mature in the faith told me the reason for all these things happening in my life is because I hear or read the Word, believe it, and apply it. When those things are done God moves because that's the way it works. Only believe! Only, only, only believe! Pure Christianity!

I have to smile, remembering some of the first simple testimonies I'd give in church years ago. How God would move in my life and the lives of our family. Talk about scared to get in front of people and talk and I ain't kidding. If there would have been an escape route I'da taken it. And those sleepless nights later when I would be asked to give a tithe and offering message for a couple minutes in a service. I remember a few times with barely any sleep the Saturday night before, worried about speaking in front of folks. Then I remember my first real sermon and oh Lord, my nerves were shot! Remember driving to church so nervous I shouldn't of been allowed to drive. But I also remember that first sermon and how it hit people and how they came up afterwords and were in a state between shock, heavily moved hearts, and joy. And these were the regular church folks.

But there isn't anything that compares to hitting the road! To preach Jesus in places I never been before. New faces, new surroundings, everything different. And every single place I ever preached quite a few folks would make sure they talked to me afterwards and this is hard to describe. They were moved so differently than normal. I guess that's how to say it simply. And another strange thing is, I can feel it when there's folks really drawing from the message as I preach. Many won't understand this but its so true. There's a real draw, a transfer of power. I ain't talking hocus pocus here, but its real. The Word coming out is being drawn into certain listeners who God has pricked and they need what's being said, if that makes any sense.

I had no idea what to write about when I started. I had no idea what Bible verse to put up here. Came across this one and took off from there. I've been around the block a few times before becoming a believer, had some pretty tough times, mostly self inflicted. But after meeting Jesus I simply believe Him at His Word and things happen, allot.

Minding Your Own Business

2012-01-24T21:27:00.001-06:00

"Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others." 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

Now that's some wisdom, and it ain't preached much nowadays in this "I deserve it" society. Out here a person really tries to mind his own business, to live a quiet life and work for ourselves what needs to be done. Been thinking about this the last few days, especially when doing taxes and waiting for a feedlot inspector to show up tomorrow. Seems like even when a fella wants to live a quiet life, minding his own business, there's always someone who figures they can mind your business better than you. Came across a good read the other day, a thing rating if we are any freer than some of the communist countries in the world and it was amazing to say the least. We ain't. It seems from top to bottom the government is managing just about everything nowadays, and that goes for a farm too. Don't believe me? Just try and do anything without getting permission! Just try to put up a little barn or building without permission, (which you have to pay for). Its far from free any more, no matter what the "God Bless America" crowd is always bragging up. Its totally different than thirty years ago out here. Back then you could farm how you wanted, now you can't. Its been bugging me lately, very much so, how folks can attempt to put Christianity and America together. Its a lie! This country is so far from Christianity that any attempt to put the two together is flat out ignorant.

OK, so I get a little perturbed when I'm doing taxes and waiting for a "feedlot inspector". Other than that the day was good, fairly warm and no wind for most of it. Cut some wood, did the chores and that was the day. Oh, the governments are looking into burning wood now. But be that as it may, a fella just gotta keep on pluggin. Governments come and go, countries come and go, but believers in Jesus will never be snuffed out. And pretty soon there'll only be one government and it won't be run by men. Looking forward to that! The greatest enemy to these corrupt governments is believers of Jesus. Especially when they walk the walk and talk the talk. In fact I take back what I wrote, forgive me, I was getting growly. Shouldn't do that. Society is going down, step by step, its all in the Book. A believer might be living here, but our citizenship is not here. There ain't no dual citizenship's for believers. There's only one, and that's a citizen of the Kingdom. Live a quiet life, but spread Jesus every moment a person can. The only thing of value that will last. Respect man's laws but only answer to the King.

Pass Through Gethsemane

2012-01-22T20:51:00.000-06:00

Deitrick Bonnhoffer said, “When Christ calls a man he bids him come and die.”

The Christian life is a crucified life. “Take up your cross and follow me…” was the command of Jesus. “I am crucified with Christ” was the confession of Paul.

But just as we must all take up our cross daily and be crucified with Christ, before we get to Calvary, we always pass through Gethsemane; the place where our will meets the will of God.

Gethsemane is not as dramatic or striking as Calvary, and perhaps for this reason, its importance is often overlooked. But it is here, in this garden, that the battle is fought – and either won or lost.

The Roman soldiers did not take Jesus life when then crucified Him. He had already laid it down Himself. You cannot kill a man who is already dead!

This is why Jesus said, “…I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord…” (John 10:17, 18). But notice, Jesus did not say this, while he was being crucified, but before. Before the nails, the whip, the thorns or the cross JESUS HAD ALREADY LAID DOWN HIS LIFE!

Jesus was victorious at Calvary because He was victorious in Gethsemane. The disciples faltered and fled at the crucifixion because they slept in Gethsemane. Gethsemane is the place where you make the decision every day to get on the cross or to run from it.

Amen to this. This is from the site Daniel Kolenda.com. It just hit me reading it tonight! And I wanted to share it.

Murky weather today, but fairly warm. Church was good, came home, worked a bit on taxes and now I ain't. New week starting, never know what it'll bring, there ain't no promises in this business, in this life. But its a plus when its not too cold out, I must certainly say. So that's all for tonight, but its a good read up above, a very important and true read and I just had to share it.

You Harvest What You Plant

2012-01-21T21:40:00.000-06:00

Wind is howling outside, but the temps ain't all too bad. In the teens above zero so I can't complain. Another weekend, which as I always say isn't a whole lot different than the week on the farm. Work gotta get done, animals gotta get fed and tended. Wood boilers gotta be fired up morning and evening. But there ain't nothing better than being in a nice warm house as the wind howls I tell you. Wasn't to bad this morning but it sure picked up this afternoon. I'm multi tasking these evenings, doing taxes and doing sermons, and its time for a break from all of that I figure. I'd rather do sermons compared to taxes, them taxes kinda get under my skin. Folks taking the money and just generally wasting most of it with no remorse or guilty feelings. But I figure its been that way since day one, cause in the Bible them tax collectors weren't looked on too favorably either. It is interesting going through the past year's records though, cause a person can see where all the money goes and try and make some adjustments this coming year on some of that. It ain't free living out here, far from it, and I sometimes get an itch to buy a shack in Central America and forget all of this. But I reckon I'm here so I had better make the best of it. Really, I don't think there's a better way of life in this day and age. Its sure different than the norm. I wonder what it'd be like to get a regular pay check? I have very little idea any more. And lets see, no bosses making your day miserable, no time clock, no board meetings or any other kinda meetings. Yep, not all that bad when you get right down to it!

“Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.” Galatians 6:7-8 NLT

Now ol' Paul sure could talk farming when he wanted to for being a city slick. Then again I figure they musta not been so far removed from the land as so many are today. Its a big for sure, you harvest what you plant! Although sometimes you harvest weeds even when you plant good seed because a person didn't stick with it and tend it. That's kinda what I was jotting down tonight in my sermon notes. The luke warm believers. Where church is nothing more than a duty or a social club. I think if ol' Paul or Peter came back today and went into many churches the first thing they'd ask is, "what religion is this?" I'm re-reading two books at the moment, one is The Heavenly Man" and the other is "Healing" by TL Osborn. Both get me stirred! The Heavenly Man sure does teach me how far we have strayed from biblical Christianity though.

One thing that got me in the book was near the end when he escaped out'a China and came into the western world, and like ol' Paul or Peter, was really wondering about western Christianity. Its so dead, to put it bluntly! Well ordered services, in other words, dead services. Now I ain't a Christian so I can go to well ordered services, I am a Christian because I am a blood bought believer in Jesus Christ. And that's the very, very beginning of it. The early church, and in reality a greater part of the bride of Christ around the world is like the Book of Acts church, where living in flow with the Holy Spirit is absolutely normal. There's a great hunger for the Word, there's signs and miracles all the time in fact so much that just like in the Book of Acts its normal Christianity. Sub-normal Christianity lacks this. Western Christianity is mostly luke warm if not almost dead for the most part. And I want no part of it, except to help revive it back to life, the life its supposed to be living.

In all of the messages I'm preparing there is one theme, only believe! And that pretty much covers everything a Christian needs, because without it there is nothing. You can't even be a Christian without belief. Nothing happens without belief. No repentance without belief, no God dwelling in our hearts without belief. Nothing. If you don't believe that God moves the same today as He always did and always will, you can bet the farm He won't in your life. A Christian must believe Him at His Word, not man's traditions through out the centuries. No wonder folks are leaving the churches, they are for the most part in a coma. I ain't church bashing here either, but its true, in the western countries where its more tradition and mans ideas the churches are becoming weaker and weaker. You take the Word, believe it, and God moves the same as in His Word, without exception. If you believe He doesn't do things like that anymore, (a lie from the devil into the proud hearts of church leaders through the ages), there will be no movement of God at all. You reap what you plant. You plant unbelief, you harvest what you planted. Nothing.

Much of what I'll be preachin during the five services will be farm talk. Because when you believe His Word its easy for a believing farmer to see it every where on the farm and in day to day life on a farm.

"And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief." Mark 6:5-6

I reckon I have no intention of not believing Jesus, not believing Jesus is the same today as He was back then. I don't want to amaze Him with my unbelief. Because the Bible says He "couldn't" do any miracles, any works of God, because of their unbelief. The world, and that includes the rural areas, need an alive Jesus, not a was. Give folks a Jesus that was and is now sitting up in heaven waiting to come again but not really doing anything that the Bible says He did back then and you end up with dying churches populated mostly by aged people. You have Gospel hardened folks that if they even go to church at all, aren't on fire for the Lord one single bit. Then those same folks want to get politically involved and legislate it so the rest have to live dead lives like they do. It ain't working folks, it just ain't. If that's your agenda let me tell you the bad news, your gonna lose.

The early Christians turned the world upside down because Jesus backed up the gospels with signs and wonders. The Chinese church today is doing the same, the illegal church that is, not the fake one you see in the pictures. Africa is being taken by a Holy Spirit storm, backed up by signs and wonders because they simply believe. Where main line denominations basically fail after years and years in the mission field, simple believers take areas like a wild fire, because they simply believe that God backs up His Word, (just as He promised He always would by the way). Oh Lord, I'm so on fire serving the Living God, serving Jesus who backs up His Word, through the holy Spirit, with power!

The Calling

2012-01-20T18:12:00.000-06:00

A good day around here if there ever was one! Not that I got allot accomplished, in fact besides chores I hardly got anything accomplished. Went to the county seat this afternoon for a haircut which I kinda needed cause I was getting pretty bushy up there. Besides it was still a tad bit nippy, I reckon I could'a worked more outside but what the hey, can't just work all the time. Seen a fella on the street corner, dressed up something like an insulated Uncle Sam holding a sign advertising a local tax preparer and I knew at that moment I'd rather be farming! Imagine that job! Waving a sign around for hour after hour in Minnesota in the dead of winter! At least I can move around where I work! Oh well, reckon some folks are just plain gifted to stand on a street corner and wave tax preparer signs for a living. Wonder how much they get paid?

We're kinda in the dead of winter now when you get right down to it. A couple more months and the spring rush will arrive and I ask myself where did the winter go. I'm getting more and more prepared day after day around here purchasing inputs as I go, getting ready for spring. Gotta get them calves sold one of these days too! Then things slow down till spring speeds em up again.

But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

Yes sir! There's allot nowadays that is lookin more and more impossible as time goes by. Things aren't getting any better no matter what the different news medias are trying to tell a person. But we keep on pluggin. When you get right down to it, its getting more and more perilous every day and folks really can't see it. Seems folks are more interested in staying with the times we are in, buying the newest fads, keeping up with the rest of the blind. But today I was uplifted, allot! As I said, we drove to town to get me a haircut and when it was my turn the young lady that was going to cut my hair got me sittin down in the chair and got started. It came about, and I hardly ever do this, I started talking that I needed the haircut for the preachin engagement in a few weeks because in reality the cows don't care what I look like, but I figure people might. And that started a miraculous twenty minutes!

This young gal, probably around twenty one years old, started talkin how she reads the Bible every day, and she really feels led to go into ministry. But she said its so man dominated. How they look down on her. Well, that set me in gear cause the Bible says in these last days that young men and young women are gonna let loose and the Kingdom is gonna explode through them. Anyway that's how I read it. For twenty minutes we talked, even in that crowded hair cut joint. And by the time I left she was beaming! She said she would never forget this day! I'm telling you, it was so Holy Spirit led that I'm still doing cartwheels in my mind cause I ain't stupid enough to try it for real.

In these days God is doing what folks call impossible. He's on the move, speeding up, getting into the hearts of men and women, the young and the old, getting ready for the final harvest. As a farmer I sure can understand that because when its time to harvest you gotta have everything ready. You don't get the combine out and head for the field, you have it all gone over, greased up, oil changed if needed, worn parts replaced, ready to roll. God is doing the same thing now with His church! People are waking up, its not gonna be church as usual. Its not going to be comfortable pew sitting in the His church! There'll be churches filled with pew sitters but they more than likely won't be His church, that'll be churches of man's ideas.

If God can use a simple farmer, He can and will use anybody! Think about that! All you have to be is willing! That young gal is willing and no man made theology can hold her back, and I pity the persons who try. Its not a good place to be, discouraging someone God has called. Tonight I pray for that gal. I pray for all the gals God is calling! I know what it feels like, oh yes I do. I ain't some fancy, well polished preacher. I'm a dirt under the nails farmer, but I love Jesus! He's my Saviour, my Deliverer, my Healer!

Fear and Trembling!

2012-01-19T19:11:00.000-06:00

In these parts we've just had our first real winter blast of cooler air and it was a hum dinger! Its calmed down now, still cool out, below zero but after the wind the calm cold is much easier to take. The cows are doing really good, being so fat and dry with fluffy coats they seem down right content. I'm pretty content too in the house tonight after eating a good supper and enjoying the wood warmth of the place. Been busy in my spare time trying to get ready for the five services coming up in February, been going slow but coming together.

"And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

These verses take on a whole new meaning to me lately. Sounds like the job description of a farmer/preacher! Cause I certainly ain't preaching with excellence of speech or of wisdom of men. In fact I preach so down home I'd probably make regular preachers pretty uncomfortable listening to me. But that's the way it is. Basically unschooled in the high matters, just got the Bible and some home study courses from a few years back. But Gospel preachin is pretty similar to farming, you just do it in faith. I could never imagine being in front of a bunch of folks if I didn't have faith that Jesus would carry me through, and also demonstrate His power!

The way I figure it, many churches want man's wisdom, want real nice feel good preachin and everyone is happy when they leave, especially that its over with. But I can't stand wasting my time, (just like farming), but want to see results. And the only way to get real results is by the power of God and not by man. In farming without God's power directly blessing the farm it don't even pay to try. Yes we work, tilling, planting, tending, but without the right weather its all for nothing anyhow.

Jesus saves, delivers and heals! The same as back then! That's the power of God and I know that God wants to demonstrate His power all the time but are limited by unbelief. Yep, I'm nervous about all that's coming up, its only natural. I do it in fear and trembling. But a fella gotta step forward in faith, knowing that Jesus is the same today as He was back then, or else all a fella got is another dry religion. All the world's religions have works and beliefs, but only one has power! And that power is available today! Only Believe! Jesus!

He Could Do No Mighty Work!

2012-01-15T20:00:00.000-06:00

Glory to God, today is getting over with! Can't wait to get back to work cause I feel like the laziest man on earth today. Did the morning chores, went to church, went out to eat at a local cafe after church, got done eating there and was walking out the door and got a phone call from daughter Rachel saying she'd meet us half ways between here and the Twin Cities to go out to eat. So from one place to another and now I'm home stuffed, and I ain't going out no more until the next time. I gotta work this off I tell you, feel like a glutton and the Bible says that gluttons ain't going to heaven so I figure I'm gonna eat me nothing but oatmeal for a few days in order to repent. That is after I eat the left over food I brought home today....

But back to farming for real tomorrow. Taxes to get in order, plans for the new year, plus all the regular work, and for a kicker they say the weather is gonna be a tad bit more winter like again for a little bit to add spice to life. Running this place is like running a sailing ship. you gotta go with the wind as much as possible. Certain jobs get done better in certain types of weather. And I try to work it that way. This morning wasn't all too bad and knowing the wind is returning tomorrow along with some cold I cut back some of the plastic on the silage pit and got that in order. Yesterday got the outdoor wood boilers cleaned out, the ashes that is. Tough doing that on a windy day plus we have a dusting of snow now and when I clean them things out I'll get a whole Bobcat bucket's worth of red hot coals out of each one. Not wanting to burn down the county I have to wait for some snow cover so I can dump the ashes out in the field. So we're good for a week or two again in that department. Winter in the north country usually means not much getting done except day to day operations and that's about it.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching. Mark 5:4-6

These verses always stick with me. Now allot of folks think Jesus could preform miracles because He was, well, Jesus. But the bible says something very much different than that. Here it says He could do no mighty works there because of their unbelief. And isn't that the way it is, you get what you believe. Anyway, that is how it works because without faith its impossible to please God. And He marvels at unbelief! Faith is what moves mountains! Faith, simple faith and oh how folks just don't believe that! They say the age of miracles is over and you know, they get what they believe, nothing. God wants His people to believe Him, simple as that. I would be scared out of my wits if I knew God didn't do mighty works in this day and age, cause then all I'd have is dead letter religion. If I get any religion at all its gonna be the real thing I figure. God cares! He really does and when a person gets that down pat and adds some simple faith, there is a direct connection between heaven and earth. Ain't that the way to wake up in the morning, knowing God cares for you? Knowing He'll move mountains because you trust Him? That's the God I serve!

Yep, tomorrow's Monday, the start of a new week around here working on the farm. Let the glory go to Him who takes care of us, who watches over us every moment. Let Him in on all the farm plans, let Him in on all the family plans. He's the best partner a person could ever have, that I know!

More Abundantly!

2012-01-13T19:26:00.001-06:00

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10

Amen! Love this verse! Well, the wind stopped howling but the dog started to this evening. Guess he figures he gotta pick up the slack now that it calmed down outside. And its calm, the smoke from the outdoor wood boilers was going straight up, lookin like a power plant, but it was a beautiful sight really. Its nice to go outside and not get blasted by the wind. Even if the temps were a bit on the cool side today it was rather nice outside. Typical winter day, didn't get a whole lot done besides chores but that's OK, there's plenty more days, Lord willing, for working hard and long. Heard some chainsaws off in the distance today, being as calm as it was out there. Took a picture of some of the calves today as I was doing a few chores this afternoon. This pen has durn near 90 in it and they are lookin good! About time to sell soon and the prices are lookin good too! Praise God for that, its not like I'll get rich, but it will keep it all going around here!

Yep, a good lookin bunch if I must say so and as I said, I thank and praise God for it all. Thinking back to this spring when I was in no condition to do hardly anything in helping the cows during calving, them good old cows pretty much came through on their own for me and I am so thankful for that! Which gives me the thought tonight, God is good, the devil is bad, simple as that. Everything bad comes from the devil and everything good comes from God. Tom's simple theology! But it is true without a doubt. God doesn't put bad things on people, it ain't His will. But people will put bad things on themselves. Take a nation going down the tubes, the people do that, not God cause its His will that everyone would trust in Him and He would be their provider and protector. Go all the way down to the individual, I don't think anyone can say God put something bad on them quite simply because its not His will to be bad. Simple eh! What about persecution then some may say? Well, those doing the persecuting are not in God's will you can bet the farm on that, but its a plain fact of life to any believer cause Jesus said a servant is not above the master and Jesus was hated when He was on this earth, then so will anyone that's a "believer" in Jesus. Another simple fact. Don't have to dwell to long about that.

Yep, been thinking about all of this during the evening hours here. Now, on my ministry credentials, that's the legal papers a fella gets when he or she is in ministry, it doesn't say I'm a pastor, it says evangelist. And I don't know why but to me that's almost sacred. Not that the papers really mean all that much but there is nothing in the world I love more than simple evangelism. And I ain't talking formula evangelism which a person sees all over nowadays. Now there ain't nothing wrong with formula evangelism, (that's the kind where your taught what to say and how to debate someone), no, I just evangelize from the heart. No fine tuned debating or anything like that. Just the Word and simple testimony is all. The power is in the Word and in the testimony. Then it becomes supernatural. Folks might argue about doctrine but no one can stand up to a testimony, quite simply because the person testifying knows its true and that's that for that. The listener can either believe or walk away. But in the testimony there's a Holy Spirit movement that pricks the hearts of many, and maybe plants seeds in others.

Around here I've been talking with other farmers here lately when the weather is a tad bit rough. Mostly when I stop by the co-op or something to kill some time. With the higher crop prices which should benefit the area farmers comes greed. And allot of it. In every farming area your gonna get what's called land hogs. They drive up the land prices unbelievably trying to get every acre they can. They live driven by thinking everyone is in awe of them, but I'll let you in on something here, most people think they're fools and are chuckling and waiting for when things crash and the land hogs burn. I've seen it before and will see it again. Prices go up, everyone could benefit, but no, a farmer's worse enemy is farmers, greedy ones. And to put it bluntly, greed comes from the devil so instead of making a good living with the prices as good as they are they go and raise the expenses so high that most prophet is taken away. But me and a few other were talking, we're going to farm what we got, farm it well, and make a good living on it with older machinery, low or no debt, and live happy. Makes sense to me.

So greed, (from the devil), comes to kill, steal and destroy something that many have been waiting years and years for, good prices. But I'm trusting God to watch over this farm and family, I ain't getting in the greed race. The high and mighty say you gotta get bigger or get out but let me tell you, we'll be here when the high and mighty crash and burn. God is good, devil is bad. Was just talking this evening on the phone with a friend and he was saying about this feller he works with that is one of them land hogs. He says that fella is the most unhappy guy at work and I believe it. He had a good place but got bitten by the devil and no is in the race to run over all his neighbors in farming huge. Nope, just give me Jesus, let me farm good, and let me have life abundantly! No worries like them fella's got, but happy! There is a difference! Now I know the wise will think I'm a fool and that's OK with me. Its an honor! But I'm happy!

The Simple Gospel

2012-01-12T20:11:00.000-06:00

Still cold and windy up here, just a dusting of snow cover, but hauled a couple loads of corn to town today to give me something to do during the winter blast. In reality it wasn't all that bad, just had to duck for cover every so often, nothing major. Not bad for January when you get right down to it. The house is warm, the cattle are dry and that's the most important thing with them. If they're dry they stay warm allot easier. And I'm warm and dry too! Just dwelling here with notebook and Bible by my side, wondering about the revival campaign coming up in February. Its coming together, and its getting more and more exciting as I go. At first was rather intimidating but in my heart it seems that the word "simple" is setting in. Preach it so simple that a child can understand it. Don't try and complicate it, either for myself or for others. And I reckon that's right, cause its not the speech of man that changes hearts, its the Word, the simple Gospel that breaks the chains. So, that's fine with me!

Now one thing kinda gets to me as I get ready for all of this plus try and hold a farm together too. On the farm the simpler one can do something the better, I hate complicated. Complicated usually means headaches and I figure every headache I can avoid is a huge plus. The simple Gospel, the kind I love, the kind that excites me. Now the mysteries of the Bible will never be known to any one human being this side of the Jordan, but the more one gets into the Word, the more that is revealed, that's the way God works with His children. The more that gets revealed, the more hunger we get. I'm that way, believe me, but that don't cut it with Gospel preachin. When preaching the gospel, the simpler the better cause I sure do remember when I wasn't heading to heaven and what finally got me was some simple preaching about who we are, and who God is, and how it was impossible to have eternal life, (the good kind), without simple faith in Jesus. Oh how I remember! There are three things to remember with simple preachin. Jesus is our Saviour! Jesus is our Deliverer! Jesus is our Healer! Those three things cover every human need.

Oh yes, the world of the unsaved. Not knowing the "why's" of life. Not knowing the reason for life. Not knowing there is a creator God so full of love for them that no human being has even come close to understanding it on their own. But simple preaching sparks hope! Even when folks don't look like they're taking it in, there's a spark going deep inside of them, delivered by the Holy Spirit to a loved human being that God wants to live eternally with Him. The Bible says that He doesn't want to lose one person and if the Bible says it, I believe it.

Oh Lord, am I thankful for such a Jesus! How could a person live, (or farm), without Him? So many miracles through the last few years, so many. Such a hands on God! Guess that's why I have no time for dead letter religion, just give me simple, the simple Gospel, the kind where the power of God flows to show folks His Glory! Gotta get back to the notebooks now, but I want to put a video up here. Of course I've only preached to a maximum crowd of around 120 last summer in an outdoor event, but this video shows God move in the hearts of crowds so large it staggers the imagination! I am so excited to see God moving on so massive a scale in these last days. He will not be mocked, He's bringing folks home to Him on a scale we in the west cannot even imagine. It does make me wonder, in America, we think we've arrived when it comes to Christianity but the truth is we haven't even started. The largest crusades in the world are preached simple. The power of God manifests just like in the book of Acts, millions are saved and "filled" with the Holy Spirit while we in the west are arguing doctrines and denominations. That's why I say I don't care about religion, I want God. I want Jesus and nothing else.

Winter Returned

2012-01-11T19:10:00.000-06:00

The warmth around here is over for a few days, a cold blasting northwest wind blowing at the moment ushering in cooler air. Had a trace of snow this morning during morning chores but that's about it. Didn't get a whole lot accomplished today with the wind roaring but that's OK, there's other days for work. Sure's not like yesterday when the temps were in the 50s. So this evening with the wind howling outside I'm sort a preparing for next months five service campaign, yep, I figure I'll call it that cause it ain't normal for me that's for sure. Seen what they were advertising it as and I had to swallow hard. Its like its something major. Sometimes I almost want to run away from it, but then I remind myself, keep it simple, preach Jesus and that's all that's required of me. Besides, its not about me, its about Him. I know He has blessed me beyond measure and its all I can do just tell folks about Him!

^"For the Son of Mancame to seek and save those who are lost.” Luke 19:10

Its as simple as that! Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost. When we get away from that we've really lost the meaning of Christianity. Its all Him!

Limiting God

2012-01-09T20:29:00.000-06:00

^"How often they provoked Him in the wilderness,
And grieved Him in the desert!
Yes, again and again they tempted God,
And limited the Holy One of Israel." Psalm 78:40-41

This picture was during morning chores today. Sun wasn't up yet and the full moon wasn't quite down. The weather keeps on being way above normal in these parts and today I was cleaning the barn in this photo. Got it about half finished and hauled out. We're able to spread on the fields and its nice not having huge manure piles growing which means allot of work in spring time when theres other things to do. Tomorrow's supposed to be the same so I'm a hoping to get er done by evening.

Just had to put them verses up there cause this is what I'm dwelling on the last couple of days around here. Unbelief. And unbelief limits God. It don't limit Him in what He's gonna do in the big picture but it sure limits Him when it comes to each and every one of us. I was thinking hauling that manure about some videos I was watching yesterday evening. About the mass evangelism in Africa nowadays amongst the poor folk. Something like 70 million accepted Christ through one ministry alone, and I was really watching their videos. The people came in huge numbers. Many meetings with well over a million folks showing up. But what caught my attention were the miracles taking place in these crusades. Tens of thousands healed as they heard the Word of God preached and there was a question on why that doesn't happen all that often in the Western countries. Quite simply the answer, and I agree 100% with it, unbelief! If you don't believe it, you won't be getting it! God is limited because of the unbelief.

"And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief." Mark 6:5-6

Yep, justa dwelling on this. Got allot to think about. Nothing new for me, just rehashing most of it is all. Just thinking about the religion here that limits God in every way possible. Just dwelling on the thousands and thousands of folks getting healed daily in other countries, many at the same time. But I know that it happens here too. Only believe is all that's required. God is amazed when His people do not believe He wants to take care of them.

Clap Your Hands

2012-01-07T21:01:00.000-06:00

Well, all in all things are going pretty good around here. Got allot of work done today and this evening myself and daughter Rachel went to Perkins to get some vittles before she heads back to the Twin Cities come Monday, back to college, Christmas break is coming to an end. Had myself a farmer's omelet and I'm stuffed. Now back home after driving through the country on a clear evening, stars out, almost a full moon, warm out like early November weather should be. Strange winter and I don't know what this will all bring but at the moment I ain't complaining! Plenty of time to get moister yet for the next farm year, in fact in a normal winter just about all the snowfall and stuff just washes down the river heading for the Gulf of Mexico anyhow. Its the late winter, early spring ones that get in the ground. This morning I took this picture with my phone. The sun wasn't up yet as I was feeding cattle but was reflecting on the clouds. It was kinda awesome seeing God's handy work this I can attest. You can notice there ain't no snow, looks more like later April around here.

Well, as I just walked into the house this evening I got a message and gotta do a little preachin tomorrow morning at church. No problem, I'm ready. Sure ain't like a few years back when I'd be working for hours figuring out a message. Now I'll worry about it during morning chores. Got a newsletter from another church today and the five service preachin engagement in February that we'll be doing is now officially in print. After that I figure one day services will be a piece of cake. Loaded a wagon load of corn this morning to take to the co-op come Monday for selling. First income for the year. Lookin over the calf crop we are feeding, the nicest calf crop we ever had, and they're gonna be mostly sold in a few short weeks. Record prices to boot! Hoping that holds or grows. Oats prices are really high and there's a few thousand bushels here that can go to town too. Sometimes its just nice when things finally go a fella's way, cause in farming that sure ain't always the case. There's years where its the complete opposite. But God is with us in the good times and He's with us in the bad times. I put the video up on top cause I like that song and that's all it takes. Called "Clap Your Hands", an original from them little old fashioned churches that were on fire for the Lord!

Oh there's allot of jobs coming up this year on the farm, corral rebuilding, building repairs which I figure includes fixing up the old chicken coop cause I sure do like that building. getting to the point where it would be profitable to have a hundred laying hens again the way prices are. And that building really is a good'un when you get right down to it. Right now my little hillbilly chickens supply me with all the eggs I need, come spring though the egg production should go up by twenty times. Just those little Banties, but their eggs are better than any store bought stuff. Plus I'm kinda used to the size of em, which are not all that small by the way for the size of the chickens. I just don't know why, but I'm getting excited about this coming year on the farm, might be because at the moment I ain't expecting to get butchered like late last winter. It'll be nice to be able to actually work without pain this year.

Oh clap your hand, clap your hands! Yep, got that song stuck in my head this evening! Old Satan is a defeated foe and in the Name of Jesus he gotta go! That old snake can make life rough for a fella for sure, but one thing, and this is a big thing. He has never, ever, ever won against a Blood Bought believer! Never! And if'n it seems like he did, we'll find out much different when we cross that old River Jordan. God never loses, period. And those promises in the Bible are real and God loves a believer that will stick to them promises no matter what! God wants folks that simply believe Him at His Word. Think about that a bit, its true. It may not look all that good but when we believe we have the Almighty Creator of the universe taking over for us. Old Satan can really over shoot sometimes and what looks like the worst possible situation that looks like there's no way out, God takes and turns it right around for His glory. That's a rock solid rule. Cause what Satan uses for our destruction, when we let God fight the battle, believing Him at His Word, God turns around for the good! When a fella lets that sink in and believes it, that's when we realize what we really possess!

Forgetting Those Things Which Are Behind

2012-01-05T19:28:00.000-06:00

Durn near summer like today up here in the north. Almost hit 50 above and I was working splitting a big slug of firewood and was sweating up a storm in the process. I wish this was the way every winter would be, but I know the facts bear a different story, and this winter is far from over and anything can happen yet. For now though its kinda nice living like someone a thousand miles south of here. Found out yesterday that I gotta preach at least five sermons in a row late February or so and that'll be another stretch for me, doing a multi day preachin event. But I have plenty of time to get ready for that and am looking forward to that. Never done an all out campaign before. I'll post when and where as things get set in stone, which should be within 24 hours. My manager, (my wife), is taking care of all the details while I do really important stuff like split firewood and try and keep my super hyper dog Rooster away from my face. There's a story to that, kinda a screw up on my part. Rooster got some pretty bad breath since yesterday when he found a pail half full of rotten eggs that I had since last spring. Back when I had my operation I put the eggs in a pail cause I didn't know how fresh they were and I didn't feel like having the hired help do those little chores. Now rotten eggs can get pretty explosive and I didn't want to handle them too much fearing for a big stink. So I had that pail, all these months later, (for those who must know, I was planning on hauling that explosive pail out when it was at least twenty below zero cause I figured they wouldn't be so volatile then), and yesterday Rooster the hyper Australian Shepherd found that pail and knocked it over and the eggs still had some real bad snort to em and now his breath is the same as the smell from the tipped over pail of rotten eggs. But I gotta give credit, he sure seems happy, just wish he wouldn't be so durn close to me all the time.

^"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" Philippians 3:13-14

Amen! Last evening after locking bad breathed Rooster up we went off to our little church in the small town in the hills and we had us a little Bible study and I really enjoyed that.Basically it was all about pressing in after Christ, going after Jesus with everything we got. And it ain't all that easy all the time with all the distractions and all. A fella can mind their own business and never hurt anyone but still old satan will roust up someone to make your life miserable, that is if you let it. But last night's little study was about forgetting what the world throws at you and focusing only on Christ. And forgetting about those things behind us and pressing forward towards the goal. And that means even putting behind us the screw up we did a few minutes ago and keep on going to Jesus. Now that's when there's victory instead of being mired down in sin, stopping the race and dwelling on the mistake. Get past it! The devil wants us stuck, but Jesus already paid the price for that sin and confess it and get on with it. Now some will say, "oh, you gotta repent for a while till that sin is paid for". Two things here, 1, that sin is paid for. 2, getting back up and putting the sin behind us and following Christ and running the race as soon as possible again is repentance! How's that? Repentance is turning away from the sin, surrendering to God, and going after Jesus with all your heart is the ultimate repentance. When turning away from sin for real, which is repentance, all a person will see is Jesus!! Glory!

I could go on a little tirade here about religion, but I won't cause I just don't get involved in man's religion. I like the real thing, not some man made imitation of works. When a person gets past this hump, this obstacle of religion, we find like old Paul did, that religion is worthless. Its only Jesus and nothing else. That's the only goal and when that's the only goal God fills us with what we're after! And when He fills us to overflowing it gotta flow out! Pretty simple really. That's why the simple folk that believe see miracles, and those that are always trying to figure out doctrine and such live a dead religious life and try and figure out how they can make someone else live a dead religious life too. One thing here and this is so important. When a Spirit Filled believer witnesses miracle after miracle, who sees God's hand in just about everything, is confronted by religious folks who say its all about their denomination and stuff like that, the Spirit Filled believer just walks away, probably not even answering any questions because why? Kinda reminds me of Stephen in the Book of Acts, he was so Spirit Filled it was a pouring out of Him and religion killed him for it.

But I believe that God is Who He says He is! I believe God will do what He says He'll do in His Word! I believe that God moves through His people and is the same now as He was in the Book of Acts! Religion don't get a person to heaven, it don't get em born again. Religion does absolutely nothing. Only Jesus saves, period. Believing in a denomination means nothing. Reciting a creed means nothing. Getting baptized without believing means nothing. Church membership means nothing. Its all dung. Hmm, kinda talkin like Paul here.....

I gotta get off this before I get on a roll. Just got the call from the church that wants me to preach a marathon and they got the date set with my manager wife. I already forgot the date. Its pretty good to not give a hoot, all I know is I gotta kinda think this one over a bit. Lots of time left so no big deal. Just be real, just preach Jesus. That's the only way it comes alive. Oh how I love alive faith! Oh how I hate dead letter religion with absolutely no moves of God. I gotta end this tonight, but one last thing here. A person's testimony, about what God has done in their life, I've heard allot of em, especially when your with believers. The religious can rant and rant about their dead letter laws, but its impossible for them to buck a Spirit Filled testimony. All they can do is what they did to Stephen, cover their ears, gnash their teeth, and kill him. Because they can't debate him.

Be Ye Holy

2012-01-03T19:41:00.000-06:00

Oh Lord, this is gonna be a different year I do believe. The last month I've written about a variety of things and it never ceases to amaze me how things just pop up. This year is going to be really focused on the inner farm, to become much more independent from processed foods and such. I had a slip backwards from last year's health problems but I'm pretty much back on track and I got some revenge in my mind because of that forced back slip. First was the fire wood, which was pathetic this fall, my pile was at absolute zero with winter coming and me not knowing how I'd handle all that work. But its changed now I tell you with a huge pile out in the back yard, some in the woods yet, a nice pile of dead wood right by the stove outside. Looks like a wood making camp around here and I love it! So goal one, have next winter's wood made this winter and in the yard. The second part of goal one is to keep making wood as long as possible while this weather is holding up. Talk about easy conditions! Goal two is to re-establish the huge garden area behind our yard. Goal three is to plant a bunch of fruit trees here and there on the farm. Those three goals will go a long ways in keeping us in a better quality of life around here. Along with all these goals come the goals of giving up what the flesh desires and following the Spirit more and more. And let me tell you right out that the flesh don't like giving up anything, in fact the more the flesh can consume death the better it likes it.

Bet your wondering about that last statement. That old flesh still carries that old sin nature even when we are born again to the bone and there's a struggle keeping that old flesh under control. The more the flesh is put under the more the Spirit of God can flow through us. Its as simple as that. Now I ain't talking works here that will give a person a higher standing with God or anything like that. I'm talkin that a person does have responsibility to control the flesh and allow God to work through us. It ain't gonna happen all by itself. The oldtimers knew this and I figure we should too.

"But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:15-16

You know, a person can give up this and give up that and believe me I do just that, but if we don't watch our words, our conversations, its all for nothing. Be holy, for God is Holy! I don't like being around cussing Christians and I am getting to the point where I don't want to be around Christians that are on the warpath against every non-Christian thing out there. You get me in a place where the folks, (the Christians), are a talking about all that's wrong with this world and I'm telling you, you don't have to listen very long and you'll hear some pretty self righteous stuff coming out of all the mouths. That happened to me the other day and when I heard the drift of the conversation I pulled away from the Christian folks and went to the next room and quietly prayed. I knew my spirit was grieving and I wondered what would Jesus do. Oh how easy it is to get self righteous, to go on the fly about the right political party, the one that God likes, (right), about how disgusting everything is because they ain't good like us Christians. I tell you, there is no difference between the most vile pervert in the Twin Cities and Christians gossiping. Anyway, that's how God sees it.

Be Holy! Stay washed in the Blood! Don't rely on self one bit cause self will not do it. The Blood is all that will. Basically if you want the Bible condensed to a short thing, with Tom translating it, it comes to this, "Stay washed in the Blood of Jesus and keep your mouth shut and never say anything unless it glorifies God." That covers all the bases too when you get right down and think about it. Cause you'll never love God and your neighbor unless your washed in the Blood and the Spirit lives in you. And if the only things that comes out of our mouths are glorifying God well let me tell you, it don't get any better than that!
You know, when a person thinks back out here in farm country, thinking about the oldtimers I knew its easy to make a case of this. Years back there were those that would never shut up, that were always talking about other folks, that were always in everyone's business. Oh I do remember them, and still know quite a few right now in this very day. But thinking about those that didn't gossip, that didn't back bite, that didn't cuss and swear with every other word. I'm a thinking back and I must say when I really think about it and examine it, they walked a much higher path, much higher. Anyone can stay stuck in the muck and mud of the low path, that don't impress me one bit. But thinking back I have some really good and respectful memories of those folks that controlled their mouths.

The Bible says to be holy, to live holy, and the only way I can even imagine myself doing that is to press in and chase after God with everything I got. If it just means trying to be good it won't work one bit for me. Its gotta be a way of life from the top to the bottom. A seeking, never stopping, pursuit of God. I just gotta end this with another verse.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33

Starting The New Year

2012-01-02T19:58:00.000-06:00

"Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies" Psalm 103:1-4

Here we are in a new year although if folks didn't tell me I'd probably never know or care. Just keep on a pluggin. Was windier than the dickens the last couple of days and this evening its finally calming down. Some what cool out but without the wind it don't feel all too bad! I'm trying to straighten up some of the farm buildings, kinda messy and after last year with me hardly ever cleaning anything I am coming back with revenge. Every spare moment I have something to do, no being bored around here. Don't matter what the weather cause something can be cleaned up some where on the farm. Funny thing is, them buildings are so easy to mess up, how come its so much work cleaning up? Oh well, I figure I'll learn the answer to that when I cross that ol' Jordan River someday.

Had us a couple inches of snow the other day too, and the world has a bit of white to it around here. I like a little snow cause then I can see what's happening around the farm. I like tracking critters and there looks like there's plenty to track after looking over this snow. Plus I think most hunting seasons are done around here now except for rabbit and some small game so I shouldn't be so worried about getting blasted by some hunter who doesn't know what they are doing. Folks might not know how much I do love being out and about in the different woods this winter. I can say that I love being out in the woods probably better than any place else. Don't know why, just am that way!

Was reading that book I mentioned in the last post about the mountain folk of Appalachia and I got kinda blown away after reading a few chapters. The book is written to probably shock a person with all these backwoods habits that the folks there in the mountains have that repulse the more sophisticated city folks. Trouble is, I'm a reading it and practically everything them folks do, so do we! And I never thought nothing of it! Now I'm serious here too! So what does that make me?

But you gotta figure, when a person is happy, there's allot to that! In fact, when a person is happy there ain't much more that they need. Well, I'm happy I reckon and that's good enough for me. There's something I'm noticing though as the years go by and its kinda important when you get right down to it. I guess you could say I'm a bit old fashioned and that's OK. I'm noticing in the Christian walk, the more a fella gets right down and believes what the Bible says, the less worries they got. Hmm, simple as that. Want'a get rid of allot of them worries that nag a fella? Grab your Bible, read it and believe it. Now you could live out here and not believe anything the Bible says, heck, I lived like that for a long time. But its totally empty, with no hope what so ever. And I say no hope and mean it cause without the Bible and what it says, where is there any hope in anything? There ain't none at all.

Oh Bless the Lord this new year, bless Him in the field and in the woods. Bless Him cause there ain't nothing without Him. Glory! Now back to the farm. Getting all excited about raising up a big garden again, yes I am. Just gotta get to it this spring. Its hard to believe that in a few weeks we can start planting seeds indoors, where does time go but I do know time goes allot faster the older you get and when you think about it that's a good thing cause sometimes the older you get the more you want time to move so a person can get getting old over with. Headin for that far side of the Jordan! Yee Haw! Well, I gotta get back out and do some cleaning, cause I'm all excited as I make progress against the clutter although it really is only moving clutter from one spot to another but it makes a person feel busy I guess. My biggest problem is if there's any newspapers or books in the clutter I always end up reading them and the clutter moving stops. But then again, who cares!

Hog Barn Prayer Meetin'

2011-12-30T20:44:00.001-06:00

Well its the eve of New Years Eve out here and I'm a bit bushed tonight but happy. Had a couple inches of snow this morning and that's different for around here this season. Ready for bed as I type. Didn't do a whole lot today and didn't make any firewood either. Tomorrow is double chore day here so I can get to church on Sunday and I hope there ain't nothing that screws that up. Lookin back over this year I can honestly say it had its ups and it had its down, but the ups won. Looking at this blog and I just have to smile a bit tonight cause its come along just fine this year and is gaining rapidly in views. This month blew away all records and there's another day left. It humbles a fella that folks read it, even when there ain't nothing earth shattering to write about and so as the year is ending I'd like to say a big thank you to the folks that take the time to stop by here!

"But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Acts 2:14-21

Figured I'd top off the year with a bigger chuck of scripture. And these are some important words for sure cause ol' Peter is preachin the first ever church sermon a few minutes after the church had its beginning. That same Peter that denied Jesus a few weeks before. That same Peter that's inside of all of us frail human beings. But when the Holy Ghost came everything changed! Now most folks that stop in here and have a read know I like the old time ways, there's even a verse on the top of this blog that states that. More and more I study how the folks did it early in the last century when the Latter Rain began. Oh my, did those folks have fire! And I'm after that fire with everything I got! Never did I imagine that this last year we'd go through so many changes faith wise here in this family. Never did I imagine I'd be preachin in a Church of God which is a church that came directly out of them early days of Pentecost. Don't know what the New Year will bring but I'm looking forward to it just the same cause if'n the Latter Rain is gonna fall its gonna be a ride.

This coming year here on the blog will be farming and faith and I hope I can keep up the pace. I enjoy writing here cause if I screw up I'm to blame and that's that for that. "Hopefully" I can get more pictures taken of day to day life and such but I am so inept on modern stuff it would amaze you. Tomorrow evening I shouldn't be around here cause we're going for fellowship and prayer and in good old Pentecostal tradition, food! Not at church but to a home. But that reminds me the church isn't a building and how many times have we heard that before. Lots of times but its amazing how folks give that statement lip service but still think everything happens at the building. Well I'm here to tell you that more happens to a healthy church outside of the building than inside. Great things can even happen in a hog barn. Say what? Yep, in a hog barn cause I probably wouldn't be saved if'n it wasn't for some real Christians stepping outside of the church building and meeting in a hog barn, (minus the hogs), once a week and praying heaven down to earth. Now that's real Christianity if you ask me. I had the privilege years later to talk to an old granny saint that was at them hog barn prayer meetings and she was a telling me that they prayed for me every week for years in that hogbarn. Prayin that I'd get saved. And I don't know how many other folks they prayed for but I'm sure it was allot! Been thinking about that allot lately, how them old saints would be a prayin and prayin and nothing could stop em. There was no glory coming from other folks like when you pray in church and folks act so nice listening to it. But them folks had a freedom in that hog barn a prayin unlike any church congregation ever could. Imagine giving up time every week to go to a hog barn and pray for things that seemed hopeless. Imagine how it feels when maybe 95% of the church folks aren't interested in coming out to the hog barn and pray with you. But pray them saints did, week after week, month after month and year after year.
I was in our hog barn this afternoon and just sat down thinking about all of this. Our hog barn has been empty of hogs since the crash of 98, no hog trace in er anymore for sure. Its more a workshop now and storage shed, Its heated though on demand by the outdoor wood boiler at the farm. Sittin there I was a thinking and how easy it is to think in a nice quiet building with fresh snow outside. Wondering if folks nowadays would get in a hog barn on their knees and pray through the old time way. Kinda crowded in our hog barn with all the wood working equipment and other stuff parked in there but I was a wondering. In this day and age its easier to get Christians to the dentist for an unwanted root canal than prayer outside of the church. How I pray the Holy Ghost will work on the hearts of men, women and children to do just that! But I am a privileged fella I tell you cause with allot of folks they never will know who was prayin them into the Kingdom. In the last weeks of that granny saint's life we visited her and she told us all about it and I wondered how come I get to know this? But I figure its so I can tell folks about it, the importance of a few faithful getting on their knees even in places like a hog barn and prayin heaven down to earth.
I looked over that hog barn sittin there this afternoon and wondered, yep I wondered allot. "What you think God?" The answer was, "Just pray". Just pray and don't worry about trying to get folks to come cause most won't. That's just a fact, folks don't want to take anytime out of their schedules for eternal matters. Besides it looks better to be seen doing something in church cause then you receive praise from men. I know I sure get tempted to receive praise from folks when I preach but I passed through that stage now. Now I don't care. There's only One to please. So this is something for 2012. Won't take anything at all to do, just a little time, just like readin the Bible, takes a little time. Yep, I'm ready for some old fashioned Holiness hog barn prayin'.

Redeeming the Time

2011-12-29T20:06:00.001-06:00

We brought in a big load of dry firewood today from the back forty. Found a dead ash that was perfect laying on the ground and a few more dead Red Elms. That was a good btu load today! Had help too and that was nice, I just cut and cut, didn't have to load the truck or nothing. Brought it home and put it real near our outdoor wood boiler. Now I'm kinda between a rock and a hard place, kinda would like to see some snow just to show me there is such a thing as moister, but on the other hand I just keep working in luxury out there with no snow and easy walking. A perplexing situation. And with this weather and cutting wood by the time evening rolls around I ain't really in the mood to work anymore. A fella wears and works in allot more clothes than in July. Last night I started rereading a book, don't do that very often 'cept when its a good one. Bought it maybe six years ago called "Forty Acres and No Mule". Bout the Kentucky mountain folks and I just love the read. One thing kinda got to me, cause I all of a sudden realized I fit the mold. I like getting up in the morning and don't want'a do one durn thing with the world. Just do my stuff, having nobody telling me what to do, not worrying about setting the world on fire and generally enjoying life right where I'm at. The world is yackin all about New Years coming up, and I guess I realize it cause that means the farm year is officially done as far as the tax man is concerned, but the significance means nothing to me beyond that. Don't have to watch the ball drop in New York City or none of them other things the wise folks do. But it does affect me a slight bit cause when the new year starts is when I re-start reading the Bible in a year. Now I do the one where I read in the Old and in the New daily for the whole blame year and I kinda like that. Good and balanced. This year I'll be returning to old school and going with the King James and am hungry for it! Besides, the type is a bit bigger in a couple of my King James Bibles than most other ones I got. Plus when the New Year does dawn out here in the sticks it does give a feller extra incentive to make a few changes. Give up more and more of what's called normal in the tailspinning society of today and live a bit more like them mountain Holiness folks of years gone by. You wonder why I mention mountain Holiness folks? Cause I really love hearing about them and reading about them is why. They lived simple, they were basically unaffected by the world and they came close to living a real Christian walk. They were human and they were far from perfect but I do respect em for just believing the Bible as it was written and shunning man's denominations that were invented.

"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:15-16

One thing got to me a little reading that book, was how those folks years ago would deliberately avoid what the modern world at the time was doing. And I do believe that's the call of many Christians right now in this day and age. Redeem the time, redeem the time wasted following the world. Christianity is a life, not a religion, and it has nothing to do with Sunday church. Its life and anything less is not Christianity. That's why so many folks can't stand Christians in America, cause they live exactly the same as the atheist, 'cept tout a better than thou attitude. I'm talking the Sunday church crowd that lives the same as the world the rest of the week, and then hollers God Bless America, and slams anyone that ain't Christian while living the same as the heathen in the first place. Plenty of that to go around I tell you. But I write about holiness, about faith, about repentance, about walking the walk, not just talkin the talk. The true Christian journey is one of faith in what Jesus did for them on the Cross, which in turn changes a person from glory to glory, making that person more and more like Jesus. It don't happen overnight, the changes because they are many, especially if you were like me. Its the forward motion that's important cause there is no such thing as standing still, either we're going forward or slipping back in reverse.

Them oldtimers knew how to pray, and they knew how to repent when they slid back aways. And very importantly they were happy with what they had. They couldn't give a hoot about keeping up with fads and styles. That's a biggy in the walk let me tell you, because EVERYTHING today is geared for us to want more of what we don't need. When this finally sinks in, and its sometimes hard to sink into a head that's been brainwashed from birth, there's a freedom that's worth everything! Free of the endless "I need this or that", cause no we don't! The oldtimers knew that life here was very short, but they had a treasure beyond treasures, they had that hope that someday it would all be good, forever. How we lost that, now its all for the here and now, but the here and now will be over soon. Sooner than we know. What a way to live life, with faith in Jesus, not worrying about all the unimportant things that'll burn away. You know, when you get right down to it, them old dirt farmers were right on, not worrying about getting way "ahead", keeping up with the more civilized folk. Cause the more junk we got, the more we will lose. The oldtime dirt farmers were banking up huge riches, more than the richest folks on earth and when we cross that ol' Jordan them poor folk are gonna be the rich folk forever, and the opposite is true for those that gather it in now.
Redeem the time, invest in the eternal, don't fret over what'll be burned away. Enjoy that garden, some critters, a simple home. Read the Bible and believe it, make your family your clan. Pray in the house and pray in the field. Church should be the most minor part of the walk. Important yes, but down the list compared to the important things.

The Life Which I Now Live

2011-12-28T20:08:00.000-06:00

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

Reckon I had what you'd call a perfect day today. Not one problem, good weather, and spent the whole afternoon till durn near dark out in the back forty, in the back woods making wood out there in such a peaceful setting I was one happy fella. Off in the distance, a couple hundred yards away I could see a good dozen wild turkeys milling around. They had a watchful eye on me, cause I figure they can see a bit better than me, but not much when it comes to distance gazing. For myself its the first three feet I have problems seeing and I wished I had longer arms for reading. Them turkeys in the back woods are getting used to me some what. Over to the south of the woods is a field where I winter cattle till I can't get out there from heavy snow fall, which sure as heck ain't a problem this year. I see em every day lately and they're getting slower and slower at moving away when I come to feed cows. Didn't see any squirrels today, although I didn't look all that hard. The wild critters have it made so far this winter with the warm and dry conditions. I kinda got it made too, cause anyone reading regular here knows that about all I talk about is making firewood for the last few weeks. That's about all that I'm doing, but let me tell you, this is the first time in years that I'm getting ahead of the game. Not bad for coming into late fall terribly behind in wood supplies, all worried that I'd be caught way short if winter did hit hard and early. That worry is long since passed, and I'm hoping to have all of next year's wood made soon. In reality I do, if I can keep making deadfall for this year's wood and that's what I was doing today. Around here about 30 or more years ago Dutch Elm disease came and destroyed most of the big old elm trees here. Once the disease passed through destroying it all, new growth elms came and thrived, till now. Now most of the Elms that are under thirty years old are dead or dying again. That's what I was cutting today, standing dead young elm, standing with the bark falling off. Already dry. Cut into a couple of Red Elm and let me tell you, a harder wood on chainsaw chains is hard to find. Talk about dulling em up quick! That dry, dead Red Elm just makes a ringing sound when a fella is cutting it, hard stuff!

Reckon I could'a went to a church service tonight but I enjoyed it out in the woods so much that I worked till well after dark bringing in the wood and unloading it by the outdoor wood boiler. Our church don't have nothing tonight, and I didn't really feel like visiting another church, so I decided to enjoy the fruit of my labors and sit here in a nice warm wood heated house. Gotta do that too once in a while. I love the verse up on top here and had to put it up tonight. "The life which I now live", think about that a bit. It ain't the same life as before, not if your a Christian it ain't. And one thing I always think about is, would I go back to the life I used to live? If anything brings me terror its that thought. A fella slips and stumbles, we have our ups and we have our downs, but would we go back?

As for me I would just cease to exist if I ever slipped back into what I once was, or at least that's how I feel about it. The life I still live in this old flesh is lived now by faith in Jesus! Simple as that, cause there isn't one thing good in old Tom, the old Tom. And the new Tom is only new because of Jesus, nothing I did, only Him. And that sets me free! It ain't about me, its about Him!

Well, out here in the sticks this suits me just fine. The news, the extremely little I see of it has very little importance to me. Nothing I can do about anything that the "wise" of this world are doing anyway. I don't care what the modern American religion is up to either. I don't say, "God Bless America', cause why should He? A fella gets allot more accomplished if he or she takes care of their own first. That's something really lacking today, where we figure everyone should take care of us. Not me, I like the old time way, I like multi generational old time living. If you can't do it at home don't expect the nation to ever be any good I figure. It all starts where your standing, not "they should do this or they should do that." No, no, no, its I should do this and I should do that right where I'm at! There! Reckon I ain't a true American Christian cause I don't want to go a few hundred thousand in debt to buy a house worth one quarter of the asking price. I reckon I ain't gonna get God's blessings cause I ain't shopping till I drop maxing out the plastic. Reckon I'll just stay here and be shunned by the wise, which by the way makes me pretty happy. Nope, just give me Jesus, take the American religion and stuff it, don't go telling me one political party is more Christian, because "they ain't", period.
Well that was a refreshing rant! Yep, it all starts where your at, first the family, then the local church, (Bible believing of course), and just imagine if folks would actually live this way. I know some do, no question about that, but the mainstream "Christianity" is no different than the world around it. There's no thought of multi generational living. Its every dog for him or herself. The old get sent away, and the young get thrown into a worldly college and sent out to be good little lemmings that march in lockstep with the god of this world, to repeat the process over again of dividing the generations, only worse every time because its in a tailspin downward. And its tailspinning faster and faster.

Out in the woods, its so quiet when I'm stacking the brush or loading the truck with wood and a fella can see what peace is. Its a time to dwell and I sure do enough of that let me tell you. How much we've lost. But how much there is to gain when we do believe the Bible and then act upon it. Live like it says to live, simple and holy. In fact its hard to separate the two.

The Old Snarly Tree

2011-12-27T21:50:00.000-06:00

Was out cutting firewood across the tar county road this afternoon when the wind died down. Was roaring last night and this morning but by noon it cut down to almost nothing. Got about a three acre patch of woods down by the river bottom over that way that's never been touched in years. Fairly easy working, especially with the winter we've had so far. Down in that old river bottom there haven't been cattle for at least forty years and its basically wild, even for as small of a patch as it is. There's some big ol' tangly trees in there and I keep discovering more. But one tree stands out when you see it in there. A huge, huge tree, and I'd hate to take a guess at its age. Its what old time ghost stories were made of. The trunk is huge, and the limbs spreading out in all directions are bigger than most trees. Its a snarly tree, something like out'a the legend of Sleepy Hollow! I'm going to try and get some pictures of it in the next few days. Just the stuff that gotta be cleaned up in there will keep me in firewood for quite a few years, but I ain't touching that monster, its way to big for me, plus I kinda like having an ol' Sleepy Hollow lookin tree around. Reminds me of years ago, back before all these electronic gadgets possessed the people, sittin in old farm kitchens, listening to ghost story talk. OK, I know I'm a Christian, and even a preacher on the side, but let me tell you there used to be some humdinger ghost stories out here in the countryside. Most of those are forgotten now and I figure if them ghosts were demons back then they're unemployed now around here cause the demons just let the folks have all the new fangled electronics and that does a better job then they could do back then.

Now I'm gonna write a tad bit different tonight. Just click off if you don't like it. In studying old time ways one thing caught my eye years ago and that was faith healing. I'm talking backwoods faith healing here, not the normal church prayin over the sick and such. And here's a verse the oldtimers would use to stop a man or animal that was bleeding bad.

"And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live." Ezekiel 16:6

I first ran across this in one of the first Fox Fire books a few decades ago in a chapter called "faith healing". Now that stuff always catches my eye and I've read it dozens of time over the last few decades. Them books have a pretty worn out look on my book shelf let me tell you. (That big ol' haint tree really set me off today). In the old times folks didn't have doctors to run to lickidy split, in fact there was probably not even a doctor in the area, let alone a way to get to one fast. Same with animal vets, you were on your own. Folks used to use this verse to stop bleeding. Then almost thirty years later I read of a modern day country preacher that was at a rodeo and there was a horse bleeding uncontrollably and he used the same verse there right in front of folks and the bleeding stopped instantly. Wow I thought, what goes around comes around. I ain't gonna say one way or another anything about if its true or if it ain't. Just interesting to me.

On this farm I take care of 99% of the vet work. With hundreds of animals there hasn't been a vet here in years. And believe me, the animals are healthy. I've done major surgeries by myself, do all the doctoring, you just about name it and to me its normal. I'm sure one of these days I'll have the opportunity to try out that verse. Hopefully not on me or any people, would rather stick to animals, at least I wouldn't feel guilty at a funeral for them. One of the most interesting things for me personally is medicinal plants that live around here in the woods and other places. Its a virtual treasure trove when a person knows even a little bit about it. God sets up every area with things to heal healing. Nowadays the accepted way is to just over load our bodies with drugs. Years ago they didn't have that. You had old time ways, and believe me, most of the real ones worked and probably better because they weren't some super profit making drug for some international drug company. Plus if a fella was a Christian and believed the Bible you had a God that was your healer. And if you were a Christian that said it wasn't God's will to heal you, then tried your darnedest to get better, basically you were going against the will of God cause you figured He wanted you sick, but you didn't want to be. But I won't get into that.

I believe the time is coming when all we will have is God to go to for healing. Its gotten out of control and getting worse. Maybe churches will have to do like the Book of Acts church churches did and believe God at His Word. This is a drugged up society and getting worse, and I'm not talking illegal drugs here at all. I'm talking the system.

When I Am Old

2011-12-26T20:46:00.000-06:00

This evening I'm sittin here relaxing, had a half day off today, kinda proud of myself for not over stuffing myself today at the family Christmas gathering. Feeling good tonight. After these last couple of weeks of getting overstuffed and suffering greatly afterwards, I reckon I'm learning to enjoy food, not try and destroy it. Then late afternoon, early evening we made a couple of stops at the county seat, one for a birthday, another visiting the pastor and his wife from the Church of God over that way. Learned all about the old time way of pickin cotton by hand, truck farming near Atlanta 60 years ago and selling the produce in the city the day after pickin. Learned allot and I love listening to the stories. Plowing with mules and all the rest. Now tomorrow life should return to normal here, work hard till hungry, eat, work hard and burn off the food, get hungry and eat and on and on. Ain't looking any where near a Minnesota winter anywhere on the ten day forecast so I'll just keep on going. Looks like winter, if it comes, will be only a three month winter and that's a far cry from last year's winter.

Wow! In three months I'll be getting ready to hit it, calving, field work, planting small grains, getting ready for corn planting, time sure does fly as a fella gets older I tell you. Life is an adventure!

^"Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come." Psalm 71:18

Always loved that verse, one of the first verses I ever discovered on my own years ago when I first started reading the Bible. By on my own I mean most verses that had caught my eye before that were verses other folks were always mentioning and I'd be reading about them in Christian books. But this verse caught me when I was reading the Bible from cover to cover the first time a few years ago. Oh how David could put life into words! Words that go deep into the soul. Man hasn't changed one bit in three thousand years, not a lick. Sometimes I love reading the Psalms, well in fact I always love reading the Psalms, along with the Gospels, they're my favorite parts of the Bible. You can read em, you can sing em, you can pray em, and you can learn from em.

One of the most important things in this life on this here earth is to pass the faith along. And I know at the Judgment Seat we will find out how important this really is. In fact its the main reason we're here. Just like training a young person in farming, a fella gotta train a young person up in the faith, in the Lord. There was old Paul and young Timothy, there was older Peter and younger John, walking side by side spreading the faith. This evening, even though I ain't that young, I loved listening to a pastor at his kitchen table tell me about the old ways, both in farming and in faith. A life time of faith is something to be passed on, and is just as important as reading the Word. No man is an island, we're in this together and I do believe nothing pleases the Lord more than the younger and the older getting together in His Name. Just like on traditional farms, the strength came from the multiple generations, the older with the wisdom, the younger with the fresh strength. A farm is strong when in the proper order.

So now that we're done with Christmas it'll be time to get things done around here. Time to dig into some of that old time wisdom, both in farming and in faith and set the order properly.

The Old Paths

2011-12-25T19:21:00.001-06:00

Christmas evening around the farm, warm weather, no snow, all the fields and pastures are open. The cows are stuffed, Christmas tradition here when there's enough feed to spare. They were still munching as the sun was going down, most laying down stuffed. Same with me, had us a rump roast this evening made in the crock pot, gravy, home made bread. That's all I need! Tomorrow morning hit er hard catching up with the critters. Church was good this morning, simple, very simple and I enjoyed that. Not many folks there, most gone away visiting family some where else so we were down to the faithful and I just love that for Christmas service or Good Friday service. Came home, opened our meager presents and then I took me the nap of naps. Sure did feel good.

This week should go fast, ending the year up here. With the good weather time goes fast, unlike a snowed in, cold, miserable winter that drags on and on. There's lots of planning to do for the coming year on the inner farm. The main farm is actually easier to plan. But the inner farm is more interesting. Chickens to raise once again, gardens to re-establish now that I'm up to snuff physically again. Fruit and nut trees to plant for ourselves and for those who will be coming after us if the Lord tarries. A bit ago I mentioned folks getting that unction to simplify, to prepare for taking care of ourselves allot more and not depending on society to take care of us. I'm starting to get some folks together to start contributing how the old timers in their families lived, how they preserved food, etc, in this neck of the woods. Much of the things I read about the old time ways is from points south of here which allot of the world certainly is. But I want to get it together for those in the local area. This will be one of the goals and purposes this coming year right here on the blog. And written from a very Christian perspective, and i ain't talking suburban Christianity either, I'm talkin about country folks.

"Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein." Jeremiah 6:16 KJV

As I was sittin in church today I was paging through my Bible, an old King James one that is just packed with minister stuff in it. And as I was a paging through I seen this verse, I had it underlined and it just slapped me in the face as I read it. Kinda a two fold verse. First the Lord saying get back to the old paths and you'll find rest for your souls. Oh, I believe that with all my heart. Now He ain't talking to the world, He's talkin to His people, which is a Christian now, someone who has surrendered to Jesus and made Him King in their lives. But the answer they give sure is about the way it is nowadays. "We will not walk therein." I'll never forget, a few years ago. I was a baby Christian, but I was already on the road to shedding the world. Had probably given up TV by that time which is one of the greatest steps, let me tell you about a time when I was reading an issue of Small Farmer's Journal and there were these farmer/ranchers in Oregon. Nice pictures of them making hay with work horses and such which is typical of Small Farmer's Journal. But one of the most life changing events happened to me as I read that article and I'll never forget it. One of the farmer/ranchers in that family was also a farmer preacher and would do services in a few local small rural churches. I was kinda dumb at the time and figured you had to go to school for a hundred years to become a man of the cloth. It takes allot of training to get boring you know. I re-read that article a thousand times I figure and it sparked in me what is going on today. I was already on the road to simplifying but never dreamed a farmer could be a preacher too.

So, this might be interesting this coming year here and also on the blog. I have digital camera's now laying around the house, left overs from teenagers, now I just gotta figure out how to use em and get the photos on the computer. We'll be with an Amish family, friends of ours and there's gonna be allot of wisdom coming from that direction as far as simplifying. I tell you, every time I get close to them I almost feel dirty cause they are so happy, but simple. There's gonna be allot of the old paths, both farming and faith, and I am excited. Yep, its good to get the strength back up because the first thing I do is return to the old path that I was on up till about a year ago when I got knocked down.

He's Coming Back

2011-12-24T21:39:00.000-06:00

Christmas Eve evening and all through the house there ain't much happening. Tired from working, doing double duty so I can get some of tomorrow morning off. Just got back from a ride, looking at area Christmas lights, drove through the county seat and was amazed at everything being closed down. They even closed down the huge WalMart superstore which runs 24/7. Made me feel kinda good, even with all the attacks on Christmas it still rules! Well, at least a form of it anyhow. Mostly commercialism is all. And plenty of Christians have incorporated that commercialism right into their faith and now there is no dividing the two. In my humble opinion, for what its worth, most Christians are in a dead heat with all out pagans as far as this holiday is concerned. But there ain't nothing I can do about it except shake my head as it all keeps tailspinning down and down. The perfect suburban religion. And I will say this, it ain't Christian.

I reckon now that I'm considered an all out blasphemer because of this I'll go on to other things. This coming week some seed catalogs should arrive in the mail, they usually do the week following Christmas and I'm looking forward to that. One thing on my mind through the years has been storage of food once you raise it and I'm not talking freezing it and canning, I'm going back further than that. Either drying, pickling, or root cellaring it. I gotta get off my duff and start talking a bit more to the oldtimers around here and really see what they did way back. More to come on this.

Smoke houses, root cellars, barrels full of kraut and pork. Dried vegetables and fruits, cured meats. I don't know, but when things hit the fan, and rest assured they will, a person had better be brushed up on this stuff cause that freezer full of food ain't gonna be working.

"For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." Luke 21:35-36

Yep, Christmas Eve. But Jesus ain't coming back as a little newborn baby, no sir He ain't. And I have that hope that I'll be counted worthy to stand before Him when He comes to gather His own before all the really bad stuff comes on this earth. First of all, I'm not a retreatist. I have no plans on hiding away from society, figure the Bible says we are in the world but not of it, so that means here I am, just ain't gonna follow the masses. Stand my ground right where I'm at. If I lose, so be it. One thing I've noticed and it goes for me too is that folks have no idea what its all about. By this I mean being a follower of Jesus. For the most part we give it lip service, allot of it too, but really don't understand or believe what its all about. He is coming back and when He comes back there isn't going to be one thing standing that glorifies man, not one thing. This is why I study the oldtimers of the faith so much. They had it figured out!

Jesus is coming back for those that society shuns, not those that love society's ways. Jesus is coming back for the broken hearted, the hurt, the despised, those with no earthly hope. Not for those that love the world, love the consumerism, love the lust of it all. He's coming back for those who's only hope is in Him. He is a jealous God, He don't share with the devil and with our flesh. He's coming back for those that turn their back on the world's ways, who simplify, and who believe Him at His Word. One thing I believe with all my heart, simplifying is a result of making Him Lord of a person's life. Its not something that we do to work our way to heaven. Its an after effect, not the spearhead.

Hmm, didn't plan on writing something like this tonight, not at all. Just came out. Yes Jesus was born over two thousand years ago and i am so thankful He did come down to earth and become man and suffer and die for us, taking the punishment we wholly deserve. But soon He's a coming back and it ain't as a little lamb.

Oh Give Thanks!

2011-12-22T19:54:00.000-06:00

"O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.
Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore." Psalm 105:1-4

Just got done eating my favorite meal, warm bread fresh out'a the oven and dunk it in gravy. All I need to survive in this life I figure. Seriously, this is my favorite meal, bar none. Bread made from scratch and some gravy. Paradise! Daughter Rachel worked on the bread today being she's back home from college for Christmas and musta figured dad needed a treat and she was right! Nothing better after spending a winter day outside in the cool clean air than coming into the house for this! Quiet out tonight, except for Rooster the loyal buzzed up dog barking outside at the moment. Quiet out and even I can hear dogs barking in the far distance in every direction, throw a few coyotes howling into the mixture and these quiet. still country nights can really get going! And with a belly full of bread and gravy I'm a just praising the Lord tonight!

Last evening I went to the county seat twenty miles north of here and took in the Wednesday evening church service at the Church of God over that way. Our little church has really cut back on stuff for adults and that leaves me hungry for getting some preaching listened to and getting filled with the Word in a church setting. Well, I got there at six in the evening and for that hour they have soup and sandwiches in the church basement and I sat myself right down and settled in. Good fellowship and some food to boot makes a good evening for me. You know, the oldtimers always did stuff like this, but nowadays it seems that folks are to busy watching TV or some other important thing to spend time in some Book of Acts fellowship and that's really to bad. The folks that go to things like that kinda seem to have a better understanding of what fellowship is all about. Simple folks and maybe that's why I'm drawn to them. No bigshots, or should I say self appointed bigshots. Just a good little group of regular folks and I love em!

And for some reason that Psalm on top really hit me. Seek Him and tell about what He has done! I reckon I do enough talkin, and as for myself I want to seek as much as I can. Maybe that's why I crave fellowship with like minded folks. Talkin and seekin. After the lunch was a regular church service, the songs and the preachin and that's what I needed to keep on a going. I can tell you, the more that flows out of a person when it comes to faith matters, the hungrier you get to get filled again. There's the Word, the Holy Bible, but I know God set it up where His children get together and get filled corporately. I once heard something to the likes of, "nothing pleases God more than His children getting together and having a good time in His Name." Makes sense to me. There needs to be allot more of that, much, much more. There needs to be allot more of that outside the church building too! On the farms and in the homes. And the simpler the better! Sure don't have to be fancy. I know my best memories were from the simplest get togethers.

Knowledge Of The Holy

2011-12-20T20:44:00.000-06:00

Christmas coming by the end of this week, or the beginning of next week, depending how you look at things, don't matter to me either way because all days are some what the same. Our November weather is still holding on here in the later part of December and I ain't never seen a month go by so fast! Now I ain't one of those who is all busy with holiday stuff, in fact my holiday stuff is at about absolute zero. Went to the co-op just to browse after noon meal today, was a little windy after my nap and I was killing time till I felt guilty enough to go back to work. I tell you, they got allot of toy tractors there, old models, but I don't have any grandsons, just grand daughters, so I figured that wouldn't work all that well. Oh well. Picked up a little chicken feed while I was there so it wasn't a wasted trip of three miles. Coyote hunters were over today too, asking permission to run dogs when the snow comes and of course I said yes. Just gotta let me know a little in advance is all. Seed dealers are running around the area trying to drum up folks that need a tax deduction into buying a bunch of seed while its this year yet. Lots of action as the year winds down out here in the country.

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased." Proverbs 9:10-11

Amen to that! Oh Glory! There's precious little fear of the Lord nowadays in my humble opinion. Been talking about simplifying lately when I write and when you get right down to it, simplifying is a result of fearing the Lord and gaining knowledge of the Holy. How's that you wonder. With those two things all the clutter of the world loses its appeal fast! I am really blessed with friends here and on the Internet that are becoming like minded in this. Because no matter what anyone says, its good to have like minded folks to lift you up and in turn be lifted up because this is so opposite of the tailspinning society it can get rough sometimes. Not the simplifying, that ain't rough, its just getting away from a burnt in mindset that says we gotta do what this consumer driven society commands, or at least tries to command. I remember when I really had my eyes opened to this. It was right after 9-11, after the attack. I figured America might hunker down and get back to the basics again, and that always builds strength. But what did the government tell folks to do, instead of being prepared for future disasters they told us to go out and keep shopping so the money would keep flowing to the top. Hmm. That's when I had it confirmed that we were in a tailspin that might not be stopped all that easy. In other words they figure its our patriotic duty to shop till we're so far in debt we're only working for the company store. I don't buy it, not at all and I guess that makes me unpatriotic. So be it. Folks back then filled the churches for a week or two, then that fizzled out. Back to brain dead slavery of consumerism.

That's many folks I'm talking about but not all by any means, because there is an awakening happening. I know my beef customers from down in the Twin Cities are pretty much all in one accord, they know what's happening and are really preparing the best they can for their families. Most of my customers are home schoolers. Christians and a nicer bunch you'd be hard pressed to find. I love those folks from down there! Out here there's a mixture, you got folks that try really hard to live like suburbanites, then you have those who don't. Those that don't are my kinda folks! Real people, not fakes. What you see is what you get. Folks that don't need the city for anything except if the government drags them there for something.

I myself have given up trying to please folks, cause what you see is what your gonna get. I'm only interested in pleasing God and could care less about much else. Work the farm the best I can, go to church, do what I gotta do and stay clean. Don't try to be someone I ain't. And I'm a telling you, when you aren't trying to be something you ain't and you want to serve God, He opens doors all over the place. Had a talk with Him today. I said the years about done, was a year I'll never forget. Had its ups and its had its down. Really the only thing down was me for weeks after that operation I had last winter and the rest were allot of ups I tell you! Best farm year ever, even with the working in pain for months. But the real explosion was on the ministry side and if anyone would a told me a year ago what all would take place I'da probably laughed em off. Its getting to the point where I have stories to tell about that in itself. From little country churches with horses tied outside, to preachin to a farm crowd at a old time farming event. But my favorite by far was preachin at an old school Pentecostal church! There was power there I tell you, the old time way! And all these don't even include our church.

But a fella can't stop there. I don't look for one preachin engagement, God gets them for me and then I get all nervous getting ready, but the jitters are less and less as time goes by. The best part, and this happens often is when I break away from the notes I have prepared and let er go! Oh Lord, I love that when the Holy Ghost takes over. Just like shifting gears and you never know where you'll end up. Folks in ministry ask me, what's the plan or the order of my sermons and all I can say is I have no idea. Because when the gears shift its out'a my hands and I figure that's the way God wants it. He knows who needs a Word special for them and it happens all the time. Someone will come up. Set free just from something I said that I never planned one bit. Oh I love Holy Ghost preachin! But its not just fun and games, in fact there's a fear, a fear that I don't want to be doing this for my own glory, not one bit. There's a fear of God. There's also that continual study of His Word to get more and more knowledge of the Holy. There also getting on one's knees and submitting to Him. And that just ain't for preachin, its for farming too! Cause I wouldn't wanta go one minute on this place without His covering!

So the end of the year is approaching fast. I know there's things coming up this next year and I ain't gonna worry about them one bit. Its all in His hands, not mine. I'll just farm everyday for His Glory and do what He wants me to do. He that is faithful in little can be trusted with much is how the Bible says it. And the more simple life gets, the less worries a fella has, the more room for joy there is. Take this rotten old world and just give me Jesus! Take your new gadgets, your new fads, those things folks line up in front of stores days ahead of time for, that they fight over and stuff em where the sun don't shine cause I'll take Jesus and a simpler, happier life any day of the week and that's that for that!

The Simple

2011-12-19T19:55:00.000-06:00

Today was a day of catching up with a job that I had to put on the shelf this past year. I cleaned the brooder house and I got me a dust hack tonight but its getting better now. Didn't attempt the main chicken coop yet, that's for another day, but I sure feel good having the brooder house room done cleaned. That room is actually the room you go through going into the main coop. That old chicken barn is a classic and my pride and joy. Built back in the 20s or before, I don't know, they really did em up right. Simple design, efficient and very workable. You get a couple hundred hens in there and she won't even freeze up in winter with no other heat source. But I only got about fifty Bantams in there so it does freeze but it don't matter much, they do fine. I don't have heated water in there either but water em once a day and they learned to get that water drunk up and it holds em till the next day. But I sure am proud of getting the brooder cleaned out cause its another victory in my life of catching up on a rough year when it was really some tough working conditions for the feller.

Lookin like a brown Christmas coming up in this neck of the woods, but to tell the truth I really don't give a hoot if its white or brown. Guess I ain't one of them romantics that figure Christmas gotta be whit cause allot of the world sure don't have a white Christmas so what makes me think its a must. My wife never had a white Christmas till she moved out here in the sticks. Of course she was from the sticks too, except them were green sticks all year round. Don't have that here either. This winter is probably more like a Kentucky winter than a Minnesota winter around here, of coarse that can change in an instant and more than likely will sooner or later. But the woodpile is huge and I'm ready for it this time!

"Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important." 1 Corinthians 1:26-28 NLT

That's probably one of my life verses! Oh how I love it! God's ways ain't our ways and I thank God for that! I was thinking about that in the brooder this afternoon. I'm about a nothing as you can get, but God loves me, the world don't, but He does. What else matters when you get right down to it? And I know folks will think it foolish, me writing about cleaning a chicken brooder house out but what the heck. Except for some dust hacks, (that's me a coughing for folks that don't understand), I had a grand time and I was happy cleaning that place out. I know allot of folks that are way to high and mighty to even consider something like that but I don't care cuss I'm happy. And if you can't praise the Lord in a dusty chicken brooder, where is a place dignified enough for you? HMMM? Besides, dignity is a word no Christian should ever use about themselves cause we have no dignity of our own. If we do it sure ain't from God because God wants us to crucify our dignity and cloth ourselves with His. Just like churches, the most dignified are the ones where God is not welcomed. yep, its true! Get mad at me if you want but if you got a church where everyone is acting perfect that's exactly what it is, an act. Oh Lord, this can get me going and in a good way. I'm preparing two sermons just to have on hand, Not that I'm planning anything, just have an unction, says get two sermons planned. Everytime in the past when I get these Holy Ghost unctions I have learned to obey them cause before you know it what the unction was telling me to do will come to pass. Well, one of them sermons is about the Shullamite Bride and I don't know if'n I got the spelling right or not but ain't worrying about it here, (cause I really ain't all that dignified you see).

That story comes from the Song of Solomon, a book in the Bible that's a little tough to read for me cause its a love story of sorts and the original English translators were quite a bit off on translating it from the original Hebrew. Seems like them fellers a few hundred years ago just couldn't quite get er straight but I won't go into that here. Its the whole story that's totally fascinating! And my version will be in hillbilly language so folks that I preach too can understand it better than some love professor from the city. But its about a simple farm girl that the king loves and she don't know he's the king. Interesting eh! What it all boils down to is us and Jesus and how He loves the simple plain folk and how He's a coming back as King for His Bride! He could'a chosen the high class, the high and mighty of this world but He didn't! He chose the foolish, the powerless, the simple folk that love Him because He loved us first!

Next time your out in the tater patch hoeing away, pickin some potato bugs and ploppin them into a coffee can with a little fuel oil in it. Dusty, sun burnt, bug bitten, just smile cause He's a coming back for you! The oldtimers knew this, they believed it and I do too! Don't be worrying what the movie stars are up to, or should I say down to. Don't be worrying about all the liars running for public office. Just stay the course, live simple, and the King is coming back! Tell you the truth, the high and mighty, the self appointed wise, the folks that run over everyone else got something to worry about. I'd rather be foolish in the eyes of the world, but priceless to the King!

Holiness and Beans

2011-12-18T19:22:00.000-06:00

Glory and Praise the Lord this Sunday evening out here on the farm! Church was the best today and afterwards we went out with a bunch for some Sunday vittles a couple miles away, chicken, ham, dressing, gravy, and all the rest! Great fellowship, good times, and a stuffed gut to boot means no supper tonight around this place. Don't pay to over do it I figure, I'm still full. Did a little preachin in the home church today, felt good to be back home. You know, I am so privileged to be able to go to a country church like that its hard to describe with words. But its good!

Today at church one of the things brought up, (not by me), was we need to simplify our lives, to turn our backs on society and be a people apart. To start shedding all the burdens of this world and that's fine by me. Folks have way to much stuff the way it is, and it don't take much looking to see that the world is putting us into slavery. On my part, I preached holiness. Ain't a subject one will run across in the modern religion very often, but I did. Preached to two things that are important, praise and purity. And those two things cover allot of ground, believe me! Today holiness is avoided often because folks charge it as legalism, and it sure can be with the wrong heart, but with the right heart its one of the keys that brings heaven to earth. The oldtimers knew this, they never thought any different and its something we have to step out and do ourselves. Its a matter of choice, to be live holy or not too. God wants us too, so there really is no debate on why we would not want to.

Simplify and be holy! Yep, sure nuff makes sense to me. The simpler the better too! Could write a million words on this subject but figure I'll leave it at that tonight. Gotta do some things which I'm behind on this evening here in the house, ministry stuff, (paper work, which I always leave for the last minute no matter what). Now on the farm side, well really the farm garden side, I'm a looking over the seed catalog as I type and I'm on the bean page and for some strange reason I love planting beans for eating. Hard to make a mistake with them, they always seem to make it no matter what, bugs don't ever bother em here or anything like that and a fella can save the seeds if they so desire on so many of the main brands. Looking in the catalog I came across what I figure is the best seed I ever planted, and I've been trying many over the years and plan on going back to this one this year and keep it as a family staple. Its called Tennessee Green Pod, a bush bean and I remember a few years ago they produced like nuts, easy pickin, a bush bean and they produced early and kept producing till fall when stopped by the weather. It easy keeping the rows clean and fast picking and we'd fill pails up with this variety, fast. So with easy maintenance and easy pickin I figure that this variety has won a place here for the rest of my life. This time in late summer I'll let em go to seed and save seed from em now that the trials are in. Between corn, beans and taters a fella can go a long way with the staple of life out here in the country.

If this weather holds I think I'm gonna clean our garden up a bit, kinda show that it can be done up here in December! Get ready for spring being the opportunity is presenting itself. All it takes is one dump of snow and its all over and making wood is fine but I got an itch to do something different. Years ago, writing, I coined a phrase, the "inner farm". Never heard anyone else ever use it but it stuck. Even running a farm in order to make living keeps a person somewhat a slave to the system and the way out of it, slowly, step by step is to develop the inner farm. A farm apart from the money generator, a farm that is for the family and friends. A different life within the life of the regular farm. The only goal is to supply the family. Keep the goal small so one isn't overwhelmed by huge dreams and then over work leading into destruction of the dream. Enjoy it, do what interests oneself the most. Don't worry about following what someone else is doing but do this for the family mostly. Notice with this goal its not so hard, its down right fun and satisfying to boot. I've learned allot over the years, through trial and error and my biggest dream in the family life is to just plain get simpler and after today's church service I am almost bursting at the seams so happy! I am not alone anymore!

Yep, holiness and beans. What a subject for a Sunday evening eh! Lord help me, but I am one satisfied farmer out here in the quiet land.

Walk A Straight As You Can Walk

2011-12-17T21:02:00.000-06:00

An old Pentecostal country preacher used to say, "Jump in praise as high as you can jump, but when your feet hit the ground walk as straight as you can walk!" Yep, that one is a keeper in my book! Well, finally on the computer tonight, the internet was down for about a day around here, the local carrier was upgrading last evening and something went wrong. Guess they were a working pretty hard to get er back online and succeeded this early evening. Working good again and I had this fiber optic internet for over a year and this was the first problem we ever encountered. I truly appreciate this system, because it don't get any better. Another nice day around here and after doing double chores Saturday so I can get to church on Sunday, I did the usual, made firewood. And the pile grows!

But Samuel replied,

“What is more pleasing to the Lord:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices
or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission is better than offering the fat of rams." 1 Samuel 15:22 NLT

Amen to that! Kinda goes with that quote on the top of the page. Obedience is pretty important to the Lord and its not very fashionable to preach it nowadays but I do. Because without it we have nothing. People can praise and praise the Lord but if they ain't obeying the Lord it doesn't do a lick of good. He doesn't even hear them. Rough words for today's world but true. Society wants a soft religion but in reality there is no such thing. It takes some obeying! It takes us taking up our cross and walking the walk. And when that settles in a fella just knows its true.

Short message tonight, gotta Pentecostal hangover tonight, musta drunk 15 cups of coffee last night and didn't hardly get any sleep, and today still felt wired up. Well, tonight this fella's gonna get himself a sleep one way or another, First seed catalog came today but was too strung out and tired to really get into it. But I did quickly page through er and was looking at the beans and remember planting that one variety a few years back and am gonna get em again. I'll write about that soon, too lazy to go downstairs and get the catalog at the moment. Things will be getting back to normal, Lord willing, this coming year. Raise some chickens, raise a few family hogs, a bigger garden again, plant a few fruit trees. All those things that were missing last year are on the agenda for this coming year. I ain't living out here to live a modern society life, no sir, not at all. They can have that, cause I like living with allot of the old timey ways. Walk the walk I say!

So tomorrow speak in the home church, first time in quite a while, almost more nervous for that then being on the road preachin. Don't know what the rest of the day will bring, but what ever it is I consider it a gift to have one more day. Don't pay to waste it.

The Year Is Winding Down

2011-12-15T21:09:00.000-06:00

Windy today, very windy but the good news is, the fog got blown out'a here! Starting to get a complex with that heavy, dreary fog the last few days but its blowed out to who knows where now and I'm happy. The stars are out tonight on this dark winter night. Dark because there isn't a lick of snow in these parts to brighten up the world. The family is together now, college Christmas break has started and will remain till around January 10th so we have us a stretch together in this house! The year is winding down fast and I'm taking care of loose ends, getting paid by folks that owe me money and on the other hand, making sure everyone I owe money is paid up. Paying for pastures, equipment rent, etc. All is good.

Was hauling some manure the day before yesterday and way out on the south lands I looked and seen something in the meadow that I knew shouldn't be there and I drove the tractor over there to see what it was. A dead fox, mostly gone and I figured it was a victim of deer hunting season and that's as far as it could make it before dropping dead. Easy come, easy go I reckon. Don't bother me one way or another. Without snow a fella can't really see what's happening out on the different fields, pastures and woods cause the ground is froze and there's barely any way of seeing the usual tracks that are every where when there's snow on the ground. One of these days there should be snow, but I figure I ain't a snowmobile dealer or ski resort owner so I ain't in any financial disaster situation. In fact winter is down right easy so far for me! Its easy back rounding the calves, they're really growing and will continue until I decide to let em go to the salebarn come late January or February.

Got a call today to do a little speaking in church this Sunday morning. Its gonna feel a little strange speaking in the home church again, speaking to our own church family because these last few months have been everything but that. It'll feel strange back looking at the familiar faces, instead of strangers, and I'm a looking forward to that. Tomorrow evening is the annual leadership meal for our church at a fancy joint in the city and I'm a going cause its not too often I can eat really fancy like that and not have to pay for it. Of coarse they don't have real food like hamburgers and fries, they got all those poor folk foods from the Mediterranean area, but I figure they gotta make a living too. So eat I will. Of coarse its not as fancy as the Texas Road House, there ain't country music blaring and you can hear the fella next to you talk, but I'll adjust.

"For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." Psalm 51:16-17

Oh Lord yes. Them verses always got to me and a fella gotta just plain remember them. Humble ourselves. A person might think they're high and mighty but the truth is we ain't. A person might think they have everything going for them, but they don't. Life can change altogether in a single day. I know I ain't relying on ol' Tom cause that would be flat out disaster, been there, done that. Nope, I ain't doing that no more! And a fella ain't getting any younger either and that crossing the River Jordan is getting closer and closer each and every day. That's if a person even lives out their life to a ripe old age, and there is no assurance of that I tell you. So what does God want out of a person? The verses up above cover it. Cause without that, you ain't going no where.

Its also the secret to a happy life. The oldtimers knew it and so should I. Cause when a fella doesn't think he's somebody, then things smoothen out and a person is free to be happy. A fella doesn't have to be on the defence for anything. When we realize God is God and we ain't, things fall into place.

Hold Fast

2011-12-14T20:55:00.000-06:00

"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

Abstain from all appearance of evil." 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22

Its so foggy around here its hard to imagine. But it warmed up these last few days and the manure thawed out and that's what ol' Tom has been up to. Cleaning pens and hauling manure cause in these parts when manure thaws in winter there ain't no excuse to leave it where it lay. Last year at this time it was froze down for a month already with no hope of getting anything cleaned off for a long time afterwards. Now its supposed to cool down a bit and the cement platforms will be nice and dry. But it was kinda different working the last few days in near dark conditions. The sun doesn't get up very high the way it is this time of year, then add a thick, very thick, cloud cover and it makes for a different type of day for sure.

But the cattle are doing great, chores are pretty easy and I can't complain about it much. Got enough wood made to last the winter for this household, but I want to make more for next year while the weather holds. No more of this being behind like I was this whole last year. Gotta get going building that smokehouse one of these days too. Was gonna do that but the warm weather changed my plans a bit. Had to put them verses up on top here tonight cause I do like em. Hold fast to that which is good! Amen to that! Abstain from all appearance of evil! Another Amen! Kinda simple, just the way I like things. And that gets me to thinking, which is dangerous as many folks know.

These last few years going into town or having someone drop in around the place have been different for me for sure. I used to cuss a pretty good streak, but gave that up pretty much, even gradually gave it up working cattle which really tells you something. Gave up TV, gave up this and gave up that. And I ain't telling anyone what to give up or to be just like me so you can be as holy as me cause heaven forbid, I fall a thousand times a day but just gotta get back up and continue the race. In reality though, and I ain't talkin legalism here at all, a fella that doesn't give up stuff after becoming born again might not be all that born again. Hmm. Cause a "new creation" really shouldn't have the same tastes as the old dying man did. And for everyone its a different thing.

Tonight though I ain't telling folks what to do and probably never will cause everyone knows what's holding them back, just many won't admit it or are scared to. Well, I ain't any different. Sometimes its just plain hard to let go of the world, especially when we got a tight grip on it! Reckon that's why I like farming so much cause a guy can control things, a person can simple down much easier than one caught in the rat race. I have no one to impress and love it. And the talk around here is simpling down, especially as the years go by. Don't try and simple down over night unless everything goes down the tubes and forces a person too. But stay the course and simple down none the less.

Sometimes it ain't what a person gives up, it just what a person doesn't do. Walk the walk, keep the faith, don't worry about keeping up with society, just be happy with what you got. Instead of running around looking for pleasure, looking for recreation to take our mind off of everyday life, just do something simple with what you have and enjoy. Now this will really fly in the face of the modern religion, but I say if you want to be happy get a poor folk mindset. I'm talkin about happy poor folk. Just like the oldtimers. I remember when I was a youngster those oldtimers I'd see in town would be a happy lot and many of them were as poor as church mice. They'd be there in their bib overhauls just a talkin and enjoying themselves. Laughing at the stories and when they headed back to the farms they had nothing fancy at all. I dare say there's not one person reading this that lived as simple as those folks did and they were happy. Who says we have to have everything that's up to date to be happy? Boy, when I think back to how they lived on the farms when I was a youngster It would stagger the imaginations of young folk today. And what about twenty years before I was a little kid, it was much, much simpler then! And one thing that always came out in the talk, the good times they had enjoyed. Now you get a group of folks and everyone is looking at their cell phones or some other slave holder machine.

Yep, hold on fast to that which is good! Hold on to the old ways, hold on as much as a fella can. If a church is saying your wealth is a measure of your faith get out of there and don't look back and I mean it. The Bible says that the poor will inherit heaven and I believe it. They're basically happier on earth and they're ready for heaven. As long as I farm I'm gonna enjoy it, I ain't out to get rich, I ain't out to be the biggest farmer around. I ain't out to see if I can be top dog milking government money like so many farmers do. Nope, they can have it. Besides, the government don't have any money. But that's another story.

Comfort One Another

2011-12-11T19:26:00.000-06:00

I just had to put this video up here tonight cause I do so much wood splittin' and this video caught my eye a while back. All I can say is I would never get near that rig unless I felt suicidal. I've operated 100 year old punch presses years ago when I worked out that were about as safe as that wood splitter and I also seen with my own eyes folks losing there hands on em. Not a pretty sight by any means. I was blessed, I survived. But I wish the folks operating wood splitters like the one in the video God's blessings cause they sure are needed around rigs like that!

Well, its a Sunday evening out here, dark out, warm out. Was in the forties today and it gets up there pretty easy with no snow. I spent a few hours by the wood pile again this afternoon cause I figure it keeps me young lookin' when I do. Didn't have to work with insulated cover hauls today because of the heat wave. I like to fool around by the woodpile on Sunday afternoons, really don't consider it work, more like recreation to me. Was at church this morning till early afternoon, then buzzed home and all in all it was a good day. Don't know what the week will bring, but I ain't gonna worry about it either! Cattle are about as relaxed as they get in this weather and that makes me relaxed I can testify!

"If ye love me, keep my commandments.

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." John 14:15-18

Amen to this!! Oh how I love these words of Jesus! And the beautiful end to it, "I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you!" Now that's something to hang on too as the day to day pressures keep hitting a fella! And we all have those, I don't care who you are, if your a living in this world your gonna have troubles. Sometimes I think about that nowadays how we've lost the eternal perspective in comparison to how the oldtimers looked at it. It seems like a person can go to quite a few church services and not hear about that glorious day when we will meet Him, meet Him and all the saints of the faith from the beginning to the end. When we cross that Jordan and begin real life. Now I ain't saying there's anything wrong with the here and now type preaching and teaching quite simply because we are here now. But I know there gotta be a healthy balance of the here and now and the day that is coming. On the other hand if we only look at the day that is coming when we cross that Jordan we aren't living here and now the way we should be. Cause Jesus says as long as we are here He will come to us! He ain't something that is off in the future, He is now! And forever!

On my big computer down stairs I have an old Johnny Cash CD ripped onto it, and I gotta find where I put the original CD cause I could have it in the farm truck, or else I could burn one off that old clunk of a computer and have me one that way, but what ever. I love those old songs, cause the CD is one of Gospel songs sung by Johnny from many years gone by. And let me tell you, they were heavenly minded old songs and I love em. Them old saints were pretty heavenly minded and it seems the older a fella gets the more one starts thinking that way. The aches and pains are a little more pronounced than they used to be and it ain't really gonna get a whole lot better as years go by, especially doing hard labor which is required in this way of life. Although that hard work does have a way of extending a person's longevity sometimes, but I won't get into that tonight. And longevity could be shortened considerably operating that world's fastest woodsplitter on top of this post.

"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18

Yep, Paul says to comfort one another with that eternal promise. When things ain't looking all that hot, when everything is falling apart, there is that promise in the Bible that says things will turn around, bigtime! We need a healthy balance of the eternal with the here and now. Victory is in Jesus, that we believe, for the here and now, and more importantly, for forever! And when this short vapor of a life is over and reality begins we will know, and I mean really know what this is all about! Glory! Makes a person get a lift just dwelling on it!

Define Necessity

2011-12-10T19:05:00.000-06:00

Dark out now, but the day was good. Got some wood split and piled. No snow in these parts yet and I don't know how long that's a gonna last. But a fella just has to take advantage of the open winter and keep getting stuff done. Was wondering in October when I didn't have hardly any firewood and winter ready to set in, but I'm pretty satisfied now and if winter comes hard, we're pretty well ready. I'm a itching to almost clean up the area of the garden that I usually have and if this weather continues I might just do that. Planted the whole garden last year in sweet corn, but nothing else. Time to get back to some beans, peas, and all the rest this next year. Time to get the tiller tuned up again. I didn't dare operate that last year but I tell you, these last three or four weeks I've really set up and I feel no trace of that operation last winter, finally. Oh yeah, I just gotta praise Him cause after this last year I truly appreciate feeling up to snuff again!

If you can't praise God in a shack your never gonna praise Him in a mansion! I like that! And this is one feller that would be happy in a shack as long as the pot belly stove kept up against the northern cold! Give me a couple of hillbilly hogs a raising up out back in a pen, a good garden, a bunch of fruit trees and I'm telling you there ain't all that much a person needs to be happy. If you got the Lord, and I mean really got Him, not just being a church member, a person can be happy in everything. And the world don't understand it and I don't care what they think. Now, this time of year when all the Christians are doing their religious duty and shopping till they drop cause they figure that's what your supposed to do if your a Christian there's still folks that look at all that and just shake their heads. Now I ain't no Scrooge and I ain't no fool either, and what I see so many doing, how they perceive Christmas never ceases to amaze me and I'm a telling you, at judgment there's gonna be allot of explaining why there was total idolatry instead of helping the poor, feeding the starving, and so many other things we're supposed to be doing. But no sense in getting all worked up over the stupidity of society and the world, notice I said the world cause none of that stuff is Christian and don't even try and tell me it is. Because you gotta show me where in the Bible it says to do all that stuff. And listen, I ain't some grump that is against Christmas, no sir I ain't, I'm just against all that's involved with the world's Christmas which is a far cry from Christianity.

This morning doing chores, which consists of driving the Bobcat for a few hours and feeding cattle all over the place, a thought came to me and it made me think. The thought was, "what if in one year all society's food supply would stop?" What would I do? That got me to thinking and a dwelling and you know, it would be rough to say the very least. The gardens we have now would barely keep us going in summer, if that and what about the long winters? What if a person couldn't get canning supplies, what if there was no energy, no electricity? What if? I know I thought about all of this years past, allot, but it hit me fresh today. Gardening would have to change, preserving would have to change drastically. There'd have to be allot more root cellaring, there'd have to be allot more drying of food. Things that didn't require energy that had to be purchased. A person would have to raise some crops, not just a little table patch for a garden to get some fresh veggies. There's have to be some beans for a staple, there's have to be corn and taters. The corn would have to be a huge staple and I ain't talking table served sweet corn here, no I ain't, I'm a talking corn as a grain for grinding. But I got to thinking this morning and I know that I know that a fella has to get serious about simplifying. And there is nothing wrong with simplifying either, especially if a person realizes how far down they are caught in the trap that society has set. And the one thing I know, and I believe this with all my heart, if we are totally dependant on society, this fallen world, we will go with it on the last days which are coming on us at a roar!

The old timers just a couple of generations ago wouldn't a had much trouble doing most of it on their own. But in these last days its incredible how society, and the American church has dumbed down. We give lip service to Jesus and follow the world totally, and I said totally! Many have even formed a religion that says we deserve all this stuff, that God is blessing us for our faith which is a lie from the pits of hell because in America and other real modern countries we live off the backs of slaves that serve us and we keep petty dictators in power to keep our slave supply going. We live off of slave labor. Once had a guy tell me that God blesses America cause of all the churches and I told him he was a liar. Ask an American Indian how they perceive that American church! But God is not mocked, even with our idolatry in materialism. He is moving, bringing millions into the Kingdom in Third World countries. He's bringing in the poor, those poor folks that love Him for who He is, not for what they can get out of Him!

I tell you, the only thing I'm a gonna ever preach is the Gospel, that beautiful Gospel as it is written, inspired by God to all people, to all nations, to anyone that will turn away from the world and embrace Jesus as saviour! Its not what we can get out of the deal, its what He can get out of us! I ain't gonna embrace this materialistic culture, oh I have to live in it, but that don't mean a fella gotta get sucked into it lock, stock and barrel!

Matthew 25:31-46

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
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The first sermon I ever preached was about this a few years ago. My Matthew 25 sermon. A person never forgets that first sermon. This is Christianity! This is not how you get Christianity, this is how you live it.

He That Believeth

2011-12-09T20:05:00.000-06:00

Well, I reckon to allot of folks the weekend is arriving but for me that means double chores tomorrow so I can at least make er to church Sunday, and that's not even a sure thing with all the things that can go wrong on a farm. But I ain't complaining, just a sayin'. Sittin here tonight alone for the evening for a bit yet and figure its a good time to write. All is well, open winter in these parts yet, ground is so dry I can't believe it, but I think there'll be more than enough snow before we know it. Was over at the co-op today buying some motor oil for the skidsteer loader, time to change the oil and and grease er, and I was talkin, which I usually do, and the lady there at the co-op was all worried about the birds getting water to drink. Hmm, never though about that before. Now she was talking the regular wild birds that figured out the American way and just wait around the trough for some bird seed hand outs instead of hoofing it a bit on their own. You see, there is no snow here, nothing, and the ground is dry and any water there is is froze solid. The only bird feeder I have is feeding the crows and eagles, that's the gut pile from butchering the other day and I never hauled it out to the brush yet. Don't matter in these conditions cause its not going to stink I can assure you of that. Them crows and Bald Eagles don't look all that thirsty to me so I ain't figuring on putting any water out for them! Besides, there's a few rapids open in the creek yet, that's where the cowherd is watering.

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36

Yep, this evening sitting here just gets me to thinking, how simple it all is. Either believe or don't. Simple. This afternoon when the chill wasn't quite as bad outside I was cutting firewood here in the yard with faithful dog Rooster and I was thinking about the funerals I have attended the last few years and some I heard about. How they will preach that so and so got baptized as a baby and because of that they will be going to heaven. Even when the person would curse God all their life, never went to church, never believed one thing about Jesus and so on. Now I ain't judging the person getting buried, I'm judging the clergy! You heard me and I ain't ashamed. I wonder, I really do, how many are heading to hell because of this lie being told to them by so many. The gospel is much simpler than anything man can cook up, believe or don't believe. Everyone has a choice. Its not what you do, its what you believe. You can't repent unless you believe. You can't accept Jesus unless you believe. So simple, and man has a way of taking it over, screwing it up by tradition and doctrine formed hundreds of years after the Book of Acts and the Gospels were written. Again, its not what you do, its what you believe, and when you believe, then you do! Not the other way around or else we get the glory and not God and believe me it don't work that way cause no one takes the glory from God!

There! That was a good snort! Oh yes, I'm a wondering, yes I am. Now I got riled up and another thing and I see this when I lay out the Gospel and the faces of certain folks when I say God will deliver you from what ever you need delivering from. Again, nowadays there's so many clergy that says go to a specialist if you have a problem and I guess I can't blame em for saying that because obviously they sure don't have the belief in em that God delivers today the same as He delivered back then! Now they recommend the world system because to put it bluntly, the world system at least works a little bit in comparison to a dead letter religious tradition church. That can get me riled I tell you, unbelief always does, especially in the clergy because they are supposed to be taking care of the sheep not being the ones feeding them to the wolves!

So I'll end er there tonight, a good night it sure is. Believing that old time faith, believing the "thus saith the Lord" in the Word. Believing the Word and not man. I can't wait till tomorrow doing double chores cause then I can just dwell on all of this and praise the Lord the old time way, in faith and love cause He loved us first. There just ain't nothing like being out on the land and believing God at His Word. And when a fella does, God moves, just like He did back then!

The Old Paths

2011-12-08T18:40:00.001-06:00

Was a tad bit chilly today, not super cold but chilly with the wind. Temps in the teens, sunny but a bite in the wind and being the wise man that I am I decided to stay out of the wind, but being the not so wise man on the other hand I decided to take the wife and myself to St Cloud and go to Mills Fleet and do a little shopping figuring that it was Thursday noon and shouldn't be to crowded. Tonight I have sworn an oath to never go back till the end of January. I also learned them folks with pepper spray on Black Friday probably knew more than I did today when I decided to go to town. I could'a used some pepper spray I tell you, but I figure a farmer like me should stay where he belongs, out in the country with his loyal and crazy dog Rooster. Its water under the bridge now and I ain't thinking of it no more.

And that just re-affirms my commitment to the simple ways I tell you. Never go to a town of more than ten thousand, stay in the country and live life like its supposed to be lived. Forget the hustle and bustle, and worry about next years tater patch or something. Don't get caught up in the world's spiral downward. Give me that old time way I tell you, and nothing else. Plus I guess I'm in the position to do just that! Oh how I love freedom!

Here's a little quote from a book I'm reading or actually rereading these last few evenings called "Smith Wigglesworth On Prayer, Power and Miracles".

"The power of God is just the same today as of old. Men need to be taken back to the old paths, to the old time faith, to believe God's Word and every "thus saith the Lord" therein. The Spirit of the Lord is moving in these days. God is coming forth. If you want to be in the rising tide, you must accept all God has said."

Amen to that! I think its been mentioned more than once these last few years here and elsewhere that we must believe the Word or there is no power what so ever. Ol' Smith spoke that in 1927 and folks wrote it down, they didn't record sermons back then, about the same as now with me on most of em. But that's OK. Back then the Power of the Holy Ghost had reappeared after hundreds and hundreds of year of being thrown out by religion. Those first saints of the last century that experienced the outpouring of the Latter Rain are of great interest to me, because of the power involved. They didn't have modern prosperity mush that's so popular now, they had old time servant hood. What is interesting to me with these folks is that they hadn't bogged down into legalism yet, but they were in no way the same as today's modern Charismatic church.

Lately I've discover a treasure, stories of those days and it keeps me busy night after night watching and listening on the internet. Add that book I'm reading of ol' Smiths and its getting really interesting. Miracle after miracle with that simple faith those simple people had. Nothing complicated, not at all and the Glory fell, all the time. Now days there's at best a tickle and that's about it and I wanted to know why! Almost my life's quest you could say and I'm a getting close, in fact I've always been close the ways its lookin. Simple faith, only believe, don't follow the world, don't get caught up in society. The folks back then, especially the rural backwoods folks didn't have much problem getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of society the way they lived and the Glory came! Maybe that's why all these years I have always been going that direction, sometimes I strayed a bit but always get back on track one way or another.

Cutting through everything it boils down to getting more and more away from the pull of the world, live simpler, and only believe the Word of God, not the society around us. Glory!! A better adventure is hard to find.

The Lord Was Watching Over Me

2011-12-06T18:50:00.000-06:00

There! Supper is under the belt!! Some of our sausage. Today was one of them upside down days. First it was below zero this morning, but strangely it was rather nice outside, the secret, no wind early this morning. Did some feeding and had to fuel up the skidsteer loader before heading out to the back forty to unroll hay for the cows. But then the diesel fuel wouldn't flow out the nozzle and hose. Durn filter was plugged up and froze on the fuel barrel outside. Well, got a couple of gallons milked out of er and had enough to finish feeding for the day, so that worked out. Drove to a near by town and no one had a filter like that, so a family member went to the city thirty miles away to get a couple. Now I figured being he was going there he might just as well pick me up some seasoning for beef jerky and summer sausage cause I had to have a cow butchered at 11 this morning on the farm and that makes me hungry. Fixed that railroad tie corner post that the cows broke yesterday too. The ground was froze only about four inches which is nothing to a northerner armed with a pick axe. Dug down a few inches, enough to get a chain around the post stuck in the ground three and a half feet and yanked er out with the skidsteer, dug er out some more and sunk in a new nine foot railroad tie, cut up some oak plank, drilled and nailed em on with pole barn nails and that part of the corral is now in top working order once again. Missed my farmer nap which is almost a near disaster for me cause I rely heavily on that rest after noon vittles. So tonight, pretty tired out from being in that fresh air without my nap!

"I lay down and slept,

yet I woke up in safety,
for the Lord was watching over me.
I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies
who surround me on every side." Psalm 3:5-6

Just thought of these verses a bit ago. Funny, I even brought em up this past Sunday preachin, didn't plan to, but I reckon God did so they came out of my mouth. Once heard a sermon preached about them 10000 on every side and that hillbilly preacher was saying them could be the demons surrounding you. Made me think and anyone that knows me knows I ain't one of them folks that brushes the thought of demons off, or laughs em off thinking they're just a thing of the past, or maybe a fairy tale, no sir. I don't live a dead letter religion, guess those that do can figure I'm a fanatic and that's OK with me cause I really don't care or give a hoot what folks think. Cause the Bible says they are there and that's that for that! But I'm a telling you, you start doing some work in the Lord's service and you WILL catch the attention of the enemy!

Now I ain't talking like the things that happened to me today were caused by demons. They were mostly caused by this northern climate and I figure I'll endure em cause I haven't got brains enough to move someplace tropical like Kentucky. But they are real, and they will attack! Any way possible! But the good news is that Jesus defeated them and when your a Blood Bought Believer there's His power in you! And that's something to celebrate about and if we would only realize the truth in this there'd be a whole new ball game!

Up here the nights are long this time of year which lets me rest up allot which is good. Its time to get more and more of the Word into a fella. The powers of darkness don't like that one bit cause the more Word you get in you the more it wants to come out and that's what changes everything around a person one way or another cause God says His Word ain't coming back void and if He says it its true! The more Word we get filled with the more we are in agreement with the Holy Ghost as He dwells in us. The more the He can move and take charge doing the Father's will. The more we get that precious Word in us, the more faith we have, the less unbelief, and a fella can sleep at night knowing that even if there's ten thousand surrounding us, we are safe in the arms of the Lord!

Another Day

2011-12-05T19:14:00.000-06:00

Feels good this evening just sittin' here after a good day's work. No worries that I know of, well, I guess a fella could start imagining worries, in fact that's what most worries are, imagining. But I ain't imagining on that side of the coin tonight, no way. This world has enough troubles in it so I figure it don't pay to help it all along. Nothing really new here on the farm, its in cruise by the looks of it. Gotta butcher tomorrow, only one cow. Gotta dig in a railroad tie at the barn gate that the cows snapped off today, repair the broken planks that took a hit in the deal this morning, and it should be better than new! The grounds a little froze but there shouldn't be much problem busting through that layer and digging normal. That'll require a hole about three and a half feet deep to sink that tie in. Good thing is, a feller don't have to worry about mosquitoes, so there's always a bright spot! We missed out on the snows that they received south of us so we're still bare ground over this way. I kinda like it, can work in regular work boots and stay clean. One of these days things will change and we'll get dumped on real good.

As I wrote in a short post last evening, things went better than I ever dared to dream possible yesterday preachin' over at the Church of God at the county seat. A good bunch over that way and I truly love em! Did it the old time way and I can sure tell you, I loved it, never done anything that easy in my whole entire life! Praise Jesus and a big thank you to all those that prayed me through this! And I know there were allot of folks a prayin'! I don't think I got half of what I planned preached, but that's OK with me, cause how it flooded out surprised me more than anyone! I truly know that I can preach that old time, Bible believin', Spirit Filled, Fire Baptized, devil stompin' country message now! More folks than I had expected showed up too, which for some strange reason makes it easier. The more there are, the easier it is, don't know why, just the way it is.

But back to the farm and that's where I'm at. Soon as I get those jobs I mentioned out of the way I gotta continue clearing out a work area in the hog barn so I can make a smoke house this winter in there where I can turn on the wood heat and work in comfort. Build er up in there and in spring bring er outside and set it in place. Oh Lord, how I look forward to raising me some hogs again for eating. Sure did want to this past year but just couldn't do it in the shape I was in. Rough I tell you. But that's water under the bridge and I'm a feelin' good, almost as fit as a fiddle and I gotta get me some of my hillbilly hogs so I can be happy again. just something about a few hogs, don't know what it is, but I like em, like raising em and like eating them even better! Oh, them chops can't be bought in any store, they just can't! And the bacon and hams, not to mention when a person doesn't turn a side into bacon I love the side pork just as much. Can fry up a whole pack for supper on a winter night and oh Lord, is that ever good! If your figuring on going on a diet, this is not the blog to visit cause it will spoil your plans.

Anyway, back to the smoke house. The simpler the better, I know what I'm doing I guess, but I put these up for anyone reading who has no idea what I'm talking about. An old fashioned farm smoke house is all I'm planning. Much like the wood one on the top of the plans. I can taste the sausage now!

Oh Happy Day!

2011-12-04T18:49:00.000-06:00

Sunday evening here on the farm, all is well. Tired out, happy, don't know what to think. Went to the county seat today and did an hour's worth of preachin'. The service was two hours long, a short one. Preached old Holiness style and my oh my, it went well, better than my wildest dreams! The church had a pretty good crowd, in fact it was the best crowd I ever seen there. So after days of wondering how it'd go, tonight I'm happy as a pig in mud! Tomorrow back to normal around here, make some wood weather permitting, get ready for butchering a cow on Tuesday, and what ever else comes up.

A Farmer's Dwellings

2011-12-01T19:39:00.000-06:00

More and more wood being made as the days go by. Cleaned up on a trail we have out in the woods, there were a few trees wind blown down over the last year back there and even though they were poor quality firewood I figured they'd make good wood for the warmer months of March and April and some of May. No sense burning good stuff when it doesn't take much heat to keep things warm during those months. Tomorrow night is the Christmas program over at our little church in the hills and I figure I'm going to that. Never missed one yet and why start now. I ain't involved with anything pertaining to that but should be around in case something is needed. Then this Sunday head over to the county seat for a service I'll be preachin. Pray for me folks, pray!!

Last March or so I was writing about making a smoker for meat, but little did I know how far behind I would be this past year because of that durn operation last winter. But I never forgot and am aiming for that project soon now that things have settled down finally. Nothing like our homemade sausage and smoking it myself! Now, on the farm I really got it made working on winter projects if I so choose. Got a hundred foot hog barn, perfect shape, gutted out, totally insulated, with on demand heat from an outdoor wood boiler. Can't get better than that, at least not for me. Wood working equipment galour! Plus allot of lumber on storage all over the place on the farm. Just bought almost a hundred white oak plank a couple of months ago from a friend with a sawmill. Still have a couple hundred other boards, all home sawed that I bought from the Amish a few years ago. Plus a couple hundred pine 2 by 4s that we got for next to nothing a couple years back. So no lumber shortage for projects around here. Reckon I could'a bought toys to entertain me, but I like real stuff instead. I'm getting dangerous now that I'm feeling up to snuff again!

"Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.

Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.
For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth." Psalm 33:1-4

Figured I should put a Bible verse in the post cause without God a fella has nothing, nothing at all! Ever notice in that ol' praising that David had they get kinda loud?? Makes me wonder sometimes cause years ago if you got loud in church you'd get the boot to put it bluntly. Glad things are different for us nowadays as far as church goes. But church is a small part of being a Christian when you get right down to it. Really. Unless your in it eight or more hours a day, seven days a week, when you think about it, the percentage of time spent with church is really small. I know some folks figure its even too much then, but that's their problem, not mine. Praising God, worshiping God, reading the Word, studying His Word, those are things that the oldtimers of the faith knew was an all time thing, not just church and when you make it a way of life that's when you really live. Some really good Christians figure that you gotta save it for church, but I say no. Live it always and see how life will change for the better. I love it when I see farm families that dedicate everything to the Lord, cause it sure does lift me in the process!

Take them Psalms, take em to the farm, take em in the barn, take em to the field, take em to the pastures and life don't get much better than that. The days go good, even when they're not looking so good to the natural eye. You know, I figure the devil really hates that when a fella got some of this stuff figured out and don't love their life so much as to get into a rut and worry about keeping up with the world. The devil hates it when a person is praising God. It gets Him mad. I figure that's good cause he does enough damage the way it is and why make his day nice destroying a person. Why not burn him a bit! And a Blood Bought, Holy Ghost Filled, Fire Baptized believer can turn the direction of the devil's attacks pretty good justa praising the day away!

Poor Folk Faith

2011-11-30T20:35:00.002-06:00

Glory to God, I'm one happy feller tonight. Had me a good day making wood out in the woods again, good weather, no snow, and if the Lord would give me a little more time I could cut allot of deadfall out there, already pretty dry. I'm on a revenge kick, coming into this fall with nothing for burning because of that durn operation last winter, this last month its a adding up. Now I can't spend the whole durn day cutting wood, you can usually measure your age cutting wood by how many times you can refill the chainsaw with gas in any given day. A good day for me is three tankfuls, although I'm already getting bushed on the second tank. One tankful, if there's no brushing the deadfall, can sometimes give a fella a pickup load, sometimes not, depending if the chain is sharp and what kinda wood it is. Well, I always have a sharp chain, now just to get the kinks out of me. Got pretty much ready for Sunday's preachin over at the county seat, weather looks good, no snowstorms in sight as far as I know. They were talkin up snow today for these parts but as of yet we're still dry as popcorn.

Oh Lord, I just gotta praise god tonight, no special reason but I figure why not!! That's the trouble folks have nowadays, not enough praising and you know, (I'm looking at myself here), if you truly believe and even have the slightest understanding what it means to be saved how in the world could a feller not praise God constantly?? Think about it, when we leave this life I reckon we're gonna be more than a tad bit surprised when we enter reality. You heard me, reality. This life is just a vapor, we get all strung out, worrying, fretting, not seeing beyond our noses. But no matter who you are, life will be short. Might not seem like er when your young and have that idea that you'll live forever, strong and healthy, but it don't take long when even the healthiest person starts to feel death creep in on them. We deny it, we seek doctors, or diets, or healthy lifestyles but in reality it does very little or nothing to halt the advance of death coming at us like a Mack Truck coming head on. Death, the one thing for sure in life, cause you can't say taxes cause half the people don't even pay them in this country, just waiting at the trough for what they think is their fair share. You can be a hard worker, or a slopper at the trough, but that truck is bearing down on you fast. Death is equal opportunity, it don't care if your rich or poor. It don't care if your loving or hating, it don't care if your proud or humble, its a comin!

But the dividing line in thought is this. Either you think death is the end, or you know its the beginning of reality. (heavy huh?). And what we do now determines our reality when it truly begins. There ain't no middle ground, all roads don't lead to heaven. Everyone is immortal whether they believe it or not. Everyone's going to heaven, but not everyone gets to stay. But I wanta stay, and the Bible says its not something a fella can work his or her way into, which almost all religion teaches in this world. The only faith that is not by our own works is real Christianity. Now allot of Christian denominations like to call themselves Christian, but if the sole way to eternal life with God is not through faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross, their belief is totally false, period. And I ain't trying to be some high and mighty religious nut here tonight, no not at all. I ain't trying to make it look like all them folks that don't believe deserve hell and I don't, quite simply because I deserve hell as much, if not more than they do and I know it! But I had an encounter with a blood stained cross a few years back, and it'll never be the same again. I know He did it, not me, I know there is no way for me to be good enough on my own power. No matter how hard I would try, I would fail, bad. I fall a thousand times a day, I fail and fail, but I gotta just keep clinging to that old rugged cross, drenched in the blood that washes away my sins, because of Him, Jesus, not me.

This is what keeps me a going here on the farm. Wake up, knowing this is the reality of the ages. The world don't care, they can call me a nut, but I don't care what the world thinks either, because I know that everyone is in the same boots with that big Mack of death bearing down on them. It don't matter if they're some big star in the movies or in politics, some bigshot corporation CEO making hundreds of millions, they aren't going to escape. Maybe that's why poor folk can see the reality much better than the rich folk do. Its a fact, poor folk have little and they lean on Jesus. Rich folk got themselves and all their toys nowadays. Maybe that's why poor folk can pray so well from the heart, even if some bigshot can make beautiful sounding prayers that are empty. A long, long time ago the devil was the most beautiful created being in heaven. He didn't have no problems, everyone loved him and respected him, but all that fame and wealth brought him down. He hates poor folk that love Jesus, oh how he hates em. He can't understand how anyone who has very little can love the Lord. But the secret is, those poor folk have nothing in the way, blocking their vision of Jesus and what He did for us on the cross.

A Good Day!

2011-11-29T19:42:00.000-06:00

The wood pile is a growing and I'm a moaning, this work is making me feel it! But a month ago when I started I could barely do anything heavy and now I can't hardly find any wood I can't work with or lift. So tonight hit the hay early, don't worry about much. Weather is good and I do want to take advantage of it and am prayin that no one ruins my days coming up. In these parts I guess we are in the biggest drought we ever had in recorded history for the fall season. I had to put off plowing a couple hay fields a few weeks ago because the ground was too hard, but all in all, if a fella's gonna have a drought now is thee time to have it. Made harvest easy, bumper crops, no mud running. The cattle yards are dry and smooth, hopefully gonna freeze down in that condition for the winter. Today the cows were laying around out on the field in the back forty, soaking up the late November sun while I was cutting a bunch of deadfall firewood along the fence by them. Earlier I seen, from a half a mile away, a huge flock of wild turkeys way back there from my vantage point feeding young stock by the cattle barns on the home place. I've seen more pheasants the last few days than I have all fall, they seem all over the place! Oh its good to live out in the countryside! There ain't nothing quite like it! Tomorrow, Lord willing, I will head back to the back forty and get that wood I cut loaded up on the flatbed truck and bring er home. Should be a few loads and the pile will be getting to the huge point. That's about it, 'cept for getting the sausage tomorrow, supposed to be done, think its smoking now. Ain't nothing like a cold winter's night, come into the house and smell sausage almost done on the stove, Glory!! And that's the news for the day, I'm tired and hitting the hay!

Clap Your Hands!

2011-11-28T20:39:00.000-06:00

"Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!" Psalm 47:1

Glory!! I'm bushed tonight. Making firewood out in the woods this afternoon and that wears me out good, but the good news is, I don't feel a bit of pain or anything from it and let me tell you, that gets me to shouting praise. Cause when there's month after month of pain when a fella works it gets a little old. Just spent an hour or more putting together stuff for this Sunday's service at the county seat, taking a break from that, and getting on the old blog kinda relaxes me. Hit the hay early tonight Lord willing.

In putting together that sermon it always amazes me how a fella can bog down when trying to make something sophisticated, then I remember I ain't sophisticated and just jot down stuff like a backwoods farmer would talk and let me tell you, it comes simple then. I just go back through these last few years and remember how God would move on the simplest faith. Now the way I got it figured, I have a few more years of internet left, not quite sure how much more but when them girls are through with all the schooling they figure they need this thing is history. Same with the cell phones and I will admit, it won't be hard for a fella like me to do without. Don't have TV, and getting rid of the rest won't bother me none. Keep the land line so I have 100 and something year old worth of technology left in the house but I can honestly say, I look forward to the day when we unplug. Hard to do now with the schooling and all, but just you wait. I have to admit that after quitting FaceBook a couple of months ago I never felt better and just tending the blog just makes me plum happy. I reckon its not all that action packed but that's OK with me. You see, the one thing I learned is that when ever we step away from something the world says we can't do without, God takes up the slack and life becomes more and more of an adventure! Now I'm almost frazzled with all the stuff to get ready for preachin, and it seems like when a person was on the social networks the preachin opportunities weren't really there all that much. Oh, there was some, breaking new ground for me but this latest one is a dream come true for me of the hugest proportions.

I ask myself over and over, how could I ever have survived years ago without Jesus. Even farmin, cause now every day is an adventure and there's always something to look forward to. I visit the old chicken coop a couple times a day, look over them multi colored Bantams and smile, thinking about the nesting boxes I gotta build for them highly reproductive birds. Are they really worth it? NO. But I like them birds, and a fella gotta sometimes do what he likes. You give a Bantam hen an egg and in less than a month there's gonna be a chick, feathered rodents I call em, could populate the world the way they cluck. Then I got my crazy dog Rooster, my buddy. He has only one gear and that's high! Figure one of these days he's a gonna break the sound barrier! He ain't the tubby little butterball he was this summer. But even for all his crazy hyperness he sure is a good friend and wants to please a fella so much it amazes me. I swear he understands English! The barn cats might have another view of him though and I won't get into that tonight.

But tonight I'm just a happy fella, even if I'm tired. Being tired is good in my humble opinion cause at least you know you did something. Guess that's why I'm a lousy vacation person, I gotta stay busy or else. Not a workaholic but I do like to stay occupied. Probably happy cause when I was working on that message I just keep coming across the old time ways, those old time ways of faith and I gotta tell you its a tad bit different that how they try to teach faith today. I remember folks trying to tell me to not speak out loud that your sick, its admitting defeat. Well let me tell you, the Bible says liars ain't going to heaven and if I'm feeling lousy I'm gonna tell the truth. Besides, how could anyone in church ever pray the prayer of faith for healing if you was lying saying your not sick?? Hmm? I was just hashing this over today cutting wood, heavy thinking time for me, also it doesn't really take much brain work to cut wood especially when you cut from thirty to forty cords a year. So back to the heavy thinking. If you listen to folks that say not to say that your feeling under the weather, to say I'm feeling great cause then they say what you say will determine how you are, (heavy, right?), even when I feel I'm ready for the grave, that makes me a liar. Simple. The truth. You can try and wiggle your way out by some modern teachings but I go by the Bible and nothing else. Yes, I believe without question that the Lord is my healer, but I ain't gonna say I feel great when I don't. You can lie, but not me.

Getting back to the old time ways, (can't remember if I was there or not, oh well), these last few decades modern American Christianity has taken a turn that's unbiblical. How's that you may ask?? Well, it come to the point where folks rely on the pulpit, and forfeit their own Holy Ghost power. Now studying the oldtimers there was no such a thing. People had the Holy Ghost and just like in the Book of Acts they used that power. It flowed out of the least of the people. Not just the preacher. Now folks figure that to get healing they gotta get in a healing line and receive it from someone who has the power. That's a bunch of bunk! Going through the last few years I've come to the conclusion that I've known of more folks healed by getting flat on their face and praising God during praise and worship, or else having regular church folk pray over them than the standard healing lines in church. A side note here, you can have a healing line every week, and every week the same folks would come up just to get their shot. Then they say they are healed and the next week they'll be in line again. That's a circle the modern church has developed and if folks think that it takes a preacher to get em healed then that's flat out idolatry cause they're depending on a person or a position and not God. (How in the world did I get on this).

Old Psalm 47:1 says it right, and I'll just put my two cents worth in here. Clap you hand and shout with a voice of triumph! Cause the devil can't figure that out, why anyone who is sicker than a dog would be praising. He can't figure it out when things have gone down the tubes why anyone would be praising. Praising God for the answer, even if its not the answer we figure we should be getting. Like them three young men in the book of Daniel said to the king that was going to throw them into the fire, "our God is more than able to save us, but even if He don't, we ain't bowing down to your gods oh king!" Even if He don't He's still God and I ain't. Now that catches God's attention! That's real faith, that's obedience! See, nowadays obedience gets called legalism by those who don't want to obey and only want to name it and claim it but I know that this is really wrong. I don't want any part of that, I want God!!

From The Rising Of The Sun!

2011-11-24T20:59:00.000-06:00

I ain't eating this evening for obvious reasons, got stuffed earlier and I figure now is a good time for a fast, at least till tomorrow morning, (except I might have a piece of pumpkin pie that's leftover). We have a beautiful stretch of weather and its supposed to continue tomorrow and that means I should clean off the cement cattle lots before she freezes solid in a few days and who knows when the next time will be before I can even attempt that job again. Better do it while a fella can I figure. Just got done with a rough draft of the sermon for the Church of God in a couple of Sundays. Then I can breath easier once the rough draft is made. Can continue to tweak it here and there as time goes on but if something comes up that keeps me too busy certain evenings I know that its somewhat completed. Oh Glory, does it ever feel good to at least have that rough draft. I remember this past summer, getting ready for one of the outdoor preachin events, time was getting short and I still had allot of preparing to do, figured I'd get allot done on a Sunday evening preparing it, very little time during the week and wouldn't you know it, that Sunday evening a bunch of cows got out and were in the neighbor's bean field! Ran around till dark, all tired out, madder than a wet hen, with a busy work week ahead of me, the preaching the next weekend, and me with nothing started. Oh Lord, ol' Tom was a bit perturbed that evening, but by God's grace I somehow got er done that week and that next Sunday was one of the best times I ever had preachin! Guess I had to rely on God a bit more than usual and He always comes through when a fella trusts in Him!

"Blessed be the name of the LORD

From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The LORD’s name is to be praised." Psalm 113:2-3

And that's exactly what I'm a gonna do tonight and not just because its Thanksgiving, its because He is worthy of that praise! Bet you'll never figure out what a good portion of that sermon I'm cookin up is about. Well, tomorrow, even taking out load after load of manure I'm gonna be praising Him. Now I know more sophisticated Christians probably thumb their noses when I talk manure and praising the Lord in the same sentence but I figure Jesus was born in a barn, little David and sheep manure between his toes when old Samuel anointed him king, old Moses had a bunch of sheep manure on His sandals when God appeared to him in the burning bush, (Moses had to take them sandals off, now you know why). Elisha was plowing behind some oxen and they might have got some stuff on his feet too when he was called by God! So when I'm operating that skidsteer loader loading the spreader and hauling out the manure spreader loads to the field I ain't gonna feel all that bad about it. Cause I know its OK, you don't have to save the God praising for church, that's if your church even allows it.

You want work to go good, praise Him. You want your day to go good, praise Him. You want to beat back every demon that's assaulting you, and believe me, they are, just praise that mighty Name of Jesus! Yep, it gets me going just thinking and writing about it! You know, there's a heck of allot more power in praise than most folks think and the Bible is full of that. Ol' David, he knew how to do it! And ol' king Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20 got one big praise team together to beat them three armies that were gonna wipe them out. Works for me I figure! And when everything seems to go wrong, and things sure can do that on a farm I'm telling you, when everything is looking bad, a fella just gotta praise Him, praise Jesus and things do smoothen out!

Oh yes, I like Thanksgiving, but I do admit it can get a tad bit stressful on the gut. Tonight I'm a praising that its over with. Back to normal tomorrow, what ever that is, and just keep on keeping on! You can always tell how much a person loves Jesus by how they praise Him. Pretty hard to praise Him if you don't believe Him. But when we come to that place and realize what He did for us, and its allot more than just simply getting us saved from the wrath of God, that we are adopted children of God, that we are vessels for God to dwell in, praise comes out naturally.

Sauerkraut Juice

2011-11-22T20:55:00.001-06:00

^"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Colossians 3:17

Well I'ma giving thanks tonight to God the Father through Jesus! Started out like any other day. In fact better than many, was pretty mild out when I stepped foot outside the house this morning which is a plus. No wind for a kicker made the morning chores that much better. Moved the heifers home this morning from across the tar road for the winter and that condenses my chore area down nicely. Them girls are good and fat, ready for what ever winter can throw at em the way it looks to me. Was gonna cut and split wood in order to keep my figure slim but then got a phone call asking me to ride up north to Bemidji with a friend and pick up his son from college for Thanksgiving. Well, figuring I needed a vacation I accepted on the spot and after noon dinner we took off for the almost three hour trip one way. Sure did enjoy just tagging along for the ride, got to site see and there was very little traffic and the shooting the bull made the trip seem very short. Ah, I needed that, and I need it more often. Felt good to leave for the day and know the place was in great shape. So back to more normal tomorrow, but then again I had thought that today would just be another day but ended up in northern Minnesota.

That verse up on top is a good'un! What ever we do, and around here it isn't all that difficult to do that praising and thanking when working out on the land and with the animals. And if we understand, even just a little bit on what it means to follow God, to be called His children, I can tell you with certainty that when that realization finally sinks in there is a joy beyond all joys. Oh Lord, its a grand and glorious feeling just to be a child of God! And I can tell, and tell pretty fast, when them pressures of the world start turning down the screws on a fella and a person starts losing track of who they are "in Christ", the quality of life really starts to slide down fast. But you know, its up to us to stir that up again, ain't up to no one else but ourselves. And a fella can't be waiting or looking for someone else to do the job for us. One thing that amazes me is how folks think they can get by without getting into the Bible cause I know from experience that when the Bible reading slips down, so does the joy that can come into a person every day. And really, it doesn't have to be where a person is sittin around reading for hours and hours, all day long. In fact I hardly ever get to read the Bible during the day at all. Even if I carry a pocket Bible I'd have a heck of a time reading it anymore out in the fields and pastures cause I don't carry my reading glasses with me on the farm and my arms are about a foot to short for me to enable me to read that small print. I reckon its just one of them things that is hinting to me that I ain't quite as young as I used to be.

Now us farmers might just have a little bit of a different perspective on faith matters than many "normal" folks do. Might be because we're alone working more than most and can do some talkin with God when ever we want to without being surrounded by people like in the workplace. Well, this might just be the most unusual kinda faith talk but what do I care, cause its true and even if its unusual it just might be God, in fact I know it is, just folks might just think I'm half nuts or maybe all the way nuts, but an old timer once said that a religious fanatic is just someone who loves Jesus more than you do. 'Bout a month or more ago I just had me this unction and it was about sauerkraut of all things. Couldn't get it out of my mind, got me a craving that you wouldn't believe! Now I like the stuff but I seldom flat out crave it, but as the days and days went by I was a craving it more and more. Its a well known fact that the oldtimers lived on the stuff and I know that for a fact and some of them sauerkraut junkies lived to ages of Biblical proportions. Then a while back, out of the blue, my wife bought a can of sauerkraut juice. That's something I never heard of before with my life so limited socially here on the farm. Although I don't think its the number one drink in the nation at this time. This past Saturday afternoon I had me a big tall glass of that miracle juice and kinda liked it although I durn near danced around the house like them folks at an old time holy roller's meeting. A little warning to those who are innocent enough to listen to what I write, after chugging down a glass of that old timer medicine, don't be going to far from the house, or in case you got an old time farm, the out house. In other words, don't leave home with it.

To make a long story short, this past year or more I've been feeling rough. Severe back pains, gut aches, you name it. I prayed for healing but all I got was a craving for sauerkraut. Since Saturday, well, I really didn't notice it till Sunday afternoon, I feel like I'm thirty years younger, and I ain't kidding. There ain't an ache or a pain in this farmer's body and all of a sudden I realized it and I try and find an ache, I'll do things to see if I set off a pain attack, and nothing, just plain nothing. Now God works in mysterious ways, I think any Christian will agree with that. He don't have to work the way we think He should work. It don't have to be in a healing line in church, it can be any old way He wants. Jesus did some pretty strange things healing folks once in a while and I figure maybe, just maybe, if He was walking the countryside in this neck of the woods He probably would even use sauerkraut to heal someone. (I told you I was a fanatic).

Told the wife today, "get me a couple more cans of that kraut juice". And I told her about how God has been dealing with me about sauerkraut. I think she still loves me, just looks at me different now is all. In all seriousness I truly am thankful. When a person lives in pain and all of a sudden it goes away that's a huge thing in that person's life and when the body feels good after all that time I really don't give a hoot what anyone thinks. I'ma just gonna be a woopin and a hollering like them folks in the gospels that would get touched by Jesus, justa praising the Lord and I don't care what folks think! I read about them oldtimers getting healed by God and let me tell you there was nothing orderly about them healings. Sometimes I gotta write some of them old testimonies cause they'd blow your socks off!

Thankful

2011-11-21T21:05:00.000-06:00

I have work to do! Well, I always have work to do, but now I got things to put together for a church service in two weeks at the Church of God over at the county seat. Seems like I got asked to do the sermon, which is a long one just like our church that we go to, and I am nerved but really excited too! All these years of reading about, watching videos and such, listening to CDs from them Church of God services and all of a sudden without warning I was asked to do a service. WOW! They do stuff my style over there, not so much of the really modern stuff, just the old time way and I like it! A farmer like me can fit right in.

Around this place things are slowing down, I ain't nerved up when I wake up in the morning, and in fact I'm getting to the point of looking forward to next years crop season. Looking forward to a garden and stuff too. Kinda got rooked out of that this past year when it was to rough for me to do that kinda work early in the season, but oh Lord, how I missed it. Where the garden was it all turned into weeds, over grown and kinda rough looking. Made me sad seeing that happen but I'm feeling better each day now. Amazing how long that took, but I just noticed the last few days I can work with firewood now and not feel pain. I did up to a couple weeks ago but amazingly its disappearing now. And I sure am thankful for that.

It can get rough on a feller when you want to do something but can't. But now I am eagerly awaiting the seed catalogs like I used to, even though I buy most of my seed at the co-op a few miles away. I have a habit of dreaming looking over them garden seed catalogs and then forgetting to order. Must be a man thing. Want to plant a few more fruit trees this spring, another thing I couldn't do this past year. Want to whip the strawberry patch back into shape, same with the raspberry patch which is going down hill fast due to over crowding and such. Lots of things to do and dream about.

This week, starting tonight the whole family is home, and is that ever different. So Thanksgiving week has officially started here as of this evening. All is well, and I truly am thankful for that. It was a good year, even with the fact I was knocked down so hard for so long, could'a been worse I figure. Things have happened this year that before this all I wouldn'ta hardly dared to dream about. God opens doors, cause believe me, I don't go looking to open anything. I'm feeling pretty fit now, the farm is doing very good, I'm kinda caught up around here finally, and now with this Church of God engagement I am stunned. All these years writing about the old time way, about that old time religion and bam, it happens without me doing one thing to make it happen. Yep, I am thankful this Thanksgiving week.

It's Not All Roses

2011-11-18T19:31:00.001-06:00

Friday evening on the farm, all is well and quiet. Talkin snow tomorrow, we'll see, I'm ready I guess. Things are fairly well straightened up around the place, something I didn't think possible a couple of months ago, but got er done, strength level is gaining faster now than the first few months after that durn operation. Still get pains here and there, but I'll work em out. With the predicted snow I figured I should clean off a couple of cattle lots today so the cement would be bare in case of a snowfall and makes easier cleaning. Was cloudy and dark this afternoon with a few snow flakes falling. I had to haul the manure about a half a mile south on a plowed down field and when I came through the woods and rounded the corner I was pleasantly surprised by my pet deer family. Deer hunting ended here this past Sunday, except for bow and muzzle loader, but the regular gun season is when most are taken out. I don't know if anyone was hunting that land, didn't see anyone except a neighbor that couldn't hit the wall of a barn while shooting from the inside, and I kinda hoped my deer family had made it. I reckon its just the way some folks are, rooting for the underdogs, and it warms my heart seeing my friends had made it. Way back in Spring I remember seeing the new family one evening out there, two little spotted fawns with their mother. All through summer I'd see em all the time when I'd be back there tending fields or making hay. They weren't very afraid of the tractors and would come right out on the field I'd be working. They'd play around, they'd watch me with curious looks. It made my day more than once I tell you. Now I know they survived the big hunt and I'm a happy fella tonight. Now don't go thinking I'm some anti-hunter or something cause I sure am not. Just that its nice to see them make it when the odds are against them. Sometimes I wonder if I got more than my fair share of death in my life. I've hunted allot years ago, I raise and butcher a large amount of farm animals, I know what its like to see death all the time and I never take it lightly. Its necessary here on the farm, not something to enjoy.

In some ways though, even with all the slaughtering of animals here I know that it couldn't be done in a more humane way. The cattle never know what hit them, they are relaxing in the pen, not figuring anything different is coming up. One well placed bullet and its over, they never even got nervous. They never had to go through the system of getting hauled around for hundreds of miles, into different pens with different cattle, getting prodded and poked. If anything could ever be said, even if it sounds insane, they died happy. We cut their throat then and the blood gushes out, sometimes allot of it when we do multiple animals. When I read in the Old Testament about the blood running in rivers from all the sacrifices I know what its like, I know the smell of warm, steaming blood running on the ground. Most folks hear sermons, you know, about sheep, about planting and harvesting, they hear about the sacrifices in the old days, but in reality they have no idea what its like. It always amuses me a bit when I hear these things being preached by someone that never got their hands dirty. I remember one preacher a while back, a guest preacher braggin up how tough he was, but I know that he never would survive one of my days. Talk is cheap, I listen to people that know what they're talking about. I always said, folks going to seminary should have at least one semester tending sheep, and another slaughtering animals. Then they could speak with knowledge.

Back to today though, seeing that family of deer almost made me leap with joy! It don't make sense I know, but that's how I felt. Maybe its like being a Christian in these days and times, its pretty hard to survive, the odds are against us. The world is coming at us from every direction, it gets into our homes and takes command of them and our families through TV and the internet and what ever gadgets are around nowadays. The pressures from church to please the world never end, to get with it and do like the world does so that they don't think we're strange, so they will accept us better and maybe come to the Gospel. What gospel I ask? The Bible says we are a people apart, strangers on this earth, this is not our home, but I guess that makes me just some old fashioned religious nut in the eyes of many. But out here, in this way of life a person is hit point blank with reality just like I was saying about the steaming warm blood running on the ground. That's reality, that's what is paid to give us meat to eat. Its not some eye pleasing package on the supermarket shelf that shows us reality. Allot of people don't hardly understand what kind of animal it comes from and they surely don't understand what it took to get that meat in the package. We live in an artificial world, lives that are lived without recognizing reality. Maybe that's why the oldtimers of the faith knew God so well compared to now. They lived in reality, today's people for the most part in the western world live an artificial life. Far removed from reality.

Little Country Church

2011-11-17T19:06:00.000-06:00

Dang, this was a nice day out here, still below freezing all day but no wind and then a fella can have at it pretty good. Putting stuff away before winter hits, tidying up the place so things don't get buried under snow. Turned on a heater for a waterer today before I get caught with a frozen one. Tomorrows supposed to be warmer, but then back to cool. This weekend we might head out to a little church an hour away and I'm hoping it works out. Was there once before and oh Lord how I loved it! I came across this video this evening and it reminded me of that little church so much I'm almost homesick, even if it ain't our home church. Those little old fashioned country churches are some gems I tell you and listening to this video just makes me homesick.

Confirming the Word

2011-11-16T20:33:00.001-06:00

Windy, windy, windy! Plus a little cool to boot, not even above freezing the whole day. Home tonight, which is alright. House is warm, I'm warm, and I can't complain. Tis the season. Oh Lord, here comes winter by the looks of it. Didn't get a whole lot done today with the weather like it is, kinda stayed where there was cover, ain't used to it all quite yet. Its kind of strange, getting up in the morning and not being overloaded with work, but I'll take er.

"And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen." Mark 16:20

And they went forth! They didn't stand still, they didn't hide in a church building figuring out which program to start next. They went! Glory! Now this reminds me a bit of a time long ago, before I was born, when the Holy Ghost swept rural America, a time I love to study. Them old hillbilly churches and congregations did everything but stand still. Just a thought came to me right now, when there was so much expansion back in them days I highly doubt if there even was a church program in them churches. Think about it, they just got together and worshiped and when they were all done, hours and hours later they went out and spread er around. Of course there might'a been some food involved before the going back out, but you know, when you read the Bible and it says them folks broke bread together, or says the ate together, the Bible really means it, they ate, they ate a meal together. Nothin' wrong with that in my book, 'specially when the food is good! And the Bible says when you go forth and preach that God will confirm the Word with signs following. Now that's the way to get people's attention I tell you!

The Lord ain't scared to give some "proof" to back up a person spreading His Word. I read about them folks over seas that have those huge Gospel campaigns and God moves mightily all the time. Makes me wonder, oh yes it makes me wonder allot why there's such dead letter religion around here. No wonder kids lose the faith, can't hardly blame em when you think about it. No wonder older folks just shrug off the Gospel, already Gospel hardened to dead letter religion. Why should they come into a church and be like the rest of the dead letter grumps sitting there? Yep, I think about them things during these long evenings in the north as the wind blows. Signs following, a promise, a promise that didn't go out when the Apostles died, cause if it did then God's a liar and everything is for nothing and the world can just go to hell. This is some old time backwoods theology here and its some straight stuff.

One time in the tractor, the good one with the real nice cab, air conditioning and the works, I was listening to the radio to a real smart feller on Christian Radio. This guy had a Dr in front of his name which is a red flag for me in the first place and he was saying that all the miraculous stopped when the Bible was written and we now have the Bible as a guide for us till we get planted in the ground. I thought about that, didn't believe a word of it, because then I wouldn't believe the Bible that he says we have for a guide. What good is it if a person reads it and don't believe it?? In reality this fella who probably never worked a day in his life, was saying we have the Bible now, but don't believe it. Hmm. Well folks, I don't care what side of the tracks your from, this fella is going to believe the Bible, believe what it says is true, believe the promises of the Book, right down to the miracles and promises of healing and all! Call me a fool for believing God and not some bigshot church official, but at the Judgement Seat I won't be answering to a denomination, or to men, or to a Dr, I'll be standing before the Word to be judged by the Word and I figure it might just pay to believe it!
I've seen God back up His Word time and time again. Didn't see that years ago in dead letter religion, no sir, never! I've seen dozens and dozens of folks instantly healed of every kinda thing imaginable, and mean while there's folks denying it right and left. Gets their gander up cause it might cause problems with their church programs and such. But God says it, I believe it and that settles it! What a joy a fella has, to go out to work on the farm every mornin' and know that God is the same God the Bible says He is. A person can go all day long workin and a praising and this isn't some dream, this is life when a person "only believes".

Things Have Slowed Down

2011-11-14T19:56:00.000-06:00

Making firewood today again, and will be till spring, but a funny thing happened today, I realized my power level has gone up dramatically in the last month and I'm a praising the Lord for that. Was wondering for quite a few months if that would ever come back. Humbling experience, all those months just struggling to get the simplest jobs done around here. Moved a few things from the garage to the old pig barn this evening. Winters a coming and I don't have enough room in the garage for one car, let alone the two I want to put in there for the winter. A few more days and I should have er in shape. Looking around in there I was reminded about the last year and more. Got that old Methodist piano in the and its still perfectly tuned. Got that church pulpit that my wife picked up for me at a garage sale this summer and we used it for Heritage Days preachin this past August, and who knows when it'll ever be used again, but I'm sure it will. Ah, memories. We seem to have a habit around here of picking up other people's garbage like that perfect piano, that old pulpit, Bibles galore, and other things from churches. Heck, it wouldn't take much and we could have a old fashioned country church rolling here with all this stuff that got collected over the past few years. I wonder if God is giving me the hint?

Now everyday, or at least every week the temps here are dropping more and more. No snow yet on the ground, just dusty ground, but I always say if your gonna have a dry spell, fall is the time to have it. Field work is all done, cattle are pretty much taken care of and with the prices in the paper from the salebarn reports I'm pondering on when I should sell all them calves. The prices are shooting through the roof and I'm balancing the pro's and cons of an early sell. Less feed used, allot less work, and easier winter, hmm. Whatever!

But we'll just a keep on a going no matter which way I decide to go with the cattle.Just gotta bug, its a bothering me, got an unction that God got something planned for this coming year, something I can't even imagine at the moment. So I sit tight, just read the Word, use the internet for only godly things, no TV, (haven't had that for years). I don't watch more than two movies a year, at the theater or home. Just want reality, not fantasy, real life, not make believe. And there ain't a no more real type of life than an old fashioned Holy Ghost Filled, Bible believing, devil stomping, work farmin' till you drop life. Oh Lord! That gets me going! I'm looking forward to the next few weeks as far as another thing too. Gonna start going to the county seat and get a good fill of Bible studies, church services and such at the local Church of God, a small congregation of old fashioned Holy Ghost filled folks. I love the old songs and I love what they do. Our church is a little slow lately on things to do and with these long evenings and no TV or anything else I'm just craving things like this and what the heck, why not!

So tomorrow is another day here, looking forward to it, nothing big on the agenda, just chores and whatever.

Up The Gutter

2011-11-13T20:37:00.000-06:00

Darn it! I was gonna straighten out the plastic sheet covering the silage pile a bit tomorrow and now I check the forecast and they say that its supposed to be windy. Oh well. Can't complain about today though, cause it sure was a nice day considering the time of year. Second week of deer hunting around here and there's some action here and there locally. Was coming home from church and almost to my drive way and looked a bit further down the road and see a deer flopping in the ditch over by one of my pastures and gunned the pickup to catch it just in case it was hit by a hunter. What can I say, my animal instincts came shining through and I figured if it was hit I had better try and put er down so it didn't wander off and die a slow death with nobody ever finding it. Plan A was to get there and then figure out what plan B was. Figured the truck could pin it down pretty good or else I could wrestle er down and get it with my Bowie knife that I have laying somewhere in the back seat of the truck. (For you city slicks, we really do live this way.) If that failed the three pound maul laying somewhere back there too would work wonders after a bit. But my plans were thwarted and when I got up close that deer got up and ran for the hills and jumped a high fence and was gone on the neighbors land. Good thing I like beef, cause our freezers are full. Sometimes I have to laugh at the scene, coming home from church, two Bibles on the front seat of the truck, plus my reading glasses and gunning the truck down our gravel road to catch a deer. Might make those soft handed city church goers cringe a bit. Then this evening I took a little drive around sunset and it was already getting dark and about five miles from home there were lights a flashing and I slowed way down and a little silver car just got done grinding a deer down to nothing. Whew, what a mess, and there wasn't an ounce of good meat left on that deer. Gotta give the feller credit, was a persistent fella, don't know where he lived but he had a blowed out front tire on the car and he took off down the county road driving with that blown out tire, heading home or who knows where with that tire a floppin on the rim. A few minutes later after I got home I seen the car go slowly by, tire still a floppin! Ah, deer season! Two more days left.

But church was good today and afterwards I came straight home and putzed around a bit. Got a couple of church things to go to this week and that'll butcher the week a bit, both are in the evenings and I look forward to that with the long evenings now. The way it looks things will pick up the pace here right after the New Year ministry wise. Its just for now there's a lull. Which is OK with me. Time for studying the Word!

The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, “You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.” They thought, “David cannot get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David. On that day David had said, “Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft to reach those ‘lame and blind’ who are David’s enemies. 2 Samuel 5:6-8

Amen! Old Jerusalem. Joshua never conquered it, they said it couldn't be taken, but ol' David knew that it would be God's city and he took it. Them scriptures say that he used the water shaft to get in the city, but it wasn't really a clean water shaft, it was the city sewer. Think about that, marching up the sewer, in all that filth, to take the city for God! They did it, took the city that they said couldn't be taken, and for hundreds of years it couldn't be taken. They had to walk up the sewer gutter to do a job for God!

And tonight all I have to say is that we gotta walk our gutters too in order to get victory. And every one has their sewers in life. Just a dwelling on that this evening, would make a good sermon, the old fashioned way. Sometimes things don't get done when we look for the easy ways in, and allot of time goes by and nothing ever changes. You gotta get right in the gutter and go against the flow in order to have victory. Yes it might stink and reek and be filthy, that's what sin is, sewage, but a person gotta march right past it, going up hill and take what God wants us to take! Notice those fighting men didn't go with the flow, they marched against that filth and won! We see the world all around us reeking too. But God says to "Take it, to occupy for Him", and that might not be a clean prissy job. But first we gotta win ourselves over to Him. To give all to Him, to live for Him.

Chicken Coop Preachin'

2011-11-12T19:21:00.000-06:00

Well I'm justa praising the Lord this evening after having a sausage sandwich with a fried egg added into the deal, a good cup of coffee and now some down time. Was pretty sore most of the afternoon, worked around a 100 calves this morning through the chute, just two men, and I was doing more moving around then I normally do. Had a good dinner at noon, went back out to do some work and I could barely walk. Told the wife I feel like I got hit by a truck, she said take a hot bath, I said I'm gonna work the devil right out of me and I went to working and praising the Lord and tonight I feel just fine. Do it the old time way. Got a bunch'a chores done for tomorrow so I can make it to church, cut firewood till dark, come in and had some pork and I'm set! By the way, that fried egg was from right here on the farm and I ain't bought a chicken from the hatchery for years. Just got them Bantams laying, clucking, reproducing and keeping a smile on my face. Funny how a fella ends up with more chickens than he started with in spring every year. Call em my hillbilly chickens and they keep me more than supplied.

Some might have heard me sayin' the phrase "chicken coop preacher" or "chicken coop faith" through the years and wonder what the heck is he talking about. Well, let me tell you. Around these parts the area is, or was, traditionally dominated by the Catholic Church and the Lutheran Church. With a small smattering of other churches here and there. Weren't all too many Pentecostal folks, and those that were are mostly from churches in bigger near by towns. But this was just the past couple decades or so and there really are very few, if any, folks from the early days of the Pentecostal way. Most are from the Catholic or Lutheran denominations and are taught what the modern "Spirit Filled" churches teach nowadays. Its OK in a way, but I just don't get fed in that spiritual environment very much. A miracle is rare, a move of God rarely happens, the bigger churches have become entertainment centers playing all the modern Christian tunes, which really lack power. I ain't condemning here, not one bit, maybe I'm the nut, but whatever. When I first got saved God made it happen that I would come across many of the old ways, the old testimonies of folks from the early part of the last century when God started pouring out the "Latter Rain". Them folks had nothing to go by, no Bible colleges to teach them how they should do things, and the Holy Ghost moved mightily!

Oh Lord, when a person reads about those original folks that got hit by the Holy Ghost it just makes me hungry for it all! I wrote and wrote, especially on my old Healing Waters blog how hungry I was for that and still am. Those original folks, when hit by the Holy Ghost became fanatics for Jesus. Hmm, wished that would happen today a bit more, and other church going folks didn't like it one bit cause that made them uncomfortable in there pre-set religion where everything was safe and comfy and there was very little to do except keep the church going "as is". Them original Holy Rollers were mostly poor folk and didn't have much between them all, and they had to meet where ever they could, storefronts, tents, barns and chicken coops. You see, back then some of them chicken coops were some pretty well constructed building, I know here on the farm our old chicken coop from back in that era is still a good one after all these years. And them folks would meet, they didn't have hardly anything except faith and praise in the Lord and the Lord would move! Those folks face mockery, job losses, some even got burned out of their buildings cause it makes religious churches uncomfortable. But that old chicken coop faith sure did start something big, with now around 800 million folks world wide in the Spirit Filled way. Its growing faster than Islam and that's something very few folks hear about.

Getting back to this area though, there was very little if any of that original movement around here. Religion was firmly entrenched. Nowadays even with Spirit Filled churches springing up in the area, its a few generations removed from the original, very few can trace family history in it, and we are left with Spirit Filled churches that basically have very little idea of what that even means. Truthfully, when you get right down to it, its just programs, modern music, messages that make you feel good about yourself and then go home and live like the world. The sermons are perfectly planned in order to have a Power Point presentation on the big screen to keep everyone's attention. And the Spirit Filled church's members have no idea what a move of the Spirit really is, practically everything is built on emotion and that's about it. There ain't no services anymore that when someone comes in with a cancer diagnosis the folks hit the floor in such intense prayer that the person diagnosed starts to shake, goes over to the garbage can, throws up the cancer and is healed. Stuff like that happened all the time in the original churches! And I ain't kidding. There's so many testimonies that would just blow people away hearing them nowadays! There was POWER in the Blood! Where is it now. Well, we have church, all good and proper, all pre-set and planned. Everything is planned, planned and planned.

I think around this area there is a need for some good old Chicken Coop preachin, for some good old Chicken Coop services. There's a true need for some pioneers in the faith, not just followers of a watered down movement. The Latter Rain is the same out pouring as the Early Rain in the book of Acts, with the same moves of god and the same results. Everything that happened in the Book of Acts should be happening now, and if it isn't we gotta ask ourselves where are we off in all of this. I try and live in this simple faith and I can honestly say that I've seen God move so many times that most Christians would call me a liar and truly believe what they are saying. Probably shun me but that's a good sign I guess. So the choice is a way with God's power or a way with man's traditions, I figure I'll go the way the Bible says to go and keep doing that Chicken Coop preaching.

You Shall Be Blessed!

2011-11-11T19:43:00.000-06:00

A Friday evening and I'm kinda tired out. Dropped three large and ancient evergreen trees next to the main farm house this morning and early afternoon, cut em up, hauled load after load of branches out to the back forty, loaded the logs on a trailer to be taken to a local sawmill, and cleaned up. All without smashing the house. But it seems we smashed every tree in the front yard that weren't supposed to be cut, but not to bad, they'll recover in time. I was the tractor driver, the fella that yanks the trees the right direction when they're almost cut through. Pretty easy doing that except for the fact that if anything goes wrong, like a smashed house, its my fault. Tonight's report is good though, with no major remodeling jobs coming out of today's tree felling. Then just before the co-op closed in town this late afternoon I drove there and bought me a brand spanking new pair of Red Wing work boots and I'm trying em out as I type and they sure are some comfortable boots! The co-op had a sale going on this month for Red Wings and seeing that my pair of Red Wing work boots are six years old and still hanging in there I figured now was the time to slowly break in a new pair. Won't wear em working around a 100 calves tomorrow, but will start wearing them during some easier jobs and break em in right. Now call me a crazy, but I always bought good boots because cheap boots will last me around two weeks out here. This last pair I bought right around the time I got saved 6 years ago at our little church out there in the hills, and these things just won't wear out! I never oiled em once, I never did anything to em ever. Just wear em 365 days a year, plus a leap year thrown into the deal, through mud, snow, heat and cold, and they just won't wear out. Say what you want, but the Bible does say that God keeps the destroyer away when you have faith in Him. Heck, I was telling folks three years ago how God was holding them boots together, and here it is years later and I'm still wearing em. Our God is an awesome God!

This old time faith stuff is for real I can testify! Glory! A person might not get a million dollars dumped into their lap when following God like some of them TV preachers are yammering about, but He sure does bless a fella when you get right down to the nitty gritty. He blesses in everything if we just open the eyes of our hearts and really see! That old time faith, my kinda faith, that faith them oldtimers in the Bible had. Sure I goof up here and there, (well, maybe more often than that), but gotta just a keep on going. Well I got them boots, the sun was a going down, I drove to the meat market and picked up a pound of fresh side pork and headed home. You don't know what real abundant living is all about unless you have some fresh side pork fried up once in a while. Have your fancy high class dishes, but give me some peppered up side pork and I'm in heaven on earth. I thought about it in the farm truck on the way home, the abundant life! New work boots and a pound of side pork for a kicker! The Bible says to be glad, to be thankful for what we have and I am sure one thankful simple farmer tonight. I got new boots for my feet and side pork in the fridge for breakfast! These are blessings!!

And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field." Deuteronomy 28:2-3

We don't even realize what we got! We are blessed! And I ain't going to be quiet about it one minute! This old world might be a fallen world, but when your a child of God, when you believe what Jesus did for us on the Cross, a fella can't help but be in pure joy. That's the one thing lacking so much in Christian circles today, just that child like joy that swells up out of a person when they truly realize that Jesus took the full brunt of the wrath of God that we so rightly each and every one of us deserve and He became our substitute. When we realize what that wrath of God against us is, how right it is to destroy us because I'm a telling you, we should be destroyed, each and every one of us, because we are filthy, all of us, but Jesus took it and made us righteous in God's eyes. Then if that weren't enough, He fills a person with the Holy Ghost so we can do what we are supposed to do.

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." Mark 16:15-18

The Bible says it, not ol' Tom. Oh Lord, I'm in that old time mood tonight and I love it! Getting that Hillbilly Preacher anointing back bigtime!

The Work Is Done, Now To Begin

2011-11-09T19:44:00.001-06:00

This evening the wind is howling outside, but I'm inside and its a nice place to be! A strange thing happened today around this place, I finished my last must do job this evening and all of a sudden I realized I survived the toughest year of my life. And had victory over it! A farm is just plain tough any way you look at it but it gets a whole lot tougher when a person isn't in the best of shape and that was my condition right up till now. Feeling pretty good now, but that operation was a bear this past winter and I still do feel it somewhat. But anyway, as I was saying, I finished up today with the must do jobs before winter hits. I was planning that it would take a couple more days but I got done as the sun was going down and all of a sudden I realized that I held on this whole year. Now what?? Just joking there.

"One time the Philistines gathered at Lehi and attacked the Israelites in a field full of lentils. The Israelite army fled, but Shammah held his ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory." 2 Samuel 23:11-12

Yes I know that these verses were on the last post but I do want to put them up again tonight. I've been thinking about those two verses all day while working, over and over. I do believe that's the only place in the Bible that Shammah is mentioned, but in those two verses there's a huge story. And when you get it deep in your heart there's a lesson in there too. To hold our ground no matter what the odds are against us and the Lord will bring about a great victory! Whether in ministry or the farm, hold our ground.

Now one of my favorite sayings through the years has been, "only believe". And I'm gonna hold onto that come thick or thin. I don't worry which way the western church is going, I don't care what society says, I'm going to believe it, (the Word), as its written. In years past there was enough stolen from me by the devil and there's a stop put to that! I'm standing in the field, even if all alone, and I ain't backing down and running for it. The Word is chuck full of promises for those who believe and I don't want to miss out on anything God promises for His own. And I ain't talking modern prosperity preaching here either. Just the Word.

Those verses just speak to me! To be a mighty man of the faith! Stand firm, don't waver, do everything for god's glory and not a bit for our own glory and have clean hands. Preach the Word, if anyone listens fine, if they don't I am faithful. For years I couldn't decide on a ministry name, oh I juggle a few ideas here and there, I even post a few as I ponder them. But deep down they just weren't right. Working today it hit me, a name, and it settled in good. Shammah Farm Ministries. Simple. You don't see that one around too often, I like it, and feel good about it. Plus a fella has only two verses in the Bible to use as the ministry verses which is OK with a simple fella like me.

Stand firm and hold the ground. Don't let the destroyer take any more. Get back what was stolen seven fold! This is going to be an interesting winter, I can feel it in my bones. To end this post I'm putting up a link. If you have time click it, it'll take you to the sermon page of North Central University in Minneapolis where my daughter goes to school and listen to the October 31st sermon called "Confessions of a God Hater". You might never be the same, its that good.

http://www.northcentral.edu/sermons/archive

Held His Ground

2011-11-07T20:06:00.000-06:00

"One time the Philistines gathered at Lehi and attacked the Israelites in a field full of lentils. The Israelite army fled, but Shammah held his ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory." 2 Samuel 23:11-12

Amen this Monday evening in November! Figure I finished plowing today and that means field work is officially done. Wanted to do twenty acres more but its so dry in the hayfields I want to plow I'm scared I'd pull the plow apart as I'm pulling it. That twenty acres can wait till spring when there will be moister in it. Dang, feels kinda strange being done! Now what?

But I figure on using the time wisely, get more and more into the Word in the evenings and probably go through all my Bible college classes again that I took a few years ago. That should take up every available moment till spring the way I got it figured. That thought came to me as I was plowing my last field today. Do the Bible college classes from start to finish all over again and as I thought about it I figured why not. I've found that you can take the same material and after a while a person can learn on a whole different level when it comes to faith. Yesterday I had a Sunday off except for a couple hours of chores and we did some visiting and about 90% of the talk was about faith and I gotta admit that nothing gets me going more than that. Was talking about how we all have faith if we are a believer, we all have sufficient faith as a matter of a fact. What trips us up is our level of unbelief. Hmm. Never thought of that and it exposes a person to themselves, to examine themselves on how much unbelief do we harbor in us. Its not so much our faith level, its our unbelief level.

Oh Lord, that got me thinking today. Do I really believe what I hear and read from the Bible? Its good to just dwell on that, to root out unbelief after identifying it. Only believe! That good old saying from the saints of old! Well, I want to believe and that's it! I want to take my Bible and believe it from front to back and every place in between! I want to be like Shammah from the verse on top the page that stands in the middle of the field and will not be moved by the enemy! The enemy loves unbelief! But ol' Shammah stood his ground, stood in the field and would not give up the promised land to the enemy! Think about that a bit. He was one of David's might men. And what did he do? He stood his ground!

Stand our ground! Believe! Look the enemy in the eye and know the outcome before it starts! There's allot to bring unbelief to a person in this day and age. You can figure the whole world system is rooted in unbelief. Many churches are rooted in unbelief too. But the old time ways is to simply believe and stand our ground. I've seen more folks screwed up by trying to figure the Bible out in human terms than I care to think about. I'll tell you right now the only way to figure the Bible out is to believe what it says. Simple. That's why one see so often folks that go to school for years studying theology or something similar gaining head knowledge but lacking faith. Trying to find out from human reasoning how this all fits together. That don't work all that hot.

At the same time, one of my favorite past times these last few years has been to read about old time farmer preachers and such, men of huge faith and little unbelief. Might not be educated to the brim, for many the Bible was the only book they ever read, but they were powerful in the faith. God would move with them because of that simple farmer faith and lack of unbelief. Human reasoning has no authority over the spiritual realm. None. One is already defeated before starting. But take a simple farmer or such that has faith in the bible and has little unbelief and the spiritual realm is subject to that person's authority in Jesus' Name. Anyway, that's what the bible says. When the person believes, heaven cannot be withheld!

Foolishness

2011-11-05T18:51:00.000-05:00

There! The week is about done and I'm in the house after another windy day outside. Nice day really, but the wind has snort! Lots of small jobs accomplished today and one of them this afternoon was to move some big cattle feeders that we use for silage and level the ground under them before freeze up. The cattle lots are dry and smooth and I seen that they weren't under the feeders so now's the time to take care of that. And now that I can spend more of my days around here close to the farm yard I have my dog Rooster following me around quite a bit and of course at his age, was born in May, he can get into some trouble here and there. I guess in dog years he's becoming a teenager. Oh, by the way, for folks that don't know who Rooster is, he's my Australian Shepherd pup that I bought this past summer. More energy than a hummingbird. Well, I was moving the big silage feeders with the skidsteer loader and Rooster was sniffin around where the feeders originally were, Typical dog. All of a sudden a big ol' rat came out of that spilled silage and old hay and that hummingbird speed of Rooster's sure nailed that rat on the spot. Now I was impressed cause Rooster threw that rat right in the air and would catch him. I got out of the skidsteer and went over there and stomped the rat with my big heavy farm boots to make double sure it wasn't playing dead. Now I gained allot of respect for young Rooster today cause any farmer will tell you a good rat dog is one valuable dog to have around. We're not over run with rats by any means here, but there will always be a few near the silage or the hay bale rows. With half a dozen super hunting farm cats around the rodent population is held down to safe levels. After we sent the rat to a different place for eternity I just had to pet that young dog and the rest of the afternoon was really fun with him as I worked with firewood. Nothing like a good dog and although he has some crazy habits yet I sure do like him!

Gotta get cleaned up in a bit and sit back this evening and relax in the nice warm house. I tell you, after being outside all day in the cool wind that house heat just relaxes a fella right quick. Tomorrows church and then some visiting afterwards for the rest of the day and I'm looking forward to that!

^"But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty" 1Corinthians 1:27

Yep, I guess this way of life might seem foolish to more self sophisticated folks, (that's folks that think their you know what don't stink), but I figure this is about as good as it gets living out here, getting a thrill when my pup gets a rat. Happy working at the firewood pile. Just generally happy with about everything there is out here. Foolishness to many but what do I care what folks think. You know, that's freedom when you get right down to it! Take your political correctness and flush er right down the toilet, I want to live free. Jesus came to set us free from the world system of death and I sure do believe that when we follow Jesus and lose the cares of trying to fit into society we get free. Of course we are free from the dominion of sin, but a person gotta think of the fringe benefits too. Like being free of having to do exactly what this fallen society says we must do. Free to tell the truth, free to enjoy creation! Take your stinking world and give me Jesus!

Foolish, foolish, foolish. Dumb hillbilly Christians. Stupid dirt farmers. Might be in the world's eyes, but a fella got one thing they don't have, freedom! Freedom in Christ!

Be Thankful

2011-11-04T20:05:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow starts deer hunting around here so I had better lay low. Been a busy week again and by the looks of it things should slow down this coming week and I'm all for that. We got the dummy head home today from the implement dealer 50 miles away. It went better than I thought it would and another adventure is behind me now. Spent the later half of the afternoon working by the firewood pile splitting and stacking some more maple. Tired out this evening I tell you.

"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

And I am thankful! Sure a person is dead tired, wore out, but what a blessed thing to be like this! God gave the day today and it wasn't wasted. One more day of work and then comes Sunday, a time to rest both body and soul. I'm looking forward to that. It must be a bit of an old time way, up here in central MN the highways are jammed full as folks head North from the Twin Cities and other points to go deer hunting. And I wish them all luck. But I was thinking the difference between farming and folks that are in the rat race. Folks spend allot of money for weekend diversions, many losing everything because they have so many toys to make them "happy" when away from the job or career. Here a weekend consists of working Saturday, quiting Saturday evening and resting up for Sunday. There's always church later on Sunday mornings till early afternoon. Then when the service is over there's allot of visiting most of the time at the church building. Then, many times we spend the rest of the afternoon and evening with church folks and have a great time fellowshipping and there's allot of talk about faith, (and usually some good food thrown into the deal). Then Monday back to hard work farming. I am satisfied doing it the old time way.

And during the week a person just gotta start the day thanking God, and let me tell you, that makes a huge difference in any day. The powers of darkness take a pretty good hit when a fella wakes up with praise to God coming from him or her. Wake up grumbling and I can assure you, that's the kind of day we'll get, bad. Our choice. Today was good all around for me, with getting that clunk of a combine head hauled home without mishap. The trip takes us through some incredible farm country and I'm almost breathless as I look over the panorama that we drove through there and back. And every few miles there's a little town, and with some of them I mean little. A person from the big city might wonder about these places with only a few dozen people living there, if that, and wonder why so many of them. That's an easy one. Because not all that long ago when folks farmed these areas with only horses and wagons, or else just their two feet to get them to town, (which really meant church), they could not be thirty miles away, they had to be within reach in order for folks to make it there and back again the same day. Oh Lord, this can get me dreaming! So many articles I've read about those times when going to church meant spending the greater part of the day there with the people. I've read about it here in America and Canada and also in South Africa with the Boer settlers taming a harsh land and building beautiful farms. How they would come walking, or on wagons to church for miles and when the service was done everyone brought food and they just had a get together every Sunday. The men would catch up with farming talk, the women catching up with what ever women catch up with. The young kids playing, and the teens probably noticing their future spouse.

I don't know about anyone else but those folks seemed to have it figured out better than nowadays. I can't talk for anyone but myself but those days of fellowship make me just wish. How far we've fallen and we think we've arrived. In my opinion the more gadgets we have, the more we become slaves. For myself, as I step back from gadgets and social media I start to see a freedom that was being taken away from me slowly, like a cancer. The more a person can get with God, and really, when you think about it, there is nothing more important than that. I even see the farm different, getting away from some of the shear stupidity on social medias. All of a sudden there's opportunity every way I turn, the land, the animals, all gifts from God, are beautiful! God wants us to have an abundant life, but we trade it in for stuff to entertain us. And we end up with a not so abundant life.

I want an abundant life, and the Bible says that believing Jesus will give us just that. That's been twisted by satan and worthless preachers into a creed of self indulgence, who figure the more toys and stuff we have the more we are being blessed. That's a lie straight from the pits of hell! That isn't abundant life, that's slavery to the world. And I don't want to be a slave to the world because Jesus paid dearly for me not to be just that. Just give me Jesus, my Lord and King. Take all the worldly pleasures and get em away from me. Give me fellowship with the saints, give me the wisdom to appreciate and love family, give me the eyes to see the beauty God has created here on the farm. I just gotta give thanks to God in all circumstances.

Dummy Heads For Dummies!

2011-11-03T19:02:00.001-05:00

Today in the upper midwest it was a beautiful day. Sunny, very little wind and in the fifties. And I went traveling! Well, not very far, about 50 miles, but it sure was a good trip! Now what can get a farmer all excited and want to go somewhere far, far away like that?? Machinery hunting! While everyone else in Minnesota is getting ready for deer hunting this weekend I'm thinking next years crop season. As I said, the day was beautiful and as I drove I took little traveled county roads through farm country and hills and lakes with beautiful vistas that almost took my breath away. Thousands of corn stalk bales, round bales, everywhere a person looked in the farm lands. The hills bright red with the leaves of the red oaks still hanging on. Lakes with mirror finishes today, yes, breathtaking. But I was hunting, hunting for machinery and figured today was a good day to start on my wish list that is growing longer each day. Today's trophy, a dummy head.

What in the world is a dummy head non farmers and such may ask. Let me explain. Its an attachment for the front of a combine to pick up swathed rows of grain and feed it into a combine. Pretty simple really. And I needed one, not for right now, in fact I don't need it till next July and August, but a farmer has to plan and be ready. Besides, I needed a day off of sorts. Been using the neighbor's dummy head for years and sometimes that doesn't work out the best, having to wait for it and such and this will be one of many purchases over the next year or two in order to make me free of having to rent some things. Over the past few year all purchases were put on hold from the multi year drought that devastated us a few years ago. But we got our wind back, praise the Lord and when a farmer gets his wind back money changes hands. Now I just gotta figure out who I can get a trailer from to bring it home. The implement dealer charges $5 a mile for delivery, and that made me make up my mind rather quickly on finding an alternative idea. Next on the agenda, to find a stalk chopper to I can make round corn stalk bales after I combine. Again, not for this year, but for the future. Renting doesn't work out that hot because every one wants to rent stalk choppers at the same time and by the time they get to my name on the list the weather is changing and things don't work out as one hoped. After that, convert our four thousand bushel grain bin into a drier bin which will again free me up from having to rent a neighbor's little batch drier. Years ago we had a large batch drier and then sold it, but now I'm combining corn again and it would be nice for the farm to be independent again in corn harvesting.

This fall here in central Minnesota has been a blessed one with the farmers all around getting the work done, the corn dried cheap, bountiful harvests, high prices. It doesn't always work out that way and I do not take it for granted and figure it was something I did special because it sure wasn't. We have been blessed, blessed by God, blessed so we can hang in there and keep going. I don't take it lightly, I don't brag about human endeavors. I just praise the Lord for this day running around central MN machinery hunting. There was a time a few years ago when I thought I'd never see the day again when I could. Multiple years of crops burned to the ground hurts, bad. But we did survive on faith, I'll never forget the miracles and provision from God that set me in the faith as a baby Christian. Today was just a day for this farmer to be happy!

Moved With Compassion

2011-11-02T22:13:00.000-05:00

^"Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd." Matthew 9:35-36

Got the corn fields plowed under, now for an off day tomorrow doing some chores and then doing some equipment shopping for a combine head. Looking forward to that! There's going to be allot of shopping for equipment these next few months, plus rig up one of the grain bins here to be a propane powered drier bin so I have it better harvesting in the future. Just got back from church this Wednesday evening, its not really a service anymore, more like a Bible study, and that's OK with me because they are interesting and a person learns something to boot. They're not some study where you give an opinion, they're where you see things that you never really noticed before. Tonight's study was about having the God kind of love and to tell the truth it was down right interesting. The Bible can lift a person up, but it can also convict, a double edged sword.

I think the easiest thing for a Christian to do is to become self righteous. I know it is for me. Look around at all the things going on in the world and locally and just wishing God would send fire down from heaven and take care of it all. Jesus was different than that though. He had compassion. Those crowds He had compassion on weren't any different from folks nowadays. They were a bunch of sinners, low life, every kind of life, but Jesus had compassion on them. You know, sometimes a person has to have a heart check. This is for me, I'm not writing to anyone but me here. How easy it is to become self righteous. Read the Bible, go to church, even preach, and its an easy trap to start looking at the world as something God should punish severely. Trouble is, if He were to do that I'd probably have to be the first person punished. How easy it is to think we are something special.

At the study tonight I learned something I'll never forget and will always carry with me. About the Book of Jonah. Ol' Jonah was sent, after a tad bit of persuading from God and a whale's belly, to Nineveh to tell them to repent, to change their ways. Those were some evil folks, but after hearing Jonah preach God's Word they turned from their wicked ways and repented. But Jonah got mad cause he hated them because they used to be so evil and he figured God should destroy them. Jonah was self righteous. God answered Jonah, "And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?” Jonah 4:11 God wishes for no one to perish.

What God does it right and just, but sometimes we figure we can help God out a bit by wishing judgment on folks. Thing is, when a person does that they are proving they don't have God's love in them. This is something I have to examine myself in daily. Lord, help me have the compassion Jesus had on the multitudes. Help me be an ambassador for Christ.

Live By Faith

2011-10-31T19:45:00.000-05:00

“Look at the proud!
They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked.
But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God." Habakkuk 2:4

Another field turned over today, two more to go as far as the corn fields go. If the fall allows me I have to try and plow down two hayfields yet, but am hoping for some rain because its a little dry out and a hay field will turn as hard as concrete, hard to get the plow in. One way or another things will get done. I sure do like life now that I can sit back a little in the evenings, dark out, don't feel so guilty about not being outside working. Its recharge time for me and I needed it. Tough year, but even if tough it was a record year here, with bumper crops and fat cattle. God has blessed us this year for sure.

Faith, one of my favorite subjects! What would life be without faith, faith in God? Well, I don't have to go back all that far to remember what it was like. It was empty, meaningless. Nothing to really look forward to but work and get old and die. There'd be diversions, like partying, getting drunk, all sorts of things to kill the pain knowing there was no hope in this life when you got right down to it. Then suffer the next day with the after effects of the night before. What was the difference, there was no hope. And that's the truth.

But somewhere on that road of no hope there was a place where Jesus met me right where I was at, traveling down that road. He is real! He ain't a "was". He's not some statue in a boring church where the exact same thing happens week after week. He's alive and here now!

I used to have to trust in myself, and that didn't work all that great. In fact it was a blueprint for disaster. Now its a faith walk. An adventure! Serving a living God! Could I ever go back? The answer is no. I stumble but will not ever go back to the road to death. Tonight I'm putting a video up with a song I love. And the video is all clips from the movie, "Faith Like Potatoes". If you have a chance, listen to the words.

Preach the Word!

2011-10-30T18:44:00.002-05:00

I'm one tired out fella tonight. Funny how Sunday's can tire a guy out as much as any work day. Just fooled around by the wood pile for a few hours this afternoon after church and the exercise does me good the way I figure it. I kind of liked today, overcast and dark, not much wind, something about fall days like that I just love. Too bad winter has to follow. One of my favorite jobs is splitting and stacking firewood over at the woodpile along side the outdoor wood boiler. It is work, but at the same time its relaxing. Now before condemning me for working on Sundays I just say that this is a form of relaxation for me. I guess I'm not "holy" like so many Christians watching a football game on TV, all the beer commercials, near porno commercials for everything else and incorporating it into a thing called the "American religion". You can think I'm nuts, but to me its impossible to love and follow God and then do that. There, I just made 95% of preachers mad at me. Good. Take it to God, not me.

Maybe that's why there's no respect for Christians anymore. Or who call themselves Christians. No different from the world, not one bit. Just that folks might make it to church once in a while, not even knowing why they are there except that it is a social gathering and its fun to shoot the bull with folks before and after service. Figure being they might of went up to the altar years before, or signed a slip of paper and quietly slipped it in a dish or box saying the accepted Christ, and now its a done deal, that's that for that. Its a rare thing to see a real life change nowadays. It happens, but the percentage is very low. Where are the men and women of God that will storm hells gate to help save a soul? Another thing, (relaxing at the woodpile really gets me thinking), every once in a while I read something from a younger person that is supposedly on fire for Jesus and how "their" generation is going to change the world and the preceding generation is being swept under the rug because of this "movement of God". That's an all out lie, period. Mistake number one, unbelievable pride showing through. Also a bit of ignorance, especially of the Bible. God is no respecter of persons and He has folks in every generation who give their all to Him. God usually uses the nobodies, those who are humble and will even argue with God that they can't do it. In fact I think that might be a requirement because in the Bible just about everyone ever used by God for great exploits didn't think they could do it. A word of wisdom here, if you think your somebody great in the Kingdom, think again. Also when I come across this it also shows its not Kingdom thinking, its American religion thinking. The world over there's folks on fire for God and they are every age. The older saints have more wisdom, anyway that's what the Bible says. The young have spunk and snort for sure, but unless grounded in the Word it will end up in disaster. Don't believe me just read 1st and 2nd Timothy. Timothy was considered young, but he was grounded in the Word and personally mentored by ol' Paul.

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 2 Timothy 4:1-2

Preach the Word Timothy, preach the Word. Oh how I love that. Don't make a complete fool out of yourself proclaiming from the rooftops that your generation is better then the preceding one. Talk like that just proves you have no idea about the Word. OK Tom, how did I get off on that?? Don't know, must be getting back into the swing of writing all the time and loving it. Preach the Word Tom, preach the Word. The one thing I have found out, and this goes against the American Religion too, is that when the Word is preached it doesn't matter what age folks are in attendance, the Holy Spirit does the work. Found that out by experience. When preaching the Word it doesn't matter if they're teens or a hundred, the Word cuts to the heart. If we ever think its because of some dynamic thing we possess we've gotten off track. It's not us, its the Word!

Glory to God! I'm looking forward to the next few months. Gotta get ready for winter here in the house and on the farm. Gotta take two big bulls to the salebarn tomorrow morning then try and finish up the fall tillage around here before freeze up. This winter might be way different then the previous ones, there might be a lot of preaching the Word. But for now I am waiting on the Lord out here on the farm. God doesn't screw things up around here, I've always noticed that. He always finds ways for working any Kingdom work in on the farm's schedule. We walk by faith here, and when a person lets God do the setting up, things just work. I'm not trying to build a ministry, just listening and then obeying what God has to say.

Lead A Quiet Life

2011-10-29T19:07:00.000-05:00

But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing. 1 Thessalonians 4:10-12

In the house finally after another good week on the farm. Fall tillage is underway on the combined corn fields and hope to wrap that up next week. My belly is full from a good supper and heated up a cup of tea while I write. Today was a day of work, but it was a quiet day for me. Worked for hours and hours without seeing or talking to anyone, which is common out here on the farm. Thinking about what to do for next year on the farm, Lord willing, thinking about a lot of things. But mostly thinking how amazing God is to have taken a wretch like me and make him a son of God! Incredible!

I love the verses above. Talk about a blue print for life. You ever notice the biggest funerals are usually for folks like that? Someone who minds their own business and walks properly toward those who don't know Jesus yet? I've seen it more than once, funeral homes plump full for some simple person. Everyone with good things to say and remember. Sometimes a person that was the opposite might get a large number of folks coming to theirs too, but I think quite a few are making sure the person is dead and gone so they can get on with their life in peace.

Since following Jesus these past few years I myself try and put these things into practice. Why? Because the Bible says to. It's not for me to decide what to do, either believe it or don't. Lead a quiet life and work with my own hands. The Lord says, keep the faith and stay busy working so a person lacks nothing. Now I do know that its really tough for folks to talk and listen to the Lord at many jobs. I understand, maybe that's why I love farming so much because no matter what, a person can make time for God. Doing field work, a person has hours and hours to talk and listen to God. And He comes in loud and clear over the roar of a diesel engine I have found out.

As a farmer I tend to the land and animals. I mind my own business, and try and live a quiet life. Living with a growing and growing faith in Jesus. Believing Him. Trusting Him. Obeying Him. Yes a person falls sometimes but as the Bible says, ^"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 Confess as soon as possible and keep on moving ahead! I love the saying, "get on your knees and fight like a man". One thing about being on our knees often before God, you can't stumble or fall when in that position!

Discipline and Subjection

2011-10-28T19:26:00.003-05:00

"But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." 1 Corinthians 9:27

Things are still in some what of a rush around here, just because I glanced at the calendar. Winter is a coming and this is no time to lay back. Discing under the corn fields I harvested last week and that'll take a few more days here and there. Been working with firewood a little every day including today until I tire out. But its all moving along and I'm satisfied. When farming full time there really is no boss to watch out for and satisfy, your on your own. Nobody's going to waiting at the time clock if I'm late for work, nobody's gonna say anything if I take a short noon nap. Sounds wonderful to folks that are still in the rat race! In farming though one disciplines themselves all the time, even when no one else is doing it for you.

A farmer has to bring his body and mind into subjection. No two ways about it. Its a tough business and there isn't much room for mistakes or days off as far as that goes. But there's rewards when a person keeps his or her nose to the grindstone. And a person knows they are doing the best they can no matter what happens and that means allot. When I talk farming I never talk about any subject that I don't know about and have hands on. The same with faith matters, I try not to discuss anything I haven't had first hand experience with, having put it into practice before I ever preach it. And like Paul says in the verse at the top, if we don't practice what we preach we should be disqualified.

Many times I run across preachers that like to see how close they can come to sin in order to be accepted by a group of people they're aiming at. This happens all the time. Sometimes there's some that say that some social drinking don't matter and things like that. But I beg to differ. A man or woman of God is essentially worthless when indulging in borderline sin, or to put it bluntly because there really is no such thing as borderline sin, sin. This was a main reason for me pulling out of today's social networks on the web and I might pull the pin on everything even remotely resembling social networks and just plant myself right here and write little posts and stay clean. I've had more bad gut feelings from how the clergy talks than from hardened sinners lately. So last Saturday I pulled the pin on FaceBook and will pull the pin on allot more so I can concentrate on God.

Take for example, a preacher of the Gospel that says its fine to social drink. The man or woman who's trying as hard as they can to escape that demon of alcohol hears that and that demon will never let up, "You see, its OK to start up and have just a few drinks, even the preacher says so and he wouldn't steer you wrong would he?" And the person trying so hard to quit "will" listen to that. Farming and preaching are almost identical in many ways. In farming everyone has an opinion and something to say to me on how to run things, what to buy, what to do. Most of the ideas, even when well meant, would have me broke shortly. Discipline is what's needed to keep on going and go for the prize in farming. The same thing with preaching. There's so many ways out there, so many tricks, so many "fun" ideas, but I brush them off and try and stay on the straight and narrow, deliver the Word and have no regrets.

The Gospel is simple, and its a double edged sword. It can bring joy, but it'll also cut deep and expose sin in our lives. It brings the hope of hope, but its not the true Gospel if it doesn't also penetrate and bring conviction. This is why I pulled the plug on social networking. I truly had it in my heart to stay above all the garbage out there, and to keep on going for Christ and Christ alone. If folks want me back I won't listen because it was almost as plain as day the way God told me to quit and focus on him and Him alone. Of course I argued a little bit and said, "God, I have so many Christian contacts and it would hurt just pulling the plug." In my heart though I know that God wants me too quit, and He has things that I never dreamed of planned. I say this allot when preaching, "How do you know if its from God? Because you don't want to do it!"

Discipline, something almost unheard of in today's modern church. Willingness not to follow the crowd but to listen and follow God. Then the adventure begins!

The Boat's Sunk

2011-10-26T19:40:00.000-05:00

"For we walk by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7

I love the saying, "The boat's sunk, there's no going back, I'm standing on the water now!" That's how it is many times in this journey of life. Especially when the journey is a faith journey following Jesus. If a person follows God they're going to get stretched, allot! There's two directions a person can go. Forward, doing what God calls us to do, or backwards, not doing it, doing nothing. Its allot safer on the flesh to be a good Christian and attend church, do all the functions in the church and go home satisfied. That's not going forward for many folks though In fact, church is the place where its the absolute safest to not go forward. Now, don't get me wrong, church, the gathering of the saints is essential in the believers walk. Its important to help out always even on the most seemingly unimportant jobs. But the church was never meant to be confined inside the walls, or with nice and safe church functions. The church's only reason for existence is to "spread" the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We walk by faith, not by sight. I love that! This past summer I was asked to preach at an outdoor farming function and that was a stretch for me. Did quite a bit of safe preaching these last few years in church and places like that but never to a general crowd at an outdoor summertime event. It nerved me a bit as it approached but I stayed focused and knew I had to do it. A regular preacher wouldn't have worked with these folks. The day before the service, a Saturday afternoon/evening I decided to drive to the county seat to get a burger and fries, that's what I do when I'm a tad bit nerved up. The wife and I went driving to town and I was a little edgy and she asked what's wrong? I said I was nerved up about the next morning. As we were driving she looked right at me and said. "You have no reason to be nervous, but those folks at the Heritage Days sure had better be because they have no idea what's going to hit em tomorrow! They never heard anyone preach like you do, its not like regular preachers!" Well, that helped me so much I was pretty calm after that. The next morning we drove over to the event ground and there were people everywhere and I knew a few and did they ever give me some strange looks when I walked over there with my cowboy hat on and my Bible.

But I must admit, some folks can really screw up. We had about twenty folks from church there because there was no service at our church because of this. So many would come up to me and ask, "Are you nervous Tom?" That is not the thing to ask and ask. But I'd answer, "The boat's sunk, there's no going back, I'm standing on the water now!" And I'd move on. To make a long story short, the service was unbelievable! If I'd never do anything else in my life preaching, I'd always have that day to hang on to. The words flooded out, I talked my language and the folks at that event understand that language and were somewhat stunned to hear a sermon spoken by someone who was like them. To tell the truth, when I was done I could hardly remember what I said, and went over to the side and let the band play a couple more songs to end the service. Since then the reports are still coming in about how that service hit that farming community. Even last night I had a telephone call about it. The committee for the event met and I guess the only thing they talked about during the whole meeting was how great the church service was and they want to make double sure we do it from now on every year. I almost broke down into tears when I heard that yesterday, because folks have no idea what its like to do something like that.

The devil will dog a person and dog him, telling him he's worthless, he's a fool for thinking he can preach the Word of God. "Your not a real preacher, your not educated, your just a farmer", and the list goes on and on. But God doesn't work the way man and the devil work. God can use anyone that will get out of the boat, stand on the water in faith and just do it! Christian folks always like to talk about Peter walking on the water and beginning to sink. They kind of smirk, maybe shaking their heads saying Peter didn't have strong faith. But they are wrong. Peter was the only one that got out of the boat, the others were shaking in their sandals still in the boat. Peter took the step!

Real faith, the kind that God notices, is when a person is scared to death of something, but still does it. That's real faith! I'm learning that. When I preached that event I knew I couldn't without God, because without Him I am surely not qualified. I'll never forget when the band introduced Farmer Tom, the preacher, I was almost numb walking up the steps onto the flatbed trailer to the pulpit, but God took over. The words poured out, everyone's attention was caught, even people far away on the otherside of the event grounds stopped what they were doing and listened. It was incredible. The message poured out, folks that hadn't been to church in decades sat down on the outside edge of the crowd, took off their hats and took it all in while their relatives were in almost total shock and joy to see people that wouldn't step into a church listening so intently.

Walk by faith, not by sight. When I walked onto the grounds that day that was a faith walk if there ever was one. And God shook the lives of so many that day. I stand in awe tonight thinking back. I'm ready to get out of the boat again!

There Is A Cloud!

2011-10-25T18:54:00.000-05:00

Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” 1 Kings 18:44

With harvest done around here that means its time to catch up a little on the jobs that were neglected this past week or so. Catching up fast and it sure does feel good to have the big jobs out of the way for the year. Now to prepare for the long northern winters and to tell the truth I look forward to the first half of winter somewhat because things slow down and a person can recover a bit from the long days of working all the time during the planting, growing and harvest season. Sometimes when the work load is rather crushing a fella loses sight of his or her vision, that vision that was planted in ones heart by God himself. Its during the slow months that one can get back to basics, get back to going after God with everything they have, and that's what happens here.

And when one has that vision in their heart sometimes it looks like it'll never happen, but in all reality when God places a vision in your heart its going to happen if a person keeps the faith and stays on course. Its easy to get off course though, there's plenty of distractions in every direction and I'm not even talking about what a person would call bad distractions, just everyday stuff and that even includes other Christians at times. But a vision, ah, there's nothing like a vision of something that is totally impossible within ourselves that is reminding us daily that its there. But time goes on and on and what was once exciting to dream of seems to keep getting further and further away instead of getting closer. Impossible it soon seems and one starts getting wore out.

Elijah's servant had looked six times already if there were any clouds coming on the horizon. I figure he was giving up hope that his master knew what he was talking about sending the servant to look for any clouds. But on the seventh time there was a small cloud forming over the sea to the west and later that day the drought was broken over Israel. Elijah had a vision, but it didn't happen on the first time the servant went looking.

Here on the farm we have a vision too. It don't happen overnight, in fact a person keeps climbing the hill to gaze to the west and see if anything is forming. Tempting to go on to other things, but time after time I am told deep down in my heart to hold on to the vision. Keep preaching the Word, and nothing but the Word. Don't worry about man, and don't worry about setting anything up, because God will take care of it. Thinking back to a few years ago when I started my faith walk, that adventure in following Jesus, I can see time after time how God did things that were impossible to teach me He was truly in control, just as long as there was a tiny seed of faith to go on. I took hold of faith, which is something religion does not teach and would apply it in the simplest things and God came through every time. Might not of been exactly what I was hoping for, but in hindsight it was truly much better that I ever had hoped for.

The Harvest Is In!

2011-10-24T21:34:00.001-05:00

I will bless the LORD at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;

The humble shall hear of it and be glad.

Oh, magnify the LORD with me,

And let us exalt His name together. Psalm 34:1-3

Harvest just finished up about ten minutes ago. AMEN!!! This is one happy farmer!! Praise the Lord!!

Bless The Lord

2011-10-22T19:40:00.000-05:00

When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. Deuteronomy 8:10

Praise God for Saturday evening, I am one tired out man tonight. Been working all waking hours for quite some time now but the harvest is plentiful. Having my cup of tea now, green tea, low caffeine, and in a while I'll be hitting the hay. Tomorrow is the Lord's Day and there will be no harvesting done tomorrow. Folks might look at me strange as so many keep on going on Sundays but not this farmer. I figure God provided all this bounty this year and I am going to obey Him and go to church and the rest of the day can be spent with the family on the farm. I'm a man of the land and when there's a break in the work I'm not looking to run off looking for some activity to take my mind off my job or career. No sir, when your a man of the land there's probably no other place you want to be than the farm.

I have trouble being away from home, I don't like a strange bed, can't sleep very good when I travel, ever. Folks wonder about me when traveling with me, once gone from home for a bit, the only thing that drives me is getting back home. This goes against how we are supposed to be nowadays but I can't change it. When weekends come there's no big plans to do something or go some place, no desire to pack up for the weekend and drive to some place that'll make a person forget about the week's work. A farmer gets much more enjoyment from walking or riding around all the hundreds of acres of fields and pastures, woodlots and meadows. Checking the beef herd, seeing wildlife everywhere. A strange breed, a farmer, but that's what God has called me to do.

With only a few more days of corn harvest left weather permitting, the bins are filling up with much more grain then I planned on. Its so easy to take credit for it. Taking credit for the excellent job of tillage, planting, tending and harvesting. I could get puffed up pretty easy and let the world know it. But I know better, I know what its like when the rains don't come, I know what its like to have hail shred everything in a few minutes. I know that in reality we have very little control over any of it. We just do our job on the farm by faith, faith that this year will be blessed. And we bless the Lord. We thank Him for it all, and don't forget Who is providing the whole works. Who is providing the very life we have any given day.

In farm country during droughts folks start to remember God a bit, churches will start having special services praying for rain, many are looking to God for help. On good years like this one, that is mostly forgotten, and so many puff up talking about the great crop "they" produced. So many trying to out brag each other. I only say, "God gave us a good crop." People don't hear that very often. This year I didn't do anything different than I did in the drought years when there was no crops. But this year we had a bumper crop.

In our household we are blessing God in our prayers. We can't let ourselves forget where it all came from.

Harvest Photos

2011-10-20T21:24:00.000-05:00

A little bit of my day. God is good. Evening now and it's about time to read the farmer's handbook, the Bible.

Harvest Break

2011-10-20T20:53:00.001-05:00

Harvest is moving along on the farm. Busy for a few more days. I'm putting this video up for myself, in order that I can view it and not lose it as time goes by. One of the world's greatest evangelists, Angus Buchan from South Africa, a farmer, a simple man, one I can understand.

The Light of the World - Part II from ICEJ US Branch on Vimeo.

Be Still

2011-10-19T21:44:00.000-05:00

"Be still, and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10

Day three finished combining corn on the farm, a few more days to go. Amazing is the word. And I am thankful.And it looks like from here on out all I have to do is concentrate on harvesting and drying the corn. The last few days have been busy with multiple things at the same time, such as today while drying corn in the morning, meat customers came up from the Twin Cities to pick up about 350 pounds of hamburger that I had processed up here for them. Hurry up and help them get their meat and right back to work. I'm hoping that the rest of the week will be just me and harvesting because its not a bad job if a person can just keep at it. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the customers and all, but it'll be nice to work relatively undisturbed. Also I'm looking for the light at the end of the tunnel where I can say the entire growing season is wrapped up and its time to go into late fall and winter mode.

I was thinking today about all the disturbances a person gets and was wondering if its more than years ago and the answer is yes, a very big yes. It seems to me, and I'm only talking about me here, that everything is getting out of hand as far as disturbances go. I remember years ago when I didn't even have a phone in the house, had a TV then, but it could only get one channel good and a couple fuzzy ones. The TV programs were free then, commercials paid for them, now folks pay to watch commercials. I love the cells phone on the farm, I really do, but wished it was just a basic cell phone for calling and texting. This might sound as a surprise to many, but I mainly text, because when I'm out in the field or doing chores there's engine noise which makes it all but impossible for me to make or take a call. So in the family and close friends we have our ways texting each other. Then there's social networking such as FaceBook. I'm on there. Joined up there around a year and a half ago for one reason and one reason only. That was to network with like minded people in ministry. Not so much for me to get involved, but to learn from those who were forging ahead doing kingdom work. There's been much good from that, from all the cowboy preachers from this country, to staying connected with such an earth changing ministry as Angus Buchan's Shalom Ministries in South Africa. But there's a side on there I am wondering about getting rid of. A month or so ago FB changed its format and now allows one to see what other "friends" are doing there. Kinda like the angels in heaven watching man's every move. And its surprising and disturbing at the same time. This evening I came into the house and just clicked onto FB to see if anything important was happening and it really shocked me being I can see what others are involved in, the two faced ways of so many. In many ways I truly thank FB for the new format because a better learning tool is hard to find. The folks that amen all the time on Bible verses that I post are clicking "like" and more on filthy, dirty trash all the time, but give em a Bible verse and they are so holy. Debating if I should trim my list down to almost nothing and have it do what I originally intended for it to do. Pretty sure I will soon. All this really is really is the shape of the American church.

My wife and I were discussing this all this morning for a few minutes when I came in for a bite to eat. The shape of the American church. Its basically the same as gazing over FaceBook when a person has a lot of friend on there. Most folks say they are Christian, but sadly, they are not. Simple as that. In Latin America and other regions of the world the church is on fire. When there's a church service, a special service, or just about anything church related the places will be jammed packed. In this country you can hold special services and a handful will show up. Amazing how busy everyone is. How many excuses there are. In reality the only true business is folks chasing the lusts of the world. The verse above says, "be still and know that I am God." But very few do. On a farm one can work many a job and still be still. Out in the field all day, one can talk with God, one can listen to God, (even when the engine is roaring at 2100 rpm), and not get caught up with the ways of the world. That's the greatest advantage to farming as a way of life that I know of. The time one can spend with God day in and day out.

"But the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits." Daniel 11:32

The only ways to get to know God is in prayer, reading the Word, and being still and listening to him. There has never been a time in the history of the world where there are more disturbances around us daily. What was said to be change for the good, is nothing more than tightening the grip of slavery to the world. Gadgets, social networks, more and more little toys to tie us into the world so tight that we will never become unwrapped or untied. Its time to make a decision, God or the world. And belonging to a church or a denomination means nothing to God, it boils down to two things, God or the world. I was told yesterday that this summer I could go down to El Salvador and preach. Praying about that, I have time to listen to God on that one. If He says go, I will go. If not then there's something else He has for me here or someplace else. It would be interesting to preach to folks that weren't totally ensnared in this modern society of self and materialism that still consider themselves Christians. I maybe need that. But regardless, a person just gotta keep on going, finish the race.