Across The Fence

Due to inclement weather, Across The Fence is canceled tonight. We will resume next week. Be careful.

Bro. Ron

WOW

What a wonderful worship experience we had yesterday! We welcome with open arms Pam Guinn to our church family. From the fist note on the keyboard to the final amen we experienced the kind of worship service I have envisioned us having ever since I have been here. I don't know if I could stand having that kind of service every Sunday but I sure would like to try! When we get out of God's way and let Him have His way, He can sue orchestrate a wonderful time in His house! Remember, God is not looking for the talented...He is looking for those who simply make themselves available. Let's try to do that in 2009!!!

Sorry SO Long

Happy New Years...I know it's been a while since I have written but with the holiday season upon us it has been a little busy. I guess at this time of year its time for the annual report on the church. Last year when Denice and I came we were averaging about 27 in Sunday school and 35 in worship. If we look back on this new year in about 365 days and have experienced the same amount of growth next year as we did this year we will be running about 75 in Sunday school and 125 in worship...We had many baptized this year and many others join by statement or letter. In December we called our Minister of Music, Bro Tim Logan. I went back over the prayer request sheets this week and we started praying for a Music Minister in Jan of 08. It has been well worth the wait. For all you who want to sing in the choir, start warming those pipes up. I think Bro. Tim has something up his sleeve for Easter. I look forward to the many activities we have planned with you this year...Instead of going to the Passion Play this year we will be taking a group to Branson to see the production of Noah! It will be an overnight trip and a wonderful time of fellowship with each other. The AGAPE Banquet is right around the corner...keep your eyes on the bulletin and on the screen for dates. We will be starting a marriage seminar soon based on the movie "Fireproof". Begin now to think of another couple you can BRING...not invite!!! As usual there is a full slate of events coming up and I can't wait to get started on them...Guess I will have to slow down a little bit though...the Doc says I'm going to have to have arthroscopic surgery on my knee...he said it's really no big deal...I told him that was because it wasn't his knee!!! But I am sure that in two or three days I'll be up and running again! I am so proud of all of you. Across the Fence resumes on the 13th...we have had low turnout for the past two times we have met. Let's try to make these commitments to be here and be involved mean something folks. Let's turn out and do our part. Until next time...

Bro. Ron

BRRRRR!!!

Due to the inclement weather and the back roads we live on not expected to thaw out today, Across The Fence has been canceled for tonight. Hopefully this finds you snuggled up with your loved ones inside and warm. If there are any of you who HAVE to go anywhere and can't get there safely, we may can make arrangements for you. This is for Necessities or Emergencies. Be careful today and stay posted to the blog for Wednesday Service announcements. Right now we are expecting to have services tomorrow night.

Living Nativity

Good Morning Folks!!! The need for the Living Nativity tonight thru Sat night is for Shepherds. You may participate one or all nights! All the costumes are there, all you have to do is show up. Be at the municipal building at the corner of Hwy 225 and Hwy 25 in the Wooster community by 5:30 for your costumes. Dress warmly! We are supposed to provide soft drinks and sandwiches for the cast tonight, which will be approximately 40 people. If you can make some sandwiches or provide some soft drinks please call Rebecca Smith at 501-590-3693 and she will arrange to pick them up.

Cayden is here!!!

The reason for Jerry Mauldin's grey hair has arrived! Cayden Raymond Kaffer was born 12/09/08 and weighed 8 lbs! Congratulations Grandpa and Grandma Mauldin!

Urgent Prayer Request

Nikki Upton (Tim Tucker's daughter) lost her baby yesterday. Denice and I visited with her and Jared last night and Nikki will be having outpatient surgery today. While they are leaning on the Lord for strength they are both hurting on the inside. Please pray for this wonderful new couple God has brought our way and just love on them as much as you can. Help to lift them up and hug them and just let them know their church family loves them and will do anything it can to assist them. Denice and I are taking them supper tonight. A couple of you ladies out there may want to do this Thur. and Fri. They live in the house just past Montine on the right up Sawmill Rd. Most of all, pray for God's Peace to come over this family.

Busy Busy Busy

Wow, the busiest time of the year is upon us and I hope you can salvage some peace and quiet during this time. We are having our Children's Program this coming Sunday night, Dec. 14th, at 6:00PM.
On Sunday Dec. 21st we are having our Annual Christmas Dinner after the morning services. That evening instead of having our regularly scheduled evening service we will join with TeamKids and the Youth Dept. for caroling and then enjoy a cookie and hot cocoa fellowship in the fellowship hall.
Our worship services continue to bless. Bro Tim is adding new dimensions to our worship, and the video screen has even been working lately! I would like to hear some feedback from some of you as to what you think about the video and whether you think it is an asset to our services? Across The Fence is going well and has been well received by those new in the community. If you know someone who has recently moved into our area, please let me know so I can be sure to add them to our list. I am looking forward to an 8 week marriage seminar after the first of the year based on the movie "Fireproof". I hope all our married couples will bring another couple with them. It will be a blessing whether you are newly-weds or oldy-weds! Merry Christmas to you all.

Bro. Ron

Great Worship

I have been excited by the tremendous Worship Services we have been enjoying. God is continuing to fill up His house, and we are continuing to have many new visitors, with several of our visitors continuing to come back week after week. God's Holy Spirit has truly been evident in our midst, and for that we should be most thankful. Thanksgiving was a wonderful success with many families choosing to get involved. Christmas is just around the corner and I have been searching for a silver lining with all the bad news coming out of the media about the economy! Here it is! With less money to spend on material things, maybe people will learn that Christmas is not about material things but instead about the Love of God in sending His Son, Jesus Christ, as the ultimate sacrifice for man. This kind of gift, just like all those that truly mean the world to us...are free. All we have to do is look in the right places...not spend the right amount of money. Please be generous with our Angel Tree family this year. I will be reading their nomination letter Sunday! Until I see you again, Merry Christmas, Denice and I love you.
Bro. Ron

Congratulations

Congratulations to the new Mayor of Holland, Ar., Bro. Ronnie McGaha! I am thankful that there will be a Godly man in charge of our city government. We must realize though, that our support of Bro. Ronnie does not end at the polls. It is our duty, our responsibility, and our privilege to lift Bro. Ronnie and all of our city officials up in prayer! Congratulations Bro. Ronnie! We love you, and covenant together to keep you in our prayers as you tackle this new endeavor.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you did not miss our Wednesday night services this week. It was probably one of the best services we have experienced in a long time. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house when we finally left after sharing a wonderful circle prayer with everyone who was in attendance. The comment was made as we started that every church I passed on the way in was dark! I thought about cancelling services too, but only for a millisecond! What better time could we spend on Thanksgiving Eve than to spend time praising God and thanking Him for all the good things in our lives? Bro. Tim Logan started us off right with joyful praise and worship. After a short devotional on thankfulness and it being our duty, command, privilege, and right, we all testified about what we were most thankful for. I hope this day finds you thankful, and enjoying the bounty of blessings the Lord has provided.

Ask Yourself This Question

What Kind Are You?

Some Christians are like wheelbarrows, not good unless pushed.

Some are like canoes, they have to be paddled.

Some are like kites, if you don’t keep a string on them, they fly away.

Some are like kittens, they are more contented when petted.

Some are like balloons, full of wind and likely to blow up unless handled carefully.

Some are like trailers, no good unless pulled.

Some are like buzzards, they “get wind” of a foul smell and come quickly.

Some are filled with the Holy Spirit, and thank God for these!

If Everyone in my church was just like me...

What kind of church would my church be???

Update

Thanks for the many prayers and phone calls concerning my well being. I had to have a tooth cut out Wednesday and during the process there was a tear created in my sinus cavity. According to the dentist these normally heal themselves, but if it doesn't it will require oral surgery to repair. I go back Monday to see if it has corrected itself. A big thank you to Brothers Jerry Mauldin and Tim Logan for filling in for me on Wednesday night. From what I heard they did a tremendous job.
God has brought new leadership into our church and I am so thankful for the dedication these men have shown, as well as the other new members God has blessed us with. We will be Baptizing four of them Sunday morning. That in itself is something to be thankful for.

Welcome New Family Members

We send out a warm welcome to the newest members of our church family. Sunday morning was especially exciting as the Upton Family joined our church. Jared and Nicole joined by promise of a letter from Friendship Baptist in Conway and Kendall comes as a candidate for Baptism. Kendall was saved during our VBS program this year. Youngest son Klaytyn comes covered under the blood until the age of accountability. We are so glad to have this wonderful young family become a part of our fellowship. Jared and Nicole are also expecting! It truly is an exciting time to be at Holland Baptist, where God continues to bless. Nicole is Tim Tucker's daughter for those of you trying to keep track of all the familial relationships! Let's make sure we let them know how much we love them and are excited to have them here!

Lack of Cooperation

I find it hard to believe that everyone can read the last three posts that have been written and not post a single comment. The comments are there for you to get involved! If you don't know how to do it just click on comment and type your comment in the comments box...you will then be asked to select a profile...select Name/URL...Type your name in the name field and just leave the URL field blank...select post your comment...and 'ouila...you have posted a comment...then people can read your comments and respond to them...this is called COMMUNICATION!!! Come on now...don't be scared...get involved!

Angel Tree Nominations

I still have not received any nominations for the Angel Tree. If you know of a needy family in our area, please let me know in writing. Include their names and ages and a brief description of why you believe they would benefit from this ministry. We will accept nominations thru the end of November and the Angel Tree will be put up at the first of December to allow you plenty of time to get involved. This is a great opportunity to positively impact a family who may or may not be churched for the glory of Christ.

HOW'S YOUR ATTITUDE?

A Choice Each Day

Charles Swindoll said: “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past, we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string that we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes.”

Remember this old axiom I learned in flight school...it is your attitude...not your aptitude...that determines your altitude!!! It is true not only with airplanes...but with ourselves as well.

In Light of The Election

The Majority May Not Be Right

A danger exists in assuming that the majority is right. The majority, when against the Word of God, results in tragedy. Remember the people of Israel responding to the twelve spies. By far the vast majority sided with the ten spies. Only two from the entire nation sided with God. And only those two entered the land and received the blessings.

Service Times

Bro. Ken's funeral will be at 3:00 Monday at Roller McNutt Funeral home in Conway. The Public Viewing will be today from 2:00-4:00. We will feed the family at 12:00 Monday at the church. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Gone Home

It is with a heavy heart that I write and inform you that Bro. Ken Iburg has gone home to be with the Lord. Bro. Ken died peacefully in his home today surrounded by his loved ones. I read a poem today that told about watching the ship go over the horizon. Just because we could no longer see it did not mean that it was gone. It was still there, just as full of life as always...in fact there were those who had not been able to see it before now see it approaching them. And they are saying...come on, come on...you're almost home. As our hearts break from a sense of loss, let us not forget that in heaven today, there was celebration. Ken was reunited with his and Dessie's parents, and all the loved ones he cared about that went before. But best of all...Ken saw Jesus today with his very eyes.
Psalm 116:15

Please tell your favorite memory of Bro. Ken in the comments.

Bro. Ken

Bro. Ken is at home folks but is gravely ill. I do not like to guess about when the Lord will call someone home but the time now is extremely short. Continue to pray for Dessie and the family during this most difficult time. You may leave your comments to the family under the comments section at the bottom of this post.

Updates

As of the time of this post Bro. Wayne Gibbs is doing much better and is scheduled for release from Conway Regional. Bro. Ken Iburg was scheduled for release Tuesday, but after Dessie convinced the doctors that there had been a noticable change in Ken, they did a CT Scan and found out that the tumor had rapidly grown to where it was as large or larger than when it was removed. The surgery seems to have had a catalyst effect on the tumor resulting in this extremely rapid growth. Continue to pray for their family.

Pray for Bro Wayne Gibbs

Wayne Gibbs is in CVICU at Conway Regional after undergoing kidney stone surgery. He started bleeding and required 4 units of blood and two units of plasma. This occured yesterday. He was alert and awake this morning and is stable. They removed the ventilator and the tubes in his throat last night and he was doing much better this morning. It appears that with no more complications he will be fine, but keep him and his family in your prayers. And...I know that many of you are kind of secretive about things like this...but...if you do not let me know about things like surgeries and tests then I do not know to pray for you or to be of assistance to you if you need it! Sometimes those things that are SUPPOSED to be SIMPLE do not turn out that way! If you need to contact me here are my numbers again:
Home 501-849-3312
Cell 501-428-4936
E-Mail ron_theis@yahoo.com (I check this one several times daily)
Work 501-513-3434

Revival

Praise God for souls won, lives rededicated and God's people drawing closer to Him as we have experienced wonderful worship and praise during our tent revival! Canaanland did a wonderful job leading us right to the throne during last two nights and Bro. Mike's preaching has been soul stirring and right on point. We were blessed to see Tim Tucker accept Christ on Monday night during the invitation. His whole family was gathered around him at the altar as he prayed to accept Christ. Now we MUST do our duty and disciple this new Christian as we are supposed to! We are preparing for a great old fashioned camp meeting style singing tonight and I hope to see you there. A special thanks goes out to the Fellowship committee for all their hard work in feeding approximately 50-60 people each night. Nina, Bobie, Wanda, Eva Lee and all our ladies who have brought food to feed everyone. It was good to have Janie in our services last night. Keep Bro. Ronnie McGaha in your prayers as he came down with the flu this week! Remember to keep Ken and Dessie in your prayers and remember Harold Firestone is have cancer surgery this morning at Conway Regional. Hope to see you at the revival tonight.

Thank You to a Wonderful Church

Thank you so much for all of the cards, prayers, gifts and words of encouragement Denice and I received over the last week for Pastor Appreciation. You have been a wonderful congregation and we have grown to love each and every one of you. God has truly blessed us to bring us to Holland and I truly feel honored to be your Pastor. While the responsibility is sometimes overwhelming, I marvel that God can use me in such a way that blesses me so. We have been experiencing unbelievable worship and growth in our church and yesterday was no exception. We had 85 in worship and the singing and praise almost lifted the roof off. At the potluck dinner we had people sitting in both of the overflow classrooms. I want to especially thank those of you who made sure our guests felt welcome and had someone to sit with during the meal. I noticed several times some of you would say to a guest...come with me...or sit over here with us!!! It is because of this spirit that our church has begun to see real growth both Spiritually and numerically. Praise God for our youth department! It continues to grow and grow. Looks like we'll be heading to Colorado snow skiing over Spring Break! Be in prayer for Bro. Tim as he leads our youth...they are the future of our church. Thank you once again for your outpouring of love for myself and my family. You have made it a pleasure to serve as your Pastor.

Good News

For those of you who are wondering about Bro. Ken's condition he has improved greatly. Upon arrinving at his doctor's office in Little Rock it was discovered that due to an error he was recieving 4 times the dosage he was supposed to be getting of Dilantin, a medication used to slow the brain impulses and prevent seizures! No wonder he was unresponsive and didn't know where he was! His doctor admitted him into Baptist hospital room 354 and immediately suspended the Dilantin. This was on Thursday. On Sunday afternoon myself and three of the men of the church went to see Ken and to pray for him. He was sitting up in bed, talking and coherent. Praise God! We continue to give God the glory for Ken even being with us, and we continue to pray for his continued recovery! Keep he and Dessie in your prayers. If you can't make it by to see them...drop them a card. They would really appreciate it.

Pray for Ken & Dessie

Please be in prayer for Ken and Dessie. They are currently in Little Rock at the Dr.'s office for the first visit with the Dr. who will oversee Ken's recovery and plan of attack for this tumor. I visited with Dessie today and she is going to have to make the decision whether to put Ken through the rigors of Chemo or not. This is an agonizing decision for Dessie. I prayed with her and told her I had the utmost confidence in her to make the best decision for Ken, and that we would stand by her whatever her decision was. Thank you for those of you who have visited Ken in the rehab hospital. Your visits mean a lot to Ken and to Dessie both. It is with utmost devotion that we continue to care for them at this time.

Thank You,

Bro. Ron

Pray for Ken & Dessie

Please be in prayer for Ken and Dessie. They are currently in Little Rock at the Dr.'s office for the first visit with the Dr. who will oversee Ken's recovery and plan of attack for this tumor. I visited with Dessie today and she is going to have to make the decision whether to put Ken through the rigors of Chemo or not. This is an agonizing decision for Dessie. I prayed with her and told her I had the utmost confidence in her to make the best decision for Ken, and that we would stand by her whatever her decision was. Thank you for those of you who have visited Ken in the rehab hospital. Your visits mean a lot to Ken and to Dessie both. It is with utmost devotion that we continue to care for them at this time.

Thank You,

Bro. Ron

Pray for Ken & Dessie

Please be in prayer for Ken and Dessie. They are currently in Little Rock at the Dr.'s office for the first visit with the Dr. who will oversee Ken's recovery and plan of attack for this tumor. I visited with Dessie today and she is going to have to make the decision whether to put Ken through the rigors of Chemo or not. This is an agonizing decision for Dessie. I prayed with her and told her I had the utmost confidence in her to make the best decision for Ken, and that we would stand by her whatever her decision was. Thank you for those of you who have visited Ken in the rehab hospital. Your visits mean a lot to Ken and to Dessie both. It is with utmost devotion that we continue to care for them at this time.

Thank You,

Bro. Ron

Why Not

During this most unsettling time it would be easy for us to focus upon the negative. One of the most amazing attributes we as Christians have is the ability to "Let go...and let God..." The only problem with that is that many of us do not practice letting go until we realize that we have held on a lot longer than we should have! Instead of buying in to the gloom and doom of our current situation let me remind you that the return on our Spiritual Investments has never been brighter! I encourage you instead of moping about the stock market, to make investments in God's market.

Why Not?
Why Not—give a friend a tract?
Why Not—help an older couple with their groceries?
Why Not—share with a neighbor in need?
Why Not—talk to a friend about his soul?
Why Not—help a friend with a personal problem?
Why Not—have a Bible study with a friend in your home?
Why Not—visit with the newcomer in your community?
Why Not—invite your children’s friends to Bible study?
Why Not—show hospitality in your home?
Why Not—give encouragement to a new brother?
Why Not—give support to those who are having trouble in their marriage?
Why Not—encourage someone to take a Bible correspondence course?
Why Not—show concern to those who have lost a loved one?
Why Not—show to others that Christianity is worth sharing anytime, anywhere?
Why Not—invite the checkout person at the grocery to worship service?
Why Not—give a smile to someone today? Let them know that you are happy as a Christian?
Why Not—be nice to people even when you do not feel like it?
Why Not—let God work His purposes in your life?
Why Not—start loving your neighbors as yourself?

Why Not?

One thing is for certain...when we focus on someone else's problem, ours will fade away. And make no mistake about it...there will be lots of people out there who need to see a smiling face...and hear the reassuring voice of calm...that there is more to life than the stock market!

Revival Poster

News Update!

I want to thank each of you for your calls letters and prayers while I was sick. I am now back to 100% and enjoyed our services yesterday immensely. God continues to bless us with two of our young people being saved within the last week. We will be baptizing Daniel and Natalie VanHorn in the next couple of weeks. Keep Bro. Ken Iburg in your prayers. They have moved Bro. Ken to the Conway Rehab Hospital room 502. Also remember Sis. Janie McGaha...Janie had her knee replaced last week and is at home recovering. A big thank you goes out to the ladies of our church as they have signed up to provide meals for Janie and Ronnie for the next two weeks. Kudos to them...this is what a church family is for. Start asking people to come to our revival. It is only two weeks away. We will be enjoying Special Singing every night, followed by some outstanding Preaching by Bro. Mike Collier. Canaanland will be with us Monday and Tuesday Night, LED on Thursday Night (Youth Emphasis Night), and Bro. Steve Rose will help us to close it out on Friday Night. I will post a revival poster on this site, or you can get one from me at the church. Let's really do a good job of getting the news about our revival out and into the public! The Building Planning Committee meets this Thursday at 7:00 pm. We will be looking at plans and discussing building costs and estimates. Please be in prayer for this committee that we will be able to discern God's will for our church. It is an exciting time to be a part of this wonderful church. God bless you today and keep you close to Him!

Bro. Ron

Bro. Ken

Bro. Ken is still in ICU at St. Vincent. He has not woke up to a fully cognizant state yet. Mrs. Dessie did get to come home today and was very thankful for the excellent care Ken is getting. Please pray for Bro. Ken's recovery. I cannot go see him tomorrow. I stayed home with Caleb today and evidently have contracted whatever bug he has. This afternoon I was running a 101.8 temp! I cannot expose Bro. Ken to that. Maybe some of you can visit in my stead. I know Dessie would love to see some of you.

Bro. Ken

Bro. Ken Iburg will be undergoing brain surgery on Wednesday. The surgery is scheduled for sometime between 10:00 and 11:00 in the morning. Also please remember to pray for Dessie. She has not left Ken's side since this ordeal began 10 days ago. Pray for her health and her strength. As I was visiting with Ken yesterday he related to me how he had witnessed to his surgical team! Oh that all of us would be this faithful. What a testimony!

Camping Out in the Back Yard!

I told our church I felt as if we were camping out in the back yard Sunday. As Hurricane Ike moved across Arkansas during Saturday Night, we awoke to find ourselves with no electricity on Sunday morning. Most of the churches in our area quickly cancelled services. When I called Bro. Ronnie McGaha he said "Bro. Ron we don't need to miss today" unless we just can't find a way to hold services. After realising that the electricity was still on on the South side of Highway 287 I met Bro. Jerry Engdahl at the Community center and found out that it had power. We quickly decided to hold our services there and began to move in chairs, songbooks and pianos. We were blessed with about 60 in attendance and had a great service. God blessed our efforts with the addition of three new members during the invitation. Victoria Resecker was saved in my office on Wednesday evening and came forward as a candidate for Baptism, and we welcomed to our church a wonderful couple by promise of letter from Springhill Baptist, Eric and Tina Glover. We have been praying with Eric and Tina about their decision and are so happy to have them. Please make an effort to welcome them into our fellowship. Continue to pray for Bro. Ken Iburg. I will update his condition either tonight or tomorrow morning. Also be in prayer for our Church Planning Committee as we will meet tonight to begin planning for our building program.

Men's Retreat A Smash!

The inaugural Men's Retreat was a huge success! 14 of our men enjoyed getting together and fellowshipping with one another at a cabin in the Ozarks. We all gathered for a great meal on Friday night and enjoyed a symphony of raindrops on a tin roof! Leave it to me to schedule an outdoors retreat on the very weekend Hurricane Ike came in to Arkansas. But...lest we forget who is in charge of the weather...on the way up to the cabin on Friday, I prayed and asked God to provide us with a break in the weather...and we never were rained out of any activity we wanted to do for the entire weekend!!! After a thought provoking and challenging message about becoming a man of God, we retired for the evening, with some playing dominoes and others looking at the backs of their eyelids. Ronald Pearce woke us all up the next morning with the smell of homemade biscuits and gravy, sausage, bacon, and french toast! After eating like hogs at the trough, some of us more adventurous types headed for the Buffalo River. As we approached the put in point we noticed a sign that read "Dangerous High Water, Experienced Paddlers Only"! I asked Bro. Leon, who was in my canoe, if he was an experienced paddler...and of course he said no! But we made it just fine. We completed what was supposed to be a six hour float in 2:45! Upon our return to camp we took off on a four wheeler ride into the wilderness to one of the most beautiful natural waterfalls I have ever seen. I was reminded as I took in the beauty of this place that God has told us in 1 Cor 2:9 “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”NKJV We truly are blessed in this world but folks the things that await us God says are beyond our wildest dreams. What a wonderful weekend the men of Holland Baptist Church enjoyed and I can't wait til next year...hopefully we'll have 30 men in attendance!

God is looking for a Few Good Men !

Manhood
Men and boys:
The world needs men
… who cannot be bought;
… whose word is their bond;
… who put character above wealth;
… who are larger than their vocations;
… who do not hesitate to take chances;
… who will not lose their identity in a crowd;
… who will be as honest in small things as in great things;
… who will make no compromise with wrong;
… whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires;
… who will not say they do it “because everybody else does it;”
… who are true to their friends through good report and evil report, in adversity as well as in prosperity;
… who do not believe that shrewdness and cunning are the best qualities for winning success;
… who are not ashamed to stand for the truth when it is unpopular;
… who can say “no” with emphasis, although the rest of the world says “yes.”
God, make me this kind of man.

Bro. Ken has moved!

Bro. Ken has been moved to St Vincent hospital in Little Rock. He is in room 4017. He will undergo a series of tests today and tomorrow that will determine whether surgery is an option or not. The earliest that he would have surgery is Monday or Tuesday. I told Dessie today that we as a church family stand ready to assist her and Bro. Ken in any way we could, and would be in continual prayer for Ken throughout this illness. The phone number to his room is 552-4017.

Update On Bro. Ken Iburg

For those of you who did not know, Bro. Ken Iburg suffered a stroke Sunday night and was taken to Conway Regional Hospital. I arrived there about 6:30 Monday morning to find Bro. Ken largely unresponsive. Dessie informed me then that the stroke was one of the more serious types with the bleeding in the center of the brain. Monday afternoon the doctors discovered a rather large tumor in the right side of Bro. Ken's head and told the family that there was no hope, and that Ken may not even wake up. I told Dessie that as long as Ken was alive there was hope, and that God was not bound by what physicians said. At 7:30pm Monday evening Ken began to respond but was still having a lot of trouble speaking. Imagine my elation at walking into his hospital room this morning (Conway Regional Room 326) and finding him sitting up in his bed and talking to me! Ken is a little weaker on his left side, but there is no sign of paralysis. His voice and speech are clear as well. And, he has retained his sense of humor! The doctors are now saying Ken may get to go home in a couple of days. Following that, there will be a consultation with a neurosurgeon to see if the tumor is operable, followed by chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments. When Ken asked the Dr. what the side effects would be, he was told he would probably lose his hair ! Ken said "you mean the rest of it"! Folks, Bro Ken is still very ill, but the change in him and his prognosis over the last twelve hours is nothing short of a miracle from God. When I told Ken Monday Night I was going home and would be in prayer for him he told me I might have a hard time getting through to the Lord because so many others were praying for him! Keep praying for Bro. Ken and Dessie that God will continue to restore Bro. Ken's health. He still has a long way to go, and there could be setbacks and complications, but we praise God and give him all the glory for how far Ken has come!

Bro. Ron

Which one are you?

Are You Pushed or Pushing?

How long would you keep an automobile that had to be pushed everywhere it went? How much would it be worth to you? How much pleasure would you find in it? You might keep an automobile that just had to be pushed occasionally, but you would not have one for long that just could not be depended on, that would not go whenever you wanted it to go.
The Lord is no more pleased with one of His servants that continually has to be pushed than you would be with an automobile that continually has to be pushed. God wants men of initiative and fervency of spirit.

(Rom 12:11-12).

Romans 12:11 - 12 (NKJV) not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;

A man who has to be pushed continually in order to keep him in service and attending worship is not devoted to the cause. It is understandable that a newborn babe in Christ, a young convert, might need to be pushed or encouraged, but if one who has been a Christian for many years must still be pushed, he is not growing spiritually as he should. He is not spiritually mature. Do you have to be pushed?

Awesome Singing

What a wonderful Fifth Sunday Singing we had last night. God's Spirit was so evident as we fellowshipped and enjoyed singing lots of the old hymns of faith, heard testimonies, and had just a wonderful time enjoying being in the presence of God's Holy Spirit. God has continued blessing us with additions as we welcomed the Casey (Perry, Shannon, and Ashlyn) family into our church in the morning service. Perry and Shannon came on their statement of faith and we will Baptize Ashlyn next Sunday morning.
Many more are praying about their decision to join and I would ask that we would pray that God would give them clear direction about this important decision. We ended last night's service with a circle of prayer. What a wonderful way to end a wonderful day. Pray for those who will be affected by Hurricane Gustav in the coming days and have a wonderful Holiday today. I love you all and ask that you continue to hold me up in prayer.

In Christian Love,

Bro. Ron

Give Him The Glory

What a great Sunday again! God has really been blessing us with high attendance and decisions being made. We had another person accept Christ after the morning service and they will be baptized soon...another family indicated their desire to join our congregation. As we enjoy the blessings of God on our church, let's be quick to give God ALL the Glory and honor!!! We only plant, water, and weed...God sends the increase!

There will be a Fifth Sunday singing Sunday night, August 31st, at 6:00.

Bro. Tim Logan has agreed to play the piano and we'll just enjoy some old fashioned singing and testimony time. I would really enjoy hearing some testimonies about what God has meant to you thru the years, and how he has proven His faithfulness and His provision!

Guys, I need to start getting an idea of how many of you are going on the men's retreat so we'll be able to buy the food.

How Important Is to Read God's Word?

How important is it to read the Bible? Here is the answer of some of America’s historically prominent men:
Andrew Jackson said, “That book, sir, [the Bible] is the rock on which our republic rests.”
George Washington put it this way: “It is impossible to righteously govern the world without God and the Bible….”
Charles Dickens stated, “The New Testament is the very best book that ever was or ever will be known in the world.”
Horace Greeley asserted, “It is impossible to mentally or socially enslave a Bible-reading people.”
Finally President Woodrow Wilson urged, “I ask every man and woman in this audience that from this day on we realize that part of the destiny of America lies in their daily perusal of this Book [the Bible].”
Reading the Bible and following its instructions will enable you to find Christ as your all-sufficient Savior. Further, regular reading will minimize your anxieties, decrease appetite for lying, cheating, stealing, immorality, and all manner of sin. You will realize real peace, joy, and love in your life.