The "Word" on Homosexuality

There has been so much in the media about homosexuality thrown in our faces for years. You know the arguments, the protests, etc. I will not debate the subject or even offer my personal opinion. I will let God's Word reveal the simple facts about this so-called "alternative lifestyle":

Old Testament:
You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. Leviticus 18:22

New Testament:
Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who PRACTICE HOMOSEXUALITY, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, MEN WHO PRACTICE HOMOSEXUALITY, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine....1 Timothy 1:8-10

Remember....homosexuals cannot REPRODUCE....they must RECRUIT! Do you know where your kids and grandkids are?

The word for today boys and girls is.....ABOMINATION.

Go to that quiet place where you talk to yourself and ask this question: Is this "lifestyle" natural?

Dark Days

Before I go off on my negative rant, let me say that ultimately I am a man of faith. I believe God will see me through anything this world can throw my way. My Lord will deliver me from this mess somehow, sometime....I leave that up to Him.

I am so fed up with this country....the government in particular. When it comes to the current economic crisis, we all can probably be blamed to a certain extent. It all comes down to selfish, human nature. If everyone would spend half the time seeing to the needs of others than they do their own needs, we would not be in the mess we face as a nation now. We are probably heading into a depression like none in my generation or younger has ever experienced. I am no financial expert, but I can read the signs of the times.

As of this writing, supposedly our government in Washington is trying to agree on a plan to bail out "Wall Street" and "fix" the financial mess we are in. It's too late people. At best it will be a temporary stopgap. And like the government is going to accomplish anything for the good of the people....yeah, right.

I am also disillusioned once again with the whole political scene. Two men running for president, neither of which I want to vote for. I was going to vote third party, then along came Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate who seemed to be really sharp and a breath of fresh air. Then, I thought, I could vote for McCain (lesser of two evils) and actually make my vote count against Obama whom I feel is very dangerous whether he intends to be or not. But, now Palin is proving to be what her detractors claim her to be....not ready. She unfortunately has not impressed me in the growing number of interviews I see her in. Do I vote Republican just to cancel out one vote for Obama....or do I go for the Libertarian or Constitutionalist party and be able to live with myself? There is a lot to be considered. Stay tuned...there may be more on this subject before the November election.

You gonna serve somebody

Whether a person believes in God or not, they still have a god of some sort....a belief system. Maybe your god is money, your family, something you made, or yourself. Deny it all you want...everyone worships something.

Just read this: http://www.theonion.com/content/news/evolutionists_flock_to_darwin

The evolutionists make my case for me.

The Great Debate

I have found myself in recent days arguing with atheists on different forums and blogs. I have hesitated in the past to even lock horns with these types...you know, the old "casting your pearls before swine" idea. I probably will not return to it any time soon because, for me, it's like banging your head against a brick wall. It's hard to discuss anything when there is no common ground or starting point. These people have no clue where I am coming from, whereas I know where they are coming from because at one time I WAS an atheist (at least agnostic). It's two people with two totally different world views and neither the twain shall meet. Skeptics are very intelligent people, but it's the wisdom of the world (system) they possess. Their eyes are blinded by the evil one.

I learned last week from my son that a mutual friend/acquaintance of ours announced to my son that he has "become" an "atheist/agnostic" (I don't know which he is....they are two different animals, you know). He has turned his back on the God he has believed in and worshipped most of his life and now denies His existence. This very thing was prophesied...1 Timothy chapter 4 says "in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons." I can't help but wonder, did this individual come to this conclusion through years of calculated intellectual study, or is he attempting to justify sin in his life? I am not being judgmental....I can sin with the best of them. I am fascinated with what must be going on in this guy's head. Does he now believe he wasted the first 54 years of his life? The apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:17 "...if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins." Also verse 19 says "If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied."

The bottom line.....if the doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is true....then our atheist friend (and anyone else who does not believe) is screwed. If the Lord Jesus Christ was not raised from the dead, then we are all screwed. The way I see it, my atheist friend loses either way. I've got a 50-50 chance at the worst. But I believe Jesus Christ did come out of that tomb some 2000 years ago, so it is not a gamble for me. It's a sure thing because I know God is real and His word is true.

Balance is normal

It is amazing how time is a teacher. As I age I learn things I could not understand, say ten or twenty years ago. I remember being labeled as "wishy-washy" by a brother-in-law once when it came to some matters of faith. At that particular time I was going through some changes in my beliefs, but it was not a matter of "waffling" but of growth. I was growing and changing as I learned more. I thought at one time I was a "fence-sitter" because I allowed others to label me as such. Thankfully I have realized that is not the case. I have definite beliefs and opinions. I am convinced you have the two extremes....left and right (whether political, social, religious, whatever) and the middle, where the majority (average people like myself) falls. As I said, I have definite beliefs and opinions....some of them may be considered conservative, others liberal. I know people who fall in the two "extreme" camps, some are friends, some are relatives and they look at me as if I were from another planet when I expound my "libertarian" views. So, brother (in-law), I am not "wishy-washy", I am just an average guy who stands firm on the non-negotiables and is open-minded enough to discuss the negotiables. If I have said it once, I have said it a hundred times, God is a God of balance. Since we are made in His image, it is only logical that we be balanced as well.

Thoughts on alcohol

Up until a few weeks ago I lived near and worked in the largest "dry" city in the state of North Carolina. Some people have even said the largest east of the Mississippi River (I don't know that was ever proven). That all changed on July 29, 2008 when the citizens of that town voted 60% to 40% to allow the sale of alcohol for the first time in over 50 years (first time in my lifetime).

I can see both sides in this hotly debated issue. At the same time I don't buy all the arguments that both the "for" and "against" forces put forth during the heated campaign leading up to the vote. I understand on one hand people believed that keeping alcohol out made the area a more wholesome place to live, but illegal alcohol sales have always been here. Plenty of drinking was taking place here...you just had to drive 10 to 15 miles to purchase it. While living in another state years ago, my wife and I raised three small children with our home being within walking distance of bars and it never affected us in any way. Being this is America, I think a person should have the right to purchase it, or not. I see nothing wrong with wine with dinner or an occasional drink. And no....they did not drink grape juice in biblical times....it was real wine.

Well, the sun rose in the east the day after the alcohol referendum passed just as it always has and I believe in the long run things will be okay. Again, I understand the strong emotions on both sides of this issue, but it's time to move on and deal with a lot more serious problems we face in this world.

Oh, by the way, I did not vote...I couldn't...I live outside the city limits.

ESV: The search is over

After nearly thirty years of seeking my "perfect" Bible translation, I can now declare "Success!". As a new Christian in the late 1970's my first Bible was an NIV. A local pastor who was instrumental in my conversion recommended it and it was the "new, happening" translation which had great potential to become widely used by the Church, which it did. Then, just as I was becoming familiar with the NIV, I became involved in what would be considered the more "fundamentalist" wing of Christianity and was gently exhorted to use the King James Version. During those years my two main Bibles were a New Scofield Reference Bible and a KJV Open Study Bible. Also during the decade of the 1980's I became aware of and purchased my first New American Standard Bible, having learned of it being touted as the best "word-for-word" translation.

Moving ahead to the late 80's and the 1990's, finding myself in an evangelical church, I dusted off my New International Version and used it as my primary Bible for the next several years. I collected many different Bibles over the years....looking for that "perfect" one in size, feel, color, binding, and most of all...translation. I never was totally satisfied. Ultimately I always seemed to come back to the literal, word-for-word NASB, though I never found a local church where this version was used from the pulpit.

Then out of nowhere into my life in 2007 comes the English Standard Version. It had been around for six years, but I had not heard of it. I investigated this "essentially literal" translation and was blown away. Finally, a Bible had arrived on the scene that was very accurate like the NASB, but more readable, and had the poetic flow of the KJV. In the past year I have purchased five ESV Bibles, all in different sizes, shapes, colors and formats, and have already given one away. It is the version used by our pastor and appears to be used by the majority of our denomination. The English Standard Version is right on and I hope it becomes the standard for the body of Christ.

My spiritual journey (Part 10)

I spent the years of 2003 - 2006 basically wandering in the wilderness of sin and purposelessness. I might darken the doors of the church once every month or so. My life continued on in many interesting and exciting ways, but God was not a part of it. Finally, in 2007, being very depressed about things in general and feeling quite "lost" in many different ways, I started "attending" a church on the internet, "Live Church TV" I think it is called. That was ok, but there was no personal interaction. During that summer I started investigating churches in the area I had never checked out before or had not lately. I received a phone call from a good friend whom I had served with in church ministry in the past, who had finally become pastor of his own church and invited me to his first service. I am very happy for him. He has a nice, small, country church and I wish him the best. It was not what I was looking for personally, and it was a little too far to travel. During this time I found a post card that I had received some six years earlier, thanking me for visiting Grace Fellowship. I knew they had grown some and were meeting in a different place than before. I visited a Sunday morning worship service late summer 2007 and have been there ever since.

Grace Fellowship is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) denomination. They are theologically conservative and true to the Bible. They also practice "reformed theology", the teachings of the historic Christian church dating back to John Calvin, Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. I must admit that much of reformed theology is new to me, some of it very different from what I had been taught in the past, but it all seems familiar and right. As I jumped in with both feet, scripture passages that I had previously had difficulty with, began to make sense and become clearer. It's like being a brand new believer and being excited about new truth.....actually, old biblical truth with proper interpretation and understanding for the first time in my Christian experience. I can't read, study or listen to sermons fast enough as I hunger for truth once again. I have joined Grace recently and am already involved in some ministries. I am reading my Bible and praying again and I am very thankful that I have finally emerged from a very dark time into the light of His Presence.

My spiritual journey (Part 9)

The late 1980's found me back in my hometown in North Carolina, raising three kids with my wife and busily involved at a local Southern Baptist church. Ever since the beginning I was always looking for something else, not necessarily a denominational church...what I considered the "status quo". During my time in Christian radio I had the opportunity to visit many different kinds of churches. I was always impressed with independent and Bible churches, to name a few.

Around 1990, some serious problems began to develop in our church which made it very difficult to remain. Please understand, I don't take leaving a church or changing churches lightly at all. It's a very serious proposition. At this time, there were several families in the church which felt the Lord was calling them to something different, including my family. To make a long story short, after attending an independent church in an adjoining county, a group of us decided to start our own church which was called Carolina Community Church. One must believe the Lord was not in the effort as it never quite got off the ground and there was no man who felt called to be our permanent pastor, even though a good brother filled the pulpit during the short life of CCC.

A couple of years had gone by since leaving the afore-mentioned SBC church, and with no where to go, I reluctantly returned. Again our tenure there, although we were heavily involved in serving (AWANA ministry, Sunday school teaching, choir), was short lived. The church continued to have problems which I did not think I was to be a part of, and there was this deep yearning in my soul that I had not found my "place" yet. The early 1990's were very turbulent times for us with job changes, church changes, kids going through puberty, etc.

By the mid 90's our son, who was in his late teens by this time, had struck out on his own and had plugged in with the local Assembly of God church. Our background was not pentecostal, but this church was very moderate when it came to "the gifts" and such. I felt they had a tremendous ministry over all, and they were what was "happening" locally in Christianity at the time. I may have compromised some of my theology during our few short years there as we followed my son to that church, but it was a great time as we served the Lord and made good friends and met many wonderful Christians. Ironically, it was at this church I had my first exposure to some reformation theology and teaching which planted some seed for the future.

Once again it seemed paradise was lost as this church went through a tremendous upheaval when the pastor resigned to move on to a different ministry in Atlanta, GA. I almost felt like a "jinx" sometimes, because we would find a good church, then everything seemed to fall apart. The church made a 180 degree turn around and went off the "deep end" as far as I'm concerned when it came to things "pentecostal and such". Anyway, I realized I was not being true to my beliefs by remaining there and it would have been a matter of time before I moved on.

As the 21st century dawned I found myself wandering in a spiritual desert. The downward trend really began during my time at the AOG church. I wasn't reading my Bible or praying anymore. I had fallen back into many old habits of my past. I began to be involved in playing live music with some old (and new) friends and this drew me away from the things of my Christian faith in many ways (understand that was my fault, not the people I played music with).

During another period of visiting different churches I stopped in one Sunday night and worshipped with a small group of people called Grace Fellowship. At the time I thought they were an independent work. They were very small, meeting at a local motel in a conference room. It was nice, but I just did not feel led to get involved with a "struggling, new work". That was around 2001, and little did I know at the time we would cross paths again.

There was a church split at the AOG church mentioned earlier and from that, Central Carolina Community Church was born in January, 2002. I jumped in right away with my son and was one of the "founding" members. I thought they would be an independent church, but they hooked up with a denomination based in Chicago, know as the Evangelical Covenant Church. It was a good church, but personally I was still struggling spiritually, not close to God at all.

I was hoping to finish my story here, but it has stretch out longer than I thought it would. I will attempt to wrap things up and bring it all to the present day next time.

My spiritual journey (Part 8....or addendum to Part 7)

As with many new Christians I began my faith walk with a very intense interest in eschatology (study of last things). My interest grew exponentially when I joined the Christian radio network as premillenialism and the pre-tribulation rapture were (are) important doctrines to fundamentalism. Let me interject here that in the almost 30 years since that time, I have made the transition over to reformed theology, which, of course, changed my views on the Millenium and other teachings. I want to thank my fellow announcer and good friend from those early days, Rob Robinson, for encouraging me to study the scriptures on my own and think for myself. He challenged me to show him a "secret", pre-trib rapture anywhere in the Bible. When, after approaching the scriptures honestly, I could not justify such teaching, it started me on a path of investigation and discovery. It is exciting to continue to learn new things and grow in the Word of God.

My spiritual journey (Part 7)

Continuing my story, we pick up in 1980 as I begin my time (7 years) with Christian fundamentalism in general and Independent Baptists in particular. Being a new believer I trusted my fellow Christians and mentors at the Christian radio network to guide me in doctrine and the selection of a church home. We found a great church and made some wonderful friends (some life-long) in the Richmond, Virginia area. I know fundamentalist is a dirty word to many people, but all it means to those in the movement is that they believe in the "fundamentals of the faith". They are "bible believers". When it comes to that definition, I was, and still am one myself. The problem is that among the brethren in the fundamentalist movement are those who are very "legalistic". They are more concerned about following a list of "do's" and "don'ts" than living by grace through faith in Christ. They use the correct words, but live a dead orthodoxy. I'm sure at one point in time I was guilty of this myself. But the Lord has worked on my heart over the years and I pray He will continue to do so.

During the 80's I had the opportunity to study and grow in the Word and I'm very thankful for this. We also served in our local churches in many capacities. During this seven-year period in Christian radio, we lived in Virginia twice and South Carolina once. After a period of time I found myself not in agreement with some of the practices and philosophy of the radio network and felt it was time for me to part company. Please understand, they were great Christian folks and my departure had nothing to do with doctrine. Other reasons for leaving were (1) I wanted to be closer to my parents as my mother was having health issues at the time and (2) I had three small children I wanted to raise in the small southern town in which I grew up instead of the metropolitan area we were living in at the time. I've second-guessed myself many times on this move of returning to North Carolina as it eventually caused me to leave broadcasting altogether. I suppose it's best to trust God was guiding my steps and had a purpose in it all.

Sad state of affairs

It is so sad to witness the blindness of people. I don't mean physical blindness but that of the masses when it comes to what's going on in this country. People have been brainwashed by the media and blinded by their own pre-conceived notions of what's happening politcally around us. When you try to discuss serious subjects with a little bit of sanity you find messageboards all over the internet full of trolls just looking to argue for the sake of argument. The woods are full of self-proclaimed experts on everything....ie: a bunch of know-it-alls. I'm tired of battling these people. I've got better things to do....like go play my guitar.

Victory for independent thinkers

Last week North Carolina election officials announced the Libertarian party would be back on the ballot in the November elections. This is a great victory for those of us who want more to choose from than two losers. The two-party system is a bankrupt system and what is frustrating is the ridiculous requirements they create for third, fourth and fifth parties to get on the ballot. After the Libertarian party was once again unrecognized by the state (after their performance in the 2004 election), they had to obtain 70,000 signatures on a petition by June 1, 2008 to be reinstated. Last week the Libertarian party surpassed the number of signatures required by the state and now Libertarian candidates from president to local offices will be on the ballot in the Tar Heel state. If you are dissatisfied with the way this country is going and not impressed with any of the Democrat or Republican candidates, then consider making a real statement that Washington needs to hear with your vote this November. It is not to late to return this country to its former greatness, but it must begin somewhere...and that's with the individual in the voting booth. It's not only our privilege, it's our responsibility.

Primary politics

Politics is a subject I really don't enjoy. I am so disillusioned with the leadership of this country I get ill thinking about it. I have friends, near and dear, whose political views are very distant from mine so I do not discuss the subject much, just to avoid arguments because it is a very emotional topic for many. Here in North Carolina the 2008 primary draws near and the interest is higher than usual this time around especially with the close and heated contest between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. So, I will share some thoughts on this and then move on.

Barack Obama: He talks a good talk, but when I go to his official website and click the "issues" button I still don't see any substance, ideas or solutions to anything. He talks about change....change to what? The fact he has become the media "darling" and many people look to him as some sort of messiah or second coming of John F. Kennedy is really dangerous and frightening. He is the new kid on the block. What do we REALLY know about this guy?

Hillary Clinton: She is not to be trusted. Look back at her husband's administration. I sense evil lurking in the shadows.

John McCain: His administration would probably be more of the same we've had for eight years. I'm not 100% sure about that. I just don't feel "comfortable" about him.

Now I know these were not great intellectual insights but I'm just a simple man who only has so much time to watch and read the news and listen to talk shows. After being on this planet for more than a half century, I have learned to go with my "gut".....and my gut is telling me none of these would be the president this country needs at this pivotal time in history. They are all "politicians" and, yes, "politician" to me is a bad word. Politicians are in it for themselves. It's all about "power for me and let the rest of the world be damned". What we need in this country are "statesmen". These are people who truly love their country, want to serve their country, and want the best for the people of this country. There are very few of these creatures left in today's world. There is one man whom I believe to be a true statesman and his name is Ron Paul. Check his record. Check his stand on the issues. We need someone who thinks outside the box and dares to be different. It's a matter of principle. Know what's going on then vote your conscience. At least vote for the person and not just the party...whatever you believe.

On Tuesday, May 6 in the North Carolina primary this unaffiliated voter is going to the polls and choose Dr. Ron Paul in the Republican primary for president.

I'm Tymetraveler and I approve this message.

My spiritual journey (Part 6)

In 1980 I was a new Christian who happened to be a radio dj. At that time I began to believe that those two entities could not peacefully co-exist unless.......I could work for a CHRISTIAN radio station! I began in earnest to explore the possibilities, but there were not many opportunities in the area. I eventually discovered a Christian radio station about 25 miles away that aired excellent Bible teaching programs and very conservative music which, at the time, was sort of what I was looking for. I thought I could handle the commute with no real problem.
When I received an offer from this particular broadcasting company, I never dreamed the position they would offer me would be FIVE hours away in another state at a different radio station in their network! Major decision time had arrived. After much thought, debate and prayer, I decided to pull up roots and take my young family to live in the Richmond, Virginia area. Not counting college, this was the first time in my then 27 years I had not lived in my hometown. This was a time of high adventure as I met many different and interesting people and made many new friends. My theology was beginning to take shape and be challenged all at the same time as well (more on that in a later installment). Before closing this section I would like to pay tribute to one of those new friends and interesting people that came into my life during that pivotal year of 1980. He was a fellow announcer at that Virginia radio station (WYFJ) whose name was Randy Adams. He was a very unique individual from Pennsylvania and probably one of the first "yankees"* I ever considered to be a friend of mine. I was sad to hear of his passing on March 8, 2008. He was 53 years old. I will always remember fondly those two years we worked together and talked about "shouting preachers" and the Good and Plenty restaurant back in his home state. We shared a common love of American history and a dislike for ignorance and stupidity.


* Being a guy from North Carolina, anyone who lived above the Mason-Dixon line was considered a "yankee".

My spiritual journey (Part 5)

What it had come down to was I knew I was a sinner and I needed to be saved and Jesus Christ (who is God, by the way) is the One who does just that. He died for me, rose again from the dead and I believe it. I made it official between God and me on Super Bowl Sunday in January of 1979. I understand now God was pursuing me. It wasn't a matter of me slowly "figuring it out" and then by a conclusion arrived at by logical thought processes, deciding to believe. God makes what was dead, alive. I was dead in trespasses and sin and a dead man does not have spiritual thought processes...logical or otherwise. He made me a new creation.
I was baptized in a local baptist church where my sister-in-law was a member...my wife and I joined and got involved. Before I knew it, I was singing in the choir and working with the teens in what the Southern Baptists called at that time "Training Union". A lot of churches make the mistake of grabbing "fresh meat" and throwing them immediately into some kind of service or work. That's not smart at all. I had no real clue as to what I was doing. Some of those kids looked up to me as some kind of celebrity because I was a local radio dj and that did not really help in my being viewed as a spiritual teacher or leader. I was a brand new Christian and ready to do anything the church leaders asked. However, new believers need to be trained and mentored themselves before they are put in positions of leadership. A lot of bad things could happen in situations like that. Let's just say I was very fortunate in the short time I was in that position. It was short lived however as I felt that God was calling me into some form of Christian radio work.
Before I close this chapter let me say this: becoming a Christian does not make you perfect and it does not mean your life becomes perfect. Christ took what I deserved on the cross so that I am justified...God sees His Son's perfect work...not sinful me. In this life we will always have trials and tribulations. As Christians we have God and His Word to help us through the difficult times. And I still sin....oh do I ever. Temptation to sin is probably worse now than ever because now I'm on God's side. I did not become some kind of "Christian robot". I am still a human being with human desires and emotions as long as I'm still on this earth in this body. When I was on the other side, they already had me, so why be tempted? You just did what came natural. I am very grateful for and encouraged by the scripture in 1 John which says "if we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness".

Speaking of time traveling

I saw the movie "Deja Vu" starring Denzel Washington for the first time the other day and I loved it! You really did not know what would happen in the very end until you got there. That's how it should be with any good story.

My spiritual journey (Part 4)

We move ahead in time, circa 1978....I'm working at a local radio station in my hometown, am married and my first child is on the way. I'm in my mid-twenties, about to become a father and I have a lot of questions about life and the future. In those days the station would air back-to-back religious programs on Sunday and during my shift on Saturday a certain Wesleyan pastor would drop off his tape for the week. He wasn't much older than me and he would usually hang out for a while and we would shoot the breeze. He answered many of my questions about God and the bible and once again I was drawn to this concept called Christianity. He did not try to ram his beliefs down my throat but demonstrated a genuine interest and concern about me as a person. Later that year when my wife was about to give birth to our son, she experienced some complications and was in the hospital for about a week during the pregnancy. I returned home from my visit to the hospital one night and clicked on the tv to find a Billy Graham crusade. I remember sitting there watching and saying to myself "for the first time in my life this guy is making sense!" The scales were beginning to be removed from my spiritual eyes. The year progressed and my son was born in the summer of '78. No matter who you are or what you believe, when you become a parent for the first time, it does something to you. When you look down at that little life you are holding in your arms, a profound change takes place and you are never the same. Another piece of the puzzle of life had been dropped in place and something big was about to happen.....talk about change!

A brief political comment

If Barak Obama becomes president of the United States, the following quote will apply:

"And this is how liberty dies...to the sound of thunderous applause"-Padme Amidala from Star Wars III Revenge of the Sith

The "American Idol" mindset will be the downfall of this country. Enjoy the ride on the bandwagon....it will be a short one.

My spiritual journey (Part 3)

It's 1976, the bicentennial year and I find myself in radio broadcasting school at a community college in central North Carolina. School is great, my social life is ok and I'm rolling right along. One day I remember going into the student commons area and there were stacks and stacks of these pocket New Testaments lying on a counter. You must understand these were times when it was still not politically incorrect to have bibles in a public education building. I believe they were placed by the Gideons (you know, the bibles in the motel rooms) and actually, looking back, I am surprised they were allowed to do it. I guess that "backward" small southern college just did not see the harm in it or maybe the long arm of the ACLU had not reached that far yet. Well, I took one and actually read it some. Also during that year I became friends with our assistant instructor who was an alumni of the broadcasting school. He worked third shift at a powerful FM station several miles away and invited me down one weekend. It was a Christian station that played southern gospel music, which did not turn me off at first because I was just excited to be in a "real" radio station of any kind. I listened to some of the music and liked what I heard. I say all of that to say this....the bible reading and the gospel music started me thinking about God and my spiritual condition. I believe I may have even made a "profession of faith" during that time, but I don't think it "stuck" or was real, because I returned to my partying ways eventually and pushed thoughts of God and Jesus out of mind for another two years. But, looking back, it is evident the hounds of heaven were hot on my trail.

My spiritual journey (Part 2)

It was a night that changed everything for me. You might remember it, if you're old enough. A Sunday night in February 1964 on the stage of the Ed Sullivan Show....those four lads from Liverpool. I had always liked music up until that time, but all of a sudden, music became one of the most important things in my life. From that point on I was a serious fan and collector of music. It would be another thirty years before I was seriously involved in making music. I remember growing through the awkward teen years watching images of the Vietnam war on the TV as Walter Cronkite told me what was happening in the world. Violence, protests, assassinations.....I took all of this in, but it did not seem to faze me as I grew toward a secular humanist mind-set and did not think much about God at all. Through the end of high school I might attend Sunday school occasionally and MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship) so I could go on the annual beach trip. The things I saw and experienced on those beach trips....it was anything BUT spiritual....in the Christian sense. By the early 1970's all I was concerned about was satisfying the senses and having a "good time". Out of the big three....sex, drugs and rock and roll....I was getting a lot of two out of three. Sex was the odd man out, because I was very shy and just was not a "smooth talker" with the ladies. I had the occasional girlfriend, but nothing to speak of. By the mid 70's, after bouncing between various colleges, jobs, and parties I was, for the first time, exposed to the gospel of Christ while in radio broadcasting school.
And that is where I will pick up next time.

My spiritual journey (Part 1)

I was one of those kids who had the wonderful privilege of "sort of" living the life of "Leave it to Beaver" during the 1950's and early 60's. When I say "sort of" I mean we weren't quite at the financial level of the fictional Cleaver family. It was suburban life in a small southern town, and growing up in those days was great. We really lived a "Mayberry" kind of life...simple and fun. We attended the big Methodist church in town where my mom was a member and had attended all her life. As memory serves, our family (Dad, Mom, Sis, and myself) attended Sunday School on a fairly regular basis but seldom the 11:00am worship service. I remember learning about Jesus in Sunday School and all the famous Bible stories, especially from the Old Testament. Again, those were great times.

Sometime around 1963 when America lost her innocence, I attended a confirmation class for several weeks at the methodist church (I was around age 10). I remember the class involved reading some boring book that to this day I have no clue what it was about. When this class or course was over, I remember being in front of the church, kneeling and the minister sprinkling water on my head. I learned later that I had been baptised and "confirmed" into the methodist church....at least I think that's what it was called. The only thought I had at the time was my head got wet. If there was any real spiritual significance to any of that....I missed it.

Next time....Part 2....the teen years, Vietnam and rock 'n' roll.

Truth

Yes, you can know the truth.....and the truth will set you free.

More to come........