Bill Keller of Liveprayer.com says the church needs to wake up. In his devotional this morning he spoke of the church arguing over whether tongues should be used while the world around us legalizes same-sex marriages.

When I polled the congregation at our church recently about their knowledge of the Federal Marriage Amendment only about 10% raised their hands signifying they had even heard of it.

I hope the reason for our lack of knowledge and action in these areas is because we are too busy fulfilling the "Great Commission," spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ, baptizing new believers and discipling them.

If not, what will our excuse be when we stand before the Master?

The family is under incredible attack in our country. God's plan for a union between one man and one women is being bashed on several fronts. I received notice last week that it is now ILLEGAL for a preacher in Canada to preach about God's view on homosexuality...that it is a sin...Preaching this is punishable by imprisonment. It's hard to believe.

Pray for the state of the family. Pray Christians would be bold enough to stand up for God's position regardless of consequences. Pray for the children who are being raised with a distorted view of what true life in Christ is all about. Pray. Pray. Pray.

We were blessed to have Lorraine Lamar and her children, D.J., Micah, and Catherine in the evening service this past Sunday. They are currently living in the Philippines as full time missionaries. They run an orphanage called "FHL (Faith, Hope, Love) KIDS RANCH in Lucena. What a blessing to her their testimony!

On top of that, we had a record 50 teenagers turn out at the Youth Center to hear their presentation at 5:00 p.m.! They then packed up their things and came over to the main church to give their presentation at 6:00 p.m. Between the 2 services, 95 people were blessed to hear them. PRAISE GOD! Pray for their ministry. We will be sending them a financial gift to help with the new buildings they are constructing for the orphanage.

We're excited about becoming involved with a couple of new works in Mexico. I'll try to fill you in as things develop. I have quite a few people that want to go on a Mission Trip to Mexico in June.

We were able to help out a young couple with some medical expenses for their baby last week.

Pray God's will be done in all things. Don't forget the National Day of Prayer, Thursday, May 6.

The trip we took to Navojoa Sonora Mexico was fantastic. The 6 high school seniors that went painted a block wall fence for our host, Pastor Lan in the mornings and in the evenings, ministered to over 200 children in 3 villages.

The city of Navojoa had the fewest kids with around a dozen. The village of Burabampo had in the neighborhood of 80 children turn out for the event and Jitonhueca (Hee-tone-way-kuh) had around 100!

The evenings began by handing out crayons and pages with Bible picture/stories on them to be colored. Their completed pages were then hung on the wall. After this there was a time of music and then we showed the "Jesus Film" for children in Spanish.

When the film was complete the pastor led those interested, and their were many, in the sinner's prayer. We then handed out some candy, a couple of pencils and a couple of balloons to each child. It was great.

We left Navojoa on Friday morning and came back up to San Carlos. Here we spent the afternoon at the beach and the night at the Community Church there pastored by Rev. Lilly. We took Rev. Lilly and his wife Gloria out to dinner at "Charlies Rock" and came back to Arizona the next morning.

For more pictures and some musical sound bytes from our return service click here.

We got back from our Mission Mexico Trip late Saturday evening. It was fantastic! We took 6 high school seniors and there was one other adult sponsor beside myself. We ministered to almost 200 children in 3 different villages, where we showed the Jesus Film for children, colored Bible stories with the kids, handed out pencils, candy and sang and sang and sang!

I'll try to have some pictures posted in the next couple of days. Thanks for all your prayers.

If "The Passion of The Christ" can raise $212 million dollars in 12 days, why can't we feed all the poor people or take care of all the orphans?

Yesterday I met with the students and their parents who are going on the mission trip to Mexico a week from today. The parents are excited about the opportunity their children have in going on this trip and the kids are awaiting the day in eager anticipation. I asked them all to bathe the trip in prayer and I'm asking you to do the same thing. Pray for God's protection as we travel and minister to the people of Navojoa and the surrounding villages. Pray for the health of all of us that are going. Pray that God will prepare the hearts of the children and adults that will hear and see the gospel presented through the Jesus Film for Children and worship services. Pray that lives will be changed and hearts become even more surrendered to God's will. Pray that we will have abundant supplies and finances to meet the needs we encounter. Pray God's will be done.

We closed the 30 hour Famine this past Saturday with a discussion on the Passion of Christ. As we were talking the Lord brought to my mind something that I shared with the group and want to share with you now.

If someone were going to crucify me; nail me to a cross, they would have to drag me kicking and screaming or at least struggling as much as I was able.

In the movie, Jesus, with his last ounce of strength, pulled himself up and placed his own body on the wooden cross on which he was to be nailed.

"He (Jesus) was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God's throne in heaven." Hebrews 12:2b

As many of you know I am the youth pastor at Wynne Chapel in Cochise, Arizona. Last night we began the "30 Hour Famine" for World Vision. It is a national event that raises money to help children all over the world. World Vision is presently involved in helping children in Iraq.

We had 32 kids show up (last year 23) to go without food for 30 hours, sing praises to God, engage in Bible studies, etc. They have raised $555 so far! There is hope for the future of this country!

Today they will go into 2 different widows homes to help them with whatever they need done. This is true religion at work.

Pray for them today.

The Passion of the Christ...I saw this movie last night. Being from the "TV" generation, I am very visually oriented. This movie brought Isaiah's words from 700 years Earlier to life:

...But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him - our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole...And God has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong, on him, on him. He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn't say a word....
Isaiah 53:5-7 (Eugene Peterson's "The Message")

It was also made very real to me, through the graphic depiction of Christ's torture, that we are to strip ourselves of living according to the flesh. Christ's flesh was ripped off by the scourging He received. But in the end, HE WON, HE ROSE to live eternally. We too, can "strip off the flesh" as laid out in Galatians 5:19-21,

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, (NLT)

If we strip ourselves of this "flesh" we will enjoy the rewards of living a spirit-filled life.

It's been a good week!

* We visited my mother-in-law in Yuma, AZ.
* While we were there one of our supporters, Cathy, took us out to dinner.
* An article about one of the nursing homes we minister at, Casa de Esperanza, appeared in our paper last week and thanked us for our years of service.
* In the same paper another article appeared thanking us for our involvement over the last 3 years with the Old Pearce Holiday Festival.
* Last night after our Youth service the leader of the band, Marcos, handed me a copy of their newly released CD "The Story of a Man." I felt like a proud papa after working with them over the last couple of years.

It's nice to see the fruit of our labor. Sometimes we don't and that's when we have to really trust God. After all, we just plant the seed. He does all the rest.

Thank you for praying for our ministry. Keep our March 15-20 trip in your prayers as we take down several high school seniors to Navojoa, Mexico and the surrounding villages.

Our trio, Reflection, sang at a Valentine's Banquet at First Southern Baptist in Thatcher, AZ last night. The church's pastor, Gene Barnett has been there for 18 years. The people were all very nice and we were able to share with some about the work we are doing in Mexico. They also presented us with a check that should buy enough bricks to do one of the walls on the church in Jitonhueca. Praise the Lord!

Well, as long as I'm sharing needs I might as well pass this one along. We got word from the plumber in Navojoa that it's going to cost $735 (U.S.) to repair the showers (essentially there are only stalls with no pipes), fix the bathrooms, put in a sink and install a hot water heater at the Mission Station, which by the way, has tremendous potential for an orphanage (interest in this has been expressed by outside sources).

Pastor Lan's house needs to be connected to the city water, fix a shower, install an existing hot water heater (gift) to the tune of $232.82 (U.S.)

And my God will supply all your needs
according to His riches in glory
in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19

Pastor David Rey has shared with me the need for 15 copies of "A Traves de la Biblia" or "Through the Bible." This is a book he has used in the past to train the pastors in Mexico. Pastor Isaias, in San Pedro, has now started teaching from this book as well and is using it to train new "ministers" for the Lord. The books cost about $10 each. Praise God!

Well we're off to a good start for the teen trip to Mexico. I found a rental place for vans today that is $200 lower than the others.

The church we're building in Jitonhueca is moving right along, but we're needing a couple thousand more dollars to finish the plumbing and walls. That's not bad considering this whole 30 X 40 building has only cost us about $2000 to date. If you're able to help, you can donate on line or send a check to the address on our website.

Keep the work in Mexico in your prayers.

We are going to be able to take the group of teens from Wynne Chapel to Navojoa, Mexico this coming Spring break, March 15-20. Please keep us all in your prayers, for safety, for effectiveness in witnessing and for changed lives, both the kids and those they touch.

The kids have already raised $700 towards the trip. They are excited about the opportunity and looking forward to working and helping people! At the church last night the youth led the service and gave short testimonials about what the trip meant to them. They lit up as they told how good it made them feel to see the smiles on the faces of the people that they had helped.

I think it can best be summed up by the title of Max Lucado's new book:
"IT'S NOT ABOUT ME"
We start to live when we realize that. Jesus put it this way in the gospel of John 12:25,
"He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal."
A parallel passage in Luke 17:33 reads like this in Eugene Pattersons "The Message,"
"If you grasp and cling to life on your terms, you'll lose it, but if you let that life go, you'll get life on God's terms."

My wife and I chose many years ago not to support the Super Bowl and other things like it for the same reason there is so much discussion going on about it now. Dancing transvestites, men and women grabbing themselves, exposing themselves and animated characters making sexual suggestions. But it's a good game, right? Though it was reported that the upper management of CBS preapproved EVERYTHING; even though we and CBS knew what hiring MTV would do for the half-time show...it's just a game.

When will we as Christians wake up and stop supporting things that clearly DO NOT GLORIFY GOD? Some churches even cancel services to support "the game." What are we teaching the children?

1 John 2:15-16 (NASB)
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

Yesterday I took 20 teens from my Youth group at Wynne Chapel down to Tucson. We went to help Pastor David Rey distribute fliers throughout his neighborhood. The fliers announced "Free Food" to be given out at noon. After the kids distributed the fliers they helped unload the food truck, set up the food lines and then distribute it to the people as they came through the line. They also helped people carry the loaded bags to their cars and some to their homes. They did a SUPER JOB.

Some of these same kids are interested in going to Navojoa to help in anyway they can. We'll be taking a group of them either this spring break or in June.

We were also able to take 2 more bicycles for the ministry in Mexico. Pastor Manuel has one that we took him in September but he asked if we could spare one for his son (Isaias - music) and helper. We're happy to be able to tell them yes because of your generation donations of bikes you're not using and Leroy Kennedy's donation of the labor to fix them. We also sent Pastor Lan a lawnmower so he can keep the grounds of the Mission Station groomed.

All in all a great day of ministry! Praise the Lord!

There's a lot going around about "contagious" Christianity, evangelism, etc. The Lord gave me a great experience yesterday at the eye doctor that falls into that category.

I was called in by the assistant optometrist to run some preliminary tests and struck up a conversation with her. I remarked on the fancy machines and asked questions about her job, which moved on to questions about her life. Within 10 minutes she was sharing that she really wanted to be an actress. We talked about a church I used to work at in Tempe and she "lit up" because she had been there. She wanted more of that experience with the Lord.

I interfaced with the Doctor, the lady that measured me and helped me select the right glasses and the billing clerk. With each one of them I was able to draw them out to talk about themselves and their lives instead of "just work."

The result was uplifting for all of us. What could have been just another customer turned into a fun experience (we laughed a lot) and one where they knew I cared about them as people and not just employees at the eye doctors.

I want to try to duplicate that experience wherever I go because it was exhilarating not only for me but the people I came into contact with that day.

SPREAD THE JOY OF THE LORD WHEREVER YOU GO. PEOPLE WILL WANT TO GET ON BOARD THAT "HEAVEN-BOUND" PATH.