Last evening we had a wonderful time of Midweek Bible study at Liberty Baptist Church in Sweetser. It was really cold again but the good, dedicated people of our church came to their church to fellowship and to sit at Jesus feet and learn more of His Word which in reality is to learn more about Him. We stared our new Adult Electives last eve and the attendance was increased significantly. PTL. Pastor Chas and I are team teaching in the auditorium as we are surveying the New Testament. We are in Acts and heading for Romans. Last evening the Lord really used a couple verses to speak to my heart in a very meaningful way. The verses were in Acts 18: 9-10. The great Apostle Paul was in Corinth that large commercial center which was filled with evil on every turn. God had used him and several others to plant a good church there. Not long into this venture there e was great opposition from Satan himself. Paul was stricken with fear. A fear that must have been paralyzing to him personally and one that put into jeopardy his entire ministry. The though came to him to quit and leave Corinth without further preaching of Gos's Word and His Gospel. At that very moment the Lord showed up in the darkness of that night and spoke loud an clear to his man. Here is what He said, " BE NOT AFRAID BUT SPEAK, AND HOLD NOT THY PEACE. FOR I AM WITH THEE, AND NO MAN SHALL SET ON THEE TO HURT THEE FOR I HAVE MUCH PEOPLE IN THIS CITY."  It is wonderful when the Lord speaks like that to us. When the enemy has come and lied and caused great fear. When he has come to tempt us to quit on our great God and His great wok. Then is when if we stop and listen to His voice He will breath into us via His word new courage. In this story Paul determined to listen to God stayed in the city for 18 months and the Lord used him to establish a great church. IT IS ALWAYS TO SOON TO QUIT! What do we need when we feel like quitting? We need to hear His voice. Listen carefully right now, "Don't Quit, Don't Fear, Hang in There, I Am With You, Man Will Not Hurt You, I have others Who will Help You. Can you begin to sense it is going to be OK? Are you sensing a new courage beginning to flood your soul. Is fear being replaced with faith?  Get your Bibles out and read Acts 18 today. As you read this look for God's mighty sovereign rule, look for how He brought just the right people into Pauls life to keep him safe, to give him what was needed just when he needed it. God is alive and well on this earth and if we listen and follow he will work all things out. 

TODAY IN HISTORY.

1.1737- THE BIRTHDAY OF THOMAS PAYNE , THE NOTORIOUS ATHEIST. This man once said that by the time his generation passed there would be no Bibles in print. The same printing press that was used to print this statement was used to print Bibles after his death. Today pray for those so deceived in our world today. 

2. 1843- THE BIRTHDAY OF WILLIAM McKINLEY. Pray for our president today.

3. 1861-KANSAS WAS ADMITTED TO THE UNION. Let us pray for all the preachers and churches in this great state. 

4. 1874 -THE BIRTHDAY OF JOHN D ROCKEFELLER. Many have benefited because of this mans benevolence. May each of us be reminded today to be a giver not a taker. 

3. 

Revelation 2:1-8 is a wonderful passage of scripture, yet it is so convicting. We as believers should read it once a month or so just to remember that we can lose our first love for the Lord. It is a mystery to me how this can happen in my life on occasion. How can I resist and reject such love that the Lord has for me? It is a real possibility and we must guard against such. As we read these verses we find the PRIORITY OF LOVING GOD and nothing else rivals with it. Christian Service is important but it is not our first priority. Theology is important but it is not our first priority. Perseverance is important but it is not our first priority. Holiness is important but it is not our first priority. LOVING GOD IS OUR FIRST PRIORITY! As we read Revelation 2:1-8 it reveals this clearly. Each of us need to ask ourselves if we have loved the Lord in the past more than we love Him today? If so we must repent of self love and return to our first love. We must regain and repeat our past love. It is possible only if we repent of self worship and begin once again worshipping Jesus. If we do not return quickly we risk not being able to return at all. That is serious to say the least. We will loose out on this earth and in heaven as well. All this is scriptural truth. Oh how we lose now, in the loss of joy and satisfaction that only comes with a vibrant love relation with the Lord. And the Judgement Seat in eternity, well I think you get the point. He is worthy of our first love, don't you agree? Oh how I love Jesus , Because he first loved me! 

TODAY IN HISTORY

1. 1596- SIR FRANCIS DRAKE DIED

2. 1856- THE BIRTHDAY OF R.A. TORREY- R.A. Torrey is sad to be the father of Bible Institutes in America. He was the president of Moody Bible Institute and helped found this institution for D.L. Moody. He pastored the great Moody Church in Chicago. He founded BIOLA {Bible Institute of Los Angeles}. He was a great preacher on all doctrine and his preaching on the Holy Spirit and endowment of Power is a classic. Let us thank God for our Godly leaders of the past and work hard today to be remembered by many that you also helped to propagate the gospel and disciple the believers . 

3. 1882- THE FIRST CABLE STREET RAILWAY WAS OPENED IN CHICAGO.

4. 1906 OSWALT SMITH WAS CONVERTED. For years he was the pastor of the Peoples Church in Toronto, Canada. He was a great missionary leader around the world/ Many of his songs, we sing, he wrote many books. This pastor was influenced greatly by his ministry early in my ministry. Pray for this church which is still in Toronto and the pastor who followed this great man was his son. It is wonderful when your children want to be a part of your ministry. 

 On this past Sunday as I was a guest preacher in another church I spoke from Romans 15 on the topic of "Where to go to find Encouragement." It wasn't my main point and not even a sub point , I was speaking about turning off the bad news and get to the scriptures and listen more to the good news. At that moment I said as we look at the headlines and listen to the world news that the events of the world and the facts of the scriptures lead us to understand that JESUS IS COMING SOON. A fellow came up to me at the end of the service and thanked me for the biblical message and said "That is the first time in a long time that he had heard it proclaimed that Jesus was coming soon. I believe Christ will literally return victoriously to the earth one day in bodily, visible form, my biblical convictions on this point are as emphatic as my belief in Christ Himself. My faith in the future return of Christ is as firm as my certainty about past redemptive history. I believe and would argue the fact that the return of Christ is a cardinal doctrine of Christianity. It is the end and the goal of God's purpose on this earth. It is the divine climax which God will precisely and purposefully bring to fulfillment . I believe that for the Christian who does not remember and rehearse this monumental truth that they risk abandoning true Christianity. It is a purifying hope. Each believer needs to make sure that they guard against becoming like the scoffers mentioned in 2 Peter 2:3-4. Pastors and teachers of God's people must constantly have this event on their own minds and if that is the case they will keep this great truth before their people. It won't have to be the message every time but it will come out often because it is permeating the thought system regularly. As believers who live in a world which needs the Gospel, may I say that one of the soul winning tools I often use is the fact of Jesus return. After I give the gospel I often speak about the importance of being saved now. Why now? Because of the possibility of death at any time and the possibility of Christ's Return, at any time. These are strong motivations to be saved. For the Christian these two motivations are good for each of us as well. To be Ready for at any time we may be standing before our Lord. Won't that be a wonderful thing! Are you ready? Are you saved? Are you right with your Lord? I hope that the people I influence are always hearing from me that Christ is Coming and it may be SOON! 

TODAY IN HISTORY

1.1837- MICHIGAN WAS ADMITTED TO THE UNION-Let us pray for Christian friends and and God's servants in Michigan. Michigan has many great churches and ministry headquarters in it. 

2. 1880- THE BIRTHDAY OF GENERAL DOUGLAS MacARTHUR. This man in my thinking is one of the greatest Americans in history. A great general and a great patriot. Some who think he could have been a great president. A man of great character. He did much to opening Japan to the gospel and the missionary movement in that country. He helped the gospel come to the American soldier. I challenge you to read biographies of this man. He loved his mother so much. Pray that God would give us men  and women of such character, again in America.

3. 1896- MOODY'S MOTHER DIED. On her tombstone it reads, Mark 14:8 "She hath done what she could." Let us thank God for our mothers today. If your mother is alive phone her , go see her, tell her you love her while you can. 

What a great Lord's Day it was for many of us yesterday. At Liberty Pastor Ryan preached in both adult services in the morning. As usual I heard that the Lord used Pastor Ryan in a wonderful way. Pastor Chas did a great job in leading us in worship. We had a 41 year old lady saved and her 22 year old son saved in the morning service, PTL. As many of our Liberty family knows I preached yesterday at a church in our area that is in need of help and council. The Lord has led them to ask our church for help at this time. They are asking for help in advice and pulpit supply. I felt constrained yesterday to preach there and attempt to bring the healing WORD to all in attendance. I am thankful for HIS life-giving Word. I sensed many hearts that were hungry to hear from the Lord and we are trusting His Word not to return void. When you pray just pray for this church as they would appreciate your prayers. I don't want to give their name but the Lord knows who they are as you pray for them. Last evening at Liberty it was so good to be back in the pulpit at our church and oh the spirit that was present. From start to finish God was here and we sensed His presence and heard His voice. The altars were full as we gave an invitation to dedicate ourselves once agin to the ministry of prayer. I know when God is moving in power in a church service and last night He moved. We are so blessed at Liberty to have the Lord's presence in each of our services. We had over 650 in the morning services and last eve we had 330 in attendance in spite of the Colts Game. Hey by the way "Go Colts."

This Thursday at our midweek services we will begin our new Adult Electives. They are the following!

1. New Testament Survey-Acts/Romans- Pastor Bishir & Pastor Singer

2. Fire On The Mountain- Pastor Ryan

3. Spanish 101- Perry Frank

4. The A B C s Discipleship Class- Ron Skinner

5. The Language of Love and Respect- Imogene Steely

6. Esther- Seeney Mcalrath

7. Steps To Clarify Your Calling- Lisa Adkins

8. Prayer Warriors- Men & Women  Bob Finney & Deena Finney & Mary Ellen Stanley

HOPE YOU WILL BE HERE AT 7:00 p.m. THIS THURSDAY !

ALSO TEEN< AWANAS< YAMS< MIDWEEK MEAL < NURSERY!  

TODAY IN HISTORY!

1. 1934- JOHN DILLINGER WAS CAPTURED. Pray for all the prisoners in our correctional institutions. Pray for the gospel to get into these systems.

2. 1858-THE FIRST WEDDING MARCH WAS PLAYED FOR THE FIRST TIME. Relive your wedding. Recapture the experiences surrounding it. Then pray for God to bless your home.

3. 1915- THE FIRST TRANS-CONTINENTAL TELEPHONE CALL. Let us thank God for our telephones today. Mine is ringing now. Sometimes I would like to take it and throw it in the ocean. But most times I am so grateful for it. Pick it up today and call a shut- in, a lonely friend, a discouraged soul and tell them you care.

I am being reminded that sometimes when you seek to help others that it may bring personal loss or at least the possibility to lose. That possibility to lose something that has taken much effort to gain or something that has become very dear to you. But in order to help others you run the risk of loss and perhaps you will lose what has taken you a lifetime to gain. In times like that one must know the Lord's leading . They must take a KINGDOM VIEW! That view is when we help Gods people and when we see His kingdom is not just where we are then we will be able to step up to our loss for His gain. We will be able to live by faith and trust our Lord that all our gain has been only what He has given and if He desires to take it and use it elsewhere, SO BE IT. When we live with a Kingdom view we will understand that Jesus is the King and the Master Builder. If we are the builders we will be narrow visioned, if He is leading us in the building He will give us a broader vision of His entire Kingdom. As we become willing to let lose, God will resupply and bless the attitude of giving. Trust is what is needed. Faith not fear. An understanding that Jesus is Lord. May we learn like Mary in Luke 10, to bring all that we have gained, all that we have labored for, all that we count dear and be willing to pour it out to Jesus, to use it as He pleases. God help me to learn these truths and to practice what I have learned. "DEAR LORD PLEASE REPLACE MY FEAR WITH YOUR FAITH." 

TODAY IN HISTORY!

1. 1561-FRANCIS BACON'S BIRTHDAY

2. 1673- THE FIRST POSTAL SERVICE ROUTE WAS MADE. Maybe today you could wait for your mail deliverer and give them a snack and a gospel tract. Leave it in your mailbox if you can't be there. And pray for him or her.

3. 1789- THE FIRST UNITED STATES NATIONAL ELECTION WAS CONDUCTED. We are a blessed people to be able to vote for our government officials. We must remember we are the people who put these folk in office. I am thanking the Lord for this weeks senatorial election outcome in the state of Massachusetts's.

4. 1901- QUEEN VICTORIA DIED. Let us pray for Great Britain today. 

 This past weekend there was a cartoon drawing concerning the earthquake in Haiti. On one side of the drawing it was Labeled God. It showed the terrible devastation that had taken place and placed blame on God. On the other side it had a Uncle Sam reaching down to those who need help as if Humans cared more than God cared for mankind. In my opinion that is a LIE and one that most of the world believes in fully or at least in part. Man looks to man to solve his need. Today the worlds population is looking for provision, pleasure, peace and they are looking to man to provide such things. One day soon a man the Bible calls the "Antichrist" will show up on the scene and offer everything man has been clamoring for the history of our earth. He will deceive the Jew and most of the world-into believing he is the great hope of humanity. A political leader who cares more than God himself, who can unite mankind in love. 

Yet he will be the greatest of liars. When a third Temple finally stands on Mt. Moriah in Jerusalem and Israel appears safe, the Antichrist will break a covenant he made with the Jewish people, erect an image of himself in that holy place, and demand to be worshipped. 

But if there is one thing Jewish people will not do , it will not worship a man. Though people everywhere will consent, Israel will refuse. Just like Mordecai would not bow to Haman and thus infuriate the Persian bureaucrat, so will Israel's steadfastness infuriate the Antichrist. He will then show the world his true colors as he unleashes a persecution on the Jewish people that will be unparalleled in history. But they are the Apple of God's eye. Christ will return to them, fight for them, and plant them safely in the land of His promise. HE NEVER LIES!

May we remember today that man cannot provide all we need. Yes man can be used of God to meet needs of others and we need to be open to helping mankind and improving mankind's lives. But only God can meet the deepest of needs. We are not left to ourselves because God is unconcerned with this world. God is not evil and uncaring. He never fails. Don't let man deceive you, don't let your own heart deceive you, don't let Satan deceive you.   OUR HOPE IS IN GOD NOT MAN! 

TODAY IN HISTORY

1.1924- LENIN DIED- It is said that the line at Red Square is unbelievably long, constantly filled with people waiting to see the remains of Lenin. Lenin promised that Socialism would work. It did not and will not. He may have been a sincere man but was sincerely wrong. Millions were killed to promote a system that did not work. May we pray for our country that we would stop our drift toward socialism. Thank God today that our Lords tomb is empty.

2. 1824-THE BIRTHDAY OF STONEWALL JACKSON. Jackson was a great southern general. He also was a great Christian. Many stories have been told about his faith in God and how he trusted in God to lead him. Let us pray for our leaders today that they would be born again and on their knees before God. 

3. 2010. This is a day in history that we each should share the gospel with someone. Look for that opportunity and then share Christ. 

 Good Tuesday to each of you Bishir Blog readers. Today we have already Practiced His Presence. Immediately as we arose from bed early in the morning we spoke with the Lord and gave Him our minds for another day. We have already cried out for direction for decisions and we have already listened to His Word. We have meditated on His will and have sought Him out to allow Him to take our life and do with it as He pleases. We have asked Him to take away our fear and help us to live by faith. We have asked Him if He wants to take something away from our lives to give us faith that it is only because He wants to place something better in it's place. We have pleaded with Him to help us not micro manage where ever our life extends but to give our spheres of life to Him to control and work out. Thank God He has whispered into my heart that He will take control and it will be better. I have lifted my children to Him for safe keeping and His perfect will for them. I have lifted our congregation at Liberty to Him for safe keeping. He has taken our family and our church into His strong hands. I have given Him my wife for protection and blessing. I have given Him my friends and my enemies. I have given Him the sick in our body of believers. I have given Him my hopes and dreams. ALREADY my morning is more peaceful! After I gave all these things to the Lord He reminded me, HE ALREADY HAD EACH OF THESE THINGS IN HIS HANDS. IN FACT HE HAS THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HANDS. Then He said but Terry it sure helps you to do that and understand I am in charge, I am good, I am al-knowing , I am Almighty , I am Alive and well and I will take care of all that need taken care of. Oh that is the Sweetest Truth we need to hear every morning. Have you heard Him say that to you this morning? If not stop now and get to His feet, because you really aren't ready to take this day on till you have heard those truths from Him first. 

TODAY IN HISTORY!

1.1736-JAMES WATT, THE INVENTOR OF THE STEAM ENGINE, WAS BORN. Today thank God for all the good inventors who have helped our world become a better place.

2. 1807-THE BIRTHDAY OF ROBERT E. LEE. The great General of the Civil War. Lee was a Christian who was pulled between state rights and slavery. He was a good man that ended up fighting for something good {state rights] but at the same time for something bad {slavery]. Sometimes issues are not so clear and easy. Pray for people today who are struggling with what to do, that God will help them know the right way. 

3. 1809-THE BIRTHDAY OF EDGAR ALLEN POE. Poetry is such a powerful force in the world. It stirs and soothes. It moves and mends. The very center of our Bibles are the poetic books. Pray for good poets who want to use there giftedness for Christ. Pray against and beware of poetry that is being used for the darkness.

 Had a great day yesterday at Liberty. Each service had a great spirit and the worship was wonderful. In the morning we had a Ladies Trio that sang one of the best specials I have ever heard. Sarah Click, Randi Jones and Cindy Parker were used of the Lord in a great way. mI was blessed to here them in both morning services. The choir special was one of the best, thanks choir for all your labor. In the evening service we had one of our new young teenage ladies {Hanna Arthurholt} sing for the first time as Sam Fowler backed her up. We are so blessed with the talent of so many and the hearts that make the talent usable. Our attendance was down some with some sickness and others gone south, but we still had over 625 in attendance. Last night we had a great service as well. I was preaching to myself. One thing I said last eve that I want to remember and meditate on is " IT IS POSSIBLE TO BECOME ENAMORED BY THE WORK OF THE LORD INSTEAD OF THE LORD OF THE WORK."  I don't want to miss HIM in serving HIM. If you couldn't be here for the message in the eve , why not listen to it sometime this week? Go to resources and click sermons. 

TODAY IN HISTORY.

1. 1782-THE BIRTHDAY OF DANIEL WEBSTER. Daniel Webster was a great Christian. It is said that on his deathbed he lifted himself up and sang the great song, "There is a Fountain Filled With Blood. Many of us know this song by heart . Why not sing it now.  Get yourself a hymnal and sing this song out loud. That is a good thing to do on a daily basis , sing  your way to victory. 

 What a week as we have watched the terrifying outcome of an earthquake in the nation of Haiti. The video clips of such devastation both materially and physically are beyond our imagination. Such devastation that took place because of an event that only took a few seconds. The power of nature and the power of God has been demonstrated for all to see. Let me share a few Biblical facts concerning Earthquakes. Whenever we witness an earthquake several things could be happening and should be understood by all.

1. NATURAL THINGS ARE HAPPENING!- The earth is groaning. It is having "Birth Pangs." Our great creator God made the earth and even during the flood and after the flood arranged the earth to have faults and cracks. The earth cries out for it's redemption and it is shouting to each of us that Jesus is coming and we should not forget it. 

2. SUPERNATURAL THINGS ARE HAPPENING.- Earthquakes are not only about natural things but also supernatural things as well. As we read the Bible we find supernaturally caused earthquakes. When Jesus was crucified we find an earthquake, {Matthew 27:51} and it was caused by the spiritual world. At his resurrection we find another earthquake caused by the coming of an angel to the earth, {Matthew 28:2-7}. God caused an earthquake on Mt. Sinai just before he revealed the law to Moses{Exodus 19:18}and on Mt Horeb when He revealed Himself to Elijah {1st Kings 19:11}. In the end times He will also send numerous earthquakes {Joel 2:10; Matthew 24;7; Revelation 6;12; 8;12: 11;13-19}.  We need to understand that the Spiritual world is shouting as well as the natural world that Jesus is coming.

3. PERSONAL THINGS NEED TO BE HAPPENING.-It is interesting that when the angel came to the tomb of Christ and the earthquake took place that there was not only a natural quake, and a spiritual quake but there was a human quake as well. The guards who were stationed to watch the Lord's tomb were shaken when the earthquake and the angel appeared. The word shook is from the same word in verse 2 for earthquake. They "Shook with Fear." Then the women who were there to anoint the body of Jesus were also shook. They were frightened but they listened to the good news of the angel and they were "Shook with Faith." They went and told others of the resurrection. 

Today as believers we need to have our own human earthquakes as we have witnessed this natural and supernatural earthquake in Haiti. We need to be moved with fear and faith. We need to know the Lord is coming with grace for all who believe and judgement for all who do not believe. In that Great Tribulation time there will not be one mountain left without being moved by the Lord's moving of the earth. May we go and tell a last generation that Jesus is coming soon. 

TODAY IN HISTORY! 

1. 1778- THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS WERE DISCOVERED. May we pray for our 50th state to be evangelized and that churches be planted in this state like never before.

2. 1782- THE FIRST UNITED STATES MINT WAS PROPOSED. May we be thankful for the infrastructure of our great nation today.

3. 1915- TALK MADE BY ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL FROM NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO BY TELEPHONE. Thank God for our modern communications.

4. 1915- MARY SLESSOR DIED.- She was a missionary to Africa and to the cannibals. She wore no shoes. She slept on the ground. She lived as they lived. She patterned her life after David Livingston. Her last words were, "Day must be Dawning." Let us spend a few moments and ask ourselves if we are generally selfish or selfless. Are we willing to sacrifice for the souls of people. Have we become isolationist or evangelist's ? 

 Today is Thursday and that means for all of at Liberty we are gearing up for tonight's midweek service. we are praising the Lord for the warmer weather as it is to be nearly 40 degrees today. That is like a heat wave for us as it has been below freezing the last 3 weeks or so. Yesterday we could begin seeing the asphalt on the parking lot and the facility roof's are able to be seen again. It has been cold for sure and that makes it harder for folk to attend services but praise the Lord for the faithfulness of His believers here at Liberty. Just this past Sunday it was only 7-10 degrees in the morning and yet the dedicated bus workers took their buses out and came in with 195 riders. What dedication! They must really believe the Lord has called them to this ministry and that hell is real and souls need saved. When I got here at 7 a.m.  on Sunday others were already here. Our "SNOWMEN" were here clearing the walkways. Instrumentalist were practicing and the worship teams were perhaps giving their best performances as they were preparing to lead men & women in worship. I wonder if during those early practice times if Jesus isn't honored in a way more than when we all assemble together. I wonder if that isn't the time when we sit at His feet the most. Even though it may have more flaws and more missed notes yet it was then when one got up early and came out into the cold and got to church a few hours before others. And maybe some of the others would never do that and they think it a sacrifice to do something like that. but those who do know the true satisfaction of serving the Lord with a first fruit kind of giving. Others were here early making coffee, sitting up rooms, getting ready for SS classes, praying and so many other things. Today many are preparing to teach tonight, getting ready to work with teens and children. Others are preparing to meet with Yams, and yet others will be getting the buildings ready for this evening. Ladies will be here almost all day getting the midweek meal ready for many to enjoy and be helped by . Buses will be be made ready, councilors will study and pray in preparation to meet with folk in need of biblical answers. Hospitals will be visited and shut-in will be contacted. These and so many other acts of loving service for our KING OF KINGS.  I am so thankful for those who have found that "ROWING THE BOAT IS BETTER THAN ROCKING THE BOAT."  For some they do very little for others and they only focus on what needs to be done for them. They seem to only look at what they want that isn't being done. All the time so many are growing and working in service for the Lord and yet it goes unnoticed and unthanked. I don't want to look at the labor of others and cast aspersion but I want to come along side and praise and help. If things need to be improved then Amen , lets take a look and get together and change what we can but never should we sit and do nothing and only complain and only look at what isn't being done for me and mine. The question is "What are we Doing." What can we do to help make it better? It is true that "THE PERSON WHO ROWS THE BOAT DOESN'T HAVE TIME TO ROCK THE BOAT." I know for sure that for me if I am attempting to win souls and am doing all I can to let God use me to build a good and godly church that I will not sit around taking pot shots at the work I am attempting to be a part of. I am so thankful that our church has mostly Rowers and just a few Rockers. May we each continue to focus on the blessings and work together on what still needs done. To continue to improve what needs improved. To change what needs changed and to keep on doing what needs to be kept on doing. I for one will do just this and all along will I rejoice in what He has done and is doing. With God's grace, I will remain faithful to those the Lord has given me to serve and lead. I hope I will remain a faithful friend to all my friends. 

TODAY IN HISTORY! 

1.1711- THIS IS THE BIRTHDAY OF BENEDICT ARNOLD. We think of Benedict Arnold as being a great traitor to our nation. How about those today who have taken out the Bible from our public schools? How about those who have taken out prayer from those schools as well? How about those who want the Ten Commandments taken out of our courthouses? How about those who would lead us to socialism? How about those who would lead our churches towards liberalism? Let us pray today for AMERICA and that God would raise up real patriot preachers, leaders, and private citizens, who will call us back to God and the America we once knew.

2. 1875- THE BIRTHDAY OF ALBERT SCHWEITZER. Though Albert Schweitzer was a liberal, he did minister to suffering people. At least, this should call our attention to faithful missionaries who help suffering and preach the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray for medical missionaries today. Pray for missionary hospitals and ships as they seek to alleviate pain but also alleviate sin by carrying the gospel to their patients. 

3. 2010- THE HATI EARTHQUAKE RESCUE !- Today we need to pray for this great tragedy. May we consider what we may do as an individual and as a church. 

 Today we spent the morning with our entire staff working on the 2010 calendar for Liberty Baptist Church. We decided to take this out of the office so we went to Pastor Ryan and Beths house. It was a good nice to get into a little different surrounding with everyone. We then had 3 appointments this afternoon which mostly took the rest of the day. Our appointments were attempts to encourage some of Gods servants and one appointment was spent helping one who is attempting to come back to the Lord with a greta desire to have that intimate relationship once again. I sure hope we were able to be used to help and strengthen God's people. At lunch today I ran into one of our new attending families that were eating at the same place and we had a nice visit. They are exited about being at Liberty. They had  host of questions about what they should do next at church. We spoke about where they should go to Sunday School. About where there 18 year old daughter should connect and so many other questions. One last question they asked is if I was planning to retire soon. At first I thought maybe they were satisfied with most everything at church except the Pastor. As we continued to talk I could tell they were pleased with the leadership and just wanted to make sure it was going to continue. We humans sure need assurance and security and it is nice when our leaders help provide that, but praise the Lord even when human leadership fails at times JESUS provides perfect leadership at all times. I have found that if I follow the Leader {Jesus] I will be a better leader. When He leads me , He will lead others through me. "THE BEST LEADERS ARE THE BEST FOLLOWERS." Well hope you have a great remainder of your day. Remember that Jesus may come before tomorrow.

TODAY IN HISTORY!

1.ON THIS DAY JONATHAN EDWARDS  SAID, " I MADE SALVATION THE MAIN BUSINESS OF MY LIFE." It was Jonathan Edwards who was the great scholar, preacher, and evangelist of his day. He was the man who preached the great sermon " Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" in such power that men would hang on to the pillars of the building begging for God not to cast them into hell. What a preacher! Pray for the Preachers of the world to have such power today. Please include me. 

2. 1737- THE BIRTHDAY OF JOHN HANCOCK. May we have such boldness to sign our names to holy documents as he did a political one.

3. 1914- WILLIAM JENNINGS BRIAN WROTE BILLY SUNDAY A LETTER ON THIS DAY. William Jennings Bryan was a great statesmen-and lawyer. He was a Christian who defended the faith and debated about the false theory of evolution. He had attended one of Evangelist Billy Sunday's revivals in Pittsburgh. After attending he wrote Billy a letter of appreciation for his preaching with such conviction. Over 1 million men{ not counting women, teens or children] walked the "sawdust Trails" coming to Christ in Billy's revivals. Why not write a note of encouragement to a servant of the Lord today?

Good Monday to each of you. We had wonderful services at Liberty yesterday. We had several visiting families in all services. It was nice to speak with several of them yesterday and as we made phone calls today it looks as if several of these families have already decided to attend again as they thoroughly enjoyed the services and as they said we were exactly what they were looking for. Amen. Each of then were looking for one main thing. A place that preaches God's Word and one that does it unashamedly. I am glad that Liberty excels in this. Our attendance was nearly 700 for the morning and in the evening we had over 360. New members joined the church and the altars were used in all services. PTL. It was nice in the evening service to bring all our Pastoral staff and their wives along with the Deacons and their wives to the front of the auditorium for a time of special appreciation and prayer. We sure are blessed to have such a leadership team. Lee Robertson who pastored the great Highland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee said " All things rise and fall on leadership." That is so true. Liberty has been blessed in so many areas and one of the areas is it's leadership team. Thank you Lord. I hope you have thanked the Lord for your salvation today! I hope you have thanked Jesus for being our great LEADER! He is the Leader of our soul. Hallelujah. 

TODAY IN HISTORY!

1. 1757- The Birthday of Alexander Hamilton- He was the first Secretary of the Treasury of our nation. He also established the bank of the United States. Let each of us thank God for our heritage and the nexrt time you go to your bank pray for our banking system and for the teller who helps you. Leave a gospel tract with them or a brochure from your church. 

2. 1878- MILK WAS DELIVERED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN BOTTLES. It was done in Brooklyn, New York. Let us thank God for our modern conveniences which we take for granted far to often.

3. 1843- Francis Scott Key Died. He is the fellow who wrote our National Anthem. Why not pause and sing it and pray that God will help our nation remain strong and free? 

 It is Friday and what a cold and snowy week it has been. We cancelled church last eve for the safety of all those who would have attended. Hope each of you found a little time to sit at Jesus feet and read His Word and speak to Him as you were snuggled down inside. Those can be precious moments. We are looking forward to the Lords Day as we will preach on "Overcoming the Thought Life in the morning and "Sitting At Jesus Feet" in the evening. I heard it will possibly be real cold outside but it will be real warm inside. Please pray for our first Deacon Fellowship meeting of the New Year. We will be talking about a lot of important things for the direction of our church. We appreciate your prayer support for the entire leadership of Liberty Baptist Church. Satan always works to divide and destroy but as we pray one for another it unifies us as we resist him in the power of our GREAT GOD!

Tomorrow morning let me encourage all our MEN to meet at 8 a.m in the Prayer Center for our weekly Saturday prayer meeting. If you have never attended or if it has been awhile, hope you consider being with us. No pressure , if you would just like to come and pray silently that is OK, the important thing is to come and pray together and ask the Lord for that which man cannot give or provide.You will grow and many will be helped. God will impower our church and it's families as we pray. Get up and come. The coffee will be ready along with doughnuts and great fellowship awaits. It is one of my favorite times of the week.  Hope to see all the old timers and a few new timers!

T O D A Y  I N  H I S T O R Y ! 

1815- The Battle of New Orleans- Pray today for that city and the churches in that city which are trying to bring it to Christ.It suerly needs it. 

2. 1790- Washingtons First Message To Congress- Pray for our congress today!

3. 1867- Congress Passed a Law Granting Suffrage To The Black Race!- Pray today for all the black pastors of our nation.

4. 1865- Charles Spurgeon Was Married- At the time he was already pastoring one of London's largest churches. He surprised his people by announcing that he was marrying one of his parishioners. Pray today for all the young couples you know, especially those who serve the Lord together. Pray for them and maybe send a card of encouragement. Perhaps you could take them out to eat or give a gift card to some restaurant. Remember when you wre first starting out and what that would have meant to you. Mrs. Spurgeon for many years was an invalid. Pray for invalids today. Why not visit a shut -in today? 

This week I have really been seeking to "Sit At Jesus Feet." I have been studying and meditating on many passages in the gospel of Luke. Luke 10:38-42 is the passage the Lord grabbed ahold of me and slowed me down in ministry and life. The story is about Martha and Mary. Martha loves the Lord enough to serve Him and His people, yet she missed some things. Mary is commended for not missing the most important, and that is sitting at the feet of Jesus, of course isn't that what all our service is to help bring about in the first place. As I have been meditating on these truths I have come to see that Mary had a fixation with the feet of Jesus. Study Luke chapters 8 , 10, 18 and you will find her Knelling at His feet, Washing His feet, Sitting at His feet. Always at His feet. The Lord spoke to me and showed me that is the POSTURE, that is needed for everyone of us that call Him Lord. I must take the humble position and when I am there I will be focused on His feet. I would suggest you ponder on that and ask the Lord to help you see what we will see when we focus on His feet. "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO PREACH THE GOSPEL." Once we sit , wash and kneel at His feet it wont be long till our feet will be like His. Amen.

T O D A Y ! I N  H I S T O R Y ! 

1. 1715- Fenelon Died. This was a great Christian in France who, at one time, was threatened to be killed by the Pope. Thank the Lord today for all those who stood against lies and stood for truth, so that today we can know Truth. 

2. 1927- The First Transatlantic Commercial Telegraph Service. Let us thank God for communication we have today. It wasn't always this way. Today we have cell phones, media, internet and email, texting. So many ways to stay informed and to communicate. May we each vow to be thankful for such means and that we will only use them in a GOD HONORING WAY.

3. 1800- The Birthday of Millard Fillmore. Millard Fillmore was our 13th of our nation. Once again pray for all our government officials.

 Psalm 11:1-3 says "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" Ever felt like your life was crumbling underneath you? What should we do at that time. Let me give you a few thoughts on that. First, WE CAN STILL TRUST GOD! Psalm 11:1 says , In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, flee as a bird to your mountain? Regardless of our circumstances, we can choose to trust the Lord. Verse 4 teaches us, God is still on His throne, and He closely observes our needs. Secondly, WE CAN TAKE A LONG LOOK! Psalm 11:5-6 were teaching David that even though his situation looked   the bleakest the  time he penned this Psalm, he looked ahead to the day when God would make all things right and set everything straight. Whatever the situation may look like today, we can choose to look ahead through the eyes of faith and know that God's ways lead to a perfect end. Thirdly, WE CAN DO RIGHT! Psalm 11:7 "For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright." In the midst of overwhelming circumstances, David remembered that God is righteous, He loves righteousness, and He blesses those who do right. When it seemed that David's life was caving in, he could still choose to remain faithful and do the right thing. 

Perhaps someone reading the "Bishir Blog" today find themselves feeling as if the foundations of their life are crumbling out from underneath them. May the Lord speak words of encouragement to you as you think about Psalm 11 today.

 T O D A Y  I N  H I S T O R Y !

1. 1933-President Coolidge died - Let us pray for our president today.

2. 1943- George Washington Carver died. - As he died, he said, "They are preparing for me over there." He was a slave traded for a race horse. He read his Bible every day and only God knows and eternity will reveal what contributions he made for our society. Let us pray for the minorities in our country today. The under privileged. And let each of us decide to make an impact on our society in some way. 

3. 1779- Steven Decatur was born. It was Stephen Decatur, a naval hero, who said , "MY COUNTRY _ RIGHT OR WRONG!" Let us pray for our service men and women today. 

I really love "New Beginnings." Each new year brings with it the possibilities for a fresh start. The truth is we can look at the past, and we can learn from the past, but we must not live in the past. So now that we are in a brand new year 2010, what do you think about praying in a bold way for the Lord to work in a new way in your life?In 1st Chronicles 4:10 A man by the name of Jabez prayed a great prayer. He asked the Lord to enlarge his borders. He asked the Lord's hand to be with him and keep him from harm. Now here is the wonderful thing. God answered his prayer and granted his requests. As I look back at the last year it was filled with ups and downs. "Goods and Bads." I had mountain top experiences and valley expeditions. As this new year has begun I can say I have plenty problems facing me and some discouraging possibilities. Yet the wonderful things that are also a part of my life. Pain yes but Possibilities, for sure. It is interesting that Jabez's name meant "pain," but Jabez refused to allow his name and his circumstances to determine his life and ministry. He prayed a big prayer to a BIG GOD, and in time, he got big results. He prayed INCREASED ABUNDANCE, EXPANDED INFLUENCE, SPIRITUAL ANOINTING, And SPIRITUAL PROTECTION. Jabaze knew these were the priority things God wanted for him. What God did for Jabez, He will do for you- if you pray. What this year could be like if you prayed like this every day! 

I ma going to do a little something new on each blog in this new year. It will be entitled TODAY. It will be a little fun. Each day I will presnt things that happened on that day in history.If you are a history buff you will enjoy!.

                                                          TODAY!

1. 1896- Utah was admitted as a state.

2. Willard Aldridge was born in 1904 in Tacoma, Washington- He served as president of the Multnomah School of the Bible in Portland, Oregon. Pray for Bible schools, and Bible colleges today. 

3.1809 - Lois Braille was born. Louis Braille was a blind French teacher and the inventor of the Braille system. Many thousands of people could read the Bible or anything else were it not for this wonderful system. Thank God for your sight today. 

4. 1581 James Ussher was born in Dublin, Ireland. He will be remebered for his "Annuals of the Old and New Testaments," which forms the basis of the Biblical chronology in the King James Version of the Bible. Many believers still hold to the dates he helped to set. 

Praise the Lord for yesterdays services at Liberty. We had a wonderful spirit in each service. Two were baptized last evening. A mother and her daughter. That was so precious. The crowd last night was a full house, Amen. The gospel was preached in each service and an invitation extended to be saved and be surrendered in each service as well. The eternal results are up to the Lord. He is the one who builds the house. Have a great Monday and hope to blog tomorrow morning!