We are here at Ridgecrest Retreat Center in Ridgecrest, North Carolina and there are many brothers and sisters from around America. It never ceases to amaze me how the family of God has such a connection even with those you have never met before. It is as if you have known them all your life. There is a common bond, it is JESUS! There is a common love, that flows from Jesus love within them. There is a common goal, and that is to bring glory to our Lord! Won't heaven be wonderful when we have all eternity to spend with all the redeemed. Look for a brother or sister today and encourage them and let them know how much you love them in the Lord! 

 It is Monday evening about 10 p.m. Pastor Chas and I left Sweetser this morning about 6 a.m. and drove about 15 miles east of Asheville, North Carolina. We are attending the Life-wayLeadership Conference on Worship. We just got back to our room after the first evening session. Worship is so important in the life of believers and in his church. The scriptures says "The Lord  Inhabits The Praise Of His People". Inhabit is an interesting word. I have been meditating on that word since early this evening when the conference leader read that verse to each of us who are conference attenders. Pastor Chas and I are hoping to learn more about worship in our individual lives as well as how we can continue to lead our congregation in proper and powerful praise. Tonight's special guests were the "Florida Men's Worship Choir And Orchestra". They were wonderful and it was moving to say the least as each attender { Most are pastors and music ministers] lifted their hearts and voices in praise to our great King! I meant to mention the conference yesterday in the evening service so we could get some prayers support but i was so much into the message, Lords Table and Baptism that I forgot to make announcements.  Appreciate you prayers for the week. Hope we come back better equipped and refreshed from time with our Lord.

Yesterday we had great services both morning and evening.! We had visitors and baptized one of our young girls {Brooklyn Denouden} and received one of our young adult men into membership {Luke Lines}. Our attendance seemed pretty good even though we have entered into the most active time for vacations. Well I need to go for now to get some rest so we can get up early and begin classes tomorrow. 

I love the summer time. For me it is a lot better than 20 degrees and 10 inches of snow. I love the green grass { wish it would grow 2 1/2 inches and stay}, I love the flowers , the warm days { 80s preferred over the 90s and near 100s like this week] , even the summer rains . I like the longer days, the ease of getting around, I just like summer. But there is one thing that I don't like about summer and that is it seems for some believers it is a time that is a little harder to be faithful to church attendance. I learned this many years ago as I watched once faithful attenders begin to miss during the summer months. They had been so faithful and because of vacations, gardens, extra yard work, picnics, stuff to do and just because summer time can give us a attitude of "laid back" it" just  easier to miss services . Here is the problem. Good habits take time to develop but good habits can be broke quickly and bad habits developed faster than one thinks. Now there is nothing wrong with vacations {we can still go to church while on vacation] but we must be careful not to let this break our good habit of attending. Nothing wrong with gardens, picnics, ball games, outside things but we must be careful not to allow our business  and the our tiredness affect our church life. If there is one thing I know, it is that the Lord's Church doesn't need to be weaker but stronger. Believers make much of His church and your church even during the summertime!  

 Had a great night in VBS last evening. Pastor Ryan asked me to speak to all the children about Obedience and how Pastors need to obey the Lord. It was fun to teach four groups of the elementary age in 20 minute segments. We talked about how the Pastoral ministry is a call of God not just something you desire to do. We talked about a pastors position , his qualifications , his duties , all the things they do. Each time we had time for questions and the children asked some pretty good questions. Praise the Lord for each of our VBS workers, I am sure they are getting tired but it was encouraging to watch their love for children and the Lord as they worked served both. Yesterday we studied a good portion of the day. I was in Acts 24 where we find Paul meeting with the Roman official Felix. Here was a man with many opportunities to be saved and yet he sends Paul away and says "I will send for you again at a more convenient time. Felix and his wife Drucila didn't have time for Jesus! They had a lot of other things they needed to do before they would be saved. As I prepared the message it also came to me that Christians can do the same thing with Jesus. They can send the preachers away and say when we have a more convenient time we will send for you and you can help us serve the Lord then. It seems like there are so many who don't have time to serve their Lord . No time now to read the Word, no time to witness for the Lord, no time to assemble faithfully, no time to pray, no time to use their gifts, no time to visit a widow or orphan. It is not that we find time for Jesus it is that we MAKE time for Jesus. So many think that they have time later for Jesus, but the Bible tells us in Genesis that God says "My Spirit Will Not Always Strive With Man". Be careful to think that you will always have an opportunity to be saved or if you already are  saved that you will always have time to serve. Obey when Gods Spirit is striving. Felix had heard the truth many times and he trembled under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, yet he didn't have time for Jesus. TODAY each of us need to MAKE TIME FOR JESUS! He may send someone to you today to teach you, make time. He may send someone for you to teach, make time. He may have a person for you to call or go see and just visit, make time. He may want you to call and sign up for the nursery rotation, make time. He may say begin attending a corporate prayer meeting, make time. What ever He says LISTEN, and Make Time For Jesus! 

 In our Sunday School class  Everett Steely and I are presently teaching a series on "Biblical Friendships". Jesus was a "Friend That Was Closer Then A Brother".  So many people gain friends only to loose them in time because it is easier to gain a friend than to maintain one. There are several reasons for that. If we understand a few things it will be easier to maintain life long friendships. First and foremost we need to really understand that their is only one perfect friend, that is JESUS! All of our earthly friendships will be with people who have sinful natures. If our friendships are to be maintained long term we must understand that first we are sinners and every one of our friends are sinners also. Why do we expect perfect relationships when we can't give them ourselves. Secondly we must understand the proper goal in our earthly relationships, and that goal is not self pleasure but the main goal of the believer in everything is the glory of God. Our relationships are not first about us but about God. Thirdly, we must understand that when we have conflict in our relationships that we must look for our own part of why the relationship is in conflict. The Bible teaches us to first look at our own faults before we point out our brothers fault. Once we see seek to understand where we have failed then we can go and speak honestly to our friends about the problems and with a heart to reconcile and continue a great relationship. Friendships are worth work and in every friendship there are times they are stretched to the max. That is when we must realize our Lord is the third person of each christian relationship and if each will rely on Him He will be in the midst with His healing grace, working our relationships into Forever Ones, which bring glory to Himself. Are you having a difficult time in a relationship today? If so decide to remain in it and draw nigh to that person in Love. Practice understanding and mercy. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you your "Beam" . Go to them and confess your sin and ask forgiveness. Then grant them forgiveness and declare you continued love and relationship. It is better then bitterness and lost friendships. It really is ! 

Good Monday to each of you bloggers. Yesterday we had a great day at Liberty. It was great to honor all the Dad's present. We had the front of the auditorium fixed up like a work bench in a garage, and we had tools and tool box's . Each father was given a tool box and a choice of a tool. Pastor Chas sang a song entitled "Tools of The Trade" a special song for fathers. We had each father come to the front at the end of the service and spent some time in prayer for our fathers. In the morning we preached a message on "Our Heavenly Father" and in the evening Pastor Chas spoke on "Adoni our Abba Father and Jehovah Saboath". Pastor Chas did a woonderful job teaching us Also in the evening our Vacation Bible School stared and will run each evening thru Thursday starting at 6 p.m. untill 8 p.m.  We have over 60 workers helping this year. Please pray for VBS this week it is a very important time in our church. God uses VBS in a special way. Karen & I are in Chicago today and Tuesday. We wanted to get away  for a day or so , just to be together and talk about  our ministries and life. We will visit the newly weds, Rachel and Chris and see some sights. Please pray for Larry Henn, he is having another liver transplant this evening. This is very serious, lift him and Judy to our Heavenly Father!

We were just at Moody Bible Institute and it is always a moving experience for me to stand where D L Moody knelt and prayed for a Bible College. Today 140 years later it is still being used mightily. I pray that the Lord will use us and the Liberty family in a way like that.

 Good Friday to each of you. Sorry about yesterday and not blogging, I got to the office a little later than normal and started out with and appointment which is not the norm and after that I just forgot to blog. I looked at the counter and it seems a lot  of you were checking in so again sorry. We had good services last evening, it is always good to be with your Christian family and of course to open up Gods Word and study is one of my favorite things . I love reading and studying the Bible. Last evening we taught on "Right Thinking Makes Holy Living". That is a for sure statement. We must learn to have a Holy Spirit controlled mind. Now the mind and the brain are not the same. The brain has to do with the intellect. The mind has to do with how we use the intellect. It is like a Piano and a Pianist, the piano represents the brain and the pianist represents the mind. A lot of sounds and music can come out of the piano but the pianist is the one who controls that. Someone said that the worst thing this world has is " a man with a bad mind and a great brain" he is a clever devil. But the best thing this world has is a " man with a great brain and a great mind". Now the real battle of life is who has your mind, who controls your mind! 2nd Corinthians 4:3-6 tells us satan has blinded the minds of the lost, and that the only way we can have a good mind is to come to Christ via the new birth and have our minds converted. We must get saved to be able to have the kind of mind that will use the brain the way our Lord wants it used. The devil doesn't want the glorious gospel to penetrate our minds so he works tirelessly to keep us blinded. He will keep you from God's word any way he can. Why? To keep your mind under control. Some facts about the mind 1. The carnal mind must be converted. 2. The converted mind can be corrupted. Even after a person has been saved the and even though their mind now can be spiritual it also can be corrupted if we don't learn to give our Lord control. Read 2nd Corinthians 11:1-3. 3. The corrupted mind must be conquered. 2nd Corinthians 10:3 teaches we must not allow satan access to our minds or he will build strongholds in our minds and he will attempt to exalt his philosophies in our minds. He will instill doubt, fear, anger, bitternesses  etc  in our minds attempting to exalt himself in our life a the controlling lord. We must not allow him access and if he has strongholds in our minds we must drive him out with the Word of God, Prayer , The power of the Blood and authority of resistance by telling him he is not welcome in this territory, he must leave. We must dethrone him. Now he wont leave by our request he will only leave when we ask Jesus to drive him out in a legal way. 4. We must control the conquered mind. Once the mind is conquered now we must practice control. 2nd. Corinthians 10:5 we find we must bring into captivity every thought into obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. We not only must dethrone satan but we must enthrone Jesus. We must listen only to Christ and not satan. We choose our focus. We choose who and what we listen too. A glorious thought is you can only focus on one thing at a time. If that one thing is Jesus, guess who is in control. Lot's to think about. Have a great day! 

 Good Tuesday to each of you. Remember the day will go as you direct it. If you want to have a bad day you will but if you want it to be a good day you can make sure it happens no matter what. If you want it to be a negative day it will be if you want it to be a positive one just decide that is the way it will be. Our destiny's are what we decide, they don't depend on the happenings but on our responses and outlook. I know how at times that seems like it is only positive words especially when we are bombarded constantly with overwhelming circumstances unto already overwhelmed emotions. But we need to decide today to take charge of our lives by giving the Lord control and resting in His Sovereignty. The day will go a lot better and at the end of it you will rejoice that you took it on with the proper attitude of faith. 

Yesterday eve i left the office at 4 p.m. which is early for me but I had already spent 8 1/2 hours working, we changed clothes and went to our father and mother in-laws and worked until after 8 p.m. We did a lot of trimming shrubs and spraying for weeds, just a lot of different things. Karen's dad Pastor Rickner until this year has been able to do most all their own stuff but now has come the time of transition. He sat in the lawn chair and gave instructions as we worked. I am a blessed man to have had he and Marcele in my life. Through the years they labored in ministry and then helped Karen & I and the other children in so many projects that time will never give me enough to pay it back. It was a joy for us to help last eve and am sure will will have more to come and each time we will count our blessings that we have the opportunity to do so. It was a joy last night to have Beth and Ryan to also be helping and little Lucy was providing joy for Grandpa and grandma, and great grandpa and great grandpa and even for mom and dad. Folk this Sunday is Father's Day so don't forget to honor them. At one time I had 4 living fathers but now it is only 1 and that is my mentor, my preacher my helper in life. He and his wife have given many years of their loyalty and love, their advice and comfort, their practical labor. They saw to it that a church was built on the east side of Grant County and that thousands would hear the gospel. I was one of those for which I will be eternally thankful. They invested in a daughter with diligent training and presented to me a faithful wife who for over 34 years has been a wonderful completer of my life and ministry. 

Over the next several days maybe you need to go and "PULL SOME WEEDS AND TRIM SOME BUSHES", while there is still time. If your fathers are already gone honor them by telling some one about them, or just by meditating and remembering them.

Hope your week is one well spent for the King and His Kingdom!

 It is Monday morning and I am in my office a little earlier than normal but I always enjoy the quiet time when it is just me and the Lord. I am so thankful today for HIS constant presence. He never leaves us nor forsakes us.He is our Best Friend for sure. Thanks to each of you bloggers who have sent a comment the last several day's expressing your prayers for me and my family at this time. It always amazes me how a short word of encouragement can help a person so much. Just to know that someone, somewhere really cares about what you are facing and they want you to know. We each know how much our God cares and no human can compare with His unfailing love, but to know that you have friends who are also human that care , wow what a help that is. 

Yesterday was a good day at Liberty Baptist. It is the beginning of summer vacation season and we had our share of regular people away for the week. Yet we still had 735 in morning attendance. In the evening we had over 300.  It seems summer Sunday evenings attendance can go down on you so let me encourage each of our Liberty family to be careful not to let the good weather keep you out of church on Sunday eves. It only takes a few weeks till good habits are broken and bad habits begun. Last week at Liberty between the three main services on Thursday, Sunday morning and evening we had over 1400 in attendance. We had one adult make a profession of faith in the morning. We had several children saved at camp this week. PTL

Yesterday we preached from 2nd Kings chapters 2- 13. We looked in the morning on how to be a "Channel of Blessing Before your Death, and in the evening on being a "Channel of Blessing At Your Death and After Your Death. If you would like to listen to this message just go to www.libertyfamily.org and click on resources and then click sermons. It should be online by around 10 a.m. this morning. The message really spoke to my heart and I think it will yours. 

I need to go for now, we have much planned for the day. For all you Liberty folk we had another death touch part of our family. Cathy Skinner lost her step dad Kenny Kidd. He was only 61 years of age. Pray for Kathy's mother Joyce. Also pray for the entire family. I will be preaching this funeral tomorrow afternoon so your prayers are much needed. Have a great Monday!  

 The past five days have been days of great lessons to this preacher. Five days ago we celebrated the wedding of our youngest child. Then on Monday during staff meeting I received a call that my father Charles Bishir {83 years of age} had passed away. We immediately went to the hospital and spent the next several hours with family of all ages. That afternoon I learned that my mother {79 years of age} had aggressive cancer and that it was in both lungs, both breasts, in the shoulder, lympnodes, and other areas of her body. On Tuesday we preached the funeral of Lupe Contreas {61 years of age} who had battled cancer. PTL she knew the Lord and went to heaven. As we presented the gospel many prayed and asked the Lord to be their saviour. On Wednesday we spent the afternoon and Evening at the funeral home and saw many people we hadn't seen in years and was reminded of the cycle of life. This morning we attended the third funeral of a father. I now have attended the funeral of my step father John Heeter, who provided for me, taught me, showed me how to work. Then we also attended the funeral of my earthly father Howard Dawson who I found out was my real father at the age of 38. I am thankful we had some good years together before his death. And now the death of Charles Bishir who I thought was my father for the first 38 years of my life. Charlie was good to me through the years and was gracious in giving me his name to bear. He was always so thankful that I had taken his name and honored it through the years. I have always told people that the Lord must have thought I needed more help than the average person as He gave me five fathers, as I also have a wonderful father in my father-in -law Pastor Rickner and of course my HEAVENLY FATHER. The last few days have moved me internally so much that I am changing my messages on Sunday. I will preach a message entitled "Channels of Blessings". I want to look at how toe be a blessing in this life and after this life. Life is fast and is over before you know it. Many waste life and I want to look at how we can invest life in a better fashion. Thanks to all who came by the funeral home at the viewing and to the funeral. Hope to see you in church tonight and please pray for our family at this time. 

 WHAT DOES CHRIST WANT FROM US? 

  What does a conductor want from musicians?

     What does a teacher want from students?

       What does a boss want from employees?

         What does a coach want from players?

           What does a parent want from children?

             What does a general want from soldiers? 

               What does a ruler want from citizens?

All of these relationships have elements in common. Every leader desires his followers to take directions, make use of his help, do whatever is necessary to complete assignments, place loyalty to him above other relationship, and put his teaching into practice. When we consider what Christ wants from us, we may feel uneasy. After all, how we relate to Christ affects more than a musical performance or the outcome of a game- it affects all of our relationships, our eternal well- being, and our joy here and now. For many of us the demands may seem too hard to achieve. Even though we may admit that our relationship with Christ is not what it should be, we are afraid of the wholehearted obedience to Him will cost us. We wonder what the Lord really expects from ordinary people like us, and we also wonder could I really do that. Obedience is not just for a special few! We can follow Him and we can accomplish what He expects of us. He doesn't demand the impossible from us. He will do the impossible through us. He knows what we are made of, and He will patiently guide us as we learn more of Him and more of what it means to obey Him. He also offers His strength to help carry out His commands. What we must do is allow Him to change us. What He expects of us is to rest, to yield, to allow Him to do His work in us. He is the Jehovah M'Keddish - the Lord Who Sanctifies and makes us HOLY. May each of us cooperate with our  LEADER AND LORD!

Good Monday morning! It is a little rainy in northeast Indiana this morning but the weather has been wonderful  over the last 4-5 days. Thirty four years ago today Karen & I were on our first day of our honeymoon. It is hard to believe that it has been that many years ago. Another thing hard for me to believe is that our youngest child is on her honeymoon today. How thankful Karen and I are for being able to see all four of our children married to godly mates. Friday night we met at the "Hostess House" in Marion, In for our rehearsal dinner. The Brun's did a wonderful job in organizing the evening. The Pastor they had for over 20 years spoke briefly and the main emphasis was on Christian parenting. He did a wonderful job! The meal was GOOD! On Saturday it was spent entirely on the wedding. I was told by many that the ceremony was one of the nicest and most spiritual they had attended, I would agree. The presence of the Lord was there. I want to say THANKS to all our friends who chose to attend, it means so much!  Sunday services at Liberty were a blessing. In the morning we had over 750 in attendance. It was a blessing to have 29 people stay for church who had come to the wedding from Missouri and Tennessee. They were so complimentary of our church. Our Sunday School class had a special speaker John Nordman and his wife are missionaries to Australia and John shared all about their work in that country. Sunday evening Pastor Mike Click our Youth Pastor spoke in the evening service. He spoke on EL ELEYON the Most High God. Mike did a great job teaching us that HE is above all else.  The point that Mike made that really spoke to me was that we don't have to have all the answers. That God is so far above us that no person can know His thoughts always. And when we try to it can drive us into doubt and frustration. What we have to do is just have faith and trust Him anyway. It was a good message. Today we have Children's Camp starting. I think we have over 50 elementary children attending. Pray for Pastor Ryan and all the workers. I will be speaking to the children tomorrow evening and each of Liberty's Pastors will be speaking daily. God does great things at camps so let each of us pray the next 4 days for God's will to be accomplished. To all the Liberty family don't forget about Lupe Conteras's funeral. The viewing is 1-2 p.m. Tuesday and the funeral is at 2 p.m. on Tuesday at Needham- Storey North Chapel. I will preach the funeral and we are sure there  will be many lost souls who will attend. I plan on preaching the gospel so again pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to fall. Yesterday we had visitors from Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Mississippi, New York, and Pennsylvania. The two from Pennsylvania told me they read our blog consistently. It was good to hear of another who is reading. Make sure you leave a comment ever once in awhile. I have to go for now we have a heavy agenda today, I sure would appreciate your prayers. 

 Good Thursday morning to each of you readers today. Yesterday we spent at our home taking care of lot's of things. This weekend we will be having a lot of guests in and out because of Rachel and Chris's wedding. So we worked hard on many things getting ready for the BIG event. For the next Three days we will attempt to help Karen and many others get things ready here at the church for Saturday. I will be in and out of the office as we will be doing our normal ministry along with the extra. This will be the forth wedding we have had for our children. Each wedding was sweet and difficult at the same time. It is so emotional, filled with thanksgiving and praise for the Lord's bringing the perfect mate to your child. Our hearts are so filled with praise to the Lord for answered prayer in each of our four children's life. Karen and I prayed nearly every day since marriage for our children especially for the mate of God's choosing. And how He has honored prayer for our children. We are so proud of the mates God has brought to them. We count them as our Children also. Each of the mates the Lord has brought to our children are so special. It is such a blessing also to see your children move on into their own lives and begin their families. Yet with all the blessings come other emotions, memories of days gone by and wondering where did all the time go? How could this be already? How can our little Rachel be getting married already? It will be a blessing to take her hand and place it in Chris's hand but at the same time it will have to be a forced action. Our little Rachel, our youngest, we are so proud of her choices of life, especially her most important choice of repenting and receiving the Lord as Saviour and giving her life to Him. And her second most important choice of her life, her husband and how she will give herself to Chris this Saturday. We want to invite all our friends to celebrate with us in this LIFETIME event on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Liberty Baptist. 

 Good Tuesday morning to each of you bloggers. Wow we had a big storm come through our area last evening and for a little while it got pretty scary at our house. At one time I went to prayer asking the Lords will concerning our home and property not to mention human life. The wind was so powerful and after it passed I went out to survey the damage and there was lots of leaves and sticks but not one thing damaged on the house and not one tree lost not even a limb. I know that could not have happen without the Lord intervening! Thank you Lord for your protection. My wife and our three daughters were out in the storm and the Lord protected them also. Thank you Jesus for you being our strong tower. Have you praised the Lord for His glory today? Have you thanked Him for His provisions? Have you whispered or shouted praise to Him for His continued faithfulness ? God has brought each of us THROUGH many natural and spiritual storms, and he will continue to do so. He will deliver us from the storm of death and the greatest storm of the Lake of Fire. He is so wonderful, so good to us. I love Him and am so thankful for His wanting to be in my life now and forever! What ever storm you may be going through right now just remember He is in it with you, talk to Him, ask His aid and hold on to Him and joy will come in the morning. 

Please pray for Karen and others who have been working for quite some time already in preparation for Rachel and Chris's wedding. Today I will begin to get active as we begin the process of the final 5 days before the ceremony. It is a lot of work but it is worth it all. Have a great day!

 Good Monday to each of you! We had a very busy weekend to say the least, but very productive. On Saturday we started off the day spending several hours in prayer with other men. Our Saturday morning "Mens Prayer"  meeting is one of my favorite times of the wee. After prayer we went visiting with Karen and visited till around 2:30 p.m. with her then I went out on my own for awhile. Then I went to my sons house for a bachelor party for Chris Bruns who who will marry our youngest daughter this week. I went home at 9 p.m. and studied till 10:30 p.m. Then to bed and up at 6:30 a.m. and off to church. We attended 6 graduation open houses on Saturday and Sunday as well. Sunday services were well attended with 735 in morning attendance and 2 adults were saved in he second morning service along with 2 baptisms. PTL! After church we had to give attention to a couple of our families wo had a tragic car accident take place in the late afternoon on Sunday. Loren & Bernadette Hay's Daughter -in Law , Audra was driving a car with her 3 children Baily, Hunter, and Walker and a fellow ran a stop sign and broadsided their car. The two boys were taken to Dukes hospital in Peru, In and Audra and Baily was taken to Parkview Hospital in Ft. Wayne, In. Baily is going to be OK but Audra the mother is fighting for her life. She has swelling of the brain and severe head injuries. May each of us lift this family to the Lord. Dustin is the name of the father and husband of Audra. Jeremy and Larissa Sweet who also attend Liberty are touched by this tragedy as Larissa is Dustin's sister and Loren and Bernadette's daughter. I am praying for a miracle of Jehovah Rapha the God Who heals. also this week will be a very busy week for the Bishir home as we attempt to do all our duties along with getting prepared for the wedding of our youngest daughter Rachel. Pray for us this week when you think of us. Well I am late for our staff meeting so I need to get finished and get to the next thing on the agenda. Have a great week!