CAMPFIRE MESSAGES from Pastors & Ministers of ICCAN

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Comment by Lynn D. Walker on April 5, 2012 at 8:41am

Please visit us at COWBOY COUNTRY CHURCH

FROM THE PASTOR'S PORCH: What's in the can?

Well, it sure is a nice morning out here at the cabin. I'm working on my second cup of coffee out here on the porch. Woke with the old allergies raging and a bad sore throat, but good hot coffee has sure helped to sooth that quite a bit. You know, I not only like coffee, I also like the can that it comes in. Old coffee cans sure are handy to have around. I use them to measure and deliver feed to my horses, and they're real handy store all of your loose screws; my wife, Casey, says that I have quite a few of those!   

   Most of the new coffee cans are plastic now but I still have a pretty good collection of metal ones, too. But I have noticed that, plastic or metal, after a while my old coffee cans are looking pretty rough. The plastic ones are not as tough as the old tin ones. They get holes in them pretty easy. Especially if my dogs, Daisy or Otis, happen to chew on one that I've left out some where. Now the tin ones are much tougher, but they sure get to looking rough from getting all rusty. I guess they get to looking pretty bad because I'm using them in ways that they were not really designed for, and they are full of things that they were not intended to hold. They sure looked a lot better on the grocery store shelf when they were full of that good, rich coffee.

   Have you ever noticed what people get to looking like when they fill themselves with things they were not designed to hold; things like hate, anger, and confusion (SIN). Over time, just like my old coffee cans, these folks get to looking pretty rough and unhappy. That's what happens when you allow yourself to contain things that God never intended for you to have in you. The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:7 that we are “earthen vessels” but the Good Lord designed us to be full of Heavenly contents! I would like to encourage you today to dump out all the junk that's in your “coffee can” of life. Let Jesus fill you with Love, Joy, and Peace!! These are the things that He designed His “earthen vessels” to hold. These are God's Glory-gifts, and they flow from only one source; from the Presence of Jesus Christ in your heart.

    When your can,(I mean your life) is full of Heavenly contents, it not only makes your life look better, but also determines where you are going to spend eternity. Best of all, when other folks see how good you look when you get full of what you were designed to hold, they just might want to dump all the junk out of their life and join you!! I don't know about you, but I'm gonna have another cup of coffee and take a peek inside my coffee can to make sure there ain't nothing in there but coffee!! Thanks for joining me here on the porch and I pray that the good Lord will richly bless you. ~Walker

Comment by Lynn D. Walker on April 4, 2012 at 7:44am

Please visit us at COWBOY COUNTRY CHURCH

JUST FOR TODAY: If you are a born again believer, Jesus has planted a garden of Peace in your soul.  But don't let the weeds take this garden over.  The weeds I'm talking about are pride, worry, selfishness, etc....  As with all things, you can do nothing without Jesus, so don't try to weedeat the Garden by yourself. Jesus is the Gardener so make sure you spend quite time alone with him so he can shine His light on your Peace Garden.  His light makes the Peace grow abundantly and the weeds to shrivel up!!  Trusting in Jesus in times of trials also causes Peace to flourish and the weeds to die.  It may sound crazy to thank God for troublesome situations, but the Peace they can produce far outweighs the trials you endure.  (2 Corinthians 4:17)  ~Walker

Comment by Shane and Denise Jeter on April 4, 2012 at 12:46am

Apples of Gold, a devotional in Rhyme

April 4
Mark 4:41
"And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

He commands the winds and seas
And him they obey
Will you not come
To your creator today

He Longs to have you near him
To make your hurts subside
And have you close forever
And with you ever abide

Comment by Lynn D. Walker on April 3, 2012 at 7:58pm

Please visit us at COWBOY COUNTRY CHURCH

I'm not going to waste my time crying over spilled milk today, but I sure want to try and keep from spilling anymore. I have lost my share of God's opportunities and blessings because I was blinded from seeing them. Do you think God will hold me responsable for the things I didn't see? Of course he will. It's somebody's fault and it's sure not God's. Why? Because if I had been yielded to Him... and been obedient as I should have been, I would not have been blinded!! I'm going to give you some very good advice tonight. Draw close to God and He will draw close to you; yield your will to His and be obedient to His Word; Pray for the Holy Spirit to open your Spiritual eyes that you may never be blinded again. Then you won't find yourself sitting in sadness on a rainy day, pondering things that might have been. Thank you Lord for forgiving me and changing my world

Comment by Shane and Denise Jeter on April 3, 2012 at 9:51am

Apples of Gold, a devotional in Rhyme

April 3
Mark 4:9
"...He that hath ears to hear; let him hear.:

Will you hear his voice
Will you hear him calling
Will you believe
He came to keep you from falling

He will not force you
But he begs you please
Come to my throne
And fall to our knees

Comment by Lynn D. Walker on April 2, 2012 at 7:29am

Please visit us at COWBOY COUNTRY CHURCH

JUST FOR TODAY: "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:6)  Jesus is calling!!  He is calling you to have constant communication with Him.  The basic element in accomplishing this is to learn to live ABOVE your circumstances while remaining close to Jesus even in this cluttered up and troubled world.  We all wish for a simpler life where communication with the Lord would never be interupted but unfortunately that is not going to happen in the world we live in today.  We must learn to accept each day just as it comes, and find Jesus in the midst of it all.  If you are one of the blessed ones who have discovered how to do this, please pray for those who haven't.  ~Walker

Comment by Shane and Denise Jeter on April 2, 2012 at 2:59am

Apples of Gold, a devotional in Rhyme

April 2
Mark 2:17
"...They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

The Lord came for sinners
To heal and forgive
To give them a reason
And purpose to live

He loves them so dearly
That he gave up his son
And would have done so
To save even one

Comment by Shane and Denise Jeter on April 1, 2012 at 9:41am

Apples of Gold, a devotional in Ryme

April 1
Matthew 13:49
"So shall it be at the end of the world; the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just."

Do not fret yourself
Over what the wicked do
God has not left this task
In the hands of me and you

For at the very end
The angels will take charge
And do this simple work
Which to us seemed so large

Comment by Lynn D. Walker on March 31, 2012 at 8:20pm

Please visit us at COWBOY COUNTRY CHURCH

JUST FOR TODAY: Thank Jesus for the gift of His Peace. The Peace that Jesus gives is a God sized gift beyond our comprehension of it's magnitude. When Jesus first appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, the first thing he talked about with them was PEACE. Then and now, Jesus knows that is our deepest need....PEACE, wonderful Peace. Peace is given to calm our fears and clear our minds... from all the anxiety of this troubled world. Listen to Jesus; tune out ALL other voices so you can hear him clearly. He has designed you to live in His Peace all day long....every day. Draw near to Jesus and He will draw near to you...Draw near to Jesus and recieve HIS Peace....Today. (John 20:19 & Colossians 3:15) Dedicated to the Families of Junior Myers and Kenny Hurst~ Walker

Comment by Shane and Denise Jeter on March 31, 2012 at 1:28am

Apples of Gold, a devotional in Rhyme

March 31
Matthew 11:28-30
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Are you heavy laden
Do you need some rest
Here's an invitation
To come and be his guest

He will lift your burden
Give you back your peace
If to the Lord
Your life, you will release

Comment by Lynn D. Walker on March 30, 2012 at 8:59am

Please visit us at COWBOY COUNTRY CHURCH

JUST FOR TODAY: On the way to school today, I asked my Grandaughter what she wanted to pray about this morning. She replied that she wanted to pray that she would have a good day. I told her that was a good thing to pray for, but I asked her, "isn't that a little self-centered??" She looked at me with a sheepish grin and replied, "Let's pray for EVERYBODY to have a good day!!" A good prayer then turned into a great Prayer. So don't be surprised if you have a really good day today; Leslie and I have prayed it on you. May the Lord richly bless you today in all that you do. ~Walker

Comment by Shane and Denise Jeter on March 30, 2012 at 8:59am

Apples of Gold, a devotional in Rhyme

March 30
Matthew 14:36
"And a man's foes shall be they of his own household."

Sometimes it's a stranger
Sometimes it's a friend
The enemy can use almost anyone
Even those on whom we depend

So keep you eyes on Jesus
The one who knows the way
For then on the right path
You will be sure to stay

Comment by Lynn D. Walker on March 29, 2012 at 9:44am

Please visit us at COWBOY COUNTRY CHURCH

Church growth does not always mean counting more noses on Sunday morning.  Sometimes it means the individual Spiritual growth of the people we already have in church.  I am praying and encouraging ALL of you to attend your church's mid-week Bible study.  How can your Faith GROW if you do not grow in knowlege of the one you are supposed to believe in??  I am very serious about this; I am crying out to the Lord of the harvest to count more noses on Wednesday night at the COWBOY COUNTRY CHURCH Bible Study.  Starts at 7:00 P.M.  I encourage ALL of you "core" people who are already attending your church's Bible Study, and ALL of you pastor's to join me in praying for REAL church growth!!  ~Walker

Comment by Shane and Denise Jeter on March 29, 2012 at 9:20am

Apples of Gold, a devotional in Rhyme

March 29
Matthew 4:4
"...It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

Sometimes the bread of this world
Leaves us empty and alone
There is a place of refuge
At the Fathers throne

We need the words of Jesus
To make it throught this life
To lift us up on high
Above the fighting and strife

Comment by Lynn D. Walker on March 29, 2012 at 8:41am

Please visit us at COWBOY COUNTRY CHURCH

FROM THE PASTOR'S PORCH: Blessed are the Pure in Heart

   Last Sunday morning I woke up still tired and not feeling very well.  My old back was hurting and I just wanted to go back to bed.  But as the Pastor of COWBOY COUNTRY CHURCH, I thought it best that I shake it off and get my self around and get ready for Church.  When I get like that is when I really, really need to Worship the Lord.  There is something about Praising God and being Thankful that always Lifts me up and Strengthens me.  “There are things that happen in the presence of God that do not happen anywhere else.” ~Michael Blankenship.  So I took me a good blistering hot shower and started getting ready for Church. Now we all have a vision of how we want to look, right?  So next, I pick out my favorite red shirt, a fresh pair of starched jeans, put on my new boots, and my black hat and now I'm ready to head to Church.

     I'm looking pretty snazzy as far as my outward appearance for right now, but I have a problem.  You see I'm one of those people that if I eat or drink or work or do anything, I'm gonna get some of it on me. Sure enough, when I get to church and start greeting folks, one of the ladies say, “Preacher, what's that white stuff on the front of your pretty red shirt??”  OH, NO....TOOTH PASTE!!!  So I run to the restroom for a wet towel to remove the spot that has ruined the Purity of my personal vision of how I should look to other people.

   This is an example of having a vision of physical Purity about our outer being and how we look to others, but what is really important is our Spiritual Purity and how we look to God.  Now Purity is not innocence; it is much more than that.  “Purity is the result of a continual Spiritual harmony with God.” ~Oswald Chambers.  Thank God that our “inner” Purity is taken care of when God makes us Pure by an act of His sovereign Grace, and no one can touch that.  But we have to grow in our “outer” Purity with God.  Our life with God may be in right standing and our inner Purity unblemished, but every once in a while our outer life can get spotted or stained; we get a little tooth paste splattered on us now and again!!  God intentionally doesn't protect us from this possibility because this is the way we recognize the need to maintain our spiritual vision through personal purity.  If the “outer” level of our spiritual life with God is impaired or stained in any way, we must drop everything we are doing and immediately clean it up and make it right!!  We must always remember that our Spiritual Vision depends on our character.  You see we don't have to worry about God seeing us. God sees us no matter what condition we are in; clean or dirty.  What we must be concerned with is are we going to see God??    The moral to the story is:  stay clean the best you can, but if you do get a little something  in your life that doesn't belong there, clean it up!!  We must always remember Matthew 5:8 and that it is “the pure in heart” who will “see God”.   And next Sunday, I'm gonna try to remember to brush my teeth BEFORE I put my shirt on!!  ~Walker

Comment by Shane and Denise Jeter on March 28, 2012 at 10:21am

Apples of Gold, a devotional in Rhyme

March 28
Malachi 3:6-7
"For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed...Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts..."

The Lord changes not
And ever he is calling
His wayward sons and daughters
To keep them from falling

Come home, the clouds are gathering
I want you by my side
You need to be near me
So under my wings, you can hide

Comment by Lynn D. Walker on March 28, 2012 at 7:10am

Please visit us at COWBOY COUNTRY CHURCH

JUST FOR TODAY: Remember that God, the Giver, is infinitely greater than any blessing that He may bestow on you today. God delights in blessing you, but He gets very upsent when His blessings turn into idols in your heart. Even blessings from God can become idols if you let them distract you from your " First Love". Making God your ultimate desire is the only thing that protects you from idolotry. Stay in His Presence and you can enjoy the greatest gift of all...."CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY". Lord we thank you for your many blessing, but most of all we want to see YOU!!! ~Walker (Revelations 2:4 & Colossians 1:27)

Comment by Lynn D. Walker on March 27, 2012 at 7:36am

Please visit us at COWBOY COUNTRY CHURCH

JUST FOR TODAY: NOTHING!! That's right, NOTHING is as important as spending time with Jesus TODAY!!.....and everyday. Waiting on the Lord and spending quite time in HIS Presence is when He does His best work IN YOU. These are the times when He Transforms you and renews your mind. You must come to understand how important it is for you to have the mind of Christ!! If you skimp on the time you spend with Jesus, you will think wrong thoughts, you will hang out with the wrong people, and you will engage in wrong activities. Worst of all, you might even miss out on the richness of life that God has planned for you. When the pages in your Bible become ragged and also the knees of your jeans, you will not only see a change in your World, but in the World of others as well. (Romans 12:2) ~Walker

Comment by Shane and Denise Jeter on March 27, 2012 at 1:18am

Apples of Gold, a devotional in Rhyme

March 27
Zechariah 2:8
"...he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye."

When the world attacks
A Christian who is true
They are saying to God
I'm fighting with you

We are his children
The apple of his eye
To believe anything less
Is to believe a lie

Comment by Pastor Lynn Kirkland on March 26, 2012 at 3:06pm

During my prayer time today God brought to my remembrance a young man I met in Johannesburg Airport on my last trip to Zimbabwe. Fareid was a wealthy Egyptian of mixed descent. He told me his mother was a Christian and his father was a muslim but neither of them took their faith very seriously. Fareid was on a worldwide journey seeking the "truth". He had been to China, the US, India, and many other countries. He had been traveling for about ayear and was now on his way back home.

I spent about 1 1/2 hours sharing my faith with Fareid. Finally he told me that he had a mental understanding of what I was saying but could not accept it as truth. I reached into my pocket and felt some currency. At that moment I made my mind up that that bill was no longer mine but it belonged to Fareid. I pulled out a $5 bill and offered it to Fareid and explained that I had already determined it to be his. Fareid jammed both hands into his pockets and said "I cannot".

To this day I carry Fareid's $5 wherever I go. I pray that some day he will accept the truth of Jesus Christ. Please join me in prayer, right now, for Fareid and many like him that know but simply refuse the truth.

In His grace... Pastor Lynn Kirkland

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