Monthly Archives: March 2009

For the last three weeks, I have been helping our son remodel his newly purchased townhouse in America’s Finest City – San Diego. Scraping ceilings. Ripping out walls. Building stuff. Fixing drywall issues. Painting. Laying tile. While here, I have been visiting a Starbucks in Hillcrest which is sort of a mini-San Francisco city in that it is heavily populated with gays.

Yesterday, I forgot to bring a book with me so I picked up a gay newspaper. As I read it, I discovered what gays really want. And guess what? They want the same things that you and I do: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That’s why they are pushing so hard in the political arena for gay marriages, hate crimes, minority rights, etc. They want life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Now, let’s suppose they achieve every one of their goals. Happy days for gays? No, not at all. They will still be imprisoned by the cruel spirit of slavery and will not experience the life-giving spirit of adoption which can only come from Abba Father. How sad!

So, this is my prayer:

Father, send the Spirit of the Lord to anoint men to preach the gospel to gay communities. Let these men proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to their blind eyes, to set free these oppressed ones, and to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord for them.

Swimming Upstream appears at this blog site on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It’s  a little of this and a little of that, all written  to encourage and exhort believers in their Christian jouneys.

The founder of the Salvation Army, William Booth, received an urgent message from a lieutenant in a distant city. “Sir, we’ve encountered severe persecution. Some of us are in the hospital. Some are in jail. The rest of us are just hanging on. What should we do?”

Booth replied, “Keep doing what you are doing. The devil is upset. Don’t quit until he bows his knees to the lordship of Jesus Christ.”

America Christianity needs men with fire in their bellies. Men  like William Booth and Peter Cartwright. Men who are willing to take a righteous stand and care not what the consequences of their convictions may cause them. Men who are willing to get their noses bloodied, eyes blackened and hands dirtied. Men who are willing to stay on the battlefield until Satan has been put on the run in our nation’s cities.

Where are these men?

Well, they certainly aren’t sitting in pews. Statistics show that Sunday after Sunday, most men do not attend traditional churches. And as for men standing behind pulpits, half of them want to quit, stating that they are burned out. Not much help in churches.

Where are these men?

Most will be found in the same places that Booth looked for his men:  in cesspools of alcohol, opium, perversion and other deep sins. These men will be like the woman who wept and wiped Jesus’ feet with her tears. Though their sins were many, they will love much and have a passion for winning souls and seeing Jesus deliver others like themselves.

So, San Francisco, get ready. The Deliverer is on His way.

Swimming Upstream appears at this blog site on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It’s  a little of this and a little of that, all written  to encourage and exhort believers in their Christian jouneys.

The thirty year old man broke down when he heard the doctor’s report. “Six months to live. It’s not fair! What about the things that I haven’t done, huh?” he cried, tears running down his face.

The older doctor removed his glasses and shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry,” he said, not knowing what else to say.

“Okay,” the young man said, “what’s death like? You know,  tell me what lies on the other side?”

Again, the doctor shrugged. “I don’t really know.”

“What? You’re a Christian, aren’t you? And you don’t know? How am I supposed to have any hope?

A scratching and whining could be heard from the other side of the entry door into the room. The doctor stood up and walked over to the door and opened it. A golden retriever bounded in and eagerly sought affection from the doctor.

“Did you notice my dog?” asked the doctor to his patient. “He’s never been to my office before. So, he didn’t know what was on this side of the door, only that his master was here. And he had no fear about going through the door.” The doctor paused a moment. “I know very little about what’s on the other side of death, but I know this. My master is waiting for me, and that’s good enough for me.”

This was adapted from a pass along chain email sent to me by my daughter.