Redneck Sailboat

A Trail to Osteen and the Ethiopian Eunuch

It was a foggy start on the East Central Rail Trail that began at Green Springs in Volusia County and ended in Osteen.

Green Springs

I thought I was out for a day of exercise and site seeing, but it soon appeared I had an appointment with a man in Osteen. I keep a pocket full of pennies stamped with the Ten Commandments, just in case.

The trail from Green Springs to Osteen is just 5.7 miles, but that is just one way. I packed some trail mix, cashews and Gatorade for fuel. The trail ends at a roadside store, so I wasn't worried if I gobbled up everything just getting there.

My mother was born east of Osteen at her family's home off Maytown Road in Farmton. Dad would take us to Cow Creek to fish while Mom fried chicken on the bank. On afternoon trips to fish we always stopped at that store in Osteen. The sugar coated Ginger Bread Man was always my favorite. It's only a shell of the store it was then and as I reminisced with the new store owner, it was obvious he didn't speak English. He was staring at me like a calf looking at a new gate. "No speak English," he finally admitted.

Robert was gassing up his old pickup truck. He's done construction, a pool business and now clears land for a living. He said he was taking his equipment back to Charlotte because there just isn't enough work here now. He said he used to work at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, but it was also obvious he was originally from Syracuse, and not the South.

Finally, after a good conversation, I realized I would never see Robert again, so, I gave him one of my "pennies." He let me share with him the purpose of the penny with the Ten Commandments stamped on it and acknowledged that he understood what I was saying. He had to leave, so I reminded him that there are lots of folks like me in Charlotte. He agreed as he laughed and walked in to pay his bill.



Post Office

Inside Post Office

I decided I would take some pictures before heading back. I like to show people a picture of the old post office and tell them that this is downtown Osteen. There is a hole in the back door and you can see a box with cubby holes where they sorted the mail. There's an old organ, too. Not sure if this was also used for a church.



Osteen Feed & Hay

As I was walking back to my bike, I smelled some sweet feed. One of the pleasures of owning a horse is opening up a new bag of sweet feed. It smells better than most of the honey-bunches-of-oats we get for breakfast. I walked into the Osteen Feed and Hay store to just to get a big whiff.

It reminded me of the day I was with the preacher in Knoxville, Tennessee. We parked in front of a warehouse and the sweet smell was so inviting. I went inside and saw bales of tobacco stacked every where. I put my nose on one and sucked in a room full of air. "Man, if they tasted as good as they smelled......" oh, yeah, I was with the preacher.


After looking at all the new tack and feeders I met Bryant Lee. Bryant was the only one working there that day and a real pleasure to talk to. He lived in Deltona and loved working at the feed store. We had a lot in common. Bryant said he grew up in church, his Uncle was a Bishop at a church. Sorry, the church's name was too long to remember. I said, "So, you guys are tambourine whackers!" He laughed, "Yep, we do that to."

Bryant spoke fondly of church, so I asked him, "Sounds like you know you're going to heaven?" He said, "I sure hope to walk through those doors some day."

I asked him what he was basing his "hope" on. He told me how good he was and involved with the church growing up. Sounded a lot like my childhood, except for the "good" part.

I handed Bryant a Ten Commandment penny. Even as young as he was, it was difficult to figure out that the commandments were actually stamped on it. I told him that some people thank me, as if the penny was a good luck charm. But, it's actually written to show us we aren't good. We're all guilty of breaking God's law.

I asked Bryant if he ever "bore false witness," or told a lie. "Sure," he quickly admitted. "What does that make you," I said. "A liar," he agreed.

"Have you ever taken anything that didn't belong to you." "Hmmmmmm," he thought. "Come on now, you already told me you're a liar. Surely you've taken something, no matter how little, sometime in your life." "Yes," he said, "I'm a thief, too."

I told him that Jesus said if I look at someone with lust in my heart that I've committed adultery and if I hate my brother I'm the same as a murderer. That means that we are lying, thieving, adulterers and murderers. Besides, the Bible says if I broken one law, I'm guilty of them all.

So, I asked Bryant if he "stood before God right now, would you be guilty or innocent?" "Guilty," he said. "Would you go to Heaven or Hell." "Hmmm......?"

"You see, Bryant, if I could ever be good enough, then why did Jesus suffer and die for my sins? The Bible says that the 'wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.' Jesus already paid for my sins by His death when he said on the cross, 'It is finished.' All that needed to be done was done. Hell is for those who haven't put their trust in Christ and will pay with their death for eternity."

In 1 John it says that 'This is the record that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." And, "I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may KNOW you have eternal life." (Not hope, so).

I said, "John 3:16 says..." and Bryant finished, "For God so love the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

That's right.... do you see it? The only thing you need to do to get to Heaven is "believe." Believe that you are guilty of sin, that Jesus, the Son of God, paid your sin debt, and receive it as a free gift. How do you do that? You tell God, "I believe that, I accept what Jesus has done for me."

I told Bryant, "Do you realize that I rode my bike more than ten miles to tell you this today?"

In the book of Acts a man named Philip ran into the desert outside of Jerusalem to tell a man on his way back to Ethiopia the same message. The Eunuch from Ethiopia was in charge of the treasury for the Queen. He was a convert to Judaism and returning home after observing all that had just happened in Jerusalem. Perhaps, even the crucifixion of Jesus.

He was riding in his chariot and reading from the book of Isaiah:

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth

 Philip asked, "Do you understand what your are reading?" The Eunuch replied, "How can I unless someone guide me?" And Philip explained to him that Isaiah was talking about Jesus, the Christ who has taken away the sins of the world.


Bryant Lee

When they came to some water the Eunuch asked Philip, "What hinders me from being baptized," and Philip answered, "If you believe... you may."

"You see Bryant, we don't get to Heaven by being good, we get to Heaven by believing. Do you believe?"


"Yes, I do," he said.

"Then what hinders you... 'Nothing,' he said."

I asked him to tell God this, "Dear God, I admit that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for me. Right here and right now, I put my trust in Him. Come into my heart, give me eternal life. Thank you in Jesus name, Amen."

I like it when folks get excited when they understand that they have eternal life. When they finally "know" that "God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us.... All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them." Bryant said, "This has been a crazy day!"

Tell me about it. I have to ride all the way back. Philip just "appeared" back and preached his way to Caesarea!

Follow Me and I Will Make You Fishers of Men

The 10 - C Spoon

No, it isn't the "Tennessee" spoon or even the Alabama (RollTide) spoon. It is the 10 - C Spoon because I make it from a penny that has been stamped with the Ten Commandments.

And, it catches fish!

I order the pennies from the Living Waters Ministry (Ray Comfort). I like to use them to engage people in a conversation about the Law and then share good news of the Gospel.

Since I love fishing, I made one into a fishing lure. Now. I give them to others who want to join my Fishers of Men Club. Jesus said in Matthew 4:19, Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.

Join the club, there is no limit on the number or size that you catch!
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Justification by Faith

 by Oswald Chambers, October 28

 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. —Roman 5:10

I am not saved by believing; I realize I am saved by believing. It is not repentance that saves me; repentance is the sign that I realize what God has done in Christ Jesus. The danger is to put the emphasis on the effect instead of on the cause. It is my obedience that puts me right with God, my consecration.

Never! I am put right with God because prior to all, Christ died.

When I turn to God and by belief accept what God reveals I can accept, instantly the stupendous Atonement of Jesus Christ rushes me into a right relationship with God; and by the supernatural miracle of God’s grace I stand justified, not because I am sorry for my sin, not because I have repented, but because of what Jesus has done. The Spirit of God brings it with a breaking, all-over light, and I know, though I do not know how, that I am saved.

The salvation of God does not stand on human logic; it stands on the sacrificial Death of Jesus. We can be born again because of the Atonement of Our Lord. Sinful men and women can be changed into new creatures, not by their repentance or their belief, but by the marvelous work of God in Christ Jesus which is prior to all experience.

The impregnable safety of justification and sanctification is God Himself. We have not to work out these things ourselves; they have been worked out by the Atonement. The supernatural becomes natural by the miracle of God; there is the realization of what Jesus Christ has already done –

“It is finished.”

The King Lives!

http://getmorestrength.org/daily/the-king-lives/

His! by Oswald Chambers

His!

September 04, 2011

They were Yours, You gave them to Me . . . —John 17:6

A missionary is someone in whom the Holy Spirit has brought about this realization: “You are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19). To say, “I am not my own,” is to have reached a high point in my spiritual stature. The true nature of that life in actual everyday confusion is evidenced by the deliberate giving up of myself to another Person through a sovereign decision, and that Person is Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit interprets and explains the nature of Jesus to me to make me one with my Lord, not that I might simply become a trophy for His showcase. Our Lord never sent any of His disciples out on the basis of what He had done for them. It was not until after the resurrection, when the disciples had perceived through the power of the Holy Spirit who Jesus really was, that He said, “Go” (Matthew 28:19; also see Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8).

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). He was not saying that this person cannot be good and upright, but that he cannot be someone over whom Jesus can write the word Mine. Any one of the relationships our Lord mentions in this verse can compete with our relationship with Him. I may prefer to belong to my mother, or to my wife, or to myself, but if that is the case, then, Jesus said, “[You] cannot be My disciple.” This does not mean that I will not be saved, but it does mean that I cannot be entirely His.

Our Lord makes His disciple His very own possession, becoming responsible for him. “. . . you shall be witnesses to Me . . .” (Acts 1:8). The desire that comes into a disciple is not one of doing anything for Jesus, but of being a perfect delight to Him. The missionary’s secret is truly being able to say, “I am His, and He is accomplishing His work and His purposes through me.”

Be entirely His!

6 Habits That Produce a Great Life

H.A.B.I.T.S.  -  by Pastor Allen Foxworth, Deltona Lakes Baptist Church

Sometime back Stephen R. Covey wrote a book titled, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The book identifies 7 habits that will make the reader more effective in his personal and public life. Additionally, it claims that "this is powerful advice that will help you live a happier and more fulfilled life." (Available on cd for $49.95) How about a better deal than that?

The following is 6 HABITS that will produce perseverance, joy and fulfillment in life no matter how good or bad things get! The only cost is the time to read this article and the effort to implement the habits. WHAT A GREAT DEAL!

H. Hang Time with God

The most important habit we can develop is to spend time with God daily. The more the better, but remember God values quality above quantity. Choose a place and a time where there is the least chance of being interrupted. I have a place on my porch that I use. Praying or singing is allowed, but also listening. It may feel awkward at first but stay with it? It takes a little time to learn to  "Be still, and know that I am God." (Psalm 49:10)

A. Accountability

Last year we emphasized every attendee being a part of an accountability group. Here is the problem; many people have stopped their accountability groups. Just because the banner is down, doesn't mean the practice of accountability should end. Strong Christians have trustworthy accountability partners (note more than one). Begin today to gather a group of 3 - 5 devoted believers as accountability partners. "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:12 NIV)

B. Bible Study

To love God, we must first know God. We get to know God through reading the Bible. There are two ways we need to study the Bible. Alone (during our "hang time") and together in a small group (accountability thing). The Bible describes God's personality, it helps us to experience Him, it describes His attributes, and most importantly it repeatedly affirms His love for us. There are more than 7,000 promises God makes to us in the Bible. How many of them can you name? "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation." (Psalm 13:5 NIV)

I. Involved in Church Ministry

We serve God by serving His children. Not only those who are physically children, but all believers. We are all God's children. There are a multitude of ways to be involved in the church. Things like being a hall monitor for Kidz Force or watching the parking lot on Wednesdays. Spending one Sunday a month as a greeter or at the welcome center. Volunteering to help put up decorations for a church member or at the church once a year. Showing up for one or more of the quarterly work days we have at the church. These are only a few of the ways to be involved. There are way too many to name them all here.

T. Tithing

Why is money the second biggest reason people give for not attending a worship service (the biggest reason is hypocrites in the church)? It takes about $10K a week to pay the electric, water, montage, insurance, repairs, paper, Bible study materials, copy machines, office supplies, cleaning supplies, building maintenance supplies, alarm system, various licenses for audio and video, wages for nursery workers, maintenance and custodial staff, office staff, and pastors. In addition to that a % of each offering goes to support over 10,000 missionaries (in and out of the U.S.) through the Cooperative Program and Florida Baptist Convention. The main reason to tithe is BECAUSE GOD COMMANDS IT! "A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD." (Leviticus 27:30 NIV) P.S. Before someone says, "That's an Old Testament idea," check this out... "Well then," he (Jesus) said, "give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God." (Luke 20:25 NLT)

S. Sharing God's Love

Deltona Lakes Baptist Church (the people, not the building) is organized around two key quotes from Jesus. The first is known as the Great Commandments. The second as the Great Commission. The Great Commandments tell us to "Love God and Love People." (Matthew 22:37-38 paraphrased) The Great Commission tells us, "As you are going through life, make disciples of those you meet, baptize them, and teach them to obey God's commands." (Matthew 28:19 paraphrased) When we start developing the H.A.B.I.T. part of HABITS, the S. naturally begins to happen. After all, God wants EVERYONE to know HIM and love HIM.

What HABITS do you have? Class 201 is all about developing and maintaining these HABITS.