L.R. Shelton surrendered to the ministry in Louisiana in 1916. He pastored churches and preached numerous summer revivals for several decades. Shelton was reportedly powerful in the pulpit, leading many souls to the Lord. In 1941, while another evangelist was preaching a lengthy revival in the church he was pastoring, Shelton became convicted that he was lost. He left the last service of the revival without speaking to anyone and went straight to bed, tossing and turning. Shelton was “gripped with great fear as I realized I was lost and on the road to hell.”
The next night he took a train to Shreveport to meet a preaching engagement in his brother's home church. In his brother's home, he was left to face his spiritual condition. He thought to himself, “I cannot admit to others that I am lost. I will be an outcast. My reputation will be finished.” Shelton went on and preached both services. He returned home and told his wife he was lost. He told the church he was lost and offered his resignation. Shelton was soon saved, greatly comforted by the words written by the apostle Paul, “I know in whom I have believed.”
After being baptized, added to the church, surrendering to the ministry (again), ordained (again) and called by the church (again), Bro. Shelton continued preaching and pastoring while always seemingly engulfed in controversy over one matter or another.
“From The Plowhandles To The Pulpit” L.R. Shelton
Has anyone ever heard of this man? Can God use unbelievers to proclaim His Word? Or did Shelton just preach in the flesh and God blessed anyway?
Pre-Wrath Rapture Part 2
Pre-Wrath Rapture Part 2
The Pre-wrath rapture of the saved is supported by scripture and logical reasoning. It is the view that the return, resurrection, and rapture (R,R, & R) will occur at some point during the great tribulation, but before the day of God's wrath. In fact, it is the oldest interpretation of prophecy. Historically, Christians and Christian writers referred to the return of the Lord and the “day of the Lord” as the same event. As this is a blog and not a book, I will try to be thorough, but brief with each point. All italics are mine.
Old Testament Scriptures
1)Job 14:12 “So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
God's revelation to Job is that there will be a resurrection of the dead, but not while the present heavens remain. Rev. 6:12-14 pictures the present heavens receding as a scroll when it is rolled up. II Peter 3:10,12,13 place the passing away of the heavens with the coming day of the Lord.
The R, R, and R cannot be expected until after the opening of the 6th seal (Rev.6:12-17).
Logically, this reads,
a)the rapture occurs during the day of the Lord
b)the moon is turned to blood before the day of the Lord
c)the moon is turned to blood after the opening of the 6th seal
d)therefore, the rapture occurs after the 6th seal is opened & the moon turned to blood
This, paralleled with Job 14:12 seems to rule out the scriptural possibility of a pre-trib rapture.
2)Psalm 110:1,2 “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.”
Jesus will not disobey the Father's will. He will not leave the right hand of the Father until the specified time. The enemies of Christ are not defeated until the end of the tribulation.
3)Hosea 5:15 “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.”
Jesus will remain in His place until the Jews finally acknowledge their offence of rejecting Him. The Jews will not do this until after they are afflicted terribly by Satan and the anti-Christ. Towards the end of the tribulation, they will return to the Lord (Hosea 6:1-3, Zech.12:10).
4)Isaiah 26:20,21 “Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity...”
The inspired, Old Testament writers speak with one voice and all harmonize. The R, R, and R will occur towards the end of the tribulation, before the wrath of God is poured out.
New Testament Scriptures
1)The return, resurrection, and rapture occurs at the last trump (I Cor.15). This coincides with the 7th trump in Revelation when the kingdoms of this world, become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ (Rev.11:15). The scriptures must harmonize. If the last trump is not the 7th trump of Revelation, then the Bible lies. At the last trump, Rev. 10:7 records, “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished...”
2)Rev.11:18 “the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and unto the saints...” This teaches that the time of the judgment seat of Christ is just prior to the wrath of God at the end of the Tribulation. It will not take very long. Jesus said, “Behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be” (Rev.22:12).
3)Thess.2:3 “that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed...” What day? The “day of Christ” (v.2), or “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our GATHERING TOGETHER UNTO HIM, “(v.1). According to this scripture, the man of sin will be revealed BEFORE the return and gathering together unto him.
4)Matthew 24:29-31 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
5)Mark 13:24-27 is a parallel passage “then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.”
6)Luke 21:28 “And when these things shall begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”
NOTE: If Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, and Revelation 4:1 – 19:1 are not intended for “church age believers” shouldn't pre-trib disciples produce the Pre-Trib Bible. It would be much thinner.
Perhaps it could be called “The Church Age Bible.” (This is a weak attempt at humor. Please, don't be offended)
7)Matthew 13:24-30 The wheat and the tares “both grow together until the harvest”
8)Ephesians 3:21 “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout ALL ages, world without end. Amen.” The Pre-Trib Bible would need to read, “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages (except the tribulation period when Jewish preachers only will be preaching) world without end. Amen.” (There I go again)
9)Revelation 19:7, 11-14 The Marriage Supper of The Lamb harmonizes perfectly with the following: pre-wrath rapture at the last trump, judgment seat of Christ (Rev.11:18), marriage supper, and then the heavens opening and the wrath of God (Rev.19:11-15).
10)At the return, resurrection, and rapture, “death is swallowed up in victory” ( I Cor.15:54).
A pre-trib position means that this is not true for those saints whom the antichrist is wearing out or killing during the tribulation (Daniel 7:25). Since the remnant of Jews do not return to the Lord until the close of the tribulation (see OT Scriptures #3), who are these saints? Are they a mysterious people who were saved when the church and the spirit were gone? Are they clueless because all they could find was the thinner, Pre-Trib Bible? (I can't help it)
In conclusion, all scripture must harmonize with regards to the return of the Lord. To preach to people that with 100% certainty they will be raptured before the tribulation seems to be quite reckless in the face of so many scriptures which teach otherwise. I certainly would be pleased to be wrong so that my family and I are spared from tribulation. But scripture and logic do not lead me to believe in the pre-trib rapture. Whatever the case, Jesus' return will be glorious and may we ever pray, “Even so, come Lord Jesus.”
In this blog, I hope I have not offended anyone by poking fun at certain aspects of the pre-trib rapture idea. Those who know me are aware of my sincerity and my respect for others and their ideas.
The Pre-wrath rapture of the saved is supported by scripture and logical reasoning. It is the view that the return, resurrection, and rapture (R,R, & R) will occur at some point during the great tribulation, but before the day of God's wrath. In fact, it is the oldest interpretation of prophecy. Historically, Christians and Christian writers referred to the return of the Lord and the “day of the Lord” as the same event. As this is a blog and not a book, I will try to be thorough, but brief with each point. All italics are mine.
Old Testament Scriptures
1)Job 14:12 “So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
God's revelation to Job is that there will be a resurrection of the dead, but not while the present heavens remain. Rev. 6:12-14 pictures the present heavens receding as a scroll when it is rolled up. II Peter 3:10,12,13 place the passing away of the heavens with the coming day of the Lord.
The R, R, and R cannot be expected until after the opening of the 6th seal (Rev.6:12-17).
Logically, this reads,
a)the rapture occurs during the day of the Lord
b)the moon is turned to blood before the day of the Lord
c)the moon is turned to blood after the opening of the 6th seal
d)therefore, the rapture occurs after the 6th seal is opened & the moon turned to blood
This, paralleled with Job 14:12 seems to rule out the scriptural possibility of a pre-trib rapture.
2)Psalm 110:1,2 “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.”
Jesus will not disobey the Father's will. He will not leave the right hand of the Father until the specified time. The enemies of Christ are not defeated until the end of the tribulation.
3)Hosea 5:15 “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.”
Jesus will remain in His place until the Jews finally acknowledge their offence of rejecting Him. The Jews will not do this until after they are afflicted terribly by Satan and the anti-Christ. Towards the end of the tribulation, they will return to the Lord (Hosea 6:1-3, Zech.12:10).
4)Isaiah 26:20,21 “Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity...”
The inspired, Old Testament writers speak with one voice and all harmonize. The R, R, and R will occur towards the end of the tribulation, before the wrath of God is poured out.
New Testament Scriptures
1)The return, resurrection, and rapture occurs at the last trump (I Cor.15). This coincides with the 7th trump in Revelation when the kingdoms of this world, become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ (Rev.11:15). The scriptures must harmonize. If the last trump is not the 7th trump of Revelation, then the Bible lies. At the last trump, Rev. 10:7 records, “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished...”
2)Rev.11:18 “the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and unto the saints...” This teaches that the time of the judgment seat of Christ is just prior to the wrath of God at the end of the Tribulation. It will not take very long. Jesus said, “Behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be” (Rev.22:12).
3)Thess.2:3 “that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed...” What day? The “day of Christ” (v.2), or “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our GATHERING TOGETHER UNTO HIM, “(v.1). According to this scripture, the man of sin will be revealed BEFORE the return and gathering together unto him.
4)Matthew 24:29-31 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
5)Mark 13:24-27 is a parallel passage “then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.”
6)Luke 21:28 “And when these things shall begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”
NOTE: If Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, and Revelation 4:1 – 19:1 are not intended for “church age believers” shouldn't pre-trib disciples produce the Pre-Trib Bible. It would be much thinner.
Perhaps it could be called “The Church Age Bible.” (This is a weak attempt at humor. Please, don't be offended)
7)Matthew 13:24-30 The wheat and the tares “both grow together until the harvest”
8)Ephesians 3:21 “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout ALL ages, world without end. Amen.” The Pre-Trib Bible would need to read, “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages (except the tribulation period when Jewish preachers only will be preaching) world without end. Amen.” (There I go again)
9)Revelation 19:7, 11-14 The Marriage Supper of The Lamb harmonizes perfectly with the following: pre-wrath rapture at the last trump, judgment seat of Christ (Rev.11:18), marriage supper, and then the heavens opening and the wrath of God (Rev.19:11-15).
10)At the return, resurrection, and rapture, “death is swallowed up in victory” ( I Cor.15:54).
A pre-trib position means that this is not true for those saints whom the antichrist is wearing out or killing during the tribulation (Daniel 7:25). Since the remnant of Jews do not return to the Lord until the close of the tribulation (see OT Scriptures #3), who are these saints? Are they a mysterious people who were saved when the church and the spirit were gone? Are they clueless because all they could find was the thinner, Pre-Trib Bible? (I can't help it)
In conclusion, all scripture must harmonize with regards to the return of the Lord. To preach to people that with 100% certainty they will be raptured before the tribulation seems to be quite reckless in the face of so many scriptures which teach otherwise. I certainly would be pleased to be wrong so that my family and I are spared from tribulation. But scripture and logic do not lead me to believe in the pre-trib rapture. Whatever the case, Jesus' return will be glorious and may we ever pray, “Even so, come Lord Jesus.”
In this blog, I hope I have not offended anyone by poking fun at certain aspects of the pre-trib rapture idea. Those who know me are aware of my sincerity and my respect for others and their ideas.
Pre-Wrath Rapture (Part I)
I believe the Bible teaches a pre-wrath rapture of the saved. I respect the scholarship of my Christian friends who believe otherwise and I'm sure we can all rejoice in the Bible promise that Jesus will return. Yet I am also instructed to study, to show myself approved unto God, so that I can be a workman and rightly divide the word when I teach and preach.
Bro. Tom McElmurry, on his web-site tribulationperiod.com, has an excellent article under “Historical Rapture Teachings” wherein he has researched historically the “appearance” of the Pre-Trib rapture idea in the 1800's. It began with the visions of a Scottish girl, the idea gained acceptance and then exploded when Scofield included it in his Bible notes in the early 1900's.
This blog (Part I) will only address common arguments for the Pre-Trib rapture and how they fall short, in my opinion, of sound scriptural standards. The Lord willing, I will post Part II in a few days which will include scriptural reasons I believe the return, resurrection, and rapture will occur on the Day of the Lord towards the end of the Tribulation.
1)It is said that Titus 2:13 teaches that there are two parts to the Lord's return. “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing...” First of all “that blessed hope (Greek elpis, desire or confidence, which is the same hope as that of Col.1:27 “Christ in you the hope of glory) is distinct from the glorious appearing (Greek epiphaino, to shine, to show forth). Are they related in context? Sure. But do they somehow teach the rapture and then the glorious appearing seven years later? Absolutely not.
2)It is said that there is no mention of churches from Rev.4-19. I could discuss that point with several scriptures, but suffice it to say that just because the church is not mentioned does not mean that it is not there. This is called an “argument from silence.” In other words, could I say that the treadmill in the corner of my bedroom is not present simply because I have not mentioned it. Nonsense. The word church/churches is also missing from II Timothy, Titus, Hebrews, I & II Peter, I & II John & Jude. Do we assume that the church is not present simply because it is not mentioned?
3)It is said that Christ's return must be imminent. It is true that I should live my life in the light and hope of Christ's return. But can the idea of the imminent return of Christ supercede or take precedence over the Word of God? Example: Could Jesus have returned before the apostle Peter's death? No, because Jesus had told him how he would die. Could Jesus have returned before Israels' regathering? The answer is no because God's Word must be fulfilled. We are told to be aware of the times and the signs of His return. Why would Jesus say this if His return could have been at any moment after His ascension? The scriptures do not teach the imminent return of Christ so as to violate prophecy.
4)”God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ”
I Thess.5:9. The “ wrath” in this verse refers to the “wrath of God” that abides on an unbeliever. The contrast is between the wrath and the salvation that a believer has. If I were to use Biblical words in this fashion I could quote Jesus, “In the world ye shall have tribulation...”
The meaning of wrath and the context of I Thess.5:9 is clear. Yet even if one chooses to still interpret this verse incorrectly, it is still in harmony with a pre-wrath position as the wrath of God does not fall until the end of the Tribulation.
5)Thess.2:7 “he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way”
This states that the Holy Spirit will be taken out of the way, not out of the world.
6)The Bible says, ”no one knows the day nor the hour.” True. But the Bible does teach that a person can know the times and the seasons. In fact, God tells us to be aware of these.
7)It is said that God will remove the righteous before He exercises judgment on the unbelievers. True. The pre-wrath interpretation does teach that the saved will be removed before God's wrath (Isaiah 26:20), but there is NO guarantee that this will happen seven years prior to His wrath. I wonder what the millions of Christian martyrs think of the idea that all of the righteous will miss the tribulation because “God has better things prepared” for the saved.
For the sake of time and space, I'll conclude this as I know that there are several other Pre-trib arguments which could be addressed. Some of these arguments fail to reconcile the fact that several chapters in Revelation take the reader to the end, and then the next few chapters take the reader to the end while describing a different aspect of the same time frame.
To believe in a Pre-Trib rapture, I would have to believe in multiple resurrections, that when a rapture occurs and then saints are killed during the tribulation that death is really not swallowed up in victory, and that the last trump of I Cor. 15 is not really the last trump.
Pre-Trib arguments, to me, appear to be misinterpretations and wishful thinking. When I teach/preach on the Second Coming, I often share the main views of the rapture and then share why I believe the R, R & R will simply be a pre-wrath rapture. Part II soon.
Bro. Tom McElmurry, on his web-site tribulationperiod.com, has an excellent article under “Historical Rapture Teachings” wherein he has researched historically the “appearance” of the Pre-Trib rapture idea in the 1800's. It began with the visions of a Scottish girl, the idea gained acceptance and then exploded when Scofield included it in his Bible notes in the early 1900's.
This blog (Part I) will only address common arguments for the Pre-Trib rapture and how they fall short, in my opinion, of sound scriptural standards. The Lord willing, I will post Part II in a few days which will include scriptural reasons I believe the return, resurrection, and rapture will occur on the Day of the Lord towards the end of the Tribulation.
1)It is said that Titus 2:13 teaches that there are two parts to the Lord's return. “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing...” First of all “that blessed hope (Greek elpis, desire or confidence, which is the same hope as that of Col.1:27 “Christ in you the hope of glory) is distinct from the glorious appearing (Greek epiphaino, to shine, to show forth). Are they related in context? Sure. But do they somehow teach the rapture and then the glorious appearing seven years later? Absolutely not.
2)It is said that there is no mention of churches from Rev.4-19. I could discuss that point with several scriptures, but suffice it to say that just because the church is not mentioned does not mean that it is not there. This is called an “argument from silence.” In other words, could I say that the treadmill in the corner of my bedroom is not present simply because I have not mentioned it. Nonsense. The word church/churches is also missing from II Timothy, Titus, Hebrews, I & II Peter, I & II John & Jude. Do we assume that the church is not present simply because it is not mentioned?
3)It is said that Christ's return must be imminent. It is true that I should live my life in the light and hope of Christ's return. But can the idea of the imminent return of Christ supercede or take precedence over the Word of God? Example: Could Jesus have returned before the apostle Peter's death? No, because Jesus had told him how he would die. Could Jesus have returned before Israels' regathering? The answer is no because God's Word must be fulfilled. We are told to be aware of the times and the signs of His return. Why would Jesus say this if His return could have been at any moment after His ascension? The scriptures do not teach the imminent return of Christ so as to violate prophecy.
4)”God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ”
I Thess.5:9. The “ wrath” in this verse refers to the “wrath of God” that abides on an unbeliever. The contrast is between the wrath and the salvation that a believer has. If I were to use Biblical words in this fashion I could quote Jesus, “In the world ye shall have tribulation...”
The meaning of wrath and the context of I Thess.5:9 is clear. Yet even if one chooses to still interpret this verse incorrectly, it is still in harmony with a pre-wrath position as the wrath of God does not fall until the end of the Tribulation.
5)Thess.2:7 “he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way”
This states that the Holy Spirit will be taken out of the way, not out of the world.
6)The Bible says, ”no one knows the day nor the hour.” True. But the Bible does teach that a person can know the times and the seasons. In fact, God tells us to be aware of these.
7)It is said that God will remove the righteous before He exercises judgment on the unbelievers. True. The pre-wrath interpretation does teach that the saved will be removed before God's wrath (Isaiah 26:20), but there is NO guarantee that this will happen seven years prior to His wrath. I wonder what the millions of Christian martyrs think of the idea that all of the righteous will miss the tribulation because “God has better things prepared” for the saved.
For the sake of time and space, I'll conclude this as I know that there are several other Pre-trib arguments which could be addressed. Some of these arguments fail to reconcile the fact that several chapters in Revelation take the reader to the end, and then the next few chapters take the reader to the end while describing a different aspect of the same time frame.
To believe in a Pre-Trib rapture, I would have to believe in multiple resurrections, that when a rapture occurs and then saints are killed during the tribulation that death is really not swallowed up in victory, and that the last trump of I Cor. 15 is not really the last trump.
Pre-Trib arguments, to me, appear to be misinterpretations and wishful thinking. When I teach/preach on the Second Coming, I often share the main views of the rapture and then share why I believe the R, R & R will simply be a pre-wrath rapture. Part II soon.
21 Random Things
I was very much inspired by Jason Hebert's "Random Things" and his request for participation, so here goes....
1.I was named "Adrian" in honor of my Dad's best friend (who was killed in a motorcycle accident just before I was born).
2.My parents never let me have a motorcycle.
3.I am saved (stupid, sinful, greedy, selfish, vain) but saved.
4.My favorite program is "The Andy Griffeth Show" (I have entire dialogue segments memorized).
5.I was an All-State pitcher in high school baseball.
6.Due to a foot accident, I have only nine toes ("Could I get a discount on the pedicure please??")
7.Root Beer has always been my favorite soft drink.
8.I love my wife and kids more than they will ever know.
9.I have kept a reading list of every book I have read since high school.
10.Daily I take an aspirin, fish oil, Vitamin C, Glucosomine, and chromium.
11.The year that I retire from teaching history, I plan to instruct the students that we WON the Battle of The Alamo!
12.I have at least three unfinished novels under my desk at home.
13.I have actually preached a message "This Church Is For The Birds."
14.I always take a glass of water to set by my bed at night.
15.I study the Bible alot, but I don't pray enough.
16.I am truly humbled when I step into the pulpit to preach.
17.Purple is my favorite color.
18.I miss my grandparents.
19.I have future hopes of climbing Pico de Orizaba in Mexico and then Aconcagua in Argentina.
20.I bleed Houston Astro.
21.I love Malachi 3:16,17.
God Bless........
1.I was named "Adrian" in honor of my Dad's best friend (who was killed in a motorcycle accident just before I was born).
2.My parents never let me have a motorcycle.
3.I am saved (stupid, sinful, greedy, selfish, vain) but saved.
4.My favorite program is "The Andy Griffeth Show" (I have entire dialogue segments memorized).
5.I was an All-State pitcher in high school baseball.
6.Due to a foot accident, I have only nine toes ("Could I get a discount on the pedicure please??")
7.Root Beer has always been my favorite soft drink.
8.I love my wife and kids more than they will ever know.
9.I have kept a reading list of every book I have read since high school.
10.Daily I take an aspirin, fish oil, Vitamin C, Glucosomine, and chromium.
11.The year that I retire from teaching history, I plan to instruct the students that we WON the Battle of The Alamo!
12.I have at least three unfinished novels under my desk at home.
13.I have actually preached a message "This Church Is For The Birds."
14.I always take a glass of water to set by my bed at night.
15.I study the Bible alot, but I don't pray enough.
16.I am truly humbled when I step into the pulpit to preach.
17.Purple is my favorite color.
18.I miss my grandparents.
19.I have future hopes of climbing Pico de Orizaba in Mexico and then Aconcagua in Argentina.
20.I bleed Houston Astro.
21.I love Malachi 3:16,17.
God Bless........
Why Climb?
Climbing has become a passion. To the question, "Why climb mountains?" there is really no adequate answer. Everest climber George Mallory when asked, "Why climb Everest?" responded "Because it's there."
I experience climbing as not a contest against the mountain, but a contest against myself. The conditioning, the planning, the begging of Tracy of how the next mountain is vital to our family welfare...all of this is part of the experience. The actual climb and peak experience is just the last chapter of the book, so to speak. But oh how that last chapter is interesting.
With the climb is the realization that I'm not 18 anymore. With the climb is the importance of what to pack in your backpack and who to accompany you, if anyone. With the climb is the importance of weather assessment (which can be vital above the treeline at 12,000 feet...there is not much for lightening to strike at this altitude except you). With the climb is varying degrees of risk, dependent upon the location. With all of these factors there are great possibilities.....of a glorious experience or a disaster.
My best experience in the mountains thus far was in July of 2008. Our teens at Oak Flat MBC and sponsors climbed Mt. Red Cloud in Colorado. We began at 5:00 A.M. and climbed steadily for hours. My daughter Meagan became altitude sick at about 13,000 feet. We were well above the treeline and basically perched on rocky switchbacks about two feet wide. She "hurled" twice and another teenager became sick also. I began to question my sanity in planning this and then realized, with sick kids and expansive drop-offs at our feet, why we had been required to sign waiver forms before coming to this camp. Our guides gave Meagan medicine and Gatorade gel tablets and soon we were climbing again. We made it to a false summit and then traversed the ridge that connected to the Red Cloud summit. Winds were strong, our breathing was very labored, and the ridge was only 3 feet wide or so with tremendous 2,000 foot drops on each side.
When we summitted (1:00 P.M.), we prayed, we celebrated, and we all felt stronger because of the experience.
My worst experience happened in the summer of 2007 on the Williams Creek trail near Lake City, Colorado. Tracy, myself and the kids began this trail as we were told that this was a great family hike. After a mile or so, the trail narrowed and intensified. At about 11,000 feet, we were on a shelf path when Logan slipped and began falling off the path. His yell alerted Meagan and she reached out quickly and grabbed his shirt near the back of his neck. She and I then pulled him up. We immediately began holding hands and descending. He would have been seriously injured or could have died in the fall. I thank God regularly for watching out for us and I have not taken the boys back to the mountians since. I periodically remind myself when climbing, "No mistakes."
Why climb? I don't know. Is it because the mountains are there? Is it the addictive exposure to intoxicating views? Is it a reminder of who created it all? Is it the physical activity? Is it the risk involved which causes other concerns in life to vanish? Or is it due to repeated exposure to lack of sufficient oxygen? I do know this. There is no known cure at this time.
I experience climbing as not a contest against the mountain, but a contest against myself. The conditioning, the planning, the begging of Tracy of how the next mountain is vital to our family welfare...all of this is part of the experience. The actual climb and peak experience is just the last chapter of the book, so to speak. But oh how that last chapter is interesting.
With the climb is the realization that I'm not 18 anymore. With the climb is the importance of what to pack in your backpack and who to accompany you, if anyone. With the climb is the importance of weather assessment (which can be vital above the treeline at 12,000 feet...there is not much for lightening to strike at this altitude except you). With the climb is varying degrees of risk, dependent upon the location. With all of these factors there are great possibilities.....of a glorious experience or a disaster.
My best experience in the mountains thus far was in July of 2008. Our teens at Oak Flat MBC and sponsors climbed Mt. Red Cloud in Colorado. We began at 5:00 A.M. and climbed steadily for hours. My daughter Meagan became altitude sick at about 13,000 feet. We were well above the treeline and basically perched on rocky switchbacks about two feet wide. She "hurled" twice and another teenager became sick also. I began to question my sanity in planning this and then realized, with sick kids and expansive drop-offs at our feet, why we had been required to sign waiver forms before coming to this camp. Our guides gave Meagan medicine and Gatorade gel tablets and soon we were climbing again. We made it to a false summit and then traversed the ridge that connected to the Red Cloud summit. Winds were strong, our breathing was very labored, and the ridge was only 3 feet wide or so with tremendous 2,000 foot drops on each side.
When we summitted (1:00 P.M.), we prayed, we celebrated, and we all felt stronger because of the experience.
My worst experience happened in the summer of 2007 on the Williams Creek trail near Lake City, Colorado. Tracy, myself and the kids began this trail as we were told that this was a great family hike. After a mile or so, the trail narrowed and intensified. At about 11,000 feet, we were on a shelf path when Logan slipped and began falling off the path. His yell alerted Meagan and she reached out quickly and grabbed his shirt near the back of his neck. She and I then pulled him up. We immediately began holding hands and descending. He would have been seriously injured or could have died in the fall. I thank God regularly for watching out for us and I have not taken the boys back to the mountians since. I periodically remind myself when climbing, "No mistakes."
Why climb? I don't know. Is it because the mountains are there? Is it the addictive exposure to intoxicating views? Is it a reminder of who created it all? Is it the physical activity? Is it the risk involved which causes other concerns in life to vanish? Or is it due to repeated exposure to lack of sufficient oxygen? I do know this. There is no known cure at this time.
Life In Nealville
Life in Nealville has been good of late. All three kids are playing basketball so many weeknights and half of Saturdays are spent in the gym. The game is so rough these days. Do the rules still say that basketball is a "non-contact sport?" It is football without pads and sadly has become not a game of skill, but of strength. Enough whining.
I have been preaching weekly, usually with appointments a month in advance. I have enjoyed visiting and preaching in many churches that I have never been to before. It is really heart-warming to see churches where people hold hands, pray together, and love to talk about the Lord and how He is working their life. It is sad to walk into bleak churches with seemingly no life, no interest in youth or their spiritual needs, and a "circle the wagons" mentality. I'm not being mean or judgmental, just observant and prayerful for those who seem to have lost their joy and purpose for Christian living. Tracy, of course, holds down the home front when I'm gone.
To be honest, if I'm not home, things roll along fine. If Tracy is away, things begin to disintegrate
like BJ Penn in the Octagon (sorry Jason).
To close today's blog, I'd like to include some jocularity (that's for egregious grammarians like Mike Wilkes) to lighten the day.
FUNNY SPORTS QUOTES
On this team, we are all united in a common goal: to keep my job.-- Lou Holtz
We can't win at home. We can't win on the road. I just can't figure out where else to play!-- Pat Williams
I'd run over my mother to win the Super Bowl.-- Russ Grimm
Mike Tyson interviewed after being knocked silly by Lennox Lewis:
“I take my hand off to him...” (perhaps hat?)
In the same interview moments later:
“I think I'll just fade into Bolivian.” (perhaps oblivion?)
Mountain climber on falling:
“If you fall, act like you're swimming to amuse your friends.”
Edwin Drummond, recalling his rescue on a solo attempt off the North American Wall after a 12 day storm:
“I knew I was in trouble when my toots came out cold.”
Rick White, lying half conscious after falling 200 meters off Mt. Shivling, when his partner Greg Child finally reached him said:
“I think I took the fast way down.”
I have been preaching weekly, usually with appointments a month in advance. I have enjoyed visiting and preaching in many churches that I have never been to before. It is really heart-warming to see churches where people hold hands, pray together, and love to talk about the Lord and how He is working their life. It is sad to walk into bleak churches with seemingly no life, no interest in youth or their spiritual needs, and a "circle the wagons" mentality. I'm not being mean or judgmental, just observant and prayerful for those who seem to have lost their joy and purpose for Christian living. Tracy, of course, holds down the home front when I'm gone.
To be honest, if I'm not home, things roll along fine. If Tracy is away, things begin to disintegrate
like BJ Penn in the Octagon (sorry Jason).
To close today's blog, I'd like to include some jocularity (that's for egregious grammarians like Mike Wilkes) to lighten the day.
FUNNY SPORTS QUOTES
On this team, we are all united in a common goal: to keep my job.-- Lou Holtz
We can't win at home. We can't win on the road. I just can't figure out where else to play!-- Pat Williams
I'd run over my mother to win the Super Bowl.-- Russ Grimm
Mike Tyson interviewed after being knocked silly by Lennox Lewis:
“I take my hand off to him...” (perhaps hat?)
In the same interview moments later:
“I think I'll just fade into Bolivian.” (perhaps oblivion?)
Mountain climber on falling:
“If you fall, act like you're swimming to amuse your friends.”
Edwin Drummond, recalling his rescue on a solo attempt off the North American Wall after a 12 day storm:
“I knew I was in trouble when my toots came out cold.”
Rick White, lying half conscious after falling 200 meters off Mt. Shivling, when his partner Greg Child finally reached him said:
“I think I took the fast way down.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)