James 'The Giant' Croft preaches from two pulpits

The 3-foot-10 Baker County commissioner is also a Southern Baptist evangelist

Posted: April 27, 2013 - 7:47pm  |  Updated: April 28, 2013 - 5:58pm

By Jim Schoettler

  

James 'The Giant' Croft preaches from two pulpits

The Florida Times-Union

Jim Schoettler

April 28, 2013 5:58 PM EDT

Copyright 2013 The Florida Times-Union. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

MACCLENNY | The budget brainstorming session started with few ideas and periods of silence before a man known as The Giant joined his fellow Baker County commissioners.

James Croft balanced himself on two canes as he slowly made his way to his chair. Croft apologized for being late to a meeting he called, pulled out a list and started rattling off ideas including, privatizing county workers’ jobs.

“We can’t be afraid to step outside of the box … to do things different than before,” Croft, 54, said during the mid-April session.

It’s the same passion the 3-foot-10 Croft speaks with from another pulpit: the church. The Southern Baptist evangelist has spread the gospel for 20 years in churches across the Southeast and on mission trips as far as Africa.

“This is the most important thing that I do because it will carry into eternity,” Croft said of his preaching. “What I do for the Lord Jesus Christ may get someone to heaven.”

He packs his sermons with folksy stories and a powerful oratory that captivates people, said Vernon Bennett, a deacon at the First Baptist Church of Glen St. Mary.

“It seems like when he gets before the church, the Lord just gives him the words to say and it just rolls out,” Bennett said.

Croft, given his Giant nickname as a radio disc jockey, served as a commissioner in the 1980s and won his seat again last year. While he saves most of his preaching for the pulpit, Croft believes in applying Christian principles to government and occasionally quotes scripture during meetings.

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2013-04-27/story/james-giant-croft-preaches-two-pulpits#ixzz2RoZVhEcx

View additional photos for this story by Bruce Lipsky.

Survey: Doctrine remains a struggle in churches

NASHVILLE (BP) -- While many Christians have a grasp of important doctrinal positions, some church-goers struggle with basic truths about salvation, the Bible and the nature of God.

A LifeWay Research study on "Doctrinal Positions," released April 5, shows 81 percent of churchgoers agree, in regard to salvation, that "When you die, you will go to heaven because you have confessed your sins and accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior."

Yet 26 percent of church-goers concurrently believe that "If a person is sincerely seeking God, he/she can obtain eternal life through religions other than Christianity," while 57 percent disagree.

"Consumers in America are accustomed to having endless combinations of choices for every want in life," said Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research. "Biblical truth is radical because it teaches that eternal life is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ alone."

Read more of this story on Baptist Press.

Florida Baptist Witness Article About Evangelist's Recent Election

3-foot-10 evangelist returns to county office returns after 24-year hiatus

 

‘Miraculous’ election seen in overcoming health scare, well-funded incumbent

Dec 6, 2012
By JAMES A. SMITH SR.

OLUSTEE (FBW)—Evangelist James Croft stands only 3-feet, 10-inches tall, but he has big plans for the Baker County Commission, returning to office seeking to fix the county’s budget problems after a more than two-decade hiatus.

Croft, a vocational evangelist widely known in north Florida and south Georgia for his unique ministry, was elected during the August primary, edging out the Republican incumbent with 53 percent of the vote. With no general election opposition, Croft was officially elected in November, taking the oath of office in a Nov. 20 ceremony.

After regularly attending the County Commission meetings in the last two years and concerned about deficit spending, Croft said citizens began to urge him to seek reelection to the body that he first served 1984-1988 before losing a reelection bid. In 1992, he failed in an attempt to return to office.

Although initially resisting the idea of returning to politics, Croft, 54, prayed about the matter and in April decided to seek election, for which he quickly qualified. In May, however, he almost died during gall bladder surgery.

NOTE: Read the entire article at GoFBW.com.

As Titanic sank, he pleaded, 'believe in the Lord Jesus!'

Posted on Baptist Press, Apr 13, 2012 | by Douglas W. Mize

John Harper

Editor's note: Sunday (April 15) is the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.

TAYLORS, S.C. (BP) -- It has been 100 years since Titanic, the greatest ship of its time, sank on its maiden voyage, killing more than 1,500 passengers. The "unsinkable ship" had done just that, and on the tragedy's centennial we stand captivated by the story. Many movies, documentaries and books have familiarized us with some of the passengers, such as entrepreneur John Jacob Astor IV or the "Unsinkable" Molly Brown. Yet one of the supreme stories of the Titanic involves a heroic pastor and his passion to save lives and souls.

When pastor and preacher John Harper and six year old daughter boarded the Titanic it was for the privilege of preaching at one of the greatest churches in America, Moody Church in Chicago, named for its famous founder Dwight L. Moody. The church was anxiously awaiting his arrival not only because of the pending services, but to meet their next pastor, as Harper planned to accept their invitation. Harper was known as an engaging preacher and had pastored two churches in Glasgow and London. His preaching style was suited for an evangelist as testified by the words of another local pastor. "He was a great open-air preacher and could always command large and appreciative audiences. ... He could deal with all kinds of interrupters, his great and intelligent grasp of Bible truths enabling him to successfully combat all assailants."

When the Titanic hit the iceberg, Harper successfully led his daughter to a lifeboat. Being a widower he may have been allowed to join her but instead forsook his own rescue, choosing to provide the masses with one more chance to know Christ. Harper ran person to person, passionately telling others about Christ. As the water began to submerge the "unsinkable" ship, Harper was heard shouting, "women, children, and the unsaved into the lifeboats." Rebuffed by a certain man at the offer of salvation Harper gave him his own life vest, saying, "you need this more than I do." Up until the last moment on the ship Harper pleaded with people to give their lives to Jesus.

Read more of this story on Baptist Press.

Artist Thomas Kinkade dies in California at age 54

"Sunrise, a Prayer of Hope for the Millenium"

SAN FRANCISCO –  Artist Thomas Kinkade, whose brushwork paintings of idyllic landscapes, cottages and churches have been big sellers for dealers across the United States, died Friday, a family spokesman said.

Kinkade, 54, died at his home in Los Gatos in the San Francisco Bay Area of what appeared to be natural causes, David Satterfield said.

Kinkade's sentimental paintings, with their scenes of country gardens and churches in dewy morning light, were beloved by middlebrow America but reviled by the art establishment. He claimed to be the nation's most collected living artist, and his paintings and spin-off products were said to fetch some $100 million a year in sales, and to be in 10 million homes in the United States.

Read more on FOX News.

NOTE: The painting shown, "Sunrise, a Prayer of Hope for the Millenium", was described by Kinkade this way: "As we approach the year 2000, I feel compelled as an artist to celebrate not the passing of the old millennium but the beginning of the new millennium.  To me the new millennium represents a pivotal point in human-history—a chance to change the world for the better."

I thought this was an appropriate painting and description with tomorrow being Easter Sunday.

Sharing JOY on WJTK

By Ken Allen, WJTK 96.5 FM, The Jet

• Tue, Dec 20, 2011- The James Croft Evangelistic Association has kicked-off its JOY Box Ministry for 2012.  JCEA is again collecting plastic shoe boxes filled with small gift items for residents in Baker & Columbia Counties nursing homes.  The boxes may contain a variety of items including shampoo, body wash, puzzle book, magnifying glass, and socks.  A copy of God’s Word is also placed in each box.  Last year churches of various denominations, individuals, businesses, school clubs and organizations shared “JOY” by preparing shoe boxes.  James Croft was a guest on 96.5 the Jet, WJTK's North Florida Today show to talk about the Joy Box Ministry.  The interview is below.

Brazilian drug lord receptive to the Gospel

NOTE:  This is a fascinating and true story about a Southern Baptist Missionary in a dangerous area of the world.  Feel free to post your comments about the story and video by clicking "comments" below.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (BP) -- A drug lord called "The Godfather" wanted Eric Reese dead.

Reese, an IMB missionary in Brazil who works in the gang-controlled favelas (slums) of Rio de Janeiro, often ministers to gang leaders, drug dealers and prostitutes, frequently finding himself in dangerous situations on streets where violence often rules. In seeking to take every step with faith in following God's call to go wherever people need Jesus, Reese has gained a reputation for being a man everyone can trust.

During the past year, The Godfather began to experience a change of heart and invited Reese to come share God's Word with him on a monthly basis.

As my colleagues and I planned our media coverage to tell how God is using Reese and his wife Ramona in Rio, Reese asked if we would be willing to interview The Godfather. Cautiously, we agreed and began the process of gaining access to him.

Weeks before arriving, we were asked to send in photos of ourselves, so The Godfather's guards could recognize us. Then we had to submit our interview questions for prior approval.

Read the entire story on Baptist Press.

Did You Talk "Trash" Today?

Today, November 15th, is America Recycles Day. This would have been the perfect day to talk a little "trash" and really mean it!!  8-)

America Recycles Day, an initiative of Keep America Beautiful, is the only nationally recognized day and community-driven national awareness event dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States.

Since its inception in 1997, communities across the country have participated in America Recycles Day on November 15 to promote environmental citizenship, educate and encourage action. Through America Recycles Day, KAB empowers communities to educate and directly engage their citizens in the act of recycling.

Follow America Recycles Day on Facebook and Twitter.

Southern Baptist Convention Name Change?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- Southern Baptist Convention President Bryant Wright has announced the appointment of a presidential task force to study the prospect of changing the 166-year-old convention's name.

Wright, who was re-elected to a second one-year term during the SBC annual meeting in Phoenix this past June, said he believes the study will be helpful for two main reasons.

"First, the convention's name is so regional," he said. "With our focus on church planting, it is challenging in many parts of the country to lead churches to want to be part of a convention with such a regional name. Second, a name change could position us to maximize our effectiveness in reaching North America for Jesus Christ in the 21st century."

Wright announced the task force during the opening session of the SBC Executive Committee's Sept. 19-20 meeting in Nashville, Tenn.

Read more of this story on Baptist Press.

Australia To Remove Christ From Textbooks

By Todd Starnes

Christians in Australia are accusing national education officials of “Christian cleansing” in response to pending changes in school books that would remove references to the birth of Jesus Christ.

The government would replace the terms BC, Before Christ, and AD, Anno Domini, with non-religious language. The new terms will be BCE (Before Common Era), BP (Before Present) and CE (Common Era).

A spokesman for the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority told The Herald Sun that the new terms were an increasingly common standard for the representation of dates.

Peter Jensen, the Archbishop of Sydney, told The Daily Telegraph that taking references to the birth of Jesus Christ out of school books was an “intellectually absurd attempt to write Christ out of human history.”

Read more of this story on FOX News Radio.

2,000-Year-Old Biblical Burial Box Reveals Clue About Death of Jesus

Rare inscriptions on a 2,000-year-old burial box may provide fresh insight to the death of Jesus Christ, researchers said.

Called an ossuary, the limestone box could reveal the home of Caiaphas, the high priest involved in the crucifixion of Jesus. The Israel Antiquities Authority, which confiscated the ossuary from looters three years ago, passed it along to Prof. Yuval Goren of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Archaeology who led the authentication effort.

"Beyond any reasonable doubt, the inscription is authentic," Goren said, after conducting a thorough examination of the limestone box, which boasts decorative rosettes in addition to the inscription.

Goren’s findings mean the unusually descriptive inscription sheds light on one of the men behind Jesus’ death. The full inscription reads: "Miriam daughter of Yeshua son of Caiaphus, priest of Maaziah from Beth Imri," naming the deceased within the context of three generations and a potential location.

Read more of this story on FOX News.

Campus Removes "Christ"

By Todd Starnes

One of the nation’s most prominent Christian ministries has decided to take Christ out of its name – a move that has generated cries of political correctness from within the evangelical community.

Campus Crusade for Christ International announced this week that it will change the name of its U.S. Operations to “Cru” in early 2012.

“We felt like our name was getting in the way of accomplishing our mission,” said Steve Sellers, the vice president for Campus Crusade, noting that the ministry will still be committed to “proclaiming Christ around the world.”

Sellers said researchers found that nine percent of Christians and 20 percent of non-Christians were alienated by the name Campus Crusade for Christ.

Read more of this story on FOX News Radio.

Federal judge rules Dixie County 10 Commandments monument unconstitutional

GAINESVILLE (NSF) -- A federal judge in Gainesville has ordered Dixie County to remove a six-ton granite monument of the Ten Commandments with the message, “Love God and Keep His Commandments,” from the front of the county’s courthouse in Cross City, located about an hour west of Gainesville.

The Dixie County Commission authorized the monument in 2006, and the ACLU of Florida sued. U.S. District Judge Maurice Paul ruled July 15 against the county and ordered the monument removed within 30 days.

The ACLU argued the monument represented government speech, violating constitutional prohibition against government promotion of religion. Dixie County argued that it was merely providing a forum for a local citizen who made the monument – and continues to own it - to express his religious beliefs, and that the monument was therefore protected by the First Amendment.

“The monument is five-feet tall, made of six tons of granite, and sits alone at the center of the top of the steps in front of the county courthouse that houses every significant local government office,” Paul’s opinion noted. And, citing a previous precedent-setting case, Paul found that by putting it there, the county was sending “an unmistakable message that it supports and promotes the religious message that appears on it.”

Read more of this story at Florida Baptist Witness.

Brazil Confirms Existence of One of Earth's Last Uncontacted Tribes

The world is still full of mysteries, it seems.

The government of Brazil confirmed this week the existence of around 200 members of a still-uncontacted tribe living in a southwestern area of the Amazon rain forest.

Three large clearings in the area had been identified by satellite, but the population's existence was only verified after airplane expeditions in April gathered more data, the National Indian Foundation said in a news release Monday.

Read more on FOX News: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/06/23/brazil-confirms-existence-one-earths-last-uncontacted-tribes/#ixzz1R0NWo2Mp

Atheists Want Sign Honoring 9-11 Firefighters Removed

A group of New York City atheists is demanding that the city remove a street sign honoring seven firefighters killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks because they said the sign violates the separation of church and state.

The street, “Seven in Heaven Way,” was officially dedicated last weekend in Brooklyn outside the firehouse where the firefighters once served. The ceremony was attended by dozens of firefighters, city leaders and widows of the fallen men.

“There should be no signage or displays of religious nature in the public domain,” said Ken Bronstein, president of New York City Atheists. “It’s really insulting to us.”

Bronstein told Fox News Radio that his organization was especially concerned with the use of the word “heaven.”

Read more of this story on FOX News Radio.

May 15th is Internet Evangelism Day

The amazing growth of digital media is transforming the world and changing the way we communicate and even think. There are growing opportunities for digital evangelism.

Internet Evangelism Day offers a one-stop online resource guide to help Christians understand these varied opportunities. Topics covered include: how to build a church website that is 'outsider friendly', using Facebook and Twitter in evangelism, and keeping a small portfolio of video clips on your mobile phone.

For many of these opportunities, you need no technical knowledge at all. And there are many opportunities to volunteer to be an email mentor to inquirers who have visited outreach sites operated by several online ministries.

Internet Evangelism Day is an initiative of the Internet Evangelism Coalition, based at the Billy Graham Center, Wheaton. It is supported by a wide range of Christian leaders and groups.

More information: www.IEDay.net.

May is Digital Outreach Month

"You have an incredible gift at your fingertips - literally. Your keyboard," says the team at Internet Evangelism Day. They claim there is growing potential to share the good news online in a variety of ways. Christians can investigate these options during May, which has been designated Digital Outreach Month. At its center is the worldwide annual focus Sunday, Internet Evangelism Day itself, on May 15.

"You do not need to be technical," says Tony Whittaker, IE Day coordinator. "There are many simple yet fulfilling ways of being salt and light in cyberspace."

On May 15, IE Day is partnering with several major publishers to offer free e-book downloads of Christian titles which are normally pay-for. These cover web evangelism, social networking and other areas of effective communication.

"This is a great opportunity to explore digital evangelism. I encourage Christians everywhere to take advantage of these free downloads to learn how to effectively share their faith in the digital world," says Naomi Frizzell, Chief Communications Officer of The Lausanne Movement.

IE Day encourages churches and other groups to focus on digital evangelism during May, at any level they choose. As a minimum, IE Day can be featured in a church bulletin, so that members can investigate its resource website. Alternatively, focus spots can be created during meetings using IE Day's free downloadable video clips or PowerPoint, or even perform a drama sketch that relates to online evangelism. Two new video-clip resource sites could be showcased live by projection, to demonstrate how to add an evangelistic video to Facebook with one click. These videos can also be downloaded to a mobile phone to share face-to-face.

IE Day's site includes pages on using mobile phones for evangelism, creating 'outsider-friendly' church websites and introductory videos, social networking, how to blog or build a website, and much else. Explore www.IEDay.net to learn more.

NOTE: As technology advances, the James Croft Evangelistic Association believes Christians must keep up with it, using the tools God gives us to spread His Word so that all may know Him.  Visit our ministry website for the various ways we use internet technologies.

S-T-O-R-M

FOX News is reporting over 70 people have been killed as tornado-spawning storms moved through southern states on Wednesday.  Read the story and watch a video here.

I have also embedded two videos of tornadoes below that illustrate the power of these storms.

I hope everyone will be in prayer for those impacted by these storms and for all of the rescue and emergency workers.

The best way to weather the "STORM" is to Simply Trust Our Risen Messiah.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)

⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.


4-27-11 Tornado Tuscaloosa, Al from Crimson Tide Productions on Vimeo.

Historical marker dedicates site of Billy Graham’s first sermon

PALATKA (FBW)—A little over 200 years after the First Great Awakening swept the American colonies, an unknown Bible student by the name of Billy Graham stepped into the pulpit of the tiny Bostwick Baptist Church in Palatka to preach his first sermon.


It was Easter Sunday night, March 28, 1937, and Graham, with shaking knees and sweaty hands, went through all four of the sermons he prepared in advance—in eight minutes.

The beloved evangelist, who has since spoken in person to roughly 210 million individuals, got his start as an 18-year-old, preaching to a humble congregation of about 40, including ranchers and cowboys in denim overalls and women in cotton dresses.

Read more on Florida Baptist Witness.

NOTE: During a recent revival trip, I visited the Billy Graham Museum for the first time.  I have a few photos posted in the Spartanburg, SC 2011 gallery.

Americans embrace pluralism, poll says

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--A majority of Americans mostly reject universalism -- the belief that all people will be saved -- but nevertheless believe that Christians and Muslims worship the same God, with a plurality saying that good works are the key to entrance into heaven, according to a new analysis of Barna surveys.

The data, released April 18, shows that millions of adults reject the clear teachings of Scripture that faith alone, in Christ alone is necessary for salvation. Although Americans may distance themselves from universalism, they tend to embrace pluralism -- the belief that different religions lead to heaven.

By a 48-44 percent margin, U.S. adults believe that "if a person is generally good or does enough good things for others, they will earn a place in heaven." Also, 59 percent of Americans believe that "Christians and Muslims worship the same God," although only 43 percent believe that "the Bible, the Koran and the Book of Mormon are all different expressions of the same spiritual truth."

Read more about this poll on Baptist Press.