You can call it whatever you want, but if it's not focused on Jesus Christ then it's idolatry.
Exodus 20:3-4 (NKJV)
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
John 14:6 (NKJV)
6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.
Every one has a photographic memory, some just don't have film.
How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?
What happens if you get scared half to death twice?
I will be leading the Bible study tonight at First Baptist Church of Lake Butler. The church is located at 195 East Main St. in Lake Butler, Florida. The service will begin at 6:30pm. Please be in prayer for this service.
Do you have a tough time trying to figure out when Easter Sunday falls each year? Check out the "Easter Calculator", it is cool!
I will be preaching each Wednesday for the next several weeks at my home church, First Baptist Church of Lake Butler. The services will begin at 6:30pm.
These dates are subject to change if I'm called for revivals, etc. I will post updates on this site if changes are made or you may call the church office at (386) 496-3704 for more information.
First Baptist Church is located at 195 East Main Street in Lake Butler, Florida. Please be in prayer for this church as they seek a pastor.
I will be preaching in supply for Pastor Warren Chesser at Forest Grove Baptist Church on Sunday, June 11, 2006. The service will begin at 6pm.
Forest Grove Baptist Church is located at 22575 NW 94th Avenue in Alachua, Florida.
My devotion in "Our Daily Bread" gives a wonderful illustration that I wanted to share with you.
April 7, 2006
The man attempting the rescue begged her to trust him for her safety, but his pleas were not heeded. In senseless fear she retreated beyond the fireman's reach. Finally, being forced to return to the ground, he said with tears in his eyes, "I did everything I could to save her, but she wouldn't let me!"
Those words made me think of the spiritual peril facing so many people. Jesus longs to forgive their sins, but they stubbornly resist His offer of salvation. By refusing to trust Him, they are like the woman who perished in the flames even though she could have escaped.
Dear friend, right now believe on the Lord Jesus! He invites you to come to Him (Matthew 11:28). Don't be among those of whom the Lord must say, "I did everything I could to save them, but they wouldn't let Me!" —Richard De Haan
Faith is the hand that receives God's gift.
 | comes from the gifts of our members and friends. |  |
rbc@gospelcom.net
©2006 RBC Ministries--Grand Rapids, MI 49555
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
for spiritual growth and Bible study
I will be preaching at Huntsville Baptist Church on Easter Sunday, April 16th. The morning worship service will begin at 10:45am and the evening service at 6:30pm.
For more information call Pastor Jim Steele at (386) 752-2089. Huntsville Baptist Church is located at 5720 NW Lake Jeffery in Lake City, Florida.
On Wednesday (tomorrow) at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00 in the morning, the time and date will be 01:02:03 04/05/06. I think it's safe to say, that will never happen again.
You see what you can learn by reading this blog?
I will be preaching at Shiloh Baptist Church today at 11am & 7pm. The church is located at 173 SW Shiloh Way between Ft. White & High Springs, Florida.
I will be preaching the morning (11am) & evening (7pm) services at Shiloh Baptist Church this Sunday, April 2nd. The church is now in a brand new sanctuary and this will be my first time to see how it looks. I've heard it is very nice!
Shiloh Baptist Church is located at 173 SW Shiloh Way between Fort White and High Springs, Florida.
My friends all know that I am an enthusiastic user of a Palm PDA. They often joke that I carry my "brain" on my belt. Well, Palm (the brand that I use) is celebrating an anniversary. Read more about it by clicking here.
Just in case you're interested, I use the Palm TX. I use it for everything; from schedules, addresses, photos, databases (to track mileage, etc.), documents, expenses & donations, and I even have several translations of the Bible and Bible reference books on my TX.
Since it has a bright screen, I even used it to read Scripture in some school classrooms in Ghana (West Africa) that were not well lit.
My PDA is a valuable tool in my ministry!
The interview on Dublin, Ireland's Spin 103.8 Radio aired this morning (Tuesday, March 28th) around 8am EST. The interview was part of the program "Spin Talk with Jack & Ali". To hear the interview click here.
The interview will also be used in the upcoming edition of "Walking with the Giant" due out the end of this week.
I had a wonderful time at Mt. Horeb Baptist Church a couple of weeks ago preaching revival services. One of the members, Rodney Maney, took quite a few photos and e-mailed me a few. Here are some of them for you to check out.
They're pretty good photos, in spite of the subject. 8-)
The recorded interview for a radio program called Spin Talk with Jack & Ali is tentatively scheduled to air tomorrow (Tuesday, March 28th) at 8:45am EST. The program airs on a radio station in Dublin, Ireland, Spin 103.8 Radio. The interview is about my new Podcast Ministry. You can hear it by going to this link.
I will be attempting to record the interview portion of the program and will then make it available on my website and possibly in an upcoming edition of "Walking with the Giant".
Here's an interesting story.
A few months before I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small Tennessee town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the world a few months later.
As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family. In my young mind, he had a special niche. My parents were complementary instructors: Mom taught me the word of God, and Dad taught me to obey it. But the stranger? He was our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound for hours on end with adventures, mysteries and comedies.
If I wanted to know anything about politics, history or science, he always knew the answers about the past, understood the present and even seemed able to predict the future! He took my family to the first major league ball game. He made me laugh, and he made me cry. The stranger never stopped talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind.
Sometimes, Mom would get up quietly while the rest of us were shushing each other to listen to what he had to say, and she would go to her room and read her books (I wonder now if she ever prayed for the stranger to leave). Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions, but the stranger never felt obligated to honor them.
Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our home... not from us, our friends or any visitors. Our longtime visitor, however, got away with four-letter words that burned my ears and made my dad squirm and my mother blush.
My Dad was a teetotaler who didn't permit alcohol in the home, not even for cooking. But the stranger encouraged us to try it on a regular basis.
He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (much too freely!) about sex.
His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing. I now know that my early concepts about relationships were influenced strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked... and NEVER asked to leave.
More than fifty years have passed since the stranger moved in with our family. He has blended right in and is not nearly as fascinating as he was at first. Still, if you were to walk into my parent's den today you would still find him sitting over in his corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures.
His name?
We just call him, "TV."
The time of the interview on Dublin, Ireland's Spin 103.8 has changed again. It is now scheduled for Tuesday, March 28th at 8:45am EST. I just received this notice:
Hi James,
Just want to change the time of broadcast for the pre record. Sorry for the toing and froing but just thought I'd email so you can keep your blog up dated. It is now going to air 8.45am EST on Tuesday 28th March.
Aideen
producer - spin talk
This is a cool little game to test your memory and speed. Let me know how you do.
Noah's Ark Game
I have learned that the Interview on Dublin, Ireland's Spin 103.8 is scheduled to air next Monday, March 27th at 9:30am EST (2:30pm Ireland time). I'll repost the links that morning in case you would like to tune in to the web and listen. See previous posts below for more details.
I just received a call from Pastor Jason Reid of New River Baptist Church to schedule revival services during the month of May 2006. The services will begin with the morning worship service (11am) on Sunday, May 7th. The services continue that night at 6pm and Monday through Wednesday (May 10th) at 7pm. For more information call Brother Jason at (352) 485-1246. New River Baptist Church is located at 16703 SW 144th Ave. in Brooker, Florida.
Well, it appears our interview on Spin 103.8 in Dublin, Ireland did not air today unless it aired before 8:30am EST when I started listening. One of the co-hosts, Ali of Spin Talk with Jack & Ali, was absent today. This could have been the reason the recorded interview did not air since she conducted part of the interview.
If I hear any word I'll post it here.
I was interviewed yesterday for a radio program called Spin Talk with Jack & Ali and it is tentatively scheduled to air today at 9:15am EST. The program airs on a radio station in Dublin, Ireland, Spin 103.8 Radio. The interview is about my new Podcast Ministry. You can hear it by going to this link.
I will be attempting to record the interview portion of the program and will then make it available on my website and possibly in an upcoming edition of "Walking with the Giant".
Please be in prayer for this opportunity.
"Walking with the Giant", a podcast for the James Croft Evangelistic Association, is one of the "Featured Podcasts" for March 2006 at iTunes Links.
If you do not have a high-speed internet connection or are unable to download the Podcast, the program can be received each month on an audio CD. E-mail me for more information at evangelist@jamescroft.org.
We were "bumped" this morning on Spin 103.8 in Dublin, Ireland, but the interview was recorded and will hopefully air tomorrow (Thursday, March 23rd) around 9:15am EST. For more details listen here.
I'll re-post the links tomorrow morning for the website if you would like to listen. We are going to try to record it as it plays and then post it on the ministry website. It may also be used on the next "Walking with the Giant" podcast.
I will be interviewed tomorrow (Wednesday, March 22nd) by a radio station in Dublin, Ireland. The interview, about our new Podcast Ministry, will be on Spin Talk with Jack & Ali on Spin 103.8 Radio. I believe you can hear it live by going to this link. The interview will begin around 9:30am EST (2:30pm Ireland time).
Please be in prayer for this opportunity.
I'm proud to announce that my ministry has now been incorporated in the state of Florida. March 14, 2006 is the official "date of birth" of the James Croft Evangelistic Association, Inc. Over the next few weeks my website will be updated with official documents and information on board of directors members. There is a link for James Croft Evangelistic Association at the bottom of the front page.
I was interviewed today by Wireless Flash News for an upcoming story. They are a news service that provides information to clients around the world. Their website states:
"Wireless Flash News, Inc. is an independent news agency that provides exclusive feature and entertainment news to radio and TV stations, newspapers, and magazines across the United States and around the world."
The story, which will be very short (no pun intended), will be about our podcast ministry "Walking with the Giant". The reporter, Brook Fischer, said the story should be released to their clients in the next few days.
Their website also states that some of their clients include:
"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "The Late Show with David Letterman," "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," "Jimmy Kimmel Live," and "Good Morning America." Major print media outlets include New York Daily News, Las Vegas Review-Journal, National Enquirer, National Examiner, and men's lifestyle magazines Men's Journal and Stuff. We also serve major media outlets around the globe from the BBC in London to The Nation in Bangkok."
Let's get the Gospel out to the people by any means the Lord makes available!
Do you think Woodpeckers could have created a problem aboard the Ark?
Just a thought...
I received this in an e-mail.
JESUS LOVES ME
Jesus loves me, this I know,
Though my hair is white as snow.
Though my sight is growing dim,
Still He bids me trust in Him.
(CHORUS)
YES, JESUS LOVES ME..
YES, JESUS LOVES ME..
YES, JESUS LOVES ME
THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO
Though my steps are oh, so slow,
With my hand in His I'll go.
On through life, let come what may,
He'll be there to lead the way.
(CHORUS)
Though I am no longer young,
I have much which He's begun.
Let me serve Christ with a smile,
Go with others the extra mile.
(CHORUS)
When the nights are dark and long,
In my heart He puts a song.
Telling me in words so clear,
"Have no fear, for I am near."
(CHORUS)
When my work on earth is done,
And life's victories have been won.
He will take me home above,
Then I'll understand His love.
(CHORUS)
I love Jesus, does he know?
Have I ever told Him so?
Jesus loves to hear me say,
That I love Him every day.
I will be preaching the evening worship service for Interim Pastor Tommy Bankston at Athens Baptist Church on Sunday. The service will begin at 6pm and the church is located at 9090 SW CR240 near Columbia City, Florida.
The revival services at Mt. Horeb Baptist Church will end tonight. The service begins at 7:30pm at 3449 NE CR340 near High Springs, Florida.
Please be in prayer for these services.
What does your computer do when no one is looking? Could this link hold the answer? Click Here
"Walking with the Giant", a podcast for the James Croft Evangelistic Association, is one of the "Featured Podcasts" for March 2006 at iTunes Links.
If you do not have a high-speed internet connection or are unable to download the Podcast, the program can be received each month on an audio CD. E-mail me for more information at evangelist@jamescroft.org.
I have acquired three new domain names for our ministries that are online. The new domains will be easier to remember. The new names are:
www.walkingwiththegiant.org will take you to information about the Podcast.
www.jceaministry.org will take you to information about James Croft Evangelistic Association (this site is under construction).
www.walkingwiththegiantblog.org will bring you to this blogsite.
The main ministry website can still be found at www.jamescroft.org.
I will be preaching revival services this week at Mt. Horeb Baptist Church located at 3449 NE CR340 near High Springs, Florida. The services will begin at 7:30pm starting tonight and ending Friday night. Please be in prayer for these services.
This is a long read but it's a good story and I hope you enjoy it. Click here to read it.
Did you know this? If you hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and then turn the small wheel in the middle of your mouse, away from you or towards you, the print size will change - it will either get larger or smaller - depending on which way you turn the wheel. I think it will only work with e-mail that is sent as "Plain Text".
I have added two new supply preaching dates to my calendar.
On Sunday, March 19th I will be preaching at Athens Baptist Church, 9090 SW CR240, Columbia City, Florida, for Interim Pastor Tommy Bankston. The service will begin at 6pm.
I will be preaching for Pastor Ron Thompson at First Baptist Church of White Springs on Sunday night March 26th at 6pm. The church is located on Camp Street in White Springs, Florida.
Yesterday (Wednesday) I completed the Cardiac Rehab Program at Shands at Alachual General Hospital in Gainesville, Florida. I had been going three days a week since December. The program is designed to help increase your stamina and recovery after open-heart surgery. I had triple bypass heart surgery on November 3, 2005.
I must say that this program is great! I believe that I feel better than I have in years! The staff and interns that help you each session are very professional and they know their stuff. I thank God that there is this type of assistance available. I also thank you for all of your prayers during these months following my surgery.
Today, March 8th, is "Learn What Your Name Means Day". Do you have any idea what your name means? I found this site, "Behind The Name", where you can look up origins and meanings of names. When I looked up my first name "James" this is what it displayed:
| JAMES |
| Gender: Masculine Usage: English, Biblical Pronounced: JAYMZ [key] |
| English form of the Late Latin Jacomus which was derived from Iakobos, the New Testament Greek form of Ya'aqov (see JACOB). This is the name of two apostles in the New Testament. The first was Saint James the Greater, the apostle John's brother, who was beheaded by Herod Agrippa in the Book of Acts. The second was James the Lesser, son of Alphaeus. Another James (known as James the Just) is also mentioned in the Bible as being the brother of Jesus. Kings of England and Scotland have borne this name. Other famous bearers include the inventor of the steam engine James Watt, the explorer Captain James Cook, and the novelist and poet James Joyce. |
The James Croft Evangelistic Association has conducted crusades, Bible Schools and training sessions in Ghana and still maintains a ministry in this West Africa country. You can read about this work at this link.
I have added the first fall revival to my preaching schedule for 2006. The meeting will be held at Grace Christian Fellowship Baptist Church located at 4948 SW 107th Ave. near Worthington Springs, Florida. The services will begin on Sunday, October 1, 2006 at 11am & 6pm and continue each night at 7pm through Wednesday, October 4th. For more information call Pastor Terry Elixson, Sr. at (386) 496-3583.
I signed up for an exercise class and was told to wear loose-fitting clothing. If I HAD any loose-fitting clothing, I wouldn't have signed up in the first place!
Wouldn't it be nice if whenever we messed up our life we could simply press 'Ctr Alt Delete' and start all over?
Stress is when you wake up screaming and then you realize you haven't fallen asleep yet.
If raising children was going to be easy, it never would have started with something called labor!
Brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells live forever.
I will be preaching in supply for Pastor Jason Reid this Sunday at New River Baptist Church. The services begin at 11am & 6pm. New River Baptist Church is located at 16703 SW 144th Ave. in Brooker, Florida.
I will be preaching revival services at Mt. Horeb Baptist Church Monday-Friday, March 13-17, 2006. The services will begin at 7:30pm each night. For more information call Pastor James West at (386) 454-5238. Mt. Horeb Baptist Church is located at 3449 NE CR340 near High Springs, Florida.
A father wanted to read a magazine but was being bothered by his little girl. She wanted to know what the United States looked like.
Finally, he tore a sheet out of his new magazine on which was printed the map of the country. Tearing it into small pieces, he gave it to her, & said, "Go into the other room & see if you can put this together. This will show you our whole country today."
After a few minutes, she returned & handed him the map correctly fitted together. The father was surprised & asked how she had finished so quickly.
"Oh," she said, "on the other side of the paper is a picture of Jesus. When I got all of Jesus back where He belonged, then our country just came together."
"Walking with the Giant", a podcast for the James Croft Evangelistic Association, is one of the "Featured Podcasts" for March 2006 at iTunes Links.
The second episode of the program was released yesterday (see previous post on this site).
If you do not have a high-speed internet connection or are unable to download the Podcast, the program can be received each month on an audio CD. E-mail me for more information at evangelist@jamescroft.org.
After a series of technical problems the next edition of "Walking with the Giant" is now available online. Those who have contributed to this ministry will receive their CD version in the next few days.
Due to the extreme delays, this edition will actually be for February & March 2006. I hope that the April edition will be back on schedule with release in the last week of March.
The new edition includes an interview with Dr. Harold Hudson (pictured above) that focuses on his ministry during January's tragedy in Union County (Florida) where seven children from one family were killed in an accident involving a car, school bus and semi truck. The children attended Dr. Hudson's church, Fellowship Baptist Church in Raiford, Florida.
Also featured on the program is an interview with Evangelist Raphael Adjei Kingbi (JCEA Ghana Ministry Coordinator) and the second part of the message entitled "The Rock".
To subscribe to the RSS Feed for the program follow this link: http://feeds.feedburner.com/jamescroft/opEf.
For more information about "Walking with the Giant" or financial contributions "Click Here".
To download the program follow this link: "Click Here"
(Photo by Jon M. Fletcher)
The devotion in “Our Daily Bread” for Sunday, February 26, 2006 is good and I wanted to share it with you. You can read it at: http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb.shtml.
I will be speaking on "Missions" tomorrow during a Brotherhood Breakfast at First Baptist Church of Lake Butler, Florida. I will also be sharing a video from our 2004 Ghana, West Africa mission trip.
On Sunday, February 19, 2006 I was interviewed for a news story on WAWS FOX 30 & WTEV CBS 47 News (Jacksonville, Florida). The story aired that evening. If you would like to view the full video story, please click this link: http://www.jamescroft.org/Video/Croft%20medium.wmv.
You can also find the link on the "Bio" page of my website.
More Blog posts about the story can be read at these links:
Television Interview
Television Interview Links
News Crew was Professional
A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side."
Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know."
"You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?"
The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing... I know my Master is there and that is
enough."
I want to thank Jeff Butera (News Reporter) and Matt Trees (Video Photographer) from WTEV CBS 47 and WAWS FOX 30 News in Jacksonville, Florida for their professionalism yesterday. Their presence was very unobtrusive while taping during our morning worship service at First Baptist Church of Lake Butler. They made every attempt not to disturb the congregation or the service while preparing their story about my ministry.
I also want to thank them for a story filled with accuracy. I know many times the media takes a lot of heat for inaccuracy in reporting especially where Christians and the Gospel message is concerned, but the story yesterday was an accurate report of our time together.
The idea to do a story on my ministry actually began on Thursday, January 26th, one day after the tragic, fatal accident in Union County that claimed the lives of seven children. The reporter, Jeff Butera, was in Lake Butler covering the accident when he passed FBC of Lake Butler and observed Celeste Saunders changing the message on the church sign. He stopped and interviewed her about the message she had displayed. During the conversation she told him about our service the night of the accident (which I was leading). From that conversation came the idea to do another story on "James the Giant".
It never ceases to amaze me how God bring good, positive news out of a tragedy! We serve a wonderful, awesome God!!! I certainly want to praise God for the blessing that this story is to me and I pray that He uses it to His honor and glory!
Due to a technical problem the FOX 30 News website will be unable to link to yesterday's television interview about my ministry. I hope that with the help of a friend to have it available on my website by this weekend. I'll post the link here also.
Here are the links that I have thus far about the television interview that aired last night about my ministry.
This is an abbreviated video of the story:
http://www.cbs47.com/mediacenter/default.aspx?videoId=3535@video.cbs47.com.
These are printed versions of the story:
http://www.fox30online.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=642FF538-004E-45D4-A2A9-9E7E243EE6AD
http://www.cbs47.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=642FF538-004E-45D4-A2A9-9E7E243EE6AD
The full length video of the story may be added later on the FOX 30 site, if not, I will upload it to my website later this week and post a link here.
CBS 47 (WTEV) News from Jacksonville, Florida is scheduled to interview me about my ministry tomorrow (Sunday). The reporter, Jeff Butera, and a camera "person" will be at First Baptist Church of Lake Butler, Florida for the morning worship service. I will be interviewed prior to the service and they will shoot video during the service.
The story is tentatively schedule to air Sunday evening as follows:
CBS Channel 47 News (Jacksonville) at 6:30pm
CBS Channel 4 News (Gainesville) at 6:30pm
FOX Channel 30 News (Jacksonville) at 10pm
I will update this post tomorrow with any additional information. On Monday I will post a link to the video that can be viewed online.
Please be in prayer for the services tomorrow and the interview too!
I'll be preaching the morning (11am) & evening (6pm) worship services this Sunday at First Baptist Church of Lake Butler. The church is located at 195 East Main Street in Lake Butler, Florida.
A Sunday School teacher was testing the children one Sunday in class to see if they understood the concept of getting to heaven.
She asked them, "If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church, would that get me into Heaven?"
"NO!" the children answered.
"If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into Heaven?" she asked.
Again, the answer was, "NO!"
By now she was starting to smile and asked the children, "Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children, and loved my husband, would that get me into Heaven?"
Again, they all answered, "NO!"
She was just bursting with pride for them. "Well," she continued, "then how can I get into Heaven?"
A five-year-old boy shouted out, "YOU GOTTA BE DEAD."
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Romans 10:13 (NKJV)
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
Do you like jigsaw puzzles? How about one that has a "moving" picture? Try it out at: http://www.brl.ntt.co.jp/people/hara/fly.swf. It's challenging & fun.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (NKJV)
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body £to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
John 3:16-17 (NKJV)
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
I interviewed Dr. Harold Hudson (pictured at left) on Saturday for the February edition of "Walking with the Giant". The interview focuses on his ministry during last month's tragedy in Union County where seven children from one family were killed in an accident involving a car, school bus and semi truck. The children attended Dr. Hudson's church, Fellowship Baptist Church in Raiford, Florida.
The February edition of the Podcast should be available by the end of this week.
(Photo by Jon M. Fletcher)
A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said, "I don't believe that God exists."
"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.
"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things," said the barber.
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt.
The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber, "You know what? Barbers do not exist."
"How can you say that," asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just
worked on you!"
"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."
"Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is, people do not come to me," the barber replied.
"Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point, God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."
Tomorrow (Saturday) night I will be speaking at a youth Valentine banquet at Friendship Baptist Church in Live Oak, Florida.
On Sunday morning (11am) I will be preaching at Lake Forest Baptist Church, 5121 East University Ave., Gainesville, Florida. A luncheon will follow the morning worship service. I will also speak during the luncheon and share a brief video from our 2004 Ghana, West Africa mission trip.
Please be in prayer for these services.
I will be preaching in supply for Pastor Jason Reid at New River Baptist Church on Sunday, March 5, 2006. The services will begin at 11am & 6pm. New River Baptist Church is located at 16703 SW 144th Ave. in Brooker, Florida.
A funeral service is being held for a woman who has just passed away. At the end of the service, the pall bearers are carrying the casket out when they accidentally bump into a wall, jarring the casket. They hear a faint moan. They open the casket and find that the woman is actually alive! She lives for ten more years, and then dies.
Once again, a ceremony is held, and at the end of it, the pall bearers are again carrying out the casket. As they carry the casket towards the door, the husband cries out, "Watch that wall!"
My home church, First Baptist Church of Lake Butler, will hold a Super Bowl Party tomorrow night (Sunday, February 5th). We "kick-off" at 6pm in the sanctuary, we then move down the "field" (hallway) to our fellowship hall for "tail-gating", there will be plenty of food! Everyone will have a great seat for the big game with a big screen TV.
Our half-time show will feature Head Coach Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts sharing his testimony via video.
Come join the fun and excitement!!!
First Baptist Church of Lake Butler is located at 195 East Main Street in Lake Butler, Florida.
Photo courtesy of Indianapolis Colts website.
The devotion for today (February 3, 2006) in "Our Daily Bread" features a great illustration. You can view it at: http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb.shtml.
What do Carl Stuart Hamblen, Billy Graham & John Wayne have in common?
Click here http://www.snopes.com/religion/hamblen.htm and then it will no longer be a secret to you.
There was a little old lady, who every morning. Stepped onto her front porch, raised her arms to the sky, and shouted: "PRAISE THE LORD!"
One day an atheist moved into the House next door. He became irritated at the little old lady.
Every morning he'd step onto his Front porch after her and yell: "THERE IS NO LORD!"
Time passed with the two of them Carrying on this way every day.
One morning, in the middle of Winter, the little old lady stepped onto her front porch and shouted: "PRAISE THE LORD! Please Lord, I have no food and I am starving, provide For me, oh Lord!
The next mo rning she stepped onto Her porch and there were two huge bags of groceries sitting there.
"PRAISE THE LORD!" she Cried out. "HE HAS PROVIDED GROCERIES FOR ME!"
The atheist neighbor jumped out Of the hedges and shouted: "THERE IS NO LORD. I BOUGHT THOSE GROCERIES!!"
The little old lady threw her Arms into the air and shouted: "PRAISE THE LORD! HE HAS PROVIDED ME WITH GROCERIES AND MADE THE DEVIL PAY FOR THEM!
Two elderly ladies had been friends for many decades. Over the years they had shared all kinds of activities and adventures. Lately, their activities had been limited to meeting a few times a week to play cards.
One day they were playing cards when one looked at the other and said, "Now don't get mad at me....I know we've been friends for a long time.....but I just can't think of your name! I've thought and thought, but I can't remember it. Please tell me what your name is."
Her friend glared at her. For at least three minutes she just stared and glared at her. Finally she said, "How soon do you need to know?"
I will be preaching at my home church, First Baptist Church of Lake Butler, on Sunday, February 19, 2006. I will be preaching the 11am and 6pm worship services.
First Baptist Church is located at 195 East Main Street in Lake Butler, Florida. For more info call the church office at (386) 496-3704.
I'll be preaching the special 5th Sunday Service tomorrow (January 29th) at Sharon Baptist Church. There will be a Gospel Sing featuring Kevin Owen & Cheryl Kent at 1oam. The morning worhip service will begin at 11am and a covered-dish lunch will follow.
Sharon Baptist Church is located at 5584 Sharon Rd. near Green Cove Springs, Florida.
My new ministry project, a Podcast called "Walking with the Giant" is now available on iTunes. The program is a free download.
The program is also listed on Podcasting News, Podcast Alley, Podcast Pickle and other podcasting directories.
God has certainly used me in many ways since my entering the ministry in 1994. Last night was another “first” in that I was scheduled to preach at my home church, First Baptist of Lake Butler, Florida, and then I learned of the tragic accident that occurred earlier in the afternoon. A Union County school bus, semi-truck and a car were involved in a crash on SR121. Seven children were killed and several others were taken to area hospitals, some by helicopter. I was told that none of the people involved are members of our church; however, with this being a small, close-knit community, the impact is still great.
Our service last night consisted of a lot of prayer and a message of “hope” from God’s Word. I have never led a service in the wake of such a tragedy that has hit so close to home. A reporter and photographer from the Gainesville Sun newspaper were also present preparing a story about local churches dealing with the tragedy. You can read the story at: http://gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060126/LOCAL/201260355/1078.
I praise the Lord for giving me the words needed for this service. We serve an awesome God!
I ask that you please be in prayer for everyone involved in this accident and for the healing, physically, emotionally & spiritually, that is needed.
Here's another one of those online games that will drive you crazy! It is called "Escape" and can be played (or since adults don't play games, I should have said it can be "studied") at: http://members.iinet.net.au/~pontipak/redsquare.html.
The object of the game is to move the red block around without getting hit by the blue blocks or touching the black walls. If you can go longer than 18 seconds you are phenomenal.
Note: I have made it to just over 12 seconds at the time of this post.
If you use an RSS type newsreader to subscribe to news and podcasts feel free to add this one to your reader: http://feeds.feedburner.com/jamescroft/opEf. This is the feed for the new program "Walking with the Giant" (see yesterday's post for info or click the link).
This blogsite also has an RSS feed, it is: http://feeds.feedburner.com/WalkingWithTheGiant.
Should you need these feeds in the future just click on the two icons to the left, "xml" button for the blog feed and the "sound" button for the podcast.
I have a new ministry project that I would like to share with you. It is “Walking with the Giant”. This is a monthly 30-minute audio newsletter for this ministry and can be downloaded (free) from the web or delivered to you on an audio CD for a small monthly donation. Click the link below for more information:
"Walking with the Giant"
I will use this site to announce when a new edition of the program is available each month.
Also, please feel free to forward this info to anyone you think might be interested.
I look forward to hearing what you think about this new ministry. You can e-mail me at evangelist@jamescroft.org.
For more info about my ministry you can visit www.jamescroft.org.
I have been asked by Pastor Cecil Hysmith to preach this Sunday morning (11am) at Praise Christian Church. The church is located between Cross City and Old Town.
THE TOP TEN PREDICTIONS FOR 2006:
10. The Bible will still have the answers.
9. Prayer will still work.
8. The Holy Spirit will still move.
7. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
6. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
5. There will still be singing of praise.
4. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
3. There will still be room at the Cross.
2. Jesus will still love you.
1. Jesus will still save the lost.
Author Unknown
I will be leading the Bible Study tonight at First Baptist Church of Lake Butler. The service begins at 6:30pm and the church is located at 195 East Main Street in Lake Butler, Florida.
Visitors since September 6, 2004
