Evangelism is so different from pastoring a church. Years ago, those who were known to have the ministry of an evangelist would go preach revivals at churches every weekend. In that time period, you didn’t have to go to another nation to be a missionary. You could preach 3540 times a year and all the churches would support it. But now the spiritual climate has changed and our culture has changed and it is not like it once was back in the day. Since churches are declining not many are doing revival services anymore. 

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One day, December 27, 1999 to be exact, my daughter Lindsay, who was thirteen at the time, asked me to go look at the computer. I said, “It’s not that site is it?” She kind of side-stepped the question, so I reluctantly went into the room and agreed to let my wife show me the pictures of the children they wanted me to see.

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The first week of May 2000 was a life-changing time for Emma in her new American home. Andy and Cay Harkins of Boone had just returned from northern Vietnam, their daughter Emma’s place of birth, as they finalized their adoption journey. A few days later, on Friday, May 7, Emma turned one year-old, surrounded by her loving new community and three older sisters.

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‘Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.’ Grandparents at High Country Caregivers often tell their grandchildren this when they plan an activity with the agency. On Sept. 26, the creeks, rivers, and streams did indeed rise; the wind gusts reached up to 90 mph for 12 hours. Homes floated away, entire roads, bridges, and communities were wiped off the map and best-laid plans changed forever. Hurricane Helene had arrived in the mountains. 

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I’m proud of them for following the calling the Lord placed on their life to bring our family to America. But the topic of immigration is a multi-faceted one that will only show you one thing: our nation’s immigration system is broken. It is hanging by a thread, and people who really want to be here, who want to contribute to the economy with all they have and all they are, are the ones most affected by its brokenness.

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My mind needed to get wrapped around what my heart really wanted to believe. I had a similar experience to the late Billy Graham, when he said he just spread the Bible out at one point and told the Lord, “I’m going to believe it. Now you have to help me know why I believe it.” 

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I believe that Faithfest serves as a powerful example to the Church in America of what can happen when God’s Church comes together in a spirit of unity and purpose. In order for you to know why I feel so strongly about this, you need to know a little of my personal background and history.

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I left my partying ways and spent a lot of time alone, writing poetry, trying to reach out to a God who I wasn’t sure was real. Once, in my desperation, I knelt beside my bed with a Bible and said to God, something like this: “Look, I don’t know if you’re real. I could just be talking into the air. But, if you are real, I need some sign of hope. Since I don’t believe that you’re going to talk to me in an audible voice, I’m going to randomly open this Bible and I’m going to ask you to speak to my situation.” The Bible was at my sister’s house and had belonged to my dad. I guess she had it because he had many others. 

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It is an early fall morning and I sit, sipping freshly brewed coffee, peering out my window, trying to get a glimpse of a new morning that God has given to me, yet again. But dense fog hugs the ground as if to prolong the season’s change to winter. I, for one, am in agreement with the fog this morning. I want to prolong the transition from fall to winter myself for winter is the season which challenges me from all sides—spiritually, emotionally, physically, and intellectually. However, in my life as a shepherdess, there are blessings to every season.

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My life has been an unusual one: full of adventure, danger and excitement. It has also been a life filled with God’s unending love and grace. Psalm 68:20 is very special to me. “Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.” 1 John 4:8 says “...God is love.” 4:9 “…and God showed His love for us by sending His only Son into the world, so that we might have life through Him.” When I became saved on March 30, 1996, the Lord revealed these words to me. “Life is all about love, Tom, and God is love.” Truer words have never been spoken. 

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I love how God works. Not only has He provided me with an amazing family, God has given me a huge network of support, the best friends anyone could ask for, terrific extended family members, an outstanding church family at Brushy Fork Baptist Church, and He’s blessed me with a wonderful occupation as Director of Blowing Rock Parks & Recreation. 

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The day my dad died, my ministry changed! Until Dad’s death, I had preached and sung with my wife Becky all over the US, starting 7 churches. I would stay with the churches as their pastor until they were strong enough to support a full-time preacher of their own, and then I would move on, preaching and singing with Becky until we were able to find another core group of Christians strong enough to build another church. But, I never felt I was “discharging all the duties of my ministry.” I felt like I had to keep entertaining them and telling them what their itching ears wanted to hear if I wanted them to stay and the church to continue to grow. I needed to “Preach the Word!” I needed to preach all of it, including the doctrinal commands no one wanted to hear! 

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A friend of mine, to whom I am eternally thankful, asked me to go with her to her church after I left my husband, and I readily accepted her invitation. Since I was starting fresh with a new apartment, and a new job, in a town where I had few friends, I knew going to church might get me back on the right path. 

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The CMA has allowed me to go in to places, because of a motorcycle and a black leather vest, that otherwise I would not be able to enter. The CMA has done such a great work, not only in the United States, but internationally. Their ministry is incredible. I feel truly honored to be a part of it. 

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My parents made sure that Wendy and I were in church most every Sunday, especially Mom. There were many times that I just wanted to bury my head back under the covers and sleep in, but Mom would flip my light switch on and give firm, yet tender, orders to get movin’! I’m glad that Mom always set a good example. 

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This road that God has placed me on hasn’t been an easy one. I was shot once, in 1974. The bullet shot straight through my shoulder without hitting bone or arteries. It should have killed me. The bullet miraculously escaped bone and tissue, and I survived. I know that God was protecting me because I was supposed to be sheriff.

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During my years at Iolani, I don’t recall ever hearing about the saving work of Christ. Yet, there was a strong drive in me to know God. Sometimes my brothers and I would be asked to sing before dessert. My brothers chose to sing trendy songs. I always sang hymn 274, “Ancient of Days” from my hymnal. 

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Though I didn’t realize it at the time, the first responders not showing up right away was divine. We have a wonderful team of first responders in our community, and normally the first responders in our area would arrive in 10 minutes or less. It just so happened that the man and woman who would have normally shown up were out of town. It was a real blessing in disguise, because had this couple shown up and taken Seth to our local hospital, Seth would not have had the opportunity to have a trauma specialist available to fix his hand. Seth likely would have lost his hand.

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Among meeting many outstanding people, I met Coach Jerry Moore. I was pleasantly surprised when he invited me to come a football practice. I welcomed the invitation because of my history as a high school athlete and long standing family love of sports

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This Weeks post is a bit different from our normal blog article. This week we wanted to showcase one of our sponsors and favorite charities, High Country Caregivers! We want to thank them for helping families throughout the high country and for being a great sponsor.

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