Hey, That's Me, in the Cracks....

I confess,

Sometimes it feels like I get a little lost in all that happens. I'm left alone when I want to be talked to. I say "I'm OK", but mean "Something's wrong, but I don't know how to explain it". Some days I just wish to speak and be understood, to be taken plainly. I'm in the cracks, stuck, and I'm not sure I'll get out. When I think about it, I guess the feeling I have comes from being marginalized. I've been "Nothing Buttered"* into an identity separate from how I see myself, and what I've been told I am by God.

In this post I'm stretching to describe the strange Malaise I feel toward existing in the here and now and the Malice expressed toward me by this world. These M&Ms are poison pills that taint my effectiveness at holiness in ways both subtle and obvious. It's hard to try when you show people just a little of who you are and they scoff and deride you. It should be expected that the world would hate me (hate us), but when it happens, it happens in so many strange little ways. I feel like I could fight the world if the rules were the same for both groups, but ultimately they're not.

Consider this: Culturally, Christians are called to bear our Cross with Jesus. I understand in my mind what this means. I must lose constantly. I'm a condemned man. I must be reviled. The State is against me. That's not optional. ultimately all human government is against God because all government seeks to perpetuate itself over and against the governed. In America we attempt to insulate ourselves from this fact through democracy, law, and something called "Checks and Balances" but ultimately our government seeks the same domination of the governed either through regulation, taxation, or compartmentalization. Regulation and taxation are obvious, because Christian or not, we all feel some burden from regulation and taxation. Compartmentalization is something different. I believe Government (big G intentional) attempts to shuffle people into a category that they can label and then they can sell their customized reality of "the best life". Society and Government needs us in a box to produce for them, make them tax dollars! They do their best to try and convince us to be "quiet and content" while making sure we are their definition of quiet and content.That's the rules that change. This world will try to tell us what it means to "...lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. " (1 Timothy 2:2, ESV) but we can't let them. We have to go to the Bible and get the Word on Godliness, peace, quietness, dignity. Get out of THEIR box!

I'm trying to breakout of my box all the time. Today it's tiresome. It's always tiresome, mainly because I desperately want to take the easy way out. I want to flow on the path of water. Sometimes that is a feature, today it's a flaw. There's no quick "Grace!" and it's over. Holiness is a long slog toward something we can't fully comprehend, and yet is always happening. There's no room on the cross you're carrying for all the things we do and partake of to make this life easier. All creation groans after what we perceive, that this world is passing. It will burn. It must burn. It isn't holy, loving, selfless, or warm. "Heat death" is it's ultimate end, a state of changelessness where even the fabric of the universe melts away, becoming nothing, going back to nothing, "ashes to ashes, earth to earth, dust to dust". Good riddance. Better to lose now, while we can still live forever. Better to embrace the all present presence of God, His lamb making us righteous.

To that end, I've got something in the works, Something Big. Something that I hope will be helpful and worth reading about what God calls "Salvation." I've been working on it for a while, and I'm close to a release. I've written the first post, run it by others, and the words are ready. I need to format it in Blogger, link it up to a few websites, and I need to finish one more post's worth of content. Then I'll begin releasing it weekly, Here, or on my regular blog, skattagun.blogspot.com. Maybe i'll do both...

....Keep a Weather Eye....

"The Prayers of a Righteous Person"

Pre-Covid, I had the distinct privilege of being able to speak with the Homeless of Orlando.  Here's the message I shared with them, generated from an outline I've created. It won't be word for word verbatim what I said, but it should be similar enough to call the same.

Text: Luke 18:9-14

Introduction: If I were to give this message to you today a title, it would not come from the main text I want to look at today, but from a supporting text I want us to look at right now. One of the principles we should use when we study the Bible is to let one text interpret another. If we have trouble with one text, another can help us understand the meaning of it. In this case, both texts I believe, are straight forward, and pretty easy to understand. One though, does give us a practical example of the other. The first passage I want us to look at is in the book of James chapter 5:13-18:

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

I've always wanted to pray powerfully. My understanding of what it means to pray powerfully has changed a little over time. I want us to look at an example of prayer given to us by Jesus, so that we can understand what it means to pray "The Prayers of a Righteous Person." The example is found in the book of Luke 18:9-14:

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

In this parable, Jesus teaches us what it means to be a righteous man praying by showing us an example of a man whose prayers were answered. In studying this man, we will come to see that our prayers are made effective when we first appeal to God for mercy because of who we are. We also see an example of how we shouldn't be. Let's take a look at the people to whom Jesus told this parable.


I. A Parable with a Purpose
 When Jesus gave this parable, he had a specific target audience in mind. These people have two characteristics that we need to look at as a warning. I would even contend that it's very easy to be a person who displays one or both of these traits. In America today, I would say that we even teach people to have one of these traits, and we glorify those who display the other. The text says that Jesus told this parable to people who trusted their own righteousness, and treated others with contempt. Those two ideas kind of go hand in hand. If you trust your own righteousness, you will treat others with contempt. I think that most people will at some point in their life trust their own righteousness. It's what our society teaches people to do. People say things like Find your own path to God. Trust your heart. Go with your feelings. One of the highest virtues our society has is to find our own way, and trust it to lead to our God. Once someone else finds a different way, we will treat them with contempt.
  A. The Parable had a target audience
      1. Trust in Self
      2. Hold others in contempt
  B. Familiar Image: Matthew 6:5,6
  C. Similar message: Matthew 6:7-13

II. The People involved
  A. A Pharisee
      1. Knows his place
      2. Says his prayer
      3. Gets what is coming to him.
  B. A Tax Collector
      1. Knows his place
      2. Says his prayer
      3. Gets what is coming to him.

III. How will you pray today?
  A. Will you humble yourself?
  B. Will you Confess your sins?
  C. Will you call out to God for a clean conscience? 1 Peter 3:21


Conclusion:
Everybody here agrees that prayer is important, and that praying correctly is something we all should strive to do. We want to pray powerful deep prayers that accomplish good. Today we've seen an example of a prayer that gets work done. It's also incredibly simple. It acknowledges sin, and asks for forgiveness. If you want to be a righteous person, I want you to know you can pray this prayer too. You can call out to God for a clean conscience in baptism. It's God's way! Will you do it today?

Here's the sermon video:

"By the way I thought that you would be there..."

Great lyrics!
Did I see you downtown Sunday? Maybe, probably not though. S'kay, cuz I can't make it every week either and I started this work!
Strange eh?

I'll give you strange: So the fishmobile needs a new alternator belt right. It squeeks when it drives, and makes people go crazy. Mainly it could lead to a broken alternator belt, or even a broken alternator. gotta fix it in two weeks. To fix it sunday, I turned the belt around. It kinda worked, a little bit.

So that's goin' on.

We are in the middle of the sermon on the mount. I introduced the guys to "Mr. Anonymous" hehe, doer of good deeds, I could tell you more, but then, well, what would be the point. ;-)

We do have prayer requests!

Craig McGrew: "I pray that my life will find meaning, that I can skillfully manange all that life throws at me, not to lose myself in hopelessness or depression, and my prosperity come and accumulate around me, lifting me up"

Berlin: "Please pray for me for understanding"

Jonathan Jones :"$"

Jaren Whitman: "My girlfriend's cancer, and I find a job"

Duck: "home and a job"

Lawrence J Brown: "Job employment"

Gregory Scott: "Pray that I get a regular job soon."

George Moore: "That my job comes through"

Dwaine McCoy: "Reunite me with my family"

Jack Bishop: "For Everything"

Yvonne Cook: "Pray for everyone we love you thank you all God bless"

These are important! Pray for them. Pray for me.

Later!
G. Brandon Hoyt

Even When I Ain't there, There you Go!

Yo,
Didn't make it downtown this last week, but God's people did! Jess and Matty took some of the All-Stars downtown to help the homeless, and ministry happened. I love it! We even got some prayer requests:

Michael seaquist> Needs a good job
D.J.> To have others in need given help
jack Bishop> Jobs, Apartment Etc....
Desiree> For Gods will to be done in her life
Alphanso Ellis> Prayer to get off drugs and to be saved
James> Prayer for himself
Gregory Scott> Pray that he finds a full time job soon
Leon Johnson> Pray that he lives a more Christ like life.

Thanks guys for gettin' out there!
I received live updates via my inside man on the streets, and he informed me that everyone was grateful.
Things were well!

GB HOYT

Spot O' Cool Weather

Hello,
I guess the fall is officially here in Florida. It's cold this morning! It was starting to get chilly last night too. My hands actually got a lil' cold. I'm just glad the fish mobile has heat! Took a lil' while to run out of needs lists, i was kinda surprised. The BASIC All star crew took to the streets, and did their work well! Handed out a lot of jackets and other things. We need pants!
Can't get enough pants!
here's some prayer requests!

Stacy => "that I will be found faithful in Jesus Name"
Gregory Scott => "Pray for me that I may find or get a regular job real soon ok"
Stormie Knight => "Help make me a good christian in the faith, amen."
Luther Nelson => "Peace for the hurting ones"
Duck => "a Home"
Jack Bishop => "Pray that I find work ASAP"
James D. Kemp => "For my friend and I to make it to having a house and finally off the streets and stay off drugs"
Tony Wagner => "Oh, no sweat!"


Thank you!
GB HOYT!

Short Fall Rundown...

Ok,
This fall has been an *Amazing* time for BASIC. Some big things are happening and I am loving it!

First of all,
BASIC has hired some part time help! Jessica Brooks and Matt Walters now do a lot of the grunt work, like gettin' clothes sorted and sized, preppin' the fish mobile, and helping the services run smoothly and effectively.

Secondly,
Lotsa clothes are beginning to come in. A lady gave us a Bunch of jackets, just in time for the season, we'll be glad to get them to people who need them! Also, we just this week put out bins at Florida Christian College to collect blankets, boots, and socks. If you are reading this and you or someone you know goes there, please, stop by the Student Union Building, and make a donation! Or send someone in your place. I will say though, that we need pants!! Especially in the 34-38 inch waist range. Really really need those. Pants, can't get enough.

Thirdly,
Thanks to Matt, Jess, and the increase in clothing, we have been able to take people downtown every week the weather has allowed. I personally haven't been downtown every time, but someone has. That is the way it should be. I don't want this ministry to depend on my presence. I don't think it does. If BASIC is to really start helping people get off the streets, I'm going to need some free time to train small group leaders. We are going to start that in January.

i hope to be better about getting the prayer list posted online now. Feel free to make fun of me if I don't.

Love,
GB Hoyt

"Falling" behind...

Just a lil' seasonal Joke about my updating habits!
So,
This has been an exciting fall if you are involved at all with BASIC! We Have had a lot of help this fall, and I would say, that if we had about $250 more dollars in support a month, we could keep doin' this sort of thing well.

Matt Walters and Jessica Brooks have been helping us out! They are a real blessing. I'll have more to say later, but wanted to post these prayer requests before I got too busy this week.

Prayer requests:

Marlyn Lucas => "Angela Joshua, granddaughter"
Victor Washington => "Prayer for Angle"
Andrew Cook => "For Love"
James Sanders => "Pray to get myself together need a place to rent"
Willie Williams => "Strength"
Leon Johnson => "To let go and let God for work, a good job so I can go indoors to live"
David Truhn => "Job"
Willie Sims => "To get off the street"
Orlando De Jesus => "Family"
Jack Bishop => "Everything"
Danny Paul => "Pray for me to get off drugs and alchohol!"
Gregory Scott => "Pray that I may come upon a regular job real soon ok"
Jesse Morris => "For Protection"

Thanks for praying!
GB HOYT

If I Were a Carpenter...

(************atttentionsnsnsss!!!***********************)
don't forget to checkout my new randomness!


Yo,
so I went to Orlando yesterday with an agenda:

1. Plug hole in fishmobile gastank.
2. Board up windows.
3. Lock all doors.
4. hand out foodbags downtown.

Items one and three were accomplished with no problem. Item two is about 33% complete, one window is boarded, all the wood is cut, but I'm not satisfied with the way things are right now. It still has a few design kinks to work out and whatnots.

As for item four, which is arguably the most critical, mission mostly accomplished. I went downtown, handed out about 15 foodbags (and there were more than enough people to go around), and told everyone what was up. People were waiting so some people at least remembered when I said I would be back. There were even a fair number of new faces. That kinda surprised me, but I guess it goes to show the power of word of mouth.

Next week we have college kiddies to help out, ought to be interesting.
later guys,
GB Hoyt

Catfish are Jumpin and the Cotton is High

Summertime is almost over. We are at the peak of the hurricane season, students are back in school, homeless activists are being arrested in my "back yard", and my mom and dad are about under water. It's also been a pretty busy summer. First things first.
We took July and August off, as far as street ministry is concerned. Many of the people and churches who support us had things going on, and couldn't provide the necessary manpower to get everyone together. Even I took a much needed vacation. It's tough raisin' two kids, holding down two jobs, and trying to run a homeless mission on top of that. I need help! I get some every now and again, but what we really need is someone who can do this every week.

Hopefully, that can happen this year. I'm going to see if I can get a couple of college kids from Florida Christian College to take the ministry on a coupla days a week for pay. It's a lot to ask a college kid to give up a coupla days a week for free, and I don't mind shellin' out a little dough if it means that ministry can happen every week. I have a few things going on that keep me from doing ministry in Orlando the way it needs to be done, and I'd like some prayer in that regard.
1. My truck is about broke down. It's got over 180,000 miles on it, more than one ding, and a leaky head gasket. I have every confidence in the world that she'll leave me stranded one day, probably on my way to or from Orlando. I can't afford another car payment, and I can't afford all the repairs necessary. So mostly, I just need to take it easy right now, and be happy if I make it the 6.5 miles to and from work.
2. I had to take a second job. One day the truck will need replacin' and the girls will need to go to college, so I got a second "at home" job with a website developer. That's right, I'm a paid hacker! It's great work, but requires I spend time doing it, and that means my time to spend with my family is greatly impacted. These kids don't raise themselves you know.
3. There is a lot of work in Lakeland to do. I honestly feel guilty not doing more here. This is my community, I can't pretend that I'm connected to Orlando beyond ministering to homeless people once a week. If students were more involved with BASIC I would feel a lot better, and could do something useful here.

What do you think?

peace out!
GB HOYT

Yesterday.

Alright,
it's monday and i'm going to post on what happened yesterday downtown, first time all year, just about, hallelujah!

The fishmobile is back in service. Thank God. it's been out for a while now, but we are now using it again, even if it is a little ugly. The volunteers who helped pass stuff out certainly appreciated it, and the guys who received food and clothes, were happy that things went smoothly as well. All in all we had a great experience.

I spake on the necessity of quickly changing, before we are changed quickly, text was from 1 Corinthians 15:50 to the end of the chapter. It's important to understand that we must change to inherit the things that God as planned for us in the future. Flesh and blood do not inherit the kingdom of God.

As for prayer requests, I'll try to post those a little later in the week, the girls are in need of my constant supervision, so it's hard to pay attention to this blog and to them.

on other notes: my personal truck nears death. she ain't runnin' well, because we were just forced to buy another vehicle it will be difficult to replace the ole rabid mosquito, but alas, we still prevail.

So the daily chores call me away, look for another update later this week.
Oh, and if you are a nerd, checkout my latest attempts at being non sequitar: Scattagun experiment...
until then,
weeeeeeeee!
and God loves you,
G Brandon Hoyt

Here I am!

Hello,
incase you have forgotten, this is Brandon Hoyt. I just had a baby, and while when we only had one, i could blog while she napped having two complicates things a little bit. but now the oldest is watching the little mermaid, so we should be alright.

sorry for the few capital letters, the shift key is the enter key right now, and it's a long story!

ok, so the quick update is this:
BASIC continues, i've been doing inner city work now for nine years, and still doin' what i can do. being daddy though, has made me cut back quite a bit, especially since i can't do ministry for a full time living. i've been working on getting a job that would pay more than the bills so that i don't have to worry about pay, but we'll just see about that. Right now that mostly involves learning computer programming, both in school and outside of the formal educational setting. If you know anyone who would be willing to hire a new C++ or Ruby on rails programmer, lemmee know. Also i'm slowly learning the trickier aspects of linux system administration, and learning some lessons the hard way as it were. Namely, get your disk partitioning space right when you install the operating system, but that's enough nerd talk, let's get to the ministry!!

We've been going downtown almost every week as BASIC since august of 2003, starting january this year, i've changed our weeks to the 2nd and 4th sundays of the month downtown, mainly cause i need the other sundays to get stuff ready in the office. if i could get about 3 or four volunteers to commit every week, we would be able to get everything done that we need to get done, and go downtown every week, but until then, we just don't have time. I need to go shopping, sort clothes, clean the office, update a database, and keep everyone informed all by myself. Also, so that we can really help more people, i have decided to limit the number of people we serve every week we go downtown to forty. That is a sustainable number for us to help, and make an impact in their lives on a deeper level.

We do have some prayer requests:
Dan Siegfried: Thank you Brandon!
Parice Wallace: Mom
M.L. Taylor: for myself, for alcohol
Nelson Daniels: need job!
Michael Wright: that i will be able to get a job
Jack Bishop: everything, sleeping bag.
Curtis Latimer: Family members
John Duck: I need a job and a home.
Krystal Coleman: that God continues to answer my prayers, forever.
James Wilson: gainful employment volunteer to lead to employment in field.
Sheral Ables: Pray that we all stay safe.
Dwight: pray for everyone.
Theresa McDonald: for my wedding and babies.
Shameekia Smith: yes my child and myself.

also, remember my family, we were in a car accident superbowl sunday and our car was totaled, the guy drove off, but the police caught up with him, and we still don't know if he has insurance or not. Kelly's leg received a little abrasion, and my back hurts a little, but the kids seem to be alright. So far it's been a yucky ordeal, our car was paid for, and now we'll have a car payment, but with prayer, and hope, we'll come to a swift resolution to the matter.

so thanks for listening!
keep the faith,
GB HOYT

Changing Places, Changing Hearts, Changing Seasons.

It's getting Darker earlier, and I can tell.
It's pretty amazing to watch the seasons change. I feel the restlessness of fall come upon me, and I am prompted to do certain things because it's that time. I am prompted to watch birds as they migrate, and to join others in this effort. I do it year round, but now I will actually make special trips to special places in an effort to see them through my binoculars. I will keep lists, an hope for things such as "cerulean Warblers" and "Lesser Yellowlegs". I have lifelists, statelists, countylists, and Lake Hollingsworth lists. It's not quite an obsession, just merely a tick, one that borders obsession in the fall. I also feel obliged to hurl lead at squirrels in an effort to acquire meat for gumbo. That's right, I am a hunter, and I love eatin' tree rat. We have a love hate relationship (squirrels and I) with an understanding that no matter what, if one of us sits still long enough, they can be considered food by the other. So far I have an advantage, but I know from experience that I should never sleep in the back yard... I also feel obliged to heed my Grandfather's exhortations to grab a spinnerbait, and chunk it when "the water turns on the bayou". It's a phenomenon you'd have to see to understand, but so far the biggest bass I've caught out of the ole muddy bayou was caught under such condition behind Henry Corley's momma's house. I was using a plastic lizard, but I've caught bass on a spinnerbait "out-da-by" too. Can't do that here in Lakeland though, for Bayou Beouf don't run over here. This time of year is when I miss Cheneyville the most.
I also think, what's going to happen this fall? Will Florida be warm, cool, hurricaned, or dry? All of those are valid options. It's a sobering time of year, because it is one of stark change, and great contrast. Gone is the single question of summer time: "is it raining or not"? Now we have to ask, is it raining, is it snowing, is a hurricane a blowing (thank you Gene Wilder!) The snowing part is hyperbole, but you would be surprised as how cool seventy can be if you have to sleep outside, under the stars, and nothing between you and the dirt/concrete/park bench but your clothes...
We need blankets and pants.
That is the most important thing I can say now.
We need blankets and pants, Please.

Sunday update to come, right now it's important for you to know that:
We need blankets and pants, fall is here.
and what will fall this year?
GB HOYT

And Here is the Lesson!

Mornin'!
here's the lesson I'll be giving in Sunday school. I will be preaching a shorter version tonite downtown.
Goodnite everybody!

1 Thessalonians 1

1. What are the three things that Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy remember before God about the Thessalonians? 1 Thessalonians 1:2, 3

2. How did they receive the Gospel? 1 Thessalonians 1:5

3. Why is the way they received the Gospel important to their congregation? 1 Thessalonians 1:4

4. What is the Job of the Holy Spirit in the world and to the believers?
John 16:7-14

5. Describe the faith of the Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians 1:5-8

6. How did the world regard the Thessalonians? 1 Thessalonians 1:8

7. What kind of life did they have before they converted to Christianity?
1 Thessalonians 1:9

8. When they turned from their former lives, what life did they begin to live? 1 Thessalonians 1:10

GB HOYT

Video!

Ok, it's not of BASIC, but it is still relevant. I found this by simply googling "Homeless News" without the quotes, and finding a Blog that is about Homeless news.

Here's the video:



It's pretty good, but like anything, I don't agree with everything the video assumes. It's easy to assume that money is the primary way to fix homelessness, but I think the primary emphasis needs to be on prevention, and the problems that lead to homelessness are more complicated than mere money. Not to say there could be more money spent on the issue, just that there are bigger fish to fry, like world view transformation, justice under the law, personal sin. It's more important to get someone out of their comfort zone, both homeless and not, and get them to a place where they are actively seeking and doing God's will than it is to simply increase spending. If you are not homeless, and you are doing God's will*, I think you will find that something changes you to the point where homelessness stops being the problem, and homeless people are blessed by you, and they can turn and bless God because of you.

I think I want to write more about that, but for now, just sit and think about it. Sunday I'll be going downtown, Saturday I'll post my lesson for the trip, which is based on the lesson I'll be giving this Sunday in Sunday school at Highlands Church of Christ in Lakeland, FL.
Until Next Time!
GB HOYT

*I include this post to Arron Chamber's entry on a new program because I really like the WATER concept he is using for his young adults ministry. It's something that the whole church needs to read, understand, and realize that this is what they've been thinking all along. The part about worship really says something special to me. Read it, and the rest of his bloggings too.

Downtown Live!!

Yo!
I am downtown, live and in person!!
I had to ride around a little bit to let everyone know that BASIC won't be downtown next weekend but the weekend after. pluss I wanted to blow off a little stress on the ole trusty steed. So, I saw a goodly number of people and I handed out a bunch of the copies of the Gospel of John. I've had a bunch kinda locked up for a while and rediscovered them. I guess it was kinda my way of being sorry for not having food and clothes, although I have no reason to feel that way. I do long for a change from the ordinary. Sometimes I wonder if I'm building the right relationships. So much of what BASIC does right now is meet "right now" needs. I kinda get frustrated. It's good to ride when I think about such things because it is easy for me to forget here i am going the in the world. Helps me see. Plus traffic keeps me on my toes...

Well, I'm at Panera, and my truck is a little ways from here. I must go so I can get home. Hopefully, that means an earlier bed time, but I also discovered the presentation I am giving Tuesday has been deleted! That means I have to rewrite it. Yuck.

I love you all!
GB HOYT

Sunday School Lesson

Hey all!
While I am not preaching this Sunday in Orlando, I am giving the Sunday school lesson today at Highlands Church of Christ. I would like to share it here with you so you can see it and so people can view it online as well. The text is from Psalm 129 and here are the nine questions I will be asking tomorrow!
1. How is the suffering of the children of Israel described in Psalm 129:3?

2. What are some of the afflictions they may have been facing at the time? Ezr_3:3; Neh_2:10

3. Why does the Psalmist declare the Lord to be righteous in Verse 4?

4. What does the writer ask God to do? Verse 5.

5. Who is in Zion? What comes from there? Psalm 2:1-6; 9:11; 14:7; 20:2; 50:2 What is the significance of being turned away from Zion?

6. When are some times that the children of God have faced an enemy, only to be delivered at the last moment? Acts 16:16-39

7. Name some of the enemies of the children of God: 1 Corinthians 15:26, 1Peter 5:8 Matthew 13:37-39; Acts 13:8-11; James_4:4

8. Can we continue to expect God to deliver us from our enemies? Revelation 20:7-15

9. Is God's blessing extended to those who oppose and frustrate the children of God? Verse 8

I'm not going to link all the other verse references, if you want that you will need the E-sword topic file from me!!!
It's free to use.
Any questions?
GBHOYT

Extra, Extra Read all Ablog it!

Hello!
This is the midweek news update!!
YEah I did it...
So,
First of all, some personal news: As many of you know, Kelly is great with child, and we've been pretty nervous. I'm nervous at least. I remember when our first daughter was born and how trying of an experience it was, if only because of the nature of the emergency that was involved. Katie was born via an emergency c-section, and that means that little yet to be born Emma will have to be born by one as well. Yesterday, Kelly went to the doctorman again, and he said that they will probably do the surgery October 3. I don't know, but it just seems funny to me that we can plan our Kid's birth. The first birth wasn't planned at all though, at least.
Keep praying for us in this time!
Ok, so, some homeless news:
A lady we had seen from time to time named Venus Martinez was murdered late July. I found out this last Sunday. She was found near the spot we usta meet, as a matter of fact, we *Just* changed where we meet, right after they found her body. Word is that she was raped and strangled. It's been about a month since it happened, and I haven't been able to find any information about any progress in the investigation. I mention it now cause it's news to me, and I did know her...
... also, seems like the powers that be are deliberately focusing on Murdered Homeless People. I don't know this guy, and I don't Stephen King The Person He Murdered or why he was murdered, but I do know there are lots of communities like the one where this guy lived along the I-4 corridor that need some sort of constant community witness to the changing power of Christ.
NOTE: The link for "The person he murdered" contains comments left in Honor of King. It helps to make homelessness something tangible to see the impassioned pleas of people who either knew him, or researched him...
...
A little research can change the hardest hearts.
...
Here's a site with some interesting news about violence against homeless people toward the east coast in Deland: Police search for suspects in beating of homeless man it's good cause it deals with the latest, and it focuses on some of the past crimes in the area.
God please rip the callous off our hearts!

So,
for the 2 coming Sundays I won't be going downtown to do food and clothes. This next Sunday I need to go shopping for BASIC. Hopefully there will be some back to school backpacks on sale! Why not buy two or three and drop them off at the church building? Sunday after Kelly is having a baby shower, and I'm on Daddy duty. So that's the news, I hope you were changed
Now get out there and Love somebody!!
GB HOYT

God Loves You, me, Tina, and Steve!

Back from downtown.
Here I am, I didn't get too worked up, but I did yell. I wonder if you can guess the parts of the sermon that I yelled. I'll give you a hint. I really don't think that some things are fair...
;-)
Anywho. I served about twenty-four people Sunday Nite, me and God, and some of them helped eveyone. Things went really well. I arrived about six downtown, and was done by seven. I call that a perfect plan, even though it rained lightly the entire time. Somehow, the rain was enough to feel appropriate considering the subject matter of the sermon.
Crazy...
Let me give you an interesting God story about today. In my travels, I have to decide by the time I get to the end of my street tolls or no tolls. Paying tolls means I save half an hour sometimes in travel time. Not paying tolls means I save about $3.50. Hmmm. It's not really an issue right now, because I don't have any toll money!!! :-D Hooray for simplicity!
In my simplicity, I prepared to exit highway 98 onto I-4, and I spied some hitch hikers. Two of them to be precise, a man and a woman.
WARNING!!! I am not about to advocate picking up hitch hikers. There are just too many way to creepy Urban Legends to just go picking them up. I knew them both!!! I also knew they were homeless I recognized Tina Bishop right away. She's small... I didn't recognize Steve first off though. They are the ones mentioned in the title of the post. They had come to Lakeland for the weekend to give Steve's Kids some good news and they were on their way back. Well, I was able to give them a ride to Orlando in the A/C. God has great timing.

So: Here are the prayer requests:
Jack Bishop: Everything
Adrian Hendy: Things get better
Cathy: Grandma
John Santrock: My Grandma
Nelson Daniels: Need Job, Place to stay.
Mona Thomas: To fight hunger and pneumonia while it continues to rain.
Steve: That we make it through another day.
David Fahrmer: For my mother and for our safety on the streets.
Robert Duncan: Pray for my mother.

Nearly fifty percent participation this week on the requests! Hey, that ain't bad...
So. Everyone have a good week, I'll have some more news later.
God Bless you!!
GB HOYT

Floating around the Internet....

Ok, so floating around the internet, this is one thing I've found: Scott Biao is 45 and Single. This article is by a fellow blogger, and is pertinent. Firstly because my wife Lurves the Reality shows, so I know she'll get a little fix from it.
My thoughts to add in:
Oh, the price we pay to be in a covenant relationship with the Father! It's not always easy to be the Faithful Bride that Christ calls us to be! For one thing, we are forced to admit that we've been doing it all wrong. Second we may have to leave everything behind to follow him!
Crazy...
Sacrifice for the sake of knowing God?
Really?
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot loose" - Jim Elliot.

25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

28"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'

31"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:25-33

GB HOYT -- everyday I must do as Scott did to Johnny, kiss myself on the cheek and tell myself to give myself a break.

Downtown this Coming Sunday...

Hello!
we are gettin' downtown this coming Sunday, to meet some needs, and also so I can scout out a community of homeless people near 50 and JYP. Supposedly there is a homeless camp somewhere around there. We shall see! I can't wait to have my new baby. This morning I am honestly excited about the prospect of having a tiny one again. Also, I can't wait for my KT to be a big sister.
(*Sigh*)

So, anyway, back to reality,
If you want to come downtown with us, feel free. We could use some extra help sunday, meet up at Southeast Christian Church, just south of Goldenrod and Curry Ford at 3pm.
Sofar, the only people confirmed coming are James, "The Gravy", McCrickard, and me! I think Rafi just started school ('bout time) and he needs to get A's!!! That way he can make lots of money, get lots of land, and give that land to people to live on!!!
Well,
Everyone take care. Lemme know if you can make it downtown,
GB HOYT