The Wilkes Team

October 26th the Virginia Family Foundation put on their annual gala to inspire, inform, and prepare Virginians. A major theme of the event was motivating Americans to stand for the enduring principles which established their country.

Washington, Adams, and Jefferson stood for these principles. Generation after generation garnered individuals who did the same. Now, the living generations of today must follow their worthy predecessors. As Faithful citizens of Christ kingdom spoke at the gala they manifested ways that their eternal citizenship compelled them to influence the nation in which they enjoyed temporal citizenship.

The Guest Speaker, Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee shared a story of taking his daughter through a Holocaust Museum in Israel. At the end of the tour he watched his daughter sign the guest book and then write a single line in the comment section: “Why didn’t someone do something?” Huckabee, went on to declare that this should not be a question asked by future generations. Germany, a wealthy nation, scientifically advanced, theologically mature, was sucked into a frightening drama of war, atheism, and hatred. Where was the army of pastors standing against such evil? Where was the thousands of Christians influencing their community? Except for small pocketfuls the moral force in Germany was no where. Will America follow the same path? By God’s grace, may his remnant stand and doing all stand; stand for truth, stand for life, stand for liberty, stand for Christ.

Huckabee, along with other speakers; Victoria Cobb, President of VA Family Foundation, Bishop Jackson, Chaplain of the VA Family Foundation, Rev. Jonathan Falwell of Thomas Road Baptist Church and Speaker of the VA House William Howell, shared the need for Christians to take action and influence their  communities. Being in the audience, I was inspired by the words of these pastors and leaders. It’s not just senators, justices, representatives and presidents that effect their community. It also has to be the common American citizen. That’s definitely me and I must begin now, in whatever small way, influencing my community, my church, my family, and my government.

4 Comments » | posted in Family News, Ministry Reports

In days gone by, when a farmer had a need for a new barn, friends and family from all around would rally together for an old fashion barn raising. The amount of work accomplished in so little time was remarkable as time was willingly sacrificed out of a desire to serve.

So..in the spirit of the good old barn raising days, our church family, last Thursday, had a wonderful opportunity to practice working as a body.  We came together for a work day at the Thrash family’s house.It started around 10:30 in the morning and went all day.     

  

  We were able to chop fire wood, landscape gardens, work on a shed, and clean the house.  The sticktuitivness I saw in each person as we worked was very much a blessing. Over the loud poundings of hammers and both electric and gas machines you could hear laughing, singing, and joyful voices everywhere. To name a few of the projects: the house cleaners cleaned 28 windows inside and out,

 

  

the wood choppers chopped 3 cords of wood, and all the footers for the Thrashes’ shed were dug out.

We all learned that we can work together very well even admist all the different giftings, abilities, and opinions .
  I know I could say this for each person that we are looking forward to many more days of working together.

7 Comments » | posted in Family News, Ministry Reports

“God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the give of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever….”  Thomas Jefferson -

  On two recent tours of DC over the past week, I was profoundly struck again by the overwhelming evidence of Providence upon the founding of our nation. Strolling by the monuments dedicated to those who have gone before, we heard the cries of our Nation’s securers of liberty. Men, who more than self, their country loved. Men who could see beyond the present strife because of an inner hope for In God did they Trust. Upon the dirt of Washington, D.C., their names lie engraved in marble and granite and should be forever etched upon the hearts of every American citizen.

But oh how grievous it was to walk in upon the museum of American History and therein read the modern revisionist viewpoint of history. The 21st century recollection of history is seen in light of economic gain, the civil rights movement, ancient Greek culture, and such vanities as sport and play. Barely was there 6 mentions of God throughout the massive 3 story, multiple acre building, much less the name of Providence or Jesus Christ. As George Bancroft so aptly stated, “There must be a meaning to history or else existence is an incomprehensible enigma.” This meaning described Bancroft, is a Providential viewpoint.

The museum was divested of not a few vestiges of our Judeo Christian founding. But, this blatantly evident divorcement of truth from fact served not as a means of discouragement but rather a stimulus to prayer, to remembrance, and to concerted action. The time to Stand has come – are you ready to join the ranks of the Christian Patriot? We trust not in our economy, our president, man’s approval, but in God alone!

In God We Trust! “Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof (Ps. 46:2-3).”

3 Comments » | posted in HIS-story, Photography

Many years ago my Grandparents were raised on farms in North Dakota. Their life style back then included raising cattle, hunting birds ,raising chickens (up to 200), and many other things.  Grandpa said that on late nights he could often remember hearing the howls of coyotes on top of hay piles left out in the moon light after being recently gathered.

Both of our Grandparents really remember picking potatoes . Up in North Dakota, many farms would grow acres and acres of potatoes. When it would be the time for picking, they would have a tractor go through all the rows and plow up the potatoes. After this, children from town, including our grandparents, would go and pick up many bushels of potatoes. For every bushel picked, they would earn 5 cents. That was a lot of money for them in those days.

We have been looking forward to having Grandpa and Grandma join us for a day at our land. They have played a key role, through their stories and ideas, in creating within us a love for farming and living in the country. For Fathers Day this year, we gave Grandpa a special gift: an invitation to join us for a day on the land.

The Thursday was set and Grandpa & Grandma came out for  the day! How we enjoyed hearing them talk about their   childhood farming adventures as we walked through the garden, drove through the orchard, ate a scrumptious dinner (including some fruit  freshly cut by Grandpa), and watched the sun set. It was extra memorable having Grandpa and Grandma join us for an inspection of the bee hives. The Lord blessed our time together and we look forward to spending more time out there with them in the future!

6 Comments » | posted in Family News, Farming 101

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And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while… (Mr 6:31).

And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed (Rom. 13:11).

While putting together the schedule for this year’s Family Camp Out and Revival, the Lord brought to mind these two verses as a focus for the weekend. We have a need, as the  Body of Christ, for revival. Living in an age, as described by John of the Laodicean church, where many are satisfied with lukewarm Christianity not knowing that they are actually poor, lame, blind, and naked, it is time to buy the Gold that has been tried in the fire (Rev. 3:15-19).

And so in the spirit of the old camp meetings of yesteryear, we gathered in a field around a glowing campfire under the starry skies of Culpeper for three evenings of Revival Meetings.

Thursday centered on the call God has given to each and every Christian. Friday centered around exhorting the Christian to unabashedly confront our culture with the life changing love of Jesus – this is worship. Saturday’s focus was twofold: First on being a doer, not just a hearer of the Word. Second: understanding the importance of convictions and standards in our lives and how imperative it is that we never live our lives in such a way so as to offend the weaker brother. These were timely messages, laid on the hearts of Dad, Joshua, and Mr. Bolster (dear friends of the Butler family).

…Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, & rest a while…

The weekend was restful. Free from many of the world’s distractions, we found ourselves rejuvenated through this time apart in a deserted place. Refreshing mornings around the campfire centered  around the Word, scrumptious family style meals from our first class team of camp chefs, relaxing walks with one another, afternoon naps, team building projects, melodious singing, and uplifting conversation.

Salt was savored, lights refueled, and the Body of Christ revived and drawn closer one to another. Living as Christians in our present world, we have a call to live in the world, but this call must never drive us to isolating ourselves from the Body of Christ. It is becoming increasingly imperative that we exhort one another daily lest an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the Word of God develop in anyone of us.

3 Comments » | posted in Family News, Outdoor Adventures

What have been the ramifications of an economical viewpoint of history?

A quick look reveals the results. Today, we live in a nation that still contains a large group of Evangelicals (those known for their belief in God and following of the Bible). In recent elections, over 45% of Evangelicals stated that their primary factor in deciding who to vote for was an economic one. National leaders are criticized or commended based on the nation’s econimc status. In fact, a recent presidential debate had the word ‘jobs’ mentioned over 157 times while the word marriage was only referenced once. There has been a paradigm shift.

Ask the majority of Americans living today what the reason for the declaration of Independence was and they will say, “Taxation without Representation.” This was reason number 17 in the Declarations long list of 27 grievances against Great Britain. In fact, 11 issues were based on representation, 7 on civil issues, 4 on judicial issues, 2 clauses dealt with moral issues, and there were religious issues as well. Charles Carroll & Sam Adams openly declared that, “Religious freedom was the reason they became involved in the revolution.”

Or take for instance the VA Charter upon which the Jamestown colony was founded. Ask the average American of the reason behind this colonization and you will hear that the explorers sought gold. This was number 20 something in a list that had as one of the highest goals the perpetration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A majority of the charters issued during that time had similar goals.

Today we live in an economical focused nation. Out of the 10-13 thousand pieces of legislation faced by Congressman today, the issues most publicized are ones affecting our economy. Christ as the center of our culture has been replaced by the love of money. How imperative it is that we as Christians awake and recognize our tendency to be inoculated by the culture.

During his 4 year tour of America (1831-1834), Alexis De Tocqueville  noted several key qualities that made America substantially different from other nations. Their chief force was Christianity – they take care of the poor. The compilation of his writings have been taught in colleges for 100 years.  Today, however, the abridged version has removed all of the religious and moral records of De Tocqueville leaving behind only those technical evaluations of government and, yes you guessed right, economics.

1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Ro 13:11  And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Notes taken from Wall Builders’, “American Heritage Series.”

5 Comments » | posted in HIS-story