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.

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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.

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Who can cheer the heart like Jesus,

By His presence all divine?

True and tender, pure and precious,

O how blest to call Him mine!

All the thrills my soul is Jesus,

He is more than life to me

And the fairest of ten thousand

In my blessed Lord I see.

Thoro Harris (1873-1955)

This past week Jennifer & I had the opportunity of working one late afternoon & evening with Child Evangelism Fellowship in an outreach to the attendees of the Prince William County Fair.

CEF had rented a booth in the large vendor building with a simple sign inviting people of all ages to sit down and hear the story of the Wordless Book – the most incredible story in the world. Next door to our booth was a newspaper salesman, across from us an eco water system booth. People from all walks of life came by our booth. Our offer, was to invite whosoever would to come and listen to a story – the greatest story every told.

We had children as young as three all the way up to a dear elderly lady in her 70s come by our booth and hear the Good News of Christ’s free gift to all mankind.

Around 7pm, Jennifer and I took a short break. We walked through the crowds, through the food booths, by the entrance to the carnival, and over to the Grand Stand where a Demolition Derby was about to begin. This was to be a new experience for the two of us. Six ragged old cars lined up for round one. A countdown soon began and then vrooooooom – six cars roared to life.  Zooming back and forth, each car was doing all it could to crash into the others in hopes of halting the locomotion of every other vehicle on the track. Cheers from the audience erupted as the moving cars began to dwindle. In about 5-7 minutes it was all over and two battered cars remained able to move. These would later advance to the finals.

Yes it was thrilling but Jennifer and I walked away with a feeling that something just wasn’t right about all this. Upon making our way back to the CEF booth, we spoke with EJ, a missionary from Korea to the USA working with CEF, about the derby. He commented how that two years ago he had attended one of these demolition derbies. His response was one of wonder over how much Americans enjoy such chaos & destruction – similar in some ways to the thrill Romans had over attending the ancient ‘games’ held at the Coliseum in Rome. Is this all that thrills their souls? How about my soul?

We settled back down in the booth to begin sharing the Wordless Book. During the final hour and a half that we were  there, four children came to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Oh the thrill of seeing those smiles erupt on their face as they came to realize what had just happened – Jesus had washed their heart from sin – praise the Lord. In simple faith believing, they came before the throne of grace. Christ with open arms welcomed them – they became children of God – sealed forever until the day of redemption. We were thrilled – joy overflowed.

And then the bigger picture came into focus…..

The thrill of the derby was suddenly contrasted in my mind with the thrill of lost souls coming to the Savior. For myself, the question comes to mind, what brings thrill to my soul in my day to day life? That evening, the Lord gave me a taste of the joy which comes from serving Jesus. How grateful we are for Dad’s encouragement to go minister. I see a constant need to renew my mind with this perspective. Vanity fair calls out – will we heed their thrills?

Oh may we earnestly desire to have all the that thrills our souls be Jesus! May we view all this world has to offer as paling in comparison to walking with our Savior.

“All the thrills my soul is Jesus,

He is more than life to me…”

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Two weekends ago, Kenan and I had the joy of driving up to West Virginia for a weekend of encouragement and inspiration. The occasion was a commemoration of David Staddon’s advancement into the role of Godly manhood.  While the whole family was unable to attend, we came as eager representatives. What we witnessed was a boy embracing manhood and of a young man showing to all present that he had made a personal decision to follow Christ with his life.

Looking across America, the disparaging statistics reveal a   mass exodus of young people from the church (upwards of 80%). In his recent book, Already Gone, Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis reveals  the truth that most of the young people who appear to have forsaken Christ during their college years actually had ‘left the faith’ years before. Satan is lurking to and fro in search of those he may devour. He sees the value of youth and so seeks to sift them  as wheat with adolescence and the accompany frivolity and independent spirit so many ‘teenagers’ have. One way to stand against this tactic is through encouraging maturity at a young age – skip the teenage years. Under the  leadership of his father, David has chosen to forsake the  foolish and go in the way of understanding. At now the age of 13, he has left childhood behind and advanced into Godly manhood (1Cor. 13:11).

We rejoice over the mighty generation of Godly men God is raising up – a generation who is being equipped to stand in the gap. Kenan and I left the weekend greatly encouraged to advance onward as soldiers in this most worth cause – the cause of Christ!

A few pictures Kenan and I had the joy of taking on our return trip to Virginia Sunday afternoon. What a joy it was to spend this special time with Kenan…

Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it (1Th 5:24).

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Throughout the darkest moments of history, God has faithfully preserved a remnant. A remnant who have not bowed their knee to Baal (1Kings 19:18) – the god of this world. The pressure to conform is intense (Rom. 12:2) and many have turned aside (1Tim. 1:19-20). In our present world, where do we find some of the most concerted attacks directed? Against the Godly family. With such intense pressure, we see families crumbling all around. Losing sight of the vision, they are conforming to the standard of the world only to be pulled apart, watered down, and drained of the power that comes from unity. But there is hope.

When an imperfect and struggling family recognizes their need and turns to the all sufficient Savior, a beautiful work of grace begins. There is hope. God is in the business of redeeming!

Last weekend, families from all over came together for a weekend of encouragement. The purpose of the 2009 Family Encouragement Weekend (FEW Conference) of Virginia was to encourage families to work together in harmony, to impact their local communities for Christ, and to leave a Godly legacy for the generations to come. We see many successful individuals in the world but there is a need for successful Christian families. Families living in harmony, not perfectly, but taking God at His Word.

The conference officially commenced Friday evening (following the Family Encouragement BBQ ) with a message entitled, “The Godly Family – Why there is still Hope.” Over the next 24 hours, we sat under powerful teaching on subjects including, the Heart of Fatherhood, God’s Plan for Marriage, the Impact of Older Siblings in the Family, Lessons on Marriage Oneness, Harmony in the Family, and much more!

The highlight of the conference was three different breakout sessions where families in groups of 4-6 gathered together for prayer. As Oswald Chambers once stated, “Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work.” During this time, families were drawn closer together around Christ.

As imperfect families come together around Christ, recognizing that He alone is sufficient, the results will be powerful. Christ will be lifted up, the church strengthened, and revival sparked! Our family left the weekend encouraged and inspired to continue onward in the corner of the world he has placed us.

What a blessing to know there are others out there who are standing for Christ against this ungodly culture among who we have been called to shine as lights (Phil. 2:15).

Praise the Lord for the great things He hath done, is doing, and will be doing through families living in harmony following the Lord Jesus Christ.

For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power (1Cor. 4:20).

For more photos of this uplifting weekend, be sure to read the accounts from the Staddon Family and Hynes Family.

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Over the past week our family got together with the Hynes, Potters, Staddons, Butlers and a couple other nearby families to have Bible Clubs!

Friday and Saturday were days of training. I liked learning how to tell the wordless book to other children.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we went to four different places and taught the children about God. I remember the  Mephibosheth story that Samuel Potter told. It really got the children’s attention when he was running and running and suddenly tripped and fell down to  act out his story!

It was neat to see children being asked, "What did you do today?" and to hear them say with so much joy that they had accepted Christ. Once I heard two boys talking. One said, "Have you got your heart cleansed?" and  the other boy answered, "I already did yesterday."

I’m so happy to be part of a family that is telling others how to be saved from their sin.

It was a great week!

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