On Sunday, September 14, we had more rain from Hurricane Ike than Houston did. With 12 inches of rain falling and some captains using wading boots and a few kids swimming to the bus, we saw 1,646 in church just from our buses. The next Sunday 2,132 rode in. The most wonderful thing, though, was to see the aisles flooded with sinners at the invitations.

On October 5, we celebrated "I Love America" Sunday with many government officials and local businessmen attending. Dr. John Stormer, who wrote None Dare Call It Treason, preached in the morning and evening and did a great job.

Our annual Stewardship Banquet was also a wonderful success. With utilities and fuel spiking high, our people came through allowing us to continue moving forward in our ministries.

Even the college had some growth this fall, and we are experiencing a very good school year. It's always nice to have young people who want God's will in their life.

Like most of you, I am concerned about modern Christianity. Today the average Christian is not Christlike, but is quick to defend his flaws and defects. He has no desire to perfect his life for God but is more interested in covering up his problems and "looking good." Isn't it amazing how we can read the strong appeals of our Lord and His apostles to do right, at the same time fighting them, yet we still want to be accepted as spiritual?

Of course, if we are right with God we will always be making decisions for Him, seeing our needs, and not making excuses in the pew or in our devotions, telling ourselves we are "okay." The Apostle Paul said, "I die daily." Romans 6:6-8 "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him." Oneness with Christ means to be identified with Him in crucifixion, and then going on to be identified with Him in resurrection and power.

We love to hear the wonderful stories of martyrs embracing their crosses. We would like to believe we could die for the cause of Christ, but we can't even figuratively nail this old life on the tree. God has had to deal hard with me in this matter. Would I stand even if my extended family were torn apart because of it? Would I stand if this would hurt the feelings of those I love in my congregation, and they would leave? What about if I would be scoffed at by the accepted powers in fundamentalism? Would I still serve Jesus, nailed to the cross as Job was?

Many are content to sit in their pew singing, "Have Thine Own Way." But, if serious, it would mean bringing their entire life into accord with New Testament teaching. The reason Elijah and other Bible men had such power with God was that they not only heard God but did exactly what God wanted them to do, no matter what the consequences were. God will bring problems and trouble into the person's life who has surrendered in order to build him. The Apostle Paul called this "the fellowship of Christ's sufferings." One of the reasons we exhibit very little spiritual power is that we are unwilling to accept and experience the fellowship of our Saviour's sufferings.

When we have a serious problem with our teen, rather than say "I will do right-I will claim God's promises, and if he or she goes bad it must be my fault," we compromise to "look good" and we lose our children and the smile of God. Then, we live our lives with our "feelings on our sleeves" and usually go to the devil defending ourselves.

Listen, if we are going to be truly used of God, we will be acquainted with sacrifices, suffering, and hating our pride. In Galatians 6:14 we read, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." Our thought life, money, entertainment, pride, family-all will have to be crucified if we are to be truly right with God.

Daniel was a good man and the world put him in a pit of lions. Job was perfect in my estimation, and he had to lose absolutely everything to be really right with God. The apostles were persecuted, and throughout church history, Christians have been persecuted and hated for their surrendered lives. The Roman Catholic church persecuted Martin Luther and killed millions because they actually strove to be in the will of God and not passively "let God's will be done." I challenge you to find one Christian who obediently looked for God's will and did not have as a result painful, but fruitful, trouble. If we are going to know Him in power and strength and spirit, we will have to suffer with Him here in this world. God takes pleasure in confounding everything that comes from or produces human power, which is weakness in disguise. He wants our mind, talents, mental toughness, or spirituality all nailed to the cross so He can raise us for His glory and eternal good.

You parents know what it is to chasten without pity-but with love-wanting the results in your children to be a broader horizon and higher goals. When you want your child to become the finest example of manhood and character and Christianity, you pray for him, you love him so much that you would give the blood out of your veins for him, but you don't make things soft for him. I did everything in my power to be sure my son strove as hard as possible-in academics, in sports, in music, in work, and, of course, spiritually.

I believe God wants to raise up a group of Christians in our day who are willing to be completely separated from all carnal desires, but we fight any and all hardship or suffering. We want our Easter to come without a crucifixion. We forget too easily that there must be darkness before the beauty of dawn. Oh, a new, beautiful day as a Christian is great, but first we must follow Him no matter what the cost.