Wise as Serpents, Innocent as Doves

In Matthew 10:16...God counsels us that we are to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

In the last few weeks...really going back to early September...there has been a plethora of news stories that have captured my attention. They've made my blood boil...and I'm just trying to sort through all my thoughts to put a coherent piece together. Of recent note are the Harriet Miers nomination for the Supreme Court, the intentional and purposeful twisting and misrepresentation of Bill Bennett's comments and critics of the federal government's slow response to Katrina victims being attributed to racism.

The more I tried to sort through the events, my observations and opinions...I find it more difficult and even a bit depressing. I feel as if I'm living in an upside down world...where anything resembling truth or common sense was thrown out the window. I do plan to put my fingers to the keyboard and write on these issues...but want to take the time so I will have clarity of thought...and a balanced perspective.

But I feel compelled to comment today about Dr. James Dobson with regards to the Harriet Miers nomination. Like the verse noted above...we as Christians are admonished to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. My dear Dr. Dobson...I have no doubt that you are innocent as a dove with good intentions. But by golly you surely did not exercise wisdom by inserting your comments about Harriet Miers into the debate and disclosing the fact that you had been speaking with White House officials...namely Karl Rove.

Dr. Dobson...you have been dealing with the media for so long now. And all too frequently you are the subject of criticism by folks in the main stream media whom do not share our values. With that prior personal experience why in the world did you hint at the fact that you had inside information or assurances from "White House Sources"? I don't get it.

First of all Karl Rove...what do you think you are doing? Haven't you give enough testimony recently that calls into question you possibly leaking confidential information to outside sources? Yet here you go again Karl. Not a really bright move.

Dr. Dobson...you've compounded it...by speaking out like you did. Initially hinting that you had information that lead you to believe that the Miers nomination would be a good thing. Then today...you went into more detail. Golly...what were you thinking. In the first place I call into question you getting that information from Karl Rove...if nothing else it wasn't prudent. Secondly...you should have taken the information...and encouraged your listeners to be calm, let Miss Miers go through the hearing process before making up their mind. That would have been a balanced response...but not betrayed the fact that maybe you were given info you shouldn't have been told.

In the interest of full disclosure I must say...I disagree with the Miers nomination. I'm breaking ranks with many of my fellow conservatives. Hugh Hewitt has been trying to bring out the merit and benefits of the Harriet Miers nomination. Despite some arguments...some of which I can even agree with to some degree...I still feel that this an extremely poor and unwise choice by President Bush. But I'll get into more about that another time.

I feel like I'm in he middle of a bunch of lemmings (made up of fellow conservatives and fellow Christians) that are jumping off the proverbial cliff only to meet their demise.

Folks...a little common sense goes a long way. And right now you are about as far away from it as you can get. Please...I beg of you please be quite...and stop running head long down a road that may be very destructive.

Now would be a really good time...to exercise some wisdom and discernment. Give it a try...fellow conservatives need you...and so do the libs...but they're just not smart enough to realize it. Bottom line...knock it off!

Let Them Eat Angel's Dust!

"Let them eat Angel's dust!"

Now we all have been around some of those obnoxious sports fans! Those times where you want to take the guy aside and say, "Hey buckaroo...there is more to life than your sports team."

Not too many people would accuse me of being an obnoxious sports fan. Obnoxious yes...sports fan...probably not top of the list.

With that being said I'm asking for a pass on this misapplication of scripture and Bible Study.

I'm back in Bible Study Fellowship...and this year we are studying Genesis. This last week we studied about the fall of Adam and Eve...and the curses that were pronounced as a result of their sin.

One of the curses was given to the serpent...because he tempted Adam and Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. God cursed the serpent saying that he would crawl on his belly and eat dust all the days of his life.

And then we learned about what dust symbolizes in scripture. Dust is symbolic of "little worth", "death" and "frustration".

So taking on the new role of the "obnoxious sports fan"...I think it only appropriate that I utter a loud cheer for my Angel's. "White Sox...may you eat Angel's dust!"

White Sox...may your dreams of victory be of little worth, filled with frustration and die in the face of the Angel's victory.

I'll take four games straight please! Go Angel's, go Angel's, go Angel's!

Dan Q...Jeff...this post is for you!

(Photo by AP Photographer Jeff Roberson)

Trust & Obey

When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief or a loss,
not a frown or a cross,
but is blest if we trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

But we never can prove
the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favor he shows,
for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet
we will sit at his feet,
or we'll walk by his side in the way;
what he says we will do,
where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.


Text: John H. Sammis, 1846-1919
Music: Daniel B. Towner, 1850-1919

Facing Transition & Change

Notes from Dave Dunn's Sermon 10/9/05
Facing Transition and Change

Chuck always liked to joke about life and death. Death is our greatest transition...one that Chuck looked forward to. We too can either look forward to death or fear it.

What does the Bible say about death? It is appointed unto man to die once, and and then comes judgment. All have sinned. We are born into a sin filled world and we are sinners. Each one of us has a choice to make about the gospel message. What will we do with the gospel message? Where will we spend eternity?

Kindred Community Church...has always been committed to preaching the gospel message. Chuck's death will not change that commitment. God is in control and he is sovereign.

Change upsets our little apple cart. Transition and uncertainty are kind of like jogging partners. "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." - Robert Burns. Instead we need to approach it like James did, "If the Lord wills, then...". We are all creatures of habit. Ruts become like second nature. But in reality, we live in a state of flux, transition and change. We may not realize it until it effects our lives.

Ecclesiastes 3 - A Time for Everything
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

Transition can bring stress and anxiety into our lives. We all get into those ruts...those areas of comfort. God brings us change and transition to help us realize that we need him and help us to turn to him.

We have two perspectives on change. Sometimes we like it...when we feel like we are in control. Sometimes we don't like it...when we are not in control. Change seems to come in waves in our life. We face change in all areas of our lives. It's important that as we face change that we turn to God's word.

Deuteronomy 34:1-10 - The Death of Moses - Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the LORD showed him the whole land from Gilead to Dan, all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it."

And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said. He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.

Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses. Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face.

Because Moses had not followed God's instructions...and hit the rock twice instead of speaking to it, to call forth water...he was disqualified from entering into the promised land. (Note...the rock symbolized Jesus. Moses had been instructed to hit the rock once and then speak to bring forth water. This symbolized that we can go to God and speak to him. Instead...Moses hit the rock twice.)

Moses was a man picked by God. He was chosen by God. In Numbers 12:3 we learn that Moses was the most humble man ever. He understood that God was in control and in charge. Moses was the only leader Israel had ever know. The Jews had been in captivity for 400 years in Egypt as slaves. Moses was to move them from a state, an attitude of slavery to freedom. They left Egypt and were then faced with a wall of water.

Moses life was consumed with caring for the Israelis...millions of people. He was respected deeply, dearly loved ...a great man of God. With all his heart and soul he always stood in the gap between God and the Jews. But Moses was the leader for only one leg of the race. After that then came Joshua...later David and then the Judges.

When Moses died...the Jews mourned him...they wept and remembered him for 30 days. All great leaders will die. It surprises us...but not God. When a man of God fades...nothing of God fades away. God is never caught off guard or surprised. He always knows what will take place.

God always has a Joshua read to step into place. Joshua 1:1-9 - The LORD Commands Joshua: After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates all the Hittite country to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Joshua was picked by God. God picks the leaders and places them in leadership and authority. God already knows the next man who will lead our congregation. "After the death of Moses", God waited until after Moses had died and was mourned. The people had to come to grips with the fact that Moses was dead. There was a new leg of the race to be run. God gave Joshua guidelines. Love the Word of God...and love the people. A man who will stand in the gap.

We are to meditate on the Word of God day and night. God will be with you...right by your side, day and night. Vs 5..."As I was with Moses, so too will I be with you.". Moses had been a peacemaker and stood between God and man. Now God needed a warrior to go to battle as they entered the promised land. Joshua was the next person to lead the next leg of the race.

Men many years before had prayed that God would use Kindred to take the gospel message to the world in a greater way. God stated working in a reluctant leader who acquiesced. God placed us as the Elk's lodge to give us time to grow and transition. There we became a church body. The potential that God has give us a group believers is incredible. Just as with Moses and the Jews...God took Chuck.

We all need time to grieve. We need time to reflect on past well well as the task at hand. The Jews took time to remember what God had done through this great man Moses. So too we need time to remember our own great leader. The next man who takes this pulpit will be a great man of God.

Will he be like David...who was unimpressive looking...but had a heart for God? Remember...we are not to consider the outside of a man...but his heart. We need to face the transition process as God leads the way. But keep in mind there are pitfalls. One pitfall is to act too quickly. Right now we are vulnerable. But we need to be careful that we don't pick the wrong person. We need to know that we will never find another man just like Chuck...and we shouldn't be looking for that either. Chuck was unique...when we look for someone like him...that will only set him up for comparison.

Moses and Joshua were entirely different. Joshua was equipped for the next leg of the race.

What do we need to do? We need to stay the course. Don't change and don't step back. Nothing has changed...God is still in control. He is still on the thrown. We need to ask ourselves do we really believe that God is absolutely sovereign? God will not abandon us.

We need to follow God's word. Meditate on God's word. Communicate with God...be in prayer. We need to be obedient. Be strong. Don't be discouraged. God says, "Trust me, I know what I'm doing."

If we do what God asks he tells us, "You will be successful in many eyes and I will be with you where ever you go."

Stay the Course!

Katrina...Truth and Lies...And Questions Why

Kudos to the Los Angeles Times...for their courage in writing an article critical of the media...including themselves over extreme exaggerations that abounded in the media in the days following hurricane Katrina.

When you start learning about what actually went on at the Superdome compared to what was portrayed in the media...you must ask why and how it got so blown out of proportion.

First and foremost...let me unequivocally state that the suffering and slow response to get the aid the the victims of Katrina...was heartrending and deeply troubling. No excuses on that...and I do want to get to the bottom line and find out why things went wrong.

But in looking at what actually happened compared to the news stories...you have to wonder why we were so willing to believe such horrific stories. The article below is excellent... and hits on a number of issues.

Some of the questions that come to my mind are as follows: Did we find it more easy to believe that New Orleans was out of control because a large portion of the people were black? Did we want to give people a pass on alleged horrific behavior because they were poor?

How much of what the media showed on TV and reported or commented about in print was driven by a deep seated hatred of President George Bush and the Republican administration? How much was because they wanted to make the administration look bad? I think it's very revealing the fact there aren't too many reports correcting the facts about what actually happened in New Orleans.

One of the sad consequences from the media's hyped reports is that those reports probably further delayed getting aid to the people in desperate need...the people that the media purportedly wanted to help.

The lack of coordination, communication and execution by Governor Kathleen Blanco, Mayor Ray Nagin and the federal government brought much needless suffering upon the citizens of New Orleans.

There was lot that went wrong in New Orleans following the aftermath of Katrina. But thank you Lord...it wasn't anything near what was being reported. Please read the article below to find out what actually happened in New Orleans.


Katrina Takes a Toll on Truth, News Accuracy

Rumors supplanted accurate information and media magnified the problem. Rapes, violence and estimates of the dead were wrong. By Susannah Rosenblatt and James Rainey, Times Staff Writers

BATON ROUGE, La. — Maj. Ed Bush recalled how he stood in the bed of a pickup truck in the days after Hurricane Katrina, struggling to help the crowd outside the Louisiana Superdome separate fact from fiction. Armed only with a megaphone and scant information, he might have been shouting into, well, a hurricane. The National Guard spokesman's accounts about rescue efforts, water supplies and first aid all but disappeared amid the roar of a 24-hour rumor mill at New Orleans' main evacuation shelter. Then a frenzied media recycled and amplified many of the unverified reports.

"It just morphed into this mythical place where the most unthinkable deeds were being done," Bush said Monday of the Superdome. His assessment is one of several in recent days to conclude that newspapers and television exaggerated criminal behavior in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, particularly at the overcrowded Superdome and Convention Center.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune on Monday described inflated body counts, unverified "rapes," and unconfirmed sniper attacks as among examples of "scores of myths about the dome and Convention Center treated as fact by evacuees, the media and even some of New Orleans' top officials."

Indeed, Mayor C. Ray Nagin told a national television audience on "Oprah" three weeks ago of people "in that frickin' Superdome for five days watching dead bodies, watching hooligans killing people, raping people."

Journalists and officials who have reviewed the Katrina disaster blamed the inaccurate reporting in large measure on the breakdown of telephone service, which prevented dissemination of accurate reports to those most in need of the information. Race may have also played a factor.

The wild rumors filled the vacuum and seemed to gain credence with each retelling — that an infant's body had been found in a trash can, that sharks from Lake Pontchartrain were swimming through the business district, that hundreds of bodies had been stacked in the Superdome basement.

"It doesn't take anything to start a rumor around here," Louisiana National Guard 2nd Lt. Lance Cagnolatti said at the height of the Superdome relief effort. "There's 20,000 people in here. Think when you were in high school. You whisper something in someone's ear. By the end of the day, everyone in school knows the rumor — and the rumor isn't the same thing it was when you started it."

Follow-up reporting has discredited reports of a 7-year-old being raped and murdered at the Superdome, roving bands of armed gang members attacking the helpless, and dozens of bodies being shoved into a freezer at the Convention Center. Hyperbolic reporting spread through much of the media.

Fox News, a day before the major evacuation of the Superdome began, issued an "alert" as talk show host Alan Colmes reiterated reports of "robberies, rapes, carjackings, riots and murder. Violent gangs are roaming the streets at night, hidden by the cover of darkness."

The Los Angeles Times adopted a breathless tone the next day in its lead news story, reporting that National Guard troops "took positions on rooftops, scanning for snipers and armed mobs as seething crowds of refugees milled below, desperate to flee. Gunfire crackled in the distance."

The New York Times repeated some of the reports of violence and unrest, but the newspaper usually was more careful to note that the information could not be verified.

The tabloid Ottawa Sun reported unverified accounts of "a man seeking help gunned down by a National Guard soldier" and "a young man run down and then shot by a New Orleans police officer."

London's Evening Standard invoked the future-world fantasy film "Mad Max" to describe the scene and threw in a "Lord of the Flies" allusion for good measure. Televised images and photographs affirmed the widespread devastation in one of America's most celebrated cities.

"I don't think you can overstate how big of a disaster New Orleans is," said Kelly McBride, ethics group leader at the Poynter Institute, a Florida school for professional journalists. "But you can imprecisely state the nature of the disaster. … Then you draw attention away from the real story, the magnitude of the destruction, and you kind of undermine the media's credibility."

Times-Picayune Editor Jim Amoss cited telephone breakdowns as a primary cause of reporting errors, but said the fact that most evacuees were poor African Americans also played a part. "If the dome and Convention Center had harbored large numbers of middle class white people," Amoss said, "it would not have been a fertile ground for this kind of rumor-mongering."

Some of the hesitation that journalists might have had about using the more sordid reports from the evacuation centers probably fell away when New Orleans' top officials seemed to confirm the accounts. Nagin and Police Chief Eddie Compass appeared on "Oprah" a few days after trouble at the Superdome had peaked. Compass told of "the little babies getting raped" at the Superdome. And Nagin made his claim about hooligans raping and killing.

State officials this week said their counts of the dead at the city's two largest evacuation points fell far short of early rumors and news reports. Ten bodies were recovered from the Superdome and four from the Convention Center, said Bob Johannessen, spokesman for the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. (National Guard officials put the body count at the Superdome at six, saying the other four bodies came from the area around the stadium.)

Of the 841 recorded hurricane-related deaths in Louisiana, four are identified as gunshot victims, Johannessen said. One victim was found in the Superdome but was believed to have been brought there, and one was found at the Convention Center, he added.

Relief workers said that while the media hyped criminal activity, plenty of real suffering did occur at the Katrina relief centers. "The hurricane had just passed, you had massive trauma to the city," said Lt. Col. Pete Schneider of the Louisiana National Guard. "No air conditioning, no sewage … it was not a nice place to be. All those people just in there, they were frustrated, they were hot. Out of all that chaos, all of these rumors start flying."

Louisiana National Guard Col. Thomas Beron, who headed security at the Superdome, said that for every complaint, "49 other people said, 'Thank you, God bless you.' " The media inaccuracies had consequences in the disaster zone. Bush, of the National Guard, said that reports of corpses at the Superdome filtered back to the facility via AM radio, undermining his struggle to keep morale up and maintain order. "We had to convince people this was still the best place to be," Bush said. "What I saw in the Superdome was just tremendous amounts of people helping people." But, Bush said, those stories received scant attention in newspapers or on television.

Times staff writer Scott Gold contributed to this report.

A Breeze is Blowing

My girl kitty Daisy

Following the death of my most beloved Pastor, Chuck Obremski...I feel like the wind went out of my sails. Obviously a very sad time for the Obremski family, his friends...and for the many people who loved and treasured this man, whom God bless us with.

I've been in the grip of a profound sadness...yet experiencing a peace that overrides it. A peace that truly comes from God.

This has been one heck of a hard year...with many losses. In addition to Chuck's illness and death...with all the highs and lows...I've also lost others this year. First and foremost my friend Hugo comes to mind. This dear man...was essentially give a death sentence by way of a lung disease. He too was on a health roller coaster. When the promising news of approval for a lung transplant came, Hugo's health took a sharp decline...and he died within a few short weeks.

While deeply saddened by Hugo's death...the comfort of knowing that he was a believer in Jesus Christ, had been redeemed from his sins...and that I will one day see him again in heaven, can not be overstated.

Not too long after that news came word that a friend from my past, Neil Parker had died...following a heroic battle with cancer. Just the thought that this man was gone from this world...and knowing that I wouldn't be talking to him again or seeing him this side of heaven caused me much grief. But like Hugo...I took great joy in the fact that I will be greeted by Neil one day in heaven...since he too is a Christian and saved from his sins.

A couple of other losses bring me much sadness...at a more personal level...the losses of two of my kitties, Kate and Daisy. Earlier in the year...I made the difficult decision to give Kate away. Kate had been my mom's kitty...and I had taken her in to my home when my mom moved into an assisted living facility. In many ways Kate was so different from my other kitties...very personable and friendly. But there was constant conflict between Kate and my other kitties. It resulted in behavior problems...that I couldn't tolerate any longer. I had my other kitties for over 14 years...so I made the tough decision to give her away.

For weeks I felts sick to my stomach at the thought of Kate...and in a lot of ways regretted the decision...but the peace in my home for Daisy, Nathan and Moss helped me to know it was an okay decision.

This last September...I had to have my kitty Daisy put to sleep. She got sick with no notice and within two days I had to take her to the vet. As it turned out...she had a tumor and was at the end of her life. I was with her when they gave her the shot. When had I adopted Daisy from the pound, she was pregnant unbeknownst to me. I ended up keeping two of her boy kitties, Nathan and Moss. She gave me one of the best gifts of my life...and I miss her greatly.

So as you can see...from the above personal events this year has been tough. There are other things...on a different more intimate level which have been challenging and have tested my faith. In some instances...I've kept my focus and remained steadfast and at other times I've despaired of even life. But even in those times that the hurt has been great...and seemingly overwhelming...it doesn't hold a candle to those times of similar despair when I was not a Christian.

I remember that feeling all too well. I thank God and praise God that now even in the midst of pain and despair...I have a hope that will never die. Does that mean I don't have those moments that when I feel my boat is about to be swamped...and go down for the last time? No...of course I do. But the difference is...they are moments, not seasons or years of despair...and there is hope even in the midst.

So I write all this to give you fair warning...that while the wind has recently gone out of my sails...I can feel a breeze blowing. So watch out...I'll be doing some more writing than I have in the last couple of weeks.

In past few weeks...there have been a number of big stories that I have wanted to comment on...but my mind was focused elsewhere. But now...I'm going to dive back in. So...be forewarned...there are a number issues in the media that I'm going to tackle. Important issues that I want to better understand, if for nothing else than to know what I feel about them.

So thank you God...for carrying me through this time. It's been rather hard...and I still feel bruised and battered...but I'm still here. I still have many hopes, dreams and prayers that I want to see realized...but I'm going to keep going and pray that you will make a way God.

God saw all that he had made,

and it was very good.

Genesis 1:31

Don't Give Up!

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Galations 6:9

The Influence of the Genuine Servant

The Influence of the Genuine Servant
Matthew 5:13-16
Message by Chuck Obremski…Delivered by Jack Grogger
Notes from sermon on 10/2/05

Matthew: 5:13-16 - 13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Biblical Depiction of our world:

Difficult - 2 Timothy 3:1-7 - 1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
6They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.

Depraved - 2 Timothy 3:8-9 8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

Deceived - 2 Timothy 3:13 - 13while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

2. A Biblical description of the genuine servant’s influence:

A. The Salt of the Earth (Matthew 5:13)
* Shaken, Sprinkled, not Poured
* Adds flavor, but it’s obscure
* Unlike any other seasoning

B. The Light of the Word (Matthew 5:14-16)
* Silent
* Give Direction
* Attracts Attention

We live in a difficult time, a difficult world…and things are not getting any better. Today we live in difficult times, a terrible time…people who are depraved…and dead towards God. Men think we don’t need God. A depraved and deceived world. In such a world how can one person make a difference? Do you feel defeated? How can we as Christians make a difference? Are you looking at things from a horizontal perspective or a vertical perspective?

Jack then shared the story about the “Keeper of the Spring”:

The late Peter Marshall, an eloquent speaker and for several years the chaplain of the United States Senate, used to love to tell the story of "The keeper of the spring," a quiet forest dweller who lived high above an Austrian village along the eastern slopes of the Alps.
The old gentleman had been hired many years ago by a young town council to clear away the debris from the pools of water up in the mountain crevices that fed the lovely spring flowing through their town. With faithful, silent regularity, he patrolled the hills, removed the leaves and branches, and wiped away the silt that would otherwise choke and contaminate the fresh flow of water.

By and by, the village became a popular attraction for vacationers. Graceful swans floated along the crystal clear spring, the millwheels of various businesses located near the water turned day and night, farmlands were naturally irrigated, in the view from restaurants was picturesque beyond description.

Years passed. One evening the town council met for its semi-annual meeting. As they reviewed the budget, one man's eye caught the salary figure being paid to the obscure keeper of the spring. Said the keeper of the purse, "Who is the old man? Why do we keep him on year after year? No one ever sees him. For all we know the strange ranger of the hills is doing us no good. He isn't necessary any longer!" By a unanimous vote, they dispensed with the old man's services.

For several weeks nothing changed. By early autumn the trees began to shed their leaves. Small branches snapped off and fell into the pools, hindering the rushing flow of sparkling water. One afternoon someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown tint in the spring. A couple days later that water was much darker. Within another week, a slimy film covered sections of the water along the banks and a foul odor was soon detected. The mill wheels moved more slowly, some finally ground to a halt. Swans left as did the tourists. Clammy fingers of disease and sickness reached deeply into the village.

Quickly, the embarrassed council called a special meeting. Realizing their gross error in judgment, they hired back the old keeper of the spring...and within a few weeks the veritable river of life began to clear up. The wheels started to turn, and new life returned to the hamlet in the Alps once again.


The world may think they don’t need Christians…but they are wrong. Christians can be an indispensable influence for God.

We are to be the Salt of the Earth. The world that we live in is rotting. Just as salt can be used as a preservative for meat…so too can a Christian act as a preservative in the world. The world is kind of like a five star restaurant. It looks good from the front…but when you go behind the scenes…things are looking pretty disgusting. The world is perishing…but God have us His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ so that we would not perish. Christians are to be the moral disinfectant in a world of changing values.

Salt - Preservative…slows down decay. Healing agent…a healing agent the world. Salt also creates thirst. Question is…do we live Christian lives that make other’s thirst? Do we make people desire more of God?

John 4:14 - 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

The world is thirsty…but have they found anything to quench their thirst?

Salt also melts snow and ice....cold, hard hearts. But when we have a bad attitude…we are good for nothing. We are not to be conformed to this world.

Romans 12:2 – 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Salt is to be shaken…and spread around. Christians are like a football team…to be effective and do any good we’ve got to get into the game…not stay in a huddle. Sundays are our day to gather in the huddle…but then we are to go out in to the world.

Hebrews 10:24 – 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Jack shared that while the family was with Chuck as he was dying…they were comforted to know that they will be together for eternity. Until then…we are to come together and spur one another on…encourage one another...then get out into the world. Jesus wants us to go out into the world.

Salt adds flavor but it is obscure. J. Vernon McGee cautioned Christians, “Salt has lost it’s flavor and the pepper it’s pep.” Salt contributes to the meal. It’s unlike any other seasoning.

Christians are to be a light in the world. Jesus compared us to himself…and we are to be like Jesus.

Light…exposes darkness and evil. Light is silent…faithful and consistent. We should be like a lighthouse to the world…nothing that shades a person.

Ask yourself…are you as a Christian attractive to people? A lighthouse gives direction. Are you like a little tiny bulb…or like a big bright shining bulb? “Light it up!”

Light attracts attention. It draws you in…kind of like the sunrise or sunset. Are people attracted to you? We are called to be the light of the world…and attract people. We are to stand as a light before the world and people. When the light is flipped on in a dark room…the bugs scatter. Does your light shine before men? Does it encourage men to come to know the glory of God?

And The Story Was Told

And the story was told,
of a man who lived his life well.

Started out life,
on the tough streets of Pittsburgh, PA.

School of hard knocks,
a reality, not just a phrase.

Then the real education began,
at an eternal and holy school.

Humbled before a Holy, Righteous God,
acknowledged his own sinful soul.

Received forgiveness,
Jesus Christ, the atonement for sin.

Learning life's lessons,
from the very Word of God.

Changed, transformed,
reflecting the light of our Lord.

Always found time,
to counsel a hurting, needful soul.

Wisdom, not his own,
but from the Holy Father above.

Direct from the pulpit,
a steady and penetrating gaze.

Proclaiming the gospel,
always, only, continually his aim.

Suffering and death,
a tool of salvation in the hands of a loving Father.

God, whose desire, His will,
that none should perish, but all come to repentance.

And the story was told,
of a man who live his life well.

Loved the Lord with all his heart, mind, soul and strength,
like unto it, he loved his fellow man.


by Susan Bunts 9/27/05

Celebrating a Life - Charles David Obremski

This weekend I had the privilege of attending two services that celebrated the life of my beloved Pastor, Chuck Obremski.

One was the memorial service for Chuck held at Anaheim Stadium. David Fisher at Pilgrim Scribblings posted the recap of the services from the Kindred Prayer Team "You Finished Strong". It fully captures the services...and I encourage you to click on the above link. It will give you a picture of the man that so many people loved, mourn at his passing...and celebrate that he is home with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Today at Kindred we had a service as a church family to remember and celebrate our very own dear Pastor. We had the opportunity to have fellow members of Kindred get up and share how Chuck had touched theirs lives and what they remembered about him. It was very touching...and amidst tears...I jotted down some notes as people spoke. My apologies to fellow Kindred members...but I didn't get each person's name. So...instead on some I'll record their words, sans name. Words paying tribute and respect our our Pastor in a life lived to bring glory to God.

On the Tuesday before Chuck died, he said, "I feel like I'm being crushed".

When selecting our sound technician Mike Farrel, he commented to him, "It's not about me, it's about the Word." That was always Chuck's primary focus.

Chuck had a great and sometimes irreverent sense of humor. So while some of these notes on the more humorous references may make you pause...trust me, his jokes and daily comments were great...and helped bring some humor and perspective to life. Mike had long hair for many years...always pulled back in a pony tail. When Chuck was loosing his hair due to chemo...many of the Kindred guys stood in unity with him and shaved their heads. Mike too shaved his head. When Mike visited Chuck towards the end...Chuck comment, "Mike, I love you. I love you so much more, since you've cut your hair." You've got to love it...it's totally Chuck.

Lloyd Cotton shared a funny story. Chuck was always pretty well composed...but Lloyd liked to sneak up and get him. While over at the Elk's Club in Santa Ana, after service Chuck and Linda would greet people as they left. Lloyd loved to sneak up behind Chuck and tickle his butt. One day he told Chuck, I just love sneaking up on you and tickling your butt and giving Linda a big hug. Chuck commented, "Lloyd, I'm counting on you keep those two things straight."

Les Nesbitt shared that he had known Chuck for 18 years. As a doctor he was able to be with Chuck during some of his surgeries. When awakening from surgery one time, true to the Chuck we know and love he said to Les, "I know it's not heaven, because Les is here."

"You see God shining through Chuck. He was God's tool." When Chuck was preaching he had a way about him of looking out at you and catching your eye during key points of his sermon. It was always very convicting. When bringing a friend to church to hear Chuck preach...the friend commented afterwards, he didn't keep with the customary 5 second rule of looking at you...but it seemed more like 15 seconds.

Chuck and the Kindred family have always been there behind me and my family.

Chuck always shared the plan of salvation. Hebrews 12:2 - "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." This person when on to say that Chuck endured the "cancer coaster" in his desire to share the gospel message to the very end.

One of the Ram's wives commented that the football players would hear Chuck's stories and sermons. That he really came across to the players...and brought many players to the Word of God.

A gentleman shared the scripture, Galatians 6:9 - "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." He further stated that following a difficult situation he felt he was at the end, but he knew who he could call for help and direction. Chuck challenged us to live a life worthy of the calling. Each of us is challenged each day and we have a choice. We can walk a life worthy of our calling...we can make right choices. We can go with our heart or go with the Word of God.

Ruth Stingley from Kindred's Prayer Team shared that Chuck opened up the Word of God for her. He ministered through his entire family with love and care for all. She encouraged the Obremski family that God would continue to use them greatly.

A gentleman commented that he was looking for a Pastor that didn't put him to sleep when preaching. The first time he heard Chuck...he knew he had found the right place. He further shared that he was motivated by what Chuck taught.

One Kindred member commented that when listening to Chuck preach she didn't look at her watch.

Victoria said that she called Chuck many times a week. He always made time to talk to her...that he always had the time for everyone of us.

David Garrett from Kindred's Praise Team shared that he visited Chuck during his last week...and Chuck finished strong. He liked people. Chuck studied the Bible for hours each day and practiced it. It was never about what Chuck thought, it was always about what the Bible said. David had the chance to bring his guitar and sing songs with Chuck on his last visit. Even while in such a weakened condition, Chuck still tried to sing along and was taping his foot under the sheet.

A young lady at Kindred said that she had been hearing Chuck preach for about a year and a half. That she wanted very much to attend "big church" and would ask her parents to attend this service and not the services for younger members. She also said that she was really nervous about getting up to speak but she recalled Chuck's admonition, "Don't just keep talking, do it!".

One member shared that she had called Chuck when she needed advise about spending the holidays with family and wanting to share the Word of God. Chuck guided her to book that would help her and during the holidays, she was able to share the Bible with her family.

A young gentleman shared that when he first heard Chuck...he just loved the jokes. But before long...what brought him back time and time again was hearing the Word of God. He also said that Chuck treated him like an adult, not a child. He also shared that at one of the prayer meetings for Chuck, Chuck in turned prayed for him and the rest of Kindred members.

One young lady shared that she had grown up with Chuck and the Obremski family. How much can you do when you really love well? Because of Chuck's influence, when she talks to people now, it's about what really matters. Chuck was the one person who was able to make fun of her...but she still felt loved. Some of the things she learned from Chuck: Don't loose heart, look at the difference that one person can make when they live a life sold out to Jesus Christ. Make people feel important...even if it's something simple like a smile or a hello. Love deeply and make people feel like they are important and matter. You can only feel a great loss when you have a great love for someone.

Charlotte said that Chuck was faithful to his promise. She was thankful to God for a Pastor who taught us the Word of God and lived it. He lived victorious life and shared the way to make victorious choices. He always made her feel that he had the whole day to talk to her. She encouraged us that we too need to finish strong.

Bob shared that Chuck lived the Word of God. That he brought life and meaning to the Word of God.

A young lady shared that she too had grown up with Chuck and the Obremski family. Chuck's greatest gift was that he was encourager. Even in his last week, he encouraged those that came to the hospital to visit him. She then share the following scripture - Psalm 73:23-28

23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.

Jack Grogger, Chuck's son-in-law, encouraged us that after Jesus death and resurrection, the disciples went on to teach the Good Word. We are not to quit...but finish strong.

Dave Dunn finished up with some final observations. Chuck was a true example...faith in action. He got the Word of God out...and never lost an opportunity to share the gospel. He loved people and wanted everyone to hear the gospel. He focus was always with the gospel...he never lost his focus. As Chuck finished his leg of the race, he encouraged us, "Don't drop the baton!". We have tears of a temporary parting. Chuck was an ambassador of the gospel called home.

2 Timothy 4:6 - For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure.