I asked Caden if he would like to help me gather up toys in the yard that they didn’t play with anymore and give them away.  He asked if we were going to have a yard sale.  I told him no.  He then said, “Are we going to take them back to Walmart?”  I said, “No.  We are going to take them to the apartments in town and give them to a family who doesn’t have as many toys as us.  He looked puzzled and then said, “How are we going to get any money?” 

Teachable moment…In order to have teachable moments, you have to have moments. 

 I took the opportunity to tell him that money on earth fades away.  We spend it on stuff, then that stuff eventually breaks, and finally it all fades away.  But when we give to others, we store up money in heaven that never goes away. 

He then asked, “What is heaven like?”  I said, “It is a party.  Better than anything you have ever imagined.  God is there and walks with man just like in the garden of eden.  There is singing, it’s energetic, it is far better than anything on this earth.”

His five year old mind processed for a while and then he said, “Is Disney World there?”  I guess that was the best he could muster up. I said, “Disney world would be like your backyard.” 

We then went and delivered the toys to the home of the child I mentor from Barnwell primary school.  You should have seen the little children playing with the toys that my children had simply written off.   Caden was passing out the toys and playing with the children there at the low rent apartment complex.  As we drove, he said, “They didn’t give us any money for heaven.”

Yes they did, Caden.  Yes they did.

You don’t even know me.  How can you love me?”

That is what was said to one of my former students who went on a mission trip to New York City.  She was under the impression that they would be feeding the homeless and talking to them about Jesus.  Instead she found herself standing on a street corner with a bright red apron with praying hands on it doing surveys and asking people if she could pray with them while they were scurrying to work in Times Square.  They were trained to do the surveys in such a way that would lead them into a presentation of the gospel.  The first four questions served as a switch and bait to get to the real reason they were stopped.  Many “seeds” were planted they were told as the gospel was peddled, but ironically no one came to know the Lord. 

Back to the man.  He had been watching them for a while and asked her what they were doing.  She said, “We are from South Carolina and we came here to love on the people.”  That is when he said his line that has been ringing in her ears ever since.  He then began to ask her questions she didn’t know how to answer so she called in the reinforcements….the trained professional who began to debate him over the existence of God.  Afterwards they probably got together and patted themselves on the back for the arguments they refuted.  At any rate she was discouraged with the entire week.

We are training people to evangelize in a world that does not exist anymore.  A forgotten world where people are sitting on their stoops waiting for company with a warm pie they baked just in case someone stopped by to talk with them.  A forgotten world that is not so busy.  A forgotten world that is not skeptical of strangers.  A forgotten world where it took more faith to be an agnostic than a believer. 

Allow me to offer a different strategy.  Love first, serve first, tell second.  Several of our ninth grade girls did an extreme makeover on children’s rooms in an apartment complex.  They then during christmas used their own money to buy clothes for the girls and a dress for the mom.  The girls burst into the bathroom to try on their new clothes.  They came out and had a beauty show for them.  The girls then sat them down and told them the Christmas story for the first time in their lives.  Guess what?  They listened and they trusted them. 

That’s the new world.  Maybe it has always been there.  Of course it is easier to knock on doors and not get dirty with the lives of those who are hurting. 

Allow the love that God so lavished upon you in Christ to be poured out on those in the world.  Then when they ask you why…pull the trigger and tell them about Jesus. 

My family just got back from Disney World where we spent 3 days in the parks.  My boys Caden (5) and Connor (3) had a blast.  It was Caden’s first time to ride Space Mountain.  Leisa talked him into riding it.  He came out all big and bad and said that he really liked it.  So I said, Ride it with me.  He quickly declined the offer.

Our family was interviewed for the ABC Christmas Parade.  Leisa had strategically gotten us to wear matching shirts, so they spotted us and got us to say Happy Holidays from the Clamp Family!  Maybe we’ll make it on Christmas morning.  We were right at the stage watching Miley Cyrus sing Santa Clause is coming to Town for the Christmas morning broadcast.  I think Caden likes Miley!

Of course we were able to see tinker bell fly from the top of the castle and I positioned us so that she would fly right over our heads.  Connor was amazed so much so that he wanted a Tinker Bell light up figure.  My rough and tough 3 year old studying and staring at his new toy was a trip.

We found a nativity scene at Hollywood Studios.  It was quite ironic that all of this decorations and lights at the Ozbourne Family Light spectacular was put because of the celebration of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords birthday.  There right around the corner was a nicely done nativity scene.  I watched as one person took a picture in front of the scene and then I turned around to see 1000’s of people waiting to watch the lights light up and dance on the City Street.  It is a picture of our society today.  Don’t allow the glitz of Christmas cause you to be blinded about the reason we celebrate.

Happy Holidays!  whatever… MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

My 3 year old son spent the night at Grandma’s this past week.  You never know what they are thinking until they ask.  He is constantly asking questions.  “Grandma, how do you get up in heaven (while flapping his little arms).  Do you fly?  Grandma, i don’t want to go to Heaven yet.  Grandma, if you and Poppa go up to heaven, I will not have a Grandma and Poppa.” 

There is a country song that Kenny Chesney sings with these lyrics,

Everybody wants to go to heaven, Have a mansion high above the clouds

Everybody wants to go to heaven, But nobody wants to go now.

Why aren’t you ready to go to Heaven?  I believe that it is because of a few things.

1.  You don’t know Jesus.

2.  You don’t understand what Heaven is.

3.  You don’t know Jesus.

The first reason is because you are lost.  Jesus has not permeated your life with transforming grace.  You have not admitted that your sin is condemning you to Hell, you are totally separated from God, and your attempt at good works is filthy rags before a Holy and Righteous God.  Deep down you believe that you are not that bad.  You look around and see people that are worse than you.  I mean you even endure your church’s attempt at a worship service every week.  Come on Somebody!  The reality is, if you don’t think you need a savior from your condemning sin, you want desire a Savior.  But if you realize your sin is separating you from God, and repent from your sin and confess Christ as your Lord or Boss he will save you, tranform your mind, and give you something to live for.

The second reason, is that you are a confessing Christian but you honestly believe that you are going to be on a cloud somewhere singing a hymn that is in 4/4 meter with about 1,234,645,867,345,867,234 stanzas.  Come on somebody.  Honestly.  God is going to establish a new heaven and a new earth.  Gone will be aches and pains, sleepless nights, people talking about you, meaningless work, deceitful politicians, greedy businessmen, and the gamecocks.  Well maybe not the gamecocks.  It says in scripture that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.  That means in your best efforts you can’t even imagine it.  In Revelation it’s one big family reunion where you actually know everyone who is there.  You all have a common bond.  Tony Campolo said “The Kingdom of God is a Party.”  Satan would deceive you into thinking he has the market on the party scene.  Please!  Satan distorts every good thing of God. 

The final reason is someone who confesses Christ as Lord, but doesn’t know him, know him.  He is still sipping on milk and hasn’t even begun to get to know Jesus.  You are missing out on life if you don’t deepen your relationship with him.  Dive into the scripture and feel the heartbeat of God.  Serve others that know one else will serve and look into the eyes of Jesus.  Begin to do obey the things of scripture and experience a freedom that only God can bring. 

Why wait until heaven?  Start revealing heaven to those around you today.

Caden won three goldfish at the Fall Carnival at school.  One of them he named Freckles.  He hasn’t really played with them since then.  In fact, how do you play with a pet fish.  You can really on stare at him and he at you, and how do you know it is a him anyway.  At any rate, his favorite named Freckles died.  I think he was dead.  He was either dead or he was floating on the top of the water practicing the back stroke.  At any rate it was time for the funeral so we went to the toilet bowl for the funeral and for everyone to say final words about freckles.  Caden broke down and refused to bring closure and said we could just keep him in a cup outside.  I told him our cat would eat freckles, which didn’t help matters.  He continued to sob and everytime I went to flush the toilet he would break down.  I told him he would be going to goldfish heaven and swim free in the ocean at the end of the toilet bowl drain.  I know that wasn’t exactly the truth.  So my little 3 year old is watching this whole thing.  He is the strong one in the family and he says to me very serious, “Dad, I’ll flush him down.”  But we couldn’t bring ourselves to do it.  So freckles stayed in the toilet overnight.  Caden forgot about him in the morning.  And I, with very little hooplah, flushed him on to glory before going to work this morning.  Sometimes its difficult to bring closure.

Our Senior guys are memorizing Ephesians 2:1-10.  See if you can beat them to it.

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Our ninth grade girls this past weekend, knocked it out of the park in their missional work.  Kayla Hodge, Ashley Black, Lawson Carroll, Cassie Williams, and Junior Leader Jacqueline Gray did an extreme makeover on the rooms of a family in an apartment complex.  Their leaders were Lynn Hair, Lissa Black, and Libbie Boyleston.  There were 5 children of a single mom who were living in tough conditions.  The girls first raised over $500 doing a speghetti dinner.  Then they took the money and bought furniture from goodwill.  They took the furniture and painted it and it was transformed into furniture from the Pottery Barn.

Next they went to the apartment.  Cassie played with the girls all day and took them to McDonald’s.  It was their first trip to McDonald’s!  The girls got to work painting the walls and getting out the old furniture.  One of the girls was sleeping on a box spring on the floor and when they picked up the box spring roaches went flying everywhere.  There was a stillness that was in the air with the girls as they began to realize how blessed they were.  They brought in the furniture and set the room up.

Then the fun stuff.  They brought the 7 and 9 year old girls into the room.  When they opened the door the girls just began to weep.  They were speechless.  The ninth grade girls started to cry too.  As they left one of the girls latched onto Kayla and begged her not to go.  One of the leaders said, “This is like Christmas.” and Kayla said, “This was better than Christmas.”

Our girls put feet with their faith this past Saturday.  I promise, if they talk to those girls about Jesus, they will have a captured audience.  They have earned the right to be heard.  They will continue to minister to them in the months to come.

You go girls!

Rokeem is like one of my sons.  I coached him last year and we have developed a good friendship.  He moved to Williston this year and has done outstanding on the Varsity football team and has done well in school.  Here is His first touchdown as a corner back.  He intercepted the ball at the buzzer and ran it back for a touchdown.  Williston is undefeated this year and continue to dominate opponents by over 40 points a game.

Picture Jesus right now.  Your picture of Jesus may not be accurate.  Check out the following message by Lee Clamp on Revelation 1:9-20.

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I had a student who went off to school to USC that stopped my office for a visit yesterday.  She’s my admin. assistant K’s daughter.  If I have never told you about K, she is top of the line unbelievable when it comes to being a servant and organizing ministry.  In fact she has become a common noun in the student ministry world.  I always tell people, you have got to get you a K.  Anyway I’ll blog about her later.

Her daughter works at IHOP.  I was talking to her about tips and she told me about a story of impacting a man and him strengthening her faith and in the process got a pretty large tip.  She said she has enjoyed working in that environment because she is able to show people Christ and what it means to be a REAL Jesus follower.  She then said something that other waiters of mine have echoed for years that really disturbs me.  She said, “Lee, I fight against one thing as a Christian in my witness.  The lowest tipping time in all of the week is on Sundays at 12:00 pm!  My colleagues dread working on Sundays when all the church going “Christians” come in to the restaurant.  They are the sorriest tippers in the week.”

 WHAT IS UP WITH THAT!!!

Cheap, non giving, Moochers drive me insane.  Christians are supposed to the be the most giving people on the planet.  They are supposed to be servants themselves and recognize others who serve.  YOU ARE GIVING JESUS A BAD REPUTATION!!  You carry the title of Christian and then stiff the very people that are serving you.  That’s Rediculous or as Maher would say Religulous.

CHANGE YOUR TITLE OR CHANGE YOUR TIP!!