Live Free or Die!

I want to thank my good friend, Laco Kuchar, for posting the picture above on Facebook. I found the line at the bottom of the billboard especially inspiring. There is no doubt that we are facing a time of unparalleled corruption in our government. When we were promised transparency but received major legislation put together behind closed doors, we felt deceived. When the same legislation was rammed down the throat of the majority of the people we felt alienated. The old cry of the American Revolution rose in our throats again, "Taxation without representation!" Most of us were not represented in those back room meetings. We were told we would see it on CSPAN, and that legislation would be posted on the internet at least 72 hours before it came to a vote. Then on seperate occassions we hear from both Obama and Pelosi that we would "know what was in the bill AFTER it passed!" What were they hiding?

On March 23, 2010, Obama signed his health care bill into law, amid the challenges from opponents that it was unconstitutional, and a little more of our freedom died. I think it interesting that it was on March 23, 1775 that Patrick Henry spoke those famous words, "Give me liberty, or give me death!" His speech before the Virginia Convention is credited for having inspired them to join the Revolution. This style of legislating, in the face of such strong objections from the majority of the people, is serving a similar function to Patrick Henry's speech. The people are inspired to join the revolution.

The billboard humorously suggests steps to Revolution. 1. Starve the beast. 2. Vote out incumbents. 3. If steps 1 and 2 fail, then prepare for war. The truth is that we are already at war. We are embroiled in a war for the heart and soul of America. Will our children and grandchildren live in an America as free as the country we have known? Will we respond to this call to revolution, or will the America we leave for our children and grandchildren be better defined as the United Socialist States of America? I think it depends on how we respond to the challenges of our time.

Let me use the outline on this billboard to explain what we can do. How can we "Starve the beast?" The only way to starve this beast is to shrink government. The present administration believes that government is the answer for everything, and it just keeps growing bigger and bigger. The cost of running it keeps growing along with our enormous debt. The way to starve the beast is to cut back the size and expense of government. This government needs to be on a starvation diet. Of course, that seems highly unlikely considering the record of those currently in power. Therefore we need to move quickly to the second consideration. If the people, who are so stirred now, will stir themselves up and go to the polls, then we can see an end to the kind governance we are enduring. Those 220 who voted against the will of the people need to find themselves looking for work after the next election. Voting incumbents out just because they are incumbents is not wisdom. We need to look closely at all incumbents. There are many who need to be sent packing, but there are those who have stood for truth, and we don't need to lose good men and women who have had the courage to stand up without compromise during times such as these.

Lastly, we must remember the cost of freedom. We must honor and cherish the precious gift of liberty that has been purchased with both the blood of our forefathers, and the blood of our sons and daughters, who have paid the ultimate price for freedom. It is a time for us to be willing to make the sacrifices, and pay the cost of protecting liberty for our children. It is again time to boldly choose to "live free or die." If we do not choose to rally for for the cause of our liberty, then a little more of our freedom will continue to die every day.

Remember Paul's words in 2 Timothy chapter 3:1. "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days." These certainly are "perilous times," to use the words recorded in the KJV. Our nation is in peril. Thomas Paine wrote in his work, The Crisis, "These are the times that try men's souls." Still those times were not without hope, and neither are these.
As Christians we should be a people full of hope. We can declare again with Paul in his letter to the church at Galatia, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1)." One day He will return, and finally we will have the only perfect government. Until then, we are full of hope that He is the answer for the ills of our nation. His truth still sets us free! Let us cherish freedom, and "Live free, or die."

Tribute to Roger Mullins

This afternoon we meet to celebrate the life of Roger Mullins. That is certainly the way he would want to be remembered. Yesterday we walked past his remains and treated them with respect and honor. Today they will be no less honored, although hidden beneath the flag of the United States of America honoring his service to his country as a United States Marine.

Yes, we celebrate his life. Roger was not defined by his death. As he lay down to sleep and breathed his last breath, the last piece of the frame was placed around the life portrait of Roger Mullins. His is a happy portrait. Not like some of today's modern art forms that leave you with a bad feeling, but like a good movie that you want to see over and over again. That was so very evident in how much more time we spent yesterday in front of the memorial video than how long we lingered in front of his lifeless remains. Anyone who knows Roger, knows that he likes to laugh. There was always a joke to tell, to inspire others to laugh along with him. He enjoyed life! If you look at his portrait there is always a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.

This happy portrait is one that found happiness in 31 years of marriage to lovely bride. It is the portrait of man who loved her and her son, made him his own. It is the portrait of man who raised two sons to whom he was a real hero. If you're listening today Roger, they'd like to say how proud they are to be your sons, how that words fail to express just how much they love you.
And if you speak to them, I know you'd tell them that they didn't have to say it, you'd seen it in their eyes. You knew all along how they felt about you, and you'd say how proud you are of them and fine men they've become. Speaking with Alfred and Doug yesterday, I commented that I didn't which of them looked more like their Dad.

His is a portrait a granddad who adored his grand kids. He and Cleo took them to Gatlinburg, where they made memories together. The girls recall the fun at the water park. I remember his looking on with pride when he came to witness their baptisms. The Bible tells us that is our children's children that crown our heads with glory. Certainly they are a crown of glory to Roger.

Although he loved life, he never held it so dear that he was not ready to lay his life down, for all that he held dear, his wife Cleo, his boys, Alfred and Doug, his grandkids, his God, and his Country.

Saturday Night Alive!

Saturday night was awesome! Our CFA Praise and Worship Team had the opportunity to play at an assembly for young people in Dalton. After sharing several songs and presenting a message about Joseph and Mary escaping to Egypt, the team came back to sing again. As they sang there was amazing sense of God's presence. The young people started to applaud, but I raised my hand and stopped them. Sometimes the moment is just too sacred and too holy for applause. This was that kind of moment. God was touching hearts. This was moment of decision for many of the young people there in that room.

One was a young lady named, Brianna. She and couple other young people responded first to my invitation. She screamed, "Jesus, help me." As we prayed she lifted both her hands in the air in total surrender to God. A seventeen-year-old young lady named Brooke, was the next to surrender her life and receive Christ, followed by one of the youngest of the group, Carissa. It was overwhelming to see these young people opening up to God and experiencing the power of His presence.

A young man by the name of Brady pulled up a chair and joined our group. In just a few moments there were tears in his eyes. I asked what he was here for, and he replied that he need God in his life. He added his prayer of repentance to the others and accepted Jesus Christ as Lord of his life.

The team continued to play and sing, and a young black woman sitting in front began to weep. Stacy went to her and brought her to the prayer circle where I was praying with the others. Her name was Jasmine. Her tears spilled from her cheeks like large rain drops falling on the floor. They were cleansing tears, and Jasmine found God's love and forgiveness.

I don't know when I have been more thrilled. As I looked around and realized that ministry was taking place in several circles around the room. I saw Chuck who had been counseling with some others, and Jamie was a part of a circle where I know that three young people came to the Lord. Anthony was praying with young man named Tyler. Although he was six foot eight and taller than everyone else in the room, still he humbled his heart before the Almighty God and God lifted him up higher than he could have imagined.

I don't know if we will ever know all that God did that night. With all my heart I believe that an eternal difference was made in the lives of many, and we were just privileged to be a small part of what God was doing. To Him be all the glory.

God Speaks in Many Ways

God speaks to us in many ways. He speaks to us through His Word, the Bible. He speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. He speaks to us through the circumstances of our lives. In the Bible we learn that God spoke through angels and through prophets. He spoke in awesome manifestations, the handwriting on the wall, the voice from the burning bush, the voice from heaven at Jesus’ baptism. He spoke through a donkey, gave guidance through a dove, made an animal skin wet and dry, and made the sun to stand still! He spoke through visions and through dreams. One thing for certain is that you can’t put God in a box, or tell him how He is going to speak. In fact, His many ways of communicating to us are as many and varied as we are unique.

The real question before us is this, Has God spoken to us at Christian Fellowship Assembly, about the purchase of this land and property? I believe the answer to that question is a resounding YES! And the evidence is overwhelming! Now, if anyone might question this conclusion, shouldn’t I be the one? Didn’t I focus our attention on Gideon and his fleece on the Sunday of our meeting? I told the body, “with all my heart I believe we needed to have a qualified presence at the auction,” because the opportunity was just too good to overlook. I said that at the very least we should consider the auction as a fleece, and that if we could win the property for whatever our limit or less, we should consider it a YES and if not then we would know that it wasn’t meant for us. It was certainly a reasonable conclusion to believe that when the bidding passed our limit of that we had lost and had our answer. This question was echoed in the voices of others, “Did this bidding miss the spirit of our decision?” But this account of God speaking to us doesn’t begin nor end with that moment in the auction.


The Bible speaks of finding confirmation in the mouths of two or three witnesses. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses (Deut. 19:15). I want to share with you how clearly God has spoken to us about this property.

The first witness is how strongly Brother Cochran has felt about this property from the beginning. The credibility of this witness is soundly established. First, it is because Brother Cochran heard from God about the purchase of property, that we are currently located on the corner of Church and Cemetery Streets in Tunnel Hill today. We are not here by accident. God worked through Brother Cochran not only in the selection but also in the provision for financing for the property we have now. His personal belief was so strong that he cashed in life insurance and used his own funds to acquire the property initially. Likewise in this auction, his insight into the value of this property, caused him to be willing first to donate the difference between his final bid and the authorized bid, writing his personal check to the church that day for the difference. He stated that it would be a miracle if we could acquire this property for less than half a million.

A second witness takes us back to the significance of the amount of our authorized bid. The first time I heard this number was after one of our brothers went out to see the property before the auction. He told me that he anointed the corners and prayed, claiming this for CFA, and that a number came to him. That number turned out to be the amount of our authorized bid. When the board came together to decide on a recommendation to the body, this number was shared again by one of our board members, but our numbers were all over on both sides of this significant number. We tabled the decision on an amount for our recommendation until after the open house the following Sunday. We met half an hour before the business meeting and the number in the middle that we decided to present was that very number of our authorized bid. In the end after the reimbursement from Brother Cochran, the cost to the body was the authorized amount.
A third witness is a spiritual witness. Personally I had a strong sense of the Holy Spirit’s Presence when we visited the property. During our 1^st board meeting prior to the annual business meeting, Brother Cochran felt a witness of the Holy Spirit, when one of the other members expressed agreement with his statement about it being a miracle if we could get the property for less than half a million. At that same meeting the Holy Spirit spoke through tongues and interpretation, speaking directly, “Don’t be afraid!” I confess that that I was more than a little afraid about the size of this project, but I felt sure then that God was directing us to press on. At our last board meeting after the auction, the Holy Spirit gave special revelation as He moved on one of our members, who said, “finally all of the pieces fit.”

A fourth witness is the witness of reason. Can we really afford it? If all we do is look back on our record, someone might reasonably say, “no, we can’t.” But with more confidence than I could have imagined just a few weeks ago, I can declare with confidence that “we can’t afford not to do it.” The day we close on this property the net worth of our assets will increase by at least half a million dollars. In less than a two weeks, we have raised over 80% of the funds needed to close on the property. We have a few members of our fellowship who could afford to do this without the rest of us, but they are willing to do this with us! I think it is altogether reasonable that we should accept their offers to help us see this miracle come to pass.

In the next few days we will have to address all the questions and details about how we will pay for it, but I declare again to you the Word of God, that “nothing is impossible, with Him.” God has spoken, and now is the time for His people to respond in faith.