Sunday Highlights July 11, 2010

We concluded our Sunday services today with an evening worship service in our new sanctuary. God has given it to us for a place of worship, and that's just what we did. Even though we are a long way from finishing, and our only air conditioning consisted of a raised roll-up door and a box fan, it was an awesome time in the presence of God.

We sang together, I'm So Glad, Jesus Lifted Me and an old Andre Crouch song, I've Got Confidence. Then after a time of sharing we sang, "For Thou, O Lord, art high above all the earth. Thou art exalted far above all the earth. I exalt Thee. I exalt Thee. I exalt Thee, O Lord."

Then we shared from Philippians 3:7-9, "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith."

Mike shared some of his personal testimony. What was really awesome was the victory he was experiencing today. This morning he had shared that this was the the anniversary of Teresa's passing, but he came forward and asked for prayer. Mike had been at Sunday School and our Morning Worship Service, and had plans to go to the Memorial Gardens after service. Last year had been so very difficult. Mike knew that he needed the strength that only God can give in times like these, and he found it! This year, as he faced the pain of the second anniversary, God's strength was made perfect in weakness. Mike finished the day strong, in His strength, focused on Christ. Instead of focusing on the loss, he had chosen to focus on what God had given, and rely on the Holy Spirit to sustain him.

We closed our first service in the new building with prayer. As I knelt on the concrete floor in the unfinished building, God's presence was there in such a way that while we prayed I forgot the heat. What an awesome day!

Thoughts on Freedom: 4th of July 2010

Well, at least my fireworks picture turned out colorful. My family went to the K-Mart parking lot in Dalton this year to watch the fireworks. It's something we do. We sometimes break into song, singing, God Bless America, or some other patriotic favorite. This year we had foot-long hotdogs, milkshakes, etc., from Sonic, which was in walking distance from where we parked.

While we celebrate this Fourth of July, I thank God for the Freedom we have known, but find my mind wondering about what kind of America will we leave for our grandchildren?

As far back as 1787, when we were adopting our constitution, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, named Alexander Tyler, was writing about the fall of the Athenian Republic. He wrote:

A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.

When you think about the current LOOSE FISCAL POLICY, the astronomical national debt, and the current administration's brilliant idea that somehow we can spend our way out of debt, you realize that the stage is certainly set for the demise of democracy.

Tyler comments further that the greatest civilizations in history progressed through a certain sequence, lasting only about 200 years.

The average age of the worlds greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:
1. From bondage to spiritual faith;
2. From spiritual faith to great courage;
3. From courage to liberty;
4. From liberty to abundance;
5. From abundance to complacency;
6. From complacency to apathy;
7. From apathy to dependence;
8. From dependence back into bondage

Charlie Crumley of Sandy Springs, Georgia has written about this "Freedom Cycle," and his work parallels some of our Scottish professor's insights. The diagram below is his cycle of Freedom, and he believes that we are somewhere about level seven above on the professor's list, or somewhere in the area of CHAOS on his diagram below.





I don't believe we have ever lived in a more chaotic time in American history, and my concern is that if "We the people" don't wake up, America as we have known it will be no more! Perhaps you think I listen too much to folks like Glenn Beck, but I have to admit, he makes a lot of sense.

Personally I believe our hope for America is found in the promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14,

If my people which are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins, and heal their land.

This is first Fourth of July in many years that has fallen on a Sunday, so this year I am praying that God will renew the strength of America, as we humble ourselves before God, in prayer. Faith in God was vibrant in the hearts of our Founding Fathers, and the only hope for America's recovery in our day. This Fourth of July, let us reclaim Freedom, as we cry out to God to save America.

In our morning worship service we sang the Star-Spangled Banner, and I was stirred as we sang the fourth verse together, and I want to share those words with you here as I close these Thoughts on Freedom.

Oh thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
and this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Hope you have a blessed Fourth of July Weekend.

I Lift Up My Soul

Unto thee O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee. Let me not be ashamed. Let not mine enemies triumph over me. Psalm 25: 1-2

As we meditate on these verses, we can lift them to God in prayer, something like this:

Lord, I lift my soul up to You, this needy soul of mine. You are my God, and I trust You, even though there are times when I don't act like it very much. Forgive me for worrying about so many things, when I know that I can TRUST You. Let my attitudes and words reflect my confidence in You, O Lord. Please, Lord, don't let my hope in you be disappointed. Don't let my enemies win. Whether they are physical enemies or spiritual enemies, Lord, let every weapon formed against me fail, that the world may know that You are MY GOD, and that I confidently rely on You."

Perhaps, today, this prayer may be yours. May you be encouraged and lifted up into His awesome presence where you will find help, rest, strength, comfort, or whatever you need. For He will provide whatever we have need of according to His abundant riches in glory.

Blessings.

Happy Father's Day

He stomped his foot and brought his clenched little fist down upon the seat of the wooden piano bench that served as his pulpit. Although he was only five, the strong gestures and serious countenance of the little lad added to the attraction and folks would come out early to the revival meetings just to hear the boy preacher. “Take your shoes off, Moses, because you’re standing on holy ground!”

His dad was a preacher, an itinerating evangelist, and I can imagine the joy and the pride he felt when his little boy stood behind that piano-bench pulpit to preach.

Now even a preacher boy has to deal with temptation, and this little lad was not so different from so many others. The imagination is a wonderfully strange thing. Now what do you expect a little guy to do with a paint brush and motor oil? Well, when you add a little imagination, the oil quickly becomes paint and before you know it, he is giving a fresh paint job to his little pedal car. Of course, oil is rather messy, and the result of all this imagination is not something you could easily hide even if you were so inclined. Needless to say his mother caught him. Reminded of his sin he quickly exclaimed, “Mama, I just backslid the saved off me. I didn’t backslide the preaching.”

His imagination and attraction finally led him through the door of little white church in Kentucky to see that pretty Hyatt girl. The Hyatt’s granddaughter, Mary, was living with her grandparents, and she was quite active in the little church, teaching Sunday School when she was only a teenager herself. The attraction he had for her could not be quenched, so just before either of them reached their twenties, they were married.

Do the math. They were married in September, and nine months later, “a son of passion” was born in the month of June. As that “Hyatt girl” gave birth to their first-born son, the boy preacher was transformed! He became a father!

That was fifty-three years ago today. Now with four sons, (six, when we count the two boys he is raising now), fifteen grandchildren, and sixteen great grandchildren,* he’s still the greatest dad. On this anniversary of your fatherhood, I want to wish you a Blessed Father’s Day. I love you, Dad, and I am so proud to be your son.

*Emily’s gift to a childless couple makes fourteen and when you count the two on the way, there are sixteen great grandchildren.

Flag Day

June 14th is Flag Day, and as we celebrate this year I want to reflect on our national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner," by Francis Scott Key. Although we often sing it together at patriotic events and include it as part of the opening ceremony at baseball games, have you noticed that most of us only know the first verse?

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

There are three more verses to our national anthem, and we should not only learn them, but teach them to our children. Here are the next two.

On the shore dimly seen, thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines in the stream;
'Tis the Star-Spangled Banner, Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Recently we were reminded by the stunning performance of one tea party member that our national anthem also has a fourth verse, which I am including here along with the youtube video link to hear the resounding performance of this verse at a recent rally.

Oh, thus be it ever when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto, "In God is our trust"
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Listen here to an impromptu performance of the last verse of the Star Spangled Banner.
Just click on the the words Star Spangled Banner to go to the link.

As I listened to the old marine sing this verse my vision blurred as my passion for God and country swelled in my heart. Have a Blessed Flag Day.

Teamwork

This past weekend was the Highway 41 Yard Sale. All along Highway 41 from Calhoun to points north including Tunnel Hill, Georgia, folks set up their tables and tents for the biggest Yard Sale day of the year! The ladies of Christian Fellowship decided they would join the fun in a big fundraiser for the church. Well, our Yard Sale grew into a Yard Sale - Hair Cuts - Car Wash - BBQ Lunch Project! To quote Odell, "It looked like the whole church turned out!"

Hey, the teamwork was awesome! So many people gave their time and effort to make the day a success that it's hard to stop when you get started trying to say thank you to all the folks. The fellowship was wonderful. We worked together like the team we are, each doing what they could to help make a difference. I hope you enjoy the Video Report, that Janet prepared to help us remember this awesome day. Thank you CFA!

Have you found success illusive? How do you measure it? How successful are you? Would you be interested in knowing a way to guarantee your success in life? What if there was one thing you could do that would bring success in every area of your life?

Last night in our seminar, we heard from a man who could trace his failures to times when he was not faithful to practice this one discipline and found direct evidence of success in his life when he did.

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not whither. Whatever he does prospers. Psalms 1:1-2 NIV

We had a great session, learning learning how to meditate. I only wish everyone could have been there. If you want to learn more about how meditation can help you experience real success in life, contact me. I would love to share this blessing with you.