Miracles! They can happen on the street where you live! I thought about calling this article, "Miracle on Henderson Street," or "Miracles on Your Street." The point is that there are miracles all around us. We just need to open our eyes to see and our hears to hear all of the marvelous things God is doing every day!
Sunday we had a wonderful update on the Lofty's granddaughter, Kinley, who had nearly drowned. We are all rejoicing in her amazing progress! Then, this week, a man came into the furniture store and recounted the story of his wife, "Lady," being healed of Rheumatoid Arthritis! The same day another man came to tell of the awesome comfort and strength God gave to his daughter at his grandson's funeral! He said that he and others literally saw a glow around his daughter as she spoke at the funeral. The same day, we heard from another man who shared about miraculous healing from cancer.
Then Dad called me last night. The last week of November the doctor told his brother that his kidneys were failing. He told the family that he had about a week to live. Uncle David took it all in stride, because he's been ready to go to his heavenly home for a long time. He has lived on about 25% to 33% heart function for about 14 - 15 years! My cousin Donna uploaded a video that week with Uncle David singing about heaven. Here is a man full of confidence about his eternal destiny!
This past Wednesday things didn't look so good, and Dad spent the night sitting up in chair in Uncle David's room. If his brother was going, he was going to be there. However, Uncle David woke up Thursday morning, and ate breakfast in bed. He seemed a little better than the night before. Then Friday morning, he got up and went to the kitchen for breakfast! Dad went home for the weekend, but drove back to visit again Monday evening, only to discover that Uncle David wasn't at home! He had gone out to eat! Dad told me he was at Bob Evans. Well the picture above was taken Monday night! Does that man on the left look dead to you? The apostle Paul says it best, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21)."
Let me encourage you today to have faith. Miracles do still happen. In fact they may happen on the street where you live. May you have a Miraculous Merry Christmas!
Please join me at the polls Tuesday, November 8th to vote NO on the alcohol referendums here in Whitfield County. It's hard to believe that it's on the ballot again, so soon! I believe they hoped to catch us sleeping. Since this is an off election year, there is usually a very low voter turnout. Therefore, it would take fewer votes to pass their alcohol referendums. However, the same is true for those of us who want to defeat this, our vote matter all the more! That's why I am contacting every pastor and church in our area that has worked with us before to fight this at the polls this Tuesday. Together we can motivate our people to get to the polls and vote.
In our precinct, there are only three things on the ballot. We vote on TAD's, SPLOST, and the Alcohol Referendum. That's all, but it is so important that we go and make a difference. With all the mess alcohol is responsible for in our communities, and all the trouble it causes in our homes and on our streets, how can anyone think we need to make it MORE available than it already is? Together we can defeat this on Tuesday!
Wow! Monnie was so beautiful she brought tears to my eyes. I also noticed tears in the Groom's eyes when we stopped at the front of the Chapel. I whispered, "Hang in there, 'cause if you lose it, I know I will." I thought a lot about how to respond to that question, "Who gives this woman?" I even wrote a little song of sorts, and shared it with my wife. She said, "No, you can't do it. You'll cry." So... I just said, "Her mother and I." Here, I will expound a little on what those words mean, and on the advice of my son, Gareth, I have entitled this "Her Mother and I."
I memorized the following poem, many years ago,
and I really don't remember where I found it.
I want to encourage you with it today. Whatever
you are facing, never give up! Remember that God
has promised to never leave you nor forsake you!
You can trust Him to see you through!
Two frogs fell in a deep cream bowl. They couldn't get out to save their soul. Said one to the other, "What shall we do?" "We'll die, my friend, me thinks we're through." But the other said with an optimistic grin, "We can't get out, but I won't give in." So he swam and he swam, 'til it nearly seemed, his struggles began to churn the cream. Then at last on the butter he stopped, and from the bowl, he gaily hopped! The moral my friend? It's easily found. If you can't get out, keep swimming around!
It was overwhelming! Life as we knew it was changed. We had always felt secure here in our homeland, but now that security was gone! We were violated right here on our own soil.
As September the eleventh approached with all the memorial specials on TV and the gatherings to remember the tenth anniversary of 911, I was moved by the images of the memorial at Ground Zero, and the new buildings rising. My thoughts centered on this theme, "Rising from the Rubble."
Memories of New York Fireman, Police, and Military Personnel, going in to the burning towers to save lives while the masses were exiting, will be with me for a lifetime. These ordinary public servants became extraordinary that day. Men and women reached out helping hands to total strangers, and after seeing inhumanity at its worst in the multiple acts of terror, we also saw the best of courage and character, as men laid down their lives for their fellowmen.
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)
As the smoke and ash rose over the rubble at Ground Zero, our prayers rose heavenward in intercession for those who had lost so much that day, but also in thanks to God for so many selfless acts of heroism. Now, as we witness the rise of the new towers, we realize that they are symbols of the faith, hope and love that made America great, and that rose from the rubble September 11, 2001.
In the days that followed we were overwhelmed at the size of the task. We removed hundreds of thousands of tons of debris from Ground Zero, as we searched first for survivors and then for the remains of loved ones. Still, the awesome spirit of unity prevailed as workers returned tens of thousands of personal items and thousands of photographs to their owners.
We have learned a powerful lesson. We can rise from the rubble. Whether it is the brink of bankruptcy and financial failure or wrecked relationships and family crisis, there is hope! It may seem overwhelming. In fact it may seem impossible, but I am here to declare to you in the words of Matthew 19:26: "with God all things are possible." Ask God for wisdom, and let Him guide you. Trust Him, and never, never, never give up! You, too, can rise from the rubble.
When I think of stewardship, I am reminded that everything I have is entrusted to me by the grace of God. Really it is all His, and I am his servant, as in Jesus' teaching about the talents in Matthew 25:15-30. Here the master had entrusted one with five talents, a second with two talents and the third with one talent, before leaving on a long journey. When he returned he asked for an accounting, and discovered that the man entrusted with five talents had wisely invested earning five more. The one entrusted with two talents had likewise doubled his master's investment earning two more, but the man with one talent had dug a hole and hidden the talent in the ground earning nothing! The time and opportunity with his master's talent was wasted.
In America God has entrusted us with some awesome blessings. We are the stewards of this freedom, with responsibility not only to guard it well, but to invest it and multiply it for future generations! This November we have the opportunity to prove ourselves faithful stewards. Failure to vote responsibly is paramount to burying your talent in the ground and wasting the opportunity God has given us.
Far too often Christians have failed in this area of stewardship. Paul writes to the church in Corinth, "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful (1Cor. 4:2)." I believe Christians should be the most well-informed, faithful block of voting citizens in the nation. If this had been the case, then abortion would never have been legalized. Prayer would not have been removed from our schools, and we would never elect ungodly leaders to office in this country.
That being said, I want to share how I believe we can be faithful stewards with our opportunity to vote.
With the election a few days away, many people are in a quandary as to what to do, and who to believe, not to mention the non-partisan, judicial races, amendments and resolutions! Therefore, I have put together some resources that I hope will help answer some of those questions. I am am simply gathering and passing along information, and including links so you can do your own research if you like.
Remember your vote DOES matter and is extremely important! "Less than one vote per precinct decided the Republican gubernatorial candidate. If you are tempted to think your vote doesn’t matter, consider the enormous value of each of the 579,031 ballots cast August 10th, when only 85.6% or 6/7ths of a vote per precinct made Deal the candidate."
First, you can see your individualized sample ballot by downloading it from midway down your “My Voter Page” at the Secretary of State’s site. (You can mark it up and take it with you to the polls). There is a link 'to see qualified candidates...', which lists the statewide candidates that appear on your ballot and their websites.
Here is a link is to a website that has a great comparison of Deal and Barnes on 3 important issues, an explanation of the 5 amendments and referendum, and a comparison of the republican and democratic platforms, Georgia Insight.
Sometimes we forget that politics is a team effort. Each team has philosophies, policy objectives, distinctive agendas, and leadership. The major parties are not “all alike” as some claim. They are radically different on such morally important issues as the sanctity of life, definitions of family and marriage, role of parents, role of government, private property, economic freedoms, etc. For a comparison of the major party platforms see the site, I Vote Values Click on the platforms themselves or see the prepared comparison. We vote Republican because we believe that the party and most of its candidates adhere much more to our views of governing than do Democrats. Therefore we recommend you vote for Republicans in each race. I AM NOT CLAIMING THAT THEY ARE ALL CHRISTIANS,but we believe that generally they will make better policy choices than their opponents.
We are now in the middle of SMEAR SEASON! Be prepared for every conservative candidate to be “exposed” as a crook, a moral disaster, or a nut-case in the last days before the election, when no response is possible. Highly organized groups will act to defeat pro-family, pro-life candidates at every level. See the following evidence at blogs.ajc.com. Major media, including the AJC, will likely pile on, because their owners and editorial board are liberal, especially on social issues.
I study the candidates and the issues, but I certainly am not infallible. I encourage you to use these ideas as a resource, and use the links and other information to form your own voting decisions. If you are pressed for time, and choose to use my recommendations, you will find them at them below.
Remember that the Elections are only the beginning. Regardless of who wins, we need to keep praying, keep being informed, keep spreading godly influence to others, and keep holding elected officials accountable.
My choices on the Statewide Georgia races are as follows:(These races will be on every Georgia ballot):
Governor - Nathan Deal, Lt. Governor - Casey Cagle, Secretary of State - Brian Kemp, Attorney General - Sam Olens, Commissioner of Agriculture - Gary Black, Commissioner of Insurance - Ralph Hudgens, School Superintendent - John Barge, Commissioner of Labor - Mark Butler, Public Service Commissioner - Tim Echols.
BALLOTS DIFFER on your U.S. Representative, State Senator, and State Representative. I recommend using the Georgia Right to Life PAC endorsements www.grtl.org.
In my area, the U.S. Representative from the 9th District, Tom Graves is running unopposed, but he does have the endorsement of GRTL. Likewise the candidate for State Senator from the 54th District, Charlie Bethel, runs unopposed with the GRTL endorsement. I will be casting my vote for the incumbent Tom Dickson for State Representative from the 6th District.
It is difficult to get information about the judicial races, because they are non-partisan, and because candidates do not typically share their philosophies or stands on issues. This link gives some background on each of the candidates http://www.georgiainsight.org/ Use links to their websites to check them out yourself.
JUSTICE, SUPREME COURT OF GA:
Tammy Lynn Adkins doesn't appear to be campaigning. It has been said that her strategy is that because she is 1st on the ballot and a woman, she will probably get the most votes and the race will go into a run-off. It is difficult to find out anything about her; even the secretary of state webpage does not even have an address or website for her.
David Nahmias http://www.justicenahmias.com/index.php, clerked with Supreme Court Justice Scalia (this is a good thing in evaluating judicial philosophy). I join many other trusted conservative pro-life people in supporting him.
Matt Wilson http://wilsonforsupremecourt.com/, He was interviewed and is pro-life. Trusted conservative pro-life people are supporting him.
STATE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS AND A REFERENDUM: On these I simply offer the following as my best effort working through the wording and calling others who understand the legal language much better than I do.
#1 “Competitive Contracts” NO, this would hold employees hostage and many non-compete contracts would actually reduce competition
#2 “Trauma Care tax” NO, funding should be carved out of the State Budget if it is a priority, and it is.
#3 “Multi-year Transportation Contracts” NO, allows the DOT to agree to a project it may not be able pay for in the long-term and gives the appointed DOT rather than the elected legislature budgetary control.
#4 “Multi-year Energy Efficiency and Conservation Contracts” NO, this has been tried federally but abandoned due to increased costs.
#5 “Industrial Zone Opt-Out” YES, to correct a previous exception for 2 Georgia Counties
Referendum “A”: “Inventory Tax Repeal” YES, this benefits business, job growth, and all of us.
I want to thank Gen Wilson for her email inspiring this blog article, many of my friends and work associates who have helped me work through this lengthy process this year. May God bless you as you vote responsibly. Blessings.
If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. John 15:18-19 NIV
But what if the world doesn't hate us? What would it mean if we are "friendly" with the world? Listen to the words of James.
You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. James 4:4 NIV
We all want to be liked. That's the reason the "I'm - OK - you;re - OK" philosophy became so popular. We have learned to "not make waves," but God wants some wave-makers, some folks like Jason and the Christian brothers in Thessalonica who were dragged into the street with the following accusation:
Acts 17:6-7 These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus. Acts 17:6-7 NIV
God is looking for those who will serve Him no matter what, those who don't care what the world thinks about them, those who don't need to be politically correct, who don't have to be loved by the world. He wants to pour out His blessing on those who are satisfied with His love.
The young woman in this video certainly challenges us to be willing to be hated for Christ's sake. May God stir our hearts through her challenge. Does the world hate you? "Are you willing to be hated?"
If you were blessed by the video above then you won't want to miss part two included here. Gianna Jessen has certainly stirred my heart.
May we be stirred and changed, and rise to challenge we are given to glorify God!
Besides serving the people of Christian Fellowship Assembly as pastor, I have been married to my best friend, Crystal, for 36 years, and God has blessed us with six children (four sons and two daughters), and now nine granddaughters and four grandsons! That's right if you added correctly, we have 13 grandchildren, and now another grandson on the way! We are so blessed! Last year God blessed us with FIVE new grandchildren, two grandsons just ten days apart in May, a new granddaughter in August, and twin grandsons, also born in August! That is thirteen, ages eight and under! Thank you Lord for Your awesome blessings!
I have bought more than a dozen copies of Fireproof and given them away. It has a life-changing message, and can help you strengthen your marriage.
If you like Fireproof you will also like Facing the Giants. This powerful film will encourage you not to limit your dreams. Remember God has awesome plans for us. Let's trust Him and never Give up!
The first film by the same producers was entitled "Flywheel." In a day like ours when so many are facing economic struggles, this film is right on target.
