Down But Not Out

Scripture 

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 

~2 Corinthians 4:8-9

Quote

Everyone gets knocked down, this is reality but not everyone stays down, this is perseverance.

~Ya’akov

Paul was a avid sports fan. I know this because of the conversations he had. First Corinthians 9:24-27 contains four sports terms. The Greek word for track, training, boxing and disqualification are all in this passage. We’ve had Olympic games for over 3,000 years. Though Paul was familiar with Track and Field, I think his passion was boxing. I love the way the Living Bible states 2 Corinthians 4:9, “We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going.”

We are born with a tenacious spirit. When an infant begins to walk, they fall more than walk but notice how they keep getting up and going again until they get it down to pat. Life can throw some vicious punches along with some mean left hooks. I have found myself face down on the canvas more than once. Even the best boxers have spent some time on the canvas, we all get knocked down from time to time but those who advance are those who get up and go another round. We must have a “No quit” attitude.

Paul was not familiar with American football but I like to paraphrase verse 9 like this, “I get injured but I don’t take myself out of the game.” The key to the Christian life is learning to play hurt.

What about a little half-time pep talk from the coach. Suck it up you bunch of pansies, grow some skin: so some hypocrite hurt your feelings. Man up and get over it. You are not going to let someone smaller than yourself keep you down, are you? Stop making excuses, everyone gets their feelings hurt, get up and get in the game.

• Love this weather.
• This Sunday we have a full schedule: Deacon’s meeting at 8:15, LCBS at 9:15, Worship at 10:15 and 6:15. AWANA and Visitation at 5:30.
• May is coming and you know what that means: Roses for Mama on the 8th and special guest Kenny Evans. AWANA awards night May 15th. Baccalaureate May 22nd and LCBS Class Party night on the 29th. We also have a COMMUNION on Sunday morning May 22nd.

Kenny Evans Coming May 8th

Speak Up!

Scripture

“Speak up for people who cannot speak for themselves. Protect the rights of all who are helpless.”

~Proverbs 31:8, GNT

Quote

If Abortion is not wrong, then nothing is wrong.

~Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu {Mother Teresa}

Our society is made up of many age groups: the unborn, infants, children, adolescents, youth, middle adults, senior adults and the elderly. Of these eight, which is the most helpless and the most vulnerable? Not a lot to think about, hands down it is the unborn because the elderly can speak. The age old question is still in play, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Am I responsible for others?

According to Gallup poles 50% of Americans favor abortion while 46% oppose but Gallup admits the pole is flawed. The thing that makes a pole difficult is the wording of the question and in the case of abortion, only 19% of us oppose all abortions. However, 55% of Americans believe that abortions should be restricted to certain cases like rape, incest or the threat of the mother’s life. Only 29% of American’s are hard core abortionist, those who believe that abortion is justified for any reason. The sad thing is that only 19% of Americans are avidly Pro-life.

All abortions are fatal and brutal but some are more barbaric than others. Partial-Birth abortion is one of the most hideous methods of execution ever devised. It is a procedure where the abortionists pulls a living baby feet-first out of the sanctity of the womb in into the birth canal, except for the head, which the abortionist purposely keeps lodged just inside the cervix. The abortionist punctures the base of the baby’s skull with a surgical instrument, such as long surgical scissors or a pointed hollow metal tube called a trochar. He then inserts a catheter into the wound, and removes the baby’s brain with a powerful suction machine. This causes the skull to collapse, after which the abortionist completes the delivery of the now-dead baby and then the parts are harvested and sold to the highest bidder. Congress [Republicans and Democrats] banned the practice three times and Bill Clinton vetoed each time. Would you want to trade places with Slick Willy. What about the so-called Christians that voted for Clinton? Bill Clinton showed no mercy to the unborn and none will be showed to him. [There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you. ~James 2:13]

Let me tell you what is sad, one out of every four American’s condone the procedure detailed above. Thank God for the 68 % who do not.

• An estimated 53,000,000 abortions have occurred in the U.S. since 1973
• Mississippi has the lowest abortion rate in the U.S. One abortion for every 17 live births. New York has the highest, one abortion for every 2.3 live births. The U.S. rate is five live births to every abortion. In others words, we kill one out of every six. {A staggering statistic}
• Three States do not report abortion to CDC: California, New Hampshire and Maryland.
• Unmarried women account for 85% of abortions.
• Only 5% of abortions are performed in hospitals.
• Less than 1% of abortions are linked to rape.
• Nine out of Ten abortions happen in the first trimester.
• Only 12% of women having abortions do it for medical reasons.
• The average cost of a first trimester abortion is $451. These are performed in abortion clinics, not medical facilities.
• Although Congress barred the funding of abortion, 39 States use Tax Payers money to fund abortions. Thank God, Alabama is not on the list. Arkansas is the only Southern State that funds abortions. {I am sure the Clintons had nothing to do with this}
• The DFLA [Democrats For Life America] claim that one in three demos are pro-life but they continue to support the Democratic Party that has been pro-abort for years. They support Democrats who are pro-life but will vote for any democrat over a republican. [Not buying this, if you are pro-life, you will vote pro-life]

• THE GATHERING tonight at 6:30.
• We are getting donations weekly in Memory of Gary Garner. We have gotten them as far away as  Huntington Beach California. The money is going to build houses in Guatemala. We are getting very close to having two houses in Gary’s memory.
• VBS June 13-17.
• Roses For Mama [May 8th]
• Congratulations to the Lady Hawks for clinching first place in the area: it means we don’t have to drive to Hamilton or Haleyville. Only one county in Alabama has no four-lane highways, guess which one it is? If you said “The free state of Winston,” you would be right.
• Kenny Evans May 8th at 10:15 a.m.

Kenny Evans coming May 8th at the 10:15 Service