Humility

SCRIPTURE

“For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

~Luke 14:11, NLT

QUOTE

If you are truly humble, nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know who you are in Christ.

~Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu

There is a true humility and a false humility. Those who fake humility often put themselves down. Humility is not thinking little of yourself, it is not thinking of yourself. Humility is the freedom to be the person God created you to be. It’s your license to stop pretending. Augustine believed humility to be the first and greatest virtue and also the most elusive.

• Another good day in bible school. I think the threat of rain hurt our numbers slightly but we had a good day and the rain held off until VBS was over. I can’t remember many times when I prayed for it not to rain but my tomatoes are drowning and we got another flood yesterday evening. It knocked out our power and trees were down in several places.
• A third of our corn is laying on the ground from the high wind but I am not upset, just thrilled to get our power on. I am addicted to electricity. I love lights, computers, refrigerators and microwaves just to name a few electrical appliances.
• I bet our VBS tent did not survive the storm. If the wind blew at church the way it did at 1120 Ironman, there is no way it is still standing.
• Did you Know? Children have been crossing the Mexican-US border for years but the recent surge in the number of children who are detained while illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border without their parents is an “urgent humanitarian situation” that has prompted the opening of special facilities to house them in San Antonio and at the naval base in Port Hueneme. Although unaccompanied children have been crossing the Southwest border for years, a surge in the last year has overloaded Border Patrol stations and detention facilities along the border, particularly in south Texas.  Most of the children are from Central America, including Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. About 120 unaccompanied children are arriving each day, officials said. The number has tripled over the last five years and could soon reach 60,000 a year. That number could grow to 130,000 a year in 2015, according to Obama administration officials. I am curious as to what exactly motivates these kids to take such  a risk. You know there has to be a high percentage that do not make it.

Total Failure

SCRIPTURE

They do not know God’s righteousness, and all the time they are going about trying to prove their own righteousness they have the wrong attitude to receive his.

~Romans 10:3, J.B. Phillips

QUOTE

The problem with the hypocrite is his motivation. He does not want to be holy; he only wants to seen as holy. He is more concerned with his reputation for righteousness than about actually becoming righteous in Christ.

~Augustine/Yaakov

I attended school for 19 straight years without a break and that included a couple of summers. Obviously, I was not a road scholar but I managed to get by, underline “get by.” In 1965 Athens High School did not give D’s which was a huge disappointment to me: 70 and below was failure. They gave D’s in college but they had no value because you could not transfer them. They had D’s in Seminary but a D in Seminary was 75-82. I graduated from Athens College in the summer of 1971 with a 2.1 [very low C]. I graduated Seminary in May of 1974 with a middle C, 86-87, which would be equivalent to a 2.6 roughly. Throughout my illustrious scholastic career I managed to finish every course with something above a zero. I did fail two or three classes in high school but I managed a few points. I think I failed one class with a 68 so most of my failures were near misses because my goal was to “get by.”

In my spiritual life, I have failed every test and not only have I failed; I have yet to score a single point. My spiritual GPA is 0.0. The problem stems from the fact that my righteousness never counts and it is not a near miss but a total failure. I have this little flaw, I am very vain and I cannot do anything without giving Jack consideration. I think a lot of Big Mama’s husband and Chloe’s granddaddy. I don’t want to suffer; I want to survive, actually to succeed and not for the glory of God. I want Jack to look good and for that I get a zero. I have proved my righteousness and it is filthy and totally unacceptable. Thank God for the righteousness of Christ that comes by faith. The Jews were not ready to receive His righteousness because they had not given up on their own.

• I got to stay in and study yesterday which is always a blessing. Big Mama gave me clear advice before she left: GOLDEN GIRLS this morning [April 5] at 9:00, Cracker Barrel in Hartselle. Then I forgot to do the phone message and only a couple of the Golden Girls read the blog. I am going to post this early and if you know one of these Golden Girls, please tell them we meet in the morning.
• Ladies, you have two opportunities for ministry Sunday: FRONT PEW SHOWER baby shower for Danielle Blackwood. Wedding Shower for Trey Williams in the Parlor at 2:00 PM
• I tried to fill everyone up on donut holes last week but that is impossible and expensive. The donut holes are the most expensive thing they have. We may have to go to straight donuts for a couple of weeks. Big Mama and I have a big tax payment to make by April 15. It is not right folks, the middle class cannot survive under this massive tax burden. Remember, we will have a full breakfast on Easter Sunday.
• I named my garden tiller [Troy-bilt] Billard after my uncle Billy and Willard and my tractor is named Whitey-Hugh-Gene, sounds pretty cool don’t you think. Josie and Ty’s grandfather Breedlove whose nick name was Whitey overhauled it some 12 years ago; Joe Fitzgerald keeps it running and the front bumper was a gift from Hugh and of course it is Daddy’s old tractor. Every time I get on it, I think of all those who helped me keep it going. Life would be tough without friends. I want to thank God for my friends.

 

Whitey-Hugh-Gene

Josie Tate Spending the night with G-Dad and B-Mama

 

The Problem of Evil

SCRIPTURE

The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”

QUOTE

God judged it better to bring good out of evil than to suffer no evil to exist.

~Augustine

COMMENTARY

Some say the “Problem of Evil” is the rock of atheism. There logic is, “God is either not good because He allows evil or He is impotent because He does not eradicate evil.” We do not deny evils existence but we do believe that God is greater, just as light is greater than darkness.

Speaking of evil, I came across these interesting statistics the other day.  In the United States there is…

• A murder every 32.4 minutes.
• A rape every 5.5 minutes.
• An aggravated assault every 35.3 seconds.
• A burglary every 14.7 seconds

To put that in perspective, in the next 30 minutes there will be 1 murder, 6 rapes, 51 aggravated assaults, 71 car thefts and 123 burglaries.

Irenaeus believed that God permits evil in order to achieve a greater good, a good not possible if free-will and evil did not exist. Think of the virtues that could not exist without free-will and evils existence: Courage, mercy, forgiveness, patience, heroism, perseverance, self-control and obedience to mention a few.

Job was a sage, a man of great intelligence and he wrestled with the problem of evil and the suffering it brings. He questioned God but God never gave him an explanation, not even for his personal suffering. In the end Job realizes that the finite cannot comprehend the reasoning of the infinite. Job was right, so what it boils down to is faith. God ways are beyond our understanding and this is a good thing. If you could put God in your little box of brains, He wouldn’t be a God big enough to worship. Think about it, those who believe there is no God due to evils existence have no hope because they don’t see anything greater than evil. They have no one to deliver them from evil, we do!

EXTRA

• Another good day, thank YOU Jesus. Got to baptize a grandson, Ryder Ace, a huge Auburn fan. I blame his Dad and his Aunt Beth for misleading the child.
• Preston Grammer [Ruth’s grandson] is having heart surgery today at Princeton’s in B’town.
• David Orr has knee surgery Wednesday at DGH.
• We did not have good holidays in terms of football. June’s Georgia Bulldogs bit the dust but at least they played well enough to win, just dropped a couple of critical passes. Alabama, on the other hand, stunk it up. Utah all over again. I think we’ve been going down hill since the big win over LSU. After Bama, I am a Stanford fan and they didn’t play up to par and Michigan State beat them. I’m through with college football. There is no need for me to watch tonight because I know what’s going to happen. I am going to lower my point spread. I’ve been saying Auburn by two touchdowns: I am going to change that to just a win and it will be similar to the prayer at Jordan Hare. They will win but not by the margin I first predicted.
• Pray for upcoming Revivals.

Ryder Ace Reeves

Fulfillment

SCRIPTURE

It is sad not to get what you hoped for but wishes that come true are like eating fruit from the tree of life.

~Proverbs 13:12, NCV

QUOTE

Success is the progressive realization of a noble goal or ideal.

~Earl Nightingale

COMMENTARY

Albert Schweitzer

Why is there such a huge disparity between what men intend to do and what they actually do? Is it a lack of planning? Are we reactive or passive instead of proactive? Dr. Albert Schweitzer was being interview by a London reporter who asked…”Doctor, what is wrong with men these days?” After a long pause, Dr. Schweitzer said, “Men simply don’t think.”

Take 100 men at age 25–all aspiring, all dreaming of success, all with a sparkle in their eye, and all with bright hopes for the future. Fast forward to age 65 is this is the breakdown…

• One out of a hundred will be rich.
• Four out of a hundred will be financially independent.
• Five out of a hundred will still be working [This would be me].
• Fifty-four out of a hundred will be totally dependent upon some form of entitlement [absolutely broke].

Don’t misunderstand, I am not saying that wealth in and of itself is a noble goal. Solomon said, “Some are rich that have nothing and others with a well-lined purse are poor.” [Proverbs 13:7, Knox] But keep that in balance with what Paul said in I Thessalonians 4:11-12, “Work with your own hands as we directed you, so that you may live influentially with the outsiders, and not be dependent on anybody.” [Williams] Just keep in mind that those who plan nothing do exactly that, nothing.

• Consider 2014 a new beginning and set some noble goals.
• Be proactive…Without God, we cannot: without us, God will not.” {Augustine}

EXTRA

• This day last year: cold, raining [3 inches] and Granny T. was in the hospital.
• Full schedule this Sunday plus baptism.
• Pray for REVIVAL at FRIENDSHIP Baptist in Grand Bay [January 12-15]
• One day REVIVAL at DBC with Michael W. Mason [February 23]

CELEBRATE JESUS WITH DANVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH

Prince Of Peace

SCRIPTURE

And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6, NKJV

QUOTES

God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you.

~Augustine

God cannot give us peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.

~C.S. Lewis

COMMENTARY

Some think of peace as the absence of war but true peace is to be reconciled to God the Father through the blood of Jesus the Son. The miracle of this reconciliation is expressed in the model prayer, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” It is expressed in Mary’s response the Gabriel’s message, “I am the hand maiden of the LORD. Be it unto me, according to His word.” As long as self is enthroned, peace will allude us. Surrender your will to His. Lose your self in Him. Jesus Christ is the prince of peace.

EXTRA

Good news out of Birmingham, Dana has been making progress daily. I am hoping to get down today or tomorrow. I also have a friend in the Baptist Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi with similar problems and he too is recovering. The LORD is good. Mylee Reese was cleaning my study when I was working on the blog last night and she picked out this picture. Sorry, I got up this morning and started reading and forgot the blog. Just a matter of time before this would happen.

Seek Him

SCRIPTURE

Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.

I Chronicles 28:9, NLT

QUOTE

To seek the highest good is to live well.

~Augustine

COMMENTARY

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem a group of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around and eventually end up in Herod’s court, “Where can we find the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth and we are searching for Him that we may worship Him.” This news of another king for the Jews left Herod shaken. He called in his scholars and they told him that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem which was minutes away, probably not more than 6 miles from Herod’s palace. Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, “Go find this child and as soon as you find him, send word to me, I want to worship Him too.” Yeah right!

So we have two groups seeking the Christ child; one to worship Him in sincerity and faith and the other to destroy Him if possible. Nothing has changed. The same two groups still exist.

EXTRA

Look at the pic and then I will tell you a hilarious story…

Antique Chair worth $500

Holly, our multi-tasking daughter works five jobs and one of them is as a photographer. Her photo prop this year was setting a chair on the railroad track and taking pictures. It’s one of those crazy things that has gone viral. She had one tiny problem yesterday, in between shoots, she did not remove the chair from the track and a long came a freight train. The Engineer pulled her up and ask Holly to move the chair. Just Kidding! He pulverized her antique chair. If you seen cotton padding at the crossing on main street, it was from Holly’s chair. Before she could get her stuff and get gone the R/R folks showed up, and then the feds. Come to find out, she has violated, section 865, article 1011 of Obama Care and may have to do time in the pen. Hey, after the week I’ve had, I need a little fun, the Rail Road folks did show up but just to see if she was alright. Get a good look at the chair: you never going to see it again, “she’s gone like a hurricane, pulverized by a freight train”. If she had thought in time to get it on video, it would have made an hilarious YouTube. It’s one of those “If we had only known moments.”

 

The Power of A Lie

SCRIPTURE

“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

~Genesis 3:4-5, NLT

QUOTE

A lie consists in speaking a falsehood with the intention of deceiving.

~Augustine

COMMENTARY

There is a destructive power in a lie which is why Satan uses them: he is a liar and the father of all lies. Think of all the damage done by the one lie he told Eve in the Garden. One lie, cleverly told, can destroy a man’s reputation. A lie can destroy a marriage, a relationship or even the fellowship of a church. Sarah Weddington build her case Roe V. Wade on a lie. She claimed that Norma McCorvey [Jane Roe] was raped. Norma confessed the truth long before they got to the no so supreme court but Weddington told her to keep her mouth shut, it was not important. Sarah lied and 50 million have died. The devil is not going to stop using the lie, it is too effective.

EXTRA

• Normal schedule today: Deacon’s meeting at 8:00, LCBS at 9:00 and worship celebration at 10:15 and 6:00.
• The Celebration of Life Service for Betty McNee [Mary Stephenson’s mom] will be Monday at 10:00 a.m. at Valhalla Memory Gardens, 698 Winchester Rd NE, Huntsville, AL 35811. No visitation, just a grace side service at 10:00.
• December 1, can you believe it!

Pure Grace

Prayer For REVIVAL in America

SCRIPTURE

So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.  He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.

~Ephesians 1:6-7, NLT

QUOTE

Nothing whatever pertaining to godliness and real holiness can be accomplished without grace.

~Augustine

COMMENTARY

It was in my college days back in the 70’s that I realized that humanism had infiltrated the church through of all things the pretense of holiness. True holiness is transparency. Jesus did not do any acting, He was Himself and He was holy. I am afraid a lot of Baptist have not come to the place where they can say with Paul, “I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.” As I have reminded some preachers from time to time, everything is grace from beginning to end: we do not deserve sanctification any more than we deserved regeneration. His grace, not our goodness, saved and keeps us and this way, He gets all the glory. Herein lies the problem, we want some of the glory. Thus we have people trying to be holy for holiness sake and that is the human approach. We are not to pursue holiness; we pursue Jesus who has the power via His grace to make us holy. If we do it right, God gets the glory, we are humbled and others are edified. If we do it wrong, we take the glory, we swell with pride and become self-righteous and others get sick.

EXTRA

• YESTERDAY: I have a lot to praise the LORD for and of course the rain is right up there at the top. I also want to thank Him for your prayers. I do know who or when but someone, maybe more than one prayed me through this weekend. I had two very difficult passages to deal with and one Sunday School lesson plus the message Saturday morning. I drove home last night with a feeling of gratitude and a sense of relief: I guess you would have to be a preacher to understand. We had a great crowd yesterday and a lot of visitors. Two Sundays in a row that we have had a lot of visitors. If they come back after the sermon yesterday morning, we know they are sincere.
• Ken Blackwood: We did extend an invitation to Ken but he could not work it out so that he could be with us. If I understood correctly, they are flying from Louisiana to Huston and then back to China. I assume if was not a regular furlough. I think they came for the birth of their grandchild. We will do an offering for Ken and family between now and Christmas.
• October 27 will be Breast Cancer Awareness day and we are going to do a PINK out in the a.m. service. That night is our Cook Out! Joe David will preach that morning and I will get some much needed rest and you too, right!

Joe Wheeler Gunn Copeland

Anna Shaneyfelt Commissioned For Air Force

Good Deeds

SCRIPTURE

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.  When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.

^{~Matthew 6:1-2, NLT} 

QUOTE

We can do good deeds but only as Christ does them through us.

~Augustine

COMMENTARY

According to Dallas Willard, there are two natural desires that can pull us off course as citizens of the Kingdom and the Pharisees yielded to both: the love of praise [human approval] and the love of money [security]. Jesus cautions us not to be like them. There is nothing wrong or evil in doing good deeds in public. Jesus is not saying that we have to do our good deeds covertly but He was raising a caution flag about motive. Actually, our good deeds should be a heart response to the needs around us. We shouldn’t give consideration to whether people are watching or not. If our motive is wrong, we will desire reciprocation for the good deed such as praise from men or it could be that we would like to put the person we are helping in our debt. The heart of the matter is the motive of the heart.

EXTRA

We had another very good day yesterday. We constructed house 13 which we didn’t intend to build. Lisa met a family who she got a burden for and we erected them a house in about 4 hours. You should have seen what they lived in. I have a pic below. We had removed the tin before this pic was made. It was a family of three: Jonathan, Elizabeth and Asher. All biblical names. It was probably the most moving experience that I have had in Guatemala. I don’t think we had one descending vote, Gerald Cochran was voted outstanding team member of the week. Gerald has done a fantastic job in the kitchen. I got a breakfast to order each morning: usually before the others got up. Willard and I did not even get an honorable mention. Just a note for Traci, I do know Ashley’s name and she is a super Missionary; a pleasant, bright and wonderful child. Teddie and Lisa are flying out today and I was tempted to leave with them. Our TEAM has done great but we have a lot of tired and homesick puppies. They will not admit it but they are ready to go home. I see it in their faces.

Shed with dirt floor

Camper Of The Week
Gerald Cochran

Count It All Joy

SCRIPTURE:  My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials. {James 1:2, NKJV}

QUOTE: Greater joy is always preceded by greater suffering. ~Augustine

COMMENTARY: Most of us have difficulty with James 1:2, “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials.” First of all, “fall into” means to be submerged in, like falling into a river. The Greek word for various comes from textile industry and it is in reference to dyes “various colors”. Trials come in various colors, shapes, forms and sizes. Winning the lottery can even be a trial. You have never thought of inheriting a huge sum of cash as a trial have you? Trust me, it would constitute a great trial. Are you submerged in difficult circumstances? Do you see the joy that God associates with those difficult circumstances? When was the last time someone came to you and said, “Man, give me your trials. I want the joy that comes with them.” Trials are not something we want. We don’t look for them, we don’t pray for them: as a matter of fact, we do all we can to avoid them and yet scripture teaches that there is joy in suffering.

The key is in verse 3, “Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” Trails can be a blessing if you KNOW:

1. Jesus loves you. Your spiritual barometer is not your circumstances but the cross. Jesus loves you and that is a fact, not a feeling. You need to know this if you are to rejoice during the difficult times.
2. You need to know that God is testing you. You difficult circumstances are temporary. They have come to teach not to torture. The test is for the benefit of the student, not the teacher.
3. You need to know that no matter how difficult the trials are, they will eventually work for your good…trials are productive…And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. [Romans 8:28, NKJV]

EXTRA

• Great crowd for supper last night–we almost ran out of food which is a good thing. I know it is hard to believe but we have only 5 Wed. nite suppers left before summer break. We have to do one more hamburger night and two of them will be Chick-fil-A. Last supper in May 15.

• VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is June 3-7 with our WORSHIP RALLY PREVIEW on May 22. Those who attend the rally get a free T-Shirt. Remember we have VBX for 5-7th grades.

• Rain and cooler weather coming …Day time highs are not bad [64* on Saturday] but three cool nights, 37 on Friday, 38 on Saturday, and 45 on Sunday night. I have an entire row of tomatoes and they will have to be covered. I have three rows of corn up but they should survive.

• Jerry Segars has a green house on 36 right behind Mandy and Jason’s. He is there during the day. He has beautiful plants. Jerry has a green thumb.

• George Beverly Shea and Pat Sumerall were promoted day before  yesterday…June and I heard George Shea in person at Toronto some years ago…I am guessing 1998. I heard Pat Summerall two years ago at the GRIDIRON CONFERENCE.

George Shea…Promoted at 104

Pat Summerall…promoted at 82