Don’t Waste Your Sorrows

Scripture

Israel, you have seen so much, but what has it meant to you?

~Isaiah 42:20, GNT

Quote

Rebels never take notes.

~Ya’akov

It would make sense to make a note of what does not work and especially that which leads to destruction and disaster but Israel refused to see what was happening to them. Isaiah said, “You have eyes but you don’t see, ears but you refuse to hear. God has made you feel the force of His anger and to suffer the violence of war. Like a fire, His anger burned throughout Israel but you never knew what was happening; you learned nothing from it all.”

You may find this statistic hard to believe but 76.6% of prison inmates are repeat offenders.An unbelievable 56.7% are arrested and incarcerated within the first year of their release. If I had to do a week in prison, I guarantee you, I wouldn’t spit on side walk once I got out: the last thing I would want is to return to prison.

Some years ago, someone studies the history of Israel during the period of the Judges and came up with what we call the CYCLE OF SIN. Slavery, Israelites cry out to God {Prayer}, miraculous deliverance, peace and prosperity, sin and rebellion, apathy and indifference, oppression and persecution, then back to slavery and bondage. America is somewhere between indifference and oppression which means persecution will be next.

What do you call a person who refuses to learn from their mistakes? Dumb, stupid, hardheaded, rebellious, proud, slow, a dimwit or dipstick! One thing is for sure, he or she is not bright.

• Tom Bennich, a friend of DBC, was promoted May 27, a little after 4:00 PM. Tom hadhis bags packs and was ready to go. If ever I saw a man homesick, it was Tom. Most of us are thrilled when we wake up from a surgery: I got the feeling Tom was disappointed. I talked to him a couple of times earlier in the week and so did Joe David, we both thought he was going to make it. Mrs. Edith wanted him to pull through and so did we but the LORD and Tom had something else in mind. On the way back from the hospital June said, “Tom is going to be missed.” The first thing I thought of was LUKE 14: it will not seem right without Tom. He was the most Mission Minded man I’ve ever known: He loved his church [1st Hartselle] but he didn’t stop there, the loved DBC and many more. There is no telling how many mission trips he made or how much money he gave away–truly, only the LORD knows.
• Well, we got started on our visitation and had some great visits but didn’t get a lot of ground covered. We appreciate Rebekah and David feeding us last night. Rebekah served a delicious meal and we got to see their new house. This is twice this week that we have got to see a new house. Also had delightful visits with Vanda and Bobby, Bruce and Sandy and with Roger. Dot wasn’t home so I can’t count that one. You could help me out by giving me an appointment, especially those who work in the day time.
• One service only Sunday: 10:15 am.

MEMORIAL DAY…THIS IS WHAT IT IS ABOUT

“I Wonder”

Scripture

Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.

~Deuteronomy 8:14, NLT

Quote

“If God doesn’t judge America for her sins, He will owe and apology to Sodom and Gomorrah.”

~Ruth Bell Graham

The year was 1957, the place was New York city; Billy Graham was there for a 16 week crusade. He spent a lot of time in his hotel room, praying, preparing and observing the masses on the streets below–all moving rapidly from here to there, busy with life and oblivious to the future. Dr. Graham began to wonder, “How many of them are concerned with things that truly matter; things that have eternal significance.” He also thought to himself, “How long will God be patient with America?” This was almost 60 years ago and things have not gotten better.

This same concern is voiced weekly in our Deacon’s meeting–“How much more patience can God have with such an ungrateful nation?” Dr. Graham believes, and so do I, that some aspects of judgement have begun already.

Around the time of Joe David’s birth [America’s 200th birthday] the following chart was circulated. I know that those of you my age have seen the chart before. In the world’s great civilizations, the following cycle in evident in each of their histories:

• From bondage to spiritual faith
• From spiritual faith to great courage
• From great courage to liberty
• From liberty to abundance
• From abundance to selfishness
• From selfishness to complacency
• From complacency to indifference [apathy]
• From indifference to dependency
• From dependency to bondage

I’d say we are somewhere between dependence and bondage: what do you think?

 

 

Sin and Insecurity

SCRIPTURE

When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.

~Genesis 3:8, NLT

QUOTE

Sin is a perverse distortion of the image of the Creator in us. All these good things, and all our security, are rightly found only and completely in Him [Jesus].

~Augustine

Fear or insecurity is at the root of all human problems. When Adam and Eve transgressed, their fall gave them a severe spiritual concussion. If left them dazed and unable to think clearly. Eve’s basic sin was that she distrusted God. She believed the devil’s lie instead of God’s word. The devil convinced Eve that the fruit would make them more like God but it did the opposite. Adam and Eve became more distrustful of God and each other. When they heard God coming, they hid in the trees. Insecurity produces distrust and distrust harms relationships.

The devil did not create fear but he certainly uses it to terrorize, torment and enslave. Satan’s real power is the ‘lie’ and he is very cunning in the use of propaganda. Jacob the patriarch lived in the despairing darkness of a lie for 20 years because he took the word of his lying sons for the truth. Jesus is the antidote: Jesus is the truth and the truth speaker. He said, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Adam and Eve allowed their sin to drive them away from God and this is no solution to the sin problem. We can’t hide, cover or deny our sin and when we attempt to do either of the three, we make bad matters worse. The only remedy is to confess it to Jesus. There are three things  Jesus will take from you that no one else on earth wants. He will take your worries, your burdens and your sin. [Psalms 55:22, I Peter 5:7]

• Today we pray for FAMILIES. I have a cousin in Birmingham, 61 years young who will be celebrating the life and morning the departure of her husband. Her name is Lou Ann.
• Communion this Sunday morning in the 10:15 worship service.
• No Deacon’s meeting this week.
• Commissioning Service for Haley Rae Garnett Sunday night at 6:00
• GOLDEN GIRLS Saturday morning at Cracker Barrel at 9:30
• I am planning {God willing} to make the Saturday morning meeting and Sunday morning. I will be there if I am able but I’m telling, the LORD can stop us in our tracks in a heartbeat.