The Jewish Dilemma

Scripture

“Who would have believed what we now report? Who could have seen the LORD’s hand in this?

~Isaiah 53:1, GNT

Quote

Jesus was treated the way we [all humankind] deserve so that we [all who repent and believe] can be treated the way Jesus deserves.

~Tim Keller

There is no question in my mind that Isaiah’s prophecies of the suffering servant refer both to the nation of Israel in general and the Messiah in particular. The prevailing rabbinic interpretation of Isaiah 53 ascribes the “servant” to the nation of Israel who silently endured unimaginable suffering at the hands of its Gentile oppressors. The unbelief expressed in the two exclamations…Who would believed what we now report? Who could have seen the LORD’s hand in this?–refers to Gentile shock over the coming Jewish triumph and world domination. God will crush all Gentile rulers and the Jews will rule the word through their messianic king. In other words: Gentiles are the bad guys and Jews are the good guys. We are the oppressors and they are the victims.

There is one tiny problem with their wishful thinking: there are no good guys. Both Jew and Gentile stand condemned before holy God. The Jews have suffered oppression in part due to their rebellious nature and their defiance of God. Isaiah made in clear in 53:8 that the sacrifice would be a person of purity. We know that Jesus was this person and He fulfilled all the Jewish demands of an acceptable sacrifice. The idea that the Jewish nation can save itself by its own merit is ridiculous. The trial and the execution of Jesus is proof that the Jews are as depraved as everyone else. Annas and Caiaphas orchestrated the entire thing and both were far more concerned with power and wealth than with justice.

The Jews have one hope and its JESUS. We have one hope and its JESUS. We are all in the same boat and to withstand the coming judgment, that boat [Our Ark] must be Jesus. We are all at the mercy of a holy God who shows no partiality: if He did, He wouldn’t be holy.

• Bumper Sticker of the day: Rich people stay rich because they live like they are poor. Poor people stay poor because they live like they are rich.
• PTL we got an inch and one half of rain last night around 7:00 pm: THANK YOU JESUS!
• VBS going great. Evangelism emphasis today, so pray. We had 206 on Monday, 212 on Tuesday and 222 on Wednesday. I think we have enrolled 287. You can see pics on my Facebook page. I’m not sure they are on the church page. Holly has posted hundreds.
• The Gator Train is powered by the old gator Tom gave us. I guess we could call it Thomas the Train.

The Arrow

Scripture

He made Me like an arrow, sharp and ready for use.

~Isaiah 49:2, CEV

Quote

I wish to be useful, and every kind of service necessary to the public good becomes honorable by being necessary.

~Nathan Hale

There are four servant songs or poems in Isaiah: [1] Isaiah 42:1-4 [2] Isaiah 49:1-6 [3] Isaiah 50:4-9 and [4] Isaiah 53 which everyone is familiar with. Over the ages, scholars have debated whether the servant is Israel the nation of Jesus the Messiah. There is no question that Isaiah 53 is about Jesus. This is the passage the Ethiopian eunuch was reading and Philip took this same scripture and preached Jesus. I think the answer is both and, not either or. Israel is God’s servant and so is Christ. The difference is: Jesus is God’s perfect servant.

• God choose Christ, anointed Him [Isaiah 49:1]
• God not only anointed Christ, He pointed Him, made Him sharp. [49:2]
• God appointed Christ to bring His people back [49:5]
• God made Christ a light to the nations [49:6]
• God made Christ the SAVIOR of the world [49:6]
• God made Christ despised and rejected [49:7]
• God made Christ the KING of kings and kings and queens will bow before HIM [49:7]
• God anointed Christ to set the captives free. [49:9]
• God used Christ to bring comfort to His people. [49:13]
• God made Christ a tangible expression of His love [49:14-16]

My favorite metaphor describing Christ in Isaiah 49 is the ‘Arrow’. God made Jesus an arrow. An arrow is directed or aimed. An arrow is sharp, to the point. An arrow is sent. In many cases, it goes where the archer cannot go. An arrow can protect and it can also conquer. Not only is Jesus an Arrow, you and I are arrows in His quiver. Our lives should be focused and to the point. We are to be driven by God’s energy. Remember, an arrow is of no use as long as it stays in the quiver: arrows are made to be used. We are God’s arrows created to serve His purpose.

Useful people are busy doing useful things; they don’t have time to be offended by those who treat them as useless. On the other hand, a useless person usually thinks him or herself as being important and is easily offended if not coddled and applauded.

• Well folks it is VBS eve 2016. May the Ruach be with us.
• Ruth is at Vickie’s and very content.
• Today’s schedule: Deacon’s meeting at 8;15, LCBS at 9:15, Worship at 10:15 and tonight we go to the TABERNACLE in Hartselle to hear Junior Hill.
• Today’s Mission offering goes to a house in Guatemala in memory of Tom Bennich and then to bibles for the Gideons in memory of Tom. I would like to do 1,000 bibles in Tom’s memory. By the way, Tom was an arrow.

 

Exhaustion

Scripture

He strengthens those who are tired.

~Isaiah 40:29, CEV

Quote

The key to success is the discipline to do what you need to do even when you don’t feel like doing it.

~Anonymous

All humans are subject to fatigue. I was so exhausted yesterday evening that I went home and took a nap before going to the hospital, then graduation, then the party and then the clean up. I got home last night at 10:41. Had I not went home at 3:30 and took a nap, I would not have made it. Isaiah said, “Even those who are young grow weak: young people fall exhausted.” I was talking to the parents of a 4 year old son the other night and I said, “What I would give for his energy.” His dad smiled and said, “He will crash about ten tonight: He going wide open one minute and laying asleep on the couch the next.”

Does the name Sławomir Rawicz ring a bell? Probably not: Rawicz was a Polish man sentenced to 20 years hard labor in Siberia. There the men worked in mines of salt, lead, silver and gold. The conditions were deplorable and it was not uncommon for men to fall exhausted on the frozen ground and never get up again. They became so tired and exhausted, they gave up. Rawicz lead six others to escape including one American and one Russian. They navigated two mountain ranges and one desert before finding asylum in India. A young Russian girl joined them once that got out of Siberia but she was too weak to make it across the desert, she and four of the men died from exhaustion. They simply got so tired that they refused to get back up.

If you like survival movies, the title is THE WAY BACK staring Jim Sturgess, Colin Farrell and Ed Harris. It did remind me that fatigue can be a problem for all ages. Isaiah said, “Those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”

Eagles are like humans in that they tire but a weary eagle looks for a thermal, a pocket of warm air that is rising. When the bird gets into the thermal, the warm air under its wings lifts it higher and higher to a cruising altitude where it can soar. Jesus is the wind beneath our wings.

• We have a lot of workers who are going to be gone Sunday. We are considering a worship service only with the DEBT RETIREMENT OFFERING still in play. I’ve been talking to our leaders and workers, we will make a decision today. It is not going to be a great time for the Debt Retirement offering but we don’t have a choice, it has to be on the 5th Sunday.
• We had another load leave for the beach last night: Landon and Mylee leave tomorrow for Smoky Mountains. That’s going to leave June, Seth, Joe David’s crew and me.

VBS June 12-17

VBS & VBX June 3-7

VBS AND VBX June 3-7

The Code

Scripture

The LORD Himself will be our King; He will rule us and protect us.

~Isaiah 33:23, GNT

Quote

Prophecies are promises without an expiration date.

~Ya’akov 

Isaiah made hundreds of prophecies but most folks will miss them because they do not know the code or the key. I’ve been watching WASHINGTON’S SPIES on AMC and I am amazed by the complexity of their espionage. The way they used codes and encrypted messages is fascinating. If their dispatches fell into the wrong hands, they would not be able to decipher the communication unless they had the code.

If an unbeliever, Jew or Gentile read Isaiah, he or she would not see what we see because Jesus is the code. Once we become a new creation in Him, we see things that otherwise we would not see because the Holy Spirit is illuminating truth to us. Most of Isaiah’s prophecies seem impossible and they are until you factor Jesus into the equation. Jesus is the Key. I have discovered recently that they are two Zionist movements, one is Christian and one is not. I can tell you this, Israel will have a King who will rule the earth but it will not be a Warburg, Rothschild, Greenspan or a descendant of Ben Shalom Bernanke; it will be Jesus, the One whom the elite Jews like the four mentions above rejected. Messianic Jews sees this as clearly as you and I. The unbelieving Zionist intend to rule the world through banking [controlling the currency]and because they have done so for hundreds of years, they believe it will happen. I believe Jesus will have the last word.

I probably will not live to see it but I firmly believe that God is going to stir the Jewish people. I believe there will be a revival among them which will bring them to Christ. We need their help in getting the gospel to the world. Either way, Jesus is coming again and this time as a KING, the LION of Judah, and Lion’s don’t negotiate. 

• Sunday is SENIOR DAY…spread the word. We will honor high school and college graduates in the am service. They need to be present.
• We are also doing COMMUNION Sunday Morning. This one will include Children’s Church. We will not get back to normal until the first Sunday in June. Joe David will be preaching on Sunday Mornings from May 29th until July 10th. I am going to use this time to visit every family in our church. I will still be preaching twice a week which is a national secret. I’ll be doing the Sunday and Wednesday night messages.
• The Election of the PASTOR’S SEARCH TEAM in June 5 and 12. You have two Sundays in which to vote. It will be secret ballot and in the foyer. We have a business meeting on June 12, after morning worship.
• Two of our Senior Adults have been having a hard time: Mavis has another upper respiratory infection and Ruth has been in the hospital.
• Since we moved our VBS date, we will be able to go to the Hartselle Camp meeting Sunday night June 12 at 7:00. Make plans to be there!

VBS JUNE 13-17

Gerry Cole

LADY LIBERTY

Peace

Scripture

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

~John 14:27, NASB

Quote

“What a life! I know where I came from, why I am here and where I am going. His peace flooded my heart and overwhelms my soul, even in the midst of despair.”

~William Franklin Graham [Turn 98 on November 7]

There are at least four kinds of peace mentioned in the bible and Jesus is the key to all four. No wonder Paul said, “In Him {Jesus} all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.”

1. There is PEACE with God [Romans 5:1]…Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. There is the PEACE of God [Philippians 4:6-7]… Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience the peace of God, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
3. There is PEACE on earth [Luke 2:14]…“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” Peace of earth will not happen until Jesus returns and establishes peace on earth. It is a future peace.
4. There is everlasting PEACE [Isaiah 9:6-7] And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end.

Jesus did not have wealth. When He died, His cloak was all He owed but He gave His disciples the greatest inheritance anyone can hope for, He left them His PEACE.  “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

In the opening sentence of Chapter 15 in Dr. Graham’s last book [Where I AM] he says…”I know men and women who would write a check for a million dollars if they could find peace but it cannot be bought.”

• Full schedule tomorrow: Deacon’s @ 8:15, LCBS @ 9:15, Celebrate Jesus in Worship @ 10:15, Celebrate Jesus with Baptism @ 11:15…AWANA and Visitation @ 5:30 with evening worship @ 6:15.
• Ona Holladay  {100 years old last August} CELEBRATION OF LIFE SERVICE today @ 1:00, FRIENDSHIP Baptist Church.
• June got a new piano yesterday and we tried it out last night. She and I sang “Never Grow Old,” and it was chilling. It made the hair on top of my head stand straight up. We may put that one on our next Album.
• Bufford Burgess is not doing well but I thought Gary Garner looked a little better. I tried to wake him but he was sound a sleep.
• We have a baptism Sunday, Will {the thrill} Morgan will be our candidate. You will get to hear his testimony on Video.

Christmas Hope

Scripture

My mercy and justice are coming soon. My salvation is on the way. My strong arm will bring justice to the nations. All distant lands will look to Me and wait in hope for My powerful arm.

~Isaiah 51:5, NLT

Quote

Man can exist without hope but he cannot live without hope.

~Ya’akov

Can you imagine a world without Christ? I am very grateful to be living on this side of the cross. We have so much more than our O.T. counterparts:

1. We have access to the throne of grace. They had to approach through a priest.
2. We have a High Priest who can be trusted. They had the likes of Caiaphas who was rotten to the core.
3. We have the printed word of God including the words of Jesus. They a limited number of scrolls but not the O. T. as we know it. The bible is a huge blessing.
4. They had Passover but we have Easter and Christmas. No comparison. I had rather celebrate the birth of a Lamb than to slaughter one, hadn’t you?

For centuries, the Jews waited on the Promised One, the Messiah, the Seed of woman who would crush the serpent, the great Prophet who would speak for God, Isaiah’s great Light and Prince of Peace. He would be the Son of David who would rule with fairness and justice. He would be the Liberator of the oppressed and the hope of nations.

The one thing that believer’s have, in any set of circumstances, is HOPE. Never think lightly of hope, it is the key to living sucessfully.

• Gary Garner got good news. They are going to do two more treatments as a precaution but his PET Scan was good; THANK YOU JESUS!
• Heath’s surgery went good. He went to ICU but should get a room today. It’s a tough surgery that leaves one feeling miserable [said the Doctor]. That is not his exact words but its a good translation. He should begin to feel better in a few days.
• We have found a violinist: Beautiful Hannah Marie Clardy Garnett is a violinist and I did not know this until yesterday. She also knows Haley’s brother: the two have performed professionally. One tiny problem, she and Hunter live in B’town. I told her she had a standing invitation to play the violin at DBC. Maybe we will get to hear her during the holidays.
• I forgot to talk with Adam last night but there is a change that we will do Jace’s baptism this Sunday.

The Pride of Babylon

SCRIPTURE

You said, ‘I will reign forever as queen of the world!’ You did not reflect on your actions or think about their consequences.

~Isaiah 47:7, NLT

QUOTE

Two things are said to be very rare sights in the world: one is a young man humble, and the other is an old man content.

~J.C. Ryle

The ‘queen of the world’ was a reference to the city of Babylon which dates back to Genesis. Babylon was at it’s zenith during Isaiah’s life time. At the time it’s hanging gardens and descending water falls made it one of the seven wonders of the world. The Babylonian captivity for the Jews took place during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar and this was probably the peak of Babylon’s grandeur. Daniel the prophet rebuked Belshazzar for desecrating the golden vessels taken from the Temple in Jerusalem and told him, “The kingdom will be taken from you” and it was taken that very night by Darius the Mede. In 539 BC the empire fell to the Persians under Cyrus. Babylon’s existed until Alexander the Great who took it in 331 BC. He intended to rebuild it and make it greater but he died before pursuing his plan and the city, it walls and towers were torn down. Babylon, once great, no longer exist. It has become a symbol of worldly pleasure, power, prosperity and PRIDE. When John speaks of Babylon in the Revelation, he is referring to the antichrist world system driven by PRIDE.

I did not intend to give you a history lesson when I sat down to do the blog. In yesterday’s DBR that second part of the verse jumped out at me…You did not reflect on your actions or think about their consequences. I cannot count the times that I have acted in haste without considering the circumstances. About five or six years ago, I did something stupid and it came back to bite me this past month. I am not mad at God or anyone else: I should have thought about what I was doing and possible consequences. I imagine most of my bone head decisions could be laid at the door step of PRIDE.

TODAY WE PRAY FOR STUDENTS

• Miss Clara has bursitis in her shoulder, got a shot yesterday in B’town and feels better but is still fighting a UTI.
• Front Pew Shower for Ginny Shaneyfelt this Sunday.
• Sunday schedule: LCBS 9:15, Worship 10:15 and 6:00. God willing we are preaching on the Cross Sunday morning and the Burial Sunday night.
• You have just two Sundays to order ROSES FOR MAMA. I wish I knew how many years we had Roses for Mama but I would have to guess 8-10 years. It has been a huge success but we did have a drop in attendance last year. Instead of the kids coming to DBC to be with Mama, Mama is going to the kids. We are going to try it one more time. MOTHER’S, it is your day, let the kids come to you.

What’s In Your Future

 

 

SCRIPTURE

Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.  But the rebellious will be destroyed; they have no future.

~Psalm 37:37-38, NLT

QUOTE

God is more interested in your future and your relationships than you are.

~William Franklin Graham

Humans have a fascination with the future. They say at least one out of five Americans read the horoscope daily and one of three check it occasionally. False prophets have made millions of dollars with their books on prophecy. Actually, we do not need the horoscope, false prophet or physics: the bible will reveal our future.

God speaks in Isaiah 46:9-10…Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish. Although none of us can predict the future, God has given us the gift to determine some aspects of our future. Moses told Israel: you have two choices–You can obey the LORD and enter the land where you will live or you can disobey, stay here in the wilderness and die. Your choice is life or death, a blessing or a curse.

Rebellion is a curse. Samuel said, “Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft.” Those who rebel against God have no future, period. Proverbs 24:20, For evil people have no future; the light of the wicked will be snuffed out. And you can throw in Proverbs 13:15 for boot, “The way of transgressors is hard.”

Do you bristle with resentment and anger every time someone gives you instructions? Do you feel above taking instructions from anyone but especially spiritual leaders? Just remember, you attitude determines your future.

• Today we pray for FAMILY. Folks we have a lot of hurting families. I was on the phone last night with a broken hearted mom. I am telling you folks, the pain and devastation that sin produces is everywhere. Pick out a family and pray for them. I am leaning very strongly toward connect groups so that we can pray for each other.
• Have not heard from B’ham since yesterday morning. We will probably go down today. Seth came in from Atlanta last night and said all was clear until he got to Hartselle.
• Our front yard is a sheet of ice about an inch thick and nothing melted yesterday.
• Remember, no DEACON’S meeting Sunday. We begin at 9:15 with LCBS. Gregg and I will have coffee and donuts at 9:00. Remember, you have to run your clocks up one hour Saturday night. It is time to Spring Up!

LCBS LESSON PREVIEW for March 8th

“A Birth Like No Other”

Jesus is fully human and fully God.

²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. ²⁸ Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” ²⁹ Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. ³⁰ “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. ³² He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³ And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

³⁴ Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” ³⁵ The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.

Unique Birth

Jesus could have been born in a palace. Actually, there was a palace with indoor restroom facilities and hot and cold water just a few miles [6] from where Jesus was born. Herod’s palace was one of the most modern buildings of the time but Jesus was born near by in a stable. The KING of kings born in a stable with no nurse maid, no servants to attend to his needs. His birth was celebrated by angels and shepherds. The shepherds were the lowest of the lowly. Most people despised them and no one wanted to be life them.

Just think, Mary had the heartbeat of God within her for 9 months. As the song says, “When she kissed the face of Jesus, she kissed the face of God.” Jesus was a real baby, He cried when hungry, He pooped in his diapers, He had blood in his veins just like you and I.

The Paradox

Reason would have Jesus either be fully God or fully man or perhaps half-God and half-man but Jesus was fully God and fully man. It is a statement of truth that does not make sense and it seems to be a contradiction. Many truths in the scripture are of a paradoxical nature and they require faith. Most of the major decision you make in life require faith.

I believe Jesus is fully God and fully man but I cannot explain it. His unique birth helps me understand but that does not dispel all the mystery. Jesus entered this world and the world of flesh and blood through the portal of Mary’s womb. He existed before He was incarnated. He was the same age of His father but older than His mother. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit not Joseph’s sperm. Therefore, Jesus did not inherit our sinful nature. He took our human nature from Mary but He took God’s sinless nature from the Holy Spirit. Jesus was fully human but He was not twisted, perverted in his thinking. He could sin I suppose but He had no desire to sin. It was as natural for Jesus to be perfect as it is for me to be imperfect. He was tempted but not in the same way that you and I are tempted: we are tempted to rely on the flesh, He was tempted to rely on His divine powers. You and I have never been tempted to turn rock in to bread or jump from high building without a parachute and it is because we don’t have supernatural capability; He did.

REASONS FOR A VIRGIN BIRTH

1. One reason for Jesus’ virgin birth is that it identified Him as the Messiah. Isaiah 7:14 prophesied that a virgin would be with child. Ever since that prophecy, the Jews had looked for that particular sign. God uses miracles to validate His messengers. A virgin birth is a powerful validation.
2. Another reason for the virgin birth is that having a biological father would have annulled Jesus’ deity. He could not have been the son of Joseph and the Son of God at the same time. Every person born of man has inherited Adam’s sin nature (Romans 5:12, 17, 19).
3. The virgin birth is also a picture of GRACE. Joseph had no part whatsoever in the conception of Jesus. Mary’s role was passive; she merely accepted God’s gift. As Ephesians 2:8-9 says, the work of salvation is done by God alone. Neither holiness nor salvation can be brought about by the effort of man.
4. Since man sinned, technically for God to remain holy, a man had to die for those sins. Jesus became human so that He could qualify as our sacrifice for sin. Jesus is our atonement. He is the lamb without spot or blemish. Thus He had to God-Man to fulfill this role. The Just {Jesus} became the Justifier.
5. Jesus is Unique. He is not merely a man as some would have us believe. Napoleon said, “I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man.”
6. To deny the virgin birth is antithetical to the Christian faith. It is a denial that a virgin with conceive and give birth to the Messiah. It is a denial that Jesus is God. It is a denial that the word of God is infallible.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. We live in a Republic: what is the difference between a Republic and the Reign of Christ?
2. Which heresy is more destructive: to deny the deity of Christ or to deny His humanity?
3. What encourages you about Jesus humanity?
4. What excites you about Jesus deity?
5. Can you name something in fiction that comes close to the story of Jesus birth?
6. In your personal opinion, who is the most popular woman in history?
7. Why are we having a lesson on Jesus birth in March?

 

Hindrances To Revival #…Dishonesty

Day 6 of 24

SCRIPTURE

‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’

~Matthew 15:8-9, NLT

THOUGHT

What is there to gain in being dishonest with your physician?

~Yaakov

Can you imagine the long ride home after the Pharisees confront Jesus concerning His disciples not washing their hands before they ate. They rode up to Galilee, a place they despised, to find fault with Jesus and He pulled Isaiah 29:13 on them…

“These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me
    is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.

The Pharisee were frauds; they were full of phony bologna. They were pretenders or actors which is why Jesus called them hypocrites. They were not real. They pretended to love God but in truth they loved money and power. Everything about them was tinsel. Jesus said they were like polished tomb stones on the outside but like dead men’s remains on the inside. Jesus said, “Their worship is fruitless, vain, a waste of time… joke or farce.” Pharisees don’t worship, they are too busy finding fault with those who do. No man can worship who is captivated by his own self-awareness and self-interest.

Technically Jesus is REVIVAL. We need more Jesus and less religious pretense. The Pharisees could have had more Jesus but they were dishonest in their approach and Jesus saw through their pretense. We will not have revival until we come clean. If we get honest, we will have revival. If we keep pretending and playing church, we will not. We cannot play games with Jesus: He sees our hearts. Remember, He is what we need but He demands our honesty.

• Today we Thank God for Holidays and we pray for TEACHERS.
• Chanda had a great picture of Clara crossing the ramp on her Instagram or Tweeter.
• This Sunday we are to pink it up!
• Today is the last day to sign up for Supper. You have done great this Fall. We have a break coming up October 29. We will have stew and chili for everyone [free] and hayrides for the kids. We will give our AWANA workers a much deserved night of rest.

Consistency

SCRIPTURE

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

~Isaiah 40:31, NLT

QUOTE

The life of faith is not one of constant soaring like eagles but a day-in and day-out walk of consistency. The key is to keep moving and not faint.

~Oswald Chamber [Edited]

Believe it or not, I ran Cross Country in college and on a team that never knew defeat. There are seven on a Cross Country team and only five can score but the sixth and seventh man can bump. Yes, I was the sixth or seventh man both years. I was not great by any stretch of the imagination but I could run multiple 6 minute miles and that is not easy. The good one could run sub 5:30 miles. When you are running distance, pace is essential. I was running the Jesse Owens some 30 years ago and some kid out of high school took out like a bat out of a cave. It takes a gifted runner to run a 5:30 mile pace and he sprinted into the lead. I passed him at the one mile marker, he was sitting on the curb. In a few minutes, he coming zooming by me again but I knew he was not going to catch the front-runners. Around the two-mile marker, I passed him again. He was bent over with hands on knees. A few minutes later and here he came again but not quite so fast. I passed him again at the four mile marker and never saw him afterwards. 

The key to a good testimony is consistency. Don’t worry about speed, just stay at it day-in and day-out. Don’t be an Alka-Seltzer Baptist: they make a big fizz and then fizzle out.

• Senior Adults meet Friday in the Parlor: fish and puppies.
• Deacon’s meeting Sunday
• Men’s Breakfast on May 4 and no 8:00 meeting on MAMA’S DAY
• Buy a Rose for Mama, on sale next two Sundays.
• Mission Offering for Guatemala College and Career Mission Trip. I don’t know what our goal is: J.D. hasn’t told me. You can pay for a Guatemalan family a new house for $400. We just have to figure out how many they can build.