Classic Hidden Agenda

Scripture

Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared.Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”

~Matthew 2:7-8

Quote

There is a place deep inside where the real person guards his secret thoughts and true intentions–what a man says is often a deceit to hide what he really is inside.

~Dave Hunt

As I was reading Matthew 2 yesterday morning, I was reminded that the wicked and cruel Herod is a classic example of the hidden agenda. He said, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” He lied pure and simple: his intent was not to worship Christ, his intent was to kill Him. So why did he lie about his motives? He lied because his motives were evil and he did not want the wise men to know his evil intentions. They were honorable men and they would have no part of such a conspiracy so Herod shrewdly covered his true motive. He intended to use the wise men to get what he wanted.

• WORK DAY is still on. We will be at Peggy Appleton’s on Taylor Road. Next door to Jimmy Dobbins and straight behind David and Kay’s, right at the end of Bird Vest Road. Lori will meet you at the church, I will be at the site.
• Joe David is officiating the Fletcher Hill service and he will not be able to help on our ministry project. We are going to do  our best to get done by 1:30. High School Seniors and College Students wanting to go to Guatemala are required to do two ministry projects. This is an opportunity and you will get free pizza for lunch, courtesy of Mrs. Edith Sandlin who loves the DBC Youth.
• Buford Burgess has had a couple of bad weeks along with Gary Garner but both are slightly better. I had a great visit with Dot and Buford yesterday. Dot has the gift of hospitality. Buford’s dog hates me, what’s new. I shook hands with Buford and the little beast came at me: Cindy saved me from a dog bite. I hope to get to see Gary today but my plate is full. Pray that I will get to where I need to be.
• I also visited the Summerford Nursing Home. Mavis was fit as a fiddle: she chuckled every time I said something. If only my children thought I was so funny. Mrs. Ona Holladay was out and about in a wheeled chair: something I haven’t seen before. She is usually in her recliner. She was having a great day. I also visited with Betty Blackwood {Keith and Ken’s mom]. She is thrilled that Ken and Allison are coming home in February. I visited Virginia Hill and an old preacher friend Alfred Arnold Palmer. Bro. Alfred has read the bible through 368 time {KJV}. Wow! I have read the NKJV one time along with every English Translation I can get my hands on. I am some 330 short of Bro. Alfred.
• I hope you are getting ready for LUKE 14: Big Mama has her menu prepared and Hannah has spent the better part of yesterday working on the dressing. Ladies, it is an opportunity to be a minister. I am not worried, you always come through.

 

The Question Of Authority

Prayer For REVIVAL in America

SCRIPTURE

The non-Jewish people have men they call rulers. You know that those rulers love to show their power over the people. And their important leaders love to use all their authority over the people. But it should not be that way with you. Whoever wants to be your leader must be your servant.

~Mark 10:42-43, ERV

QUOTE

The question of trust, which is closely related to that of authority, is determined by the faithfulness with which a man serves Jesus Christ, never by extraordinary talents which he possesses.

~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

COMMENTARY

People have a rather sick need to admire spiritual leaders. Giving due respect to a spiritual leader is one thing but when our admiration reaches the borders of worship, we have gone too far. For this reason, I’m almost thankful when people are critical; at least I know they are not in danger of putting me on a pedestal. Every cult is centered upon a human personality that is larger than life to its adherents. These cult leaders are often exceptionally gifted and charismatic. They appear to be virtuous  and altogether spiritual when in fact they are very worldly. All cultish leaders have one thing in common, they have the ability to mislead and manipulate others. Bonhoeffer said, “The pastor is a simple, faithful man, sound in faith and life, who rightly discharges his duties to the Church. His authority lies in the exercise of his ministry [service]. In the man himself, there is nothing to admire.” [Life Together, Page 108-109]

EXTRA

Happy Columbus Day! I celebrate the day even though they discovered that Columbus was a democrat. When he sat sail, he did not know where he was going. When he got there, he didn’t know where he was and the government paid for the entire trip. Just kidding, Columbus was a Christian. We had some new faces yesterday and some of them were children. One little boy in foster care said to his care giver [during the morning service] in reference to me as I preached, “Is that Jesus up there?” She said, “No, Jesus is a lot nicer.” I went over yesterday morning to help Shohn get Clara up the steps but neither were comfortable with me helping so I saw Jason and hollowed for him. He just reached down and grabbed Clara out of the wheel chair and went up the steps. All I had to carry was the wheel chair. Clara was smiling from ear to ear. I said , “Clara, do you realize how many females in this church would like for Jason to carry them up the steps.” The next woman around the corner was Floyd, I said, “What about you Floyd, do you want Jason to carry you up the steps.” I pretty sure she said, “No thanks.” The LORD is good! Pray for MY HOPE and have a great day.

Thug Life is better than Bud Light

One of my favorites

The Extreme Ends

Pray For Revival

SCRIPTURE: Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. {I Peter 5:3, NLT}

QUOTE: The soul that is dominated by another soul cannot achieve its destiny. ~Jaakov

COMMENTARY: Why do people manipulate others? Why do we practice mind control or subtle forms of brain washing? Our desire to control a fellow human being is driven by our insecurity: we are terribly afraid of being a nobody. We have this pathological obsession to control things and people: this makes us feel important. The extreme opposites of the spectrum are Tyranny on the one hand and slavery on the other. Pharaoh was a tyrant and the Israelites were his slaves. It is not God’s design that we be either.

Let’s say that you raise a child and you never tell the child no. You never discipline the child. You do your best to give the child everything that they desire. In doing this you have created two problems: [1] You have raised a bratty child that has social problems because they think everything should go their way and [2] You have fostered the child’s insecurity. The only way that a child can know that he/she is loved is that the parents give discipline. Little brats grow up to be tyrants, insecure tyrants.

There is a balm in Gilead and His name is Jesus. He created you to count. He has put you in a specific arena so that you can count in ways that no one else can count. You can relax in His love. The fact that He loves you unconditionally should make you feel significant. I am not the best pastor in the world but I am not the world’s pastor; God put me in Danville, to make a difference in Danville. I am not the best father or grandfather in the world but I am the only father my children have. In this tiny arena, I count.

God created you to be a person and to fulfill that destiny, you must think for yourself. Do not allow another human to control you. It is not healthy for you or them.

EXTRA: Another beautiful day yesterday, a little hot but we can’t complain with the weather we have had: some got a shower. My garden is still to wet to plow. My new maters have been in the ground for more than a day and they look good. Visited the Nursing Home yesterday and Ruth’s new Casa. I caught her working in the garden in the heat of the day. We had some excitement at the synagogue yesterday. We had an escapee. I think he ran across the church yard behind the FORTE and across John’s place. The 48 news folks were in the front parking lot. I think they tried to get an interview out of Mandy but that did not happen. I wish the guy had waited until Sunday and ran down the center isle. Maybe that woudl wake us up. It would have given us something to tweet about. We might even write a song, “The day the con went bezerk in the yard of Danville Baptist Church, he was jumping fences but not shouting hallelujah!” I miss my calling: should have been a song writter. I know one thing: Keith Blackwood and John Wydner can not both be out on the same Sunday. You guys get together, I have to have some support.