God’s Plan

Scripture

God sent a man.

~John 1:6, NLT

Quote

God’s plan is to send a man

~Ya’akov

Last night we talked about the authority in being sent. When Jesus sent His disciples our to heal, cast out demons and preach the gospel; He gave them power and authority. God’s plan has always been a man. When Israel was in deep, deep, bondage in Egypt–God did not send an army of angels, he sent A MAN, the man Moses.  When Jerusalem was in shambles, God did not sent a book on TEN WAYS TO RESTORE BROKEN WALLS, He sent A MAN, the man Nehemiah. When God needed a forerunner for the Messiah, He did not sent a marching band, He sent A MAN, the man John. When we were hopelessly lost in sin, God did not send us a manual with detail instructions on overcoming sin: God sent A MAN, the man Christ Jesus…Son of God and Son of Mary.

Some times we get to focused on books, programs, experience, processes but God’s plan has already been revealed completely in Jesus. We need to stick to the PLAN, the man Christ Jesus.

• My Nephew Heath had another surgery yesterday evening late {Jan. 25} and it was a success we hope and pray. His first surgery was on December 15 and he has had problem after problem since. We hope this takes care of the problem.
• Little Chloe Bug has surgery this morning: she is having her tonsils removed {8:15 am}
• Neel Methodist will be the host for Debbie’s family as they share a meal after today’s COLS. DBC is sending chicken and Tea.  If you would like to help, get your food to Neel Methodist between 2:00-3:00 today.
• I want to thank the LORD for the beautiful weather and that I am making progress toward recovery. It is not hurting me to walk and I did not use ice a single time yesterday. I just want to praise God for his goodness and thank you for your prayers.

Fearing God And Being Faithful

SCRIPTURE

I gave the responsibility of governing Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, the commander of the fortress, for he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.

~Nehemiah 7:2, NLT

QUOTE

Fear nobody, but God Almighty.

~Lil Wayne

Was Nehemiah talking about his brother or the commander of the fortress. Most likely the commander of the fortress but possible both. Nehemiah was about to return to Persia so he needed men he could trust. His brother and Hananiah fit the bill. Fearing God and being faithful go hand in hand. A man who does not fear God will certainly not be faithful to God. Leadership is huge and America is proof. I’m not saying a good leader would save us but it would make a vast difference. Would the walls of Jerusalem been rebuilt without the leadership of Nehemiah: I don’t think so. Nehemiah was a great leader and he feared what would happen in his absence but circumstance demanded that he delegate leadership to others in his absence. He picked men who feared God and had proved themselves faithful.

By the way, Bro. Harold Thompson used Nehemiah to describe Mrs. Coree Vest. I thought he picked out the perfect verse.

• Life is about giving things up: I think the next thing to go for me will be college football. I feel like I just ran a marathon.
• Checked on Bill and Gary. Bill Wilbourn was not having a great day but Gary is better and his counts are getting higher.
• I imagine Kane will be at church today, LORD willing. The boy is a trooper.
• Today’s Schedule: Deacon’s meeting at 7:45, Donuts and Biscuits at 8:30, LCBS 9:15, Worship 10:15, Baptisms, STEW 5:30, Hay rides at 6:15.
• CONGRATULATION to the DHS Lady Hawks; they advance to the State for the 11th year in a row.
• I done a little of everything this week an a whole lot of nothing but I am thankful: I have had a couple of narrow escapes and I want to praise God for His infinite goodness. Leo the lip Durocher use to say, “God takes care of drunks, idiots and 3rd basemen.” I am not a drunk or a third basemen. Let’s put it like this, I feel very undeserving of His love, mercy and His bountiful blessings. I have been in a hurry all week and it has cost me: I want to slow down so I can be where God wants me to be. I will say this, BIG MAMA is number one around here and there is no doubt about that: I ask her last night to postpone the second surgery until after Christmas. I think she agreed. I pick at deer hunters a lot but really I envy them: when they get in the woods, they don’t have a care. This pic is proof.

Does this boy look like he is worried about anything.

Leadership, Who Needs It?

SCIPTURE

But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant.

~Matthew 20:26, NLT

QUOTE

Anyone can follow a path; only a leader can blaze one.

~John Maxwell

I’ve been reading through Nehemiah, Ezra and I Samuel and the subject of leadership keeps coming to the surface. Leadership is a big deal because everyone needs a leader. If you are a leader, a lot of people depend on you. As others depend on you, who should you be depending on? The answer starts with a J and ends with an S and has five letters.

Throughout the period of the Judges, the emphasis is on leaders. When the Israelites had good leaders, they did well, when they didn’t, they got enslaved to foreigner’s. In the period of the kings, the Israelites did good when they had good leadership and suffered when they did not. No group or organization will ever rise above the level of its leaders. Would the Israelites have made it out of Egypt without the leadership of Moses? Would the Jews have been successful in rebuilding the Temple without Zerubbabel? Would they have finished the wall in 52 days without Nehemiah? Leadership is a big deal!

I think my readers will agree that America is suffering from a leadership crisis: we are in desperate need of a good leader. The question is: do we have enough sense to recognize and vote for a good leader if one were to appear? I’m not questioning Obama’s ability to lead, I am questioning the direction in which he is leading. The difference between a good and bad leader is character and direction. Hitler was a gifted leader but not a good leader. We need a good leader.

• The schedule this Sunday will be light due to the Holiday weekend. We will have you some donuts and biscuits and we will have LIFE CHANGING BIBLE STUDY but no Deacon’s meeting or PM service. We are planning a patriotic service for Sunday morning. We have video that is very good and Wendy Greenhaw is coming to sing the National Anthem and our special music.
• It is not too late to send me pictures of your family members who served in the armed forces. I can work on it here at home. We have about 25 so for but I would like more.
• MEMORIAL DAY EVE worship celebration this Sunday at 10:15 with special guest Wendy Greenhaw and Ronald Reagan [via video]. I think you will love the service. We will honor the fallen and all those who served.
• It got pretty chilly last night: Hope said it was Black Bird Winter. I said, “I think you mean ‘Black Berry.'” She said, “Black Berry, Raspberry, Blueberry, who cares, its cold.” That team we played had some obnoxious fans. I accused them of furnishing one of the umps. Willard chewed me out. I felt like Hugh had been reincarnated. He said, “You sit down and hush.” I said, “I kidding with them Willard, they know it” He said, “The umpire may not know it and we don’t want to win this game. The winner has to stay and play another game. Do you want to be here until 10:30?” I sat down and almost hushed. Willard is a true friend, he tells me all the time that I can’t sing.
• May 29 Senior Adult Cook Out. BBQ chicken and ribs.
• June 6…Rally for Biblical Marriage in Montgomery. I hope to carry the van. I encourage every believer to take a stand before it’s too late.
• June 8-12…VBS and VBX

VBS-VBX JUNE 8-12

Feasting On The Word

SCRIPTURE

Ezra stood on the platform in full view of all the people. When they saw him open the book, they all rose to their feet.

Nehemiah 8:5, NLT

QUOTE

Freedom decays as materialism expands.

~John W. Hoover

Imagine the police or some government agency coming into your house and confiscating all your bibles and any book that had any reference to Jesus Christ. Are you thinking in your mind, “It will never happen, not in America, the land of the brave and home of the free.” When Joe David first told me about Obama being a threat as a serious candidate for president, I thought, “It will never happen.” When he ran against a good business man who may have been able to get us out of this mess and Joe David said, “Daddy, he is going to win again,” I thought, “American’s can’t be that stupid”. When Obama came out for gay marriage, I thought there is no way he can win re-election. Now we are in a battle for the sanctity of marriage and Christians are no where to be seen. We are all acting like Calvinist who are “do nothings” when it comes to moral evils like abortion and same-sex marriage. Do you know how Obama got elected, 40 million evangelical Christians did not vote in the last two elections plus the Calvinist who are growing in number daily.  I have a word for Evangelicals and Calvinist: when God’s judgment comes, it’s coming down your street and mine, no one will be spared: not you, not your children or your grandchildren. Is that what you are praying for? Not me, I am praying for REVIVAL.

If we don’t repent and change our way of thinking they will be taking our bibles in 20 years. Some folks wouldn’t know the difference. We are biblically illiterate and we don’t know how to pray. Ezra opened the scripture and all the people stood for three hours as he taught from the word of God. Then they spent three more hours confessing sin. They  wept when they heard the word of God. I’m just wondering, would we do anything if they took our bibles? Has your love for this world already taken your zeal for the word of God? “God, You are gracious and merciful: have mercy on us and send us a spiritual awakening.”

TODAY WE PRAY FOR THE WORLD

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and you might want to say a prayer for the moron’s in Washington who are about to betray Israel. If we betray Israel, our goose is cooked.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

• There is a great article in last months IMPRIMIS about the cultural war.
• Everyone needs to subscribe to DECISION MAGAZINE. Get on line and find out how you can get it sent to your home.
• A young man, who must remain anonymous due to his sensitive nature, told me last night that the two most boring things in the world are graduations and weddings. I told him, “I’ve been to both tonight.” I sat a new record, a 3 minute wedding, no one had time to get bored. Actually, there were only four present. No rehearsal, no mother-in-laws, no director, no moving furniture, no music and no problems. I am not making light of marriage: it was a moving ceremony. If you don’t believe me, ask them.
• Graduation went great, the speeches were good: I wish to goodness they would do awards at another time but I carried my lawn chair and made it fine. Mr. Chambers did speed up the presentation of diploma’s. I think this was an outstanding class.
• I am really worried about Big Mama: she has not been to Kroger’s in three days: there is something bad wrong.
• Patriotic Service this Sunday morning at 10:15. LIFE CHANGING BIBLE STUDY at 9:15. Wendy Greenhaw will be our special guest.
• Send me pictures of your family members who served in the armed forces, I will use them next Sunday morning in the service. If you know how to put them on our Facebook page, that will work or email them to me, jack@danvillebaptist.org
• May 29 Senior Adult Cook Out. BBQ chicken and ribs.
• June 6…Rally for Biblical Marriage in Montgomery. I think the time is 3:00 PM
• June 8-12…VBS and VBX

VBS-VBX JUNE 8-12

Opposition Knocks

SCRIPTURE

What are these weak Jews doing? Do they think we will leave them alone? …They cannot bring stones back to life from these piles of trash and dirt…“What do these miserable Jews think they are building? If even a small fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!”

~Nehemiah 4:2, ERV

QUOTE

The chief danger of the Church today is that it is trying to get on the same side as the world, instead of turning the world upside down. Our Master expects us to accomplish results, even if they bring opposition and conflict.

~A. B. Simpson

Nehemiah’s mission was to build a wall around Jerusalem: Satan’s objective was to stop him. We must remember that Satan has no ethical boundaries–he plays by no rules. He is a creature of habit and some of his moves are predictable but he has no scruples. One of Satan’s favorite tools is ridicule. He uses ridicule to discourage us. Most people, no matter how well intentioned will quit given enough discouragement. The devil in not only ruthless, he is relentless.

• My first report on the Wednesday night attendance was wrong…we had 202 which I think is 3 weeks in a row over 200.
• We made the final decision today. We will have our FALL STEW on October 29. I think we will start at 5:30 and serve as long as folks keep coming. No AWANA classes or Worship….Stew and Hayrides.
• FRONT PEW SHOWER for Katie Sparkman this Sunday morning. It’s triplets! Girls!
• Baby Shower for Zack and Kimie Cochrane Saturday 2:00-4:00 at the home Sandy and Bruce Lee Cochrane.
• TODAY WE PRAY FOR FAMILY.
• We are grateful to Bobby Stork of Grand Bay, Alabama. We are going to watch a video Sunday that Bobby sent us and we use a lot of his stuff in the DIGEST which is getting more popular in spite of myself. Thank you Bobby.
• Today is a travel day for me: LORD willing I will be leaving for Rome early this morning. I am going to see my Uncle Floyd in Rome, Georgia. I hope I get to drive in the rain. I love rain.

Uncle Floyd and a Great

REDNECK PICS

You may have to study this one a bit.

Hey Jerry, have you seen anything? Not yet Daryl but I smell something!