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.

A Holly Jolly Christmas

Scripture

“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.”

~Luke 2:10, NKJV

Quote

“Oh by golly, have a holly jolly Christmas this year.”

~Burl Ives

In spite of all the sad things that have happened on and around Christmas, I still believe it is the best time of the year. My grandmother [Halbrooks] was promoted on Christmas Day 1972. Mama, as we called her, embodied the spirit of Christmas; thus Christmas has not been the same since. Then Daddy departed this world on July 5th 1995 and although he tried to play the role of Ebenezer Scrooge at Christmas: we discovered rather quickly that he was the glue that kept our family together. Then my brother in 2009 and Mother in 2010. In my time alone, I grieve their passing. I miss them more every year which I don’t understand: you would think it would get easier. In the presence of my children and grand children, I am jolly. I don’t want a single grandchild left with the memory that their Granddad was a wet blanket at Christmas.

This week has been a strange week. I have met at least one new family each day. With each new acquaintance, there is a story. I’m going to put yesterday’s story in parable form to protect the innocent.

A certain young man who came from a good family got married and began making a home and family. He was very particular; his goal was to be independent. He didn’t want to be indebted to anyone not even his parents. In took great pride in being debt free and saving money. When a caring family member questions his core values, he said, “I have enough money to get what I want, I don’t owe anyone and I don’t need anyone’s help.” Yet this young man was miserable and worked to make everyone around him miserable. Even on Christmas, he refused to let his children go visit their grandparents. No pictures, no cards, no parties and no family get to gathers. How would you like to be his child or wife?

Please, for the sake of your children and grandchildren, give your misery a break during the holidays. Don’t be guilty of imposing your misery upon a child. For Pete’s sake, let them enjoy their childhood.

• I was so tired when I got home last night, that there was no EXTRA but I want to wash some feet tonight. First of all, I commend you for all that you have done this Christmas to help children. I’m not sure, but I think you sponsored 13 children and they all got a whale of a Christmas. Jason’s class did more than one and so did Charles’ class. We had four women who did the others. THANK YOU FOLKS–YOU MAKE ME PROUD [in a good way].
• LORD willing, Shohn and I work to noon today but this has been a crazy week. My back, for some strange reason is much better. The problem now, is not overdoing it. I don’t understand but it began getting better Saturday evening. I bet someone has been praying for me and so I am going to give the LORD the credit for my improvement.
• Remember, no service tonight but we do have CHRISTMAS EVE COMMUNION tomorrow night at 6:00.
• There were 4 different unspoken request on the prayer sheets this week and I can add a couple to the list. I don’t know what they are but I will guess: [1] Substance Abuse, [2] Domestic Conflict, [3]Ungrateful adult children, [4] Irresponsible Adults [folks who keep blaming others for everything that goes wrong in their life], [5]Family Conflict, [6] Financial Bondage and [7] Spiritual Indifference. So pick out a number and pray for that mountain to fall.
• I am so thankful for Buford’s baptism on the 13th. Buford is tired; he has very little energy. I am fairly certain that Buford is packing, taking care on all details, in view of his promotion. I told him yesterday how much he has inspired me. I love Buford and his family. The entire family has the gift of hospitality.
• Seth is home {PTL} but his is disabled for three months and he is not happy about it. On the other hand, we are very happy that they saved his toe and that it was not worse. He has a very good boss [which is good] and between him and his mama, a lot of friends. He had to go 9 hours without eating [before the surgery]. Dr. Gomez wrote on his post opt orders…”Feed the boy.” He said he had never written those orders before.
• When the grand mother told me her story yesterday [about not getting to have all her grandchildren at Christmas], I got stirred up. I am an advocate for children. I don’t remember who it was or where, but some one told me in the last few days about a good divorce…he said concerning someone else, “She is happy now and he is happy now.” My knee jerk reaction, “How happy are the children?” [two children involved]. He said, “Your right, I hadn’t thought about from their perspective.” Neither have their parents! How can any parent be happy when their own selfishness has destroyed their child’s sense of security and threatened their peace of mind and happiness?

Four Things The World Cannot Give

SCRIPTURE

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

~John 14:27, NLT

QUOTE

When the power of His love overcomes your love of power, you can have peace.

~Anonymous

I have had a good week but an unusual week: for the last two nights, I have preached from my morning bible study. I the only sermon I intended to preach was Sunday morning and I have my doubts about it. In my bible study yesterday morning, I discovered four things in John 14 that the world can not give you.

1. A HOPE FOR THE FUTURE: [14:1-4] We believers have a future and Jesus talks about it in the first four verses. No matter how bad things get here, this is not our home. The good news is: we are just passing through. Let not your heart be troubled, heaven is our home.
2. A PERFECT SENSE OF SATISFACTION. [14:8] It doesn’t matter who you are or how much you have, you are not perfectly happy and you are most certainly not perfectly fulfilled. This is true because this world is not our home. Christ fills the void but the consummation of the filling comes with His return. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” [I Cor. 2:9]
3. A PERFECT FRIEND WHO CAN STAND WITH US IN ANY SITUATION. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate {Helper, Intercessor, Friend, Standby}, who will never leave you. [14:16] I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. [14:18]
4. PEACE OF MIND AND HEART: [14:27] Do you not covet peace of mind and heart. The peace Jesus gives the world cannot take away so don’t be troubled or afraid {these are not my words}.

I have to be honest, my heart is often troubled; I don’t understand what is happening. Can you explain to me why a 15 year old is fighting for his life while a 66 year old who definitely deserved death and hell is still walking around? Why is it that the best among us seem to suffer the most? I don’t know the answers and Jesus has no obligation to explain His infinite plans to me and even if He did, I would not be able to understand. I do very much believe in heaven: without John 14:1-4 nothing would make sense.

• Another good REVIVAL SERVICE: God is good.
• Gary is still very weak and Kane is now in ICU. We need to pray fervently for these two guys and their families. You can text me anytime and I will pray with you. All you have to do is send me the praying hands or just say, “I am praying for Kane and Gary,” and I will send you a voice mail or a text. We had almost 40 to respond the last time and we’ve had only 8 this time but I know other groups are doing prayer chains and the more the better.
• Lifting Kane in Prayer meeting: Joe David said they had around 70. I don’t have any other details. I hope we have more good news for you tomorrow.
• We need some good news and Judy Davis got some this week: Judy has been under the anxiety of her cancer returning but growth was benign Praise the LORD.
• More good news: Jack Nicholson is pro-life….check it out…Jack is Pro-life for good reason

The Fruit of The Spirit

SCRIPTURE

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

~Galatians 5:22-23, NRSV

QUOTE

The difference between want and need is self-control.

~Anonymous

Study the fruit of the Spirit…love, joy, peace, etc. Is there anything on this list that is unattractive to you? Honestly, there is nothing on the list that I do not admire and covet. What moron would not want love, joy and peace? The last thing on the list is self-control but it is actually the key to all the others. If we would deny self and give preference to others, the other fruit would emerge without our effort. We always begin with love because it is first on the list and probably the most coveted fruit but the key is self-control. In terms of importance, it is first.

• I stand amazed. What a Thursday night response! Linda and Dian were hear and waiting on the arrival of the goods. Within 30 minutes, the FORTE looked like an ant hill. This doesn’t mean we are through but we are off to a great start.
• We will be here all day today. Our focus today will be the Grace Barn and tonight we may do some more sitting up. I’m not sure about the Saturday Schedule: Mandy has that but I will post it tomorrow.

The Peace Of God

SCRIPTURE

Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.

~Philippians 4:6b-7a, NLT

QUOTE

Peace is such a precious jewel that I would give anything for it but truth.

~Matthew Henry

While Jack Taylor was serving as pastor he had a female member to be diagnosed with terminal cancer. The woman was a widow of a few years but not that old. She did not take the bad news well. She became so embittered that no one could stand to be around her. Finally, her friends came to Dr. Taylor and told him the problem; he agreed to pay her a visit. He knocked on her door and she invited him in; for the next hour or so he listened as she poured out her complaints. When she ran out of steam, Dr. Taylor asked: “Have you given thanks to God?” She erupted with second diatribe….“Give thanks to God, are you crazy. Do you actually expect me to give thanks for cancer?” Dr. Taylor responded, “I did not ask you to thank Him for the cancer; the question is, have you thanked Him for all He has done in the midst of all you are suffering? The bible says, ‘In all things, give thanks’…it does not say, ‘for‘ all things give thanks. Don’t thank Him for the cancer but thank Him for what he has done for you.”

Suddenly she saw the truth that is expressed in today’s scripture…Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. Paul said, once a believer has done these two things, the peace of God that passes all understanding will become a reality. Don’t expect to receive His peace until you are willing to thank Him for what he has done. By the way, the woman in the above story died with cancer a few months later but she died in peace. She became an avid witness for Christ during the remainder of her life.

• Today we pray for the Holladay Family. We will give the teachers a day off.
• Kenny’s CELEBRATION OF LIFE SERVICE is a 1:00 pm. Visitation from 11:00-1:00. We are feeding the family after the service. Call Jennifer Garner or Mandy Bowling if you have questions.
• THE GATHERING Wednesday night at 6:30. Supper at 5:30 and AWANA at 6:15.
• GOLDEN GIRLS meet this Saturday at Cracker Barrel at 9:00 am.
• See how many you can identify out of the picture below?

Consideration

SCRIPTURE

Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

Philippians 4:5, NLT

QUOTE

Being considerate of others will take your further in life than any college or professional degree.

~Marian W. Edelman

Ken texted me Sunday evening [Jan.25] and ask me to come over: he said Kenny wanted to talk to me. We had a great conversation. So sacred was the moment that I can share only a portion. I read several passages for Kenny and for myself and the one that seemed to help me the most was Philippians 4:4-9 but the words that gripped me most came from verses 6-7…Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.

As I got ready to leave, Kenny gave me a gift. Something he had been thinking about for a while. Here is a man whose body is racked with pain. He has not enjoyed the taste of food or drink for weeks. He is so weak that he speaks just above a whisper and yet he was thinking of me. Kenny Holladay epitomizes verse 5, “Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.” Kenny is Mr. Consideration!

Kenny is loosening the mooring ropes, getting ready for his departure: pray for it to be peaceful. Pray for a spirit of euphoria to form a glorious cloud in his room. Pray it line for line right now. Look up euphoria if you have to but pray the prayer: it is important.

Kenny Holladay

 

• Today we pray for Ministers and Missionaries.
• REVIVAL this Sunday with Phil the thrill Glisson. Teresa and Scotty will be with him. Children’s church and nursery both services. February 1…Plus Baptism in a.m. worship. Hallelujah, what a Savior!
• Yet another Profession of faith yesterday…Bree Tyson [4 in last three weeks]
• We don’t generally publish offering over the internet but the offering for the Hogan family was great. You did it again DBC. The LCBS lesson must have hit home.

WOW! What Bold Love!

SCRIPTURE

And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

~Luke 7:50, NLT

QUOTE

God keeps all our tears in a bottle; so precious is the water that is distilled from penitent eyes. More precious to Christ than the perfume from the vial were the tears from her eyes.

~Abraham Wendell Wright

Some people believe the woman in Luke 7 was Mary Magdalene. I am not a bible scholar and don’t know enough to argue. Some believed Mary had a demon problem whereas the woman of the text was a prostitute. The Pharisee who hosted the event made the remark, “If this man [Jesus] was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him.” The NLT says she was immoral, NIV says sinful, AV and others read ‘sinner’ and Peterson says harlot. The Greek word means a person devoted to sin. I don’t know what lay in her past but her love for Jesus was bold and extravagant. She had to know that her presence and her expression of love would be criticized and even mocked. It is a fact that she was rewarded by Jesus: He gave her forgiveness and peace.

I think the woman was so deep in her love for Jesus that she was entranced: I don’t think she saw anyone in the room other than HIM. This is the WOW of the story. This is real worship!

• Sunday is cow girl boot Sunday for ladies and $20 Day for the men. I want all men who can afford it to bring a $20 and I’ll tell you what to do when we get together. The $20 deal is for men only.
• Today we pray for STUDENTS.
• GOLDEN GIRLS at Cracker Barrel…9:00 a.m. this morning.
• Veteran’s Day November 11
• November 16…Special recognition of DHS Volleyball Team followed by lunch for Team members and parents.
• November 16 during the PM service, we are going to dedicate the Ramp in the FORTE.
• Luke 14 Feast November 23, 5:30 PM
• Two more Chick-Fil-A Wednesday night suppers before Thanksgiving…Nov.12 and 19.
• You can sign up to get your family photo for new church directory this Sunday.

EXTRA/EXTRA

Amazing Grace…Amazing God!

How Great is our God! His name is Yahweh, the eternal self-existent one who is, was and will always be. He is our Creator  and Redeemer. He is deserving of PRAISE! God’s  accuracy may be observed in the hatching of eggs.     

For example:

• The eggs of the potato bug hatch in 7  days
• Those of the canary  in 14 days
• Those of the barnyard  hen in 21 days
• The eggs of ducks and  geese hatch in 28 days
• Those of the mallard  in 35 days
• The eggs of the  parrot and the ostrich hatch in 42 days.
   (Notice, they are all divisible by seven, the number of days in a week!) 

God’s wisdom is seen  in the making of an elephant. The four legs of this great  beast all bend forward in the same direction. No other quadruped is so made. God planned that this animal would have a huge body, too large to live on two legs. For this reason He gave it four fulcrums so that it can rise from the ground  easily. The horse rises from the ground on its two front legs first. A cow rises from the ground with its two hind legs first.   How wise the Lord is in all His works of creation! God’s wisdom  is revealed in His arrangement of sections and segments, as well as in the number of grains. 

• Each watermelon has an even number of stripes on the  rind.
• Each orange has an even number of segments.
• Each ear of corn has an even number of rows.
• Each stalk of wheat has an even number of grains.
• Every bunch of bananas has on its lowest row an even number of bananas, and each row decreases by one, so that one row has an even number and the next row an odd number. 
• The waves of the sea roll in on shore twenty-six to the minute in all kinds of weather. 
• All grains are found in even numbers on the stalks, and the Lord specified thirty fold, sixty fold, and a hundred fold  all even numbers.  God has caused the flowers to blossom at certain specified times during the  day. Linnaeus, the great botanist, once said that if he had  a conservatory containing the right kind of soil, moisture  and temperature, he could tell the time of day or night by  the flowers that were open and those that were closed! 

The lives of each of you may be ordered by the Lord in a beautiful way for His glory, if you will only entrust Him with your life. If you try to regulate your own life, it will only be a mess and a failure. Only the One Who made the brain and the heart can successfully guide them to a profitable end.

 [Generally, I check out all internet and email documents but I did not have time to check this one out. I was raised on a farm but for the life of me, I don’t remember how the cow gets up or the horse but I think the above is correct. Check it out! I know one thing: not even the internet can over exaggerate God’s amazing power]

EXTRA: LIFE CHANGING BIBLE STUDY LESSON PREVIEW [November 9]

OVERCOME HARD TIMES

Jesus said in Luke 6:24-25…But it’s trouble ahead if you think you have it made. What you have is all you’ll ever get. And it’s trouble ahead if you’re satisfied with yourself. Your self will not satisfy you for long. And it’s trouble ahead if you think life’s all fun and games. There’s suffering to be met, and you’re going to meet it.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

1. Are you prepared for trouble?
2. Is it wrong, a lack of faith, to prepare for trouble?
3. We live in Tornado Alley: what have you done to prepare for extreme weather such as a tornado, power outage, etc.?
4. What are some things that every family needs in the case of a disaster?
5. Job told his ungrateful wife: “When God sends us something good, we welcome it. How can we complain when He sends us trouble? [Job 2:10] What do you think about Job’s theology: is life a mixture of good and bad?

SCRIPTURE

²⁸ “This will happen just as I have described it, for God has revealed to Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do. ²⁹ The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout the land of Egypt. ³⁰ But afterward there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten in Egypt. Famine will destroy the land. ³¹ This famine will be so severe that even the memory of the good years will be erased. ³² As for having two similar dreams, it means that these events have been decreed by God, and he will soon make them happen.

³³ “Therefore, Pharaoh should find an intelligent and wise man and put him in charge of the entire land of Egypt. ³⁴ Then Pharaoh should appoint supervisors over the land and let them collect one-fifth of all the crops during the seven good years. ³⁵ Have them gather all the food produced in the good years that are just ahead and bring it to Pharaoh’s storehouses. Store it away, and guard it so there will be food in the cities. ³⁶ That way there will be enough to eat when the seven years of famine come to the land of Egypt. Otherwise this famine will destroy the land.”

…….

⁴⁶ He was thirty years old when he began serving in the court of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. And when Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence, he inspected the entire land of Egypt. ⁴⁷ As predicted, for seven years the land produced bumper crops. ⁴⁸ During those years, Joseph gathered all the crops grown in Egypt and stored the grain from the surrounding fields in the cities. ⁴⁹ He piled up huge amounts of grain like sand on the seashore. Finally, he stopped keeping records because there was too much to measure.

FOCAL QUESTION: Is there anything wrong with being prepared?

Discussion Questions

1. Joseph, a gifted administrator, mapped out a 14 year plan: do you see anything wrong with his plan?
2. Can you explain Joseph’s extraordinary insight into the future?
3. Jesus said in Mark 2…“Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can’t fast while the groom is with them. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.” What is Jesus saying? Is there a proper time to celebrate and a proper time to mourn?
4. DBC has 700 members: at any given time, some of the body will be hurting while others may be celebrating a milestone. As members and ministers, how are we to respond? [look up Romans 12:15 and see if you find the answer]
5. What are some things in your future that you should prepare for? [Examples: Retirement, children’s college tuition, burial plot, tombstone, life insurance, long term care, etc.]
6. Not many of us have Joseph’s supernatural gift of seeing the future but is that an excuse not to plan? Plan the work and work the plan. People who plan nothing do ___________!
7. Bottom line: Our not knowing the details of our future is not an acceptable excuse to not plan, agree or disagree?
8. Looking at our world as objectively as possible: what do you see coming that we need to prepare for?
9. Jesus taught us in the Sermon On The Mount that life is about storms. It has been said, “Either you are in a storm, moving out of a storm or there is a storm ahead.” Do you agree with this statement?

INSIGHTS

1. There is wisdom in being prepared; especially for the inevitable like death and judgment.
2. I agree with Job and Jesus: life is a mixture of good times and difficult times. Celebrate the blue skies. Do not spoil the good times by worrying about the bad. Celebrate the moment.
3. We live in a world of trouble: most of us have friends who are hurting at this moment. When the skies over us are blue, we must remember those who are caught in a storm.
4. Think, look around, who do you know that is in a storm? What can you do to help?
5. God has been at work in your life preparing you for this moment. Take a few minutes to retrace the milestones in your life. You might want to make a list and then give thanks. [when you mark your milestones, do not leave out the difficult times, death of friend or parent, divorce, heartbreak, etc. God uses our suffering to makes us ministers to those who are suffering around us]
6. God’s anointing on Joseph gave him success.
7. Jesus said in John 15:5…“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. [Mediate on this truth]

Courage And Peace

SCRIPTURE

Pray that our Lord will make us strong and give us peace.

Psalm 29:11, CEV

QUOTE

Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.

~C.S. Lewis

In many situations, I am lost for words. What kind of prayer do you pray when the doctor gives the family no hope? How do you pray with a terminally ill patient? I try, and it is feeble at best, to put myself in their shoes. What would I want them to pray for me if the situation was reversed. I decided many years ago that COURAGE and PEACE are the two things I covet most. Psalm 29 is very close, Pray that our Lord will make us strong and give us peace. If you have these two things; you can weather any storm.

• I have started reading a new translation called THE VOICE. It is similar to the Amplified Version which means twice as many words but I like it.
• I have two messages to deliver Sunday but it is hard to get my mind off of the BLOCK PARTY. Our Mass Visitation is next Wednesday night and we need a ton of folks to pull this off. Everyday, I come up with new routes. We are going to need 40 teams. This is a God sized task. I never sent out 20 teams must less 40.
• Remember, Shohn is at camp which means I have no one to answer phones today and I have a lot of going to do. If you need me today, you better call my cell because I will be in and out and out more than in.
• Guatemala Team left at 3:30 a.m.
• GOOD NEWS: Neil Armstrong Gillies got our ice machine going. This man is a miracle worker. Thank You Neil!

 

BOB’S PICS

Preachers Rock, Norway

Sunday Night Church

SCRIPTURE

That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said.  As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord!

~John 20:19-20, NLT

QUOTE

Jesus yoke is ‘easy’ only to those who love Him.

~Bernard of Clairvaux

Some years ago, a turkey from the Alabama Baptist State Convention came to our pastor’s conference to speak and basically he said, “Sunday night church is not biblical; that there was no Sunday night church before electricity.” Needless to say, I did not allow him to finish his presentation without reminding him that the first two Sunday meetings [that got our Sunday tradition started] were on Sunday night. He was visibly shaken and rebuked me for interrupting. He never recovered. I think he lost his place in his notes or something but he never regains his composure. He stammered and stumbled until he finally closed by blaming the entire fiasco on me. Trust me, I did not get a hero’s welcome from the pastors. I had embarrassed  them as well as the speaker. They gave me the old silent treatment but I didn’t care. I don’t have to be affirmed when I have scripture to back me up.

What is this thing about professing believers hating Sunday night church? Do you hate to go home after work? Do you mark the time you spend with your spouse? If you go home out of a sense of obligation or you keep a record of the time you spend with your wife or husband, you are not in love, not with them. Jesus showed up last night and I got blessed with peace and joy. Hey, I’ll take all the joy I can get. The overwhelming majority of our folks played Thomas last night: they stayed at home. They got enough Jesus Sunday morning to last them all week and for some it will last a month. Me? I feel guilty, I had more fun last night than any man deserves.

Sunday night church is not the problem. Our lack of love for Jesus, that is the problem.

• Shohn and crew are painting FORTE today, beginning at 11:00. Catfish and some of the youth are helping. David and I talked about the last phase last night but we did not set a time frame. Once we get the outside beam sit, it will not take long.
• I did not check any numbers yesterday but I do know we had 66 last night.
• We have a two week period to pray about God’s will for the BLOCK PARTY. The final decision will be made July 13th. 
• Judy Davis had a birthday yesterday I think [this week for sure] and for her birthday, she wanted her family to come to church with her: they packed more than one pew. Way to go Judy, Judy, Judy!

 

Peace

SCRIPTURE

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

~Philippians 4:7

QUOTE

If the basis of peace is God, the secret of peace is to trust Him.

~J.N. Figgins

It is not hard to be at peace when everything around you is going smoothly and under your control but this is not real peace. Real peace is the inner calm of God’s Spirit reigning in your heart when all around is chaotic and everything seems to be going wrong. We get this peace that surpasses all understanding by trusting Christ and staying focused on HIM, not the problems. His peace will keep us calm so that we can process solutions and deal effectively with the circumstances. Don’t settle for the world’s peace which is fickle, fragile and fleeting. Put all your confidence in Christ.

Mrs. Eloise Maddox was promoted yesterday [4:30 am]. She got to spend a quiet day Sunday with her family. It will be a MOTHERS DAY that will be cherished.  She is a fantastic and very, very sweet lady. Friends will have an opportunity to visit with the family Friday night 6:00-8:00 at Pecks. The Celebration of Life Service will be Saturday [May 17] at Pecks. Mrs. Maddox daughters got her a mini lap top some 3-4 years ago so she could read the blog. She read it every day until a couple of months ago. When Mr. Jack departed this world, she ask me to sit with the family at the service. Both Jack and Eloise Maddox were refreshing spirits to me. They always encouraged me and as long as the LORD gives me mind to remember, I am sure I will remember them.

• Two more Wednesday suppers, tonight being one of them. Remember the deadline is 10:00 am this morning {May 14}
• Big Mama, Chloe and myself saw something last night that everyone should see. It was a baseball game for handicapped or mentally challenged children. We went to see Clara play. I went thinking everyone would be in a wheel chair but there were only 6-8 in chairs. The Downs Syndrome children can run and so can some of the others. There is no arguing with umpires; there are no umpires. All the fans cheer for all the kids. For a child to hit the ball in fair territory and touch all the bases is rare: there is a lot of grace in their game. What impressed me is how they celebrate what we take for granted; things that we could consider small. It takes some of them a full minute to get around the bases. No outs, no strikes: just hits, runs and cheers. Every game ends in a tie. Actually Clara would be one of the few who could keep score. Most of them do not have the mental capacity to keep score. They just have fun and love on each other. It moved my hard heart and it needed to be moved. I’m glad Clara invited me: it was good for the soul.