Security and Preparedness is the answer!

Security and Preparedness is the answer!

            In the December edition of The Coosa Journal, which is published monthly by the Coosa County Sheriff’s Office and Firm Foundations, I wrote an investigative piece on the work of the School Resource Officer assigned to Coosa Central School Campus.  This was December 2012!  This was just a month ago, and after the November 30, 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School incident which claimed the life of 26 individuals at Sandy Hook-students and school staff members.

            It has been said that the incident which took place at Sandy Hook is “the second deadliest school shooting in United States history, after the 2007 Virginia Tech. massacre.”  Also stated is that it was “the second deadliest mass murder at an Elementary school, after the 1927 Bath School bombing in Michigan.”(Notes: 4)  Two of three mentioned have happened in my lifetime and both have affected me more than I can say.

            We have reached an all time low in securing and offering our children a safe and quality education.  I grew up in a time when we walked to school, played on a play ground without a fence, and freely roamed the halls without any one questioning our motives.  The front doors of the school and the back doors were propped open to allow ventilation; no thought about the bad man coming through with assault rifles and pistols blazing.  Growing up in a neighborhood, with the school within sight of the house, we played hours on hours, without once thinking that there was danger, or someone was going to hurt us, injure us, or kill us.

            Yet, now, everyone is scrambling to find what might fail on their campus, should an assault take place.  Now we have decided that it is time to lock doors, limit access, and send the kids to school with ballistic clothing.  Now the media and some elected officials are pushing for banning guns, arming teachers and/or making them Reserve Officers of a law enforcement office, and put lock boxes with a loaded gun in the classrooms. 

            While I am the first to take a stand that we need to increase security measures, institute and limit access to our public school buildings and campus; I advocate the need to do everything within our power to maintain an environment in which teachers can safely do what they are paid to do and students can know they have an environment in which they can learn, grow and exercise their minds and bodies.  That same foot I stand so strongly on, is the same foot I put down and say that we do not need to arm or provide arms for teachers in the classroom.  No, that is not the answer; just as the answer is not for the government to “infringe” upon my right to bear arms.

             Sleepless nights have been spent going over the news from the day the sad details were first released and the days following the Sandy Hook Elementary incident.  I have listened to news commentators and read article after article with details pertaining to the shooter and what transpired in the minutes following the death of innocent people.  The school was a secure facility and there was a camera on the front door.  If we can believe the accounts the assailant entered the building after shooting out the window in the door and unlocking the door, giving him access to the building.  He encountered his first victim, which was the principal and killed her. 

Now stop right there for a moment, and let me share my thought.  If the school had employed the use of an SRO on this campus, would he/she not have been the first person the assailant encountered?  I would speculate the principal or the school counselor were not trained in a confrontation of this magnitude, nor were they wearing bullet proof vest, nor were they insured to perform this task.  Yes, sensing danger, they reacted and died heroes in my book, but if a SRO had been present things might-I stress might-have come out very different.

With these thought in mind, I want to share with you the article from The Coosa Journal, regarding our School Resource Officer.  Additionally, I am sharing this with you, because there seems to be some who are not aware of the tremendous task assigned to them.  A SRO is more than a “Rent-A-Cop” or a D.A.R.E. Officer, or a Security Guard.

I hope you will see from this article why I am a strong advocate of the SRO.

SRO: School Resource Officer

            A school doesn't have to have serious problems in order to have a School Resource Officer nor does it mean that a school has serious problems if it has an SRO. Rather, having an SRO may help prevent a wide variety of problems from arising or from getting worse in the future.

What is the School Resource Officer Program?

            The School Resource Officer program (SRO) is a nationally accepted and widely used program which places specially-trained law enforcement officers in elementary, middle and high school settings. Besides being a positive role model for the students and a law enforcement officer, the SRO is a resource for students, parents, teachers and administrators regarding many issues including, but not limited to, issues related to law and justice.

What Does the School Resource Officer Do?

            School Resource Officers (SROs) are involved in prevention efforts at the school and in the community and provide a link between the school and social service agencies in the community which provide education, prevention, and counseling services. Working with administrators in each school, the SRO assists with finding solutions to problems affecting the students.

            The SRO program is a proactive approach dealing with such issues as the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, in addition to dealing with peer pressure, gang activity, and sex. SROs work alone and as part of a team consisting of teachers, parents, students, and school administrators. Depending upon the issue at hand, members of the health care community, faith community, business sector, and others may participate as part of the team in order to best address any given issue.

            One of the most important aspects of the SRO program is the ability of the officer to develop teamwork in fighting many problems that students today are facing.

            In addition to the activities mentioned above, School Resource Officers investigate crimes occurring within the school and on school property, and foster the creation of a link between law enforcement and the students.

A Picture of Central Coosa SRO 

Our SRO, Deputy Tim Lipscomb begins his day around 7:00 AM each morning when school is in session with, “2210 to 2200, on duty in the School Zone.”

As students arrive on campus, he is seen patrolling through the school parking lots, maintaining traffic, and keeping order as 1,200 students, faculty and staff start a day of learning the basics for a life in the “real world.”  A routine day for Deputy Lipscomb is walking the halls, socializing with the students, faculty and staff and keeping a law enforcement presence on the campus.  This is his “beat;” has been for the last six years.

“The SRO is a Certified Uniformed Officer assigned to a campus as a law enforcement resource for students, faculty and staff,” explained Deputy Lipscomb.  “My primary reason for being on the campus at Central is to serve as security, but secondly I am here to handle law enforcement issues and to assist the students and staff.”

The SRO position is relatively a new addition to law enforcement.  It began in Florida in the 1990’s as a small group of law enforcement individuals who were assigned to schools within the state.  Since its inception, the position now is recognized and used throughout the United States.  DARE-Drug Awareness and Resistance Education-provided a law enforcement person in the classroom, as a non-armed Certified Uniformed Officer, teaching and instructing within the classroom setting; the School Resource Officer came on the heels of that program and provided a school wide armed Certified Uniformed Officer to serve in the capacity of campus wide security and service.

While a SRO deals with minor issues which occur on campus, such as traffic to major situations such as thief, there is the opportunity to spend time in the classroom, mentoring, and developing a trust and respect for law enforcement.

Deputy Lipscomb has the privilege of instructing fifth and sixth graders in life skills education within the classroom.  The program he uses is one which teaches and deals with the issues which face this young, impressionable generation.  He has a chance to share with them the dangers and pitfalls of drugs, tobacco, drinking, gangs, shoplifting, and other common problems.  This also affords him another opportunity to mentor these students and provide an opening for frank conversation with the students.

“Through this time on the campus, I give students a law enforcement figure that is not kicking in a door and taking mom or dad away in handcuffs,” Deputy Lipscomb explains, “but someone they can trust, respect and have a relationship with.  Because of my involvement with them on campus, they recognize me outside of the school setting in a friendly, positive manner”

Through the presence of the SRO, Deputy Lipscomb has given students a positive view of the law enforcement officer, opening a door for them to talk honestly and openly without fear.  “It has taken time and patience, six years, but we are seeing some fruits to the labor.” Lipscomb says.

He continued, “I am seeing more students who are coming to me with their problems, struggles and questions; it has taken time and patience.”

SRO Lipscomb is also the point person for security at ballgames, dances, and other school functions.  He is assisted in these details with members of the CCSO Reserve Unit.  Lipscomb also attends all Board of Education meetings, providing a law enforcement presence, but also assisting in matters of discipline which may come before the Board.  These are all functions of the SRO which are after hours and “off the clock,” but important and vital to the work of the SRO.

Through the SRO, Red Ribbon week is celebrated on the campus of Coosa Central.  By the assistance of the United Way, funds have been secured which allow Lipscomb to give students trinkets to remind them that the choice is made by them to identify and avoid those things which will bring with it heartache and trouble.

Each year, during the annual Harvest Festival of the Central Elementary School, Lipscomb brings McGruff to the campus for the children to visit with and receive some small item.  It is the Sheriff and Lipscomb who also each year sponsor Buster, the talking School Bus.

            Tim Lipscomb comes to the position with not only certification as a member of the Certified Law Enforcement community, but also has received three weeks of specialized training in School Resource Officer certification.   Additionally, his certification is just shy of certification to serve as a SRO instructor.

            Let us take a moment to applaud the Sheriff and the Coosa County School Board for their yearly agreement to provide a School Resource Officer for Coosa Central School Campus.  This is complimented by a capable and patient man such as Deputy Tim Lipscomb.

Notes:

1)       The Coosa Journal is published once a month and is available in print, free of charge, from the Coosa County Sheriff’s Office in Rockford, Alabama and by .pdf format at www.coosacountyso.org.

2)       Some information for the article on the SRO was taken from an article found at: www.people.missouristate.edu .

3)       Pictures are courtesy of CCSO and Jeff Fuller.

4)       Quote found at www.en.wikipedia.org. 

Valley Experiences

As we enter the New Year, some of you may be experiencing Valleys, deep entrenched moments of time that seem to take the life out of you.  May this article, written in 2011, bring you hope and help at this time of hardship.

I have been contemplating the valleys of life.  Do you ever get your mind wrapped around one word or phrase and sit around thinking on that one thing?  I do!  I do not mind telling you it can be just as frustrating as it is rewarding.  That is where some of my best thoughts for sermons and articles come from.

Have you ever thought about what a valley is?  Some would say it is a long, narrow division between two mountains.  Others would say it is a place that exists for refuge and rest.  Still, others might see it as a place of danger and distress.

Geologically, a valley is “a depression with predominant extent in one direction.  A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge,” according to Wikipedia.  Famous valleys can be found in India, the Swiss Alps, and British Columbia.  

I grew up in the Tennessee River Region, a part of which is known as Wills Valley.  It is a long, narrow stretch of rolling hills and tranquil streams.  There in the valley are plenty of woods and pasture, rivers and dale for both pleasure and profit.  Beginning on the south end of the valley, the mountain range closes in and forms what appears to be a straight line to the other end, the north end, where the mountain region begins its ascent.  I use to go to a place at Mentone, called Eagles Peak, and gaze down at the valley below, thinking how wonderful and majestic God is to have created such a beautiful place.

Do not misunderstand, the valley to me was beautiful, but also a dangerous place with a vast history of sadness and sorrow.  It was through this valley of North Alabama the Cherokee Indian nation was gathered and sent toward their demise; it was in this valley that one of the greatest fires in the history of DeKalb County took place; in this valley many families received word that their sons would not be returning from battles waged on foreign soil, while others found themselves without children due to accidents and devious, sinister people.  Here in this valley many a man took pleasure in great gains during a time of profit and economic growth, only to find they are broke and destitute when the market crashes around them.  Yes, there is a dark cloud which hangs over the valley at times, looking as if death would be the result for anyone who might venture into its bowels.

In some ways this is the feeling David had when he penned the words, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…”  Here is a man who had been called “A Man After God’s Own Heart.” Here is a man who had conquered animals who were intent on taking away the sheep he watched; a man who would soon be king-already he had been chosen by God and anointed by the Prophet-but he says he is having a valley experience, a time of distress and hopelessness.  David is in great pain as he endures the emotional, physical, spiritual and mental warfare of life.

Knowing the fear of the valley experience, feeling the loneliness of the moment, David realizes these are feelings he does not have to pamper and cuddle; no, he knows there is someone close by, someone who has the power to chase away the darkness and the freight.  He writes, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4 KJV)

David declares three wonderful things.  First, that the valley is not the final resting place; it is not where he will take up residence.  Secondly, in the valley he is not alone, for God-the one who promises to “never leave us or forsake us” -is there by his side.  Third, God is not only walking along, holding David’s hand in this immense and troubled valley, but He is directing his steps, showing him the way to higher regions and a respite from the pain and suffering.

Friend, I know you may be experiencing a difficult, troubled time.  You may think there is no hope, no help, no safe home; but I am here to tell you-look up, because God is with you as He directs and leads you in this time of darkness.  Know that it will not last forever-no it will not-because you are “going through the valley.”  You are going to move to higher ground, the sun is going to shine in its brilliance as it warms your skin once again, and you are going to dance with joy in the presence of the one who has brought you safely through.

Confidence in the valley experience is not easy.  It seems that the enemy wants to rob you of all the confidence, sapping any spiritual strength you have accumulated.  If this were not true, then why did David, say with raised voice, “Restore unto me the joy of your salvation?”  Yet, you can be confident of this because it is the very Word of God: “Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58 KJV)

I encourage you today to stand firm!  Do not pamper and cuddle your valley experience, and please do not make yourself at home.  We are to surrender ourselves to His leadership, as He leads us along the path, teaching us and holding us, until we have safe passage through the valley and we can stand on the mountain and proclaim, “Great is the Lord and Mighty is He to save!”  

Foundation of Faith

Foundation of Faith

6 For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. 7 The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8 But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; 10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.

Deuteronomy 7:6-10 (KJV)

It has been said that the greatness of our lives is measured in the foundation upon which we build our lives.  How does America measure up to that litmus test?  How does your church?  How do you?

As I have for the past month studied the founding of our nation from its primitive years up to the Revolutionary War, I have found something interesting, which I missed in my secular studies of the History of our Nation.  It is simply this: When our forefathers stood upright, living godly lives they were blessed; and when they failed to acknowledge God, the blessings ceased.

The very purpose of the founding of our Nation, the reason for Columbus sailing to the New World, the reason for the Proclamation of Independence, was to establish a Nation, as “One Nation under God.”

Reasons for this exploration and creation of a New Nation are varied, but there are three things which stand out to me:

v     There was a Covenant that was to be founded in faith.

v     There was a Consensus that God was the ultimate authority and these people wished to make that known.

v     There was a Country that was to shine the Light of Christ to the World.

Ultimately, the reach of the New Nation and its philosophy was to be to honor and glorify the Lord God of Heaven.  But as often does happen, even led of God to do a task or be on a mission, people chosen to live such a life, turned away from God.  They were led by selfish desires, allowing gold and the acquirement of land to stand in the way of the basic principles.  This happens to all which call themselves by the name of Christ at various times and in trying seasons.  It is then when we seem to allow the foundation to be assaulted and compromised.

Yes it is us-you and me-the citizens of this great country.  We, the church, have allowed what is happening today to take root.  In The Light and the Glory (Revell; 1977), Peter Marshall writes:

“America, America-until about fifteen years ago, the name itself would evoke a feeling of warmth.  Whether it was pride or gratitude or hope, the response of the majority of people on earth was deeply positive.  America’s moral and fiscal currency was the soundest in the world; you could bank on it, and most of the world did.  Abroad, we were the free world’s policeman; an encouraging older brother to those young nations struggling to achieve democracy; and the hope of all peoples still in bondage.  In general, we were the most steadying influence on an uneasy globe.  And at home, we were supremely confident that we were indeed making the world a better place to live in.  We believed that technologically and diplomatically, it was only a matter of time before this assignment would be satisfactorily completed.”

In the time which Marshall points to, several things took place, taking the country into a nosedive.  The military began to tumble and things did not go as scripted.  The President was assassinated, revolts took place on every hand, authority was belittled and was ignored, nations we had helped were unanimous in their hatred to America, foreign policy devolved into reaction instead of action and the economy became erratic.  Educational aptitude results plummeted, mental and emotional disorders seemed to break out across the land, and moral standards were swept into the gutter.

That was some thirty six years ago and we are not seeing things getting better.  For all common purposes, we are far, far off the plumb line and seem to get more so with each passing day.  There have been talks of Fiscal Cliffs, acceptance of things we once shunned, and difficulties on every corner.  Basically, the answer to these problems has been tossed out with the bath water and we are in trouble on all fronts.

Why is this happening?  Why do we see the Foundations of Faith being brittle and broken?  Why is it that we are seeing a massive assault on the church and Christianity as never before?  I will not say I have all the answers, but I will give you some of the thoughts I have; thoughts which come from the Word of God and from time spent with Him-the author and finisher of our faith.

I wish to submit to you, the problem is not in Washington, or the State House, or in the Boardrooms of Industry and Business, but the problem is in the individuals who populate this nation; men and woman who call themselves by His name, yet have failed to stand on at least four basic pillars, pillars which will assure a firm foundation.

A Pillar of Faith

Far to often we are seeing too many who want to work in their own power, make their own way, live their own life and faith in a Supreme Being becomes second place, or at worse non existent.

Faith is that element of our lives that believes in something even when there is nothing visible to see or when you are not able to touch and feel.  Faith is best defined by the writer of Hebrews:

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1 KJV)

The writer continues: “For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” (Hebrews 11:2-3 KJV)

It is by faith that the blind man was made to see, the crippled walked, the dead were made to live again, and the thousands came to know the love and forgiveness of God.

Faith is a stone in the foundation we cannot live without.  We must have faith that even in the midst of the evil that permeates the world, the troubles we see on every side, and the factions that have drawn the lines in the sand; our God reigns and He will prevail.  In FAITH I believe the book and the words say that He will have His day; until then I hold firmly to His hand and when I can’t trace His hand I can trust His heart!

A Pillar of Freedom

Freedom of Religion; Freedom from Queens’s demands; freedom from undue taxation; freedom from fear.

It seems to me that many more today want freedom from religion, freedom to be chained and shackled to a king, freedom that does not cost something.

Listen, the freedom you and I have, which was given to us by the Preamble of the Constitution are worth fighting for, at any cost.  The freedoms we celebrate as Americans are wonderful, refreshing, and more than others have.  Many fought hard and long to gain and keep these freedoms and I must, will say, God Bless America!

Freedom cost someone else-a freedom of the soul-their very life.  Jesus willingly laid down His life so that you and I might live.  We have freedom here and hereafter because of His payment on the cross of Calvary.

A Pillar of Prayer

As I looked back over the founding fathers, and the Pilgrims establishment in Jamestown and other places, I noted a common thread.  It was so simple and is so needed today.  The most important ingredient for a Foundation is PRAYER!

Prayer has become nothing more than a second thought, an hour with five or ten minutes of meaningless words to impress and inspire those who are listening.

I like the story of the young girl who was asked by her daddy to offer the blessing for the food at supper.  Everyone bowed their head and waited.  After a few moments of silence, the girl said, “Amen.”  She immediately started filling her plate as her daddy looked at her in bewilderment.  He then spoke, “Honey, we did not hear your prayer.”  She said, “I wasn’t talking to you daddy.”

She knew who she was talking to and she knew who needed to hear her prayer.

We need to pray.  As never before we need to seek the help and hope that only Jesus can give us, and it comes through praying.  We are to pray without ceasing.  We are to pray for everything and anything.  We need to talk with the Father about life and decisions, and problems and circumstances.

A Pillar of Praise

Celebrations and feasts were a common occasion back in the founding of our nation.  But before you say we have nothing to celebrate and very little to feast on, let me add quickly that these were more times of praise and celebration to God for His intervening in their lives than anything else.

We need to make praise a regular part of our lives.  We need to glorify Him and His name in all that we do.

He is active and involved and He deserves the praise of His people.  If we lift Him up He will draw all men to Him!

In the good it is easy; in the difficult, it seems hard.  But in the hard times, the difficult times, the troubling times, the sick and death times of life, we ought to lift up our hands to the God of Heaven and declare His name to the ends of the earth.  For His names sake, we should praise Him!

The Sure Cornerstone

As I conclude, I again submit to you that the elements of faith, freedom, prayer and praise are a part, vital parts, of the foundation which have been long neglected.  But in my final summation and humble estimation, I believe that the Chief Cornerstone has been long neglected and in some places removed from the foundation all together.

This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

Acts 4:11 (KJV)

In our day the word “cornerstone” has little significance to the actual building of a strong foundation.  Most “cornerstones” are nice, bronze plagues with the names of important people who made the building possible.  In ancient days, as in the days of Christ, this was not the case.  The cornerstone was valuable and depended upon to make the rest of the foundation strong enough and secure enough to build a building that would last through the storms and elements of time. 

In ancient times, the cornerstone was the first block or pillar laid into the trench or on the prepared ground.  It was adjusted, situated and checked to make sure it was appropriate.  As the other stones or pillars were placed in succession, the carpenter would always return to the cornerstone, making adjustments to the next part of the foundation, measuring from the cornerstone.  The cornerstone was the “plumb line” or the level used for the rest of the foundation.  If the cornerstone was not correct, then the rest of the foundation was off center, incorrect, and could cost the contractor a building, as it would collapse without a sure cornerstone.

Anytime you look at a house…the most important thing carefully to inspect is the foundation.  It doesn't matter how beautiful, how inexpensive, how well arranged, or how great the location, if the foundation is not solid-steer clear of it.  A faulty foundation will cause more heartache, grief, and expense for a homeowner than any other part of the house, because a house is no more sure than that upon which it is built.

Jesus was a carpenter by trade.  He understood the importance of a good foundation.  At the end of the Sermon on the Mount He gave a parable of two houses built upon different foundations: one built upon a rock and the other built upon the sand (Matthew 7:24-27).  It seems both houses were of the same quality except the foundations differed.  The one built upon a rock stood firm in the storm, but not so with the house built on the sand.

“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”

Matthew 7:24-27 (KJV)

Jesus was teaching an important principle to His hearers with this illustration.  The emphasis being-build your faith upon a secure foundation.  Most people fall away from the church because they have not built their faith on the rock of God's Word but have chosen instead a sandy, shifting foundation.  These "sandy" foundations can come in various forms.

The majority of the converts in the church today are the result of members' children being converted in the faith.  As long as these children are under Mother and Daddy's roof, sheltered from the problems of the world, they remain faithful.  There comes a time, however, when they must move out to go to college or begin their own home.  This is the time when they are most susceptible to the wiles and temptations of the devil.  If they have built their faith upon their parents' faith, rather than having their own, they often fall.  We cannot ride on our parents' coattails to Heaven; we must establish our own righteousness.  God told the prophet of Israel:

"If I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast: Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness" (Ezekiel 14:19-20)

In other words, having a father that is an elder or preacher will not excuse one's lack of faith.  Your faithful grandparents aren't going to get you into Heaven.  It doesn't work that way!  "The soul that sinneth, it shall die" (Ezekiel 18:20).

Building our faith upon our education or some other man's education can be deadly.  We are not to rest in man's wisdom but in the wisdom of God.  "Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?" (1 Corinthians 1:20).  Many young people forsake their faith when they enter into our colleges and universities.  Sadly, this does not exclude our "Christian" universities.  Young people come face to face with professors sporting their credentials next to their names, claiming to be "learned" men.  The problem is, most of these men have been influenced by the godless theory of evolution and are now determined to push it upon the innocent.  Paul describes these men:

"When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:21-22)

Those ungrounded in the faith will quickly assume that whatever these men say is right because of their credentials.  "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God" (Psalms 14:1).  Don't be fooled by a fool!

Some people even try to build their faith upon ignorance.  "What you don't know won't hurt you," the saying goes.  The truth is, we alienate ourselves from God through ignorance

“Having [their] understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart…” (Ephesians 4:18 KJV)

Paul gave a grave warning, "Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame" (1 Corinthians 15:34).  We are all agreeable to the Law of Christ.  Study it, know it-your soul depends upon it!

If you want a house to stand for years to come, make sure the foundation is sound.  If you want your faith to stand the trials of Satan, it must be built upon a firm foundation.  It is to be built upon a rock--the Truth. (John 17:17)

“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17 KJV)

This is the only way we can be counted as a part of the family of God.  Paul assured Timothy, "The foundation of God standeth sure" (2 Timothy 2:19).  Don't be found homeless because of a faulty foundation.

Notes:

Ø       The Light and the Glory is a book written by Peter Marshall and David Manuel, published in 1977 by Fleming H. Revell (a division of Baker Book House Company, PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49516-6287).  It deals with the founding of our nation, with a view into the Covenant Way of those faithful Pilgrims who came to a New World, with a desire and a perceived calling from God to be a light of and for Christ.  ISBN: 0-8007-5054-3 or 0-8007-0886-5.

Ø       As part of the point dealing with the Cornerstone, material was adapted from my copy of the Sermon and Illustration Database, a free resource found on the Internet.  (KERUX ILLUSTRATION COLLECTION; ID Number: 24032; TITLE: A Secure Foundation; AUTHOR: Rev. David Lemmons; http://lemmonsaid.net/; HURST STREET HERALD; Volume XX, #24, June 20, 1999; Author:  Larry DeLong)  Go to www.jesusplusnothing.com and follow the directions for downloading your copy, today.

Ø       Pastors: This manuscript was used as a sermon at Rockford Baptist Church on January 13, 2013 in the AM service.  It is the second in a series of sermons titled A Picture of America.  While I was able to make it one sermon, there may be a possible use in whole for two messages.  By utilizing the last point, The Sure Cornerstone, and adding to it, you might be able to follow up with a sermon on the four pillars of the foundation in your next message.  You are welcomed to use all or part in any fashion you see fit, with little or no credit to this author.  I am at your service.

Teddy Bear Project Put on Hold

Teddy Bear Project Put on Hold

Well, the news from Newtown and Sandy Hook Elementary School caught me by surprise; but in some ways I was not all that surprised.  After helping Savannah embark on a worthy cause, as detailed here on Sunday evening, I found this article from al.com which gave me the chills and a rock in my stomach at the same time.

Newtown sets up task force to handle donations

By The Associated Press on January 06, 2013 at 8:30 PM, updated January 07, 2013 at 1:16 AM

NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) — Chris Kelsey is the tax assessor in Newtown, but for the better part of three weeks, his job has been setting up and organizing a warehouse to hold the toys, school supplies and other gifts donated in the wake of the massacre at the Sandy Hook Elementary school.

In this Monday, Dec. 31, 2012 photo, piles of donated stuffed animals await sorting in a warehouse in Newtown, Conn. Tens of thousands of items have been sent to the town in the wake of the Dec. 14 massacre at the Sandy Hook Elementary School, forcing officials to set up an infrastructure to deal with the donations.

Despite the town's pleas to stop sending gifts, Kelsey said trucks have been arriving daily with tokens of support from across the world, some for the families of those killed, others for the children of Sandy Hook, still others for the town.

"A lot of the town's normal business is still on pause," he said. "I have a couple of people still doing assessor's business, and then if they can, open mail a couple hours too. We're all kind of doing what we can to get this done."

A task force has been set up to coordinate the more than 800 volunteers who have been working to sort the gifts, open mail and answer the thousands of emails and phone calls offering assistance.

The volunteers have begun making a dent in the pile of tens of thousands of teddy bears that stretched to the warehouse ceiling. By last week, they had sorted 30,000 of them into small, medium and large sizes, catalogued them and put them in boxes. They are also separating and boxing piles of crayons, pencils, books and much more.

"It's a ton of stuff, and we have an operation just as big for mail as well," Kelsey said.

There are also 26 large moving boxes in the warehouse, each labeled with a victim's name. When a gift comes in specifically addressed to those families, it goes in those boxes. The families have been coming in periodically to empty them.

A toy giveaway was held for all Newtown children before Christmas and some of the remaining toys and stuffed animals have been taken to children's hospitals. The rest will be stored until the town decides where they should go, Kelsey said. He said letters have been sent to each of the victim's families asking for their input. His cell phone is filled with emails from charities across the country.

"Everybody has a hand out," he said. "We're just beginning that process now. The charities suggested by the families will get the top priority."

The work organizing the warehouse is being done by volunteers from Adventist Community Services, a faith-based group that has done similar work after hurricanes and other natural disasters.

"Our thing is warehouses," said the Rev. William Warcholik, a pastor from Rhode Island. "Our specialty is collecting, organizing and distributing donated goods."

The group was paired with Kelsey after contacting the town's volunteer task force. Kevin and Robin Fitzgerald started the group last year to organize neighborhood cleanups following two storms that brought down trees all over town.

"We referred to it as friends with chain saws," Robin Fitzgerald said.

Immediately after the school massacre, which left 26 people dead, people started calling the Fitzgeralds looking for a way to help in the grief-stricken town. Local churches and businesses began getting similar calls.

After meeting with town officials, the Red Cross and other stakeholders, the Fitzgeralds were put in charge of coordinating the volunteer effort.

They started working in their living room with a couple of cellphones and their own laptop computers. Local businessman Peter D'Amico gave them office space. Companies donated computers, Wi-Fi, phones and other equipment and set up a call center. The Newtown Volunteer Task Force now has a website, a Facebook page, a Twitter account and a toll-free telephone number, (855) 364-6600, with eight lines coming in.

"Our mission here is to ease the burden on the town resources, matching people who feel the need to do something with a task that needed to be done," Kevin Fitzgerald said. "This is work FEMA or someone in government would do after a natural disaster, but there is no such thing for this kind of disaster."

The group has been deploying about 800 volunteers to open the town's mail, work at the warehouse and connect potential donations with the correct fund or organization.

Liz Eaton, 70, who lives in the village of Sandy Hook, was sent to the warehouse to help box bears.

"People at church have said they needed some help," she said. "And I just wanted to help out."

Others are tasked with returning every phone call that has come into the town offering help.

"We had someone offer 26 granite benches for any memorial," Robin Fitzgerald said. "That's put into a list of what we call escalated offers, so we mark that down and when they decide on a memorial they will know about that offer."

The town originally expected it would take the task force about two weeks to complete its work. The Fitzgeralds said the task force now expects to be working for about three months, possibly longer.

"What we're telling people on the phone now is that if you are holding a fundraiser in your local community, we appreciate it, but direct those resources to your local community, that's what the families want," Robin Fitzgerald said. "About 99½ percent of the time that works. But the other half says, 'We're coming anyway.' And then we just give them the address of the warehouse or here."

                While I was experiencing that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, there was an equal amount of joy which this article brought, as I pondered the dilemma.  America has not let those children and school employees down; we have not forgotten. 

It seems to me and was a shared response my a dear church member on Sunday night that far too often we allow something of this magnitude to take place and after the dust settles we forget.  This was something which seems to happen anytime the media circus dies down and we get back to the regular way of life in our respective areas of the country.

Not true at the moment in regards to Sandy Hook or Newtown.  They are attempting to take care of a massive amount of items coming their way from all parts of the country, as people dig in and reach out with love to those who have been left behind, helping them pull back together and continue on with their lives.  According the above mentioned article, it appears they will be sorting through the items of love for the next several months.

When I shared this situation with Savannah, she was as heart broken as I was.  Not that they had so much stuff; for her it was the thought of the bears being stored away in a cold warehouse, alone and no one to love on them.  We pondered this and I started making calls and brainstorming to see what might be a good course of action for a ten year old who wants to help someone else.

I called my good friend, Mel Johnson with the Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief agency and we spoke of the dilemma.  There is a program they use, whereby they collect a specific type of stuffed animal, prepare an emergency zip lock bag, which they can give to children who have gone through a natural disaster, such as the April Tornadoes of 2011 or Hurricane Sandy.  Again, we are looking at changes in the profile of the ministry Savannah has envisioned, and dealing with a storage issue until the next deployment of this particular ministry of ADR.

There are other opportunities and possibilities for this ministry, and we will explore them over the next few weeks, talk about them and pray about them.  I hope what we will be able to do is some back with another opportunity, something which may benefit our own state and at the same time give us the privilege of helping those who are less fortunate than we are.

Personally, I wish to thank you for your willingness to be a part of this challenge Savannah has placed before us.  Your words of encouragement, calls and offers to be a part of something as big as this could have been, have truly reminded me how precious and sweet you all are.  May God bless you all and get ready we will come back with something else, soon.

JWF January 8, 2013

Foundational Living (#1 of a 4 part message)

“He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.”

Psalms 40:2-3 (KJV)

I wish to share this with you today in hopes that it will bolster your faith, strengthen your foundation and assist you in this New Year.  It surely has accomplished this in my life.

My verse for this year comes from the passage we use as our text.  It is actually a portion of this section of this scripture, the last phrase of verse 2 of Psalm 40: “[He] set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure.” (HCSB)

That is true in my life; it is true of your life?  God stooped down and took me out of the “desolate pit… the muddy clay and set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure.” (HCSB)  This is what He accomplished in my life when I was nine years old, and is what He does every day of my life, for the last thirty nine years of my life.

My steps are secure because of the rock, that Rock is Jesus.  He is the center and circumference of my foundation.  So every day I want to live as life that is founded and secure in Foundational Living.  There are four corners to this foundation which hold this house and make it strong, withstanding the calamites and pressures of this life.  Those pillars are faith, freedom, prayer, and praise.  We will explore those in the next blog, but for now, I wish for us to look at the Foundational Living; what put us on this foundation that is sure and secure?

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Matthew 7:24-27 (KJV)

            We are able to know the safety of Foundational Living because He Sought Us.  God in mercy and grace came to us to save us and redeem us from the curse of sin and of the law.  He did not have to search for someone to do the work; He knew beforehand, in His foreknowledge, that His Son would be the one to perform this deed. 

            His Son came to His own, but His own did not receive Him or recognize Him.  He was the Messiah, sent from the Father to seek out the lost sheep of Israel.  But because they would not surrender to Him He sought all that were lost and without hope.

Yes, while you and I were in our sin, encumbered in this life, weighed down with our rebellion and pride, God sent His Son.  While we were trudging through this life, the mud holding tightly to our feet, our bodies cast into a smothering pit, God sent His Son.  His Son came to seek us out and “set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure.” (HCSB)  Praise Lord for this wonderful, boundless love He had for us to seek us while we were in our sin!

It is this same picture we see of God in the Garden of Eden at the beginning of time and at the fall of man.  Adam and Eve had sinned and knew they had caused a separation in their lives, because we find them hiding as God walks through the Garden in the cool of the day.  He calls to them when He cannot locate them, and Adam answered, “”I heard You in the Garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” (Genesis 3:10 HCSB)  When God asked Adam how he knew he was naked, he said, “The woman You gave to be with me-she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12 HCSB)

That is how He finds each one of us-we are naked, blind, crippled and afraid.  We are stuck in the pit, walking in the miry clay of life, destined to be lost, without hope; but God said, “I will not  leave you that way…”

He Sought Us out so that He might buy us back.  Yes, He Bought Me; He Bought Us!  Remember what Paul said to the Church at Rome: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 KJV)  That word “commendeth” seems better translated as “demonstrated.”  Maybe even the words established, confirmed, or verified would suit your taste.  The end result is the same, through Jesus Christ God sough us out and bought us back to Himself so that we might be sons of God, joint heirs with Christ.

This purchase involved a sacrifice.  Go back to the Garden with me and look at the scene that takes place as God sets outside the Garden the two sinners, God’s created man and woman.  The scripture says, “The Lord God made clothing out of skins for Adam and Even, and He clothed them.” (Genesis 3:21 HCSB)  There is the Garden we see God creating again, this time clothing for His two precious creations.  How do you think those skins came to be?  Where did they come from?

In The New Testament, we find these words: “According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”  You see where the skins came from for Adam and Eve; they came from animals and these animals were used in a sacrifice to God for the forgiveness of their sins.  We see the same thing happening when Abel offered a sacrifice, Noah offered a sacrifice, and Abraham offered sacrifices, as the same thing continued through out the entire Old Testament.  It was shadow, a partial, a part of what Christ did for all men-both Jew and Gentile-on the cross of Calvary.  The sacrifices before Christ were for a time and a season, but Christ death on the cross and His free gift of life for all of us is for time and eternity.  As one writer put it, the sacrifice of Christ was “once and for all.”  Amen!   Thanks be to God for the gift of sacrifice in His Son that bought my pardon for once and for all!

If there is no sacrifice; there is no hope!  Without the shed blood of Christ on the Cross of Calvary we are without anything to hold on to, to secure our foundation.  Or to aid us in this life, which leads to the next point.

He Sought Us, He Bought Us and He Sanctifies.  That’s right, He holds us and causes us to show His righteousness to a lost, dying world.  Look back at Psalms 40:

8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. 9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, thou knowest. 10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.

11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. 12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me. 13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me.

Psalms 40:8-13 (KJV)

            Our own righteousness is as filthy rags, but when we are in Him He shines forth through our sin stained life, to show Himself in all His Glory.  It is for His glory that He forgives our sin, casting them into the sin of forgetfulness.  It is for His honor that we show His forgiveness and live for Him in our lives.  It is for Him we are made into instruments of use for His purposes, trophies of His Grace.

            Yes, there are times when we falter and fall.  It is the curse of a fallen nature and a fallen world.  We tumble, stumble and at times through our own vain thoughts and ways sin and when we do we know we have because of the Spirit of God that lives within us.  But it is His pleasure to forgive and cleanse; to pick us up, dust us off and say, “Go and sin no more.”

            We are being made into His perfect imagine.  We are not there yet; no, we are not perfect yet, but one day we will be just as He is now.  Until then we seek Him everyday; gaining His strength for the challenges of life and His help to avoid the pitfalls we will encounter.  Through fellowship with other believers, the study of God’s Word, and prayer we find that we are being made into His perfect imagine.

            He Secures Us.  We are held tightly by the hand of God as He places us on the rock, and that Rock is Jesus, and we have hope here and hereafter.  Many will say that when Jesus said He would give abundant life, they will focus that on the life to come.  I do not doubt that!  When I see verse like those in John 14 and in the Revelation, I am reminded of what a wonderful reward we have; a reward of life and hope that is come.

            In this life, in the here and now, we need hope and help as well.  It is here, as we are firmly placed on the rock, secure in our standing and secure in our walking.  As we hold tight to this rock, we have abundant, overflowing life.

            Lastly, He Protects Us.  Look back at the last verse of Psalm 40:

14 Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. 15 Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha. 16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified. 17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

Psalms 40:14-17 (KJV)

            Our protection is in Him and in Him alone!  He will fight for us, He will wage war with those who stand against us, He will take up our cause.  We do not have to waver or faint; He is ever at our right hand, holding us firmly to His side, making the path smooth for us. 

            If you have never entered into a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, then may I have a word with you?  Without Jesus Christ as the Savior of your life, you are hopeless and homeless.  Without the forgiveness of Christ for your sin, you are a sinner that has made the choice to spend eternity separated from Him and His love and His grace for you.  He ask that you would open the door for Him. 

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Revelation 3:20-21 (KJV)

            The Bible says that he or she that is without Christ is a sinner and is subject to death. (Romans 6:23)  We know that the Bible says we have all sinned and have come so short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)  As a sinner we are subject to judgment, but God did not send His Son to judge the world, but that the world might be saved. (John 3:17-21)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16 (KJV)

Friend, the Bible also tells me the GOOD NEWS!  Paul says it best in Romans 10…

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Romans 10:9-11 (KJV)

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Romans 10:13 (KJV)

            Will you call on Him today?  Believe that He is who He says He is and confess your sin to Him.  He will forgive you!  He will save you!  He will love you!  He will walk with you!

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)