Do you hear what I hear?

Do you hear what I hear?

By: Dr. Jeff Fuller

Rhetoric!  That is all we hear.  Constantly, over and over again, attempting to drown out the voices of reason and wisdom.  On the one side there is rhetoric which is an “effective expression in writing or speech,” on the other hand there are those who speak or write with “language which is not sincere.” 

While I pray that each time I speak it is rhetoric which is effective and sincere; I know that at times I may be flapping my gums for the sake of being heard.  We had a word in high school for that.  I am afraid this is a lot of what is going on around us in our world today, particularly in relation to the government.

We hear speeches; speeches that stir the heart and soul.  These are speeches which could be published and handed down from generation to generation.  These are so good that “sound bytes” are created from speeches and heard over and over again through the news outlets, on the Internet, and even on Facebook and printed in the newspapers and magazines.     

Yet, these are void of action, void of purpose, void of any worthwhile exercise to carry them out, and to see the intent of the speech to the end result-change.  Yes, we have heard it before, and we will hear it again, but there will be no effect.  It is a speech that sounds good, makes people feel good, but there will be no action.  Rhetoric! 

Also, there are those who write or speak with no thought to answering the questions.  It is not because those who are asking the questions, “can’t handle the answer”, but it is because the speaker does not have an answer.  He or she will make sure that their potential answer to the question makes them look good, that they love the country, and have the best interest of society at heart, but they ramble with no answer.  Non-whatsoever!  Rhetoric! 

For every speech or writing there are two very clear rules that everyone must abide by.  One is, “Remember the Three S’s.”  These are important principles to live by: “Stand Up, Speak Up, and Shut Up.”  The other is as important and it is the acrostic for the word KISS: Keep It Simple Silly. (I actually changed the last word in that principle, in honor of my wife)

Another is honesty.  The Bible says, “Let your word ‘yes’ be ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37 HCSB)  If you know the truth; speak the truth and write the truth.  If you do not know the truth or the answer, then just admit you do not have any knowledge of the issue and leave it alone.  Afterwards the question can be researched out, and then you can speak wisely and intelligently.

Lastly, be humble.  It is easy to be full of ourselves and attempt to show how we can lord over others, but humility will go a great deal farther.  Jesus, the greatest example of humility I have ever known, said, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11 HCSB)  Those who desire the high places of leadership for gain will ultimately fail and fall; those whose trust is in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6), God places in high places of leadership and these individuals will be there because God put them there and whatever befalls them they will stand. (Matthew 7:24)  If all of us will trust God and place our lives in His hands, He will do as He pleases with us and we will find favor with God and with man. (James 4:4:6-10 and 1 Peter 5:6)

My desire is to be heard, to know the subject for which I am to speak about and have a relationship with God that others will see and glorify God, not me.  I want to be that light and salt Jesus spoke of in the Sermon on the Mount: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men. “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16 HCSB)

Will you join me in being “effective…sincere?”  Will you pray with me that God will raise up godly leaders who will bring us back to God and His love and His favor?  Will you?

Until next time…

(Dr. Jeff Fuller is pastor of the Rockford Baptist Church in Rockford, Alabama.  You can reach him through the church office at 256-377-4900 or by email at fuller0717@gmail.com.)

Life in the Fish Bowl

A view of life in the bowl

By: Dr. Jeff Fuller

The pastor’s home has been compared to a Fish Bowl.  If you have ever had fish or been around an elaborate fish tank, you are drawn to it life an ant to sugar.  You will sit and watch as the little fish swim in an out of the little rock formations at the bottom, while the larger fish in bright colors circle the tank, stopping every so often to look back.

I thought about this while reading some little stories and jokes recently on the humor we find in the pastor’s home.  The parsonage is a place where many find some truly funny and unusual things.

The minister’s wife was a wonder at conserving food and rarely had to throw away a bit of it.  At one meal she serve her pastor husband nothing but leftovers that the parson viewed with disdain.  He began to pick at the food, causing his wife to say, “Dear, you forgot the blessing.”

“Listen, sweetheart, if you show me one item that hasn’t been blessed at least two times, I can’t see what another prayer can do for it.”

Three boys were in the church yard bragging about their fathers.  The first boy declares, “My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper; he calls it a poem, and they give him fifty dollars.”

The second boy says, “That’s nothing, my Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper; he calls it a song, and they give him one hundred dollars.”

Little Johnny says, “I got you both beat.  My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper; he calls it a sermon, and it takes eight people to carry all the money.”

That one’s good, but there is another variation.  I wish to share it with you.

Three boys were sitting around on the porch one day, bragging about how rich their Dad’s were.

The first boy said, “My Dad is a wonder attorney.  His hourly fee is three hundred dollars an hour.  He can take a case and make thousands off of the poor person he is representing.  He owns two businesses, three houses, and a time share in Florida.”

The second boy pipes up, “My Dad is a skilled surgeon and patients come from all over the country to see him and get his opinion.  He has written several books, we own three race horses, and have an interest in three hotels and four condos.”

The last boy said, “I got all of you beat.”

The other two were astonished as one of them said, “How can you?  Your Dad is the preacher and you all live in a house owned by the church.   There is no way you days has more than our Dad have.”

“I know,” the preachers son said, “But Dad came home from a meeting last night and said, ‘They gave me hell.’”

Pastor Smith had a long season with the dentist one Monday afternoon, having all of his teeth pulled and a set of dentures installed and was back in the pulpit the following Lord’s Day.

The first Sunday he preached ten minutes.

The second Sunday he preached twenty minutes.

But on the third Sunday he preached for an hour and a half.

When some of the members asked about the time variations, he responded: “The first Sunday, my gums were so sore it hurt to talk.  The second Sunday, my dentures were hurting a lot.  The third Sunday, I accidental grabbed my wife’s dentures-and I couldn’t stop talking.”

Every evening the Reverend Phillips family gathered together for a Bible story and prayer.  One evening, the story was about Lot and his wife escaping from Sodom and Gomorrah.  As all know, the great climax of the narrative is when Mrs. Lot looks back and turns into a pillar of salt.

The story sat well with Tommy, who raised his hand the second the sotry was over and told his father, “That’s like when mom was driving home in the car; she looked back at Rachel and me and turned into a telephone pole.”

A minister from the city was filling the pulpit in a small community.  After the service he was invited over to the house of one of the members for lunch.  In the course of the conversation, he talked about his family back home, and how his son won first place in the one hundred-yard dash.

“I know how you must feel,” declared the man of the house.  “I remember how pleased we were last year when our pig got the blue ribbon at the fair.”

Yes, viewing the preacher’s house and family is a great deal akin to looking at fishing in a fish bowl.  We watch them as they go about their daily activities and find something along the way to comment about or quip about, or even laugh about.  But let us always, without fail remember the encouragement from the Word: “The elders who are good leaders should be considered worthy of an ample honorarium, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says: You must not muzzle an ox that is threshing grain, and, The laborer is worthy of his wages.” (1 Tim 5:17-18 HCSB)

Just remember one thing: While you are looking in on the preacher, he is looking out and sees everything.

Until next time…

Want to know what will straighten out America's problems?

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

I am asking you today to save the date of February 22, 2014!

Several of us have been in the planning stages of preparing an event in Coosa County that would be a smaller scaled version of BUCKMASTER’s.  Of course there is no way we can compete or even think of doing an event such as that, held yearly in Montgomery, with a draw of outdoor enthusiasts from around the southeast.  But we are definitely going to try to do something which will reach out to all people in the Central Alabama area who like and enjoy the great outdoors.

Our event is keeping in mind the vast resources we have in our county.  Coosa County, with a population of around 11,000 is a store house for the outdoor enthusiast.  With the several places for hunting, fishing, canoeing, camping, boating, hiking and other outdoor activities, Coosa County has much more to offer than some realize. What we lack in some areas we make up for in the natural resources God has blessed us with.

The Coosa Wildlife Management Area is 32,624 acres in size, located in the northwest corner of the county.  In the vast amount of pines and thick undergrowth, hunters find deer, turkey, squirrel, rabbit, quail, and dove.  There are good roads, four hunts a year, and a good place to spend a day enjoying nature. 

“Situated within the Coosa Wildlife Management Area, one of Alabama’s oldest established public hunting areas, is the Coosa WMA: Cahaba and Columbiana Tract.  It is 9,746 acres of Mountain Longleaf habitat share space with hardwood drains of the Weogufka and Hatchet Creek watersheds.  The property also host one of the last remaining populations of the red-cockaded woodpeckers outside of Alabama’s National Forest system.”

From www.alabamaforeverwild.com

Up on Flagg Mountain is a four mile hiking trail that has recently began to be noted, as several local people have become an integral part of getting the word out.  This is the Flagg Mountain Loop Trail, located at the top of Flagg Mountain.  Also going through the Flagg Mountain area is the Pinhoti Trail, a 100 plus mile trail from Weogufka, Alabama to Blue Ridge, Georgia.  This trail includes road sections, as well as wooded sections.

Flagg Mountain is the historic location for the fire tower and some unique cabins.  These are created of native stone and hand-hewn longleaf pine timbers, dating back to the 1930’s by unemployed men put to work in the New Deal’s Civilian Conservation Corps (“CCC boys”).  At the top, there is an unobstructed 360 degree panorama view of the vast green hills, the valleys of the south and west, and the ridges of the north and east of the Appalachian Mountains.

Information from www.blog.al.com

Some of Alabama’s most scenic floats lay within the boundaries of Coosa County.  Hatchet Creek flows from the northwest corner of the county, down to where it enters the Coosa River on Mitchell Lake.  This was the recent site of the Hatchet Creek Festival, which was a two day float for canoes and kayakers, with a campout and several demonstrations.  The event was held this May and will most likely become an annual event and brought together some 80 plus individuals who enjoyed a great weekend in the Coosa County outdoors.

There is also the Weogufka Creek, running almost parallel a little further to the north, including the primitive section of the Coosa WMA.  Both creeks host beautiful shorelines covered in mountain laurel and other flowering shrubs.  Of course, the rare Cahaba lilies that bloom in the shoals in late May are one of the most treasured attractions.

Information from www.aces.edu and www.toureastalabama.com

Additionally, there is water on the east and the west of the county.  Large bodies of water.  Lake Mitchell is on the Coosa River, along with Lay Lake and Lake Jordan.  On the Tallapoosa River is Lake Martin, one of the pristine prizes of Alabama.  All of these bodies of waters afford boaters and fishermen the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors.  This is why Coosa County is called the “Land between the Lakes.”

Treasured as a mainstay for the county is the vast amount of woodlands which allow for hunting turkey and deer.  Within the county there are several places which individuals and corporations have hunting clubs and lodges.  There is Swamp Creek, Hatchet Creek, and the Bama Hunting Club just the name a few.  In season, while traveling around the county, you will find people from all over the southeast who come to Coosa County in hopes of capturing one more trophy buck or a year’s supply of venison for the freezer.  No one leaves disappointed.

Within the County are several places which are “best kept secrets.”  A famous radio personality claims Coosa County as his “hunting destination,” just a few miles from my office here in Rockford.  During hunting season he will talk about the big bucks, does, riding the property, having friends down for the weekend, and a host of other things, which are all a part of Coosa County.

Here we also have what is called a “world class member’s only hunting resort,” which has been around since the 1919’s.  Five Star Plantation serves its members needs October through April with accommodations, hunts, and activities planned to assist them in their obtaining the game they desire.  Five Star welcomes guest from May through September who are looking for a private, secluded getaway.  The plantation includes a sporting clay range, horseback riding, and fishing in five lakes.

Barton Ridge is a part of the Choctaw Wildlife Services.  A place developed as a premier property offering high quality hunts for deer, turkey and quail on the 5,000 acres which is owned or leased by them.  It has been developed to be a family-oriented hunting operation.

Go to www.choctawwildlife.com for more information.

With this in mind, the February 22, 2014 date seems most appropriate as a time to showcase the best of Coosa County, and Central Alabama.  We have so much to offer the hunters and fishermen, the canoes and kayakers, and anyone who enjoys outdoor life.  From one end of the county to the other there is something for every member of the family in the fresh air and among the song birds; we are talking family fun its best!

The Central Alabama Outdoor Expo will be an event for the whole family.  The event will be held at the Rockford Elementary Gym (on Corner of School Street and Communications Street, across from the Coosa County Sheriff’s Office) on Saturday February 22, 2014.  There will be no admission charge, but you are ask to donate a canned food item for the Jerusalem Missions (a food pantry/clothes closet for those in need). 

There will be displays for game, turkey calling contest, demonstrations, and a keynote speaker (we are in the process of getting this person lined up and will announce that soon).  There will be booths for those who have items or merchandise related to hunting, fishing, and the outdoors.  We will have food and fellowship, as outdoor enthusiast have time to mingle and compare stories. 

There will also be plenty of door prizes, trophies and awards, as well as a $250.00 gift card from Bass Pro Shops to be given away.  You will not want to miss this huge event!

If you have any questions or comments, or would like to be involved with your business hosting a booth, call Shannon Atkins (256-377-1077) or Johnnie Schmidt (256-935-0076) and they will be happy to assist you.

It is Vacation Bible School time...

Vacation Bible School

By: Dr. Jeff Fuller

 

In a meeting a few weeks ago, I was listening to all of the plans for Vacation Bible School.  Several of our twenty one churches are conducting VBS in the next two months.  Different themes, different materials, but it is VBS time in Coosa County.  Here at Rockford, we will host Colossal Roller-coaster June 23-27. 

VBS is so much fun and watching the kids have fun, learn new things and make precious little mementos makes for an enjoyable week.  The bonus is when their eyes light up because some truth has taken root in their life and it causes them to think on a higher level-yes, I believe that is a true bonus.  Additionally, I get a kick out of the ones who travel from VBS to VBS and learn all of the Bible stories, the music and moves, and the recreational games.  These are the ones everyone wants to come to their Bible School.

I have always loved VBS!  When I was growing up, attending the classes and as an adult teaching, and now as a pastor-Bible School has always been a highlight of the summer activities for children.  And there are some interesting stories I can tell.

When I was in college, my home church worked a Mission Vacation Bible School in a church in our county.  The church was a small country church between the community of Lebanon and the Town of Collinsville.  It was a small church, with a great need for reaching children.  Ten or fifteen of the youth from our church went down in the country to help with the Bible School.

It was a learning experience.  Even though we submitted ourselves to a time of training, it was still a hands on experience.  We were prepared for something akin to the joint services we participated in at First Baptist, the classrooms with walls adored with art and posters detailing the areas of our study, and the elaborate refreshments which went along with the theme.

What we forgot was small church, small classes, and limited resources.  Joint worship entailed old songs none of us knew, classrooms meeting under tents or the great outdoors, and cookies and kool-aid for refreshments.  Not to mention recreation…

Recreation was a nature walk.  We took time to lead the kids along the dirt road, down to Will’s Creek and throw rocks in the creek, while talking about the great outdoors and the creator Father.  This worked fairly well until a couple of the kids decided one morning to jump in-clothes and all-to take a swim.  While retrieving the three boys who jumped into the creek, another one did a belly flop in the middle of the creek, sunk under the water, disappearing in the dark, cold water.

We thought he was going to re-emerge close to the banks, until a girl came along beside me and said, “Sir, J.R. know not how to swim.”

My friend next to me over heard the words and was pulling her shoes off and heading through the air toward the middle of the creek.  Within seconds she was hauling J.R. out of the water, up the bank and depositing him on the road.

J.R. was fine.  He was sputtering water, soaked to the skin and shivering from the fear of jumping into the ten foot deep water, with no way of knowing how to get out.

We reassembled the kiddies, started back toward the little country church and laughed and picked at J.R. as he sloshed along, his tennis shoes making weird sounds with each step.  The laughter stopped, the joy flushed and the next few moments was a blur of activity.

This little church had a rather larger than life matriarch.  She was the mother of twelve children and twenty three grand-children.  We did not meet the children, but the grand’s we did-they made up half of the attendance that week in our Bible School.  Momma carried a hickory switch everywhere she went that week, and we were soon to find out why.

She was standing at the door of the church, one hand on one hip and the other one with the switch bobbing back and forth.  The look on her face was a mixture between Mr. T. and Medea. 

When we all made eye contact, the procession stopped, there were whimpers among a couple of the children (evidently they were grandchildren of T-Medea, and J.R. attempted to hide behind the nearest oak tree.

The voice of the T-Medea boomed, startling the Robins in the tree: “J.R. you come here now and not later!  Now, boy, come here and don’t delay.  The righteous and holy God is in the Temple and justice is to be served from His table.”

I so wanted the ground to open up at that moment.  My friend grabbed my hand and broke three fingers, as she attempted to calm her beating heart that was felt in my hand.

J.R. stumbled forward, and stammered, “Momma…I fell…fell in and that nice girl over there hoped me…she hoped me out of the…out of the water.  Oh. Momma,” he cried and it was the sound of a wounded animal, “I swear…I fell in when…when Boyd pushed me in…Boyd, you know Boyd…he pushed!

“Now, Boyd, boy you come, now!”

Boyd ran from the Sweet Gum tree he was hiding behind and ran to his Grandmother’s side.  He beat J.R. who was still stumbling along in the direction, but not at all in a hurry.

“I just fell in…” J.R. was trying to explain, but T-Medea with that look and that switch cut him off…

“Boy, I ain’t got all day, get your thing over here, now!”

J.R. at that moment burst into a trot and joined grandmother and Boyd on the steps of the church.  The next few moments are vividly etched in my mind for all of eternity.  The woman commanded, “Reach down and do it now!  Grab those ankles and I’ll tell you when you might stand straight again, if you can.

She swung the switch and hit the south end of the north facing youngsters with one swipe.  With each one she counted and admonished.

“That’s one.  For the good book say we all are sinners…”

“That there is two.  God say that when a boy don’t obey, you tear his hind end up…”

“That’s three.  Yes, sir, we are to be righteous as He is righteous…”

“That one’s four.  If I spare this here rod, I spoil this here child…”

“That make’s five.  It will be unto your good will, Father, that these here children will obey with stripes upon their skin…”

She stopped swinging that switch, she straighten her rather large frame, and took a deep breathe.  The boys continued to hold their ankles, as tears fell from their cheeks.  No one moved for a moment.

Then T-Medea said, “Arise you workers of evil and give praise to a Holy and just God who will not leave you to your own devices, but will spare you, as if by fire.”

They stood straight up, raised their hands in the air and mumbled something, I am not sure what, but there was a word of “Thanks, but no thanks,” somewhere in between clinched teeth and tears rolling down dirty cheeks.

Then T-Medea looked at me and my co-teacher, and pointed the switch at us.  At that very moment I begged God to open the ground on which I stood and make me disappear.  But He did not do it and she spoke firmly…

“Should you’uns have any more problems with any of these children-mine or otherwise-you let me know and I will kindly take good care of the problem.  Now git!”

We went back to class.  The reminder of the week present itself with no problems, none whatsoever.  Even the teenagers who were working from my church; we all were as good as angels.

The Bible says, “The one who will not use the rod hates his son, but the one who loves him disciplines him diligently.” (Proverbs 13:24 HCSB)  Discipline reflects love.  We do not like being disciplined, nor do we care to discipline, but we know that when it is done in love, it will be for the good of the individuals involved.  And oh, the love God has for His children that He would correct us and conform us to His imagine.

Until next time…

A Reflection on Thursday Night Worship Service

Camp 2K13 Alpha and Omega

Camp Toknowhim

Pisgah, Alabama

 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Hebrews 13:8 (HCSB)

 

A Reflection on Thursday Night Worship Service

While I would love nothing more than to go through the day to day activities and experiences of our recent week at Camp Toknowhim, with the youth from Rockford, I feel strongly that I need to share my reflections with you regarding the last night.  Later in the weekend and the first of next week, you can check back and get a view of the other parts of the week.

This was the second year for our youth to come to the mountains of north Alabama, and to the hills of Pisgah in order to reconnect, renew, and restore their relationship with the Savior.  As is the case, there are always those who come with us who need to connect with the new life Christ offers freely and generously. 

By Thursday night most of the spiritual relationship was settled and secured.  We had on Wednesday evening three new believers, brothers and sisters in Christ, and one renewing their relationship with Christ.  The Worship service on Thursday night was not much different from the other three evenings, as we plunged ourselves into the presence of the Father and allowed Him to be glorified and speak to us in the moments that followed.

Our service was held in what we have called “The Tabernacle.”  It is a large meeting room in the Small Group Camp and holds a special place in the heart of those of us who came last year.  In a semi-circle, the 23 students, along with the eight chaperones, and four special visitors, sat and listened intensely to a presentation on the Exchange that all of us need to make.

The Exchange is actually a baseball term that is practiced on the diamond.  The object is for the player to catch the ball in his glove and as quickly as possible move the ball from the glove to release it toward the other player to make the play complete.  It is the quickest athlete that becomes the most successful in the exchange.

As an application to the Christian life, it is the believer who makes the exchange from a life of sin to a life of righteousness that finds freedom and joy.  It is important for the believer to release the sin in his or her life and live in the joy of an unhindered relationship with the Savior.  During this presentation I related various verses of scripture which I felt the students needed to get a grasp of.

These are those text:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

1 John 1:9-10 (HCSB)

³¹ Then He began to teach them that the  Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, the  chief priests, and the  scribes, be killed, and rise after three days. ³² He was openly talking about this. So Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. ³³ But turning around and looking at His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan, because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns, but man’s!”

Mark 8:31-33 (HCSB)

Summoning the crowd along with His disciples, He said to them, “If anyone wants to be My follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. ³⁵ For whoever wants to save his  life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me and the gospel will save it. ³⁶ For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world yet lose his life? ³⁷ What can a man give in exchange for his life? ³⁸ For whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the  Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

Mark 8:34-38 (HCSB)

From these verses I attempted to place a strong emphasis on the power of God to forgive us and cleanse us and use us for His glory and His purposes.  I shared with them three words:

Deny

Die

Design

Also we made a stop at Jesus’ teaching on the foundations and the difference the foundation makes.  As a believer we want to be on the firm foundation, and that foundation is Jesus Christ.  He is the rock!  He is solid!  He is sure!

²⁴ “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!”

Matthew 7:24-27 (HCSB)

As we were ending the service I gave each of those present a small stone.  It was a simple, weightless and plain stone.  I made a strong case for the rock, being so small and almost weightless.  Jesus had told us that we take His yoke and it is light and easy.  The Rock, Jesus Christ, is wanting to take the load of our life, forgive the sin in our life, and stand us on solid ground, sure footing, firm foundation.  I warned them that in a moment I would ask them to trade that small stone for something else…they would have to trust me and understand that I was wanting to show them a valuable lesson.

The chaperones loaded them up on a trailer and would meet me at the Overlook. 

The Overlook is an amphitheater located about three miles from the Small Group Camp, on the edge of the mountain.  This beautiful place overlooks the Tennessee River, with Scottsboro, Hollywood and Stevenson on the other side of the river.

It was around 8:30 when I reached the Overlook, with the students and adults coming in on the trailer.  I stood and watched the clouds in the sky around us, lightening in the west, south and east of where I stood at the beginning of the boardwalk.  Amazingly, the black skies surrounded me, but over the spot where I stood, the sky was ablaze with stars and a crescent moon hung over the river, just behind the trees.  We were in the eye of the storm!

What was happening a mile from where I stood is the most incredible story!  As the trailer reached the mile mark from the Overlook, the students were asked to exchange their small stone for a 12-14 pound stone.  This stone would represent their sin, the things which remained hidden and unconfessed in their lives.  They were asked to take this stone and start walking toward the Overlook.  While they walked along, unknown to them there were four adults in the woods along the road.  These four adults would soon be calling out to them.

They could see the lights of the trailer in the distance ahead of them, but otherwise they were left to themselves to walk along and carry their load.  At the halfway mark, the adults in the woods began to taunt them and belittle them.  They called out, “You are a loser!”  “You think you can do it but you can’t!”  “You can’t live for Jesus!”  “Give up, loser!”

Some of the students got mad, others were scared, and still others were determined to help others carry their stones.  They walked along, heading toward the Overlook.  It gave them time to think about the weight of the sin they carried and the pain and suffering of trying to live on their own, without Christ.  It made the mark!

When they came to the Overlook and were seated, they reminded them that Jesus stands ready to forgive them of their sin, waiting for them to submit to Him.  I told them that He can take their sin and throw it into the ocean of forgetfulness; He can take it an throw it as far as the east is from the west.

Then I instructed them to write their sins on the stone.  The sin of rebellion, lust, pride, anger, temper, and so on.  Write them all on the stone.

Once they were done, I invited them to bring their stones to the alter, pray over them, confessing those sins to a God who loved them more than life itself.  Lay the stone at the alter, pray over it, then when they are satisfied, to take that stone and throw it over the railing of the Overlook, walk away, knowing that Jesus has forgiven them.

It was a moving time.  Watching these students give their sins to Jesus, committing their lives to His design for their lives.  Watching them labor over this and then listening as those stones crashed along the ridge and rocks below.  Oh, what a Savior!

We observed the Lord’s Supper and left from that place different.

Before we left, I gave them another stone.  This stone was weightless, but had a cross painted on it and was a beautiful reminder of the moment we had just experienced.  You would have thought I had given them a coin worth millions.

There is more, but for the time this will help you see the investment that our church puts in the future generation.  And is just a sample of what God desires to do in the lives of all who would follow Him.       

Tuesday Morning Bible Study 061113

What is God to You?

Alpha and Omega

Tuesday Quiet Time

 

Prayer:

 

Dear Lord Jesus,

Open my eyes, I want to see Jesus, to reach out and touch Him, to say that I love Him.

Open my ears Lord, I want to listen, open my eyes Lord, I want to see Jesus.

Amen!

 

Adaption of Open Our Eyes, Lord by Robert Cull; ©1976 Maranatha! Music!; The Humnal of Worship and Celebration; ©1986; Word Music; Page 383

 

With this prayer we understand what and why we are doing this, so let us focus on a section of scripture from Isaiah:

 

1 And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. 2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. 3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. 4 And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. 5 Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. 6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

Isaiah 12:1-6 (KJV)

 

In this text, we see three important things:

§  What God did for the people? (Verse 1): He turned away His anger and showed compassion.

§  What did the people do because God was their “salvation?” (Verse 2): They trusted in Him and were not afraid.

§  What four things would God do for them?  God would love them, forgive them, give them safe passage, and He would demonstrate His greatness.

 

Summary:

Even though God was angry with the Chosen Children of Israel, we was in His anger judging them for the things they had done; the sins they committed.  But even in His anger He still loved them.

In love He saved them from disaster and destruction.  He gave them hope and safe passage into the Promised Land.

In the end they could give praise to God, who was not absent; a God who will not ever fail or falter.

 

Application:

When we consider who God is to us, we need to remember that He is a God who disciplines us.

 

But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

1 Corinthians 11:32 (KJV)

 

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Hebrews 12:6 (KJV)

 

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Hebrews 12:11 (KJV)

 

Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.

Job 5:17-18 (KJV)

 

When we are disciplined it means we belong to Him.  Proverbs 3, the Wise Parent (Solomon), gives the wise words that we are to follow the path of rightnss and righteousness, trusting God in al things.  Additionally, we are instructed that we are sons when discipline comes our way.

We are creatures with feet of clay, we are imperfect, human, sinful creatures and because of this we act and react wrongly and need correction.  As such, we submit to Him, the Father, and He will correct our waywardness and lead us along the path of life and light.

 

“For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth. This is also a quotation from Proverbs 3. It means that it is a universal rule that God sends trials on those whom he truly loves. It does not, of course, mean that he sends chastisement which is not deserved; or that he sends it for the mere purpose of inflicting pain. That cannot be. But it means that, by his chastisements, he shows that he has a paternal care for us. He does not treat us with neglect and unconcern, as a father often does his illegitimate child. The very fact that he corrects us shows that he has towards us a father's feelings, and exercises towards us a paternal care. If he did not, he would let us go on without any attention, and leave us to pursue a course of sin that would involve us in ruin. To restrain and govern a child; to correct him when he errs, shows that there is a parental solicitude for him, and that he is not an outcast. And as there is in the life of every child of God something that deserves correction, it happens that it is universally true that "whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth."

 

And scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. Whom he receives or acknowledges as his child. This is not quoted literally from the Hebrew, but from the Septuagint. The Hebrew is, "even as a father the son in whom he delighteth." The general sense of the passage is retained, as is often the case in the quotations from the Old Testament. The meaning is the same as in the former part of the verse, that every one who becomes a child of God is treated by him with that watchful care which shows that he sustains towards him the paternal relation.

 

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Revelation 3:19 (KJV)

 

Verse 7. If ye endure chastening. That is, if you undergo, or are called to experience correction. It does not mean here, "if you endure it patiently, or if you bear up under it," but if you are chastised or corrected by God." The affirmation does not relate to the manner of bearing it, but to the fact that we are disciplined.

God dealeth with you as with sons. He does not cast you off, and regard you as if you were in no way related to him.

For what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? That is, he evinces towards his son the care which shows that he sustains the relation of a father. If he deserves correction, he corrects him; and he aims, by all proper means, to exhibit the appropriate care and character of a father. And as we receive such attention from an earthly parent, we ought to expect to receive similar notice from our Father in heaven.

 

He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

Proverbs 13:24 (KJV)

 

Verse 8. But if ye be without chastisement. If you never meet with anything that is adapted to correct your faults, to subdue your temper, to chide your wanderings, it would prove that you were in the condition of illegitimate children-cast off and disregarded by their father.

Whereof all are partakers. All who are the true children of God.

 

Then are ye bastards, and not sons. The reference here is to the neglect with which such children are treated, and to the general want of care and discipline over them: "Lost in the world's wide range; enjoined no aim, Prescribed no duty. and assigned no name."

 

Savage. In the English law, a bastard is termed nullius filiua,. Illegitimate children are usually abandoned by their father. The care of them is left to the mother, and the father endeavours to avoid all responsibility, and usually to be concealed and unknown. His own child he does not wish to recognize; he neither provides for him, nor instructs him, nor governs him, nor disciplines him. A father who is worthy of the name, will do all these things. So Paul says it is with Christians. God has not cast them off. In every way he evinces towards them the character of a father. And if it should be that they passed along through life without any occurrence that would indicate the paternal care and attention designed to correct their faults, it would show that they never had been his children, but were cast off and wholly disregarded. This is a beautiful argument; and we should receive every affliction as full proof that we are not forgotten by the High and Holy One who condescends to sustain the character, and to evince towards us, in our wanderings, the watchful care of a Father.

—Barnes' Notes on the New Testament

 

Be thankful that God is the creator, sustainer, redeemer, and returning King.  He wants to love on you, hold you, draw you close, make you holy.  Submit yourself to His guiding hand and walk in His ways.  He has called you and sealed you; you are His child.

 

We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28 (KJV)