Science says that the shedding of tears is beneficial. Doctors say that tears are cleansing—providing an exit for your body’s toxins. Ophthalmologists know that tears cleanse and lubricate your eyes. Psychologists say that a “good cry” is a psychological release, a catharsis that helps you deal with your emotions. It makes me wonder why we avoid it so much!

John tells the story of Jesus raising his beloved friend Lazarus from the dead. His family is very upset by his death, and people say all sorts of things to Jesus: “If you had been here, this wouldn’t have happened!” In the midst of all of the turmoil and pain of loss, we find the Bible’s shortest verse: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). The Bible goes further to say that he was troubled or grieved in his spirit.

Many things may have triggered Jesus’ tears that day: seeing his friends and family hurt, witnessing disbelief, or just understanding the consequences of sin in a fallen world. Regardless of the reason, our savior was human enough to cry. He had a heart vulnerable enough to feel pain, and he wasn’t afraid to show it.

We need to be more like our Savior. We must be willing to put down our armor when we love and be willing to have our hearts broken. C. S. Lewis once compared the human heart to concrete: it isn’t soft and pliable very often, and once it sets, it is nearly impossible to form again. May we work to keep our hearts tender!

When you look at the life of Jesus from a human standpoint, you might conclude that his life was a failure. From a purely human standpoint he didn’t do much.

He never traveled more than a few miles from his hometown. He never wrote any books. He never painted any pictures in giant cathedrals. He might have built a good yoke for oxen that fit well, but they are long gone and almost forgotten.

He never ran for public office. He never owned large portions of land. He never had thousands working for him in a business. He never invented something that made medical or aviation history.

He was a simple Galilean peasant who changed the world. More books have been written about him than any other in history. More cathedrals have been erected in his honor. More political systems have been affected by his followers and his teaching. More travelers have carried the word of this man to more places on the earth than any other. More pictures and sculptures have honored him than any man in history.

At the end of his life he uttered the simple phrase “It is finished.” That phrase speaks volumes. He accomplished what he came to do. He died that man might have a chance to live. His life was the greatest success of all time. His life and death is still making a difference in this world and is making a huge difference in my life and yours

It looked as if his ministry was a failure but he lives and that is all we need to know. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. (John 17:4)

Gardening is always fascinating to me.  This time of the year I enjoy the fruit of the labors of many gardeners.  Ripe tomatoes make any meal go better.  Radishes are some of the first fruits of the spring garden.  They take only about one month to get ready for a veggie plate.  If one plants asparagus it will be four to five years before you get an editable veggie.

Many of us are restless and impatient when it comes to planting and harvesting.  We like the radishes and lettuce that grow up quickly and are ready to eat in one month. These are the ones is our churches who are concerned with getting fruit at the expense of patience.

Many in our churches are interested in getting on with the fruit and have little patience with those who are carefully challenging them to think and study.  Old ideas seem to be easier to hold on to than the challenges to study to show yourself approved by God.  The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were satisfied that their understanding of scripture was right and they refuse to be challenged by our Lord.

Today we are faced with new challenges to the truth of God.  We can sit back and throw rotten tomatoes or we can get into the fight and live as no other and think as God would have us think.  We can find safety in old forms and patterns or we can study again the mighty truth of God and learn His will for us.  We can find our garden full of radishes and weeds and have no abiding fruit for the masters’ table.

We must return to the principles of divine truth and teach them in their contexts if we are to have an active and dynamic faith.  Now is the time for us to sow and water and pray that the Lord of harvest will give the increase. It is time to plant!

In the meanwhile, how about a spiritual check-up? It’s good to look inside and see how you’re doing.

•  My Spiritual Heart: Do you “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”? (Matthew 22:37) Jesus said that this was the first and greatest commandment, and that all of the rest of the commandments of scripture are based on it and the second commandment to love your neighbor as yourself.  Do you have a passion for God-and the things of God? Is He real to you? Love produces obedience, by the way. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) Based on your lifestyle, is it evident that you love God?
• My Spiritual Mouth: Do you pray early and often? We communicate with the ones we love; God is not different! Paul said that we should “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). He told the church in Philippi “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). Is prayer a natural part of your life?
• My Spiritual Ears: God speaks to us today through his inspired word-the 66 books of the Bible. Are you quiet long enough to listen to those words? Do you have a hearing disorder that keeps you from listening to him? Do you have selective hearing which picks and chooses scripture to suit you – rather than God? We believe “All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
• My Spiritual Hands: How do you spend your time? It’s good to relax, it’s necessary to work, it’s important to be with you family-these are all biblical teachings – but the Bible teaches that nothing is more important than the kingdom of God, and all of our other priorities circle around this chief goal. We serve-as Christ served! As the old song says, “We’ll work ’til Jesus comes!”

We hope that you’re spiritually healthy. There’s certainly more to spiritual health than we could put on this check list! We haven’t talked about the importance of real and meaningful faith, the necessity of confession, the totality of repentance, or the beauty of our new birth in baptism-and these are all absolutely necessary!

Don’t like your answers to these questions? Do you have questions of your own? Come see us-and we’ll be glad to help point you towards the Great Physician we know and love.

“I’m afraid to die”, says Bobby. “I wish I didn’t have that fear but it is real and I have it deep in my soul.”  Bobby has read the scriptures time and time again about the assurance that we have in Christ.  His religion is not totally performance based but there is a little bit left in him.

Bobby goes on to say, “I can’t imagine what God will do with a skunk like me.” It is easy to argue from scripture that salvation is by grace. The death of Jesus secured our forgiveness and his resurrection assures us of victory over death.  Our own baptism placed us in his family and the same power that raised Jesus from the death worked in us as we were buried with him and raised with him from the grave of water. 12 Having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. (Colossians 2:12)

But all arguments fail because this is not a logical decision but an emotional one.  All arguments fail to convince one when the decision was reached emotionally rather than logically. Logical argument cannot change the emotional mind.

Sometimes there is some emotional event in the past that still controls one’s thinking in the present.  Until this is overcome one will continue to act on that buried emotion.

When one is saved by the grace of God all sins are gone and forgiveness is ever occurring. Whether we think clearly about the subject does not change the fact.  We are saved and God will today welcome us into His heavenly home.

Jesus brings salvation down to us and when we are covered by his blood, there is no fear in death.  “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” It’s good to believe it and to feel it.  Whether we feel it completely or not it is still real.  I Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here’s what we did…

• Summer Revival: It is a revival because we want to bring new life back to the Burns community. It’s obvious that even in this economy, our town is continuing to grow. We want to make sure the town’s numerical and fiscal growth is outpaced by it’s spiritual growth. Join us for five special preaching sessions
  • “But what does Jesus say?” Wednesday, June 17th at 7:00pm
  • “The Gospel by Grace through Faith” Thursday, June 18th at 7:00pm
  • “Born Again of Water and the Spirit” Friday, June 19th at 7:00pm
  • “Almost Persuaded” Saturday, June 20th at 7:00pm
  • “The Power, the Pain, and the Price of the Cross” Sunday, June 21st at 10:00am
• Here’s a postcard invitation to our revival

Look below for all of Eddie’s sermons from the revival:

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The Power, the Pain, and the Price of the Cross (Eddie Lawson): (Revival 2009) by Guest Speakers on June 21, 2009.

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God's Amazing Grace (Eddie Lawson): (Revival 2009) by Guest Speakers on June 20, 2009.

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Born Again of Water and the Spirit (Eddie Lawson): John 3:1-17 (Revival 2009) by Guest Speakers on June 19, 2009.

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The Gospel by Grace through Faith (Eddie Lawson): (Revival 2009) by Guest Speakers on June 18, 2009.

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The road back to the Father’s house is long and hard.  It is filled with doubt and despair.  It depresses and decomposes.  It works on every part of the human creation.

Physical, spiritual and emotional reconditioning requires one to address each area.  When one leaves the Father’s house and goes into a far country. He is “aching for a breaking”.  He may not end up feeding hogs but the pigpen will await.  Living away from the Father’s house is not that easy.  Some can drift for years and not reach the bottom. The time will come when all must face the ordeal of the Father’s house.  What will is be then?

Rejuvenating one’s spiritual life involves at least these two things: 1) returning to God’s primary desire for my life, 2) listening for God.  The prodigal remembered the father and listened for him.  He followed that still small voice all the way from the pigpen to the Father’s house.

Sin can black out the Fathers’ will in our lives. Many can live with little or no attention to their true spiritual nature.  The soul can be starving to death and the rest of the human creation seems to work okay.  However, nothing will totally satisfy until we find our connection with the Father.

The man who knows his sins is greater than one who raises a dead man by his prayer. He who sighs and grieves within himself for an hour is greater than the one who teaches the entire universe.  He who follows Christ, alone and contrite, is greater than one who enjoys the favor of crowds in churches. - St. Isaac the Syrian

New Summer Bible classes begin tonight! Here’s what you have to look forward to:

Sunday Morning at 9am:

Auditorium: Glenn Buffington “Grace and Works”

Downstairs: James Hinkle “You and Your Bible”

Wednesday Evening at 7pm:

Auditorium: Jerry Hall “Great Passages of the Bible” (Gospel Advocate quarterly)

Downstairs: James Hinkle “The Minor Prophets”

Bible Bowl 2009 will begin in July with a study of the Gospel of John from the New King James Version.

Hope to see you there!

      It has been my privilege to spend about a month in New Zealand teaching students the Bible and training them to be church leaders.  This has been a special ministry for me for about twenty years.

      The training school where I teach is in Tauranga, New Zealand.  There are students from all over the South Pacific, Australia and Asia. This year we had students from New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Pakistan and Fiji.  These students will go back to their homeland and culture and be lights for Christ in their own neighborhoods and communities.  We believe that this is the best way to do world evangelism.

      While in New Zealand I get to work with several former students and I was able to preach every Sunday I was there. The Lord’s Church has struggled in the South Pacific but is beginning to make progress.  There as several church plants and more will become a reality as our students get going in their communities. Most of the churches in Fiji and New Zealand are now led by our students.

      On another topic we are about ready to knock every door in Burns.  Our campaign begins June 10^th. Campaigners will begin arriving on Wednesday night and the door knocking will begin on Thursday. Glen Buffington is in charge of all organizational matters.  He has worked to get ready and many of you are on his team.  This effort will require that all of us “give of our best to the Master”.  From food to washing baptismal garments to cleaning the building to greeting new members, much is to be done.  See Glen if you have not already volunteered.

      Thanks to Matthew who preached in my absence. There was not a beat missed when I was gone.  We are much blessed by having Matthew and Leslie on our team.

      This weekend is our “couples’ retreat” at Joe Wheeler State Park in North Alabama. Jeff and Pam have planned a great retreat and all who attend will be blessed.  We will be down in our attendance with so many gone.  Sit close and sing as loud as you can. 

What do you think it was like to be a Christian in the days before church buildings? The earliest Christians met in homes or occasionally at the synagogues in Jewish towns. The catacombs became temporary shelters as Roman Christians hid from persecution, but the first church building that historians are aware of was constructed in the mid 200’s AD in the Syrian city of Dura-Europos on the west bank of the Euphrates River. It was first a house. The Christians knocked out the living room wall so that the building would accommodate the entire church in one room. Basilicas, monasteries, and cathedrals didn’t become popular until several centuries later.

These Christians certainly had less of a temptation to think of the church in the abstract – as the building or the location. There weren’t many “pew warmers” in those days before pews! We need to recapture some of what they knew-that the existence of the church has nothing to do with facilities on 2718 Church Street – but everything to do with the lives of eighty or so families in the Burns community.

We need to hear again Peter’s words to a persecuted church:

“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:4-5) May we never forget our place – not in the church, but as the church!

This guide is meant as a tool to aid as you pray for our campaign. Don’t feel bound to it-explore the possibilities of prayer as you take this special effort to the Father’s throne.

1.      Pray for ourselves

a.      …that God will give us a burden for the lost.

b.      …that God will help us do our best to prepare.

c.       …that God’s will may direct our planning in wisdom.

d.      …that we will learn and be transformed by this experience.

e.      …that we will have pure hearts and right attitudes.

f.        …that we will have the energy, health, and resources to complete our task.

g.      …that we will have confidence in God.

h.      …that our lives will exemplify Christ.

i.        …that we will be forgiven for the times we’ve hidden our lights.

2.      Pray for our visiting campaigners

a.      …that they will travel safely.

b.      …that they will be effective.

c.       …that God will use them to teach and inspire us.

d.      …that their training will be remembered and utilized well.

e.      …that Eddie’s preaching of the gospel will lead souls towards Christ.

3.      Pray for our community

a.      …that we will find those who want to know God.

b.      …that those who don’t yet want to know God will learn to seek Him.

c.       …that nothing happens to hinder our effectiveness.

d.      …that Satan may not interfere with our efforts.

e.      …that God will prepare the hearts of those we meet.

f.        …that through God’s providence every person may have an opportunity to hear the gospel.

4.      Pray for our congregation

a.      …that our leaders will lead well, following in the footsteps of Jesus.

b.      …that we will grow spiritually-more sure of our faith in Christ, more dedicated to his cause.

c.       …that we will be what God wants us to be and the world needs us to be.

5.      Pray!

a.      Thank God for his love, grace, and mercy.

b.      Thank God for the ones who have taught us faith.

c.       Thank God for the gift of Jesus.

d.      Thank God for his eternal wisdom.

e.      Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Praise him, all creatures here below! Praise him above ye heavenly host! Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Did you know that patients who believe that they have hope usually recover quicker and live longer than those who don’t? Did you know that troubled marriages in which the partners believe that things can get better are significantly more likely to get better than in identical circumstances without an optimistic outlook? Man can endure almost anything, as long as there is hope. Hope is powerful stuff! (Remember Proverbs 13:13? “Hope deferred makes the heart grow sick!”)

A biblical understanding of hope is even more powerful. It isn’t just wishing that things will get better-it is knowing that they will, and looking forward to that day! That’s why “hope” is such an important term in our understanding of heaven.

We have hope because of what Jesus has done: he has given us his righteousness-a gracious act that transforms our lives. Here’s how Paul put it: “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame (“disappoint” NIV), because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:1-5 ESV)

Now that’s what I call good news!

Forget seven habits or twelve steps-this passage describes the secret to successful, joyous, hope-filled, and heaven-bound living-and the secret’s name is Jesus the Christ!

Who will you share him with this week?

Journey has been used as a spiritual metaphor since the days of Abraham. In his case, it was a literal journey when God called him to leave Ur to head towards a land which God would show him. For Moses, it was a journey to free the Hebrew slaves, and then again they journeyed on towards the promised land. A few detours and wilderness wanderings later-they finally arrived. While there is much to be enjoyed and gained from the journey, the destination is the motivating goal.

Some of our old hymns capture this sentiment best: Do you remember “My heavenly home is bright and fair, I feel like traveling on! No pain nor death can enter there, I feel like traveling on! ” What about “I am a poor wayfaring stranger while traveling thru this world of woe! Yet there’s no sickness, toil, nor danger in that bright world to which I go!”  We sing “To Canaan’s Land I’m On My Way” and “We’re Marching to Zion” and proclaim over and over again that our lives have a destination.

When Jesus comforted his disciples, he said in John 14:1-4: “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that g I go to prepare a place for you? [...] And you know the way to where I am going.”

Thank God that we know where we’re headed. Thank God that we know Jesus, the Way! We live with packed bags and a goal in mind. By his grace, he’ll bring us home! Will you help someone find their way this week?

He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Hebrews 1:3

      Several years ago Ed Fudge wrote a commentary on the Book of Hebrews and called it Our Man In Heaven.   Sounds like an appropriate title for the work of the risen Lord as he completed his work on earth and went back to heaven and finished offering his blood before the real mercy seat in heaven. Hebrews 9:12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.

      As Jesus left the disciples on the earth and ascended to heaven (Acts 1:9-11), He goes back to the Father and completes the offering of his blood for the remission of our sins.  His journey to earth and his journey back to the Father are now complete and he always lives to intercede for us.  He is truly our man in heaven.  He sent forth the Holy Spirit and he now is our advocate in heaven and will one day return to take us home with him.  What a day that will be?!!!

      By sitting down on the right hand of the Father he has. now finished his work of bringing salvation to men.  He will bring about full redemption of our bodies when he returns for us. By the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, (he) will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Phil. 3:21)

      The resurrection of Jesus from the tomb is our assurance that we can also be raised.  As we arise from the waters of baptism through faith in the power of God who raised him from the death we can know that as children of God we have eternal hope.

      When Jesus took his seat at the right hand of the Father, Things were ready for the world to be redeemed.  Now is the time for all of us to be on board the good ship to heaven. 

             The words above were spoken to a group of women who had come to the tomb of Jesus to give the body of dead Jesus a special anointing.  When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. (Mark 16:1) They wanted to show their love and devotion to Jesus.

             The body was not there!  Where was it?  What had happened to the dead Jesus? Why was the tomb where Jesus had been buried now empty?  It had been only three days and the grave was guarded by trained solders who would watch carefully that nothing happened to that body.

The chief priests and Pharisees were afraid that his disciples may come and steal the body. After the body went missing, they paid the soldiers large sums of money to say His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.

Now when I am asleep it is difficult to identify people who come and go during the night.  These soldiers can identify the disciples, and testify that they stole the body of Jesus while they are asleep.  Quiet a testimony for the day.  Certainly answers all the questions about why the tomb is empty.

If he is not in the tomb, where is he?  If the disciples have not stolen the body maybe his enemies did?  When Jesus was proclaimed as risen from the dead would not his enemies bring the body and say “you believe a lie”.

If he is not in the tomb, where is he?  Maybe the angel was right when he declared, “He is risen from the dead.” But go, tell his disciples and Peter, He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.

If Jesus is no longer in the tomb, he is alive and working to get us to the place where he is now.  He is not here, he is alive and working all things out for His people to come and be with him forever in our new resurrection body.

Did you know that you’re more likely to get struck by lightning or win the lottery than to die in a plane crash? (You’re also more likely to become the next president of the United States, too!) Those facts aren’t enough to convince millions of people with fears of flying to get on board.

After September 11, the number of people flying dropped dramatically. As people stopped flying, they started driving. The Michigan Transportation Research Institute studied the three months following 9/11 and discovered something astounding: the increased number of miles driven in just three months caused an additional 1,018 fatalities due to car crashes. Almost a third of the number of people killed in the terrorist attacks died because of fear!

Casinos and lotteries thrive because people are terrible at risk management. When you buy life insurance, you’re effectively betting that you’ll die sooner than the guy selling you insurance thinks you will! (Sorry, Jeff!) Its purpose is to help us mitigate risks that we don’t expect and that we don’t want to even think about!

There are two lessons from these thoughts:

1.       Fear is not the best motivator for making wise decisions. (Read 1 John 4:17-18). If your spiritual life is muddled with fear, take action to let God’s perfect love drive it out.

2.       We are head/heart creatures. If you’re afraid of flying, chances are, no matter how many times I tell you the statistics, your head won’t convince your heart. If I can tell you the statistics and work on your heart-courage and vision-together, we can make it through. When we share our faith, we must think about the gospel in the head and in the heart.

      Decisions are sometimes hard to come by.  There are some decisions that are easily made because there are clear distinctions that make up our minds quickly.  Other decisions are agonizing because there is a close run for both sides.

      Decisions about our religious welfare are often put on the back burner and will be made at a later date.  The decision about where my family and I will attend church is sometimes tough.  There are lots of competing facts that need to be considered.  Is it a Bible church? Will my family fit in with the people? Will I be fed good solid food instead of rehashed traditions from the past?  Is there a balance in the teaching and worshiping in this church?  Others could be added to this list.

      Why are there not more people attending church?  I think that most people who don’t attend worship have not really made an outward decision not to attend. I think they have just not made a decision toattend. It is likely that they have just remained in the “valley of indecision” and may end up dying there. 

      They may not realize that not to make a decision to follow Jesus aggressively and faithfully is to make a decision not to give Him our live and devotion.  In this “Valley of indecision” one lingers to his own detriment.  Children grow up and are lost.  Families allow things to get out of balance and some break up. Precious time for growing a caring faith is lost.  Growing old without an active faith is a downer that could last for an eternity. Make the positive decision to faithfulness to God today. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. (John 9:4)

      Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

I think the answer is both. Real faith is not kept in contradiction to reason, but it extends beyond reason. Faith begins in evidence and moves out from it-even when believing is difficult. The word used in the New Testament for faith is pistis, a word which is also translated as trust. It’s not merely mental agreement: “Yeah, I think that’s right.” It is belief that produces trust that produces action.

Have you heard these scriptures lately?

•          “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1 ESV)
•          “And without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6 ESV)
•          “…the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” (James 1:3 ESV)
•          “Faith, by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 1:17 ESV)

Perhaps the most piercing scripture off all is the question that Jesus asked nearly two thousand years ago: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8 ESV)

If Jesus asked that question of you alone, what would the answer be?

Faith is absolutely essential for God’s people. It’s not optional! It must be the kind of faith that trusts and obeys even in moments of doubt.

The church at Burns wants to help make sure that the answer to Jesus’ question is a resounding YES! To that effect, we’ve planned several things we’d like to let you know about. These are all designed to help us all build our faith.

We’ll soon be offering The Case for Christ series, by Lee Strobel. Visit with us at 6 pm on Sunday nights in the months of March, April, and May to see a video series by an atheist-turned-believer who explored the evidence about Christianity. After the videos are over, we’ve invited some experts to come share even more evidence that they’ve seen in their work. There will be time for discussion and questions. Don’t worry; this material, although it is deep, is very accessible.

You’ll see a lot of us in the month of June, too! We’re planning to come door-to-door in the third week of June to see if there’s any way we can help you on your spiritual journey. We’ll be offering Bible studies and good, Bible-based materials for your consideration.

We hope that you will join us whenever you can, and it is our prayer that when Christ returns, He will find faith in you! Please let us know if we can help. You may contact our office at 441-3984 or by email at office@burnschurchofchrist.org. Check our website for more specific information: http://www.burnschurchofchrist.org

Several times in the Gospel of John Jesus repeats a simple formula: I AM… By using this simple phrase, Jesus claims the authority of Jehovah God, the Great I AM at the same time as He makes Himself available to you and me. Join us on Sunday mornings in February, March, and April as we look at the “I AM” sayings of Jesus in the book of John.

Our tentative lesson schedule is:

February 15: “I AM – Before Abraham Was I Am” (James Hinkle)

February 22: “I AM the Bread of Life” John 6 (James Hinkle)

March 1: ” I AM the Light of the World” John 8 (Matthew Hiatt)

March 8: “I AM the Good Shepherd”  John 10 (James Hinkle)

March 15: “I AM the Vine”  John 15 (James Hinkle)

March 22: “I AM the Living Water” John 4 (Matthew Hiatt)

March 29: “I AM Going to the Father” John 16 (James Hinkle)

April 5: “I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life”  John 14 (James Hinkle)

April 12: “I AM the Resurrection” John 11 (James Hinkle) (Easter)

April 19: “I AM Lifted up from the Earth” John 12 (James Hinkle)

April 26: “I AM the Alpha and the Omega” Revelation 1:8; 21:6; 22:13 (Matthew Hiatt)

Is faith compatible with science? Does God exist–and if He does, why all the suffering? Can we trust the Bible?

Lee Strobel asked these tough questions more than once in his life. As a young professional, the legal editor for the Chicago Tribune, he knew for a fact that religion was a crutch–something made up to help the weak. When his wife became interested in faith, he thought it was going to be more of an annoyance than anything! With his reporter’s notebook in hand, he decided to examine the evidence. The atheist is now a world-renowned apologist helping others step through the same evidence he looked at–in an investigation of a lifetime!

We invite you to join us for a special three-month series on Sunday nights at Burns: Examine the Evidence. We want to look at tough questions like these and see what answers we can find from experts and the word of God. Strobel has produced three video sets, The Case for Faith, The Case for a Creator, and The Case for Christ. These videos are full of great information for anyone!

If you’re a beliver–come, and learn more about your faith. If you’re a seeker–come, and see what it is that means so much to us. If you’re convinced that we’re crazy–come and see for yourself!

We’ll show these interactive videos on Sunday nights at 6pm along with supplementary lecture materials and group discussion. In addition, we’ve planned four special nights of guest speakers. We have sought out experts who know their materials to help us examine the evidence.

We have invited Dr. Steve Cantrell, a surgeon who is involved in cancer research, to present evidence examining the resurrection of Jesus. Dr. Cantrell was recently published in Think magazine on this topic and has served for several years at the Crieve Hall congregation in Nashville.

Dr. Joe Deweese from Walnut Street will make two presentations examining the evidence for God from the perspective of a scientist and biochemist. Dr. Deweese has presented material at Walnut Street and will teach at Lipscomb as well. He is now finishing his work at Vanderbilt.

Our third guest is Dr. Dale Manor from Harding University. Dr. Manor is an archaeologist and professor of Old Testament Studies. He is the field director of Tel Beth-Shemesh excavations in Israel. You may have recently heard him present at the Fairview Church of Christ or at Freed-Hardeman University’s lectureship.

These men will guide our study and answer questions as we work to examine the evidence! Please join us for this investigation of a lifetime!

• March 1 Faith in a World of Reason?
• March 8 The Gospels: Eyewitness Testimony
• March 15 Friends and Foes: Extra-Biblical Testimony
• March 22 Who Is the Real Jesus?
• April 5 The Resurrection: It Happened.
• April 12 A Doctor’s Look at the Resurrection Dr. Steve Cantrell, MD, DDS
• April 19 Science and God: Incompatible?
• April 26 A Scientist’s Look at the Universe Dr. Joe Deweese, PhD Biochemistry
• May 3 A Biochemist’s Look at Intelligent Design Dr. Joe Deweese, PhD Biochemistry
• May 10 An Archaeologist’s Look at the Bible Dr. Dale Manor, PhD Archaeology 
• May 17 How Did It All Start?
• May 24 Design? Intelligent?
• May 31 Philosophical Evidence for God 

Download a printable flier with schedule of speakers and topics.

Enjoy a “then and now” slideshow:

Enjoy pictures from our special night

.

Today we are faced with diabolical problems of life and death proportions.  Some in our world have no respect for life.  They bring destruction wherever they walk. It is a sad fact of life that a woman in Afghanistan can walk into a group of men, women and children and pull the fuse and blow up herself and 31 others.  It is a sad fact that a man can open his door to people he knows and end up being beaten with a baseball bat and left for dead.

The dignity of man is being assaulted on every front in this 21st century.  Until we get back to the Bible and its definition of man, we will end up with utter destruction of the fabric of human society.  Humanitarians on this globe assail the inhuman treatment of human beings in remote places in our world.  They get their respect for man from the Bible.  Man is unique because he is created by a unique God.

We celebrate the birth of Darwin’s Origin of the Species not understanding that it was the beginning of the end for the dignity of man.  If our ancestors crawled out of the sea as some slim ball in the eons of the past, where is the dignity of man?  Physical Anthropology defines man in grossly different terms than the verse above.  Defining man from a physical standpoint leaves much to be said. 

The Burns Church of Christ is about to launch a defense of the dignity of man.  March, April and May we will have Sunday nights devoted to evidence of Christ and the world he created.  Plan to be present at 6:00 each Sunday night and bring your children, family and friends.  The videos and lectures will stimulate you mind and challenge the current climate. 

      Surviving in ministry is a tough assignment.  Some say “I had rather wear out than rust out.”  Others suffer burnout and others quit before the race is finished. 

      Completing the race is of great importance to all of us.  To stop before we reach our goal is to miss the very essence of what it is to be created in the image of God.  We are made for better things than to miss the mark and not take advantage of the life and death of Jesus.  To quit before that is reached is to fail miserably.

      Yet, many sit down beside the road and while their time away and miss the opportunity to live forever with God.  What a sad end for those who give up too early or rust out or burn out.

      Paul told young Timothy I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God. Fanning the flame means that we get the fire going.  Fire that is about to go out can sometimes be fanned into flame and add warmth to a person’s life.  We could use a good fanning occasionally.

      Our goal should be the same as that of Paul.  He was forever thinking about the final result of his ministry.  He said I want to do two things: 1) I want to finish my race. 2) I want to complete the task.

      As we number the causalities who have fallen to the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of Satan, may we not be in that number.

If we are acquainted with the teaching of Jesus we know that he had problems with the Pharisees of his day. Matthew 23 is a good example.

Keep in mind that Phariseeism is a defense mechanism people use to avoid becoming aware of their own faults, failings and depravity. They are afraid to look inside for the things they need to change. It is far easier to look at the faults of others rather than confront the person we see in the mirror.

The sin of the Pharisees was maintaining that they were the only true believers. “We can’t have heaven filled.” They maintain the status quo and that nothing needs changing. “Sinners” are outside the fellowship of God and He doesn’t even hear their prayers. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. (John 9:31)

We still have the problem in the 21st century. There are many people who know that they are the only ones who are going to make it to heaven. They have their list of requirements and exclude or look down on those who fail to match these requirements. There are political Pharisees, economical Pharisees, educational Pharisees and religious Pharisees.

Maybe we could all learn a lesson from Jesus and look to ourselves. You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:5)

I Corinthians 15:58

      Earthly treasure is a passing thing.  Jesus said that it is like fabric attacked by moths or metal that is oxidized by the elements and rusted to the core.   Both fall apart when one attempts to make use of them.

      Our world is full of people who attach too much to the passing things of life.  Things that really matter are placed on the back burner and things of lesser importance are given our main energy.  When the day is over we live in dissatisfaction and life turns sour.  Nights are long and days are full of distress.  As we grow older we look to regain something of worth but many times it is too late.

      Recently I came across a statement by a Vernon Brewer that pointed out a salient truth.  “Every day, I try to do at least one thing that will outlive me and last for eternity.”

      We spend too much energy attending to the things that will not last.  Day by day we are engrossed in things that seem to make us happy and we are less happy day by day.  We work and slave for things that won’t matter in 100 years much less in eternity.

      Has not God made us for greater things?  Has not our creator a greater design for human lives?  When life is completed and our bodies return to the dust from which they came, what is left?  Our spiritual nature is important and can live with God in glory, but are we giving it proper attention?

      But what I want to focus on in this article is simply “What will I leave behind?”  Have I done anything that will outlive me and last for eternity?  Well?

II Timothy 2:15 KJV

In 1971 Southern Baptist had 1,434, 892 children in Southern Baptists Sunday Schools.  By 2007 this number dropped by 455,000. At the same time the US population increased by 46%.  The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest protestant conference in the USA.

While they have been loosing people in their Sunday Schools most other religious groups have done the same. We once were know for our dynamic Bible school but now we are among those who are wondering if we can sustain our Bible classes with enough students to merit the time we spend. 

Sunday Bible classes are still one of the best ways I know to teach the Bible to our youth and adults.  We try to have good teachers and prepared teachers to lead our Bible classes and we are constantly looking to make them better.  There are many of our people who vote for the close of our Bible classes by not showing any interest in them by not attending.  Although a number of our people are making a more conscious effort to be in class, we need more who will see that Bible classes are part of a good religious education program that will help our youth and adults be faithful to Jesus and his goals for our world.

What is more important to you this Sunday at 9:00 than to be in a Bible class and bring a friend with you?  We can make a difference in our community by faithful study of the word in Bible class.

The Church in Antioch – Acts 11

•      Scattered b/c persecution
•      Telling the message
•      They only told the Jews
•      They began to speak to the Greeks
•      They preached good news: Jesus
•      The Lord’s hand was with them.
•      Many people believed the good news.
•      They believed & turned.
•      News about the new church reached Jerusalem.
•      They sent Barnabas to Antioch.
•      He saw evidence of God’s grace: people were saved, growing, changing, sharing…
•      Barnabas went to Tarsus and got Paul.
•      Disciples were first called Christians here.

Why Grow?

1.               It’s God’s redemptive plan.

2.               It is God’s will to seek to draw all men unto Himself.

3.               God works through men.

4.               God works through His Son.

5.               God works through His Church.

What is the church?

False Ideas:

•      God will take care of it all.
•      Drift into religious relativism.
•      Exclusivism.
•      Institutionalism

Biblical Ideas

1.               The church is an outpost for God.
Eph 3:10

2.               The church is a fellowship with eternal implications. 1 Cor. 15:24

3.               The church is a place where God is active, and he testifies to his redemptive works.

4.               The church is a place where hope abides.

5.               The church is a place of spiritual people in fleshly garb.

6.               The church is an organism for action and reproduction.

II Timothy 2:19

During the time of Moses leading the people from Egypt to Canaan there were many times problems would have become insurmountable without the intervention of YAHWEH. In Numbers 16 Korah and a group of about 250 men challenged the leadership of Moses and Aaron.

Moses was very upset with this development and showed some restraint but the Lord would be the one who decided. In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him. (16:5) The Lord made that decision and the earth opened up and swallowed those who rebelled.

Sometimes there is such closeness to the truth that it is difficult to distinguish between the real and the almost real.  It is during this time that we are to exercise restraint and let the Lord make the decision.

Jesus told two parables that allow us some insight into his thinking about making decisions about others before the judgment.  Both of these are found in Matthew 13.  The first is the parable of the Tares.  In this parable the tares (Darnel) are so much like the real wheat that more harm will be done if one attempts to separate them.  Jesus says wait until judgment. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.

The second is the Parable of the Dragnet (47, 48). Fishermen were casting their nets and caught all manner of fish.  Some were not good, others were good for selling and eating.  The fishermen sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. Judgmen! 49This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous.

We are not to worry about whether or not we are known by the Lord.  He knows those who are his. Revelation 21:27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.  

Jeremiah 5:1

Jeremiah expresses the sentiment that many of us have in our day.  Can we find a man who is trustworthy?  Can we live above the frailties of our peers?  Are we able to be faithful in the midst of a people whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways? (Proverbs 2:15)

It might do us better to worry about what we can change.  It is not within our realm of possibility to effect change in others.  We can encourage it but we can’t change for another human being. 

Where can we effect change? In ourselves!  We can change who we are and how we act and think.  It is amazing to see the changes that some are able to bring about in their own lives.  Men have stopped lying, cheating, fornicating even terrorism.  God is in the people changing business and when we give ourselves to Him good things can happen.

If God is looking for a man, or woman, who does right, He can find one right there in our mirror.    He is not looking for a perfect man but one who really wants to live the godly life and works at it on a regular bases.

14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe (Philippians 2)

The year has just begun. Where will I be at the end of the year?  Will Jesus find faith on the earth when he returns?  For me and my house we will serve the Lord.

What would a man give?  What would you give? What would anyone give?  But, alas, we can’t have it back.  The past is gone and the future is now.

The real valuable things are things that last a lifetime and beyond.  It always seemed ironic to me that a man who plays sports would give so much time to it that his family is neglected.  He can play sports for a few years and then he becomes a spectator.   Fantasy football is his passion.

When we really consider it, our work life is only about 30 years and by reason of strength we may get in forty.  (This is my forty-eighth year in preaching.)  Our work takes a large chunk of our time and energy.  But who gets married without the hope of celebrating that Golden Anniversary? 

We can spend a lifetime doing our thing and neglect the weightier matters of life.  I want to encourage all of us to change the word lifetime to wifetime and make our homes more of what God intends for us.  Spending more time with the wife of our youth can pay great dividends for a long and successful existence on the earth.

      Work that last for 40 years is nothing compared to 50+ years with a wife and family.  The end of a year brings together families and most are happy occasions.  For some there is regret at the failure of families to enjoy get-togethers and share in the wholesomeness of families.

For those of us who still have time to make the best of family life, we will need to get back to fundamentals. The advice that Jesus gave to the Church in Ephesus is appropriate for us to regain our family and our faith: Repent and do the things you did at first. (Revelation 2:5)   Go back to spending wifetime and you might see some really major changes in your life for the New Year.

James 5:7

As we approach the New Year it is important for us to “make the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil”. (Ephesians 5:16)  This time of the year we are more likely to evaluate where we are in our relational, financial, physical and spiritual lives.  If things have gone well we can approach the New Year with confidence.  If things have gone sour for us this year we will look at the New Year with some fear and trepidation.

It is a wise man who knows how to be patient.  Many are there who want everything today and don’t give a hoot about tomorrow.  Some want everything yesterday but can’t pay for it tomorrow.

he times are going to put a strain on us and we may find that it is wise to be patient and fugal as we look to 2009.  It probably is wise to live this way in any and every year.  Those who have lived frugally and have been diligent in their approach to life will fine the new year will turn out right.  Those who have overextended themselves will be found scrambling for ways to meet the demands of the New Year.

There is an old saying that goes something like this:  “All things come to those who wait”. But those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

The New Year will have many challenges.  We may be faced with tough decisions about life, family, finances, health, jobs, children and homes.  Those who go into the next year with Jesus as their companion and determined to follow His ways have a better chance of making it through with flying colors. Until the coming of the Lord.

Battle-hardened soldiers began to crawl out of their trenches in Belgium and met on the land that hours before was a battlefield. German warriors began singing Stille Nacht (Silent Night) and the Scottish troops responded with English Christmas Carols. By the end of the night, the combatants were engaged in a new conflict: a soccer match with each other in what had been known as “No Man’s Land” – the field between the trenches.

Soldiers met together to pray, exchange cards, and enjoy Red Cross supply packages with little bits of chocolate and goodies from home. They worked together to collect the dead and give them an honorable burial. The men read aloud the words of Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd…

Sadly, this peace was short-lived. Within days these men were back to the routine of war where violence and death reigned supreme, but none of them ever forgot that day of peace.

When Jesus was born the shout of the heavenly host was, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:114 ESV) Isaiah 9:6 prophesies this Savior, a Prince of Peace who will reign for us forever. It’s not surprising that in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that peacemakers will be blessed.

There certainly is conflict, unrest, and violence on earth. Jesus didn’t promise to rid the world of uncertainty, but He did come bringing peace to the hearts of those whose trust is in Him.

St. Francis of Assisi is said to have written this prayer in the 13th Century: Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.

As God’s people, may this always be our prayer!

When Fidel Castro came to power, he first banned the construction of new church buildings. His advisors believed that limiting future growth of the church would effectively bring about its slow and quiet death. After all – if you’re not growing, you’re dying right?

That plan didn’t work. People who wanted to continue to worship, study, and grow, realized that church buildings were nice-but not necessary. Home-based churches began springing up across the country and the number of folks who claimed Christianity continued to grow. Castro wanted to do something to curb the enthusiasm and growth of these people, so he enacted Resolution 46 in April 2005. Among other things, he forbade churches from assembling more than three times per week.

If our President enacted Resolution 46-would it affect the church at Burns?

If the regulation limited worship assemblies to no more than twice weekly, would it affect you?

It’s true that the Bible doesn’t give a command with a number of required weekly church meetings. It is also true that it does give an example:

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. …  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47 NIV)

Do you think they would have noticed Resolution 46?

It is amazing to me what happens every year on “Black Friday” – people abuse a wonderful day off by getting up at three in the morning just in the hope of snagging a good deal!

In New York a Wal-Mart employee was trampled to death by a crowd of bargain hunters-who all wanted to be first into the store. Several others, including a pregnant 28-year old were taken to the hospital with injuries.

How does this sort of thing happen? The people in these crowds aren’t evil folks who woke up bent on doing whatever it took to get the deal at the expense of others. They didn’t plan on hurting anyone-in fact, they didn’t even think about anyone getting hurt.

Therein the answer lies: they didn’t even think. That morning these people woke up very early for a particular goal. They invested time and emotional energy into getting the good deals. When they arrived at the stores, their hopes were dashed by the presence of hundreds of other people competing for the same goal. Disappointment turned to frustration; frustration paired with desire led to a fiercely competitive spirit. When one person inched towards the door, the three surrounding him had to move forward two inches-or their emotional investment would surely bankrupt. It’s the perfect storm of greed, pride, and mob psychology.

Before long this cycle spirals out of control. People no longer act human – they behave like animals in a herd. They don’t consider the feelings of others, the well-being of self, or anything other than moving forward. That’s how a crowd becomes a mob. That’s how God’s created image-bearing-person becomes no more than an animal.

A mob once cried out, “Crucify him!” and “His blood be upon us and on our children.” A mob raided the house of Jason in Acts 17 upset with the teaching of Paul and Silas. A mob dragged Paul out of the temple and tried o kill him (Acts 21).

One thing that should make us different than the world is the way we are to think about the interests of others. We have the perfect example who did just that-even in the face of an angry mob (Phil 2:1-11). My prayer for us is that we never lose sight of our call to look out for the interests of others.

We are blessed people, yet how often we become forgetful and self-centered. The holiday season is supposed to be a time of generosity, when we live the words of Jesus, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

I hope you’ll spend some time with your family this season talking about the great gifts given by God. If anyone has the right to claim it is better to give than receive, it would certainly be the one who gave his only son, that whoever believes in him wouldn’t die! (John 3:16)

This winter at Burns we want to focus on being thankful people who live devoted lives because of the love of the Great Giver and Sustainer of life. We’ve dedicated the month of November to studying the “Big God” we serve. We’ll focus on Jesus, the greatest gift, in the month of December. On Wednesday, November 26 at 7pm, we’ll have a special service of thanksgiving to God. We’ll also have special mid-week services on Christmas Eve as well as New Year’s Eve at 7pm. We’re studying the letters Paul wrote from prison on Sunday nights at 6pm. In them we can see the power of God over anything that happens to us. We invite you to join us as we spend time in prayer, study, and song to express our gratitude to God!

This has been a great year for the church at Burns. We’ve been represented in mission work on three continents. We have grown in number. We have a class of almost twenty who are reading the Bible all the way through for the first time ever. We have grown as a family in the grace and peace of God. We want to share what we’ve experienced with you!

Let’s take time together to follow Paul’s instructions from 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “In all things, give thanks!”

In addition, here’s are our pictures from the Christ Tomb Tour at Woodlawn. Thanks to the folks at the Funeral Home for the great tour!

A mentor of mine once suggested this schedule for carving out time for spiritual meditation and prayer. He called it “Time Alone with God.” He suggested praying using these concepts as a guide. Focus your mind on the first area until you can focus there no longer, then move on to the next. He appropriately called this plan START.

• Submit in prayer to God the Father. Jesus prayed “not my will, but Thine be done,” and so should we. His model prayer was a model of humility. Take time to realize that you are entering the throne room of the true and living eternal God-so pray like it!
• Thank Him for all that He has done and will do. Be specific. Think about blessings you’ve encountered. Think about how God has acted through your family, friends, and the church. Thank Him for specific people, events, and opportunities.
• Admit to Him your weaknesses. This is a lesson in humility and an exercise in repentance. Tell God that you are sorry-and what you’re sorry for. Admit that it is difficult to pray sometimes, and that you need help. Own up to your temptations; He understands and cares.
• Request that He help you and yours. Only after you’ve acknowledged his majesty, marveled at His love, and humbled yourself in the light of His perfection can you really make a request of God. Ask Him about anything and everything; don’t be anxious about anything, but make your requests known! (cf. Philippians 4:6-7)
• Trust that He will act. Vocalize your trust in him. Tell him that you need help, but that you are resolved to trust him more and more with each passing day. Once you’ve asked for forgiveness for a specific sin; move on! Know that He has forgiven you!

Thanksgiving is a great time to START making time alone with God. Use our traditional day of turkey and family as a chance to begin a spiritual feast. Your soul will thank you!

Arnold Garcon, our missionary who works in Haiti and elsewhere in central/south America, came this past Wednesday night to make a presentation about his work. As you may be aware, there have been several storms and hurricanes hit in the past year–which is a problem in the hemisphere’s poorest nation. On top of that, inflation and rising prices combined with a weak dollar have hurt the church’s buying power.

With that in mind, we’re having a special contribution this Sunday for relief work in Haiti. This contribution will be used to support Arnold’s work and help those who are in desperate need of physical aid — and in need of Good News.

If you didn’t get to join us Wednesday night, take a look at one of Arnold’s presentations to get a feel for what has been going on:

Arnold’s Mission Report Audio:

Download audio file (Wed-2008-11-19.mp3)

Our culture trains us to have short attention spans. The average television show doesn’t last more than five seconds without changing the camera angle, the scene, or the graphics. You’ll never go more than twelve minutes without a commercial. This is definitely a cultural shift of the last few decades. As recently as the mid-1900s, gospel meetings regularly lasted three weeks-with a three-week encore if things were going well. The original Lincoln-Douglas debates of the mid 1800s consisted of 8 to 10 hours of the debaters reading their materials aloud. My head hurts just typing that sentence!

I suspect that the cultural war for a long attention span is lost, but I think we can improve individually. It bothers me how easily I lose focus when praying or listening to lengthy blocks of scripture. In school I was cautioned about using long scriptures in sermons-because “people won’t listen.” What a sad thought!

There is something to be said for the spiritual discipline of meditative reading and prayer. It doesn’t come as naturally to us as it did to previous generations-but it is now even more important to our spiritual health.

Here are a few of the Bible’s many references to investing time in God’s word:

• Joshua 1:8 “The book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night…”
• Psalm 27:4 “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in his temple.”
• Psalm 77:6 “I said, ‘Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.’”
• Psalm 119:48 “I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statues.”

If you’ve never really done it, carve out some time to make this discipline a habit. Isolate yourself from distractions-use a “do not disturb” sign if you have to-and use that time to read, re-read, read aloud, and think about the words of Scripture. When your mind wanders-it will-breathe a simple prayer for God to direct you back to his word. Think about the meaning of the text; think about the goodness of God. Time alone with God is like a breath of fresh air for your soul!

It’s hard for me to believe that the campaigns are finished. It almost seems like something is missing from the television, the newspaper, and the internet now that there is not an ad or poll results everywhere I turn. Most Americans woke up Wednesday pleased with the results-that is the way the popular vote works-but many of us in Dickson County (60%) were disappointed. That’s just the way democracy works!

Regardless of your feelings about our new president-elect, Christians have certain responsibilities towards their leaders. It is pretty impressive to me that these responsibilities are constant regardless of the leader. Whether you were a German living under Hitler, a Christian under Nero, or even an ancient Jew under David, God expects the same things:

•          We must pray for our leaders. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
•          We must thank God for our leaders. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
•          We must respect our leaders. (Romans 13:7)
•          We must honor our leaders. (Romans 13:7, 1 Peter 2:17)
•          We must give what is due to our leaders.  (Matthew 22:15-22)

To this list, I’ll add one more thought:

We must remember our primary citizenship is not American. Our party affiliation is neither democratic nor republican. I’m proud to be an American, but that pride pales in comparison with the magnificent splendor of the only kingdom whose king is Jehovah God!

Here’s what Paul said: “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enable him even to subject all things to himself.” (Philippians 3:20-21) (See also John 18:36)

For that citizenship, I am very grateful. May our knees always bow to the true king of heaven and earth!

Here’s a little slideshow of the night:

Did you ever know anybody who was running a race and just sat down on the side of the track and never got back in the race?  Did you ever see a football player just sit down in the middle of the field and forget about the game?  Did you ever see a Christian who was running the race for Jesus, just decide one day that he was ready to drop out of the Christian race and forget the whole plan to get to the end of the race and see Jesus face to face?

I have seen it happen in races before. A racer is putting it all on the line to win and someone cuts in on him and he either trips and falls or he gets diverted or discouraged and slows down.  The race is lost and he goes down as a loser.

I have seen it in the Christian life.  A runner gets a good start at his baptism.  He reads the Bible and prays every day.  He brings family and friends to worship and several are baptized. Something occurs and he gets cut in on and he falls back and drifts back into the old way of life. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires. (Ephesians 4:22)

The race goes on and this discouraged racer drops farther and farther back and in the end he sits at home on Sunday night and before long he sits at home on Sunday morning.  Everyone wonders at the change in his life at the beginning and now they are wondering at the change of his life now.

Paul has a word for the Galatians and for us today: You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?

      There is an old song that I remember hearing in my youth. (You might say it would have to be really old.)  The song had a stanza that went: Every one who talks about heaven ain’t going there.

      In the 12^th century a poet/song writer called Bernard of Morlaix wrote a poem of three thousand lines.  Now that is a formidable task.  I will have written that many lines in the articles I write for this bulletin over a few years.  I can’t imagine writing a poem of this length and I can’t imagine any of you reading it all the way through.  You might not even make it to the end of this article.

      In this long poem Bernard pinned these lines:

            The world is very evil

                  The times are waxing late

            Be sober and keep vigil

                  The judge is at the gate.

      We live in a challenging time.  Crises seem to be the invader of our day.  We have moral crises, financial crises, family crises, prison crises, judicial crises, health crises and more crises than we can shake a stick at. 

            The world is very evil

                  The times are waxing late.

      God is still in charge and those who believe this can survive the crises of any time.  He will accomplish His will and those who are on His side will win the victory. For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. (I John 5:4)

      Be sober and keep vigil

                  The judge is at the gate.

      There is a tendency among many of us that it is the primary commitment of God to solve our problems.  When a problem arises we just turn it over to God and whammy! It is solved.  No more having to wait in line for a big cure all for all my woes.

      Paul reminds us that this may not be the case.  Paul views God’s wonderful grace as the power of God in our lives that is sufficient to help us to face and walk through trials. The goal of God is change in our lives. We need to move to a more intimate life with Christ.  This doesn’t always equate with the removal of our problems. His power is made perfect in weakness.

      Since God is in the people changing business, He can use every ailment to bring about any necessary change in our lives.  He may never remove a thorn in the flesh but His grace is sufficient for you. Change is never easy but God hangs in there for us and will work His power in us as we face the realities of this world and prepare for the world to come.

      God’s goal for our lives is maturity.  Life is not just ailments to be removed or events to be avoided.  He wants us to learn how to better worship Him and serve Him.  He may never remove an illness from us or our loved-one, but He is always there teaching us about Himself.  He may lead through the valley of the shadow of death but His gentle hand will lead us less we fall.

      We need to commit ourselves to embrace what God is doing in our lives.  He is trying to make us into His image and as we can learn to see as He sees. We can look beyond the present problem to the purpose of God for our lives.  His word gives us vision, hope, direction and goals. Our challenge is to look beyond the now and embrace the vision that God has for us. We may have a physical or emotional problem but it is the spirit that needs God’s power.     

At the funeral of wealthy Howard Hughes someone remarked,” I wonder what he left behind.”  To which another remarked, “All of it.”  What kind of expectations do you have for yourself?  Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief?

Don’t sweat it.  God gives us what we need and he doesn’t expect us to bring earthly treasures to His door and pay for entrance. You don’t arrive at His gate with a bucket full of cash and demand entrance.  It’s an eternal life that we are talking about not some few years on this earth making fortunes and losing them.

Here are some suggestion s for living God’s way.

      Celebrate the wonder of grace. Believe in grace more and more each day. Ponder grace, praise God for grace, preach grace and live grace.  By doing this we can remain confident and upbeat when life doesn’t live up to our expectations. God loves me just as I am and He faithfully accepts me with all my faults.  I can accept myself because he has already accepted me with my strengths and weaknesses.  That does not mean that I give in to laziness and irresponsibility.  It does mean that I am not overwhelmed with guilt and can deal with life constructively.  Life it not just getting somewhere. It is a process of how are we getting on His wavelength.

      Celebrate what is rather than what might have been.  I rejoice in what is happening rather than bemoaning what isn’t happening.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in Life Together, “If we do not give thanks daily for the Christian fellowship in which we have been placed . . . we hinder God from letting our fellowship grow to the measure and the riches which are in Christ Jesus.”  If things are not the exact way we want them to be, adjust!  Enjoy the world as you have it rather than dream of greener grass.

      Keep a sense of humor.  Norman Cousins calls laughter “internal jogging.”  George MacDonald said that the heart that is unsure of God is afraid to laugh.  Don’t let the lesser issues of life control you.  But by the grace of God I am what I am.

We have all heard the jokes about the “Procrastinators Club” putting off their meeting until tomorrow. Many of us belong to the Procrastinators club, albeit unofficially.  We have been putting off  signing up.

We get really busy and think it will be better tomorrow to get this thing done. Those chores can be done tomorrow.  Those bills can be paid tomorrow. The bills will get smaller tomorrow and there will be more money than month tomorrow. I will read the Bible more tomorrow.  I will go see my friend tomorrow. I will go to church better tomorrow. I will help out a neighbor tomorrow.

We are good at tomorrows but not good at todays.  Today is the tomorrow that we thought about yesterday.  Today has come and the procrastinators are still saying tomorrow.  Take care of today and tomorrow will be a piece of cake. Jesus weighs in on the subject in Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

You can be sure of one thing.  If you take care of things today, tomorrow will be a lot better.  Things that are left for tomorrow that should have been done today have a way of coming back to haunt us. 

There are times that it is good to think of tomorrow.  We need to plan for the days ahead.  We can get things in motion that can be accomplished tomorrow.  Things that need doing tomorrow don’t have to be done today.  The bad thing is to put off today what ought to be done in hopes that we will have another chance tomorrow. 

A good suggestion: Put off procrastination!

Each student was assigned a mentor, memorized scripture, participated in service projects, and had opportunities to grow in leadeship. 

In addition, we recognized our Bible Bowl students as you have already read in previous posts.

Enjoy the pictures from our awards day!