Friday, April 30, 2021

On This Day in 1789

 





On this day in 1789, the first President of the United States, George Washington, was sworn in at Federal Hall in New York City. As everyone knows, New York City was our nation’s capital from 1785 to 1790.

Immediately afterwards, he walked down to a service at St. Paul’s Chapel.


“When it first opened in 1766 as an outreach chapel of Trinity Church to better serve its expanding congregation, St. Paul’s was a “chapel-of-ease” for those who did not want to walk a few blocks south along unpaved streets to Trinity. A decade later, the Great Fire of 1776 destroyed the first Trinity Church, but St. Paul’s survived, thanks to a bucket brigade dousing the building with water.



Until the second Trinity Church was rebuilt in 1790, many, including George Washington, made St. Paul’s their church home. On April 30, 1789, after Washington took the oath of office to become the first President of the United States, he made his way from Federal Hall on Wall Street to St. Paul’s Chapel, where he attended services.

Over the next two centuries, the ministries of St. Paul’s expanded along with the city. Community outreach was a primary focus, with services to accommodate the needs of immigrants, working women, and the homeless.



After September 11, 2001, St. Paul’s became the site of an extraordinary, round-the-clock relief ministry to rescue and recovery workers for nine months. Though the World Trade Center buildings collapsed just across the street, there was no damage to St. Paul’s, earning it the nickname ‘the little chapel that stood.’”


https://trinitywallstreet.org/visit/st-pauls-chapel/911

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Tribute to Astronaut Jim Collins

 

(CNN)Michael Collins, the NASA astronaut who was the command module pilot for the Apollo 11 mission to the moon, has died at age 90 after battling cancer. 

His family shared the news Wednesday after his passing on Collins' Facebook page

"We regret to share that our beloved father and grandfather passed away today, after a valiant battle with cancer," the statement read. 

"He spent his final days peacefully, with his family by his side. Mike always faced the challenges of life with grace and humility, and faced this, his final challenge, in the same way. We will miss him terribly. Yet we also know how lucky Mike felt to have lived the life he did. We will honor his wish for us to celebrate, not mourn, that life. Please join us in fondly and joyfully remembering his sharp wit, his quiet sense of purpose, and his wise perspective, gained both from looking back at Earth from the vantage of space and gazing across calm waters from the deck of his fishing boat. Our family asks for privacy during this difficult time. Details on services will be forthcoming."

 


This astronaut portrait of Collins was taken on July 1, 1969, shortly before the Apollo 11 flight. 


NASA, where Collins spent seven years of his career as an astronaut, also released a statement about Collins' passing.

“Every now is an eternity, if it is full of God.”

 


While teaching at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Tony Campolo once turned an ordinary lecture into an unforgettable lesson. He asked an unsuspecting student sitting in the front row, “Young man, how long have you lived?” The student answered his age. Tony responded, “No, no, no. That’s how long your heart has been pumping blood. That’s not how long you have lived.”


Tony Campolo then told the class about one of the most memorable moments of his life. In 1944, his fourth-grade class took a field trip to the top of the Empire State Building. It was the tallest building in the world at the time. When nine-year-old Tony got off the elevator and stepped onto the observation deck overlooking New York City, time stood still. “In one mystical, magical moment I took in the city,” he said. “If I live a million years, that moment will still be part of my conscious­ness, because I was fully alive when I lived it.”


Tony turned back to the student. “Now, let me ask you the question again. How long have you lived?” The student sheepishly said, “When you say it that way, maybe an hour; maybe a minute; maybe two min­utes.”


How long have you lived? I mean really lived. It’s easy calculating age. It’s more difficult quantifying life. Why? Because time is measured in minutes, while life is measured in moments. What are those top-of-the-Empire-State-Building moments for you? For most of us, they are too few and far between. When was the last time that time stood still? And if you turned those moments into minutes, how long have you lived?

According to psychologists Matthew Killingsworth and Daniel Gil­bert, the average person spends 46.9 percent of their time thinking about something other than what they’re doing in the present moment. We’re half-present half the time, which means we’re half-alive.


The only way to be fully alive is to be fully present, and the only way to be fully present is to live in day-tight compartments. For far too many of us, life feels like the meaningless passage of time between far too few meaningful moments. And even when they do come along, we take selfies instead of being fully present. We miss the moment because we’re living in the wrong time zone. We’re so fixated on the past and so anxious about the future that we miss the present. Then we wonder where life went.


The future is right here, right now—the eternal now. Heaven is in­vading earth. Eternity is invading time. Most people falsely assume that eternity starts at some point in the far-off future, and they live accord­ingly. Eternity is counterclockwise. Eternity is invading time every sec­ond of every minute of every hour of every day!


“Every now is an eternity,” said Frank Laubach, “if it is full of God.”


Excerpted from Win the Day: 7 Daily Habits to Help You Stress Less & Accomplish More.           Copyright © 2020 by Mark Batterson. 

Used by permission of Multnomah, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

The Essence of Teaching

 



An old man meets a young man who asks:


“Do you remember me?”

And the old man says no. Then the young man tells him he was his student, And the teacher asks:

“What do you do, what do you do in life?”

The young man answers:

“Well, I became a teacher.”

“ah, how good, like me?” Asks the old man.

“Well, yes. In fact, I became a teacher because you inspired me to be like you.”

The old man, curious, asks the young man at what time he decided to become a teacher. And the young man tells him the following story:

“One day, a friend of mine, also a student, came in with a nice new watch, and I decided I wanted it.

I stole it, I took it out of his pocket.

Shortly after, my friend noticed the his watch was missing and immediately complained to our teacher, who was you.

Then you addressed the class saying, ‘This student's watch was stolen during classes today. Whoever stole it, please return it.’

I didn't give it back because I didn't want to.

You closed the door and told us all to stand up and form a circle.

You were going to search our pockets one by one until the watch was found.

However, you told us to close our eyes, because you would only look for his watch if we all had our eyes closed.

We did as instructed.

You went from pocket to pocket, and when you went through my pocket, you found the watch and took it. You kept searching everyone's pockets, and when you were done you said ‘open your eyes. We have the watch.’

You didn't tell on me and you never mentioned the episode. You never said who stole the watch either. That day you saved my dignity forever. It was the most shameful day of my life.

But this is also the day I decided not to become a thief, a bad person, etc. You never said anything, nor did you even scold me or take me aside to give me a moral lesson.

I received your message clearly.

Thanks to you, I understood what a real educator needs to do.

Do you remember this episode, professor?

The old professor answered, ‘Yes, I remember the situation with the stolen watch, which I was looking for in everyone’s pocket. I didn't remember you, because I also closed my eyes while looking.’

This is the essence of teaching:




Sunday, April 25, 2021

Cut the Rope

 

In 1853, America hosted its first world’s fair in New York City. The organizers built a beautiful exhibition hall called the Crystal Palace. This is where the latest and greatest inventions were showcased. This is also where a man named Elisha Otis pulled off one of the most remark­able stunts in the history of the world’s fair. Otis was the inventor of the safety elevator brake, but he was having a hard time selling his idea to safety-first skeptics. It was time to go big or go home. He stood on an elevator platform hoisted high enough for everybody in the exhibition hall to see him. Then Otis, who had positioned an axman above the el­evator, cued him to cut the rope!

The elevator fell—a few feet. The crowd let out a collective gasp. And Elisha Otis pronounced, “All safe, ladies and gentlemen. All safe.”

I know—cutting the rope doesn’t seem safe. Can I tell you what’s not safe? Playing it safe! In fact, the greatest risk is taking no risks. Cutting the rope is about taking calculated risks. When I say “calculated,” I’m talking about a risk-reward ratio. I’m not advocating blind leaps. Keep both eyes wide open, but you’d better not focus on the wind and waves. The only way to walk on water is to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus! Well, you have to get out of the boat too!

When Elisha Otis pulled off this unforgettable sales pitch, there were only a few buildings in New York City taller than five floors. Why? No one wanted to climb the stairs! It was next to impossible to rent top-floor real estate. Then in 1854, Otis installed an elevator in a building on Broadway, and the rest is history.



By 1890, there were ten buildings taller than ten stories. By 1900, there were sixty-five buildings taller than twenty stories. And by 1908, there were 538 buildings in New York City that qualified as skyscrapers, including the famous Flatiron Building between Broadway and Fifth Avenue. More and more buildings got taller and taller, and something else happened. Higher floors started producing higher revenues! As long as you didn’t have to climb the stairs, everyone wanted a room with a view.

Elisha Otis had turned the world upside down. He didn’t just invent the safety elevator brake; he made the modern skyscraper possible!

At last count, New York City has fifty-eight thousand elevators. Those elevators make eleven billion trips every year. And that’s just New York City! According to the Otis Elevator Company, the equiva­lent of the world’s population rides on their products every three days. All because Elisha Otis had the courage to cut the rope!

If you want to imagine unborn tomorrows, you’ve got to cut the rope. It’s scary, especially if you’re afraid of heights. But anything less is main­taining the status quo. You will experience a few falls, a few fails. That’s for certain. But cutting the rope is the way we cut the ribbon on the dreams God has given us.



Excerpted from Win the Day: 7 Daily Habits to Help You Stress Less & Accomplish More. Copyright © 2020 by Mark Batterson. 

Used by permission of Multnomah, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Saturday, April 24, 2021

Small things - Big Differences Relationships




This video features some advice from individuals who attend United Wesleyan Church in Charlotte NC.   Sharron and I made the cut.  Thought you would enjoy this recent video  ( Feb, 2021).


 


 

Friday, April 23, 2021

Friday Funnies..... Questions and Answers




Q: At what time of day was Adam created?
A: A little before Eve.

Q: Why didn't they play cards on the Ark?
A: Because Noah was standing on the deck

Q. Why didn't Noah go fishing?
A. He only had two worms.

Q. Did Eve ever have a date with Adam?
A. No, just an apple.

Q: Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible?
A: Pharaoh's daughter. She went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet.

Q. Why couldn't Jonah trust the ocean?
A. Because he knew there was something fishy about it.

Q: What kind of man was Boaz before he married Ruth?
A: Ruthless

Q: What do you get if you cross a Jehovah's Witness and a Unitarian?
A: Someone who goes around knocking on doors for no apparent reason

Q: Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible?
A: Samson, because he brought the house down

Q: What excuse did Adam give to his children as to why he no longer lived in Eden?
A: Your mother ate us out of house and home!

Q: Which servant of God was the most flagrant lawbreaker in the Bible?
A: Moses. He broke all 10 commandments at once

Q: Which area of Palestine was especially wealthy?
A: The area around Jordan, because the banks were always overflowing

Q: Who was the first tennis player in the bible?
A: Joseph... he served in Pharaoh's court

Q: How can you tell if someone is half-Catholic and half-Jewish?
A: He never misses confession but always takes his lawyer

Q: Where is the first math problem mentioned in the bible?
A: When God told Adam and Eve to go forth and multiply.

Q: Who is the greatest babysitter mentioned in the Bible?
A: David, because he rocked Goliath to a very deep sleep

Q: How do groups of angels greet each other?
A: Halo, halo, halo.

Q: Who was the greatest male financier in the Bible?
A: Noah. He was floating his stock while everyone else was in liquidation.

Q: What do we have that Adam never had?
A: Ancestors

Q. Where was Solomon's temple located?
A. On the side of his head.

Q. What did Adam say on the day before Christmas?
A. It's Christmas, Eve!

Q. How does Moses make his coffee?
A. Hebrews it.

Q. How do we know Peter was a rich fisherman?
A. By his net income.

Q. How do you make Holy Water?
A. Get regular water and boil the devil out of it.

Q. How long did Cain hate his brother?
A. As long as he was Abel.

Q. Why did God create man before woman?
A. Because He didn’t want any advice on how to do it.

Q. Why did Noah have to punish and discipline the chickens on the Ark?
A. Because they were using “fowl” language.

Q: Did you know that they had automobiles in Jesus' time?
A: Yes, the Bible says that the disciples were all of one Accord.

Q: Why do they say 'Amen' at the end of a prayer instead of 'Awomen'?
A: The same reason they sing Hymns instead of Hers!

Q: What do donkeys send out near Christmas?
A: Mule-tide greetings.

Q: Did you hear about the Dial-a-Prayer service they have for atheists now?
A: You dial the number and it rings and rings but nobody answers

Q. Who were Gumby's favorite Bible characters?
A. Shadrack, Meshack & AhBENDago.

Q. Where is the first baseball game in the Bible?
A. In the big inning. Eve stole first, Adam stole second. Cain struck out Abel. The Giants and the Angels were rained out.

Q. Who was the smartest man in the Bible?
A. Abraham. He knew a Lot.

Q. On the Ark, Noah probably got milk from the cows. What did he get from the ducks?
A. Quackers

Q. Who is the shortest person in the Bible?
A. Bildad the Shuhite (shoe-height). Nehimiah (Knee-high-miah) was a close second.

Q. How do we know that a lot of people in the Bible used fertilizer?
A. Because they always said, “Lettuce spray.” (Let us pray).

Q. What animal could Noah not trust?
A. Cheetah

Q. Which Bible Character is a locksmith?
A. Zaccheus.

Q. Which Bible character had no parents?
A. Joshua, son of Nun (Joshua 1:1).

Q. Why did the unemployed man get excited while looking through his Bible?
A. He thought he saw a job.

Q. When was meat first mentioned in the Bible?
A. When Noah took Ham into the ark.

Q. What’s the best way to study the Bible?
A. You Luke into it.

Q. Where is medicine first mentioned in the Bible?
A. When God gave Moses two tablets.

Q. How do we know that cars are in the New Testament?
A. Because Jesus was a car-painter (carpenter)

Q. What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible?
A. Jehovah drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden in a Fury. David’s Triumph was heard throughout the land. Also, probably a Honda, because the apostles were all in one Accord.

Q. Who was the fastest runner in the race?
A. Adam, because he was first in the human race.

 

Thursday, April 22, 2021

22 April 1778

 




22 April 1778, Commander John Paul Jones leads a small detachment of two boats from his ship, the Ranger, to raid the shallow port at Whitehaven, England, where, by his own account, 400 British merchant ships are anchored. Jones was hoping to reach the port at midnight, when ebb tide would leave the shops at their most vulnerable.

Jones and his 30 volunteers had greater difficulty than anticipated rowing to the port, which was protected by two forts. They did not arrive until dawn. Jones’ boat successfully took the southern fort, disabling its cannon, but the other boat returned without attempting an attack on the northern fort, after the sailors claimed to have been frightened away by a noise. To compensate, Jones set fire to the southern fort, which subsequently engulfed the entire town.

The destruction caused by the Whitehaven raid was paltry, but its effectiveness as propaganda was electrifying. No raid had been made on an English seaport since 1667, thanks to Britain’s dominance of the seas. Englishmen wondered uneasily where the mighty Royal Navy had been in Whitehaven’s time of need, and Jones appeared, not for the last time, in English newspapers as a swashbuckling pirate….

 


Beware of the Least Likely Temptation

 




Joab had defected to Adonijah, though he had not defected to Absalom.                                                                                                           1 Kings 2:28


Joab withstood the greatest test of his life, remaining absolutely loyal to David by not turning to follow after the fascinating and ambitious Absalom. Yet toward the end of his life he turned to follow after the weak and cowardly Adonijah. Always remain alert to the fact that where one person has turned back is exactly where anyone may be tempted to turn back (see 1 Corinthians 10:11-13). You may have just victoriously gone through a great crisis, but now be alert about the things that may appear to be the least likely to tempt you. Beware of thinking that the areas of your life where you have experienced victory in the past are now the least likely to cause you to stumble and fall.


We are apt to say, “It is not at all likely that having been through the greatest crisis of my life I would now turn back to the things of the world.” Do not try to predict where the temptation will come; it is the least likely thing that is the real danger. It is in the aftermath of a great spiritual event that the least likely things begin to have an effect. 

They may not be forceful and dominant, but they are there. And if you are not careful to be forewarned, they will trip you. You have remained true to God under great and intense trials— now beware of the undercurrent. Do not be abnormally examining your inner self, looking forward with dread, but stay alert; keep your memory sharp before God. 

Unguarded strength is actually a double weakness, because that is where the least likely temptations will be effective in sapping strength. The Bible characters stumbled over their strong points, never their weak ones.


“…kept by the power of God…”— that is the only safety. (1 Peter 1:5).



By Oswald Chambers

 

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Happy Birthday to Sharron!!

 



Happy Birthday to Sharron!!

I want to be sure and express my love for Sharron. God brought her into my life when I was a youth pastor at a church in Charlotte, NC. I had just graduated from college. Sharron had just earned her RN degree and was recruited by a hospital in Charlotte. It was almost love at first sight. We began to date within days after meeting and were married five months later. That was the summer of 1978. God blessed us with twin daughters in November 1980 as we began our family. We departed Charlotte in 1981 to move to the Northern Virginia area. Our ministry took us to Marion, IN; Sturgis MI; Topeka, KS; Raleigh, NC and Gastonia, NC. 

 

This coming June we will celebrate 43 years of marriage. God has truly blessed us and we are so thankful for the family and provisions of God in our life. 

On Sharron’s birthday I once again want to express my deep love and admiration for her. Here is a favorite picture of us:




In 2018 I changed my category of service with the Wesleyan Church to Retired Minister. We relocated to Indian Trail, NC to move into a house owned by our daughter Stephanie and her husband Joshua.  We now live near Danielle and Stephanie and we enjoy seeing our five grandchildren on a regular basis. 


With the COVID Pandemic we were diagnosed with the virus on the Wednesday before Christmas and spent the next ten day quarantined in our home.  It was a mild case for each of us and each of us have received both our vaccine shots.  We are loving life!



Happy Birthday Sharron - I love you!


Tuesday, April 20, 2021

A Hymn Penned in a Plague: Now Thank We All Our God

 


During the Great Pestilence of 1637, Martin Rinkart, age 31, found himself in a distressing situation as the only clergyperson in Eilenburg, Germany. The plague had broken out in this war torn community, and all of the other clergymen had either died or departed.  

 

Left alone to meet the vast spiritual needs of the entire community, Rinkart officiated 4480 funerals (40-50 per day) including that of his first wife.  

 

A severe famine followed the epidemic, and the good pastor rose to this challenge, working with town leaders to provide relief and organize assistance. He also led negotiations to secure peace with their enemies.

 

In the darkest hours of the epidemic, young Pastor Rinkart served as a beacon of light and hope for others. It was during this time that he wrote the beloved hymn "Nun dankket alle Gott" (Now Thank We All our God), which is now often sung in Thanksgiving worship services around the world.

 

Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,

Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

Oh, may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And guard us through all ills in this world, till the next!

All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given,
The Son, and Him Who reigns with Them in highest Heaven—
The one eternal God, Whom earth and Heav’n adore;
For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

 

Monday, April 19, 2021

MONDAY QUOTES: Christian Quotes About God’s Will

 


Christian Quotes About God’s Will

 

God’s Will is what we would choose if we knew what God knows.
— Nancy Leigh DeMoss

 

This job has been given to me to do. Therefore, it is a gift. Therefore, it is a privilege. Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God. Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him. Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God’s way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness.
— Elisabeth Elliot

 

Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.
― C.S. Lewis 

 

The will of God is not something you add to your life. It’s a course you choose. You either line yourself up with the Son of God…or you capitulate to the principle which governs the rest of the world.
— Elisabeth Elliot
 

 

 

Sunday, April 18, 2021

5 Power Faith-Building Exercises That Work Every Time

 



When my son was a pre-teen, he had become very adept at lying. He was a skilled deceiver, to the point of believing his own stories! He’d memorized Scripture and desired to change, and yet it continued to pop up in his life.

 

One night, as he and I sat in his bedroom feeling frustrated and defeated over his lack of progress in this area, I sensed that God had given me an answer. I can’t wait to share it with you here.

 

Practice these 5 power faith-building exercises to build the muscles of maturity and transformation.

 

Desire, effort and “trying harder” will not be enough to resist when we’re up against our biggest challenges. Like an attempt to press a too-heavy weight, we can’t successfully lift more than our muscles have been trained to handle (yet!). 

 

Thankfully, we have everything we need to live a Christlike life. Christ lives within us by His Holy Spirit and has given us His Word, His promises, and His people. 

In order for our beliefs and behavior to align more as we grow to maturity, we must go into intentional spiritual training to grow our spiritual muscles.

 

Exercise #1: Speak the truth in love. 

Many Christians have developed seemingly harmless patterns of dishonesty that become the roots of denial, rationalization, compromise, and self-delusion. Undergoing training in this area involves the elimination of “white” lies, exaggerations, and partial truths. 

 

One of the greatest helps for me has been practicing confession. When I find that I’ve over exaggerated or misrepresented myself, I stop and confess and the receiver for forgiveness. 

 

The practice of confession has been my training apparatus to build muscles of honesty. 

 

Exercise #2: Be angry, and yet do not sin. 

Since God expresses anger, we know it’s not inherently evil. But what we do with our anger can be. Most families have developed the habit of either attacking or not saying anything. Neither approach works. 

 

I’ll never forget the first time my wife used an “I feel” message. I’d come home late after not calling to notify her, which was not the first occurrence of its kind. But this time, when she quietly explained how it made her feel, I could set aside my defenses and hear her. 

 

“I feel” messages have been my training apparatus to build muscles of emotional control. 

 

Exercise #3: Steal no longer.

The shortcut mentality to work, as well as the work-yourself-to-death mentality, are both enemies to our transformation.

 

In Ephesians chapter 4, Paul tells us to go into training in the area of diligence. To develop this skill, he implores us to not take shortcuts — at work, at home, in life. Instead, we can create sacred moments when we treat every moment of every day as an opportunity to turn the daily grind of work into personal worship. Isn’t that the kind of Christian you want to become? 

 

Creating a to-be list has been my training apparatus to build muscles of stewardship.

 

Exercise #4: Say only what helps.

Words carry the power of life and death.

If you really want to take your spiritual temperature, don’t look at your religious activities, your giving, or your morals. Listen to your words. According to Jesus, that’s the clearest indication of where your heart is.

One of the best ways we can train ourselves in positive speech is to learn to practice silence and solitude. Sometimes we just need to talk less (that goes for our fingertips, too).

 

The practice of silence and solitude has been my training apparatus to build muscles of positive speech. 

 

Exercise #5: Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

 

As believers we treat people as we would like to be treated ourselves and love them with gut-level compassion. While the world returns offense for offense and hurt for hurt, we break the cycle by treating people as Jesus would treat them.

I want God to forgive me when I’m the offender rather than the offended, so I need to forgive as I want to be forgiven.

 

The key to building this muscle has been following the principle found in Matthew:

 

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24

 

Following the principle of putting my worship on hold until I seek reconciliation has been my training apparatus to build the muscle of forgiveness. 

 

NEVER TOO LATE TO START “WORKING OUT” 

The power to change is in us from the first day of our relationship with Jesus to our last day on earth. It’s available in full as soon as we believe in Him and begin our walk with Him, but learning to rely on that power and following God’s training program can be a long process. 

 

No matter how many times you’ve started and stopped, no matter how long your frustrations have lasted, you are not too late. 

Make it a priority to practice these faith-building exercises and notice the transformation taking place in your heart and in your life. 

 

The miracle of life-change is waiting for you.




Source:  By Chip Ingram


"Four lessons emerge from this significant battle between David and Goliath.”

 "Four lessons emerge from this significant battle between David and Goliath.”          Read them slowly.               Remember them well.



1. Facing giants is an intimidating experience. We can look back at David’s bravery and victory with the perfect hindsight and the safe distance of two thousand years. But humanly speaking, imagine what it must have felt like to face the intimidating presence of that brute, even with the eyes of faith. Yet David said, “My God is greater than he.”


2. Doing battle is a lonely experience. No one else can fight for you.


3. Trusting God is a stabilizing experience. David brought down Goliath with the first stone. His aim was true and didn’t miss the mark. We can’t know for sure, but from every indication he didn’t have the jitters when he went into battle. He was stabilized by his trust in God.


4. Winning victories is a memorable experience. We’re to remember the victories of our past. We’re to pass on our lion-and-bear stories . . . our own Goliath victories."

 

 


From DAVID by Rev. Chuck Swindoll

Saturday, April 17, 2021

FROM OUR PAST: 17 April 1943

 



17 April 1943 – Lieutenant Ross P. Bullard and Boatswain’s Mate First Class C. S. “Mike” Hall boarded the U-175 (NOTED ABOVE) at sea after their Cutter, the US Coast Guard Cutter, Spencer (WPG-36, a Treasury Class Cutter), blasted the U-boat to the surface with depth charges when the U-boat attempted to attack the convoy the Spencer was escorting.

They were part of a boarding party sent to seize the U-boat before the Nazi crew could scuttle it. The damage to the U-boat was severe, however, and it sank after both had boarded it and climbed the conning tower. Both men ended up in the water as it slipped beneath the waves.

Nevertheless, they carry the distinction of being the first American servicemen to board an enemy warship underway at sea since the War of 1812. The Navy credited the Spencer with the kill. She rescued 19 of the U-boat’s crew and her sister cutter, Duane, rescued 22.

One crewmember, RM 3/C, Julius Petrella, was killed by friendly fire from a nearby armed merchant ship - Fair winds and following seas, RIP...


Friday, April 16, 2021

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JORDAN!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR GRANDSON

JORDAN RICHARD BOLDER

11 YEARS OLD TODAY! 




Thursday, April 15, 2021

Six Types of Churches That Have Died During the Pandemic

 


My purpose is neither to be morbid nor sensational.

Death is a delicate topic, especially the death of churches. My purpose is to send a warning so changes can be made quickly and urgently. My greater purpose, ironic as it may seem, is to send a message of hope.

These six types of churches are described categorically, but the categories are not mutually exclusive. Many of these deceased churches fit most, if not all, of the categories. We have spoken with the leadership of these churches. The conversations were sad but enlightening.

All of the churches noted in these categories have either closed or announced their intentions to close. Thankfully, some of them generously gave their sites to healthier churches. We hope to follow their adoption progress closely.

1.   The aged church. For the churches where I have data, the median age of the remaining membership was 76. In all cases, we learned that the church had been a church of older members for some time. In many cases, they essentially ran off younger members who would have brought changes to their congregations.


2.   The fighting church. The deceased churches had numerous conflicts and, often, church splits. With each new conflict, the church declined. Guests stopped coming to the divided church. When the pandemic came, those who remained were too weary to keep the ministry of the church going.


3.   The deferred maintenance church. These churches did not make wise decisions to keep the facilities in good condition. One church argued over choosing the contractor to install a new HVAC several years ago, so they did nothing. Most of the churches simply refused to spend the funds. Giving in the churches declined precipitously in the pandemic. The churches literally could not pay the bills to keep the building maintained. 


4.   The run-the-pastor-off church. These churches pushed their pastors out either through forced resignations or firings on a regular basis. Every two to four years, they fired and hired a pastor. Usually, there was a power group in the church that did not want the pastor to lead. So that group concocted a reason to push the pastor out. Many of these churches could not find or afford a pastor during the pandemic. 


5.   The neighborhood-looks-different church. The neighborhood changed, but the church didn’t. Those in the church looked differently than those in the neighborhood. When the pandemic came, the members stopped making the drive to the church because they didn’t live in the church’s community. COVID exacerbated a trend that had been in process for years.


6.   The infant church. These churches were relatively new and did not have many members or givers before the pandemic. Some of the churches were in leased spaces that would not let the church regather during the pandemic. In all of these cases, the church had not reached sufficient maturation to survive the implications of COVID.



Please contact someone who can help you if you sense your church is on the precipice of death, or if your church is not healthy. That person could be in your denomination or network. 

We are also available at Church Answers. Contact us at info@churchanswers.com. Please seek help. Please have a willingness to be adopted by another church if possible.

Your church has its address for a reason. Your church is to be a light in the community where God placed you.

Don’t let that light go away. We are here if we can help in any way.

And also let us hear your stories, both the good and the bad. We can always learn more for God’s glory.

This article originally appeared  here

Used with permission.... 




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