saturday video [Next Lebron James?]
links of interest
Here are some articles that I read this week that I thought were worthy of passing along.
remembering Rev. H. E. Darnell
As a child who attended camp meetings during the summer months, the evangelist that scared me the most was Rev. H. E. Darnell. I will never forget sitting about half-way back in the tabernacle of Clinton Camp and hearing the most penetrating sermon on hell that I had ever heard. Actually make that I have ever heard. He painted the scenes of hell so vividly that night, that I was forever changed.
His preaching so impacted the teenagers at Clinton Camp one year, that it was the teens who where instrumental in helping to bring spiritual renewal to camp that year. I remember as a teenager praying all night at prayer meetings that were led by teens. Believe me, that was unusual for the teens who attended Clinton Camp.
What do you remember about H. E. Darnell?
random wednesday thoughts
- it has been extremely hot in Lebanon these past few days!
- i started a book yesterday titled “The Good and Beautiful God: Falling in Love with the God Jesus Knows“.
- I have only made it through the first chapter, and I am highlighting the book like crazy.
- I bought another copy and gave it it one of the guys I am working with just for him to read the first chapter.
- I am really looking forward to preaching this Sunday. Praying that God will help make the book of Judges come alive for us at the Gospel Center.
- Working on a little biography for W. B. Godbey. Got any good Godbey sources
- Arlene is flying out to Chicago next Monday, so I get to spend some quality time with Kalena for a few days next week
- She was feeding a few of her dolls butter last evening on the couch in my office
- Have a great Wednesday evening!
Martin Luther on Stewardship
“Even if I thought that Christ was going to return tomorrow, I would plant my apple tree today.” – Martin Luther
the deadly cycle
This coming weekend at the Gospel Center, we will begin a new series of messages that will look at the book of Judges. Judges is full of examples of what happens when people reject God and go their own way.
Time and time again, we see this cycle in Judges:
1. Israel does evil.
2. God sends judgment on them.
3. After time, Israel cries out for deliverance.
4. God raises a deliver
5. There is a time of peace in the land.
6. the cycle is repeated.
I preached through the book of Judges a few years ago. But I felt strongly that I needed to do it again. So with new content, we will look at the book of Judges for the next few weeks.
declaration
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,[71] that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security…
[The Declaration of Independence then lists specific charges against the King of England]
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
saturday video [trick shot mastery]
pray harder on the first of the month
In case you missed it, yesterday was the first of the month
If you have extra time on your hands the first of each month, pray for the people of the Gospel Center. The first of the month is when some of them get paid. That sometimes means the temptation to drink, buy heroine, or find a prostitute is often increased. Usually I have to go “rescue” someone. Such was the case yesterday.
Sometimes I dread the first of the month, but with you banding together with us, we can make a difference.
keep first things first
The problem at the church in Ephesus was that they didn’t keep first things first.
According to Revelation 2:1-7, the church was committed to serving Christ, committed to exposing false doctrine and committed to personal evangelism. All of that is great and we need to be doing all of those 3 things, but the church had lost it’s first love. They no longer had a personal intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.
The good had taken place of the best.
Whatever area of ministry you may be in, don’t allow the good to take place of the best.
