Scripture 

This is what the LORD says: “Do not go to funerals to mourn and show sympathy for these people, for I have removed my protection and peace from them. I have taken away my unfailing love and my mercy.

Quote

When we put our trust in God’s Son, He puts His peace in our hearts. It is a work of grace.

~Ya’akov

We may not think of protection and peace in the same sentence but they do go together. When we think of protection, we think of external forces. God speaking through Isaiah said to sinful Israel, 

“So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard:
I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed;
I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground.”

A vineyard was a big investment that required a lot of effort to maintain: the owner would plant a hedge of thorns around the vineward and sometimes add a wall as well. This was to keep preditors out. Preditors have no sense of conservation, not only would they destroy the harvest, they would destroy the vine as well; so the vineyard had to be protected. At present, there is a movement on that is anti-law and order. They picture policemen as being the enemy. This same group has been working for years to give the military a bad name. What will happen to America if Black Lives Matter {which is not about black lives at all} prevails? We will have anarchy which is their goal. Anarchy can be worst than tyranny; at best, it sets the stage for a tyrant. If we destroy the walls that protect us, we put ourselves in harms way. The progressives have been tearing down our wall for years. I speak of the constitution which is the law that governs the land.

Peace on the other hand is subjective, right? Well, perhaps to a point but real peace does not come from within. I cannot give myself peace. Real bonafied peace is a gift from God. Jesus said, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” Peace is a gift that comes from without. Jesus is the source of our peace. Twice in John 20, Jesus confered peace on His disciples… “Peace be with you.”  The point is: we have no peace a part from Christ: He is our peace. Without His blessed gift of peace, there is no peace.

Why do rock stars commit suicide? They have things that you and I will never have. Money is not an issue with them and every where they go, they are a celebrity. Yet, practically all of them are on drugs and the drugs they take are to give them peace. Their minds are disturbed and they get no rest day or night. They are searching for peace and drugs give them a false brand of peace but it is so temporary that eventually, they get tired of drugs and opt for death, all I believe is pursuit of peace.

I’m not a rock star nor am I an ex-con. I am not a Viet Nam vet suffering from a Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. I am a preacher who basically lives to help others but even preachers suffer from a lack of peace from time to time. A number of things can trigger our insecurities and one of them is grief which is large measure is disappointment. I prayed for Kaley to recover and I had plans when she did: I never saw her play basketball or volleyball but I was going to take a new interest in her life when God raised her up. This child never did anything but good in regards to me and my grandchildren and I don’t think I ever said so much as a “thank you.” So her sudden departure left me feeling guilty, disappointed and angry. I expressed my anger with the kid driving the truck but really, I was angry at myself and with the LORD. The experience as a whole disturbed my peace. I pride myself on being able to see the bright side and to view funerals in a different light. I began calling them CELEBRATION OF LIFE SERVICES years ago and now a lot of people view them in this light but I did no celebrating at Kaley’s service: I was not in the mood. Several people were saved as a result of this horrible accident but I couldn’t really rejoice because I was angry. I am sure now, as I look back, that it was the anger that disturbed my peace.

Bottom line: Jesus is the author and giver of peace and nothing is more valuable to me than peace. With His peace I can weather any storm but without it, life becomes a living hell.

• THE GATHERING tonight at 6:30
• Sunday will be a big day LORD willing: Deacons Meeting at 8:15 [very important], LCBS at 9:15, and worship at 10:15 and 6:15. We have a BUSINESS MEETING after am worship and AWANA begins Sunday evening at 5:30. I’m not sure about baptisms at this time.
• The MORGAN BAPTIST ASSOCIATION will be voting on Ken Blackwood as our new Director of Mission this Tuesday night, September 13. We need to elect two delegates to this meeting. We will do this Sunday in the business meeting. Also, the Pastor’s Search Committee will make a report this Sunday.
• TRUNK-A-TREAT meeting Sunday evening at 5:00 and Visitation at 5:30.

Deception And Subterfuge

BLACK LIVES MATTER is a hoax. The people behind BLM do not believe in the sancity of human life. They have no concern for the black badies who are being slaughtered in abortion clinics across the U.S. Blacks are becoming the minority of minorities due to abortion. From day one, Obama has sought to divide America racially and he has done a very good job. BLM has increased the racial divide and teeters on the brink of anarchy. The assassins who shot the policemen were paid and the organizers who are bused in from the Northeast are paid. This is not moral outrage from the Black community, this is an organized plot to use Black people in order to advance the agenda of the elites. Obama doesn’t care anything about Black people: he doesn’t have anything to do with his black brother who is truly black. Obama is not black, he is mixed and he is angry about his racial identity. He mascarades as a black man so he can play the race card whenever he chooses. He knows that being black gives him an advantage, otherwise he would claim to be white.

Years ago when I stood in protest outside the abortion clinic in Huntsville, I saw and heard something that was refreshing. A black pastor came and was standing on the bank beside the clinic preaching, quoting scripture and antagonizing the lesbians who escorted the victim inside. No one laid a hand on him. The leader of the lesbian horde who was known for abusive language never opened it’s mouth. Had I done what he did, I would have been arrested within 30 minutes but they never laid a hand on him. Their are advantages to being black these days, especially with the media. Black men are rarely accused of racism and I assure you that Malcolm X, Louis Farrakhan and Barrack Obama are racist.

Colin Kaepernick is not black: his father was black but his mother is white. Kaepernick is mixed and mixed up. He was raised by white parents. Both of his biological parents abandoned him. Colin Kaepernick’s Muslim girlfriend Nessa Diab reportedly influenced the quarterback to sit during the national anthem in protest for “people that are being oppressed.” Of course she believes that Muslims are being oppressed the same as blacks. People who follow Kaepernick on social media noticed a remarkable change in his attitude shortly after he began dating Diab in 2015. Kaepernick is not the first man to have his head turned by a woman. Adam picture before and after would be worse than the above. Kaepernick is a dupe, a victim of deception. He is being used as an instrument. The liberals are making a big deal out of the fact that his jersy sales lead all the 49ers but that is because the Hollywooders are buying them. The left is using this poor gull.