Scripture

Quote

The history of Israel is one of persecution. The nation was born in Egypt and while in its youth [couple hundred years old], the Israelites were enslaved. But during these oppressive years, the nation grew rapidly until Pharaoh felt threatened by their numbers. As a result of their growth, Pharaoh turned up the heat, making their life even more difficult but the Israelites continued to grow. Their entire history was one of oppression and persecution. This Psalm is the tenth of the ascent Psalms and is a celebration of God’s goodness in keeping His promise to Israel. One such promise is found in Isaiah 44:21, “Pay attention Jacob, for you are my servant, O Israel. I, the LORD, made you and I will not forget you.” The Psalmist uses an interesting metaphor, the plow. He said the plowers [persecutors] plowed on my back. This could refer to individual Israelites who endured the whips of their ruling masters upon their back. Jesus certainly experienced this personally as the Romans cut His back to shreds but it probably refers to the nation as a whole. Where do you use the plow? In dirt. No one has feelings for the dirt. We walk on it, we plow it, we spit on it, we dig in it and move it where we please.

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Veteran of The Day

Johnny Cash

February 26, 1932–September 12, 2003

“That was the big thing when I was growing up, singing on the radio. The extent of my dream was to sing on the radio station in Memphis. Even when I got out of the Air Force in 1954, I came right back to Memphis and started knocking on doors at the radio station.”

The legendary country performer is known as the “Man in Black,” but he was also a man in Air Force blues. Fresh out of high school in 1950, Cash joined the Air Force as the Korean War began, and spent most of his four-year enlistment in Germany. Perhaps not surprisingly for a man with music in his veins, Cash was handy when it came to the rhythms of Morse code, and served as an intercept operator with the USAF Security Service.

It could be argued that if weren’t for the military, we might never have known who Johnny Cash was — coming from a poor background, he was only able to scrounge enough money together to buy a guitar once he started receiving military pay. He purchased his first guitar at the Base Exchange while stationed in Germany, and the rest is history, as they say. He also formed his first band while in the Air Force (the Landsberg Barbarians) and upon his discharge he used his GI Bill benefits to attend a radio-announcing course at a broadcasting school in Memphis.

Although Cash’s reputation as an outspoken, hard-living rebel has overshadowed his time in service, he never forgot about where he came from, and years later, he met a young Army captain named Kris Kristofferson, who he helped become a country superstar in his own right.

• November is Thanksgiving and Veteran month. We have featured a Veteran in each blog. They all have two things in common: they served in the military and they are deceased. I have some more locals I want to do but I am searching for pictures and information.
• You can’t turn on the news without hearing the Judge Moore story. I do not trust the media and I certainly do not trust democrats. They will do anything for power. They have no moral compass. We have to stay the course. If Judge Moore is in the wrong, he will be dealt with but we cannot elect a democrat by default otherwise.
• We discussed the Jesuits last night after the lesson on church history. I said they were the CIA of the Vatican but actually, the CIA has infiltrated the Jesuit order. I do know that the Jesuits have been into the political side of things for a long time. They have been known to carry out assassinations and start revolutions. Do a little research on the revolutions in Central or Latin America and see what you find. I did do a little research on Mike Pence. He is a Catholic but I do not think there is any connection to the Jesuits.
• Two things happened last night at church during the praise and worship time. Two women were cutting up in the back and they were reprimanded twice, once by yours truly and a second time by one of our deacons. The first thing was funny, the second thing was moving: one of our young people left the group to sit with another young person who was standing all by himself.
• Do you realize that THANKSGIVING is one week away: where has 2017 gone? Unbelievable!