Triple C News - May 5
Hey, everyone!
Wow! I can’t wait ’til this Sunday!!
Worshipping Jesus outside at Elm Grove Park!! Just to remember!!
To remember the fourteen months we did that!
Singing, praying, praising, preaching…outside!! In a park!!
The birds would be chirping…
the sun would be shining…
(and sometimes, snow would be falling! We met twice in the snow!)…
dogs would be sleeping during the messages…
(humans less because it was just easier to stay awake out there!)
Folding chairs…
smiling faces (behind the masks!)…
sweating or shivering, depending on the month…
In a world filled with loneliness and fear unlike anything we’d ever known, we were…
being together…
being a family…
finding our joy…
loving our Lord…
together!!
And Jesus our Shepherd led us!!
To think we would one day even have beautiful memories from such a scary time!
Last night, I wondered…
“What did I used to write about in my Friday blog during the days of the Corona Virus??”
So, I looked around and found some of them…
As we head toward Sunday, and a morning of praise “down Memory Lane”…
here’s what I wrote on May 1, 2020…
(We hadn’t started “Praise In the Park” yet!)
"May 1, 2020
Hey, everyone!
Wow! We miss seeing everyone soooooo much!
We hope it won’t be long till we’re together again!
In these confusing days, everyone has so many questions!
It must be soooo complicated for those in charge of things! Folks likes governors, mayors, prime ministers and presidents…
The ones who have to make the big decisions.
“Should we open the beaches? Should we not?…
Should we open the Smokies? Should we not?…
Should we open the churches? Should we not?…”
I wonder what I would do?
What if they decided they were going to have a lottery and the winner gets to be the President for a little while and has a turn at deciding the big stuff…
What if I won?
What would I do?
Oh! I know!!
If I got a lucky turn to be the President during the Corona Virus, first thing I’d do would be…
Let’s see…
I’d give a nation-wide primetime address from the East Room of the White House…
(Or maybe a fireside chat would be appropriate…Wonder where they have the fireplace?)
In my speech, I would share the message of Jesus with everyone watching. I would explain to everyone “in these uncertain times” how they could know for certain that they could be forgiven of all their sins and certain of going to Heaven by believing the Good News of Jesus!
“What does that have to do with the crisis??”
I’m not sure! But it would be my only chance to talk to that many people!
Then, I would have an Executive Order mailing a copy of the Gospel of John (complete with study questions!) in English, Spanish, Chinese, and several other languages to every household.
My next decision would be…
just like Lincoln did on May 30, 1863…
to call for a “National Day of Confession and Humiliation”.
“…Whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon…”
I’d encourage everyone to read Matthew 5-7 and Galatians 5:19 through 22…
and to ask themselves…
“During these days of the Corona Virus and all these new restrictions and limitations…
Do I hate anyone? (Galatians 5:22)
Have I hated…instead of loved… those who disagree with me?
(Matthew 5:44)
Have I truly cared about the poor and vulnerable as much as I care about myself? Or not?(Matthew 6:2)
Have I slandered or talked bad about others who disagree with me? (Galatians 5:20)
Do I judge other people and their motives? Do I think bad stuff about them and spread it? (Matthew 7:1-2)”
You know, all those things.
And then everyone would confess those things to God.
And repent of them!
And ask forgiveness for them!!
Wouldn’t it be amazing if everyone across America and around the world did that??
What if millions of us truly searched our hearts and confessed to God the stuff that isn’t right about the ways I’ve come to think and talk and do?
What if millions of us in private…
and in sincerity…
and in humility…
and in true dependency…
asked God to help us in ways that only He could?
What if everyone was reading the Gospel of John right now?
I know my ideas are unconstitutional as all get out and I wouldn’t get to be President for long…
But I like ‘em!”