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Singing a New Song By Rodney VanWinckle

4/23/2020

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A few weeks ago I was reading in psalms one afternoon The psalmist was saying sing unto the Lord a new song. Interesting to note that whenever the Psalmist won another battle or when he remembered a past victory, he might commemorate with a new song. The Bible says to sing hymns and make melody unto the Lord from your heart. 
I begin to write words to the Lord from my heart based on the battle we all face today. We are faced with fear of a pandemic that has gripped everyone of us. 

The waves of fear are crashing all around me 
My fathers arms they lovingly Surround me 
I’ll make it though because I I know you are beside me 
You are my  shelter in you I am free 
All I really need I find in thee 
Cover me with your arms so I know I’m safe from harm 
Till I make it home cover me 
Cover me with your blood when I face the raging flood
Oh thou great and mighty God 

Cover me 
The wind and rains of change they beat against my face 
I never been through this one 
Lord I need your grace
I hold your hand you lead me 
Through the raging storm 
I come with gladness over to the other shore 

Cover me with your arms so I know I’m safe from harm 
Till I make it home cover me 
Cover me with your blood 
When I face the ragging flood 
Oh thou great and mighty God cover me 
 The psalmist boldly proclaims-in psalm 118, "I shall not die but live and proclaim the mighty works of God." 
Today, claim those words, shake those fears, and live in peace. This storm too shall pass and we will have victory in Jesus Name.
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Seeing Opportunity in the Midst of Uncertainty By Kevin Woods

4/14/2020

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During my years as an emergency manager, I would travel to places where large areas of the country were ravaged by hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. People who lived in these places were truly devastated.  With their homes, cars, and other possessions destroyed; they may no longer even have a job to go to.  Even worse, this could all be combined with the loss of friends and loved ones.  I could certainly never even begin to comprehend the fear and anxiety that these people were experiencing during such a time of uncertainty in which they have no idea how, when, or IF they will ever recover.
For a single individual, the situation is certainly immediately overwhelming. Yet, some of those same individuals being bolstered by their faith and a genuine biblical love for others would rise above the situation.  They did this in a way that was seemingly engrained instinctively. If they had food or anything a neighbor needed, they shared it without hesitation.  If they could help others, they pitched in and worked tirelessly as an inspirational rally to others that reminds us that we are all in this together and we are going to get through it. Others without such faith and love for others often exhibited great anger at the situation and even at those like me who had come voluntarily to help while being separated from our own families and friends for extended periods of time.
For Christians, it seems to me that times of uncertainty are our chance to put everything into practice that we have learned from the Bible. There is simply no better way to strengthen our faith than by actually exercising it. When tested, we are certainly reminded and comforted by scriptures that apply to the situation.  However, when it is time for action like during an emergency, we don’t always have time to go research the Bible and analyze what Jesus would do. The commandment to love one another must be engrained in us through practice and acted upon instinctively: 
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35
Yet, all the other things we have learned from the Bible must all work together at the same time when we are experiencing the uncertainties of an emergency or even a crisis such as a pandemic. We cannot show love and do for others if we are consumed with our own worry an anxiety:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
We must not be full of worry, but actually see opportunity; which is certainly hard in such a situation. The old saying “No pain, no gain” is certainly a good reminder that we are actually made better when tested. A number of Bible verses teach us this, including:
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4
“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,” Romans 5:3-4
The Bible is full of stories where people experienced hardships and uncertainty, even for many years. We learn from these stories that it is all for a purpose, it is all just temporary, that God is in control, and that the end result is an eternity spent with him. My prayer is that we will all be comforted by our faith and will see our uncertain time as the opportunity that it is, and that we will truly love one another as we join together in doing His work.  

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That's a good question By Jim Medlock

4/7/2020

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I remember when I was saved well. I know for certain I didn’t know a lot of things during that time of my life. I couldn’t even have told you who Chris Rice was let alone think I would end up at a concert in Mississippi listening to his music live. As a matter of fact, a year or so after the concert I was telling a friend the story of going down to the stage and praying in front of a bazillion people… at a Chris Rock concert. This was not even close to the correct Chris and not sure why Chris Rock’s name popped into my head. We both had a good laugh.
I think about that time in my life a lot. Mostly because being a better disciple of Jesus is important to me. I remember one reason it took me so long to come to Christ. I wanted proof. I won’t go into all the things that were holding me up, but I will start at the beginning. I couldn’t get past Genesis at all in my readings. I skipped around a bit and read what I could, but I always went back to the front. Here’s why: I couldn’t get past that God knows everything and yet the Tree of Life is there in the garden. And God tells Adam and Eve do not eat from the tree for you will surely die.
[Gen: 3] But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
The first hang up is that if God is all knowing, he knew Adam and Eve were going to eat from the tree! We can address that in a bit. The second hang up was that Adam and Eve didn’t die. Well at least not the way I was expecting them to. And, as I mentioned above, I had no faith…yet, I wanted proof. No one I talked to could sufficiently answer my questions. I was too stubborn to move forward; I wanted an answer. It never occurred to me until AFTER I was saved that I was letting Satan manipulate me the same way and with the same tactic he manipulated Adam and Eve within the garden.
Adam and Even did cease to be the same people they were before. They changed so significantly some may say that the beings they were had deceased. Perhaps, but my answer came from the fact that they had sinned against the God.
[Romans 6:3] For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The death that took Adam and Eve on that day was a death by God’s definition, not mine. A definition I was not even aware of until I started spending more time in the Word. I thought I knew more than I actually did. 
Back to my first hang up regarding why put the tree in the Garden of Eden if God knew that Adam and Eve would eat from the tree. This took me longer to answer for myself than the second hang up, probably because I am slow and stubborn… no comment Penny! I finally came to the realization that maybe God did create man in his image, but that was just the beginning. The molding and shaping of man were yet to come. Not for God’s benefit but for the benefit of man. God knew the trial at the tree was a lesson that man must learn.
I do think that being in the Word regularly can help everyone become a better disciple but there are some questions that may stump us. We need to be able to say, “I don’t know!” but not leave it at that, invite someone to explore the Word together to find the answers.

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The Unknown by Jeremy Benson

4/2/2020

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"Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power." Hebrews 1:1-3
​Nothing frightens people more than the unknown. There are many types of The Unknown. In the past, something as simple as nighttime caused an unease to fall over people. You can’t see in the dark. Danger could be anywhere. The unknown could be right in front of you, or behind the next tree. However, in our modern world, where lights can be turned on with the flip of a finger, the one unknown I think has causes me the most fear is the future. We have a saying, “Same old, same old,” and in many ways, that saying in comforting. Today was much like yesterday, my routine was not broken, and if all is good, tomorrow will be the same. It’s when things change that fear finds a place. The loss of a job, eviction, loss of a loved one, a new virus that we haven’t dealt with before; these cause change, and introduce an uncertain future. I can remember countless nights lying awake worrying about the unknown future I was about to face. I’ve held friends as they shook scared about what would happen tomorrow. Now we were all thrust into a time of uncertainty, and some panic, because of an invisible unknown that could invade our lives at any time; touch the wrong thing, breath the wrong air where someone has coughed.      
This new unknown has brought the world to a halt. No one saw this coming.     But did it surprise God?      
No. As Hebrews tells us, it’s Jesus who upholds the universe by the Word of his power. Nothing surprises our Lord. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, and he controls all that is in between. Focusing on this has changed my life profoundly; in ways I didn’t even notice, but people around me noticed. I use to get really nervous when things were out of my control. (I still won’t let my wife drive if we are going somewhere together.) However, I realized that it’s best when it’s not in my control, but His control. I tend to mess everything up. He knows where he is taking me and tends to get me there safer and faster.      
Often over the last few days, I’ve thought of Elisha’s servant waking up to find an army around them, terrified he wakes up Elisha and asks, “My Master, what shall we do?” And Elisha says, “Don’t be afraid.”      
What? Don’t be afraid!      
Can you imagine what that servant was thinking? Are you kidding me! Look out there. I’m not sure if you noticed, Elisha, but those aren’t roses they brought you, those are swords!!      
That’s what I would have thought.      
But Elisha didn’t look out and say, oh you’re right. No, we read in 2 Kings, 17
Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.     Before they were even aware of the problem, God had sent protection. Over the course of the last few years, while I still battle with fear, I have learned to let a lot of it go. My life isn’t in my hands, it is in His. And while the unknown can terrify me, there is nothing unknown to my God.      
Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4, "
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. He goes onto say in verses 11-13, ... for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me." Paul here says he can face any situation because the Lord will get him through it. This is a man in prison who would later walk out and have his head cut off. But he found comfort in the knowledge that that is where the Lord wanted him.          
We are called to be the light of the world, a city on a hill. Peter said,
sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence...     
We’ve heard that statement a lot. But how often have we stopped and considered, for people to ask what the hope is us is, we have to be showing that hope in a time or place or a manner where others don’t.      
So in this time of uncertainty and worry about the world we live in, I have found comfort in the instructions given by my Lord and his Apostles. Paul said, for God gave us a spirit, not of fear, but of power and love and self-control.      
Christ warned the twelve the night before his crucifixion. John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world.” While his kingdom has faced tribulations, including persecutions, plagues, wars, all of the worst we can imagine, it has continued to grow from a mustard seed to a tree that fills the earth. And while we deal with this new turn in our road, this latest unknown, take solace in the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. Not a bird falls from the sky nor a hair from my head that he doesn’t know about. We are his people and in his hands. And with his grace, we can make it through this and whatever comes, together as the body of Christ.       
Mathew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?  28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.     
In this troubling time, let’s seek His Kingdom, and His will, and pray for our world, both for repentance and Grace. Amen.

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My Father CAN DO ANYTHING By pastor kyle

3/20/2020

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Three years ago, I was picking up the twins from school. Kenlee pulled something out of her backpack and said it was broken. Then she asked me, "Daddy, can you fix this?" While I am still attempting to understand what was even going on, Kaylee says, "Of course Daddy can! He can do anything!" Simultaneously, I had a panicked and proud moment. First, I'm proud that she thinks so highly of her dad. Secondly, I'm terrified that I won't be able to fix whatever is broken and I'm going to have my daughter lose confidence in me. 
During these incredibly stressful times, there seems to be a lot broken. People are getting very ill from a disease that is struggling to be contained. Yet, our government leaders are working tirelessly to strive to contain it. People are losing their jobs left and right because no one is able to leave their houses. The Dow Jones and the economy seems to be on a downward spiral. Every single group, business, and even churches have been affected negatively. 
During prayer today, Kaylee's words were resonating in my heart. While I know that I will fail them over and over again, my God has never failed me. I wish that I could fix every one of their toys or any other issue that they face in this life. However, I know that's not at all possible and the older they get, they are learning that Dad has many flaws. However, my God has never once let me down. 
The economy is crashing, but my God owns cattle on a thousand hills. The virus seems to be covering the earth like a storm, but my God heals throughout Scripture and still does. While we are wondering what is going to happen next, He holds our future in His hands. I know the chaos in this world is terrifying, but stand firm on your faith. I can boast today that, "My Father can do anything!" Do not lose confidence in the idea that He's got you. 
Let's read Psalms 121 and then worship with the song below. 
 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper;
    the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
    nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;
    he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep
    your going out and your coming in
    from this time forth and forevermore.


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Trusting in the Difficult Moments

7/12/2015

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(This is a blog I wrote a couple of years ago, but thought it went well with our sermon this morning.)


Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

Trust is something that we rarely allow ourselves to do. For me, leaning on my own understanding is much more familiar and comfortable than to trust in that which I don't understand. It's amazing how many times I have taken something that I have been going through and tried to reason it out by using my own understanding. Many times I forget to look around and realize that God is working. 

The other day I was asked, "Where do you feel you are in your walk with God?" We were in a small group setting so while everyone else is answering I was asking myself and God the answer. When the circle got to me I told everyone, "I feel like I am learning to trust God in ways that I never have before." It's the truth because I feel like the road ahead of me is so dark. As I walk with God every step is a step of trust because I can't see the road ahead. This is a part of the walk that I wouldn't take back for anything. While it's frustrating, it is where I learn to take God for who He is and to take Him at His Word. Lately I have realized that God is completely in control and the more I try to do on my own the farther off the path I end up. 

We all go through this at sometime in our life. We are trusting when we really don't know which foot to put in front of the other. Through these moments our trust in the Father becomes stronger. God says trust me and I will take you exactly where you are supposed to be. I would compare it to a time when a father is teaching his son how to ride a bike. He says, "Trust me. I will take my hand off the bike but know I won't let you fall." Without the father removing his hand the son will never learn to stabilize on his own. It is during these times of faith, that we are strengthened. One day we look back and realize that time wasn't as big and difficult as we thought it was or we look back and marvel at how faithful God was during each of those times.

My encouragement to you is this, when you struggle to see the road ahead or when you feel like every step is one of faith, know that God will be faithful. Know that, God will not let you fall. Know that, there is always something that God wants you to learn through that situation. Lastly, know God is in control. Just trust God  and you will end up right where He has always intended you to be.
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Jamie's First Mother's Day

7/11/2015

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Today I can’t help but think about how blessed I am. Yesterday was the first Mother’s day that Jamie got to really celebrate. We had an awesome day and it was huge to see the girls bring gifts to Jamie. As many of you know, we have taken in 3 foster daughters that we are trying to adopt. Those little girls have come into our home after going through so much and wanted nothing but love and affection. Meanwhile, they have absolutely stolen our hearts. Now I can’t imagine life without them. 

I still remember the first day they came into our home. They had this look in their eye that I can’t even explain. It was a look of desperation and distrust. They wanted to trust us but they didn’t know if they could. I can still picture one of the twins clinging to Jamie. I think she was a little scared of Jamie but she was terrified of being put on the ground. Looking back through pictures you can see how they have grown physically but you see how much their demeanor and facial expressions have changed. 

Jamie and I were driving down the road the other day and I told her that I couldn’t imagine loving the girls anymore if they looked just like me. Sometimes we start thinking that this is too good to be true because we struggled to have kids for so long. So immediately the conversation went to how bad we wanted to adopt them. During that conversation, one of us said, “I think God understands adoption more than we do.” I don’t remember what exactly brought that up but I remember how the mood of the conversation changed. We found hope and we found encouragement as we started to talk about what it meant that God would adopt us as his own. 

Romans 8:15-16 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry “Abba Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

I still remember the first time the girls called me “daddy.” Can you remember the first time you called God, “daddy.” Just like the girls, there is a fear that most of us have as we come to Christ but now after feeling His love we are terrified of being put down on our own. Didn’t you feel the need for love and affection just like the girls did? You found much more than that through Christ. The idea of “sonship” that this verse speaks of, means that we are not just sons and daughters of Christ but now heirs. We didn’t do anything to deserve life yet God loved us so much He made us family heirs. I know that Jamie and I love the girls so much it hurts but God loves us more than that. What am I supposed to say to that? How can I even respond to that with anything else but awe? There is no greater honor than to be in the family of God. God I am amazed by you!!!
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Big Vision Small View

7/11/2015

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Picture
Have you ever thought about the view that David must of had as he looks up and sees Goliath towering over him? You know there has to be a moment when he thinks, “What have I done?” I think everyone in ministry has this thought ever now and again. “What have I done? Maybe I’ve bitten off more than I can chew this time.” The view from ground level is always the wrong perspective to take, but isn’t it the view most seen.

This weekend I was speaking at a tools conference in West Tennessee. We were discussing writing a vision and we touched on what my vision for the youth in Bristol looked like. Sometimes when I share my vision, I tend to take the small view approach. I have opposition towering over me and I have the thought, “What am I doing?” Sometimes even having the feeling that this just might be too big for me. But if vision is truly God given then we can’t worry about how big it is and how difficult it is to achieve. 

David was the only person in Israel that looked at Goliath and saw the big vision instead of the small view. I don’t think that David was so focused on seeing the big vision that he didn’t realize how small he was compared to Goliath. What he saw when he saw his small stature, was the need for God to come through. This is precisely what we should do as leaders. We see the big vision, we notice the small view, and we expect God to take care of the in-between. Even when we don’t understand how God is going to move our ministry from the place it is to the place we need to be. We have to believe, “The Lord who saved me from the lion and a bear will save me now.” 

If there is something that God has promised you or there is a vision that seems unattainable know that God will get from the place you are to the place you need to be. It doesn’t mean you don’t handle your part. You sling the stone and let God kill your giant. Don’t worry about your small view but let God take care of your big vision. 

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Redemption City Church                                                   1130 Whitten Rd. Memphis, TN 38134                                                          Church of God   
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