Odds And Ends

January 24, 2024

Leadership Notes

     First of all, thank you for the vote of confidence in approving my 2024 salary package. You are so kind and generous. If, for any reason, you have a question or questions about my compensation, or any other conversation you would like to strike up, my schedule is fairly flexible, especially in these cold winter days. Call or text or email and we can talk over a cup of coffee or whatever you like to drink!

     Now on to various odds-and-ends.

     In and through the struggles of life, we learned two huge things from The Book of Revelation:

1.   There is real and terrible evil as an enduring problem in our world.

2.   Evil will soon lose and has already lost through the finished work of Christ, enabling us to live in inaugurated JOY.

-      Owen Strachan

     A homeschooling dad {M.A. Franklin} observed:

“American consumers are so riddled with guilt that anything they

buy must make them feel virtuous. {Richard’s editorial observation –

Global Warming alarmists at the World Economic Forum are now bloviating

that drinking coffee puts us all at risk.} Fair trade. Sustainable.

Ethically sourced. Carbon neutral.

All of these are marketing gimmicks, selling virtue to unvirtuous

people.

A consequence of losing our religion.”

While perhaps a little judgmental, it is a point worth considering. The human heart was made to love and believe in something beyond self. As faith in God declines, that need gets directed to other ends. I think that’s where homeschooling dad gets it right.

     This was sent to me from one of our Covenant Church elders, on Sunday, January 21, 2024 at 7:22 p.m.:

“The Word of God is like a lion. You don’t have to defend a lion. All

you have to do is let the lion loose, and the lion will defend itself.”

-      Charles Spurgeon

I think Spurgeon was on to something, in more ways than one!

     Tecumseh Missionary Baptist Church conducted a Spiritual Attitudes Survey during the 2023 “Appleumpkin” festival. Here was one of the findings:

1.   Do you believe that people are basically good?

~ Yes {84%}

~ No {16%}

Although a nonscientific survey, interesting results.

     On the home front, our oldest granddaughter used a few of her Christmas dollars to by George Orwell’s 1984. This libertarian-hearted grandfather could not have been happier. Which reminded me of two related things. Simply put:

1.  For some people, in 2024, 1984 is a “how to” manual, not a warning.

2.  “NOT TRUSTING THE GOVERNMENT DOESN’T MAKE YOU A CONSPIRACY THEORIST…IT MAKES YOU A HISTORY BUFF”

Those right there are pearls of wisdom.

     I don’t know how you look upon the healing stories from Jesus’

ministry, along the line of their purpose or their point. All I know is Chuck

Swindoll nails it for me:

“Jesus’ miraculous healings represent God’s heart of compassion

for His children.”

     Well, I’m about odd-and-ended out. Since Charles Spurgeon has already graced these notes, I’ll finish with Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn:

“One should never direct people towards happiness, because

happiness too is an idol of the market-place. One should direct

them towards mutual affection.”

That’s what is so lovely about life here at our church. How we worship… how we serve friends and strangers alike…our hunger to know and follow God’s Word…are all driven by mutual affection growing out of the love God has shown us in Jesus Christ. We love because He first loved us. Amen? Amen.

With Much Love and Affection,

Richard