What The Bible Says - Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice
When one hears “God bless America” the thought must rise “He has blessed America,” and hearing “God save America” should elicit “save her from her pride, her arrogance, and her pernicious, progressive ways.” Isaiah 25 succinctly promises that salvation, “Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth... therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee” (Isa 25:1,3). Democrats think they are the strength to the poor and down-trodden, Republicans suppose they are the strength of economic conservatives, but God says there is a vail over their understanding, a reprobate heart in their chest, “And he will destroy in this mountain (i.e. Zion, i.e. Jerusalem, where we properly place our Israeli embassy) the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations” (25:7). The salvation of a nation that preaches Evolution as their creator and god, sodomy as their alternate lifestyle, and murder in the womb as their privilege will first be a day of darkness, a terror-able day, the Day of the Lord. “He shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them... and he shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands” (Isa 25:11). Days are short in this January of 2018. The believer longs for his salvation because “He will swallow up death in victory, and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces, and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth; for the LORD hath spoken it” (25:8). That upcoming “Earth Day” is in reality the upcoming “Day of the Lord.” “God bless America, God save America, but first save my children, save my family, save my neighbor.” Preach the gospel, the Lord is soon returning.
What Your Pastor Says - Good Samaritan Baptist Church Pastor Ed Rice
Dear Member/Guest
The frozen water pipes from our two broke furnaces kept me from preaching what God had laid on my heart for the second Sunday of 2018. The attached Penny Pulpit must suffice for that, but God has other lessons for GSBC to take away from the cancellations. For those that gathered at 10 am and shared a song and a prayer, God blessed your short and stunned worship and gave safe travels in bitter cold. Thanks for not flushing.
For those alerted of the dilemma and averted from cold travels, God blessed you with a longing for Christian fellowship on a Lord's day, and an answer to your prayer. It was simply a reset on the oil burner, a new fuse on the gas furnace, and not a single pipe was broken.
For those to ill, or old, or hospitalized to tackle twelve degrees of cold we missed you, and prayed for you, knowing you missed us and prayed for us.
To those with no intention of attending this 2nd worship service of 2018, the cancellation can still be a blessing because you hold this letter, and perhaps a new appreciation of the importance we place on our gathering with other believers on the first day of the week, the Lord's Day, the day God rose his Christ, our Lord, from death to life.
On the twentieth anniversary of my pastoring Good Samaritan Baptist Church I must say that this Sunday, with frozen pipes, the breath of saints visible in the cold air, and the singing of three verses of “Jesus Loves Me” was a memorable blessing. Be blessed, and I'll see you when the heat is back up.
Pastor Rice
An Essay for week #2 Jan 14, 2018
Msg in audio at ww.GSBaptistChurch.com/audio/gs180114.mp3
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A weekly 300 word essay- The Penny Pulpit
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