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Pastor Letter (October 30, 2020)

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Pastor Letter (October 30, 2020)

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Pastor Letter (October 30, 2020)

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Bible Study every Wednesday evening, 7: 30, via Zoom  
WKDW-FM radio program, Northport, FL. 10-11 AM, Sunday mornings                                                                                                                                                                     Webcast services this Sabbath, 2 PM from Vero Beach   

Pastor’s Letter, October 31, 2020

What Will Happen ?
It Won’t Be Long Now
Long Until What  ?????

                                         Presidential Limousine                                         

     Yesterday two of the most powerful people in the world converged on Tampa, Florida to garner votes for two very different philosophies and futures. As a pastor who does a weekly broadcast and is responsible to maintain relevant sermon material,  I feel it is vital to understand the mood of the country. Therefore, in order to get a sense for what people are thinking in the “swing” state of Florida, and why, I went to the mid-afternoon Trump rally near the Tampa airport as well as the evening Joe Biden gathering at the Tampa fairgrounds.
      Because both of these men have occupied offices of great power and currently vie for the Presidency, I could not be surprised at the presence of so much security, so many Secret Service personnel everywhere, X-ray screening at entry points, police snipers on roof tops, a circling helicopter and cordoned-off corridors for impressive police motorcades escorting first, the Presidential limo that carried  Melania & Donald Trump to their rally. Later that evening, police escorted Joe and Jill Biden’s lavish limo to their rally at the fairgrounds


      After I found a place to park, I walked a mile around Raymond James stadium to the entry check point where hundreds of people were signing anti-abortion papers while additional hoards lined up for vendors that were selling Trump paraphernalia and others that handed out masks and seemingly endless bottles of water. It was hot outside…  95 degree heat which overwhelmed a number of die-hard elderly that fainted and were rushed away to near-by ambulances. Otherwise thousands of Trump fans were boisterous with unbridled enthusiasm throughout the entire afternoon….and I couldn’t help but ask myself, could and do we in the church at least match that intensity with our enthusiasm for God? Why, if people can rally for a corruptible crown, couldn’t we be equally committed to an incorruptible crown? (I Corinthians 9:22-24 and 15:51-53)
    And I could not help but wonder…if this same group were deeply enthusiastic for God, would the future of this country be much more favorable and more secure? To what extent these Trump rally attendees or Biden’s followers are serious about a relationship with God is unknown to us. Perhaps God is waiting just a little longer to see for Himself where the hearts of men are, at this late date. It is God’s nature to find out, just as He stated in Genesis 18:21 regarding the city of Sodom. Various ministers from different churches have at least recognized a need for the country to turn back to its moral roots. Some quote II Chronicles 7:14…and for good reason…the stakes have never been higher for this country and at stake is the very survival of this country. An excellent analysis of our current conditions in this country is well articulated in Scott Ashley’s writings in the most recent Beyond Today Magazine. We of all people should understand these circumstances….and maybe we do – but it is something never to be taken for granted.
      No one becomes or remains President of this or any country without God allowing them to be. There have been moments when God has raised up a leader at a critical time and there have been times when God stepped back and allowed curses to overtake an unrepentant nation. No one can at this point definitively say for certain exactly where this nation is in the spectrum of God’s patience, but based on the raging controversies in this divided nation and the preponderance of lies and rumors of lies that besiege the political climate, it is hard to imagine any candidate possessing the needed skill and persuasiveness to establish unity with such divergent, intolerant and often angry voters as shown in the pictures below: 
      
 


Can Donald Trump or Joe Biden unite and lead groups of people who constantly clash? Matthew 12:25
Even past American elected officials were unable to solve many major problems. Much of that inability stems from trying to give no more than shallow lip service to our great Creator. 

            New Frontier       Bridge to 20th Century          Trust Me                            Peace through strength

       Donald Trump advocates Making America Great Again. Barak Obama signaled “Hope and Change”, Richard Nixon asserted  in his campaign slogan, “Nixon’s the One”, Harry Truman’s campaign slogan was “The Buck Stops Here” and on it has gone. But beyond slogans, nothing short of a deep abiding adherence to God’s way of life will be able to successfully carry this country into the kind of future that most Americans wish for.
    The sad reality is that the US is wallowing in unbelievable debt, facing increasing enemies abroad, perpetuating abortion at home, tolerating sexual perversity, reaping unrest in the cities, and tolerating the breaking of the 10 Commandments of God. Ultimately only God can help America but that will only happen when man learns he cannot succeed by himself. (Jeremiah 10:23) The Church of God has an end-time responsibility to advocate our collective and deep repentance to God and return to the faith once delivered. Not that we do that out of self-righteousness but out of humility since after all…’by the grace of God go we’. This sober warning plus a proclamation of genuine, tangible hope for the ultimate future when Christ returns is vital for the church to embrace at this critical time. It won’t be long now….but are we doing all that we realistically can? We probably have not long to find out.

LOCAL CHURCH ACIVITY
TALLAHASSEE  Now that interior renovation at the Marriott Hotel has been completed, I am happy to report that we will again meet there on a monthly basis (with the exception of Dec 5th in which case we will meet at the farm). The Marriott is not only a better facility but actually more economical as well.
OCALA  I have received several calls from serious students of church literature. I expect one man to be there this Sabbath. Two weeks ago we had two people attend with us and another couple that has shown some interest.
VERO BEACH  We are glad to officially add Maria Lucas to the Body of Christ as she got baptized at the Feast. And it has great having Tricia with us since just before the Feast came.
FORT MYERS   We had several new people last week inquire about the church. One man came, stayed late and indicated that he would be back. Such activity is most encouraging.
     The experience of having received various phone calls from new people has inspired me to not commit myself to a rigid weekly speaking schedule. It has been better for me in some cases to choose to attend the congregation that the ‘new’ people would come to. If it happens to be at a congregation where someone else is assigned to give the sermon, I may at times also attend. Then both the other sermon speaker and I will give a split sermon. This insures that other men will continue to have the experience of speaking to new people but it will allow me access to do the same thing.
     For example, I am very anxious to meet the person I spoke an hour with on the phone last Monday who wants to visit the Ocala congregation. It so happens that Stan Braumuller and I have split sermons. This works out perfectly for this Sabbath. I realize it may not always be possible to do this but whenever I do not have my name in a specific speaking slot, I still will give a split sermon somewhere.
This Sabbath Chuck Smith will speak in Ft. Myers, Jeff Lockart will speak in Vero Beach, Tallahassee will meet at the farm and Stan and I will give split sermons in Ocala.
Best wishes for a valuable Sabbath, 
bv
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