Lake Drummond Baptist Church

Tomorrow morning, the Lord willing, I get the extreme privilege and honor of preaching on the greatness of God. Where do I start?  What words are worthy of such a profound subject as the “Greatness of GOD.”

Genesis 1:1 through Revelation 22:21 tell me in words, letters and syllables the Greatness of GOD in a form that should take the strength from my legs and drive me to the ground in praise to my Saviour yet He gives me strength to walk through this world and make my own choices.  My Saviour, who created all, took upon Himself the condemnation of my sin.  My sin.  MY SIN!  I don’t want all the junk I can remember brought out in public yet He suffered and died on a cross for that junk, the mess ups of my life and garbage I can’t even remember.  How does any of this make sense? Why would the Way, the Truth and the Life make the Way for me, show me through His Word the Truth and supply for me His Life through His sacrifice and His Spirit who leads me?

God’s Word has the answers man is looking for yet we walk our own way, we make up our own lies and call them truth and attempt to make a existence in a lost and dying world and fool ourselves into calling it a life.  What is there to this life?  Well, history has shown me in fifty years life is full of heart attacks, strokes, cancer, job loss, foreclosures, under-handedness, cheating, lying and death to name a few.

Is this what we are called to live for?  Depends on who your authority is?  If my authority is secular and worldly directed the earth could be my footstool yet my life would be empty.  Sure, there are secular pleasures in life yet they leave us so empty.  However, if my authority is God’s Word, and I believe that Christ died for my sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, I am assured Life through Him and my assurance doesn’t depend upon my feelings or my worries or anything else this world has to offer.  My life now depends upon God’s promises!  God’s promises?  There is nothing more dependable.  There is nothing more lasting.  There is nothing without God’s promises.

Great is the Lord?  I have barely scratched the surface on this life I live in Christ yet I stand in awe of the greatness of my God.  “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.”

■ It’s not too late to get your free tickets to the Tides Baseball game on 8/21.  If you would like to go with us, contact the church office at 421-3522.

■ Our current mission project is raising funds for the Crisis Pregnancy Center. You can help by stopping in Room #1 to sign out an empty baby bottle, take it home and fill it with your loose change, and return it by 9/12. Please contact Debbie Barnes at 353-2864 for further details.

■ Chat ‘N Chew Youth: Wednesday 8/25, 9:00 am, come learn how to make home-made rolls, noodles and pies; bring a can of pie filling, all other items will be provided. Then, that night, come hungry to Chat ‘n Chew as we will be eating what we made that morning.

■ Sunday 9/5, 6:00 pm we will have a church-wide “End of Summer Social” in the Fellowship Hall. This is for all ages and will include hot dogs and “Connie’s famous home-made ice cream.” Square Dance caller, Bob Worley, will teach basic Circle/Square dance until 8:00 pm.

■ Awana Kick-Off & Snack Supper is Sunday 9/12. Contact Craig (651-8452), Marla (818-4453) or Geri (439-7952) to find out how you can take part in this exciting ministry to our kids!

Today I had the unique privilege of officiating the celebration of the home-going of my sister-in-Christ, Metta Rich.  Grace and poise are words that were invented for Metta.  She suffered so as pulmonary fibrosis invaded her lungs making it difficult and ultimately impossible for her to breath.  Her son, Keith, said it best when he shared, “Mom was smothering and there was nothing I could do.”  Yet in all of her suffering, Metta continually reached out to others.  If she loved you, you knew it.  If she cared for you, you felt it.  If you left her home hungry, it was your own fault.  Metta had a way of seeing the good in you and bringing it out.  My tears continue to fall as I think, selfishly I might add, of how much I wish she were still here.  I miss visiting with her.  I miss that twinkle in her eye when I’d come into the room.  I miss hearing about her family and friends and her church.  I miss Metta.  Tears will abate with time as I learn to live with her passing but her memory will live on in my heart and I’m sure in the hearts of many others as we rest in the arms of our Saviour knowing that one day, one day, we’ll see Him face to face as my sister, Metta, does right now.  I sure wish I could see your brand new home right now Metta.  No more pain and no more suffering.  Wow, what a burden was lifted from you as you traded in your tent for your mansion this past Monday.  Rest Sis, your work on earth is done.  I miss you and can’t wait to see you again.  Rest in the arms of our Saviour.

Metta Carawan Rich, March 28, 1933 – March 8, 2010.

Bonnie Smith of Gideons International spoke at Lake Drummond Baptist Church and shared testimony of the power of the Word of God.  As the son of a Gideon and a Gideon Auxiliary, I am so thankful for this organization and what they stand for.

Gideons International (also known as Gideon’s Bible) is an evangelical Protestant organization dedicated to distributing copies of the Bible in over 80 languages and 190 countries of the world to those who might not otherwise encounter it, most famously in hotel and motel rooms.  The organization was founded in 1899 in Boscobel, Wisconsin, as an early American parachurch organization dedicated to Christian evangelism.  It began distributing free Bibles, the work it is chiefly known for, in 1908, when the first Bibles were placed in the rooms of the Superior Hotel in Superior, Montana.  Nearly 76.9 million Gideon Scriptures were given out in 2007.  Close to 1.5 billion have been distributed since 1908.

The organization describes its link to the story of Gideon in Judges Chapters six through eight.  Gideon was a man who was willing to do exactly what God wanted him to do, regardless of his own judgment as to the plans or results.  Humility, faith, and obedience were his great elements of character.  This is the standard that the Gideons International is trying to establish in all its members, each man to be ready to do God’s will at any time, at any place, and in any way that the Holy Spirit leads.  In keeping with this symbolism, the symbol of the Gideons is a two-handled pitcher and torch, recalling Gideon’s victory over the Midianites as described in Judges, Chapter 7.

In addition to their well-known hotel-room Bibles, the Gideons also distribute Bibles to members of the military of various countries, to hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, and students.  A typical Gideon Bible or New Testament contains: (1) a short preface; (2) a pamphlet suggesting Bible verses that may be of assistance in various sorts of trouble; (3) translations of John 3:16 into a variety of languages and scripts; (4) the Bible text itself, without notes, references, or any other reference matter other than chapter and verse headings — this can either be the full Bible (typical of the copies placed in hotel rooms), or just the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs (typical of the copies handed out as gifts to individuals); and (5) a short description of Biblical salvation, with Biblical quotations, and a place for the reader to sign and date his or her confession of Jesus (this is especially common in the shorter editions of the New Testament and Psalms).

The covers of the New Testaments distributed by the Gideons are color coded based on which groups they’re meant for: (1) Orange: for sidewalk distribution to Middle and High school students; (2) Green: for college and university students; (3) Red: for in-school distribution to Middle and High school students; (4) Digital Camouflage and Desert Camouflage: for the military; (5) Dark blue: for law enforcement personnel, firefighters, and EMTs; (6) White: for medical professionals; (7) Light blue: for distribution by the Auxiliary only; (8) Brown: personal worker’s testaments (for individual witnessing by Gideons) and (9) Periwinkle (looks like a faded blue): personal worker’s testaments (for individual witnessing by the Auxiliary).

The Gideons draw their volunteer members from many (although not all) Christian denominations, as described in Article 3 of the Gideon Constitution:

Article 3.-Membership.

The membership shall consist of business and professional men, except clergymen, who believe in the Bible as the inspired Word of God, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the eternal Son of God, have received Him as their personal Saviour, endeavor to follow Him in their daily life, and who are members in good standing of an evangelical or Protestant church, congregation or assembly.”.

Gideons as laymen, stand shoulder to shoulder as “missionaries” of local churches and their pastors in going to the four corners of the world to win others for the Lord Jesus Christ.  This organization is a nonprofit.  Because each Gideon works on a volunteer basis, more funds are available for programs.  Contributions to it are fully deductible to the extent allowed by law.  Gideons International has received high financial efficiency marks at ministrywatch.com.

The sheer number of Bibles (more than 1 billion) distributed by the Gideons is a testimony to the organization’s faithfulness and hard work.  Gideons International proves that Christian laypersons can accomplish great things in ministry.  Numerous people have testified to the spiritual impact made on their lives throughout the ministry of the Gideons.  Gideons International is a God-centered, not man-centered, organization (evidenced in part by the fact that Gideons International does not bestow public awards on individuals nor allow their members to receive such).  Gideons International distributes the Bible in places where people are most likely to pick one up and read it and Gideons International promotes the ideal of financial transparency by allowing its audited financial statements to be downloaded at its website.

The ability of the Gideons, through their sheer numbers and eagerness to follow God’s Will for their lives, to blanket saturate God’s Word where it is needed was best described in my memory on Christmas Eve 1968.  The astronauts of the Apollo 8 mission read from Genesis chapter 1 during a live television broadcast from lunar orbit.  A Japanese correspondent staying at a Houston hotel while covering the mission called NASA Public Affairs to request a copy of the speech that the astronauts were reading.  The Public Affairs official asked where he was staying and then told him that if he opened the desk drawer in his room he would find a book and that he should open it to page one.  The reporter found the Gideon Bible and later reported that “NASA Public Affairs is very efficient – they had a mission transcript waiting in my hotel room.”  No matter who gets the credit, God’s Word is getting out there.

I support the Gideons International and thank my Heavenly Father for these men of God (and their wives who make up the Auxiliary) who have heeded the call Isaiah heard when the LORD asked, “Whom shall I send?” with Isaiah’s answer, “Here am I; send me.”