‬This column should come out on or around September 11.  That is a date that will live in
the minds of people for many years to come.  Most of us can remember where we were
and what we were doing when we heard the news.  I was actually watching a news
program when they interrupted with the story and watched the second plane crash into
the tower.‬
But do you remember the church’s reaction to the horrific event?  We called special
prayer meetings more than once over the next couple of months. People joined together
to pray for the stricken families and for the nation. I would venture a guess that the
prayer lives of Christians increased at least ten-fold. Why?
As far as prayer is concerned we are very good at being “emergency pray-ers”;  our
prayer lives are typically mundane…maybe even lethargic.  But when there is an
emergency?  We fall on our knees quickly.  I’m not saying that we shouldn’t pray extra
hard when a problem or situation arrives, but perhaps we could consciously pray more
often.  Prayer is more than asking for God to take action.  It is also a time for
thanksgiving, worship, and seeking God’s will in the everyday things of life. 
A praying Christian will always draw closer to God, and a praying church will know
praising Him with good works.
Say good things about your church and about your Savior

Beginning Sunday, we will be promoting the Myers-Mallory offering for Associational
Missions. The Metro Birmingham Baptist Association is 180 churches joined together for
the purpose of spreading the Gospel as we minister to the needs of people around us.
As a church, we give some of our tithes and offerings to support the missions of the
association.‬‬
But it’s not enough to do everything that could be done.  The Meyers-Mallory offering
compliments the giving through the Cooperative Program.  It allows our local churches
to help fund the WMU. You know the tremendous work that they have done for 125
years. It goes to the work of the Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief.  I think you would be
surprised at all the work that they do around the entire country when disaster strikes. It
also supports Church Planting and Partnership Ministries … among other vital ministerial.
Our Goal is $1,000. Let me urge you to give generously.
On an entirely different note, our Nominating Committee is meeting and praying as we
look for workers within the body of the church. The committee members are Duane
Terpo, Amber Price, Wanda Chancellor, and Chris and Libby Lee.  Pray for them and
pray for those they will contact. And … pray for the Lord to lead you to a place of service.
Say good things about your church and about your Savior.

I read recently that a prominent Baptist pastor implied that having more than two children was a selfish
act due to the impending disaster of global warming. Therefore, it could be classified as a sin. So now,
we are sinning because we are not as alarmed as we should be about global warming?  First, let me say
that a person’s beliefs about prognostications of weather patterns should not be a theological/doctrinal
issue.  There are strong arguments on both sides of the issue, and a person is not “falling short of the
glory of God” by weighing the evidence and deciding which one has the strongest case.
Personally, I do not see a coming apocalypse of damaging heat patterns that will melt polar ice caps and
raise the oceans water level to flood stage.  Many “record highs” have indeed been recorded over the
last few years, but records are primarily based on data collected since 1880.  That’s only 145 years.
Basing fatalistic forecasting on data so relatively recent is, in my opinion, somewhat naïve. 
Adding to that, the science pointed in an entirely different direction only 50 years ago. Remember the
impending doom of the “new ice age” in the mid-1970’s? Knowledgeable and respected scientists of
that era said we would freeze to death…and soon.  As far as I can remember, that didn’t happen. And
honestly, “global warming” as a catch phrase fell out of favor and now we are to be alarmed by “climate
change”.
The main reason that I’m not alarmed and taking drastic steps to preserve the world is that it’s not
Biblically sound.  2 Peter 3:10 says: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will
disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it
will be laid bare.”  Does that sound like a slow, life-draining process to you?  When it happens it will
happen and everyone will know it is happening and there is not one thing humanity can do about it. We
will not postpone it in any way.  Our task, then, as Christians is to do the best we can to see that people
are spiritually prepared. Don’t worry about that which you cannot change. Is the world getting hotter? 
Maybe.  Will it get colder again? Possibly.  Is the Lord God going to do what He says He will do? 
Absolutely.

‬The upcoming mayoral election in New York City is going to be interesting.  The leading candidate is a
proud Democratic Socialist.  As far as I know, he will be the first mayor to openly govern with socialist
ideology. There has been a lot of talk about that…especially words of warning and impending doom. 
The democratic socialist governmental philosophy has been discussed for years and there are extremists
on both sides.  So here is what I say:  I hope he wins.  Honest.  Let’s put it to the test.  In by far the
largest city in the U.S. we can have a real life experience in democratic socialism.  We can at long last see
if it works or not.  Is socialism the utopia that people dream of?  Is capitalism the best way to provide for
America’s citizens?  We will see…and hopefully put to rest the question once and for all.
But here is the part that “ruffles my feathers”.  Without a doubt, in most of the discussions, people will
claim that Jesus was either a socialist or that He would have preferred capitalism.  I’ve said it
before…Jesus wasn’t interested in governmental affairs. His kingdom was, and is, far above the political
fray.  His message was to all people, under all circumstances:  Love God above all else and clothe
yourself with His righteousness. This will allow us to obey his other commandments.  Love your neighbor
as yourself, do good to those that abuse you, pray for your enemies, help those in need.  
The gospel of Jesus Christ will work in whatever the political landscape.
Say good things about your non-socialist, non-capitalist, Savior.  The Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
Bro. Tony

‬Our “Old Fashion Hymns” service was fantastic. Everyone I talked to said they would like to do it
again … and we will.  Those old hymns contrast sharply with the newer ones, as well as the praise
choruses. Not that one is better than the other.  Any song that glorifies God and our relationship with
Him through Christ, is a good song.  I heard a well-known pastor say that the “older generation” sang
about Jesus and the “newer generations” seem to sing to Him.  Absolutely nothing wrong with either.
Have you noticed, though, how many of the older hymns speak of heaven?  A lot of hymns about
heaven!  I’m sure there are several reasons but, as Richard Sadler would say “in my humble, but
accurate, opinion” I look at it like it’s a product of the times in which the song were written.  It was a
different world back then.
One of my grandfathers was a coal miner and the other was a sharecropper.  Their life experiences were
vastly different from mine.  They got up before dawn and worked extremely hard all day long…often
until after sunset.  Their wives were home taking care of kids, cooking (minimal, but delicious meals),
and cleaning.  They, too, labored all day and into the night.  They would then go to bed and repeat the
process the next day.  There were no entertainment venues, malls, fast food joints…or even restaurants,
for that matter. My daddy and Angie’s daddy knew what it was like to plow behind a mule. The times
were simple, but they were tough, hard years.
So what is on your mind when you think about spiritual things?  Heaven. Face to face with Jesus. Streets
paved with gold, a mansion to live in.  No pain from hours and hours in the mines or hot fields. No
sorrow from losing a child with an illness that was later very curable.  “Onward to the prize before us…” I
am looking forward to heaven, I want to see Jesus.  I’m ready to see the family that is there.  But maybe,
just maybe, I don’t yearn for it quite as hard as those that sang this every Sunday: ‘Some glad morning
when this life is o’er, I’ll fly away; To a home on God’s celestial shore, I’ll fly away.”
Say good things about your Savior.

‬There has been a lot of news coverage on the abominable events in Bibb County. Ten children were held
captive in an underground room and sexually abused and tortured as part of a child sex-trafficking ring. I
believe 11 people have been arrested so far. I made the statement at Wednesday night service that we
should tell them about Jesus and, if found guilty, make sure they meet Him soon.
This brings up the question of a Christian’s support of the death penalty. Of course, our opinion of the
death penalty should be based on scripture, not feeling. That’s a tough thing to do sometimes, isn’t it?
Almost every emotion we have is stretched to the limit in this case. But…what does the Bible say?
The death sentence was prescribed for a variety of offenses in the Old Testament. But a lot of people
rightly speak of the grace and mercy that the New Testament endorsed. Jesus came to seek and to save
those who are lost, right? Surely Jesus wouldn’t endorse capital punishment. Didn’t he commute the
sentence of the woman caught in adultery? Understand, this was a situation created specifically to trap
Jesus into making a decision that would put Him at odds with either the Jewish law or His ministry of
compassion and love. He did not make a blanket statement about the application of the death penalty.
In fact, I believe this to be more about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, than the death penalty.
Read Romans 13:1-5. Government is in place for a reason. One of those reasons, and a particularly
important one, is to keep law and order. Punishment for civil crimes is a governmental issue. What do
you do with someone who tortures and rapes a 2-year-old child on multiple occasions and then sells her
to be used for sexual gratification of other men? This went on for over three years with many children.
I do believe that the ultimate punishment should be administered judiciously and rarely and the accused
should be given the chance to appeal. But…here’s how I feel about the death penalty: As far I know,
none of the charges in this case carry the possibility of a death sentence. But given the depravity and
horror of what was done to those children, I think they should. Justice for these children cries out for
the harshest of punishment.
Say good things about your Savior.

I watched an interesting video of a man at a school board meeting trying to read aloud from a book in
the children’s section of the library.  The board stopped him after one paragraph, saying it was not
appropriate to share that in a room full of adults.  The book was a book about sex, including “how to”
perform certain sex acts…with illustrations. This included homosexual activity. No one on the school
board would condemn the book nor its placement in the library.
The discussions that ensued about the video centered around censorship. I was surprised by the number
of people who plainly stated that there should be no censorship, whatsoever.  Those, at the best, are
folks without discernment and/or common sense.  Of course, many referenced Hitler having books
burned, etc.  I engaged one man and asked him if he honestly thought that there should be no
censorship, for any reason.  He said that was exactly what he believed.  I asked him if it would be ok if a
library stocked a book where child predator wrote about how to successfully lure young children into
dangerous situations.  He didn’t answer except to call me a few choice names.  I asked him if public
nudity should be allowed, all the time in all public places.  Again, just name calling and he was through
“discussing” the subject.
You see, everybody, believes in censorship.  The questions are these:  Where do we draw the line and
who decides?  When it comes to children, the first and best line of sanity should be the parents.  And it
usually is.  But then our children go off to school. We trust their care and education to the
“professionals”.  That, too, works really well…most of the time. But in too many schools indoctrination is
cloaked under the guise of education. That’s where the censoring of certain books should be exercised
first.  Are certain books immoral and degrading?  Do some books teach unhealthy sexual ethics?  Are
certain books beyond the scope of “need to know” by children. Those books need to go. I’m not
advocating for burning the books.  Simply throwing them in the trash will suffice.
But…here are those questions:  where do we draw the line and who decides where the line is? Parents,
you have the biggest responsibility. Exercise it. Be your children’s moral and ethical educator; do not
leave that up to the school.  School board members, stand up for the innocent children and the most
vulnerable of our society.
We should all take this verse into account when leading and teaching our children: “Finally, brothers and
sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians‬
4‬:8‬ NIV‬‬)‬‬‬
Say good things about your Savior.

I said in this column last week that I would speak of benevolence, especially considering how a Christian
should react to an illegal alien. As I said last week, Jesus refused to get tied up in the politics of the day.
People that followed His commands certainly allowed His teachings to affect their political views. He
was clear that we should take care, as much as possible, of people in need.
Church on the Bluff has always been a giving, caring church. However, morally challenged, dishonest,
and scheming people have sought to deceive us (all churches, really). We have to be careful in our
generosity. For instance, we do not give cash to anyone. If they need food, we point them to the Green
Springs Ministry. On rare occasions we have taken them to the Pig and paid for some necessities. We
have paid for an apartment rental but we called the apartment complex and asked if the folks were in
sudden need or did they use churches to pay their rent on a regular basis. We have paid an electricity
bill to prevent the service from being cut off. Again, we call the power company to make sure the
details are correct.
You may not believe the scams we have learned to recognize. One, the “prescription scam”, is easy to
identify. Someone comes in and asks for money to get a prescription filled for their baby/child. Simply
tell them that you will go with them and pay for the prescription. If they say no, it’s because they either
do not have a legal prescription or they are using that prescription at several churches (if they agree, we
do it). The “gas money for an out of state emergency” is popular. But again, the willingness to meet
them at a gas station and pay for the gas usually puts them off. There are many more, and the
inventiveness of a deceitful mind never ceases to amaze me.
But, what about someone who is in this country illegally? How do we navigate those waters? Here is
how we do it: we never ask anyone if they are here illegally. We ask them if they have a need. Food?
Water? Clothing? If they need it and we are able, we help them. Their legal status is a governmental
concern…and we are not the government.
Please don’t get me wrong; I am totally against illegal immigration. If a person breaks the law by
entering our country without authorization, he or she should be sent back to their home country. It is
the law of the land (and yes…a needed law). I would encourage anyone who is here illegally to “self
deport” before you are caught and make your return easier. Then, go through the proper channels to
enter and you will be welcomed with open arms.
Christian, breaking the law puts you at odds with the government. I believe Jesus went out of His way to
make sure He didn’t do that.
Say good things about your Savior.

What would Jesus do?  In the heated, vicious, and hostile world that politics has become I’ve heard that
question in various forms as non-believers and even believers try to interject Jesus into the political
landscape.  Now, make no bones about it, our Christian worldview will most definitely influence the way
we vote. But Jesus never sought to change politics or government.  He changed the hearts of people,
who then changed the world in which they lived.
I’ve been told recently that Jesus was a socialist as well as a refugee and that would make His followers
vote this way or behave that way.  Jesus went out of His way to distance Himself from the political
world.  Do we pay our taxes, or do we support the church?  Jesus said give to the government was
demanded and give to God what was His. The Romans lied and cheated people out of their hard earned
money through taxes.  Jesus didn’t revolt against the Roman tyranny…but he did change the heart of a
tax collector or two, didn’t He?
Even as He walked this earth, many thought He came to establish a political nation and to right the
wrongs being heaped on the Jewish people. The religious leaders even sought to have Him murdered by
the Romans for treasons. Pilate asked Jesus if He was king of the Jewish nation.  Jesus said His kingdom
was not of this world. Jesus wasn’t and isn’t a political figure.
So what would Jesus have us do about the immigration fiasco dividing our nation?  I believe He would
say…to His people, not the nation…if someone is in need, try your best to meet that need. If you see
someone hungry, feed that person.  If you see someone thirsty, give that person a drink of water.  But
what if that person is here illegally?  Hunger and thirst know no legal status. 
I’ll explain further about what I believe to be the Christian church’s stance on benevolence, both to the
legal and illegal residents.  Stay tuned for next week. 
Bro. Tony