Moss Church celebrated the independence of our nation on July 5 with a covered dish meal and fi reworks display at the church. As usual, the home cooking stu◊ed everyone to the gills.
Our Sunday worship time was filled with classics like “When the Roll is Called up Yonder,” “There is Power in the Blood” and “My Burdens Roll Away.” Followed by special music, “Just As I Am,” sang by Tim Baker and accompanied by sister Donna Holloway on guitar.
Brother Bob reminded us of the freedoms we have today, especially the freedom to worship, was due to pilgrims, such as the Puritans, who came here to escape religious persecution from a church that had forgotten its foundation and grown too political in its focus. They used God’s word to frame their communities, their schools and their lives. Brother Bob noted that the Puritans, who believed in the promise still, had uphill struggles. Today you may have a promise that also includes a struggle. We don’t always know why we have the struggle but that God is faithful to carry us through it and make us better for it.
Sometimes we feel as if we are small boats on a raging sea where the waves constantly hit us day and night. You have three choices you can make when life’s waves hit you; you can fight the waves; you can donothing and drown; or you can ride the waves. We should never fool ourselves that life should be calm seas; even Paul knew that he must struggle through things to make a di◊erence in peoples lives.
Reading from 2 Timothy 1: 6- 9 “For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began…”
When we fight our problems, it creates strife; when we fear our problems we have torment. We will make good and bad choices but God promises that He can use all things to His glory and He equips us for the fight, if only we would lay our troubles down at His feet in submission. Every day we walk with Jesus, we gain something - confidence, forgiveness, strength and the ability to do and go through things we couldn’t do in our own power.
After the message, Tim once again sang “Just As I Am,” as the service closed.
News, Pages 9 on 07/18/2013