Hello Folks,
I pray that this past week-end was one filled with the grace of Christ for your life. Next Sunday I am planning on preaching from Isa 11:1-11 and addressing the question of prophecy being fulfilled. Do we really believe that Jesus died to change animals so they would eat together rather than eating each other? It is very clear that verses 1-5 are revealing Jesus to us. Did He not already come? If He already came to this world why would we think that the rest of these verses have been put on hold until some time in the future? Could it not be that God wants to change the nature of humans? Is that not the real purpose of the coming of Jesus? He died to save us, to make us new creations, to give us natures that owuld be loving and kind rather than blood thirsty. I know some of us were like "snakes in the grass" and "old bears" in our lives but God made us new. Also in Isa 11:9 we are shown that this would take place on God's Holy Mountain which is nothing other than Gods beautiful Church! Read Heb 12:22-23 and find that the New Testament author declared that the church is Mount Sion. Praise God for the prophet Isaiah that told us about what Jesus would do in the lives of people and then He actually fulfilled it! Is He not wonderful!
I pray you all have a great week and may the grace of Jesus Christ be poured out into your lifes.
HGRudd
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Hello Folks,
This past Sunday was a good day in the Lord. I must tell you that I preached from Jer 18:1-6 about the potter crushing the vessel and making it new again. As I read that passage in my study I thought about how God wants to reshape men and women for Him. I realize that this passage deals with Israel but if you look closely at v.2 you would also see the resurrection of Jesus presented. God sees us as dead in our sins and He wants to raise us up new in Him! We can be "new creations" (2 cor 5:17) and that is the same picture that we are shown in Jer 18. Praise God for His willingness to make us new.
I must admit that there are times when I would like to be working back in the factory but after a day or two of sorting through life I see the wonder of His grace in my life. There can be no doubt that Jesus had days just like that in his earthly life. It makes you wonder why He bothered to leave heaven to come here for us but that is what His love is like!
Here I am almost 60 (come my birthday on Sept 17) and I think that the world is revolving too fast for me. People have different values, different desires and different expectations that they did when I was 25. It makes me wonder what the church world will be like in another 35 years. The odds are that I will not see that but some of the people I pastor and my children and grandchildren could. What kind of world will they live in? I pray that Jesus will be first ino their lives so that this world will not be there home but that they will live with their eyes on the glory of heaven and of God.
Just a few thoughts.
HGRudd
This past Sunday was a good day in the Lord. I must tell you that I preached from Jer 18:1-6 about the potter crushing the vessel and making it new again. As I read that passage in my study I thought about how God wants to reshape men and women for Him. I realize that this passage deals with Israel but if you look closely at v.2 you would also see the resurrection of Jesus presented. God sees us as dead in our sins and He wants to raise us up new in Him! We can be "new creations" (2 cor 5:17) and that is the same picture that we are shown in Jer 18. Praise God for His willingness to make us new.
I must admit that there are times when I would like to be working back in the factory but after a day or two of sorting through life I see the wonder of His grace in my life. There can be no doubt that Jesus had days just like that in his earthly life. It makes you wonder why He bothered to leave heaven to come here for us but that is what His love is like!
Here I am almost 60 (come my birthday on Sept 17) and I think that the world is revolving too fast for me. People have different values, different desires and different expectations that they did when I was 25. It makes me wonder what the church world will be like in another 35 years. The odds are that I will not see that but some of the people I pastor and my children and grandchildren could. What kind of world will they live in? I pray that Jesus will be first ino their lives so that this world will not be there home but that they will live with their eyes on the glory of heaven and of God.
Just a few thoughts.
HGRudd
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Hello Folks,
It has been a couple of weeks since I last sent out a blog. Ruth and I were in Anderson, In for the International Camp Meeting, then from there to Pekin, Il to visit with Deb, Tom, Bob and the grandchildren, then back to Greenwood, In to see James, Michele and the grandchildren there. The time with the kids and grandchildren was great! We got to spend some time with them, paint for Deb, go to Alexis' ballgame and just visit in general. I needed to come back home to recover from all the driving and just not sleeping in my bed.
During he General Assembly at Anderson there were notable changes over the past few years. Due to some circumstances Ruth and I had missed the last two, we have only missed 4 or 5 total since 1980, and I was glad to get to go this year and see some folks that I had not seen in quite some time. Yet the overall attendance has taken a very noticable decline. According to the local paper there were "over 400" people who voted for the items that came to the floor on Tuesday. This particular day used to have over 1000 in it. We must ask ourselves the question of whether our pastors and other leaders have abdicated their responsibilty by failure to attend and participate in the process. I realize that some feel as if it does not matter if they are there but do we not have some kind of obligation to God, the Movement and our congregations to voice ourselves in this process?
Ruth and I were able to attend the evening worship on Monday and Tuesday and most of the worship was very good. I personally think that interpretive dance has no place in the worship and for those who would use King David as an example I simply remind them that he danced in the street and not in the Temple so if you want to emulate him please go dance in the street. But other than that one instance I was able to truly enjoy the worship. One sermon was "ok" to me and the other was exceptional. That might have as much to do with personal taste as it does with the presentation. Once again attendance had no hint of the past. We worshiped in Reardon Auditorium and the maximum that I would guess to be there was not over 2000. In the past when Warner Auditorium existed I have seen upward of 8000 people. The great question and struggle that this produces is whether Anderson Camp Meeting has lost its usefulness. Are we wasting resources in an attempt to keep a dying event going? By the way this question was part of what was addressed in General Assembly and in 2012 there will be recommendations presented as to what we should do in future. Many have already voted by simply not attending so it makes me wonder what will come next.
Here at Greeneville First Church of God we are getting material ready for the new thrust called Christian Learning For Christian Living or CL4CL. Our congregation will be presented with an opportunity to learn more about how to worship, make disciples, reach the lost and live in a God honoring manner. I pray that if you attend here you will avail yourself of this opportunity. If you do not attend here and want the material we will make it available for a cost. Just call here and we will give you the details. The number is 423-638-4818.
May the Lord bless you all.
Pastor H. G. Rudd
It has been a couple of weeks since I last sent out a blog. Ruth and I were in Anderson, In for the International Camp Meeting, then from there to Pekin, Il to visit with Deb, Tom, Bob and the grandchildren, then back to Greenwood, In to see James, Michele and the grandchildren there. The time with the kids and grandchildren was great! We got to spend some time with them, paint for Deb, go to Alexis' ballgame and just visit in general. I needed to come back home to recover from all the driving and just not sleeping in my bed.
During he General Assembly at Anderson there were notable changes over the past few years. Due to some circumstances Ruth and I had missed the last two, we have only missed 4 or 5 total since 1980, and I was glad to get to go this year and see some folks that I had not seen in quite some time. Yet the overall attendance has taken a very noticable decline. According to the local paper there were "over 400" people who voted for the items that came to the floor on Tuesday. This particular day used to have over 1000 in it. We must ask ourselves the question of whether our pastors and other leaders have abdicated their responsibilty by failure to attend and participate in the process. I realize that some feel as if it does not matter if they are there but do we not have some kind of obligation to God, the Movement and our congregations to voice ourselves in this process?
Ruth and I were able to attend the evening worship on Monday and Tuesday and most of the worship was very good. I personally think that interpretive dance has no place in the worship and for those who would use King David as an example I simply remind them that he danced in the street and not in the Temple so if you want to emulate him please go dance in the street. But other than that one instance I was able to truly enjoy the worship. One sermon was "ok" to me and the other was exceptional. That might have as much to do with personal taste as it does with the presentation. Once again attendance had no hint of the past. We worshiped in Reardon Auditorium and the maximum that I would guess to be there was not over 2000. In the past when Warner Auditorium existed I have seen upward of 8000 people. The great question and struggle that this produces is whether Anderson Camp Meeting has lost its usefulness. Are we wasting resources in an attempt to keep a dying event going? By the way this question was part of what was addressed in General Assembly and in 2012 there will be recommendations presented as to what we should do in future. Many have already voted by simply not attending so it makes me wonder what will come next.
Here at Greeneville First Church of God we are getting material ready for the new thrust called Christian Learning For Christian Living or CL4CL. Our congregation will be presented with an opportunity to learn more about how to worship, make disciples, reach the lost and live in a God honoring manner. I pray that if you attend here you will avail yourself of this opportunity. If you do not attend here and want the material we will make it available for a cost. Just call here and we will give you the details. The number is 423-638-4818.
May the Lord bless you all.
Pastor H. G. Rudd
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