Hello Folks,
     This week started the East Tennessee Camp Meeting and it has been wonderful so far.  Sunday p.m. was our unity service with the local congregations and E.J. Swatzell, the youth pastor at Cedar Creek Church of God was the speaker.  There was a very good crowd and people seemed to worship the Lord with joy.  Mark Stayton, the worship pastor from Kingsport, did a good job leading us to lift our voices to the King of Kings.
     Last night the camp meeting began with a theme of Extraordinary Passion and it seemed to me that was what was exhibited for all of us to hear and see.  Jodi Poorman, a worship pastor from the Fox Street Church of God in Pennsylvania, was used by God to help us worship in song.  Jeannette Flynn was the preacher and God anointed her as she spoke His Word.  I must say that my wife, Ruth, and the quartet she sings in were also anointed by God as they sang in the worship.  I look forward to there the rest of the week and just pray that God continue to be powerfully present.
     One of the points that Sister Flynn brought to us was that if we were to have extraordinary biblical holy passion was that we must realize that God will speak in the dark.  We must be people of faith that are willing to speak the Word of God even when we cannot see the reasons for it with our eyes.  This is the real definition of faith is it not?  Believing God even though the circumstances may not reveal to us a visible reason to do so.  Real faith believes enough to act upon God's truth even when we cannot see everything about it.  May we be people of real faith and not miss the wonders of what He will do when He has men and women of faith to fulfill His will!
     Have a great day.


HGRudd

Hello Folks,
     We had a really good week-end here at Greeneville First Church of God.  On Saturday about 60 of the folks from our congregation met here and were sent out to a total of 3 Greene County Elementary Schools.  Over the next 2-3 hours our people cleaned rooms, painted stripes on walls, organized books, and anything else that the individual school or teacher wanted us to do.  Then we met back at the church, inviting the teachers to come with us, and had hotdogs, chips and cookies.  There were about 20 teachers and one principal that attended and ate with us.  We called that a Community School Blitz.  We already have had some of the teachers ask us to come back next year.  It was a great time of service to our community and fellowship with one another.  Hopefully, above everything else, we were able to exemplify Jesus Christ to those we came into contact with.  I am so thankful for those who came and helped.  If we are going to impact our community we must get into our community and that is what we are attempting to do.
     When I looked at the people who were there working we had folks from 8 years of age to 75 years of age who came out to help.  I must say that there is no better way for the elders of a congregation to reveal a Christian life to the younger people than to be with them and live the life in front of them.  I am thankful that I am the pastor of this congregation and that God has allowed me to be part of it for almost 13 years now.  I pray that we can continue to find ways to reach out to our town and county with the wonderful message of Jesus being lived out in front of them.  Some of those people will never hear me preach but they can see people living Jesus around them.  What a joy it is to be part of that!
    
Have a great day,


HGRudd

Hello Folks,
     Just got back to my office after preaching a Camp Meeting in Liberty, Ky.  It was a real joy for me to be there for a number of reasons among which was the opportunity to preach the gospel.  There is nothing like the joy there is in preaching God's Word to people and seeing response.  But then I cam back this past Sunday and we had God move in our a.m. worship.  What a blessing it was to see men and women moving to the altars in response to what God was doing!  I happen to believe that if we were to be open to God to take control of what we are planning and doing that we would see an amazing change in congregations and individual people.  I certainly want God to continue to change me as I need Him to make me more of what He desires.
     While I was in Kentucky I found out that one of my cousins lives fairly close to Liberty and I was able to go to her house and have dinner with her.  She also had contacted her 3 sisters who I had not seen in quite a while and we had a mini-reunion with them.  My heart was filled with joy as we talked about the past the wonders of being able to have our lives intertwined together.  God gave me a special blessing by being able to be with them.  Could this have been a taste of what heaven will be like when we get to see all of those who have impacted our lives and to know that it will not stop but continue throughout eternity? 
     Yet it is also true that we have been given this day where we will have opportunity to impact the lives of others.  We will make a decision whether we will give them Jesus or if we will merely give them a taste of us.  Pray for me that I will be able to give Jesus to others.


Have a great day,


HGRudd

Hello Folks,
     Here in Greeneville, Tn we will celebrate Independence Day on July 4.  This has been a special day for Americans since 1775 and in our community we will have people join family members in cook outs and there will be untold fireworks shot into the air, there will be parades and special events taking place all across our community and our nation.  I for one am thankful for our nation and the freedoms that we celebrate here. 
     In other nations there is great persecution taking place while we celebrate.  In the Sudan Christians are being murdered simply because they are Christians.  Freedom for Christians in many Muslim countries is very limited and they are subject to great persecution.  I pray that we do not take for granted what we have been given but I also pray that we do not forget about people all over our world who have little if any freedom.  Maybe during our celebrations we should pray for others who have not been blessed to live in a country like ours.  While we have many things that could be better we are certainly among the most blessed people in the world.
     But there is one other thing that we ought not to forget.  It is simply that we have been given spiritual freedom through the blood of Jesus Christ.  On that day almost 2000 years ago when Jesus died on Calvary there was a declaration of independence signed in blood by the Creator of the world.  It is not restricted by national boundaries or political parties.  Anyone who will come to Him can receive that freedom.  That is the one truth that we ought to celebrate every day!
     I pray that you have a great week and that the freedom of Christ be in your.


HGRudd