Red Envelope Day

I'm taking very seriously my pledge to pray for our new President, but it does not mean that I agree with him on all the issues. For instance, the recent reversal of the Bush administration's restrictions on federal funding for research that involves the destruction of human embryos. Although he says that it is "above his pay grade" to know when life begins, I've become convinced that Mr. Obama may be the most pro-abortion President ever elected in our country.

I rarely ask you to take this kind of action, but I want to challenge you to participate in a protest called "Red Envelope Day" in an effort to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
What's Red Envelope Day? Glad you asked. Read this from the blog site called "The American Spectator", by Doug Bandow:

"...Barack Obama is living up to his promise to eliminate protections for the unborn. Without doubt the result will be more dead babies. Abortion is one of those tough issues that most politicians would prefer to dodge, but it is too important to sidestep.

Some pro-life activists are promoting "the red envelope project," urging people to mail empty red envelopes to the White House on March 31, with the back inscribed: This envelope represents one child who died in abortion. It is empty because that life was unable to offer anything to the world. Responsibility begins with conception.

It's a thoughtful protest, highlighting the reality of abortion: the death of innocent life."

With that in mind, I wanted to urge you to explore how you could be a part of Red Envelope Day (http://www.redenvelopeday.com/). In fact, please take a minute to paste that site into your search window and listen to the short video by Brian Potter, which explains a little more of how you and I can be involved.

We certainly don't have to wait for an event like Red Envelope Day to be involved. If this issue is close to your heart, I hope that you'll make it a matter of daily prayer. Prayer changes things. And, as we've learned, sometimes God makes us the answer to our own prayers.

In addition, you may want to check out the Pregnancy Resource Center of Fayette (www.fayetteprc.com) for more information on abortion alternatives and how you can made a difference.

Maranatha!
Frank

Where's the Steeple?

Remember this one?

"Here's the church - here's the steeple - open the doors - see all the people."

At Rolling Hills, it is not our ambition to build bigger buildings (and steeples) - it is our ambition to build bigger people who devote themselves to a lifetime of serving Jesus by serving others. So, in launching our new website, we wanted to choose a new domain name that would reflect this missional direction. We kicked around a few ideas and ended up with: wheresthesteeple.org. Be careful, there's no www. and there's no " ' " between the "where" and the "s". I think you're going to like it.

It's easy to navigate. It's very informative. And it represents us well to others. Hope you find it useful.

You should also know that our church now has a Facebook page. After you log into your Facebook account, just type Rolling Hills Baptist Church into the search window and you are there. Become a fan, share pictures, video and stories. The purpose for the Facebook page is really to help the fellowship at Rolling Hills to connect more deeply and to share the story of what God is doing in and through our church with others. Check it out!

Lastly, I've just got to thank our worship team - band, vocalists, tech team and worship leaders for the amazing service you provide every week. I love worship at Rolling Hills and feel so connected to God when we celebrate His Majesty every week! Thanks guys (and gals)...not just for what you do - but for who you are as leaders in worship at our church.

Gratefully Yours...
Frank

"This fork is filthy!"

I really believe that if want God to use us - we've got to be useable. Are you more likely to use a clean fork or a dirty one? Are you more likely to wear a clean shirt or the one with stains all over it? Are you more likely to drink water from your kitchen sink or your septic tank? If we want God to use us - we must be clean, holy and useable.

One thing we've learned over these past few weeks as we've studied THE TEMPTATIONS, is that giving the devil a foothold almost always leads to his gaining a stanglehold. Slowly he wears down our defenses and soon we discover that sin "takes us farther than we wanted to go; keeps us longer than we wanted to stay; and costs more than we want to pay". A glance becomes a gawk - a look becomes a leer - and a sacred trust is broken. That's the story of David and Bathsheba...but it's our story too. It's the story of a slow fade.

So, I hope that you might consider those CODE WORDs I mentioned on Sunday morning: PERMISSION GRANTED. When I say "permission granted", I mean that more than anything else in my life, I want to like Jesus. If I'm going to be like Jesus...I've got to be Holy (not only "positionally" Holy but "personally" Holy). If I'm going to be personally Holy...I've got to stop sinning. If I'm going to stop sinning...I'm going to have to overcome temptation. And if I'm going to overcome temptation...I'm going to need help.

You and I need to grant permission to someone in our lives to probe, ask questions and examine us for the sake of our own Holiness. So...who is asking you?

Remember the stat we read from the DTS survey of 237 Christian men who had fallen morally and had only 1 other thing in common...they had no one holding them accountable for personal Holiness. So...who is holding you accountable?

Start with this...have you spent time alone with God in His word and in prayer today? What is God saying to you in your time with Him? Are you spending enough time with your family today? Are you being honest in your financial dealings today? Has a "glance" become a "gawk" today? Are you lying to me about any of this?

It's not easy. It's hard. Sin is like 2nd nature to us. Holiness seems strange and unfamiliar. But I'll be more Holy if somebody's watching and so will you. Is PERMISSION GRANTED?

Everyday the news reports that life is getting a little harder and the world is getting a lot worse. People all around us are losing hope. And we all wish we were a little bit stronger. If only we could be more like Chuck Norris. After all...

• When the bogeyman goes to sleep at night he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.
• Chuck Norris once ordered a Big Mac at Burger King...and got it.
• When Chuck Norris falls in water he doesn't get wet. Water gets Chuck Norris.
• Chuck Norris can kill two stones with one bird.
• Chuck Norris has counted to infinity...twice.
• Dinosaurs are extinct because of the ChuckNorrissaurus.
• Chuck Norris doesn't believe in the periodic table. The only element he recognizes is the element of surprise.
• How much wood could a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could Chuck Norris? All of it.
• Contrary to popular belief, America is not a democracy. It is a Chucktatorship.

Do some of those sound familiar? It is estimated that there are about 40,000 Chuck Norris jokes swirling around the internet. A website called Chuck Norris Facts has generated over 50 million hits and averages nearly 800,000 hits a day. Impressive, and if the jokes were true, Chuck would be all-powerful, all-knowing and everywhere at once. Well, okay, Chuck Norris is not Omniscient, Omnipresent and Omnipotent. But Jesus is. Maybe the key to overcoming life's obstacles is not to be more like Chuck...but to be more like Jesus.

Kicking and Screaming...Frank


John 16:33 Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."