A Slower Pace

“A liberal paradise would be a place where everybody has guaranteed employment, free comprehensive healthcare, free education, free food, free housing, free clothing, free utilities, and only law enforcement has guns. And believe it or not, such a place does, indeed, exist:

Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office

Wow, Joe sure nailed it. And having been inside several prisons, I can attest he is correct.

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net

I heard this last night during a communion service while worshiping with some men who legally aren’t as free as you or me but who, spiritually, are freer than most folks I know.

“Jesus died for you. Are you going to live for Him?”

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net

I heard this quote during Christmas Eve service. I had heard it before and it is good enough to repeat.

“Satan knows your name, but calls you by your sin. Jesus knows your sin, but calls you by your name.”

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net

150 years ago on this day President Abraham Lincoln gave one of the most well known speeches. While most of us cannot quote the entire speech, Lincoln’s “Four score and seven years ago” resonate as much as other famous speeches such as Reagan’s “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall”, JFK’s “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”, and Martin Luther King Jr’s “I have a dream”. Abe’s speech was truly a verbal piece of art. I implore you to re-read it below and let the words sink in knowing the huge impact these words had on the course of our American history.

It really is too bad that most in our government today ignore many of the virtues, beliefs, and foundations set forth by such great men as Lincoln and our forefathers.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

That last line is chilling because I believe it does not exist any more.

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net

“The role of government should be to protect individual liberties, not choke the very lifebreath out of us taxing us to death with government programs that don’t work.”

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net

I love the quote below. So often in this life along our path we allow detractors, naysayers, pessimists, know-it-alls, clowns, asshats, buffoons, wannabes, posers, haters, and so many other low lifes that live life in the cheap seats to sabotage, deflate, demoralize, demotivate, dismiss and diminish our idea, ambition, fortitude, momentum or dream by throwing cheap barbs, insults, opinions and sarcastic comments at us. Well, for me it stops right now. Hopefully, I was not one of the contributors of that negativity, but if I was, it stops now. And for those I allowed to negatively influence me, your influence stops now.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory or defeat.” — Teddy Roosevelt – excerpt from “Citizenship in a Republic” on April 23, 1910

So in summary, if you ain’t in the arena with me getting your butt kicked, I ain’t open to your feedback.

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net

Yesterday at worship we had a visiting pastor preach. This guy, Jud Wilhite, is a pastor at a very large Las Vegas church and even referred to our pastors, Dave and Kyle, as a pastoral dream team. He is right on the money and had big shoes to fill. Well, let me tell you, that Las Vegas church is as blessed to have Jud as we are to have Dave and Kyle. His sermon (go check it out here — http://www.southeastchristian.org/default.aspx?page=4754&series=55) was humorous, well done and hit home with some very good, poignant points on “Pursued For Relationship” where God pursues us in love.

Right out of the gate this quote hit me (and would probably hit MANY non-church folks out there):

“God isn’t out to get you (like a cosmic policeman). He’s out to LOVE you!”

Here are the others:

• “You can run FROM God or you can run FOR God but both can be equally exhausting. Just run TO God and rest in Him.”
• “Marriage is not about the contract; it is about the relationship.”
• “The most important thing about our relationship with God is not our love for God. It is His love for us.”
• “When we get to the end of our lives, the ONLY things that matter are our relationship with God and our relationship with those around our death bed.”

Again, I encourage you to go check out Jud’s sermon — http://www.southeastchristian.org/default.aspx?page=4754&series=55

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net

I was blessed enough to attend a breakfast this morning that had Bob Russell as the main speaker. Now if the name Bob Russell doesn’t sound familiar to you, he is the pastor that started my church, Southeast Christian Church, that continues to grow and send out ripples in the pond of Louisville and beyond. And while I did not have the pleasure or opportunity to attend while he was lead pastor, his effective transition plan to pastors Dave Stone and Kyle Idleman has ensured the vine of Southeast which is grafted to Christ continues to produce fruit long after Bob Russell’s retirement.

One of the more poignant comments made during Bob’s talk:

“When the electricity goes out is a great time to be selling flashlights.”

Electricity = our nation and culture

Flashlights = the light and truth of Jesus

He even told a story of a time he was at a social event and a self-proclaimed non-religious person came up to him and said “Preacher man, I am not religious but even I know that our country is on the decline”.

While many believers feel angst and concern for the direction our country is headed — slipping morals, increasing violence, loneliness in spite of the electronic connections, government corruption — now is also the opportunity to show others the light and truth of Jesus Christ. There might not ever be a better time in our country’s history where people realize something is missing and long to fill the emptiness in our hearts. Government is letting us down. Entertainment is fleeting. Sex, drugs and rock and roll are unable to fill the void. Only Jesus can provide the peace that passes understanding. Only Jesus can gives eternal joy. Only Jesus can fill that God-shaped hole in our heart.

To hear more of this great message, Bob Russell also has a great blog at www.bobrussell.org .

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net

The only One who can truly satisfy the human heart
is the One who made it.

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net