The God Who Weeps

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This Sunday  At Faith . . . (AM)  LET THE REDEEMED TELL THEIR STORY (Billy)     Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, Psalm 107:2 (NKJV) I am gearing up for Anniversary Sunday.  We want to recall God's goodness and grace to Faith.  We will be using cardboard testimonies (see below), skits, music and message to communicate the message of our God who has redeemed us from the hand of the enemy.  My message is still simmering but I want to address some of these questions. What happpens when God's people don't declare their story? Should I expect the world to tell the story of God? Do I have a story?  What has God delivered me from? What does it mean to be redeemed? ​  Sunday night (6 PM)   Chris will be leading our church family to the Lord's Table this Sunday night.  Hope you can join us for this very special time.  Chris will be speaking on the "First and Second Adam" LIFE SIGNS CELEBRATING 37 YEARS OF CHANGED LIVES, Sunday September 9, 2012 IF you would like to participate by holding up your cardboard sign with your life testimony, contact the church office.   You create your sign on one side it can say cancer, sin, broken home etc. and on the flip side you can write in big letters for all to see, how God delivered you.  We want Faith to show signs of LIFE, please participate on Anniversary Sunday.  Please watch this video on Cardboard Testimonies to give you an idea of how you can share what God has done for you.  We will have a special service in addition to the cardboard testimonies, music, skits from all age groups and ministries.  That afternoon we will head to the Grace Bible Camp for an afternoon of food, fun, fellowship and music. In my world. . .  Baptism  this Sunday September 2 ( contact church office 962-6335) Please pray for Steve Mercer and all of the family as Audrey went to be with the Lord this week after a long hard battle with cancer.  We are so thankful that she is perfectly whole now. Thanks to whoever left that bag of tomatoes in my car Wednesday night they were gooood, especially that yellow fellow Thanks to Alice White, Richard and Diana Taylor for decorating our church for the fall Thanks to Anna and Chris for mulching the church, thanks to Joe for electrical work, and to Larry Woodward for computer work Deacon on Deck for August: Mike Wade (968-0952) Thanks to Barry Calvert for the work being done to the Children's building Missionary  of the week:Tim and Jessica Roberston (Battambang Cambodia-in States on furlough) Pray for the church leadership as the search has begun for a replacement for Bro. Chris, we are interviewing a prospect at this time Please pray for our church finances we are now three full weeks behind on reaching our budget, if things continue as they have we could be an entire month behind by the end of the year Mark your calendars our Fall Outreach is Sunday night October 28 our theme this year is FALL FUN at FBC (5:30-7:30)  Pray that many people in our community will visit our church campus for the first time as we reach out to the community in the love of Christ ​     Follow us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Faith-Baptist-Church-Covington-VA/367864835486 Is there something you would like to comment about in this update?  Need to let the rest of us know something?  leave comment on Facebook at the link for this update  You can watch or listen to the sermons from Faith on the Internet just follow this link to watch a recent sermon. http://www.truthcasting.com/player.aspx#showSermon=35980 You can also watch or listen to sermons on your iphone,ipod or ipad.  You have to download the Truthcasting app for your device. http://www.truthcasting.com/   THE GOD WHO WEEPS We had an unusual Wednesday night at Faith this week.  I had just begun my lesson from the book of Isaiah when the lights went out at the church someone had struck a pole in our neighborhood and suddenly we all were sitting in the dark.  My class did not flinch, someone brought me a flashlight and I continued on in the dark.  Most people would probably not notice much difference because most of my preaching and teaching to them seems to be in the dark anyway.  But all things considered it was a great class and the Victory Bible Class sat there and listened to the Word of God until their pastor was finished. My subject was an unusual phrase in Isaiah in which God speaking through His prophet describes the volume of tears He shed for Moab, of all people.  Moab had been a constant thorn in the side of Israel, yet in Isaiah 16 we see the compassion of a loving God. Therefore I will bewail the vine of Sibmah, With the weeping of Jazer ; I will drench you with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh ; For battle cries have fallen Over your summer fruits and your harvest. Isa. 16:9 NKJV Note the phrase, "I will drench you with my tears,"  God speaking of Moab.  Tears are a unique and special language of the soul.  When someone chooses to cry in front of me, they are opening a window into their souls. Is not the compassion of our great God on display here in this text?  God was grieving over the sins of Moab, the destruction that was coming on this country and the coldness of their hearts. I became convicted about the dryness of my tear ducts.  When I was a young preacher, I delivered one of my first sermons, I thought it was a disaster.  I couldn't say very many words with out crying.  I kept apologizing to the congregation for what I thought was entirely too emotional appeal to them.  After the service an older seasoned lay speaker came up to me and said, "Don't ever lose the tears, they reveal the tenderness of your heart ." I am ashamed to admit it but I don't cry much anymore in the pulpit.  I wonder, has my heart grown cold and hardened after years of ministry?  Thankfully we serve a God who doesn't't change, the same God who wept over Moab weeps over you. Use this special day as a chance to invite your friends and neighbors back to church We are working with the Covington Bible Church on a project to give out special Bible portions (the Life book) in our local schools, teens reaching teens.  We are hoping to distribute Bibles in our area high schools. Chris and Anna Tucker Mulching around the church this week. Glenn and Alice White and Diana and Richard Taylor get the church ready for fall! This pass week was a real blessing for the church family as we got to ordain our own Frank Sizemore and send him out into the gospel ministry.  It was a great service, here you can see the pastors and deacons laying hands upon Frank.  Pray for Frank as he continues as pastor at Moss Run Baptist Church    Hope to see you Sunday