Hamlin New Testament Church

There's a phrase out there that some folks say is from Scripture. The phrase, "When one door closes another will open" is actually a quote by Alexander Graham B...ell. I heard someone say it the other day in a conversation, and that prompted my brain today. I got to pondering a bit about these kinds of phrases that we might not find in Scripture. Like the one - "God helps those who help themselves". Actually - if we think about it - God helps those who CAN'T help themselves as well, right? But here's the thing - just because a phrase is not from the Bible doesn't necessarily dismiss it as not having Biblical validity. There just might be a Biblical principle in there somewhere that we can find. A friend recently had a "door close" on a surgical procedure that he was supposed to have. He found out two days before that it was going to have to be postponed. And maybe there was a very good reason why that happened. But right now, only God knows what that is. And if we trust Him, then we can rest in His provision and leading. We do see a lot of scriptural references about doors. Col. 4:3 tells us - "And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains." And Paul in 2 Cor. 2:12 says, "When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me." But here's my closing thought today. Through the work that Jesus did on the cross, He left us with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Now I'm thinking that being led by the Spirit of God is better than trying to find doors to open. Not only can He lead us where to go, but also provide alerts if we're going off course a bit. Friends - maybe we've had a door closed in our lives recently. Well, when we find ourselves bummed out by a lost opportunity - or a "closed-door" - we should just take it right to God. He will always encourage us and He will also fill us with new hope. Amen?

Starting off a little differently today with the definition of a HERO - 1a : a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great stren...gth or ability. b : an illustrious warrior. c : a person admired for achievements and noble qualities. d : one who shows great courage. So, Dave - why the definition of a hero (one might ask)? Well, I've known for a while that our awesome neighbor to the west of us was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in the Greece Police Department. They just had a ceremony to make it official the other day. I'm so proud of Andy and all that he represents, and what a great husband and dad that he is as well. Congratulations, friend - to you, Jen, and the girls. It's an honor to be your neighbor. And according to the definition above, Andy's a hero. But wait, we also have another awesome neighbor behind us that's a nurse at a local hospital. She's a hero. And two more neighbors that are school teachers. Hero. Hero. And our daughter is a teacher in the city schools and home school's her oldest. Hero. I'm sure right now we're thinking of those folks we know that we might call heroes. Maybe it's the EMT down the road, or our cousin - the firefighter. I'm so thankful for all those who put their lives and safety on the line for complete strangers. And this also makes me think about heroes in the Bible. We usually go immediately go to the superstars like Noah and Moses. But I also can't help but think about Andrew. He was Simon Peter's brother and also what we might call an unsung hero. Now, this guy didn’t get a lot of ink in the New Testament, but what we do read about him is pretty significant. He is mostly known as the guy who brought others to Jesus. In fact, when he discovered that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, he went and found his brother and brought him to the Lord. Now Andrew just might be the patron saint of unsung heroes, the kind of people who are willing to do what needs to be done and fly under the radar. They just want God to get the glory. And here's a thought - maybe If we had more Andrews, we might just have more Simon Peters! Friends - guess what - we can all be heroes! I like part (d) of the definition from above - "one who shows great courage." Like Andrew, we can be those who point folks in Jesus' direction. Or we can make a meal for someone that's shut-in, or even bless someone that's hurting financially. It takes courage, but maybe that's what God is asking of us today. Amen?

So, I'm spending a little quality time this morning with the Lord - in the hot tub, of course - and I hear a line go through my brain - "it's what only God can ...do". And I started to ponder what only God can do. The list got long very quickly. I then came into the house and got the ole trusty laptop open and put in a search for "What Only God Can Do" and found there is a song by the Booth Brothers with that title. Here are some of the lyrics: "He’s the One who calmed the waters Made us Sons and Daughters Left the world in wonder with the empty tomb Thought I was done with searchin’ His Spirit kept on workin’ Let me tell you somethin’ I am living proof of what God What only God can do." We are all living proof of what God can do. He created us and He saved us. He showed His power when wind and waves obeyed Him and when He took a dead little girl by the hand and she woke up. And the woman at the well? Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ? (John 4:29). I love this line - "never put your security in anything that can be taken away from you." The truth is - we can lose our job, our health, our reputation, our spouse, and our mind. But we cannot lose our relationship with Christ. And when we put our security in this truth, we can trust God to meet all of our needs. Romans 8:32 says, Since he did not spare even his own Son for us but gave him up for us all, won’t he also surely give us everything else? So today, let's put our hope, our trust, and our lives into His loving care. He's going to take care of us like no one else. It's something only God can do. Amen?

Well, it's another big day! A new administration and a new president will be sworn in today. It is one of the most historic inaugurations ever. Half the country... is excited and the other half - well. . . But I did see a poll on MSN yesterday that about 2/3 of America says they will not be watching the "show". Makes one ponder. . . . But I do know this - yesterday, God was in charge. And today? Yep, he's still in charge. And tomorrow, absolutely. A song from many years ago by Don Moen came into my brain this morning. It's entitled "Be Magnified". And the lyrics really spoke to me - "I have made You too small in my eyes, O Lord, forgive me; I have believed in a lie, That You were unable to help me. But now, O Lord, I see my wrong, Heal my heart and show Yourself strong; And in my eyes and with my song, O Lord, be magnified. . ." Question - how big have we made politics in our lives? Just think if all of these "news hours" were filled with proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ, instead of opinions of what an "expert" might be thinking at any particular time. What a different country this would be, right? Truth be told - we need to remember that anything we elevate above God can end up being an idol. C. S. Lewis warned of political idolatry in his book, "The Screwtape Letters." Lewis explains how we as Christians must be careful to allow political engagement to become an idol. This happens when we elevate politics to a plane near God. And we all remember the story of Moses and the 10 Commandments, and the molten calf in Deuteronomy. So, friends - as a new day dawns - let's make sure that God is still first and foremost on our list of priorities, and in our lives. Spend the time we need to with Him, pray for our country and our leaders, and trust Him that He still has everything in control - no matter which side we're on. Amen?

"LOVE LARGE" - two words that I saw in an article that really jumped off the screen at me. The story was about a high school girl that was very challenged to th...e point she could not even speak, but she was still voted Homecoming Queen - because she loved large. We can never underestimate the little things we do. This young lady loved so much with the little that she had. And guess what? We can do the same. Truth be told - one thing that drives me a little crazy about wearing a mask, is that the people we come in contact with can't really see our smile or our facial expressions. But we can still show love with a simple nod, and even a "hello" or "how are you today?" I'm exceedingly thankful for my awesome bride Lee Lee and how much we love each other and how much we show our love to each other. (I'm so blessed!) And I also love showing love to others - and that is usually in the form of a hug. In fact, for a while at an old job many years ago, some referred to me as "Huggy Bear". Oh well, I've been called worse, right? I remember one time before COVID, a good friend @ RWC brought to my attention that the hug that we give to a person might be the only hug they've had that day, or even that week or that month! It was a "WOW" moment for me. John 13:34-35 instructs us - I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. Friends - it's the little things that matter. If we see a post from a friend asking for prayer, pause for a moment and pray for them. God does hear us, and He answers. Seeing someone in the marketplace, greet them in a loving manner - 6 ft. apart for now - and let God do the rest. Write a note to a friend, call someone that we've been meaning to call. Or do whatever God is laying on your heart. We never know what showing a little love can do! Amen?

I was reading some quotes recently of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and wanted to share a couple of them today, as we celebrate Dr. King's life. The first speaks ...to our times, as well as the times in the '60s - and even throughout all times. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. I'm thinking we should read that several times and maybe even commit it to memory! The second is one that we can print, frame, and hang on our wall. When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Wow! Now that's hope. Amazing hope. Hope for today and hope for tomorrow. Hope for times past, present, and future! Folks - as we enter one of the more historic weeks in our history, it might be good to read this a few times as well. We do have "low-hovering clouds of despair" floating around our nation's skies, and things might seem darker than they ever have in our memories. But there's good news - God still has us. There is nothing that has surprised Him. He still reigns supreme. And as we turn to Him and trust Him, we will see His glory revealed to us, our nation, and the world. 1 John 1:5 tells us - "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him, there is no darkness at all." We need that light to shine. . . Friends - one thing for sure, we need to pray. We need to pray for our nation, our leaders, and our people. As we enter this uncertain time with so must unrest, the best thing we can do is pray. I'll close with this prayer I found for our nation. Let's pray it together. Amen? "Dear God, as we face these uncertain times in our nation and the world, we ask you, Lord, to dwell among us. We are comforted by the knowledge that You alone are our Savior and Lord, and the ultimate Master of life. We trust our nation to Your loving care, Lord. Send Your Spirit to touch the hearts of our nation’s leaders. Give them the wisdom to know what is right, and the courage to do it. Give us Your light and Your truth to guide us in our ways so that we may seek Your will in our lives and impact the world around us for Your Kingdom. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen."