April 28, 2009

Northern Lights - God's Simple Reminders

God uses everything at His disposal to display the infinite value of Himself to the world. He constantly and consistently does that because He knows that all of us have a natural tendency to think about the value of ourselves more than the value of Him.

Have you ever thought about the very first words that God ever spoke? Here they are. They may not be what you expected: "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3). With that brief statement, God told us a lot about Himself. God is all about light. In fact, He absolutely loves light. The Bible declares that we  become Christians when God shines the light of the glorious gospel into our hearts (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Even the stars in the galaxies shine forth with the light of almighty God. For those of you who live outside of the glaring lights of major cities (like me), you have a tremendous spiritual advantage. You can walk outside of your homes at any time and look up into the sky on any clear night to see the light of the stars displayed throughout the heavens. What a sight it is. It is such a humbling thought to realize that the light we are viewing from the nearest star to the earth took two and a half years to arrive to our eyesight traveling at a speed of 186,000 miles per second.

Northern lights are natural light displays in the sky in the Northern Hemisphere that are usually observed at night. They are commonly called Aurora Borealis.

The following pictures are simple reminders to us that God is the light of the world, even at night.

Nature is amazing! The water froze the instant it broke through the ice! That's what it is like in Antarctica, where they are having the coldest temperatures in decades.
The water freezes the instant it comes in contact with the air. The temperature of the water is already some degrees below freezing. Just look at how the water froze in mid-air!

Pastor Ron McCurry

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April 23, 2009

The Church and the Airlines

A man by the name of Todd Rhoades wrote an article that made a humorous comparison between the church and the airlines. He simply asked the question, what if the church were run like an airline? This is what he said:

I travel quite a bit, and have been watching all the up-charges that the airlines have been passing on to customers. From paying for the first checked bag, to fuel surcharges, to purchasing soft drinks, they have really socked it to the consumer with all the new charges. I was thinking...particularly during this economic trying time for many churches, maybe we should take some advice from the airline world and apply it to our churches that might help get us through these trying times:

First donut free; each additional donut is 75 cents.

All aisle seats are now $10.00 per week. Back row premium seating $20.00 per week.

First ear plug is free. Additional earplugs just $5.00 each.

iPod rental with a Perry Noble sermon: $20.00 up charge.

Valet parking: $20.00 plus tip

No Bible charge: $10.00

Cell phone ringing during the service: $50.00 one time charge.

Late for service fee: $10.00

Sing that chorus one less time request: $20.00

Nursery diaper change fee: $5.00 per pound.

KJV upgrade to NKJV: $15.00

U-Pick the sermon topic fee: $250.00

Hit job on the organist: (rates vary per city/state/church)

Online tithing discount rate: 8%

Music volume Up fee: $20.00

Music volume Down fee: $50.00


This list is great, but I decided to add a few of my own:

Tell the Pastor about a problem before the service begins: $25.00

Tell the Pastor about a problem after the service: $10.00

Coffee free. Bring coffee into the sanctuary: $2.00. Spilling coffee: $25.00 one time fee.

Complaining about the length of the message: $10.00

Skipping church on Super Bowl Sunday: $50.00.

Forgetting what the message was about last week: $5.00

Leaving a service to get water: $ 1.00. Not returning: $2.00

Ignoring your crying baby during a service and hoping no one hears the child: $30.00

Telling the music director never to sing that song again: $25.00

Next time you attend a worship service, try being a blessing to someone rather than always trying to receive a blessing.


Pastor Ron McCurry

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April 14, 2009

Titanic - We Must Never Forget!

Teaching history in a Christian school for five years did me a world of good many years ago. Looking back on it, I believe it was God's way of getting even with me. You see, when I was in high school, I absolutely hated history. Didn't want any part of it. When I first came into the ministry in 1974, I found myself developing a love for books and history. I currently have more than 20,000 volumes in my personal library. They are a treasure. I'm also now a self proclaimed history fanatic.

It bothers me today that important times and dates in history mean little if not anything to most people. I can't fathom that November 22, 1963 (assassination of John F. Kennedy), April 14, 1865 ( Abraham Lincoln was shot), April 15, 1865 Abraham Lincoln died), December 7, 1941 (bombing of Pearl Harbor), June 6, 1944 (D-Day, The Invasion of Normandy), January 28, 1986 (The explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger killing seven), and many, many other important dates are unknown.

A date that fascinates me as much as any date in history is April 14, 1912. Today is the 97th anniversary of Titanic hitting an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. and sinking at 2:20 a.m. on April 15. Although none of us were alive on that fateful day, we continue to be fascinated by it.

Said by many to be the "unsinkable ship", the only thing Titanic ever did in history was to sink. Who could make an argument against such an impressive ship? The ship measured 882 feet 9 inches in length, 92 feet wide, 59 feet tall, and weighed in at 46,328 tons. It had a capacity of 3,547 people. On this fateful night, it was carrying 2,240 people including 889 crew members. Some of the world's richest and most famous and powerful people were on board for this maiden voyage. A total of 1,517 would die on this night.

The ship was equipped with 20 lifeboats with a total capacity of 1,178. Only 706 survived. Lifeboat #7 was the first to be launched at 12:20 a.m. Although it held 65 people, there were only 28 people who got in the boat. Few people today realize that Titanic was actually carrying more lifeboats than was required by law at that time.

When the massive Titanic hit the iceberg at 11:40 p.m., there were no outward signs of the ship or its passengers being in any eminent danger. Two hours and forty minutes later, it was at the bottom of the ocean.

There are so many natural and spiritual lessons that can be learned from the sinking of the Titanic. On Sunday, April 19, 2009, I will begin a three part message series entitled, "Famous Shipwrecks". The first message will deal with Titanic. The second message focuses on Paul's Shipwreck in Acts 27. The third and final message is taken from 1 Timothy 1:19 on The Danger of Making Shipwreck of Faith. These messages and message notes will be available on our web sites.

Let us all be more diligent to study history and it's impact on our lives.

Pastor Ron McCurry

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April 12, 2009

Easter - He Is Risen!

What a great time of year it is! Spring is in the air, Winter has just passed, the sun is shining bright, the temperature is rising, the grass is growing, the trees are turning green, and the azalea's are in full bloom in good ole' Georgia. For me personally, all of these simple things are reminders that it is time once again to celebrate the greatest of Christian days, Easter. The message that we must be proclaiming over and over again is that Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day, He ascended back to heaven, He is now seated at the right hand of the Father, and one day soon, He will return for His people to rule and reign with Him throughout eternity. None of those things would have been possible had it not been for the fact that hell, death, and the grave could not defeat Him and hold Him down. What a message! That is the message that we need to "Shout Out Loud". That is the title of the sermon I will be preaching today at our church. I hope and pray that someone will get halfway excited about this truth and shout it out loud.

Easter is first and foremost all about Jesus Christ. We must never forget that. Although we are never commanded or instructed to celebrate Easter as a holy day in Scripture (nor are we commanded to celebrate Christmas as a holy day), I agree with Charles Hadden Spurgeon when he basically said that since the minds of the people are already geared in that direction, I will use it to the advantage of the gospel. If you read his sermons, you will find that he did just that. Although the early Christians celebrated the true meaning of the resurrection, somehow, we as a nation have bought into pagan customs handed down from Middle Eastern and European spring festivals that have successfully been tied in with the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

These pagan festivals included eggs which symbolized new life and resurrection and rabbits, which symbolized fertility and was credited with the laying of eggs. So here we are in 2009 watching as Easter has become highly commercialized and developed into a celebration that has little to do with the true meaning of Easter. I assure you that the commercialized celebration of Easter would not miss a beat if you removed Christ from the equation.

What should we as Christians, churches, and pastors do? Should we attempt to kill the bunny and destroy every Easter egg we can find and boycott Easter?

That is certainly an option, but I think a better approach is to capitalize on the weekend and use it as a time to reflect on the truth of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a great opportunity to share the great news of the gospel. This will be our emphasis as a church this weekend in everything we do.

Remember! We as the Body of Christ gather to celebrate a victory, not to mourn a defeat.

Pastor Ron McCurry

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April 7, 2009

Man Builds Noah's Ark To Exact Scale Given In Bible

A working replica of Noah's Ark is opened in Schagen, Netherlands. The massive central door in the side of Noah's Ark was opened the first crowd of curious townsfolk to behold the wonder. Of course, it's only a replica of the biblical Ark , built by Dutch Creationist Johan Huibers as a testament to his faith in the literal truth of the Bible. The ark is 150 cubits long, 30 cubits high and 20 cubits wide. That's two-thirds the length of a football field and as high as a three-story house. Life-size models of giraffes, elephants, lions, crocodiles, zebras, bison and other animals greet visitors as they arrive in the main hold.

A contractor by trade, Huibers built the ark of cedar and pine. Biblical Scholars debate exactly what the wood used by Noah would have been. Huibers did the work mostly with his own hands, using modern tools and with occasional help from his son Roy. Construction began in May 2005. On the uncovered top deck - not quite ready in time for the opening - will come a petting zoo, with baby lambs and chickens, and goats, and one camel. Visitors on the first day were stunned. "It's past comprehension", said Mary Louise Starosciak, who happened to be bicycling by with her husband while on vacation when they saw the ark looming over the local landscape. "I knew the story of Noah, but I had no idea the boat would have been so big!" There is enough space near the keel for a 50-seat film theater where kids can watch a video that tells the story of Noah and his ark.

Huibers, a Christian man, said he hopes the project will renew interest in Christianity in the Netherlands, where church going has fallen dramatically in the past 50 years.

For more photos of the ark - Click Here.

Pastor Ron McCurry

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April 3, 2009

A Tribute To My Buddy - Mr. Dutch

Today, I am writing an article that is about as non spiritual as you could possible get. Because of the circumstances surrounding the subject, I feel somewhat compelled to do so. I'm really writing this more for myself and my immediate family than for anyone else, so please indulge me a little bit today.

I never cease to be amazed at the things that constantly affect our lives on a daily basis. People, places, circumstances, events - they all serve to mold us and make us into who we are and who we are becoming. Real life lessons are the best kind of lessons. Of all the things that have affected my everyday life over the past decade or so, there has been nothing more important and rewarding to me and my family as the raising of our two Labrador dogs from the time they were puppies. Dogs can teach you things about yourself, love, compassion, loyalty and tenderness that I don't believe you can learn from any other place. Maybe, that's why God put them on this earth.

Dutch Alexandrea McCurry (also known as "Dutch",  "The Dutch Master" and "Mr. Dutch" was born on May 31, 1996. When I went with my daughter to take a look at him seven weeks later, he was the last one in the litter. His enthusiasm and excitement for life was evident immediately by the way he was walking and running along the fence line of the enclosed front yard. It was as if he was saying to us, "I can't believe I'm the last one left. Somebody is missing out on a good thing". My daughter immediately fell in love with him and he was at our house the same day. Little did we know that he would turn out to be as hyper as he was. He could never be still. Always running, jumping, and moving. Although he could never be completely still for anyone to rub him, he was insanely jealous of attention being shown to other dogs. He would always wedge himself between you and the other dog. It was his way of being the center of attention. That distinct personality separated him from other dogs. That was who Mr. Dutch was.

Earlier, on April 2, 1996, we had purchased a female black lab puppy name Alexas Alexandrea (Lexie) who was already started changing our lives. Now with two dogs in the fold only a month apart in age, nothing would ever be the same. The world seemed to revolve around the two of them. They demanded our constant attention. In fact, I've often said it was probably easier raising my three children than it was those two dogs.

As time went on, changes were on the horizon. After several litters of beautiful black and yellow labs over the years, my daughter went off to college in August of 2001. That meant that it would now be my sole responsibility to take care of the dogs. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I was about to find out.

After several years of privately (and sometimes publicly murmuring and complaining) about how much time and money it was costing me to care for these dogs, a strange transformation was slowly taking place in me. A unique bond and friendship was taking place between me and those two dogs unlike anything I had ever experienced. I loved them dearly and they loved me in return, although I know they missed Andrea. They truly became my best friends. I looked forward to seeing them both every single day.

As the years passed and they began to get older, their needs started to change. In doggie years, they were now approaching 84 and going on 91. Constant trips to the vet, daily medicines, and vet bills almost proved to be unbearable, but I knew they were worth every penny of it, because they were my buddies. Those experiences served as a great reminder to me about the needs of people as they grow older, and the love and compassion and help they need to make it to the end. I believe that I am a more loving and compassionate person today because of lessons learned from Lexie and Dutch. Love and compassion was the only thing they knew.

Over the past several months, Dutch had suffered several physical setbacks. The natural consequence of now being 12 years old plus were beginning to take their toll. Broken teeth, hip problems from arthritis, constant ear infections, a skin rash, and a host of other ailments were all signs of the inevitable. One day, after coming home from work, I noticed Dutch lying in the grass, unable to stand at all on his hind legs. Although I hate to admit it, I actually got down in the grass with him and cried for an hour or so fearing the worst. I simply could not accept the thought of having to put him down. To make matters worse, it was the middle of December, only about two weeks away from Christmas. I immediately thought of what a lousy Christmas this was going to be. I actually said, Lord, if Dutch is going to die, please don't let it be at Christmas. My mind set was already questionable because I had made the mistake of watching the movie "Marley and Me" with my wife, so I already knew that I would not be prepared to lose Mr. Dutch.

After taking him to the doctor, it was thought that he had developed a tumor on his spine that was impairing his walking and their was nothing they could do. Our goal was simply to give him a quality of life as long as we could. To our amazement, he responded miraculously to the various medicines. It was as if he had a new lease on life. I believe he even thought that he had somehow gone back in time to be a young dog again by the way he was running and jumping around with my daughters one year old lab, Addison, when they would play fetch.

By March of this year, we could tell that his condition was worsening. The doctors then recommended that we double his medication. Once again he responded well and sprung to new life showing few signs that anything was wrong. We were hoping and praying to have three to six more good months together.

Several years ago as Dutch began to age, he became very frightened by thunder storms. At the first sign of a storm that involved lightning, thunder, or rain, he would start panting and shaking all over. It was so bad that the vet actually recommended medication for him to deal with the storms. Many times, he would run to a neighbors yard or porch seeking refuge. I've received many phone calls from individuals over the past two years telling me that Dutch was at their house. Over the past several months, we had attempted to anticipate storms and put him in the house or garage.

On Thursday, April 2, 2009 (Lexie's 13th birthday) a storm approached Newnan, Georgia about 4:00 a.m. At the first crack of thunder, I knew we were in trouble. Normally, Dutch and Lexie are standing at the back door waiting on their morning prize (a large milk bone). They lived for that bone. But this morning, only Lexie was there. In my mind, I believed that someone would call and tell me that Dutch was at their house and I would go and get him, but this day was different. I looked for him for a while and then left to work. At 1:00 p.m., we received a call from Coweta Animal Control that Dutch had been picked up and had been transported to the animal hospital. At that time, they would not tell me what was wrong. As I drove to the hospital, I imagined every worse scenario possible. When I arrived, I thought I was prepared for just about anything, but I was not prepared for the news that I heard. When I walked in, the doctor said, "Mr. McCurry, we have your dog Dutch. He has been shot". As we went back to the emergency room, Dutch was lying on the table with a 22 caliber bullet in his left front shoulder. One inch to the right would have meant instant death, but he was alive. At first, the doctor was not optimistic. His front left paw was cold and they thought it had possibly shattered part of the bone and done severe nerve damage. As I stood weeping over Dutch as I was rubbing his head, I can't describe the thoughts racing through my mind. Who would do such a terrible thing?

Believe it or not, I found myself listening to the doctor, crying, rubbing Dutch's head, and actually praying that he would somehow survive. The nurses were doing a great job of drying him off from the rain and making sure he was comfortable. They even had warming fans on him. Within the hour, after taking ex rays and doing other tests, we received some good news. They believed the bullet had somehow missed the bone. They would have to wait until morning to see if he was able to put any weight on the foot to determine if there was any nerve damage. Because the vet closed at 6:30 p.m., it was suggested that we transport him to a 24 hour emergency care unit to monitor him throughout the night. We planned to pick him up the next morning about 7:30 a.m. and return him to our vet for further care.

After arriving at the emergency care hospital, they took Dutch in on a stretcher to be examined again. Later, he was brought into a holding room briefly for us to say our goodbyes for the night. After making several pictures and e-mailing them to my son Josh and my daughter Andrea, we spent some time loving on Dutch, talking to him, and rubbing that head that he liked so much. As I was leaving the room, somehow I sensed that I may never see Dutch alive again, but I immediately dispelled those thoughts. I wanted to remain as positive as possible. The doctor had said for us to feel free to call him throughout the night to check on Dutch if we so desired. He also said that he would call us if his conditioned changed, We called at 10:45 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. and everything seemed normal. As expected, I did not get any sleep that night from worrying about my buddy Dutch. At 5:30 a.m., when my phone rang, I knew it would not be good news.

The doctor explained that he became concerned during the night because Dutch seemed to be in so much pain in spite of the medications, so he decided to take another ex ray from a different angle. This new ex ray showed that the bullet was much deeper than originally thought and it had indeed shattered the bone. With his other medical problems, we knew he would not survive the necessary surgery and the rehabilitation of the leg. It was determined at 6:30 a.m. that we did not want him to suffer any more. The day that I had dreaded so much had finally come, although it was certainly not in the manner I had thought. I still can't believe that he is gone. I guess I will never get use to death, whether its a dog or human being.

When God made Mr. Dutch, He literally threw the mold away. He was one in a million. His friendship, loyalty, and companionship will be greatly missed. I close with the following article entitled "Rainbow Bridge". This is for all you dog lovers in the world. How could we get along without them. Personally, I never thought a dog could affect me so much.

                                        RAINBOW BRIDGE

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing: they each miss someone special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks in the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face: your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together...

Pastor Ron McCurry

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April 1, 2009

Jim Elliot - He Was No Fool

Today is April 1, 2009. All of us know this day as April Fool's Day. Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia outlines and details the history of this prankster and trickster day and gives other interesting facts and helpful information about the day that you may not be aware of. You may even enjoy a list of the Top 100 April Fool's Day hoaxes of all time. Feel free to click and enjoy.

From a Biblical perspective, the Bible has much to say about people who are fools. "...the fool has said in his heart, there is no God..." (Psalm14:1). King Saul admitted to David in 1 Samuel 26:21 that he had played the part of the fool.

Whenever I think of the word fool, I alway think of one of my heroes of the faith, Jim Elliot. He made the famous statement that said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, and gains what he cannot lose". What a powerful statement in light of who he was and what he believed God had called him to do. As a missionary, Jim attempted to make contact to earn the trust of a hostile band of savages in the Ecuadoran jungle. Jim and four other missionaries were taken by surprise and martyred with spears. Their families later went back to continue the ministry the men began, befriending the people of the tribe and leading many of them to Jesus Christ.

I would highly recommend the set of 6 DVD"s to honor the life of Jim Elliot. All of these can be purchased online at visionvideo.com. They are:
1. The End of the Spear
2. Through Gates of Splendor
3. Beyond Gates of Splendor
4. Journey Into the Amazon
5. Steve Saint: The Jungle Missionary
6. Torchlighters: The Jim Elliot Story

Don't be a fool on this April Fool's Day! May we be willing to give what we cannot keep to gain what we cannot lose. The world is crying out for more real people like Jim Elliot.

Pastor Ron McCurry