June 30, 2016

STIRRINGS AT BETHESDA
A Monthly Publication of
Bethesda Baptist Church

June 30, 2016

Independence Day!

Here are some words about the birth of our nation from our Founding 
Fathers.

You have rights antecedent to all earthly governments: rights that 
cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; rights derived from 
the Great Legislator of the universe. – John Adams 

We have no government armed in power capable of contending with human 
passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was 
made only for a religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate 
for the government of any other. – John Adams

The highest glory of the American Revolution was this; it connected, 
in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the 
principles of Christianity. - John Quincy Adams

Man will ultimately be governed by God or by tyrants. – Benjamin 
Franklin

A nation of well informed men who have been taught to know and prize 
the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is in the 
region of ignorance that tyranny begins. – Benjamin Franklin

The longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: 
'that God governs in the affairs of men.' And if a sparrow cannot 
fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire 
can rise without His aid? – Benjamin Franklin

A Bible and a newspaper in every house, a good school in every 
district - all studied and appreciated as they merit - are the 
principle support of virtue, morality, and civil liberty. –  
Benjamin Franklin

It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great 
nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on 
religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ! For this very reason 
peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and 
freedom of worship here. – Patrick Henry

Bad men cannot make good citizens. It is when a people forget God 
that tyrants forge their chains. A vitiated state of morals, a 
corrupted public conscience, is incompatible with freedom. No free 
government, or the blessings of liberty, can be preserved to any 
people but by a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, 
frugality, and virtue; and by a frequent recurrence to fundamental 
principles. – Patrick Henry

Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity,
 religion and morality are indispensable supports. It is impossible 
to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible. – George 
Washington

Providence has given our people the choice of their rulers, and it 
is the duty, as well as privilege and interest, of a Christian 
nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers. – John Jay

We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon 
the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future 
...upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, 
to sustain ourselves, according to the Ten Commandments of God. – 
James Madison

…the belief in a God All Powerful wise and good, is so essential to 
the moral order of the World and to the happiness of man, that 
arguments which enforce it cannot be drawn from too many sources 
nor adapted with too much solicitude to the difference characters 
and capacities to be impressed with it. James Madison

"He is the best friend to American liberty, who is most sincere and 
active in promoting true and undefiled religion, and who set himself 
with the greatest firmness to bear down on profanity and immorality 
of every kind. Whoever is an avowed enemy of God, I scruple not to 
call him an enemy to his country." John Witherspoon

And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have 
removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the 
people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not 
to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country 
when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep for 
ever. Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, Query 
18, 1781

It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn 
Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. ... I am well aware of the Toil 
and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this 
Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all 
the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can 
see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that 
Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We 
should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not." ~ John Adams

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created 
equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain 
unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the 
pursuit of happiness. Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence.

BUSINESS MEETING; Wednesday, July 13th, 7 p.m.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY… !

Happy Birthday to the following Bethesda family members:
* Caitlin Brook on the 7th 
* DiAndre Wordlaw on the 14th 
* Rich Norvell on the 17th 
* Ellen Brook on the 18th
* Georgia Baggett on the 26th
* Elijah Mueller on the 27th
* Nolan Brook on the 30th

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY… !

and Happy Anniversary to:
* Aaron & Cynthia Wordlaw on the 27th 
 
Church Progressive Dinner

Saturday, July 23 beginning at 4:00 p.m. we’ll begin a progressive 
dinner fellowship! If you have never been a part of such a dinner, 
you will find it is a lot of fun. You’re encouraged to mark your 
calendar and plan on being a part of this fun fellowship in just 
a few short weeks.

More specifics will appear in upcoming bulletins so stay turn for 
additional information.

The Luther Monthly

“This life therefore is not righteousness, but growth in 
righteousness, not health, but healing, not being but becoming, not 
rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are 
growing toward it, the process is not yet finished, but it is going 
on, this is not the end, but it is the road. All does not yet gleam 
in glory, but all is being purified.” 

Pastor’s Postscript

In the past 6 weeks I have found myself at the hospital twice. Apart 
from repairing a broken arm many years ago, I do not frequent 
hospitals as a patient! But health issues compelled me to go, once 
for 4 days and the other for just 1.

Reflecting on these visits, I found myself mentally quoting an old 
saying: “It stinks getting old.” But that’s really not true.  Getting 
old is not really the problem. Living a long life is not a bad thing. 
Longevity is not what causes us the various pains associated with 
old age. Per the Bible, the problem is not age; it’s sin.

While not every one of our aches and pains is the result of our own 
personal sin, without sin in the world there would be no such aches 
and pains. Adding another year to our age would truly be a time of 
celebration if there was no sin.

And, of course, for those of us in Christ, this will be the case one 
day. Because of Christ’s life and death, his followers have ETERNAL 
life. We will live on and on without pain, without illness, without 
death. Who said “It stinks getting old?” That born again slave 
trader turned preacher John Newton got it right when he wrote,

“When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, 
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we’d first begun.”

Let us praise our Lord for the many years we will all have together 
in glory! 

Pastor Bruce
636-233-0645
TheSaxonHus@hotmail.com 
Church phone: 636-447-2121
Church web site: www.bethesdabc.org