January 2012 BSHDFC Newsletter

Here you go friends.. The latest happenings from around the Black Sheep HDFC world.

Please feel free to distribute this to anyone ….

Pastor Marty shares why Resolutions Don’t Work

Righteous Army of Men from James Bowles

Bike of the Month from Gary Block

4-Legged Killers from Steve Whisner

Matt Gardner talks about Balck Sheep HDFC and the Patriot Guard

Loma Linda Toy Run pictures from Gary Key

Mentor Program notes from the home office

Clicky Here —–>> Jan 2012 newsletter

Restore your foggy lens!

Image via Wikipedia

Everybody has a filter or set of filters through which they view the life they call their own. These filters, like any put over a camera lens, will tend to shape what is ultimately allowed through the lens and dictate how it is processed.
In the movie world, sometimes we want to see firelight, so we add an orange filter, for other effects, like imitating streetlamps, indoor lighting, or sports stadiums, there are myriads of filters that are applied. Blues, yellows, greens, and a zillion shades in between are what shape the images seen and how they get processed. There are some ‘rules’ as to what does exactly what, and there is some room for artistic license, but for the most part, it’s pretty set.

As this relates to faith and politics, the lines get blurred easily. Filters are clearly marked, the ‘rules’ as it were, are clearly defined, and the results should be easily predictable. The problem though, lies in the application of artistic license or what I’ll call emotions.  People become so entangled in their own emotions and artistic license of interpreting the teachings of Christ, that they allow their politics to become entangle hopelessly within.

Jesus was quite clear in His teachings. There is no sound biblical doctrine on schemes to avoid taxes. There is no sound biblical teachings on forcing the United States to be a Christian nation. (Though I firmly believe that this nation WAS founded by men of strong Christian faith and with Divine Providence, AND with sound Christian faith and beliefs at its core.)
There is no sound biblical doctrine dictating the need for the Christian faith to rule this land, though again, I believe the Founding Fathers had Christian beliefs backing their thought processes. However, the free will of man is still a force that cannot be ignored.

In fact, the Bible teaches simply this; That we are to show the unknowing the path to salvation through Christ.
If they accept this path, we are to help them become disciples, where the Holy Spirit will transform their hearts and minds to suit the will of God. If they reject it, we go to the next person.
Nowhere in there does it say force feed the masses these teachings, accompanying the force and rule of law to accomplish the directives of Christ. One cannot force any faith upon another anymore than you can force lead into gold. It just simply will NOT happen. It is my firm belief that the leading source of power for the anti-Christian movement in America is due to misguided Christians attempting to perform this exact task.

The next time you think about politics, if you are putting politics above faith you will find that you are going to be REALLY disappointed with anyone that runs for office. They will always fall short of your expectations and they will always have some severe character defect that you just cannot get over.
There is no way to force the one over the other, unless you want to live in a total theocracy..and then… Well, I got nuthin’

If we first put on the filter of our Christian faith (as we are SUPPOSED to be doing already) then these questions and comparisons apply to us.

Do you pay yourself first? Do you pay your taxes? Do you live up to the max or above your means? Do you take care of your kids? — If you are not living right, then you are a hypocrite and lose leverage to your argument.

Take the plank out of your own eye before you go after the speck in his…

Do you do drugs, use porn, or cheat on your spouse?  – Get straight brother and then you can gripe about the politicians.

Do you have a failure of nerve problem? Do you avoid doing what really needs to be done in favor of putting it off or avoiding the confrontation? Then you too my friend are guilty just like the politicians.

Jesus gave us the answers and the filters. He took the blinders off those who would see.
Take these lessons and clean your lenses.
Like me, work on getting the planks out of our own eyes before we seek to dig out the speck of others.
I must daily strive to not be hypocritical in my thinking, to extend grace as it has been done for me, and to know that there are so very many things that are just out of my control; These compounded geometrically if I do not have my own thoughts, actions, and life sorted out the way I believe God intended.

One Last Reminder — Biker Benefit Ride this weekend

Biker Benefit Ride — FREE RIDE, FREE LUNCH

Please support this ride —Pass the word, tell your friends, re-post as much as you can stand-

THIS IS AN OPEN EVENT –
ALL PATCHES, ALL BIKES, ALL PEOPLE ARE WELCOME AND INVITED TO COME AND SUPPORT THIS CAUSE

FOR THE ATHENS, NORTH GA. CROWD,
THERE WILL BE A GROUP STAGING AT CYCLE WORLD OF ATHENS IN BOGART, GA.
KICKSTANDS UP AT ~11:15 FOLLOWING THE HOG MEETING

FOR THE COVINGTON, MIDDLE GA CROWD, SEE THE FLYER BELOW FOR STAGING INFORMATION
CALL CUJO 770-318-1032 IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS

FOR THE NORTH GA MOUNTAIN, NORTH EAST METRO, AND NORTHERN HINTERLANDS,
THERE WILL BE A GROUP STAGING IN CUMMING, GA WITH PASTOR TOM ALLANSON –
TOM’S GROUP WILL STAGE AT FREEDOM TABERNACLE CHURCH
LOCATED ON FREEDOM PARKWAY IN CUMMING, GA –
STAGING AT 9:30 AM – KSU 10:00 AM
CALL TOM AT 678-231-2324 IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS