Sunday, December 10, 2000

If the President calls...

By DR. KNOX HERNDON
Pastor

I received the funniest e-mail from Lennie and Barbie Dunn, who are two of our very faithful church workers and members.

It read, "If the president calls, ask him his name!"

I laughed and laughed. I don't know about you but I am waiting with great expectation as to the outcome of this presidential election.

I thought it very interesting the way the senators and congressmen and congresswomen are already talking about how both Democrats and Republicans will have to "reach across the isle" and "cooperate" to get anything done for the Country. Imagine if we all had to "cooperate" to get anything done.

Cooperation, what a novel idea! Wouldn't that be a new idea if all the churches began to cooperate and all the family members and all the nations did the same? Imagine what we could accomplish for good and for God!

On Wednesday nights at our home we are studying the book of Revelation. It is truly an outstanding Bible study led by an outstanding teacher, my wife, Dr. Lydia Herndon. We are using the "Kay Arthur" video series.

Last night we studied "God's message to the churches" from the Revelation 1 series. I am not going to attempt to re-teach this here, but there was a theme that came out loud and clear to especially to the Church of Philadelphia. As you know, the word "Philadelphia" means "brotherly love," consequently the "city of brotherly love."

My wife was born at Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta and raised in Philadelphia. This theme that keeps coming through in Revelation in reference to the Church in Philadelphia is the fact that they were a faithful church, they held to God's word and they cooperated and loved one another.

While I was a chaplain on active duty around the world I noticed there was a theme I would see on any given military installation with any given group of chaplains and congregations. It was the theme of cooperation. Regardless of the denomination of the chaplain, i.e. Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, etc., I would notice their cooperation level with other chaplains and other faith groups.

The ones that had the spirit of cooperation would accomplish much and the ones without it would accomplish very little spiritually or in any other way. Imagine going to a three-year assignment and accomplishing very little and then moving on and doing the same at the next assignment. Before you know it, one's 20 years were up and he/she accomplished "very little."

Yet the ones that cooperated with one another accomplished much in each assignment. I am not talking here of sell out or compromise of principles I am talking about cooperation. The Church at Philadelphia accomplished much because they cooperated.

Do you cooperate at your church and family or are you the continuos "thorn in the flesh" or the "Odious and soon-touchee" members of the group? Continue on your journey of faithfulness and friendliness through cooperation as the Church in Philadelphia did.

Time is short. Watch and pray!

P.S. Please pray that we get into our modular chapel unit on our new church land by Christmas.

The Rev. Dr. Knox Herndon is the pastor of His House Community Church (SBC) and a substitute school teacher in the Fayette County School System, and a former Army chaplain. The church is currently meeting in the American Legion Log Cabin across from the fountain on the Square in Fayetteville, and will be moving to a new location near Senoia, hopefully by Christmas. Prayer line 770-719-2365; e-mail KHERN2365@aol.com.


 

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