Hickory, North Carolina - United Church of God
Latest Blog Posts
Final Cleaning Prior to DUB
For most of us reading this blog commentary, we are now in the midst of our final cleaning prior to the beginning of the Days of Unleavened Bread. Our friends and relatives probably think we are really into doing spring housecleaning every year. Few have any understanding of the deep spiritual significance involved in cleaning our homes and cars so thoroughly in these days leading up to the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread.
I Declare Winter to be Over!
by guest blogger, Steve Ferenchiak
After this winter don't you wish it could be that easy? Actually, March 1st is the start of meteorological spring. So let's see some spring!
Now I love spring. So I'm optimistic that when March rolls around, the snow and ice will be gone here in central North Carolina. However, my wife is from Asheville, in the NC Mountains, and she always likes to tell me of the big snowstorms she remembers having in March when she lived there. But I remind her (gently, of course) that she no longer lives in the mountains and that here in the Piedmont; snow in March is a fairly rare event. And I'm usually right, although my average has gone down the last 2 years when the first couple of days of March brought snow. But the promise of 60 degree temperatures next week will help me to forget winter.
Fight the Good Fight
This morning many of us are saddened to hear of the death of Mrs. Leeronie Easter, one of our long-time members of the Church of God in Greensboro. Mrs. Easter was known as one of the sweetest, charming ladies you could ever meet. She was always: “so so happy” to see you or “so so thankful” for something you had done for her. Her warmth and loving kindness was genuine and from the heart.
We are taught that the definition of love is “outgoing concern for others”. Having come to know Mrs. Easter, I will always associate the definition of love with her. Her love for her children describes the essence of “mother love”. She had a willingness to sacrifice and provide for their needs far beyond her own personal needs.
Are You Certain About That?
Don’t you get the feeling that we live in a time of uncertainty? We watch the national and world news and wonder how things can get much worse. Political infighting is at one of the highest levels our generation has seen. We hear of dire predictions by some news analysts and commentators that speak of impending financial collapse. Our debt is completely out of control and simply unsustainable. And so, we live day to day and wonder how much longer will things go on the way they have always been? Will the day come when we are no longer able to have enough to eat, keep up with our rent or mortgage payments, or provide our family with the necessities – let alone the comforts – of life? What’s going to happen?
An Old Chunk of Coal
My friend, Leon, from Ohio loves to sing old country music tunes. I called him today on his 77th birthday and he was telling me that he’s going to sing an old Johnny Cash song for the church fun show this week. It was a song I wasn’t familiar with, but after he told me about it, I decided to look it up. Check out the lyrics to this song:
I'm just an old chunk of coal
But I'm gonna be a diamond some day
I'm gonna glow and grow
'Til I'm so blue pure perfect
I'm gonna put a smile on everybody's face
I'm gonna kneel and pray everyday
Lest I should become vain along the way
I'm just an old chunk of coal, now Lord
But I'm gonna be a diamond some day
Do the words of that song remind you of anything? I doubt if Johnny Cash knew the incredible meaning of the words he was singing. God really does have a plan to transform us from something worthless into something priceless; from a human being to a God Being.
What Are Our "First Principles"?
As I was browsing the headlines this afternoon, I came across an article about the Tea Party Convention on Fox News.com written by Carl Cameron. He said: “Volunteers at the Tea Party Convention intend to propose a series of broad "First Principles" which have already been generally embraced by most Tea Party chapters around the country. They include: fiscal responsibility, upholding the constitution, and national security.”
Now those are certainly honorable principles to embrace. I would think we all want to know our money is safe, our freedoms are safe, and our nation is safe from attack. Should we adopt the Tea Party principles as our first principles?
State of the Church
Every year about this time, the President gives the State of the Union Address. The purpose is to take an overall assessment of where we are as a Nation and to lay out your vision of where we should go in the future and how we are going to get there.
Unfortunately, the State of the Union is rather dismal right now. We have massive debt reaching numbers we cannot comprehend. Our nation is divided and polarized to the degree it reminds some of the Civil War years of the 1860’s.
Still, the President tries to sound hopeful and optimistic that his agenda and vision for the future will prevail.
While we can’t do anything about the state of the Union, we should consider taking a look at the State of the Church. As Pastor of these three congregations in North Carolina, allow me to take a moment and give a “State of the Church” Address.
Chasing Cars
By guest blogger, Davey Ramsey, Hickory congregation
Traveling the back roads of rural North Carolina I often encounter four-legged friends determined to chase passing cars. These overly obsessed hounds seem oblivious of the potential danger to life and paw as they boldly pursue each traveling motorist.
Hibernation
By Steve Ferenchiak, Elder in Greensboro
It has been cold here in NC the last couple of weeks! Let me rephrase that. It has been "frigid" here in NC the last couple of weeks! It reminded me of how much I dislike cold weather and I like frigid weather even less.
Cold weather will often make people want to "hibernate", to curl up in a warm cozy place and "sleep" until spring. Now physically speaking, sometimes it's nice thinking about going into "hibernation". However, spirtually speaking, it's never a good idea to even think about "hibernation".
Sleeping in on a cold winter morning can be so easy to do. Unfortunately, sleeping spiritually as we face the cold world can also be so easy to do.
Touching Up
By Steve Ferenchiak, Elder
My wife and I had some time off work late last month so we decided to paint our bathroom. Actually, to be completely accurate, my wife decided we needed to paint our bathroom. And so we did. By the way, it turned out nice. After finishing painting we went back over to see if there were spots we had missed. And sure enough, there were. So we did some "touching up". The next morning, after the paint had completely dried, we again checked for any spots and blemishes. And once again, we found some more spots and blemishes and so once again, we did some more "touching up".
Our "touching up" reminded me of something the Apostle Peter warned against in 2 Peter:2:13And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;. He wrote about "spots and blemishes" that can happen in our lives. And he likened those "spots and blemishes" to "deception" and the "wages of unrighteousness".
