"The Coffee Shop" #7

Wait! Wait a minute! I seen this episode! Ernest T. Bass is "sparkin'" Charlene Darling with his "woo's and way's!" "All I want is a little kiss, Andy! That's all!"

Well, you ain't seen the last of Ernest T. Bass! Ya'll are lucky today is Saturday--its late--and Blackbird is fixin' to go to bed--but will be flyin' the board skies early each mornin' and afternoon--by stealth--lookin' for suspecious activity---such as phone calls payed with dimes, nickels, and quarters! Post cards and the like--raises the suspesion that the perpetrator does not live in the Dexter area--

OK--its stealth mode from hear on out!
Blackbird

 

Alright, where's the preachers? I'll be home from church tomorrow and will be waiting for my sermon delivered to my desk.
Gina

 

It's as far north as you can get and still be in "southern" IL.
If you know anything about Southern IL, it's about 40 miles south of Effingham.

 

Gina, I'm not a preacher, but I'll work up a sermon just for you.. give me a few hours

 

I now live about 3 hours from Cape Girardeau, but when I was about 7, I lived in Cobden, which is right over the river.

 

Sherrie! I'm over here! You don't see me?? Right here! I'm wavin' at 'cha!

I ain't believin' it! Blackbird's top secret stealth project really works! Everytime I make a post--Sherrie can't read it--she can't see it! But I can read everybody else's!

But that ain't all--Blackbird has a new device he's workin' on---when somebody posts a post--I simply push a button and it tells me what they are really sayin'! A lot of folks on the board know how to hide their emotions and feelings and frustrations and agressions--not anymore!

Man, oh, man! Just think what I'm gonna be able to do with this as I casually read the board posts come Monday mornin'---Son! I'm gonna be flyin' off the flight deck of the "Kitty Hawk" with style!

Your buddy,
Blackbird

 

Soooooooo, Gina ain't goin' to church today?? Snowed in on the first day of June!! Mercy me!! Well, here is a short message I preached on Wednesday--we've been going through the book of First Samuel and "David! A Heart Like God's" Its an ongoing series--so you'll just have to play catch-up!

"Billy Goat Mountain!" 1 Samuel 24: 1-2

Remember we looked last week at David in that cave in Adullem! He was there with all those misfits--folks who had problems with finances, with their families, with their neighbors--they were depressed and dejected! They started "hanging around" God's man who at this time was filled with the goodness and graciousness of the Lord he loved. And look in Chapter 22 at how they made David their Captain!

OOOOOHHHH, and how that speaks to us of the Lord Jesus Christ and how Hebrews 2 tells us that He was "made Captain of our salvation!" So that in every area of our lives--our fortunes and misfortunes, our wealth and our bankruptcy's, our failures and disappointments--Jesus can move in and say to us, "I'll save your finances! Give Me your checkbook, David! Let me handle your misgivings and dissapointments! I've got a cure for your discouragements!" Ohhhhhh, but Captain Jesus is gonna get me out of this cave I'm in!!

Now, lets move into an area of the book that just don't make for "nice" reading! But its there--God breathed--lets examine the rest of Chapter 22.

Look at verse 6! Every now and then there'll be a news flash on the television--the anchorman will come on and say something like--"Sheriff's Deputies are lookin' for a murder suspect! He was last seen wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt. Officers say that the suspect is armed and should be considered extremely dangerous!"

Well, look at Saul! He's got a spear in his hand and he's got murder on his heart! He has a band of renegades with him and should be considered extremely dangerous!

Look what Saul does in the following verses! He comes face to face with Ahimelech! Remember him?

And look at what happens when Saul sends someone else to do his dirty work. Look at verse 17. The closer they get to the man of God the more it was that they wanted to back down off of the murder assignment! "We ain't gonna do it, Saul! We won't kill Ahimelech!" So they back off and out!

But look at verse 18! Remember Doeg?? You know and I know--that if the devil tries hard enough, he'll always find a willing soul to do his dastardly deeds. Here it was Doeg! In the New Testament it was Judas!

OOOOOHHH, but its not a pretty site, is it!! These fellas fall victom to devilish deeds done! Look at verse 19!

But notice verses 20-23--I like this picture of escape and then being encircled by tremendous promises! Look at that little phrase in verse 23--"But with me thou shalt be in safeguard!"

"But with me thou shalt be in safeguard!"--another glorious picture of the safety promised and provided by the Lord Jesus Christ!

Psalm 119:117, "Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe."
Proverbs 18:10, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe!"

Now, David has an enemy! King Saul!

The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word enemy as "one who manifests malice or hostility toward or opposes the purposes or interests of another."

How do you deal with an enemy? How do you deal with someone who treates you like what has been defined above? And keep in mind! The enemy doesn't necessarily have to be an unbeliever or a non-church member! Look at Saul--an Israelite! A king!

Lets look at David's reaction to Saul's action! Flip on over to Chapter 24 and read verses 1-2.

Look where David is perched! "Upon the rocks of the wild goats!"

I use to love to watch that show, Mutuel of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. And every now and then they'll rund a special segment dealing with wild goats. I'll watch the show and wonder--"How in the world did those goats get up there?" Sheer cliffs! Jagged edges! Loose rocks! Yet those goats are livin' up there! Walkin' around like the mountain cliff is a football field! Kids chasin' each other on the rocks and cliffs. They skip around from rock to rock like a man on a trapese! Ramblin' and rompin on the edge of the cliffs and jagged edge! I'm thinkin' "Look yonder! That goat there is on the mountain edge that runs straight up and down! Those hooves are planted and are sure of where they stand! Even if it were possible to climb the cliff to get to the goat--the goat ain't gonna let you get close!"

Do you see what David has done here? He's up on that goat mountain and has done made himself "hard to get to!"

One thing we as believers need to do is this! We need to set our feelings in a place where its hard for the enemy to get its hands on um! We need to set our feelings and attitudes like David "upon the rocks of the wild goats! Friend, you don't wear your feelings on your shoulders! Folks walk around with "chips on their shoulders!" You don't wear your chip on your shoulder! You put your attitudes and your feelings and your chips in a place where "the wild goats feel at home!"

The devil wants somebody to touch your feelings! He wants somebody to really "set you off!" He wants to see you explode! He wants to see you fall off the cliffs of Goat Mountain! Your feet need to be planted and secure on the edge! You ought to be so secure on Billy Goat Mountain that the whole defensive team for the Forty-Niners can't knock you down! And if they want to get up there to get to you and your feelings---buddy, they're gonna have to "put forth an effort!" And then it ought to be where you are so high up and so straight up and down between you and heaven that they enemy will say, "It ain't worth the climb to get to her/him! Jesus told Moses to go hide himself in the clef of the rock--are you there today? Are you saved? What about your carnel feelings? Where are they?? OOOOOOH! But run to the Goat's Cliffs and hide there!

Your Southern Baptist preachin' buddy,
Blackbird

 

Beautiful day in central Iowa.

We're starting a new SS Series for the summer, the Answers In Genesis video series. I am really looking forward to that.

Is it OK to say a four-letter word in here??? I had to I-R-O-N this morning!!

 

Thanks Blackbird!
Handing over da checkbook right now! Will I get it back though? Maybe I'll stick with handing over the car... hmmm
It's a BEAUTIFUL day here! Sunshiney, umm, really sunshiney, I'm sure there's more but I can't think of it. LOL
Gina

 

Sister Gina--Hey, what can I say?? This is the Coffee Shop--doughnuts and coffee(including condiments such as sugar, creamer and that spice stuff sissies like to put in their coffee!!)--are on the house--although it hurts Ayndee's feelings if you don't stop by the cash register on the way out--if anything just act like you're gonna give her some money! Sermons are on the house, too--although I have my own church members paying tithes and offerings for to hear Blackbird speak!!

Sister Sherrie! Tonite's Deacon's Meetin' nite(the first Sunday nite of each month!!)---I need a fresh pot of coffee brewed up---lots of it--I need you to keep it comin as long as I'm in the booth here---strong, I mean, Cajun strong! Black! And then my wife may need you to come hold her hand while I'm in the meetin'!!

Had a good day in church today! We finally hit the Summer slump--it'll stay with us till week before school starts again! But I "think" I preached a good sermon--"The Power of Prevailing Prayer"--Matthew 7: 7-12

For a cassette copy along with a selection of pretty good listenin' gospel music--you guys just drop Blackbird a PM with your snail mail address--won't cost ya nothin'--I'm sure the line will be backed way on out the door waitin' to add names to the list!!!!

Your Southern Baptist preachin' buddy,
Blackbird

 

Today's another busy Sunday! Started my new SS series on the epistles today.. seemed to go over okay.. And by that, I mean, most of the kids gave me most of their attention.

Then went and had lunch at my Gram's and played a few hands of Rook. Got stomped, but that's ok.

Now I'm about to go start dinner. I have to make dinner for my mom and boyfriend, because my mom can't cook. She can burn water.. but you know she's gonna say she made it all!

I shall return in awhile!

 

I find my Sundays are really busy too. Rob cooked lunch today, Bless Him.