Fine Points Monday February 10 2020

 
Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me for some Fine Points from yesterday’s service and message. 
 
February is “Black History” month in which the notable contributions of black people to society and civilization is noted.  Now is a good time to choose an individual to present for Show and Tell the 5th Sunday in March in case you haven’t chosen someone yet. 
 
I have been invited to bring a message for an Ash Wednesday service to be held at Greater Grace Community MBC in Marshville, NC on Wednesday, February 26th at 6:00 pm.  So please mark your calendars and come along with me. 
 
Tax season is upon us and some of us will be receiving tax refunds from the government.  I hope your plans for any refund includes giving the proper portion that belongs to God to the church.  30-year fixed home mortgage rates are at the lowest point they have been in years. 
 
If you or someone you know is thinking about buying a home or if your current mortgage rate is 4.25% or higher, now is a good time to consider refinancing or buying a home.  Home ownership is one of the best ways to pass down generational wealth to your descendants. The US economy is heading toward a fiscal cliff and once it falls off, there’s no telling where interest rates are going to be. 
 
I would like to hold another financial workshop for members and friends in March or April.  I will let you know as soon as I decide on a date and time.  And now just a few fine points from yesterday’s message “Spiritual Amnesia”
 
There are some aspects of the past that people would like to leave behind, forget about and move on from.  But the Lord God, His commandments and the things He has done for us is something we must never forget.  This is what Moses told Israel as they were coming into the Promised Land of Canaan. 
 
He told them not to forget the Lord God after they were full.  Not to forget the Lord God after they had moved in to good houses, had gold and silver in their pockets, had increased possessions and everything they needed. 
 
When that day comes, he told them not to get the big head and begin to say they achieve all they have by their own hand.  But instead to remember is was the Lord their God who not only delivered them from slavery, brought them through the terrible wilderness and kept and maintained them through it all. 
 
The descendants of those whose ancestors arrived in this country indentured or enslaved have something in common with those Moses was speaking to.  This is also true for those who organized Flag Branch MBC in 1907 just 42 years after the end of the US Civil War. 
 
Some of them or the parents were born into slavery and were freed without receiving anything for all the work they have been forced to do.  For many of them, their ancestors had nothing to depend on except their faith. 
 
They had already faced many trials and the journey was just beginning in many ways as they found themselves free but without the means or support to navigate through a society that was hostile and set up against them.  Nevertheless, God was their helper and brought them through. 
 
Now that their descendants are full and prosperous and safe, they should be blessing the Lord and keeping His commandments for what He has done for them.  But instead, they are doing what Moses warned against in forgetting the Lord, lifting up their hearts and saying I have gotten what I have and where I am on my own. 
 
This is spiritual amnesia and is a danger Moses warned Israel about and a warning people today need to heed as well.  Look for our Sunday School preview that comes out on Thursday of this week on our Facebook page and mobile app.  You can also enjoy the SS Daily Bible Readings anytime and anywhere at our website.  As always, remember to fear God and keep His commandments
 
Pastor Jordan