Britton Christian Church

            Last Sunday we were visiting the “Tri-Cities” area of Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Korazin on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. This week we are going to travel down to the Mediterranean Sea to a city called Caesarea. Caesarea is an ancient city that really began to take shape after the Persians had given the area from the city of Dor to Joppa to the Sidonians in the 5^th century B.C. They gave the area on the coast to the Sidonians because the Sidonians had helped the Persians during the Persian invasion of Greece.  The city wasn’t called Caesarea back in those days; it was called Strato’s Tower, named after the Sidonian King Abdashtart. The Sidonians used the port city as a way station for their merchant ships in their trading with Egypt until the city came under Jewish control after the conquests of the Hasmonean ruler, Alexander Jannaeus. Later, in 63 B.C., the city came under Roman rule when Pompey conquered it in 63 B.C.
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The Church is gasping for air. She is losing her power as her life slowly ebbs away. The ICU unit is filled to overflowing with scores of churches whose glory days were a generation ago, but who today are surviving only on a ventilator of determination to see another Sunday. Because of her lack of oxygen she has become single-minded in getting her next breath, in merely staying alive.

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The popularity of prayer has skyrocketed in recent months. Prayer, talking about prayer, writing about prayer, exploring patterns of prayers and the like have become more prevalent than Tiger Woods’ fans at a golf tournament. Prayer has truly come to the forefront of our society today as more and more people are talking about seeking God’s intervention in their lives. There are newspaper articles on the topic of prayer. We see images of people praying to God on television shows like “Touched By An Angel.” We hear folks who have gone through tragedies talking about how they prayed for God’s help. Prayer has become such a hot topic that there are now folks who are talking and writing about the personal benefits of prayer.

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He walked into the room to receive the coveted award for community involvement. He had worked in neighborhoods across the city and God had blessed his efforts. He compassionately reached out to the marginalized and those that had been written off by the vast majority of the community. He quoted Scriptures like they were part of him. He preached…man did he preach — and many came from all walks of life to hear him share God’s Word. Street people, congressmen, wealthy business people, black, white, and brown — they came to hear him preach the Word of God. Jim Jones walked like a preacher, talked like a preacher, and looked like a preacher and so everyone assumed that this charismatic and driven man was a man of God, but sometimes it ain’t always so.

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Hard times are nothing new. Hard times, times of trials and tribulations, seem to be as constant as the sunrise. You can watch the news on any given day and hear of the hard times of those around our country. You can read the morning paper and learn of the trials of those in our own community. You can totally avoid the media and still become familiar with hard times simply by listening to the troubles of those around you. Hard times are not simply the possession of others, hard times are experienced by each and every person who lives on planet earth today. You’ve had your difficulties. Hard times have knocked at your door and announced their arrival.

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