HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHURCH! 5/27/12

IT BEGAN ONE DAY TOWARD THE END OF SPRING IN A LAND SO DRY AND BARE. IT WAS AT THE TEMPLE, "THE TWELVE" WERE THERE AND THE PEOPLE FILLED THE SQUARE. THERE CAME A SOUND SO FIERCE LIKE A HURRICANE'S ROAR THAT THE PEOPLE STOPPED AND STARED. THERE WAS FEAR IN THAT PLACE, THERE WAS LOVE IN THAT PLACE, FOR THE SPIRIT OF GOD WAS THERE. PETER GOT UP AND BEGAN TO PREACH IN A WAY BEYOND HIS MEANS. HIS MESSAGE WAS CLEAR AND FIRM AND STRAIGHT AND HOPE BEGAN TO GLEAM. THE CROWD WAS CHANGED IN THE WATER THAT DAY, THEIR LIVES NO MORE FORLORN. IT WAS ON THAT DAY TOWARD THE END OF SPRING THAT CHRIST'S BODY, "THE CHURCH",WAS BORN. IN THE DAYS AND WEEKS AND MONTHS THAT PASSED, THE CHURCH BEGAN TO MOVE AND IT GREW AND FILLED AND STRETCHED AND CHANGED THE WORLD THAT THE PEOPLE KNEW. THEY CALLED THEMSELVES CHRISTIANS AND WERE ALL ON FIRE, AND THEY WORKED IN THE POWER OF GOD. AND SOULS WERE SAVED AND THE PEOPLE CHANGED WHEREVER THE CHURCH HAD TROD. SATAN'S PANIC BEGAN ON THAT DAY IN SPRING WHEN HIS DOOM BECAME SO CLEAR, AND AGAINST THE CHURCH HE BEGAN TO MOVE. HE ATTACKED IN FURY AND FEAR. THE WAR GOES ON TO THIS VERY DAY. THE BATTLE, IT RAGES RIGHT HERE. THE FACE OF THE ENEMY CHANGES EACH DAY AND HIS GROWL PRODUCES FEAR. HE SEEMS SO STRONG AND I SEEM SO WEAK THAT I'M TEMPTED TO RUN AND HIDE. UNTIL I LOOK UP TO THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH AND KNOW HE'S ON MY SIDE. SO LOOK UP CHURCH AT THE HEAD OF YOURSELF AND STOP AND SMILE AND GRIN AND KNOW IN YOUR HEART THERE'S NO NEED TO FEAR CAUSE GOD'S CHURCH, IN THE END, STILL WINS! THE CHURCH 6 DECEMBER 1984 By Jim Crenshaw