June-July 2008

Did God Do That?
(Note: A part of this message regarding blaming God is taken from my book “Forgive and Move On.” See my website at: shop.kensumrallministries.com)

Did God judge New Orleans in 2005?  Were the floods and tornados in the Midwest this year caused by our God? Is God to be blamed for the fires in California?  God is often blamed for catastrophes. 

On one occasion a national newspaper published a picture of a flood with a woman looking on and stating “God must be awfully mad.” Most Newspapers would name these storms as “Acts of God.” The truth is: we don’t know if God is responsible for these tragic acts. Judgment is called “God’s strange work.”

Though strange for a loving God, the Bible does talk of God’s wrath and even proclaims that we should flee the wrath to come. However, it is my conviction that most calamities are not acts of God but of Satan. Job’s community blamed the Lord for the loss of Job’s sons and daughters along with his suffering excruciating pain of cancerous sores all over his body. Job’s wife told him to “curse God and die.” However, neither Job’s wife nor his “judgmental counselors” are taken behind the curtains to hear the conversation between Satan and God. Actually God had placed a hedge around Job so the devil could not get to him without God’s permission. Read the account in Job 1:7-10. Yes, God could have prevented the tragedies. But He didn’t--without explanation to Job or his judgmental neighbors. We are told later in Scriptures that God was proving to Satan that Job’s faith would stand during his deepest trials. Job fussed at God briefly but according to James 5, he stood fast in God’s eyes.

Actually God assigns angels to every God fearing person for protection. “The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.”  But Isaiah  warned God’s people concerning  apathy toward Him and His righteousness. (Isa. 5) “….And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge….”  In so many words, there will come a time when the protection I have provided for you shall be taken away and Satan will cause much devastation and sorrow to you.

Dear friends, this land is being devoured. Who can doubt that? Fires, tornadoes, floods, the fallen dollar; gas prices; lost homes, bankruptcies--and we could name more. I blame the present catastrophes on the devourer--the devil. But he cannot do these devouring works unless God steps back and allows it. That may not seem compassionate to some, but refusing to fight for us is not the same as fighting against us. Who is to be blamed if we ignore God’s warnings and therefore allow the angels to be removed who have protected us in the past? The Lord may even allow this great nation to be destroyed as He did Israel. Many Americans have no concern for God’s commands regarding abominations of the homosexual lifestyle and this grieves Him. Other gross sins in our nation include the murder of little helpless babies by doctors and mothers. Actually they are doing the devil’ s work. Jesus said: “The devil comes to kill, steal and destroy, but I am come to give life and life more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

For many years this nation has enjoyed a rich life style compared with most of the world. In spite of these blessings, we have grieved God until He may allow us to experience life without His covering or hedge. I refuse to blame God but rather the devouring enemy while God reluctantly turns His face away from us.

Is there hope for the USA? I believe there is if we awaken to what is happening and repent. In fact God is looking for those who will stand in the gap and rebuild the hedge with fervent, persistent, prayer? (Ezek. 22:27) We are familiar with God’s Word in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” AND THAT IS A PROMISE!  

1 Peter 5:8:  “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

BOOK SIGNING
I appreciate being invited by Buford Lipscomb to have a signing of my new book at all of the campuses of Liberty Church. July 16th 

I will speak at the Blue Angel Campus and on July 20th I will speak at the Liberty Gulf Breeze Campus and sign books there. On Aug 10th, I will be at Liberty North Campus and then at a later date at Liberty Fairhope Campus. 

Any pastor who wants me to come for a book signing, call me at 850-390-4129 or e-mail me at: papaken@mchsi.com.  If you desire me to speak to your people I am available for that also. My voice is much better and I am beginning to go out to speak again.

FAMILY CONFERENCE REPORT:
We experienced an exceptionally exciting conference in Peachtree City this year. All the main speakers were leaders of CFN: L.A. Joiner; Ken Sumrall; Jack Hollis; Charles Stanford and Tom Roberts spoke in main sessions: Marc Limbaugh; David Havice and Ron Kelly led workshops. Marsha Roberts, Kelly Allsopp, Brian Roberts and Todd Gross also led workshops. Our next conference will convene at Christ Fellowship Church in Carrollton, Georgia, (Marc Limbaugh, Pastor)

EXCERPT FROM PAPA KEN’S BLOG: LET ME TELL YOU A STORY
The real story of “It is no secret” taken from truthorfiction.com
My original blog sent by a friend and posted in mid June was only slightly different — but here’s the real story.

Stuart Hamblin was a popular singer, songwriter, actor, poet, and radio personality from the 1930s through the 1950s. He was first        a hit on radio but appeared in films with Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and John Wayne and wrote several chart-topping country songs. Some have called him radio’s first singing cowboy.

Billy Graham came to Los Angeles in 1949 for what became an historic evangelistic crusade. Graham’s long time associate and crusade song leader Cliff Barrows told TruthOrFiction.com that Graham’s appearance on Hamblin’s radio show was arranged as part of the publicity for the crusade. Although Hamblin was known for his hard living and drinking, he had been reared as the son of a Methodist minister and warmly welcomed Graham as a guest. It was at that interview that Graham extended an invitation to Hamblin to attend the crusade and he accepted. According to Barrows, Hamblin later contacted Graham at his hotel and asked to talk. The result was that he “surrendered his life to Christ.” Hamblin’s became the first publicized conversion from the 1949 crusade and contributed to the decision to extend the event, which lasted for 8 weeks and put Billy Graham on the map.

Barrows said that it was on a street in Hollywood that Hamblin later ran into John Wayne who asked him about the rumor around town that he’d changed his ways. Hamblin told Wayne that it was no secret what God had done for him and that he could do it for Wayne too. Wayne said it sounded like a song and suggested he write one. The result was one of Hamblin’s best known tunes, It is No Secret What God Can Do. It was a crossover song that is regarded as the first to have been #1 in the gospel, country, and pop categories. The original manuscript of It is No Secret is buried in the cornerstone of one of the Copyright Buildings of the Library of Congress in Washington D.C.

After his conversion Hamblin announced that he was going to devote his time to “serving Christ” and he started a new radio program titled The Cowboy Church of the Air which became nationally syndicated. A confrontation developed with his sponsors, however, when he told them that he would refuse to advertise alcohol. His much publicized departure from the program resulted in his being asked to run for President of the United States in 1952 under the banner of the Prohibition party. He accepted and ran fourth to Republican Dwight Eisenhower who was elected president.

Note: To read my blog online, see: http://blog.papaken.com
Our website is: www.kensumrallministries.com
To purchase books or make donations on your credit card, go online to: www.shop.kensumrallministries.com


CHILDREN’S QUOTES

When we introduced our daughter to the pastor for the first time, he said, “Thank you for visiting, Danielle. I hope to see more of you soon.”

Danielle looked puzzled and replied, “But this is all there is of me!”