Weekly In
Grandma, Drop
Me a Line!
by Jonathan M. La-
Barge
Pastor of New Hope
Baptist Church
The People of God
“But ye are a chosen
generation, a royal
priesthood, and holy
nation, a peculiar
people; that ye should
shew forth the praises
of him who hath called
you out of darkness into
his marvellous light:
Which in time past were
not a people, but are
now the people of God:
which had not obtained
mercy, but now have
obtained mercy. Dear
ly beloved, I beseech
you as strangers and
pilgrims, abstain from
fleshly lusts, which war
against the soul; Hav
ing your conversation
honest among Gentiles:
that, whereas they speak
against you as evildoers,
they may by your good
works, which they shall
behold, glorify God in
the day of visitation. ” -
1 Peter 2:9-12
The theme of First
Peter is the settling
work of suffering for
the faith. Peter writes
as “The Apostle of
Hope” to “the strangers
scattered’’ (lPt.l:l) to
encourage them amid
their severe trials and
sufferings. Suffering
is mentioned in every
chapter of the book.
During their hour of
suffering Peter reminds
these scattered strangers
of the faith of an import
ant truth that encour
aged and emboldened
them to persevere for the
Lord Jesus Christ - God
has a people, and they
are the people of God.
God says his people are
“a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, an
holy nation, a peculiar
people” (v.9). That word
“peculiar” does not
mean funny looking but
a belonging to someone.
A peculiar people are a
people for a possession.
They belong to God.
They are God’s personal
possession.
God says his peo
ple were called, His
people were strangers
and pilgrims, and His
people were to abstain
from fleshly lusts. God
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Increased at the Pumps
Special to the Ledger
Georgia gas price
average increased at
the pump compared to
a week ago. Georgia
drivers are paying an av
erage price of $3.02 per
gallon for regular un
leaded gasoline (subject
to change overnight).
Monday’s state average
is 7 cents more than a
week ago, 1 cent more
than a month ago, and
37 cents less than this
time last year.
Community Calendar
• Lee County - Leesburg - Smithville Planning
Commission will meet Thursday, February 1
at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will be held at the
T. Page Tharp Governmental Building. Opal
Cannon Auditorium, 102 Starksville Avenue
North, Leesburg.
• Leesburg City Council will meet Tuesday, Feb
ruary 6 at 6:00 p.m. at the Leesburg City Hall.
• Lee County Board of Education will meet
Monday, February 12 at 5:30 p.m. The meeting
will be held at the board of education office,
126 Starksville Ave., N, Leesburg.
• Lee County Commissioners will meet Tuesday,
February 13 at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will be
held at the T. Page Tharp Governmental Build
ing, Opal Cannon Auditorium, 102 Starksville
Avenue North, Feesburg.
• All veterans are invited to join American
Legion Post 182. American Legion Post 182
meets at 7:00 p.m. the first Monday each
month at J&E Country Restaurant, 232 Walnut
Ave, S. Leesburg.
the Word
expects much of His
people, of which we find
the summary of what is
expected of the people
of God in verse twen
ty-one,
“For even
hereunto
were ye
called:
because
Christ also
suffered for
us, leav
ing us an
example, Jonathan M
that ye
should follow his steps:”.
We are unlike any other
people on the face of the
earth, and we are to act
unlike any other people
on the face of the earth.
We are living in a day
of identity crisis. Boys
want to be girls. Girls
want to be boys. Others
want to be a combina
tion of the two. What do
you identify as? Do you
identify as a mother or a
father? Do you identify
as a husband or a wife?
Do you identify as a
member of a particular
church or a denomina
tion? As for me, more
than identifying as a
husband, as a father, as
a member of New Hope
Baptist Church, as an
Independent Funda
mental Baptist, or as a
pastor, I identify as a
child of God! God has
a people, and I am one
of them! I’m part of the
blood-washed, blood-
bought throng of sinners
who has obtained
mercy!
Are you part of the
people of God? It’s
high time some of you
climbed out from the
rock of timidity you’ve
been hiding behind, the
rock of self-preserva
tion, the rock of political
correctness, the rock of
compromise and toler
ance, and place yourself
squarely atop the Chief
Cornerstone laid in
Sion, the rock Christ
Jesus, and unashamedly
identify as part of the
people of God! I ask you
again, are you a part of
the people of God? If so,
we need to quit trying
to straighten everybody
else out and let God
straighten us out. “For
the time is come that
judgment must begin at
the house of God: and if
it first begin at us, what
shall the end of them
that obey not the gospel
of God?” (1 Pt.4:17).
Judgment begins at the
house of God. God’s
people are the house
of God. God first deals
with His
people and
then works
through His
people. The
most im
portant work
God is doing
in the world
is the work
La Barge that begins
in our own
hearts as the people of
God.
The people of God
are being targeted by
wicked assailants led by
the wicked one himself.
“Be sober, be vigilant;
because your adversary
the devil, as a roaring
lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may
devour:” (lPt.5:8). What
kind of people do they
think we are? Are we the
lily-livered, lay down,
give up, do nothing kind
of people? We must stop
letting the world define
who the people of God
are. We must let the
Bible define us. We are
the people of God. We
are like no other in the
world. We have the lov
ing attention, the kind
favor, the strong arm,
and the mercy of God.
Are we the kind of
people who attend
church and listen to the
Word of God but never
change? Are we Chris
tians who talk and talk
and talk but do nothing?
Do we continually cast
blame and attempt to
straighten all others out
while refusing to ask
God to search and try us
and see if there be any
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LEE COUNTY
Life works wet here
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Lee County - Leesburg - Smithville Planning Commission
Conditional Use Application
Muckalee Plantation. LLC. (Z24-001) has submitted an application to the Lee County Planning
Commission requesting a Conditional Use to operate an associated wedding venue and bed and
breakfast inn, in the AG-1 (Active Agriculture District). This property is in the First Land District of Lee
County. The total acreage of Tract 2 is 1,693.933 acres. The wedding venue proposes to utilize 23.64 of
those acres. The east property line borders the Muckalee Creek and is in flood zone A & AE. All
development and uses are located outside the SFHA and in flood zone X. The parcel number is 049 159,
at 569 Lovers Lane Road, Leesburg, GA 31763.
Exact legal descriptions of the property are on file at the Lee County Planning, Zoning and Engineering
Department, 102 Starksville Avenue North, Room 202, Leesburg, GA 31763 and can be reviewed along
with any other information regarding this request between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through
Friday.
The Lee County Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing on the conditional use application
on Thursday, February 1, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. This meeting will be held in the Opal Cannon Auditorium
of the T. Page Tharp Governmental Building, located at 102 Starksville Avenue North, Leesburg,
Georgia 31763. The Planning Commission will forward its recommendation to the Lee County Board of
Commissioners.
The Lee County Board of Commissioners will conduct a public hearing on Tuesday, February 13, 2024
at 6:00 p.m., and a final vote on Tuesday, February 27, 2024 at 6:00 p.m., in the Opal Cannon
Auditorium of the T. Page Tharp Governmental Building, located at 102 Starksville Avenue North,
Leesburg, Georgia 31763.
***************************
Meetings of the Planning Commission and the Board of Commissioners are open to the public.
Georgia law requires that all parties who have made campaign contributions to any member of the Lee County Board of
Commissioners in excess of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) within two (2) years immediately preceding the filing of this
request, and who desire to appear at the public hearing in opposition to the application, shall, at least five (5) days prior to
the public hearing, file a campaign contribution report with the Lee County Planning Commission.
Persons with special needs relating to handicapped accessibility or foreign language interpretation should contact the ADA
Coordinator at (229) 759-6000 or through the Georgia Relay Service (800) 255-0056 (TDD) or (800) 355-0135 (voice). This
person can be contacted at the T. Page Tharp Building in Leesburg, Georgia between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except holidays, and will assist citizens with special needs given proper notice of seven (7) working
days. The meeting rooms and buildings are handicap accessible.
wicked way in us? Judg
ment must begin at the
house of God. We don’t
need the right president
in the White House and
government officials in
Washington. We need
the chosen generation,
the royal priesthood, the
holy nation, the peculiar
people to seek the God
of Heaven. We need the
people of God to be the
people of God!
New Hope Baptist
Church meets at 1209
Graves Springs Rd.,
Leesburg, GA. Our
service times are Sun
day- 10:00am; 11:00am;
6:00pm & Wednesday
- 7:00pm. Feel free to
contact us at 229-439-
9997, visit us online at
newhopebaptist.net, or
find us on Facebook @
NHBCLeesburg
The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, January 31,2024, Page 7A
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