I saw two widows, both lovely ladies whose husbands I helped to bury just a year ago. Neither has any children or a lot of family, and both are just now putting their houses on the market. One is still deep in her grief and we talked about where she could find a good counselor.
The other has a full-time job at a local hospital. As we talked, a lady in the church handed her a grocery bag filled with outdated Sunday School literature. She saw me taking that in and said, “I put this out in the nurses’ lounge at our hospital. And would you believe–they read it and take it. Before long, it all disappears.” What a great ministry, and so simple.
“I’m 85 years old,” a friend said. She’s the wife of a deacon and for many years served the church as wedding coordinator. “And guess what–for the second year in a row, I won first place in the Special Olympics. My area was table tennis.” I was stunned. I mean, think of the dexterity, the quick reactions, and the keen focus that game demands. And at her age.
She continued, “Of the people I beat, the oldest was 72.” She smiled and said, “My goal is to win the gold when I’m 90. Would you pray for me about that?” I promised her I would.
Interim Pastor Mark brought up to the pulpit Mary, who is serving on the church’s pastor search committee. He paid tribute to this terrific woman and her family, then led us all in prayer for her and for the work of the committee. There is no more important assignment anywhere than being charged with the responsibility of finding the next pastor of a church.
Is it possible to take a well-known Scripture and find new insights in it? Mark Tolbert answered that in a clear affirmative Sunday. The text was Acts chapter 10, the story of the Italian centurion Cornelius and how God broke through the Apostle Peter’s preconceptions to be able to minister to Gentiles.
The three points of his message were: 1) Salvation is needed by all. Cornelius is a poster-boy for a good man–militarily he was the best of the best, personally, he was devout, God-fearing, generous, and prayerful–whose goodness was inadequate for salvation. He still needed to be saved, so the chapter tells what God did to bring him into the kingdom.
2) Salvation should be offered to all. And 3) Salvation is available to all.
Mark had a number of wonderful insights in his message. I marked up the margins of my Bible with a fine-point pen. Here are three of them….
…The angel tells Cornelius that his prayers and gifts have gotten the Lord’s attention. (10:4) Later, Peter declares, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he who fears Him and works righteousness, is accepted by him.” (10:34-35)
Pastor Mark didn’t mention this, but I thought of the time 20 years ago one of our SBC presidents said what may be the dumbest statement ever uttered from the holder of that august office: “God Almighty does not hear the prayer of Jews.” That one made the news and branded Southern Baptists forever as the most negative, conceited, ignorant people on the planet. Some of our people basked and gloried in the notoriety, but they were mistaken. Our president was dead wrong. This passage in Acts 10 makes it clear God hears far more than we think, and responds to the prayers He chooses. Far be it for puny mortals like us to sit on the Throne of the Almighty and announce what He allows and doesn’t. God forgive us our presumption.
…When the angel showed Peter the sheet from Heaven filled with all kinds of animals which the Old Testament had clearly called unclean (Mark is sure there was a hog in the group!) and commanded him to “kill and eat,” Peter said, “Not so, Lord.” Mark pointed out that those words do not go together. If He is your Lord, you cannot tell him “no.” “Yes, Lord” should be our constant prayer. Mark led us in that two-word prayer at the conclusion of the service.
…Peter asked the assembly (Acts 10:47), “Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?” Mark said, “Baptism is not optional–it’s commanded–but it is not essential for salvation. It is an eloquent testimony to our salvation.”
Recently Pastor Mark and his wife Joy were visiting Maysville, Georgia, where his grandparents are buried. While there, they dropped in on the local United Methodist Church where Mark’s father worshiped during his growing up years. The church is flourishing, he said, and they’re constructing all new buildings. And, he was surprised to see, the worship center will include a baptistry. “The pastor called it a baptismal, but I let that ride.” When Mark asked the pastor about it, he said, “We believe that’s the right way to baptize!” Good for him.
Some new friends–Patrick, his wife Dixie, and their high school daughter Anna–were in the services. They will be moving onto the campus of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary this August. Patrick has worked with the youth in his church for a couple of decades, he said, but in the last year God has done a great work in his life. Now he’s leaving his career and moving to campus.
I asked Anna what kind of change had come over her dad since the Lord got hold of him. She said, “He’s a nicer man now, and a far better father.” Patrick laughed, “I was always Mr. Achiever at church, but not a very good husband and father at home. God really convicted me about that. That’s the big difference. I’m loving my family a lot better now.”
You might want to note that this family will be leaving a high income position to relocate to New Orleans where Patrick has no guarantee of any job and any money coming in. It’s called faith.
Pastor Mark told of the time he was serving the West St. Charles Church across the river in Boutte as interim pastor before coming to our church. His grandson was riding with him that morning and they were listening to a gospel song about leaving everything behind to follow Jesus. “That’s my favorite song,” he said, “and it always gets to me.”
When the song ended, Mark said to his grandson, “Could you leave everything behind to follow Jesus?” His answer surprised him. “You did,” the child said. Mark was quiet a moment, then said, “In what way did I do that?” His grandson said, “You moved here.” We all laughed.
Mark said, “I recalled the trauma of our decision to leave our grown children behind in Arkansas when we relocated to New Orleans. But God had made it clear this was our assignment.”
He said to his grandson, “How do you feel about us moving here?” The kid said, “I love it. The food is terrific.”
Mark is preaching what promises to be a lengthy series through the book of Acts these days. With 28 chapters, and many of them loaded with events and conflicts, insights and preaching, a preacher could camp out in Acts for years. It brought to my mind the first time I preached through Acts. I was in my first pastorate, the Emmanuel Baptist Church of Greenville, Mississippi, and I took a solid year to get through that book. I remember like it was yesterday when deacon Glenn Davis approached me in the parking lot and said, “Preacher, how much longer do you plan to be in Acts?” I told him I had no idea, that I was taking it from week to week. “Well, hurry,” he said. “You are about to Acts us to death!”
I’ve laughed at that ever since. The famous ‘axe’ murders!
For the first time in months, my wife felt like going to church, and what a blessing that was. She fights daily battles with fibromyalgia and arthritis, and the resulting effects of all the medications her team of doctors prescribe. So, we treasure the good days, and this has been one of them.
So, tell us about your church today.
Since November, Steve and I have not been able to go to our church, First Laplace. Instead, we have been “doing” church in an unconventional setting. We have been “doing” church with those that we serve, the seafarers. Although we have missed terribly the fellowship of our church family, the relationships that have been built thru the ministry with this particular ship (Norwegian cruise ship) has been sweet, challenging and creative. Church can be fun, anywhere!
I have some Methodist friends in W Monroe who got to studying the Bible 30 yrs ago. They decided immersion was correct and borrowed a Baptist baptistry. Over 20 of them were baptized! I told them they were undercover Baptists in the Methodist denomination!
Joe, I’ll tell you about my ‘church’ today. I woke up this morning and gave thanks. In our big bed was our 4 year old grandson Hunter. He comes to stay with us on some weekends. We cooked breakfast together, played with his puzzles, watched Sesame STreets Elmo…his favorite. One of them has a song and we dance in the living room. There’s a ‘spirit’ present everytime we’re together. The spirit of laughter. I took a shower with him and we clown and laugh. His grandmother buys duck food and he and I went out to feed the ducks in the pond behind our condo. They were starving. Or acted like it. Mother nature at it’s best. Soon it was time to go back to his mother and father. We exchanged hugs and kisses and “I love yous” Thank you God. That was my church today.
Joe, I’ll tell you about my ‘church’ today. I woke up this morning and gave thanks. In our big bed was our 4 year old grandson Hunter. He comes to stay with us on some weekends. We cooked breakfast together, played with his puzzles, watched Sesame STreets Elmo…his favorite. One of them has a song and we dance in the living room. There’s a ‘spirit’ present everytime we’re together. The spirit of laughter. I took a shower with him and we clown and laugh. His grandmother buys duck food and he and I went out to feed the ducks in the pond behind our condo. They were starving. Or acted like it. Mother nature at it’s best. Soon it was time to go back to his mother and father. We exchanged hugs and kisses and “I love yous” Thank you God. That was my church today.
I Love my Church Family!
I was so thankful to be able to gather my 3 year old and 5 year old together and go with my husband to our Church. I am filled with joy to sing to the Lord with my christian brothers and sisters (Mrs. Betty is choir buddy). I recieved an important message (from a teacher/preacher with 50 years experience-Dr. Traylor we are honored to have you with us) about servanthood from John Chapter 13:1-20. For a prideful person like me it was a breath of fresh wisdom. When my son runs up to me with the little “scroll” he made and can tell me abour Ezra it’s almost enough to bring tears to a mom’s eyes.
For me honestly as busy and wild as a Sunday can be it is the sweetest day of the week.
Kellie
Let me tell you of a “church” experience I had. First you don’t have to be in a church to go to church and it doesn’t even have to be a Sunday. Back in the spring of 1999 I was getting over the last affects of a bout with cancer. By the Grace of God I had been healed and life was wonderful and full of promise once again. But I had not ben able to prusue my favorite activity, deep sea fishing. I was an early April Saturday and for my birthday my wife had given me a gift certificate to go deep sae fishing out of Port Orange aboard the Super Critter. It was rather cool that morning and I had arrived at 6 AM to tie off my favorite spot in the back of the boat. The boat doesn’t shove off until 8AM but its first come first served for spots to fish from around the boat so you better get there early.
As usual I was getting more exiting about the trip as it got closer to the time to depart and the rest of the about 35 fishermen arrived. I remember the sound of the big diesel engines cranking up and it always makes my heart beat a little quicker. We all loaded up and shoved off. The sky was as clear as could be and a beautiful shade of blue. The wind was light and warming up. The seas were 2 to 3 feet and we splashed merrily along headed to spots about 25 to 30 miles offshore. I was getting my gear all ready to do battle with the fish and I felt so wonderful and well. I started to laugh and cry at the same time. I looked up at the beatiful sea and sky, felt the slat spray on my face stretched my arms up as high as I could and said thank you Lord!!, I’m back!! That day I was in church on the back of a smelly old fishing boat 30 miles out in the Atlantic and I went home with a cooler full of fish to boot!
What a day! We baptized 4 in the 8:00 service and one more in the 10:15. God is SO GOOD!!! The sermon that followed was about Miracles: Trusting God in Life’s Storms, taken from Matthew 14. God is still in the miracle business and I’m so thankful for that. Just as the Lord made the disciples endure the raging storm, He miraculously came to them and saw them through it to a safe ending. There are many similar testimonies in New Orleans and other places in the wake of Katrina. It’s a tragedy that the world doesn’t believe in spite of our efforts to tell them. I pray that their hearts will be opened soon.
Sunday morning, Pastor Mark started a “however long it takes” series in Genesis … we studied Genesis in my Community Bible Study class last year but I cannot wait to see what God wants me to learn from this book now!
We also prayed with and for a group departing this week on a mission trip to continue building a retirement home for our brothers and sisters in Christ in Cuba (Yes, there are Christians there!).
Sunday night, we ordained one of our own to the gospel ministry.
As the Psalmist says in Psalm 122:1, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.”
My church included helping a group of K-2nd grade students make “bones” as a means of teaching how we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” as children of God. Previously, my only childrens experience was with the little ones. It is a thrill to join the children as they recite scripture passages learned in their Bible lessons and then over hear one child explain to another what the passage means!
Dear Pastor Joe,
Our minister and his wife were away Sunday, attending a Pastor’s Conference, and filling the pulpit that morning was Dr. Mark DeVine. Mark is a professor at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City. His message, centered around the First Corinthians teaching of the “one-ship” of many into the “body” of Christ. At one point during the sermon he discussed his long marriage to his wife—-formerly Joe Moore—–saying that she became “Joe Moore DeVine”! I personally enjoyed his sermon—and his wit!
God’s blessings on you and yours.
Wayne & Joyce Boyd
Leavenworth, Kansas
Oooops! Dr. DeVine’s wife is not named “Joe”—her name is Jackie! My apologies for the error!
Wayne Boyd
Dear Joe,
Before I tell you what we did at church today, my heart goes out to you and your wife. My wife, Dorothy also has fibromyalgia. Thankfully, at 62, she is still able to work. She is my secretary. She is also able to attend church, but the pain is horrific at times, especially this time of year when the cold fronts keep coming in and the weather keeps changing. She takes lots of pain medication and has tried lots of different supplements and things that have worked “miracles” for others, but did nothing for her. One thing that has helped her is staying on a routine and not crashing on the weekends. At one point, she would sleep until lunch on Saturday and sometime most of the day on Sunday. It has helped her to get up at approximately the same time every day and stay on her schedule for her meds. Fibro fog and the feeling that accompanies it can’t be understood by the outside world. Dorothy does word search puzzles, and she thinks that keeps her mind functioning. Her mother had Alzheimers and so she wants to keep her mind occupied and working good.
She takes Ultracet(and Advil in between), Cymbalta, and Alprazolam. What works for one doesn’t work for another; you guys know that. We will pray for you and your wife. We understand something of what you are going through.
Yesterday at church, we had 3 young ladies, students at Texas Tech(one of them came through our youth program)come and speak to us. They are going to India this summer on a mission trip. Our church gave Julie over $1500, and then our deacons voted last night to recommend that we give her, a young lady whose grandmother is a member of our church and is going to Uganda this summer,and a couple who will be going to Houston for a month for radiation each $1,000. Boy, that is giving it in a hurry. But God has blessed our church tremendously. And we will reach our goal of $2500 for Annie Armstrong. God is so good to us and it truly is, more blessed to give than to receive.
By the way, the girls hosted a spaghetti luncheon for our church and of course, requested prayers for them as they prepare and go to India. Julie mentioned Genesis 12:1 as a verse which had a lot of influence on her.
Guess it’s time to end this sermon. Thanks again, Joe for the great work. I loved the article about the red lights.
Jimmy Griffith, Merkel, Not Mayberry
My Friends, who are Friends of Jesus,
Try Beef & Chicken bone soup. What is missing in the joints of our body is found inside the bones of these animals. I read: Just like a dry sponge ( inside the sockets ) causes no good work… but when wet (after you eat the enriched soap) it moves smoothly and can preform better. In a very few weeks, depending on how long your pain has been going on…Try it.
Most of the time the simple things ( little foxes) are what gets man. We love to think high and lofty things. I guess we want to be just like our Daddy God 🙂
‘We want to believe it can’t be that simple’, but God shows his Greatness in Our weakness. He took Dusk and made US. Simple… when we Let go & Let God 🙂 LOVE YOU MORE!
Apple Inc.’s new data synching service got off to a rocky start Thursday, as some users were denied access to their accounts just hours before the next-generation iPhone is slated to go on sale.
First off let me say that i love your site http://www.joemckeever.com a lot
now.. back on topic lol
I cant say that i agree with what you wrote… care to clear things up for me?