Monthly Archives: May 2009

Whew!

Joan and I went to visit our parents today. We left home about 8:00 AM and got back in around 4:00 PM. Jesse and Amy came over at 6:00 PM and we went with them to Goshen Baptist Church in Wilkesboro, NC. The Pastor is Brother Brian Miller. Jesse preached their Friday night youth meeting. Jesse preached from Eccl. 11:9-10 on the subject of “Seventeen Again”. The message revolved around Solomon’s advice to young people and when the preacher would do if he had the opportunity to live his teen years over again, It was a powerful, thought provoking message. I am always amazed when I hear Jesse preach. His content and ability in the pulpit outstrips men twice his age. I would stand him up beside anyone. He is a great young Pastor.

Did I mention that Clayton made the journeys of the day with us? Well, he did and he made every mile seem shorter and every hour seem like mere minutes. I am blessed to have the family I do. Praise His name!

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Excellent Meeting Last Night

The service at Mount Hebron Baptist Church was great last night. The Lord blessed the meeting in giving great liberty to preach, a good spirit in the service and a great response at the end. It was a Wednesday evening, which means that it is usually just church folks. They had a packed house. On a Wednesday! I was amazed, and impressed! I praise the Lord for good services in His house. Keep praying for the meeting. Lord willing, we will finish out tonight. Next week, I will be preaching a tent meeting above Boone, NC.

I don’t have a lot on tap today. I am at my office at church right now, waiting on a pastor friend and a missionary from the Philippines. The missionary brother has some computer issues and he seems to think I can be of help in that area. I will try! Then, I have a couple of hospital visits to make. After that, it is time to study and get ready for tonight’s service. Just another day in the life! As an old preacher named Jim Price used to day, “Men, I wouldn’t trade places with any of you!” Amen to that!

Another Good Night Of Meeting

Our second night of meeting at Mount Hebron Baptist went very well.There was a good spirit in the service and excellent liberty to preach the Word. I preach from Mark 3:1-12 last night on the man with the withered hand in the synagogue. It was a message that primarily contrasted the hard heart of the Pharisees with the tender, compassionate heart that Jesus possessed. The Lord honored His Word and I am thankful. There was a lady there that sang “I Know My Redeemer Lives”. That gal has a set of pipes! Her rendition of that song was, hands down, the best I have ever heard. It stirred my heart! Praise God, I know He lives too! I know He lives in me and that thrills me.

After the service, Joan and I went out to eat at a local restaurant. A couple of the young men from our church came in and sat down with us. We had a great time of fellowship. Hanging out with younger people can be very refreshing. They haven’t forgotten how to find humor in everyday life.

Today, I have a few visits I need to make and then it’s off to preach again tonight. I would appreciate your prayers day by day!

Meeting At Mount Hebron

Our meeting at Mount Hebron Baptist Church got under way last night. The service was well attended and I enjoyed great freedom to preach the Lord. I appreciate the Lord blessing like He does. I am on my way out the door, so I do not have time for a long, detailed post today. I would just ask you to pray for the meeting this week. We need His help. Well, at least I do!

Memorial Day

I think we should all take some time over this Memorial Day weekend to reflect on what we have because of the sacrifice of others. I appreciate all the men and women who have worn, and still wear, the uniform of our nation. I appreciate all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice that I might have the freedoms I enjoy today. I do not takes their many sacrifices lightly. So, to all veterans and families of veterans, especially those who lost loved ones on the field of battle, I say thank you! Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for giving your all so that our nation might remain free. Thank you for giving so that I could go to church yesterday and preach whatever the Lord placed on my heart. Thank you for ensuring that I would have the privilege to raise a family, own a home, take a vacation, live where I want, do the things I want to do, and enjoy life. Thank you for giving your all so that I might be free.

Well, we had a great day yesterday at Calvary. We had great crowds in both services and the presence of the Lord was very real. I praise Him for my church family. We are blessed at Calvary to have some of the finest people I have ever had the privilege of worshiping with. I appreciate our Deacons. I appreciate our Sunday School teachers. I appreciate the janitors. I appreciate our Youth Pastor and his family. I appreciate the good brother who comes out to check on all the false alarms from our security system (Thanks Brother Scott!). I appreciate the parents who bring their children to Sunday School, preaching and youth meeting. I appreciate our music director and our musicians. I appreciate the people who pray for me. I appreciate all the fine folks I get to greet every Lord’s day at Calvary. God bless you good folks! It is a great honor to be called your Pastor. Thank you for putting up with me! I love you and I thank God He has put us together for these exciting days of ministry.

I am preaching at Mount Hebron Baptist Church in Connelly Springs, NC this week. The Pastor is Brother Eric James. Please pray for the meeting and join us in worship, if you can.

An Anniversary Of Sorts

I was saved 26 years ago today. Back in 1983 the Lord brought me under deep conviction and drew me to Jesus. He saved me on May 23, 1983, and I am still saved today. I don’t expect that to change, ever! Also, this weekend marks 25 years of preaching the Word of God.

I do not share these things to draw attention to myself, but to showcase the amazing grace of our wonderful God. That He would reach down to redeem a vile sinner such as me is something that still causes me amazement after all these years.

Perhaps this was the thought that gripped the heart of Paul when he penned these words:1 Corinthians 1:26-29  “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.” I have adopted those verses as my own, for they acurately describe what God has done in my life. I praise Him for His grace and blessings over all these years, and I trust to experience grace to serve Him as the years continue to unfold in my life.

Pray for me that I will ever be found faithful to the Lord Who redeemed me with His free, sovereign grace.

Phat Phriday

A friend of mine sent me an E-mail in response to my Random Rants the other day. Here is his addition to my list of “Pastoral Pet Peeves”.

“I wanted to add one to your “random rants”

#6 Does it bother you when church members are home watching the American Idol finale when the rest of the body is at prayer meeting?”

Surely, no one out there did something like that. I mean, most modern church members are so in love with the Lord, and so hungry for His Word, and so excited about corporate worship, that they would never miss church for something so worldly, for something so vain, for something possibly so detrimental to their spiritual health. Or, would they? Of course they would! Most church folks could care less about a Wednesday evening prayer meeting, a revival meeting, or any other time of worship. It’s a sad truth, but it is the condition of the modern church. It’s a good thing we are not under persecution in America at the moment. When things change and it becomes a crime to believe the truths we have been given in the Word of God, the mere church member will be separated from the born again believer. You can take that to the bank!

Well, I’ve got a funeral today. So, I must finish my preparations for that. Before I go let me mention a blog entry I read this morning. The Pastor was talking about the fact that he had to preach twice this week. He was talking about the benefits of preaching twice in a week. Twice! Apparently, this pastor is in a church tradition where he usually preaches just once per week/ Most weeks I preach 6 or 7 times. Nearly all my time is spent praying, preparing and preaching. It is a sanctifying process, but it does make one weary. I can’t imagine what I would have the time to do if I just preached once. Hmmmm…What would I do with all that time? I know! I would visit my congregation like they deserved to be visited. I would spend much more time with my dear wife; she sacrifices much and it goes unappreciated by nearly everyone. I would sleep a little longer in the morning, or perhaps go to bed a little earlier in the evening. I would take my camera out and enjoy doing some photography. I would go to the gym more and lose some of this lard. Of course, if I did that last thing, I would have to change the name of this blog again. Oh well, I can dream about what I would do if I didn’t have to spend so much time in sermon preparation, or I get busy doing what the Lord called me to do. So I am out of here! I’ve got preaching to do! If I am going to preach, then I’ve got preparing to do.

Alan

Crazy Day

Sorry, but I didn’t have time today to post a long entry. Between hospital visitation and visiting with a bereaved family in our church, I have been swamped. Anyway, our meeting ended well. Brother Tom Gilliam preached some great messages this week, and I, for one, got some help. I hope to post the sermons tomorrow. I have a funeral to preach, so we will see how things go. All you pastors know how things go, don’t you? Oh well, there’s always tomorrow!