Author Archives: Alan

The View From Corolla, NC

Today was kind of a lazy day for us. We slept in and then we read until lunch time. After lunch we rented a Jeep and drove up the beach (Yes, you can drive on the beach here.) looking for wild horses. There is a herd of wild horses just north of Corolla that numbers around 100. There are several small herds actually and we saw two of those herds today. We saw wild horses in Swan Beach and we saw more in Corova. Driving on the beach was a new experience. It was especially fun when we left the beach, went behind the dunes and drove on some of the so called roads in the area. After we finished out Jeep expedition we went to Corolla Park and took some sundown pictures while we nearly froze to death. At any rate, I am posting some more photos from our adventures today, along with a few from yesterday. I hope you enjoy them.

Alan

Pictures From The Outer Banks

I thought you folks might enjoy a few photographs I took yesterday here on the Outer Banks. I want to apologize for the shots of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The sun was in the wrong location for shooting the lighthouse. It wasn’t the sun’s fault. I was just there at the wrong time of the day.

Alan

It’s The Middle Of December

For my wife and me that means it is vacation time. In the past we have visited places like Key West, the Caribbean, the area around Myrtle Beach, among others. This year we are on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We rented a house in a place called Corolla. It is about as far north as you can go on the Outer Banks. There isn’t much here in the way of entertainment, or people, for that matter. This place is desolate! Joan and I are staying in a house that sleeps about 17 people. There are 2 king sized beds, two queen sized beds, two twin beds, a set of bunk beds, and a couple of sleeper sofas, and we have the whole place to ourselves. This house in a beachfront development containing dozens of houses. As far as I can tell, there may be one other house that is occupied this week. Most of the stores and restaurants are closed for winter, and it is deathly quiet around here. In other words, it’s just like I like it! No noise and no crowds of people. For me, this week is about rest. It is about reconnecting with my wife. It is about getting my head together after a busy summer and fall. It is about just getting away for a few days. It has been just what I needed so far.

It is a foggy morning here on the coast. When the fog burns off, we may drive a couple of miles north and see if we can find the famed Corolla wild horses. These horses are survivors of Spanish shipwrecks that occurred some 500 years ago. The first recorded sighting of the wild mustangs on this spit of land was in 1523. Then, we might drive down to Kitty Hawk and check out the Wright Brothers Museum and Monument. Sorry Ohio, they flew here first! After that, well, who knows? Perhaps I will check in later this week. Perhaps I won’t.

Alan

What About The Twilight Series?

I have been amazed at the attraction to the Twilight Series among professed believers. it strikes me as odd that Christians would be drawn to such occult icons as vampires and werewolves, even if they are not your typical vampires and werewolves. It also strikes me as odd that Christians would embrace this series of books and movies without ever questioning the motive behind the series. Obviously, the author, and lots of others, have made piles of money off the series. It may surprise you to learn that there may be a more sinister motive behind these popular books and movies. Did you know that the author of the Twilight Series is a Mormon, and that she uses the books and the symbols and metaphors they contain to spread her faith? There is an article at Touchstone by John Granger that is well worth a serious read. At least take the time to check it out before you drink the KoolAid! In case you missed it, here is the link: http://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=22-08-024-f

Hey, here’s an idea for the Christian community, what if we returned to reading the Word of God instead of drivel like this that weakens the soul and has the potential to lead us into error? Just a thought!

Alan

Just Got In

It’s about 2:15 AM Friday and I just got in. Actually, I was in the bed about to drift off to sleep when the phone rang notifying me that one of our dear ladies, who was moved to Hospice on Wednesday, was about ready to leave this world. I got up, got dressed and made my way over there to be with the family. I stood there as they sang to her, prayed with her, talked to her and read the Bible to her. After a while, she slipped off into glory. She had been sick for quite a while, but she isn’t any longer.

Death is can be a cruel messenger. When it comes for one who is not prepared, it leaves the living with a great sense of loss and with no hope at all. When it comes for a child of God, it leaves the living with a sense of peace, and with the sure knowledge that their loved one is with the Lord. I praise the Lord for the hope we have in Jesus! I praise Him for the grace of God that He exhibits in salvation. I praise Him for saving the worst, the weakest, the most foolish and the most undeserving of sinners. I praise Him that He saves us, changes our lives and gives us a new start in Him. I thank God that He gives us hope! When it comes my time to leave this world, I have His promise that I will leave here to go there, with no gap between the two. I will exhale here and inhale there! Praise the Lord, what  heritage the saints of God have in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Do you know Him? The most cruel thing you could ever do is leave this world without your family knowing where you are going. Be sure those who love you know where you stand with Jesus. If you are not saved, look to Him by faith and call on Him for salvation. If you are saved, live like it! May God help us to leave such a legacy that our loved ones have hope when we depart for eternity!

Alan

I’ve Got To Do Better

It’s been a whole week since I stopped by to say anything here. I have no excuses, so I will make no excuses. I will simply prepare for church as I always do, head over there and preach a while. This morning I will tackle Eph. 1:4, which says, “According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love“. I don’t expect to get passed the first phrase in that verse for at least a couple of weeks. We will be examining the doctrine of election in our morning services. I am sure that this doctrine will be met with resistance by some folks, it always is. A few will reject it out of hand; a few will get angry; a few will hear what they always hear, nothing; and a few will get it. Either way, it is the truth and it will be preached this morning. Personally, I am excited about the opportunity to preach the doctrines of grace today. So, I had better get busy reading over my sermon notes.

Wherever you are today, I hope it is a good day in the Lord. May He bless you for His glory, and preachers, may He take your words and set them on fire for His glory!

Alan

The Lord’s Day Is Here Again

It’s another Lord’s Day morning here in Lenoir, NC. I am getting ready to go to Calvary Baptist to preach again today. I am still a little road weary from my trip back from Alabama. I left there Friday night around 10:00 PM and arrived home around 5:00 AM. I slept a few hours, but once your internal clock is reset it takes a while for things to get back to normal. That is my experience, your mileage may vary. We had a good week in Alabama last week. I got to visit with nearly all my aunts and uncles. I even saw a few cousins I hadn’t seen in a coon’s age. (If you are not from the south, that means “in a long time”.) Now, back to today.

I have begun a journey through the book of Ephesians at Calvary Baptist. I am looking forward to preaching this amazing and wonderful book. It details the riches of grace that have been given to the body of Christ. Ephesians reveals the great spiritual wealth that has been handed to the believer, then the book tells us how to spend what we have been given for the glory of God. I am having a great time studying the book, and preparing and preaching the sermons. Right now, I am dealing with the issues of election, predestination and God’s sovereignty in salvation. I am discovering that there is a resistance in the human heart to these great doctrines.

Most people seem to think that salvation is synergistic in nature. That is, most people have been conditioned to believe that we cooperate with God to bring about our salvation. In truth, biblical salvation is monergistic. That is, God worked out our salvation in eternity past, then He comes to us in time, through the agency of the Holy Spirit, and brings us to a place of faith. We could never believe if He didn’t first supply the faith necessary to believe, Eph. 2:8. We could never get to Him unless He first came to us, Eph. 2:1. I will articulate what I believe the Bible teaches about salvation in the sermons I will prepare and post over the next few weeks. Most people who visit this blog, read the sermons I post, and who hear me preach them will; not agree with my statements. That doesn’t bother me! I would rather be biblical in my theology than I had to please the brethren. I say, with Paul, “let God be true and every man a liar”, Rom. 3:4.

I pray that your day in the Father’s house goes well. May He bless you as you hear His Word expounded. If you are the one who expounds that Word, preach it like it is Brother and let the chips fall where they may!

Alan

So…

The meeting is going well at Mt. View Baptist here in Sylvania, AL. I didn’t get to preach on Wednesday night. The Spirit of the Lord took over the service and He did a wonderful job. I preached last night and we had a great service. Lord willing, I will finish up this evening and head home to North Carolina. I am looking forward to getting home. When this week is over, I have a long break before my next meeting. I’m looking forward to catching up with myself, spending time with Joan and working among the people of Calvary. I am praying that the Lord will use this time to help our church. The good folk at Calvary do not complain about my being gone so often on Wednesday night, but it does have an impact on attendance. When I am in town the crowds are good. When I am away they are pitiful. There’s more wrong with that picture than just the Pastor being out of town. We’ll see if a few months of my being there will make a difference. Anyway, pray for us as we conclude the meeting this evening. I would appreciate your prayers as I will be driving home after the service tonight. God bless!

Alan

Still In Alabama

We had another good night of meeting with the fine folks at Sylvania, AL. The Lord blessed in the song service and He even helped this preacher to preach a while I thank Him for that! At any rate, the meeting will continue, Lord willing, through Friday night.

While I am preaching in Alabama and visiting with family here, my heart is home in North Carolina with my precious wife. I miss her when she can’t travel with me, which is very often, thank the Lord. We have been together a long time and I am attached to her. Lord willing, I will point my car north when I finished preaching on Friday night. With portions of I-40 closed due to a rock slide at the North Carolina state line, I will have to drive a good distance out of my way to get there. It will be good to get home.

Please continue to pray for this meeting. If you are in the area, come if you can. Remember, the services begin at 6:00 PM.

Alan

Dreary Tuesday In Alabama

I am sitting in my Aunt’s house in Collinsville, AL this morning. It starting to rain. I am here because I am preaching a meeting in Sylvania, AL at Mt. View Baptist Church. Brother Brian Harris is the Pastor. The meting got of to a good start last night. It was well attended and there was a good move in the altar at the invitation. I praise the Lord for how He mets with us and blesses His Word. If you think about it, pray for he meeting and come if you can. Just for your information, the meeting starts at 6:00 PM instead of 7:00 PM.

Just want to mention that we had two boys make professions of faith at Calvary on Sunday. Pray for them as they begin a new walk of faith. Pray for our church that others will be saved. We have quiet a new people, who attend our church regularly, that have never been saved. We are praying for them, and i am preaching to them. I am sure the Lord will work in their hearts in His Own time.

Pray for our meeting this week.

Alan