The Lord helped us at Friendship Baptist Church here in Perry, FL last night. I preached from Hebrews 4:14-16 about Jesus Our Great Hugh Priest. The Lord honored His Word and I praise Him for that. Please continue to pray for the meeting as we meet again tonight and tomorrow.

As I studied the text I preached last night, I meditated on the phrase “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities”, Heb. 4:15. The text is telling us that He sympathizes with us in our trials and our temptations. The phrase “touched with the feeling” literally means to “sympathize”. He knows how we feel. It dawned on me, as I studied the text, that whole God knows everything because He is omniscient, there are many things that God only knows by observation. In other words, He does not know how it feels to lie, to let someone down, or to have to burry a spouse or a parent. Think about that. God, Who knows all things, knows many of them by observation. But, when God became flesh and walked in this earth, John 1:1, 14; Phil 2:5-8, He experienced many of the things He had only observed before. He knows what it is to have no money. He knows what pain feels like, He knows what it is to be abandoned and betrayed. He knows what it feels like to die. He knows these things, not only by observation, but by experience. That means that He can sympathize with us when we face similar trials. He is able to give us grace. He is able to help us through our times of brokenness, pain and suffering. When I think of what He suffered for me; when I think about Him condescending to become a man; when I think about Him going through all the things He endured, just to redeem His people from their sins, I want to praise Him, thank Him and worship Him. He is a wonderful, loving Lord! Think about that and let me know what you think!

Alan

When I left home Sunday evening, it was a pleasant 60 degrees. When I arrived in Florida yesterday at 3:00 PM, it was a balmy 85. I like the cool temps better in North Carolina.

I am here to preach and not complain about the weather. We had a good service last night at Friendship Baptist Church here in Perry, FL. The crowd was down because they had a death in the church and many of the people were at the funeral home. We had a good service nonetheless. If you have a moment, please remember to pray for the meeting and for the Pastor, Brother Ed Taylor.

I would also appreciate prayers for several folks in our church. We have three ladies battling breast cancer, a man with several forms of cancer, a little girl with H1N1, and lots of folks with many other ailments. I don’t think I have ever seen a time when so many people are sick. I look forward to the day when we get to leave this world and all its pain and problems behind. I look forward to the day when all God’s children will be home in His presence in Heaven. I praise the Lord that we have a better place to go!

Alan

Today is Thursday, so that means we have reached the end of the meeting here at Magnolia Baptist Church in Crossett, AR. It has been a good week. The church is very friendly and loves preaching. Since I love to preach, we have gotten along very well. The Pastor, Brother Michael Griffith, is a fearless protector of the truth. He gladly embraces and preached the great doctrines of grace. He is a man of the Word, who loves the Lord and the Lord’s church. It has been a blessing to be with them in these days of meeting.

Lord willing, Joan and I will fly home tomorrow. We will not leave Greenville, MS until around 5:00 PM Central time, so it will be approaching midnight when we finally make it home. Please remember us in your prayers as we travel from place to place.

Alan

We had another good night of meeting with the folks at Magnolia Baptist Church last night. The Lord blessed the preaching and I am grateful. I would ask you to pray for the Pastor’s wife, though. Sister Chasity has an abscessed tooth that is causing her a lot of pain and swelling in her face. She has been to the doctor twice already and is scheduled for another appointment today.

We are in the town of Crossett, AR. Actually, we aren’t in town, but in the country outside of town. The people here are some of the friendliest people we have ever met. There are some places you go where the people just aren’t friendly at all. A week may pass with just a few people even speaking to you. Maybe it’s my deodorant, I don’t know. Anyway, it isn’t like that here. These folk are very outgoing and welcoming. Nearly everyone in the church has approached us to introduce themselves and to welcome us to their church. That is a blessing! These ladies can cook too! Each evening a different Sunday School class has taken the responsibility for preparing a meal for us. The food has been exceptional. Just good old country cooking. If I stayed here long, I would be an even fatter Baptist.

Pray for our meeting as it continues through tomorrow. I would love to see the Lord meet with us in a powerful way.

Alan

When our meeting ended in North Little Rock, Ar last week, Joan and I flew home to North Carolina. I arrived back to find several of our people in the hospital. I visited with them and went to a local nursing home to visit with a lady who was in the process of dying. I had no been there more than ten minutes when she passed away. We had her funeral on Sunday.

Speaking of Sunday, it was a great day. It was youth Sunday at Calvary and our youth taught the Sunday School classes and our youth choir performed the music for the day. They did a wonderful job, as usual. It seems that the Lord always moves in power when they sing, and He did not fail to do so on Sunday. I praise the Lord for our young people.

Yesterday, Joan and I boarded a plane and flew to Greenville, MS. Actually, we took two planes. The first flew us to Memphis, TN. The second, a very small turbo prop plane flew us to Mississippi. The Pastor of Magnolia Baptist Church in Crossett, AR, Brother Michael Griffith, met is at the airport in Greenville and we drove for a little over and hour to the church. We are spending the week in an unused church parsonage. At any rate, we had an excellent service last night. there was a good crowd and great liberty to preach. I praise the Lord for His presence and for all that He did in the meeting. Please pray for us as the week progresses. I am looking for the Lord to do some great things for us.

Alan

We had  a really good service at Pilgrim Progress Baptist last night. The Lord showed up and He honored the preaching of His Word. I have been coming to this church for four years, and last night was the best altar call response I have witnessed. The church, in their tradition, is not used to having altar calls, so it is something of a novelty for me to preach and invite them to come forward to pray. Several responded last night and seemed to get some real help from the Lord. If nothing happens, we will finish the meeting tonight and fly back to North Carolina tomorrow. I am ready to be home.

I have received two calls within the last twelve hours to inform me that two church members have relatives that are in the process of dying. I would like to be there for my people, but the best I can do today is take the matter to the Lord in prayer. Help me pray that God will give sufficient grace to His children during these difficult hours.

Alan

Our meeting with the fine folks at Pilgrim Progress Baptist Church in North Little Rock, AR began last night. The Lord met with us in a powerful way. I praise Him for what He did in the service. It seems that several people got some real help from the Word of God. I praise Him for that.

Pilgrim Progress is a black congregation, located in the inner city. It is a large congregation, at around 600 members. It is a lively congregation. they love to praise the Lord and truly love good, solid, expositional preaching. It is here that this congregation truly shines. I have preached in churches all across America. I have preached in churches both small and large. I have been in quiet churches and in shouting churches. I have preached in churches that loved preaching, and I have preached in other churches that just wanted you to stop so they could go home. But, I have never been in a church like Pilgrim Progress. There is a constant emphasis on the Word of God.

A typical service is opened by the deacons. They lead the congregation in singing and they share a passage of Scripture with the congregation. After and opening song, one of the young ministers in the church will take about 10 minutes to do a quick exposition of a passage from the Bible. The choir will sing, and another minister will come to the pulpit. He will take about 15 minutes to give a biblical exposition. There will be more singing, some words of exhortation from the Pastor, Dr. Gerald Parker. By the way, his comments are always laced with biblical references. Then, it is time for the preaching. All of this tends to produce a longer service; somewhere in the 2 hour plus range. The point is, however, that the Word of God, as it reveals Jesus Christ, is the centerpiece of every service I have attended in this great church. They love preaching! They will help you and they want you to preach. It is an honor to be asked to come here. It is an honor to have the privilege to preach in their pulpit. It is an honor to preach Jesus in an atmosphere where He is worshiped and where He is wanted.

Please continue to pray for the meeting. God blessed the first night, and I am sure that He will continue to do so as the week develops.

Alan