For my Daddy

Thank you Daddy for fixing my bike chain for the 100th time, even though you were busy making extra money for our family, for stopping in the midst of plowing your garden, to give me a good-bye kiss as I left for church camp for the week and for taking me to church so that I could learn about God and be saved. Thank you Daddy for burying my cats, dogs, and for the little service you always gave them as I cried my eyes out. For showing Michael and I that we can raise our own meat and kill it, and no matter how much we cried about losing Osco the pig, we ate good that winter. Thank you Daddy for stopping the truck at the end of the driveway so Michael and I could hop on and catch a ride 2 car lengths to the house. Thank you Daddy for not yelling at me for screaming every time we have a big thunder. It takes a caring man to assure a child in the midst of a dangerous storm. Thank you Daddy for working long hours and coming home and working in the garden until dark so that we would have food for the winter. Thank you Daddy for teaching me how to fish and having patience with me as I learned to bait my own hook. Thank you Daddy for always getting the granddaddy's from over the door way. Thank you Daddy for teaching me how to change the oil in my car, how to use my pantyhose as a fan belt if necessary, so that mechanic’s would not take advantage of me in later years. For showing me that air goes in the tires and water in the radiator, and not the other way around. Thank you Daddy for being there when I graduated, when I married, when Brent, Brad and Jessica were born. For stepping in when their own father wouldn’t and teaching them all of the same things you taught me. I can never repay you for all that you have done. But I know that God can and will and I am satisfied that you know you always did your best and we know that too.

Serving Others

This past week I read a interesting story about a minister who served a church for many years, then one day the church asked him to leave. He confided to another preacher friend and said, “What they did to me was dirty. After all I did for them, and they treat me this way.” The preacher friend listening to him thought to himself, “It’s a shame he didn’t do it for God.” If you’re using God for the attention it brings to you, stop that today. You are supposed to serve God; the only attention it should bring to you is from a lost soul watching you who wants to know how to live the life you have. If you’re doing right, people may mistreat you, but what difference does it make if you are serving the Lord? God will prove Himself faithful and will reward you for your obedience. When our own faults are clearly before our eyes, we have no room left for criticizing others. We all get to heaven the same way, saved by Grace through Jesus Christ. When we, in genuine and personal humility, see others as we should, we will quit looking for ways to please ourselves and begin to look for ways to help others. Rather than using others to better ourselves, we will use ourselves to better others. What thoughts or plans have you made for this day? Are you planning the hours in such a way as to better your own situation or as to better the situation of others around you? Is your great concern the fulfillment of personal ambitions or is your ambition to lose yourself in the service and benefiting of God’s people around you? How we plan our day, how we use our time, how we spend our money — these are all measures of true humility. May your self-esteem be transformed today into service for others. May you find the great joy and satisfaction that only comes from giving up your own pleasure for the sake of others’.

All about Homecoming 2012

Homecoming services were held at Philadelphia Missionary Baptist Church last Sunday May 6, 2012 and what a blessing we received! The church was full of current and former members and it was so good to see each one in service for our Lord! Bro. Robert Newton brought a wonderful message of hope for us and it was good to see Mrs. Joyce and some of Bro. Robert’s fellow church members in attendance as well. We enjoyed hearing that Mary Beth Glover Wilson has now been to 62 homecoming services at our church, and learned Mr. JL Wilson has been forced to come to 21 of those! Good for you Mary Beth! Many families were well represented by the number in attendance. Our church history is rich with good Christian men and women and sometimes we don’t take the time to appreciate what we have right before us. It is “easy” in today’s society to join the crowd instead of setting the example. Lunch was outstanding as usual, there was so much good food it was hard to pass anything up! I hope you all worked hard as I did to lose those extra pounds this past week! Mrs. Zelma, your rolls were perfect even though you felt they weren’t! Mrs. Lucille, and that prize winning coconut cake, you just can’t say enough about that! I don’t want to slight anyone, but if I keep going, we are all going to hungry and Bro. Jerry won’t have anyone left to preach too because we will be home eating! Our afternoon singing was amazing! It was loud and so good that Bro Jerry could not sleep at all for all the good blessings that kept flowing! There is nothing more refreshing than an afternoon of good old gospel singing! Bro. Red and his granddaughter Jenny sang Let the Lower Lights be Burning, it was just beautiful! I am so thankful to you Bro. Red for teaching us to shine our light! We had a male quartet that was mostly Hollinger’s but had a Winston in there, and those guys were good!! Bro Billy Van, Miss Emma Lee, Bro Leonard, I just can’t say enough about how good the singing was! Piano players, Evelyn, Donna, & Mrs. Frieda excellent musical talent that we appreciate so much! Lynn Kendalls husband sat behind me and beside Sis. Martha. He was classically trained in music and what showmanship and spirit he gave to each song, again, truly a blessing to have had him sing with us! We have it all, our blessings flow from God, there is nothing we need. My prayer is that we continue to set the example and reward each other with Christian love and praise because the journey is hard. These hardships are just a minor fraction of what Jesus endured. So I want to thank each of you for staying on your path with God. You might not realize the impact you are making, but I am sure there is someone watching you who does.

For Me, He Died

Several years back, when my children were in their early teenage years, they had the opportunity to be part of an outdoor living drama about the life of Christ. My youngest son Brad was chosen to play Jesus in his younger years especially a scene of him preaching at the temple. My oldest son Brent was chosen to be one of the guards and my daughter Jessica one of the many who followed Jesus. It was a wonderful presentation and made to be as realistic as possible, but it was hard on my son being one of the guards.

On opening night my Brother and his family came to see the play. My nephew Colton, who was four at the time, quietly watched as each scene unfolded never saying a word. When it was time for the guards to beat Jesus, they loudly went through the motions and actions of the beating and then there was a moment of quiet, for all to absorb what had just taken place. It was then, in that stillness Colton said “Daddy why is Brent being mean to Jesus?” Everyone around us had tears streaming down their face. Even a four year old knew this was wrong.

Today, many would have you believe this is a fable, a story from years ago. I did not witness these horrible people and what they did. I wasn’t born; it was many years ago, even older than my grandparents. I didn’t hear the angry crowds curse and spit on him, but I know it is the truth of what happened and I believe He died for me. As a compassionate person, and a Mother I cannot bear this part of the story without my heart breaking even as I write this. How could they not see He was not guilty? This happened because of things we do, choices we make instead of following God’s word. It was God’s plan. He loves us enough to have His son die for our sake.

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, today is the day you need to make the decision to change your life.

Richard Bates ~ Celebrate me home!

This past week we at Philadelphia Missionary Baptist Church said goodbye to a beloved member of our church family, Richard Bates. One of the things that I loved most about Richard is that firm handshake he would always give. He was happy to see us come toward him, and he would put just that little bit of extra squeeze in his handshake and pull me all over the place! He volunteered to be a usher, even though he was handicapped, and I promise you if you knew him at all, if there was a will, he would find the way to take on a task. This little act of service was so simple yet so much like the person he was, a giving, kind and loving man. He had a faithful trust in the Lord and he served Him with joy. He worried about his children and their walks with God and prayed for them. He prayed for you and me, this was the type of man he was.

When Richard lost his arm years back, I thought surely his world would be over. He wouldn’t be able to function as he always had. He showed us what a true and trustworthy man he was though. He remained the strength Aunt Sandra needed, he continued to repair things at home and found ways to do so independently. He believed God had a purpose for his life, and he set the example for us all to see. He made jokes about his arm to put us all at ease, especially the kids. He knew it was difficult for them to understand and wanted them to see he was still, Daddy, Papaw and Uncle Richard. All of us stepped up to help him, and he stepped faster to help us. If anyone ever had an excuse to sit down and give up Richard had one with the loss of his arm. But he taught us to be strong in the Lord.

I know he is walking the streets of gold, and I celebrate his love of the Lord and that his trip is complete. I thank him for setting an example before us all, and showing even in times of trial, God will see you through.

Our Father who is in heaven is waiting for us at the end of our days to say “Well done good and faithful servant . . . enter into the joy of your master.” (Matt. 25:21)

Those are the words we would indeed love to hear from our God and Father on the day we stand before him after we have lived but a short time this side of heaven and eternity. May your heart find fulfillment in serving him. May God’s grace fall upon you. May you know the joy of the Lord in your life and in all your days. May you bring joy to the Lord with your service and love in the short time you have to do so.

The Path

When I walked the isle to be saved at this church it was like a burden was lifted from me. I was just a few months shy of being twelve years old. My cousins Martha Jo, Kathy and I had discussed in length that we were saved and would be walking the isle the next Sunday. I told Momma and Daddy, and they had Bro Noel Harris discuss salvation with me and he agreed I was ready. The invitation started, and right away Martha walked the isle, and I remember being nervous. Then Kathy went. It was me next in line and I moved to the end of the pew. I felt pressure, like something holding me back. After Bro Harris indicated for Kathy to stand by Martha Jo, he raised his arm and said “Are there others?” I stepped into the isle with feet of lead.

I remember thinking, why was that step so hard because the next step I took it was as if Angel wings lifted me and I floated on air right up to Bro. Harris. I made the decision to walk away from a life of sin and each step I took became easier as I walked with God. He lifted me, and the Angels carried me. The decision I made was based on the love my family had for me to see that I was taught about Jesus and could make the decision to accept His free pardon from sin. He loved me enough to inspire me to walk with Him.
I know many of you might not have been young when you were saved and walked the isle. In fact, some older people now think they are too old to walk the isle; “it’s something you do when you are a child”. I promise you, as you look into your heart, you are never too old to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. I also know, for those of you who were saved in later years of your life, you have a lesson to teach, a story to tell that could inspire someone to know it is never too late in life to repent of your sins and be saved.
Everyone did not have the happy family who goes to church together life and had to rise from family adversity to make the decision to follow Christ. Sis. Zula tells me she had to hide her salvation from her Mother, Sis. Laura says she never went to church until she moved to Arkansas and vaguely remembers her Grandmother attending church. Both of these women found it in their hearts to be saved and turn their family destiny in to one of teaching about the Lord.
It is never too late to turn your path in life around and be saved and to change your families walk in life. Jesus welcomes you with open arms. What are you waiting for?

Don't be Fooled!

Colossians 2:8-10 text based on

When I was growing up, a group of young people would stand and look up at the sky, one might point and the others nod in agreement, drawing an innocent person into their crowd to look and see what was worthy of their attention. They might spend seconds to minutes convincing you something was there, when in fact, it was a practical joke and nothing was there at all. They would bust out in laughter as you were labeled foolish by this group and felt foolish because you fell for their joke.

This is a good way to describe some of the religions here on earth today born from people not of God. Oh, they give you a good talk about faith, and they point you in a direction that leads absolutely no where. Foolish people continue to follow and worship this nothing of a religion and the leader who prides himself as being godly.

If we aren’t careful, we as Christians can be fooled into looking for something that isn’t there when we try to add various beliefs to our Christianity that God never intended to be part of our faith. We have all warned our children at some time or another to be careful, don’t believe everything you hear. Some of us continue to warn our kids today even though they are adults. Paul gives us a warning in Colossians 2 verse 8 and it begins with BEWARE. He was warning the Colossians because false teachings were in the area and he wanted them to take heed as they were in danger of being drawn away from the true faith.

We as Christians should understand the wisdom God gives us and recognize these false religions for what they are and warn others to not participate with their antics. Much like you would warn the next person who came along and began looking up to see what the group of youngsters were looking and pointing at. You don’t want someone else to be fooled, so warn them! Don’t be fooled by false teachers, false philosophy and false religion! Our God is good and His word is true!