I wonder how many people have to ask forgiveness for lying after they shake the preacher's hand after a sermon. "Great job Preacher" "Oh, brother that was awesome" "Good Word, Pastor" "Oh, my toes hurt this morning preacher"... well you get the idea.
One guy said one Sunday "Preacher, you sure used a lots of words today!"
I laugh sometimes (on the inside) when people's expressions and eyes and body language scream out something different from what they are saying.
Truth is not every sermon is going to move every person so a preacher can only pray hard, study long and think creatively... the real work comes from the Holy Spirit.
So, with all that said, it is really refreshing when people call or e-mail or show up a day or two or more after the sermon and say things like... "I couldn't shake what you said from my mind" or
"God really spoke to me Sunday and I want you to know that I have already ..." or, "Okay, preacher, here's what I have done since Sunday, can you give me some additional scripture or insight so that I can..."
When I get those kind of calls or comments the week following a sermon, I smile deep inside and thank God for allowing me to be a preacher. That has happened several times already this week and has blessed me greatly (no, it doesn't happen every week).
My sermon this past Sunday spoke to Doing your job, doing it now and doing it right. If God has laid an asignment on you (and he has) do it... do it now ... and do it right.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Ladies and Gentlemen, The President of the United States of America!
Today is a historic day of which no one can deny. Barak Obama will be sworn in office in just a few minutes from my typing this blog. What an amazing reality for our nation when you need look just a few decades back to a time when this day seemed highly unlikely.
We celebrated, yesterday, Martin Luther King's birthday and were once again reminded of his great dream for the equality of man in our country. No more appropriate time then today for this inauguration to take place.
President-elect, in just a few minutes to be called President Obama, was not my choice for president and was in fact probably my last choice of all the serious candidates offered a year ago.
I have even been called a racist because I didn't support him or vote for him. That's like calling me a vegetarian if I don't like steak. His race had absolutely nothing to do with my choice or non-choice of him as our president. In fact if race was an issue for any white person, they would need only to consider that he was birthed by a white woman and raised by her and his white grandparents. However, that was not and is not an issue for me.
My problem is his liberalism, having been labeled as THE most liberal senator in the U.S. Senate and the fact that he had and has so very little experience. He had barely begun serving as a senator when he was beginning an all out campaign for the presidency. He is pro abortion even to the extent of partial birth abortion which I cannot understand for the life of me is not a murderous act punishable by the same consequences as killing someone 30 seconds after they are born as opposed to before they were born. I could list many other reasons that I could not support him with my vote and will not (unless there are some drastic changes in 4 years in his platform) in four years from now.
HOWEVER, he is my president now and will be for at least four years and I will stand by him as an American and I will fervently pray for him regularly. I Peter 2:13-17 is God's command to me as a Christian to pray for and honor my leader and that I will do to the best of my ability.
For the first time since Truman, I think, the sitting president will not have the benefit of regular counsel from Billy Graham as his health and age have closed that chapter. I truly hope that President Obama will solicit the counsel of Rick Warren or someone of his strong convictions.
Obama received, overwhelmingly, the voice of our nation on election day and deserves this position based on the will of the people. It is a wonderful story of the American dream. Congratulations Mr. President! My prayers are with you and your family.
May God continue to Bless America!
We celebrated, yesterday, Martin Luther King's birthday and were once again reminded of his great dream for the equality of man in our country. No more appropriate time then today for this inauguration to take place.
President-elect, in just a few minutes to be called President Obama, was not my choice for president and was in fact probably my last choice of all the serious candidates offered a year ago.
I have even been called a racist because I didn't support him or vote for him. That's like calling me a vegetarian if I don't like steak. His race had absolutely nothing to do with my choice or non-choice of him as our president. In fact if race was an issue for any white person, they would need only to consider that he was birthed by a white woman and raised by her and his white grandparents. However, that was not and is not an issue for me.
My problem is his liberalism, having been labeled as THE most liberal senator in the U.S. Senate and the fact that he had and has so very little experience. He had barely begun serving as a senator when he was beginning an all out campaign for the presidency. He is pro abortion even to the extent of partial birth abortion which I cannot understand for the life of me is not a murderous act punishable by the same consequences as killing someone 30 seconds after they are born as opposed to before they were born. I could list many other reasons that I could not support him with my vote and will not (unless there are some drastic changes in 4 years in his platform) in four years from now.
HOWEVER, he is my president now and will be for at least four years and I will stand by him as an American and I will fervently pray for him regularly. I Peter 2:13-17 is God's command to me as a Christian to pray for and honor my leader and that I will do to the best of my ability.
For the first time since Truman, I think, the sitting president will not have the benefit of regular counsel from Billy Graham as his health and age have closed that chapter. I truly hope that President Obama will solicit the counsel of Rick Warren or someone of his strong convictions.
Obama received, overwhelmingly, the voice of our nation on election day and deserves this position based on the will of the people. It is a wonderful story of the American dream. Congratulations Mr. President! My prayers are with you and your family.
May God continue to Bless America!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
No winners in the courtroom
I spent the most part of my day yesterday sitting in a courtroom in Virginia Beach. It was the sentencing hearing for the young man who killed one of our church members last May when driving while intoxicated.
This was a very diificult experience. It would have been easier if he had been an arrogant jerk who wanted to blame his upbringing or being bullied in grade school or abused by a co-worker or something. But that was not the case.
This young man was obviously a decent guy who was liked by every body who knows him. He had a great support system but not one witness excused what he did and in fact each of them seemed quite surprised that this could happen with him. It was testified that he was a faithful and gifted employee and trusted friend, a good son, a servant who even the day before the accident attended his friend's wedding and then stayed to help his friend's mother clean up after the reception.
Truly, any anger that one might have had with the guy, began to melt away...well at least it did for me. My heart was crushed with his brokeness and remorse and his unsoothed devastation for the family of the deceased.
Even the judge was moved with emotion as he handed down the sentence...not a slap on the wrist but a response to the law and it's intended purpose in that he gave him five years and a month.
Handcuffs clicked on the young man's wrist behind his back as he was led out of the room. No one wins...no one!
I boldly announced downstairs to the family of the deceased that they had no choice but to forgive this young man as he pleaded for that and believed that they did in fact forgive him. Some in the family had and some had not.
As I was driving back to Moyock the terrible thought flooded my mind..."Would I be able to forgive someone if this happened to my family?" I guess I can't really say that for sure...but after sitting in that courtroom yesterday, I believe by God's grace I could do that. I do hope and pray I will never have to know the answer to that question.
A couple or three beers ...no problem... maybe not for some... but at least for one, it was exceeded speed, missed stop light, collision with an innocent person, death, heartache and five years...No, a lifetime in prison...or at least the equivalent.
Alcohol, is it ever a good idea? Ask Mr. Covington or Mr. or Mrs. Gardner.
I write this because I care!
This was a very diificult experience. It would have been easier if he had been an arrogant jerk who wanted to blame his upbringing or being bullied in grade school or abused by a co-worker or something. But that was not the case.
This young man was obviously a decent guy who was liked by every body who knows him. He had a great support system but not one witness excused what he did and in fact each of them seemed quite surprised that this could happen with him. It was testified that he was a faithful and gifted employee and trusted friend, a good son, a servant who even the day before the accident attended his friend's wedding and then stayed to help his friend's mother clean up after the reception.
Truly, any anger that one might have had with the guy, began to melt away...well at least it did for me. My heart was crushed with his brokeness and remorse and his unsoothed devastation for the family of the deceased.
Even the judge was moved with emotion as he handed down the sentence...not a slap on the wrist but a response to the law and it's intended purpose in that he gave him five years and a month.
Handcuffs clicked on the young man's wrist behind his back as he was led out of the room. No one wins...no one!
I boldly announced downstairs to the family of the deceased that they had no choice but to forgive this young man as he pleaded for that and believed that they did in fact forgive him. Some in the family had and some had not.
As I was driving back to Moyock the terrible thought flooded my mind..."Would I be able to forgive someone if this happened to my family?" I guess I can't really say that for sure...but after sitting in that courtroom yesterday, I believe by God's grace I could do that. I do hope and pray I will never have to know the answer to that question.
A couple or three beers ...no problem... maybe not for some... but at least for one, it was exceeded speed, missed stop light, collision with an innocent person, death, heartache and five years...No, a lifetime in prison...or at least the equivalent.
Alcohol, is it ever a good idea? Ask Mr. Covington or Mr. or Mrs. Gardner.
I write this because I care!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Thank You Mr. Boyce
I remember the time that Robert's daddy had to come to our house and get us out of a locked bathroom. Two young kids probably up to some kind of mischief got locked in the bathroom. My mother couldn't get the door opened from her side and we couldn't do it from our side so she had to call Mr. Boyce.
He came over and in just a few minutes, got the door unlocked, however, I think by then Robert had climbed out the window several times to investigate options that would prevent us from spending the rest of our lives in a bathroom.
Robert's parents were always the cool parents. They were active in church and always involved in parties and programs and so forth. I always loved spending time at his house because his parents were so nice and involved. I had a great home life so it wasn't that I felt unloved or anything, it's just that my parents were older than all my friend's parents. In fact my father was the age of most of my friend's grandfathers. So, there's a lot we didn't do as I wrote in my last blog.
So all my life Robert's parents were always there ... until now. His dad went to be with the Lord last Friday, Decemeber 26th. He will forever be in my memories and I am thankful that he was a part of my life growing up and his influence was a positive one.
He came over and in just a few minutes, got the door unlocked, however, I think by then Robert had climbed out the window several times to investigate options that would prevent us from spending the rest of our lives in a bathroom.
Robert's parents were always the cool parents. They were active in church and always involved in parties and programs and so forth. I always loved spending time at his house because his parents were so nice and involved. I had a great home life so it wasn't that I felt unloved or anything, it's just that my parents were older than all my friend's parents. In fact my father was the age of most of my friend's grandfathers. So, there's a lot we didn't do as I wrote in my last blog.
So all my life Robert's parents were always there ... until now. His dad went to be with the Lord last Friday, Decemeber 26th. He will forever be in my memories and I am thankful that he was a part of my life growing up and his influence was a positive one.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Mark's birthday
Okay, I am really sorry that I haven't written in over a month.
Just in case somebody is kind enough to come back and check, I'll attempt to write a new blog.
Today is December 22nd and is my father's birthday. If he was living he would be 102 years old. He was 49 years old when I was born. So when I was 12 he was 61 which meant we didn't play ball together or go hunting or fishing. We didn't go to ball games or camping trips and I never walked on the beach with my daddy.
So, you may be saying, oh that's sad...well not really, we still had a great relationship. In fact i thought of my father as my best friend. Other's thought he was my granddaddy (which always made him mad) but he was my daddy.
I use to go to work with him...carry shingles on the roof for him and run little errands.
Daddy was an incredible pool player and had in fact played many times with several time world champion Wimpy Lassiter. Wimpy was from our town and in fact lived down the street from us. I asked daddy one time if he ever beat Wimpy and he humbly said he had. But he also said that if you play somebody enough times you are going to beat them occassionally. That may be true, but I never seemed to remember ever beating daddy.
Well, just a tribute to my daddy tonight.
I'll try to write more tomorrow.
I love you daddy and sure wish you could see my girls...you'd be proud.
Just in case somebody is kind enough to come back and check, I'll attempt to write a new blog.
Today is December 22nd and is my father's birthday. If he was living he would be 102 years old. He was 49 years old when I was born. So when I was 12 he was 61 which meant we didn't play ball together or go hunting or fishing. We didn't go to ball games or camping trips and I never walked on the beach with my daddy.
So, you may be saying, oh that's sad...well not really, we still had a great relationship. In fact i thought of my father as my best friend. Other's thought he was my granddaddy (which always made him mad) but he was my daddy.
I use to go to work with him...carry shingles on the roof for him and run little errands.
Daddy was an incredible pool player and had in fact played many times with several time world champion Wimpy Lassiter. Wimpy was from our town and in fact lived down the street from us. I asked daddy one time if he ever beat Wimpy and he humbly said he had. But he also said that if you play somebody enough times you are going to beat them occassionally. That may be true, but I never seemed to remember ever beating daddy.
Well, just a tribute to my daddy tonight.
I'll try to write more tomorrow.
I love you daddy and sure wish you could see my girls...you'd be proud.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Election Night, 2008
It appears now at about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday night that the country has spoken. History has been made it would seem as Barack Obama is about to win this election. So, what now? It is clear
that we are to do what we should already be doing as believers and that is to pray for our leadership. That is what I'll be doing. Understand that I am not pleased with this decision our country has made and am more than a little concerned about our future as a nation.
But, I know that no man can be elected unless God allows it and if God has allowed this, he has a reason.
The landscape of America has most certainly changed tonight and we have interesting days ahead.
So, let's pray and continue to serve the Lord to the best of our ability and may God be glorified.
that we are to do what we should already be doing as believers and that is to pray for our leadership. That is what I'll be doing. Understand that I am not pleased with this decision our country has made and am more than a little concerned about our future as a nation.
But, I know that no man can be elected unless God allows it and if God has allowed this, he has a reason.
The landscape of America has most certainly changed tonight and we have interesting days ahead.
So, let's pray and continue to serve the Lord to the best of our ability and may God be glorified.
Monday, October 27, 2008
My Civic Responsibility
Well...it's out of my hands now... I have voted!!
Not much waiting this morning at about 9:00 but there was a good crowd there.
The media sure is doing their best to make me think my candidate doesn't have a chance but I can only hope that the American people will arise to the occassion.
Go vote!
Not much waiting this morning at about 9:00 but there was a good crowd there.
The media sure is doing their best to make me think my candidate doesn't have a chance but I can only hope that the American people will arise to the occassion.
Go vote!
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