Thursday, February 5, 2009

My Journey

"And there they preached the gospel." Acts 14:7 In this passage we read of the first missionary journey. In Acts 13:2 Paul and Barnabas answered the call of the Holy Ghost and went forth preaching in every town. They were following the example set forth by Jesus Christ himself in Mark 1:38 "And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth." Paul and Barnabas went forth preaching "Jesus saves" unto every town. They led many souls to the Lord, also making many enemies in the process. In the town of Iconium they preached in the synagogue and many of the Jews and Greeks believed. (Acts 14:1) There were many, however, who wanted this "Jesus problem" to go away. The unbelievers formed an angry mob and prepared to find Paul and Barnabas to stone them. Paul and Barnabas were "made ware" of the mob (Acts 14:6) and fled. What they did next really stirred me. They did not "lay low", they did not hide out and just try to "blend in". They preached the gospel despite the obvious danger they faced. This kind of boldness is sadly lacking today. There are areas of the country where people still revere the things of the Lord. Sadly, the northeast is not one of those areas.

For years I put more trust in my "own" abilities (given to me by the Lord, something I have finally given the Lord credit for) in business to lead me where I should go. I am blessed to have a very good job that pays me well and treats me great. Well, the Lord has other plans for me. On October 18, 2008 I finally surrendered to the call of the Lord to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. I realize that I have a lot to learn before I can go off and plant an independent fundamental Baptist Church, but I have been placed in a great church where I have grown exponentially in my faith and Bible knowledge. Pastor James Wiley has taken me under his wing to mentor me and through Church Hill Baptist Institute I am learning at an even faster pace. I wish to preach with the boldness of the early church in the book of Acts. America and especially Maine need this kind of bold preaching. What we don't need is more churches that offer a "back rub" or a "feel good about where you are" message. What we do need is the boldness to proclaim the gospel to all corners, converting unbelievers and teaching believers to live a holy, separated life devoted to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
This blog will chronicle my journey from businessman to preacher, from living for myself to living for the glory of God, from faith in me to faith in the Lord for all things.
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33

The Loss of a Great Man

We recently had the "homegoing" service for Mr. Robert Gowell (a.k.a. Mr. Bob). Bob was the kind of man that always greeted you with a smile. He was the type of unselfish man that would recognize a need and act on it. Despite the fact that he was not a monetarily rich man he would seek ways to bless others. I was told that on Thursday, just two days before his passing, he showed up unannounced at someone's house with a snowblower. He had fixed the snowblower up, made sure it ran perfect and gave it to the family as a gift. That was Bob being Bob. The Lord has used Bob in so many ways. As you walk around Church Hill Baptist Church you will see Bob's fingerprints on almost every square inch of the building. Many families at church also report that Bob's fingerprints are in their houses. Bob was a great example of using your talents for the Lord. We will miss Mr. Bob, but don't feel bad for him. He has gone home!

Browns to Montana