Lesson #1: Being "all set" is not what it seems.
Have you ever used the phrase "I'm all set"? I am sure you have as I also have. Over the last few weeks I have heard that phrase dozens of times. Augusta is a very heavily Catholic area and that means most doors you knock on are "Catholic" doors. What is the #1 response that you get when you try to share the Gospel? "I'm all set." I do not know if that term is just a Maine or northeast term, but it sure seems to roll off the tongue so easy up this way. I will say that 99% of the people that tell me "I'm all set" are NOT all set. They are all "set" in their religion that is leading them to the slaughter, all the way to Hell. They are all "set" in their church attendance. They are "all set" in their church attendance. They are "all set" in their good works. Unfortunately, they are "all set" to go to Hell for eternity. (John 3:18). If you are saved you can say that you are "all set" with "religion" and am on your way to Heaven! Praise God for that "all set". Not all "all set"'s are the same.
Lesson #2: It's often the most unlikely looking people that want to hear the gospel the most.
I have learned that if you are looking for someone to witness to, don't just look for the person that looks "respectable enough" to want to hear. Often times the person that you least expect will stop and listen as you present the Gospel. The power of the Gospel is for all families. Not just the ones that are free from piercings and tattoos. You may say "How do I tell who I need to witness to?" Well, how about this....... witness to everybody and let God bring the increase.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
What a week! What a Saviour!
Wow, again I have to say that God is sooooooooo good! We had a great day on this past Lord's day! Pastor Wiley taught the first "new believers" Sunday School class in quite a long time! Paula and I are in the class to learn in order that I teach the class during the next round. What a great class it is and I am excited to get to know these students!
Tuesday night was opening night for Heritage Baptist Bible College. Dr. Caudill taught the first Bible Doctrines 1 class to a group of 20 students. How exciting it is to dig deep into the doctrines of God's Word. In fact, the first half of the semester we will be concentrating on Bibliogy (the study of God's Word). If that is not the most exciting subject I have ever taken, I don't know what is!
Wednesday night was an amazing service! Pastor Wiley preached a tremendous message on "God's pattern for church planting." The sermon is available right on my blog here. Listen, it is awesome Bible preaching (something that is getting harder and harder to find these days.) Best of all, we had a man for whom the whole church has been praying for, come forward and get saved! It was not a salvation message, even. Wow, Praise God!
Thursday night Dr. Caudill taught the first Old Testament Survey class. Another awesome class. I am so fired up! I am looking forward to 9 am visitation tomorrow followed by some special time celebratig a birthday. Oh, it's wonderful to be a Christain.
By the way, here's a verse to memorize. What a blessed verse. Deuteronomy 32:4 "He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he."
Tuesday night was opening night for Heritage Baptist Bible College. Dr. Caudill taught the first Bible Doctrines 1 class to a group of 20 students. How exciting it is to dig deep into the doctrines of God's Word. In fact, the first half of the semester we will be concentrating on Bibliogy (the study of God's Word). If that is not the most exciting subject I have ever taken, I don't know what is!
Wednesday night was an amazing service! Pastor Wiley preached a tremendous message on "God's pattern for church planting." The sermon is available right on my blog here. Listen, it is awesome Bible preaching (something that is getting harder and harder to find these days.) Best of all, we had a man for whom the whole church has been praying for, come forward and get saved! It was not a salvation message, even. Wow, Praise God!
Thursday night Dr. Caudill taught the first Old Testament Survey class. Another awesome class. I am so fired up! I am looking forward to 9 am visitation tomorrow followed by some special time celebratig a birthday. Oh, it's wonderful to be a Christain.
By the way, here's a verse to memorize. What a blessed verse. Deuteronomy 32:4 "He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he."
Saturday, July 31, 2010
A Godly Heritage
God is good all the time! I praise Him that I feel much better this afternoon after a few days of being under the weather. We had the opportunity to go to a family reunion this afternoon. It was very good to see long lost cousins and family members that I have not seen for a very long time.
Over the past year I have become very interested in my geneology. I had the pleasure of learning that my great-great grandfather, Rev. George Jenkins, was a Baptist preacher in Maine. In fact, I learned that he was the pastor of the Newcastle-Alna Baptist Church from 1893-1897. What is the big deal with that you say? Well, that is the church that I attended during my childhood. My grandparents were members of that church and it was the church where I was first baptized. I can remember sitting in those old wooden pews and hearing the preaching of Pastor Pearson as he opened up that old King James Bible. What an exciting find.
Also, going generations back, the Rev. Nathaniel Jenkins came over from Wales in the late 1600's. He was a Baptist preacher in New Jersey and preached in the same church that Obadiah Holmes and Valentine Wightman planted. Here is a commentary about one incident involving Rev. Jenkins: "The Rev. Jenkins was a man of talents and education and while at Cape May was a member of the Council of Parliment as the State Legislature was then called. In 1721 a bill was introduced to "punish such as denied the doctrine of the Trinity, the divinity of Christ, and the inspiration of the Scriptures." Mr. Jenkins stood boldly forth as the champion of "soul liberty," declaring that, although he believed these doctrines as the warmest advocates of this ill-advised bill, he would never consent to oppose those who rejected them with law or any weapon other than arguement. As a result the bill was quashed, to the great disappointment of those who would have had the scenes of persecution which raged in New England repeated in New Jersey." (from "A Brief Early History to Celebrate the 250th Anniversary of Its Formation as a Precinct of Cumberland County January 19, 1748)
How exciting. Oh, how the Lord has blessed me with a Godly heritage! How great it is to be called into the ministry! Amen!
Over the past year I have become very interested in my geneology. I had the pleasure of learning that my great-great grandfather, Rev. George Jenkins, was a Baptist preacher in Maine. In fact, I learned that he was the pastor of the Newcastle-Alna Baptist Church from 1893-1897. What is the big deal with that you say? Well, that is the church that I attended during my childhood. My grandparents were members of that church and it was the church where I was first baptized. I can remember sitting in those old wooden pews and hearing the preaching of Pastor Pearson as he opened up that old King James Bible. What an exciting find.
Also, going generations back, the Rev. Nathaniel Jenkins came over from Wales in the late 1600's. He was a Baptist preacher in New Jersey and preached in the same church that Obadiah Holmes and Valentine Wightman planted. Here is a commentary about one incident involving Rev. Jenkins: "The Rev. Jenkins was a man of talents and education and while at Cape May was a member of the Council of Parliment as the State Legislature was then called. In 1721 a bill was introduced to "punish such as denied the doctrine of the Trinity, the divinity of Christ, and the inspiration of the Scriptures." Mr. Jenkins stood boldly forth as the champion of "soul liberty," declaring that, although he believed these doctrines as the warmest advocates of this ill-advised bill, he would never consent to oppose those who rejected them with law or any weapon other than arguement. As a result the bill was quashed, to the great disappointment of those who would have had the scenes of persecution which raged in New England repeated in New Jersey." (from "A Brief Early History to Celebrate the 250th Anniversary of Its Formation as a Precinct of Cumberland County January 19, 1748)
How exciting. Oh, how the Lord has blessed me with a Godly heritage! How great it is to be called into the ministry! Amen!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Glory to God!
What a great week it has been at Church Hill Baptist Church! The LORD has blessed us all week. Our Vacation Bible School (themed "Seaquest") ran very smoothly, a testament to the hard work of many church members. We had a total of five young souls saved this week! Glory to God! Thank you, Jesus!
Wednesday night Pastor Wiley felt led to change his message about five minutes before he began preaching. The result: three ladies trusted Christ as their saviour! God is moving and we give Him ALL the glory! Shouting! Praise God, for He is good and I have been blessed!
Wheeww! Makes me wanna preach some!
Wednesday night Pastor Wiley felt led to change his message about five minutes before he began preaching. The result: three ladies trusted Christ as their saviour! God is moving and we give Him ALL the glory! Shouting! Praise God, for He is good and I have been blessed!
Wheeww! Makes me wanna preach some!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010
We've been "pounded"!
What a surprise! Our blessed Church Hill Baptist Church family "pounded" us today! In the north that would mean we got the tar beat out of us. "Pounding" is a southern term for filling the house with groceries. As the pictures above show, we now are well stocked to say the least. There was even a $100 gift card for the purchase of meat of our choice. To my Church Hill Baptist family: THANK YOU! WE LOVE YOU! To the God that called me into the ministry: I PRAISE YOUR HOLY NAME! THANK YOU! To any of you that God is speaking to about going into the ministry: let this be a lesson to you. God always, always, always, always, always, always, always (7 times, of course) takes care of his man.
Mat 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Mat 6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Amen! God is good, so good! We have been blessed!