The Shepherd’s Voice
The Shepherd’s Voice is one of our pastor’s communications extension to the Church, our friends and the world. He uses it as a way to reach out to our faith community while providing spiritual insight and perspectives to the sermon messages and events and issues of our day. We are welcomed and encouraged to comment on any of the messages by clicking the “Fine or Main Point” link you want to comment on, going to the bottom of the page and filling in and Submitting the Reply at the end of the message. Most of the blogs have audio playback so we can listen to as well as read them. We hope you are blessed and inspired by our Shepherd’s Voice.
01
Jul '19
Fine Points Monday July 1, 2019
01
Jul '19
Greetings FB members and friends
CBS this Morning in their ongoing coverage and promotion of homosexuality featured a segment on a young black student who gave the valedictorian speech for his graduating class and used the occasion to inform his audience he is bisexual. According to CTM, the video has had over 900,000 views. Many in the audience stood and cheered and his tweeter following went from 12 to 2000. This growing excitement and embracement of homosexuality is resulting from society’s rejection of Divine rulership.
Homosexuality, like adultery, fornication, idolatry and all rejection of Divine law is a choice people are making which is finding greater acceptance in the mainstream culture. People may not always control their sexual feelings toward another person or gender. In other words, they may not have sought these feelings, or for that matter, even desire or want these feelings. But regardless of what kind of desires and feelings they may be, we all have control of how to respond to those feelings and desires. When and with whom a person chooses to have (or not have) sexual relationships with is a choice free people make for themselves.
Sexual sins occur when we allow our feelings and desires to control our behavior instead of Divine law. Divine law only permits sexual intimacy between a male and female within the context of marriage. Any and all other sexual expression between individuals is Divinely unlawful. Homosexuality, like all sexual sin, is part of the greater lawlessness on the part of society at large. So to announce or come out as LGBTQ is for a person to say that they have sexual desires or feelings for people of the same sex and they intend not to deny those feelings but instead attempt to fulfill them.
Likewise, adultery, fornication and all sexual perversion occur when people refuse to deny (which means not to act or follow through on) desires and feelings contrary to Divine law. It has been a minute since I addressed the issue of homosexuality directly. But since it has been in the forefront of the news recently, silence can sometimes be interpreted as complicity or acceptance. And it’s important for people to know humanity can’t remove the sin from sin and to recognize and put into perspective the events and happenings of our time.
The sermon “Taking the Sin Out of Sin” speaks to these issues and is available online at our website or through our mobile app. That’s all for this segment of the Shepherd’s Voice. Thanks for listening and until next time, fear God and keep His commandments.
Pastor Jordan
24
Sep '18
Fine Points Monday Sept. 24, 2018
24
Sep '18
Greeting FB Members and Friends
Thanks for joining me for another edition of Fine Points and welcome back. What a difference a week makes! Last Sunday, hurricane Florence was bringing wind and rain to our area and state and led nearly everyone in our area to cancel Sunday services. But this Sunday, the weather was nice and many took advantage of it by coming out to worship.
The Young Adults did Praise and Worship, all the singing and did everything else we usually do in Morning Worship service as part of Young Adult Day. In addition to everything else they did, a special praise dance tribute was performed by T. Starnes in memory of Samantha Rivers. They did a very good job. Flag Branch hosted a Minister’s Conference on Saturday that was attended by approximately 30 ministers. I want to especially thank the Social and Planning Committee members and volunteers along with Dea. E. Collins for providing a delicious breakfast for the participants.
We will be going to our last revival for this year at Christian Mission on Tuesday night. Those who can and will are encouraged to attend. We will have a financial workshop on Saturday October 20th at 10:30 am. It should last about two hours. We will cover a wide range of topics designed to help us make wise financial decisions.
On a personal note, my mother’s sister daughter and my first cousin Tenita died Saturday in Columbia, SC. She had been dealing with some health issue for a while, but her death was still rather sudden and unexpected. Some of you knew her because she would come up here with my Aunt Ruth and Uncle and Cousin James (Jimmy) Jordan for Christmas Service and she has sung for us on occasion. We will really miss her. Please keep our family in your prayers. And now for a few finally thoughts from Sunday’s message “All or Nothing”.
The text of the message tells us about a husband and wife who conspired to keep part of the proceeds for a land sale they had pledged to give to the church. When Peter confronted them about what they did both of them died on the spot. They were to give “all or they could have given nothing” but they wanted to “hedge their bet or investment” by keeping part of the money just in case things didn’t turn out as they expected. Many people in the church are doing a similar thing by withholding from God their total devotion and commitment for something else just in case they don’t find all they need or expect in Christianity.
However, just as God would not accept a partial commitment for them, neither will He allow us to come short of anything but a full commitment to His will and way. When we fall short of full commitment and place our resources and relationships in other places, we are saying in effect we are not confident God will come through for us and we need to place our hope in other things just in case He fails to deliver. This is unacceptable to God because it says to Him “I don’t trust or believe you to do everything you say you will do”. This is an insult to God and not worthy of His grace, mercy and love for us. I invite you to listen to the sermon again and leave a comment. Well, that’s all for now. Have a good week and I hope to see you all Sunday, if not before, if the Lord so wills. So, until then,
Blessings and Peace
Pastor Jordan
10
Sep '18
Fine Points Monday Sept. 10, 2018
10
Sep '18
Greeting FB Members and Friends
Thanks for joining me for another edition of Fine Points and welcome back. Well it has been nearly a month since I posted my last blog and I was beginning to feel like I was not missed. But recently a few of you assured me that my blogging is not in vain so I’m back at it again.
So, let me first inform you that the funeral services for William Elliott has been tentatively schedule to be held at Flag Branch at 11:00 am Friday, Sept. 14th. If the family proceeds with this schedule, I’m asking as many members as possible and able to sing help make up the choir for that service. I was pleased to see all of the support and prayers during the revival week. Not only did you support the revival, but you came together to support the families and funeral services of Sis. Francis Walls and Maezell Miller. It was a very busy week.
After our revival we visited nine more churches in support of their revivals. The only revivals left for us to visit are at Friendship and Christian Mission this month. Thanks to your donations we were able to provide 17 children with $25 each to purchase back to school items. I’m always glad when we do such things as this. The Young Adults have been rehearsing for their Young Adult Day coming up on the 4th Sunday and will be practicing tomorrow at 7:00. Let’s come out and be sure to give them our support.
Flag Branch will host a Ministers Workshop on Saturday morning, September 22. We will be providing a hardy breakfast for them to enjoy. The Flag Branch Men Fellowship will have their next breakfast Saturday, October 6 in the Fellowship Hall. We are planning on finishing the ramp to the Fellowship Hall and following up on other plans we have discussed. And now a few final thoughts from yesterday’s message “Living While We Wait”.
Salvation is a promise made by the Lord that will be fulfilled upon His return. In the meantime, we must live and wait until that time comes. It is important how we live as we wait because it demonstrates our readiness to enter the kingdom of God. The Apostle Peter tells us to commit ourselves wholly unto the Lord and to live as obedience children being careful not to fall back into the ways we were living prior to receiving Christ as our Savior.
We must be alert and determined to live in accordance to God’s will and patiently wait for our redemption. We are exiled, but not abandoned or forgotten. So let us live as we wait for the Lord’s return as the children of God He expects us to be. I invite you to listen to the sermon again and leave a comment. Well, that’s all for now. Have a good week and I hope to see you all Sunday, if not before, if the Lord so wills. So, until then,
Blessings and Peace
Pastor Jordan
13
Aug '18
Fine Points Monday Aug. 13, 2018
13
Aug '18
Greeting FB Members and Friends
Thanks for joining me for another edition of Fine Points and welcome back. Sis. Francis Walls finally succumbed to her long illness and died Thursday. Her funeral service will be held Thursday at 12 noon at the church. The funeral services for Mrs. Mazel Jordan Miller have been moved from Belmont MBC to Flag Branch at the same time on Friday. Mrs. Miller is the sister of Brothers Heath and Excel Jordan. Let us keep both families in our thoughts and prayers.
All of this will be going on in the midst of 5 nights of revival beginning on tonight at 7:00 pm each night. The preacher for the week is Rev. Joseph McFarland whom we are looking forward to hearing bring us a needed word for today. Bring or invite someone to come out and hear the word of God this week. Homecoming service was good and the food was delicious. Dr. Robert Sanders delivered an inspiring message which challenged us to read and do what the bible says instead of doing things any other way. Thanks to all of the people who brought food and helped to set up, serve and clean up.
Thank you all for your contributions to the back to school donations we are collecting after service for the past two Sundays. This Sunday will be our last Sunday to collect money for this project, so bring your final donation this Sunday. If you have a child you would like to receive the back to school help, give the name of the child and the member or supporter of the church recommending the child to Sis. M. Eddy.
Thanks to all who have been attending and representing the church at revival services around the county. Last week we were well represented at Nicey Grove, Mt. Moriah and Flint Ridge. Seeking to “Do Better” is one of the keys to salvation. I urge each of you to continuously look for areas in your spiritual life you know you can and should do better and make every effort to do so. And now a few final thoughts from yesterday’s message “The Work of the Lord”.
The work of the Lord is the saving of mankind from eternal destruction and damnation caused by sin. Because God has given us the victory through Jesus Christ, we should join the Lord in this work to redeem and save the souls of people. Our unwillingness to join in this work, demonstrates our unappreciation of what God has done for us or our disbelief that our efforts will not be in vain. Because if we truly understand what God has done for us and the expected joy and promises of life in His eternal kingdom, then we should be motivated to abound and excel in joining the Lord to complete the work He gave His life for on Calvary.
On the other hand, if we do nothing or very little toward the work of the Lord, why should we be rewarded for doing nothing or shabby work? How are or would we be different from those outside the church who also did not do any work. Let’s therefore work the Lord’s works so that we may be able to stand proudly by them at the end when every person will be rewarded according to their works. I invite you to listen to the sermon again and leave a comment. Well, that’s all for now. Have a good week and I hope to see you at the revival and Sunday, if not before, if the Lord so wills. So, until then,
Blessings and Peace
Pastor Jordan
06
Aug '18
Fine Points Monday Aug. 6, 2018
06
Aug '18
Greeting FB Members and Friends
Thanks for joining me for another edition of Fine Points and welcome back. Let me begin this morning by thanking everyone for their part in comforting the family of Sis. Ruth Haskins last week. It is in times like these we come together to help one another get through a difficult moment in our lives. I have been informed that Sis. Francis Walls may not be with us much longer. Please continue to lift up her family in prayer.
For those who missed it yesterday or didn’t have anything to give yesterday, we are collecting money to provide back-to-school supplies for the children in the church the next few Sundays. If you have a child you would like to receive the back to school help, give the name of the child and the member or supporter of the church recommending the child to Sis. M. Eddy. We will be going to Nicey Grove tonight, Mt. Moriah tomorrow night and Flint Ridge in Pageland Wednesday night. So come out and join us if you can.
Homecoming and Revival is set for Sunday, August 12th through Friday, August 17th. Dr. Robert Sanders and the Piney Grove West congregation will be our guest for Homecoming. Rev. Joseph McFarlan, pastor of the Macedonia MBC in Cheraw, SC will be the guest preacher for the week. Be sure to invite a neighbor, friend, relative, a coworker or even a stranger to homecoming and/or revival. Our mission is to help bring people to Jesus and let Him do the rest. Seeking to “Do Better” is one of the keys to salvation. I urge each of you to continuously look for areas in your spiritual life you know you can and should do better and make every effort to do so.
And now a few final thoughts from yesterday’s message “Our Day Will Come”. The Psalmist admonishes us to not allow ourselves to be heated up or “fret” over what non believers are doing with their lives. Neither he says despise what we have for what they have which he calls being envious. He insists that their insistence on doing things their way apart from God is only going to lead to their quicken or soon destruction. As the children of God, He know us better than we know ourselves and if we delight ourselves in Him, He will give us those things that will bring us the most joy and peace or the desires of our heart.
The key is to trust Him to do that and to be patient and allow Him to do it in His time and not ours. The ungodly and evil doers will be cut off but the meek shall inherit the earth. I invite you to listen to the sermon again and leave a comment. Well, that’s all for now. Have a good week and I hope to see you Sunday, if not before, if the Lord so wills. So, until then,
Blessings and Peace
Pastor Jordan
30
Jul '18
Fine Points Monday July 30, 2018
30
Jul '18
Greeting FB Members and Friends
Thanks for joining me for another edition of Fine Points and welcome back. It has been less than a month and another member from the same family has been removed from our presence. First it was Sis. Glennie Rorie and early Saturday morning it was her sister Sis. Ruth Rorie Haskins. The funeral service for Sis. Haskins is set for 1:00 pm Wednesday with a viewing one hour before the service begins. Let’s do our best to comfort and support the family during this time. Sis. Frances Walls is also in declining health so let’s be prepared to be there for her family in the event of her passing.
I want to thank all of you for your prayers and support for Min. Duncan in my absence. From what I was told everything turned out fine. Our Advisory Council will meet this evening at 6:00 pm. I looking for all Council members to be there. I want to thank the members and ushers who were on hand to welcome the Zion Association for Shaw Day. It turned out nice and they were pleased with our hospitality. The Health Ministry Advance Directive workshop was very informative as I suspected it would be. If you want more information about getting an Advanced Directive for yourself or a loved one, then reach out to Sis. Muirhead for more information.
I will be conducting a Financial Workshop for members and friends in September. It will be designed to help participants to make good and wise choices that will provide the best outcomes for ourselves and our families. So, don’t miss it when it comes. Homecoming and Revival is set for Sunday, August 12th through Friday, August 17th. Dr. Robert Sanders and the Piney Grove West congregation will be our guest for Homecoming. Rev. Joseph McFarlan, pastor of the Macedonia MBC in Cheraw, SC will be the guest preacher for the week. Let’s continue praying for a move of God that will bless us with what we need to be faithful and successful in His service.
And now a few final thoughts from yesterday’s message “Living With God”. As Jesus final hours approached with His disciples, He wanted them to know that though His physical presence would not be with them, He was not going to abandon them and leave them as orphan children. He would continue to be with them in the person of the Spirit of Truth or Holy Ghost whom the world could not receive or see, but His disciples would be able to both see and receive Him. And in doing so, both Jesus and the Father would also be with them and would be together forever. This would only happen however if they loved him and kept His commandments.
If a person does not keep Jesus commandments it is because they don’t know them or they don’t love him. Living with God then is not something people will do in the by and by, but it is what the people of God are doing as the live now. Death does not begin life with God, but the people of God are sustained right through it. Death has no power to end their life with God. God has given us the power and privilege to live with God now. If we refuse to live with Him now, there will be no start living with Him then. I invite you to listen to the sermon again and leave a comment on my blog. Well, that’s all for now. Have a good week and I hope to see you Sunday, if not before, if the Lord so wills. So, until then,
Blessings and Peace
Pastor Jordan
16
Jul '18
Fine Points Monday July 16, 2018
16
Jul '18
Greeting FB Members and Friends
Thanks for joining me for another edition of Fine Points and welcome back. Let me begin this morning by thanking everyone for coming together last week for the funeral services for Sis. Glennie M. Rorie. Whatever you did to help comfort the family during this time is greatly appreciated. We welcomed our newest member Sunday by extending the Right Hand of Fellowship to Sis. V. Marsh. Sis. Marsh has been fellowshipping with us for some time and we are happy she is now a member of our Christian community of believers.
The Zion Association will meet at Flag Branch to observe Shaw Day on this Sunday, July 22nd at 5:00 pm. Let’s be prepared to welcome them here. The Health Ministry is planning another seminar to take place on Saturday, July 28th and it will focus on End-of-Life care for the people we love and care for. I anticipate that this will be very informative and I encourage all members and friends to attend. I will be conducting a Financial Workshop for members and friends in September. It will be designed to help participants to make good and wise choices that will provide the best outcomes for ourselves and our families. So, don’t miss it when it comes.
Homecoming and Revival is set for Sunday, August 12th through Friday, August 17th. Dr. Robert Sanders and the Piney Grove West congregation will be our guest for Homecoming. Rev. Joseph McFarlan, pastor of the Macedonia MBC in Cheraw, SC will be the guest preacher for the week. Let’s continue praying for a move of God that will bless us with what we need to be faithful and successful in His service. Walker’s Grove will be in revival this week and we will be going there tonight to worship with them at 7:00 pm. If you can and will, meet us there. I will not be in the pulpit Sunday and have asked Min. Duncan to stand in for me. Please give him your support in my absence.
And now a few final thoughts from yesterday’s message “Doing Better”. Jesus invited himself to come dine with a rich tax collector who was a despised sinner among the people. God knocks on the door of our hearts and lives but it’s up to us to let Him in. Even though the people murmured against Jesus for going into his house, Jesus makes it clear He’s on a mission to save those in need of a savior. He didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
So when the rich tax collected decided to “do better” by beginning to give away half of his goods and restoring fourfold what he had stolen, Jesus said that salvation had come to his house. This illustrates that the willingness to do better is even more important than if we do better. Our goal should be to dot our I’s and cross our T’s so that God will have nothing to say against us when we have our final examination before Him. But even if we fall short of that goal, we will be accepted of God if we are genuinely making a daily effort to do better. It is our willingness and effort to do better that is going to make the difference in hearing “well done” or “depart from me”.
So no matter where we think we are or how far we think we have come in being what God wants us to be, if we search our hearts there is something God is saying to us that we can do better. God expects excellence in and from His children and our willingness and effort to meet His expectation is what is going to separate the saved from the lost. I invite you to listen to the sermon again and leave a comment on my blog. Well, that’s all for now. Have a good week and I hope to see you at Walker’s Grove tonight or the following Sunday, if not before, if the Lord so wills. So, until then,
Blessings and Peace
Pastor Jordan
09
Jul '18
Fine Points Monday July 9, 2018
09
Jul '18
Greeting FB Members and Friends
Thanks for joining me for another edition of Fine Points and welcome back. I hope today’s blog finds you both healthy and well. We had a good day yesterday and I was so glad to see as many as I did especially Mother Dumas who by the way was the 3rd person to arrive yesterday and also Bro. Heath our oldest members.
While at service, we received the news that Sis. Glennie Rorie passed Sunday morning. Her funeral arrangements are incomplete but is expected to take place at Flag Branch sometime this week. We hope all members will do what they can to help the Rorie Family during this time. Let keep them in our prayers as well as the Walls Family as Sis. Francis condition continues to decline. The church will welcome our newest member this Sunday by extending the Right Hand of Fellowship to Sis. V. Marsh. So make plans to be there to welcome her into our family.
The Zion Association will meet at Flag Branch to observe Shaw Day on the 4th Sunday in July the 22nd. Let’s be prepared to welcome them here. The Health Ministry is planning another seminar to take place on Saturday, July 28th and it will focus on End-of-Life care for the people we love and care for. I will bring you more information in the coming weeks but I want you to mark your calendars now for this very important and informative presentation. I will be conducting a Financial Workshop for members and friends in September. It will be designed to help participants to make good and wise choices that will provide the best outcomes for ourselves and our families. So, don’t miss it when it comes.
Homecoming and Revival is set for Sunday, August 12th through Friday, August 17th. Dr. Robert Sanders and the Piney Grove West congregation will be our guest for Homecoming. Rev. Joseph McFarlan, pastor of the Macedonia MBC in Cheraw, SC will be the guest preacher for the week. Let’s begin praying now for a move of God that will bless us with what we need to be faithful and successful in His service. I want to thank those who went to Solid Rock last week in support of their revival. Rev. Marsh was their guest speaker on Thursday night. I am unaware of any revivals going on this week, but I believe Walker’s Grove and Greater Grace will be coming up later this month. So, let’s be ready to support them both.
And now a few final thoughts from yesterday’s message “Margin of Error”. From the time God made the decision to make man to the time He died for our sins until our days on this earth are complete much is involved in securing our salvation. With everything involved and nothing left to chance, there is a small margin of error for souls to be saved. With much difficulty is how Peter describes our salvation when using the word scarcely of how the saints will be saved. Therefore, we must be careful and deliberate in our efforts to fulfill the will of God by keeping within the margin of error which I described as staying within the lines of a picture that is colored. We know and can see when we color outside the lines.
There are some in the church who are making no attempt to color within the lines while others are aware they are outside the lines but are content to color there. In both instances, these brothers and sisters are outside the margin of error. But God has ordained that His children color within the lines by making it possible for them to do so. While the road to salvation is paved with hazards of many kinds, the margin of error is such that all who seek to stay within that margin by coloring their lives within the lines will be successful.
We should endeavor to color the prettiest picture possible with nothing outside the lines and present it to God. We should be angry if we see just one color outside the line and through God’s grace it can be removed from our picture. I invite you to listen to the sermon again and I welcome a comment on my blog. Well, that’s all for now. Have a good week and I hope to see you at Sis. Glennie’s funeral service or Sunday morning, if not before, if the Lord so wills. So, until then,
Blessings and Peace
Pastor Jordan
02
Jul '18
Fine Points Monday July 2, 2018
02
Jul '18
Greeting FB Members and Friends
Thanks for joining me for another edition of Fine Points and welcome back. With the beginning of July, 2018 has reached the halfway point. Soon this year will be over and it seems it just started. Sis. Glennie Rorie is critical and health providers say she may not make out the week. Sis. Francis Walls condition has also taken a step back over the last couple of weeks. So be prepared to give the Rorie and Walls family the love and support they will need as they brace themselves the final days. Bro Frank Robinson was back with us on yesterday after undergoing some major surgery. He’s still not at full strength, but let’s pray he continues to make steady progress toward a full recovery.
For those who did not know, Sis. Melanie Eddy and her husband Tavis renewed their wedding vows after 10 years of marriage in a ceremony that took place at the National Guard Amory on Saturday. It was a lovely affair and the entire wedding party and decorations were just beautiful. Let’s hope that their next 10 will be as good as if not better than the first 10. The men fellowship breakfast will be held this Saturday at Golden Coral at 8:30 pm. The cost is about $10 so spread the word around. The church will welcome our newest member on the 3rd Sunday in July by extending the Right Hand of Fellowship to Sis. V. Marsh. So make plans to be there to welcome her into our family.
The Zion Association will meet at Flag Branch to observe Shaw Day on the 4th Sunday in July the 22nd. Let’s be prepared to welcome them here. The Health Ministry is planning another seminar to take place on Saturday, July 28th and it will focus on End-of-Life care for the people we love and care for. I will bring you more information in the coming weeks but I want you to mark your calendars now for this very important and informative presentation. I will be conducting a Financial Workshop for members and friends in September. It will be designed to help participants to make good and wise choices that will provide the best outcomes for ourselves and our families. So, don’t miss it when it comes.
Homecoming and Revival is set for Sunday, August 12th through Friday, August 17th. Dr. Robert Sanders and the Piney Grove West congregation will be our guest for Homecoming. Rev. Joseph McFarlan, pastor of the Macedonia MBC in Cheraw, SC will be the guest preacher for the week. Let’s begin praying now for a move of God that will bless us with what we need to be faithful and successful in His service. Don’t forget to meet at Solid Rock this week at 7:00 pm on Thursday evening to support them during their revival. I hope to see you there. And now a few final thoughts from yesterday’s message “Seeds Falling Into The Heart”.
The heart songwriters sing about and the Bible speaks about is not the physical one located in our chest that pumps blood through our veins, but an invisible or spiritual one that controls our thoughts and actions. It’s there that the seeds of God Word is sown or planted in order to change and transform our lives into what God designed them to be. Seeds will only produce good fruit when sown or planted in good ground or soil.
Jesus liken our hearts to different types of soils that are suited and not suited for growing seeds planted there. Hard beaten and trodden ground which Jesus called the wayside, stony or rocky ground and weedy or thorny ground will not produce the saving fruit of faith and works needed for salvation in Christ. Only seeds sown in good fertile ground will produce that kind of faith and works.
Things such as distractions, afflictions, lust for people, places and things, evil influences and the cares and concerns of life all contaminate the soil of our heart and render the word of God ineffective in our lives. When we experience change and see or are moved to improvement after each encounter with the word of God, then we know our hearts consist of good ground. If the soil of our hearts is not where is should be, then we need to ask God to fix it so it will be. Well, that’s all for now. Have a good week and I hope to see you Thursday at Solid Rock or Sunday morning, if not before, if the Lord so wills. So, until then,
Blessings and Peace
Pastor Jordan
25
Jun '18
Fine Points Monday June 25, 2018
25
Jun '18
Greeting FB Members and Friends
Thanks for joining me for another edition of Fine Points and welcome back. As most of you know, Verlinda and I were not at church last Sunday as we took some time away to enjoy our 29th wedding anniversary. But from what I understand, Min. Duncan was able to manage alone and delivered an inspiring Father’s Day message. I am grateful for his service and your support in our absence. I will be out of town again next month to attend my Family Reunion, so I will be calling on him once again to fill in for me in our absence and counting on your support.
Yesterday was Men’s Day and we came together nicely to sing and emphasize the role and importance of men in the Church. I want to thank all the men for their participation and for your support of the service. I also want to thank everyone who participated in providing a surprise meal in honor of the men. It was a nice and kind gesture on the part of all those who prepared, served and bought food and I personally enjoyed it and the fellowship it provided. Vacation Bible School took place week before last. Again, I want to thank all the people who participated and came out for the week. I want to especially extend our gratitude to the teachers, the servers and the Director for their service in making the VBS enjoyable for everyone.
If some of you have missed Rev. and Sis. Byars the past few Sundays, it is because they informed me that they feel they are being led to another ministry and direction and will not be returning. Let’s wish them well as they seek the next ministry calling in their lives. The Health Ministry is planning another seminar to take place on Saturday, July 28th and it will focus on End-of-Life care for the people we love and care for. I will bring you more information in the coming weeks but I want you to mark your calendars now for this very important and informative presentation.
Recently, several people have asked me some financial question and sought my advice on some financial matters. Additionally, I have been wanting to share some practical financial strategies and principles with the members of the church. Therefore, I will be conducting a Financial Workshop for members and friends either next month or in September. It will be designed to help participants to make good and wise choices that will provide the best outcomes for ourselves and our families. So, don’t miss it when it comes. And now a few final thoughts from yesterday’s message “Gone Fishing”.
If someone you don’t know comes up to you and ask you to leave everything you are doing and follow him, you would in all likelihood decline to go. So would have been the case of Simon and Andrew if they didn’t know Jesus. But it turns out that they all lived in the same vicinity and knew each other. They were also privy of Jesus thoughts and teaching. So, when Jesus asked them to follow Him and become fishers of men, they had already considered doing it as well as James and John.
There was something about Jesus that gave them enough faith and confidence to leave what they knew and embark on a journey of personal and public salvation. The same call that Jesus issued to them, He is issuing to us today. Forsake what we are doing and become fishers of men. But people just don’t stop what they are doing to follow someone they don’t know. That’s why it is important for us to get to know Jesus in order to believe and trust Him enough to place our eternity destiny in His hands. We are not engaged in authentic or real Christianity until we like them have enough faith to join Jesus in seeking and saving the lost. This means we go fishing for people. People like you and me who are in need of a Savior because we can’t save our own lives.
God is in the business of saving the lives of men and women, boys and girls for eternal life with Him. He is issuing a call for believers to partner with Him in this business. I for one am happy and glad to have a part in and in doing whatever I can to lead others to faith in Christ and I hope you are or will be too. So, let’s hang out the “Gone Fishing” sign in our life by committing ourselves to the salvation Jesus bled and died for. Well, that’s all for now. Have a good week and I hope to see you Sunday morning, if not before, if the Lord so wills. So, until then,
Blessings and Peace
Pastor Jordan
