Luke Wicker's Coon Dog

Some pictures should win a Putlizer Prize and this is one of them: Luke's coon dog chasing a coon up a tree--literally! Who would have ever thunk it?

"Summer": Drop Dead Gorgeous!

Somewhere in the neighborhood of 33 years ago, Annis and I became foster parents--Georgia (12), Carla (14), and Toni 15). Two of these girls have been gracious enough to maintain contact with us through the years--Carla and Toni--and we have really appreciated their doing so. In fact, Carla called on Christmas Day and blessed us with her "Merry Christmas" greeting and her usual and sincere appreciation for our influence in her life.

Somewhere along the way (about 18 years ago), Carla gave birth to a baby girl, who she named "Summer." She has relentlessly provided for her, as a single Mom, doing whatever she had to do, even survive breast cancer, and in doing so, she sent a very strong message to Summer, actually several of them, messages about life and responsibility and love that will travel with her for her lifetime!

Summer has done exceptionally well in High School and is now preparing for her college career (This is very hard for me to believe, probably because it makes me admit just how old I really am!). I learned, during Carla's Christmas call, that Summer is applying to several schools, one of which is Georgia Southern University! Annis and I are hoping that this will be the one she chooses, as it will mean that Carla and Summer will be living much closer than Ohio!

Anyway , as you can tell from her picture (the Homecoming Queen!), I doubt that Summer will have any trouble getting all the dates she wants, regardless of the school she chooses! And you can also rest assured that Carla is one proud Mama!

Merry Christmas!

I trust that each of you will have a very Blessed and Merry Christmas. I am truly honored to be your pastor, not to mention, blessed and very much so!

Much love,
Mac

Santa Clause is Coming to Town!

You'd better watch out, you'd better not pout, you better not cry, I'm telling you why--Santa Clause is coming to town. He knows when you've sleeping, he knows when you're awake; he knows when you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake!

Hmmm, that looks very much like the picture of Jesus I had in my mind back in my "religious" days and, I might add, it looks very similar to the one most folk present today!

Wow! I am so glad He erased that picture and replaced it with truth (might sound a bit conceited, but I am still very glad!).

Is this Ralph Preaching?

A Prayer Matter

Kaycee Russell, the daughter-in-law of my life-long friends, Lamar & Carey Russell, is in the hospital in Jacksonville, FL and very ill. She has spent 28 days in the hospital with various infections, along with other ailments. Please pray for Kaycee and for her extended family. She and her husband, Richard, live on St. Simons Island.

The Golden Rule

The following is a letter I received today from Norman Carter, president of the Golden Rule: "Dear Mac, The "Golden Girls" greatly appreciate Grace Christian Fellowship's willingness to make a difference in the lives of those, who are struggling to overcome substance abuse. Words are inadequate to explain how much your generosity is meaning as we take advantage of this program and make an effort to redeem ourselves. Thanks to you, the Golden Rule is able to provide room, board, clothing, transportation, education opportunities, individual and group counseling, and emergency medical and dental care to all 44 of us that are in residence, and this generous gift of $300 will greatly assist in continuing to provide those much needed and critical services. We came here financially and spiritually destitute, and your generosity is allowing us an opportunity for a new building. Your compassion is making a difference, and we are truly grateful. May God richly bless you for your caring and concern for those less fortunate. Thank you again for your love and support during this year and please visit us at your convenience; we want you to see the positive impact that you are having on our lives. We hope you enjoy a wonderful holiday season! On behalf of all the girls, Norman"

Because of the generosity of various folk here at GCF, we have been able to support the Golden Rule, which in my opinion, is one of the best treatment centers around. Hopefully, we can continue to support this ministry during 2008!

Please visit their website at this address: http://www.taylor.k12.ga.us/~grule/golden_rule.htm

Blessings,
Your Pastor

A Visit with Our Doctor

For reasons far beyond my ability to comprehend, Travis and I had consecutive appointments yesterday with our doctor--his at 1:45 and mine at 2:00. We arrived at the same time and sat together, as we completed the required paperwork (which they have had on file for years!). About the time I completed mine, I told Travis that I was going to the bathroom, which I did. When I returned, he informed me that he had to go, which he did, but not without telling me not to take his appointment time (I have no idea why he would have thought that I would have done that!). About the time he was comfortably seated in the bathroom, the nurse opened the door to the waiting area and said, "Travis Almand!" I immediately responded with, "Here I am!" and off I went, following her into the halls of the inner and sacred chambers of the doctor's examining rooms, where I was immediately weighed in at 190. The nurse's response was interesting: "Gosh, you have lost lots of weight, since your last visit; are you trying to lose weight?" My response was straightforward--"No, just living right, I suppose." From the weighing-in platform, I was transferred to room #22, and soon thereafter another nurse entered the room. For some reason she looked a bit confused and asked, "Have you been trying to lose weight?" Of course, my response was straightforward (just as you might expect of me): "Actually, no and I have been really worried as to why I have been." She looked even a bit more confused--perplexed is probably the best word.

By this time, the first nurse has opened the waiting room door and said, "Mac Goddard!", at which time Travis realized that I had outwitted him (but I really had no idea that he would be in the bathroom so long!). Anyway, he follows the same nurse into those inner and sacred halls to the same weighing-in station, where he hears this: "Gosh, you have gained lots of weight since your last visit and the Doc. is in a bad mood!" And off she led him into room #23, all the while thinking he was "Mac Goddard!"

What I haven't told you until now is this: I was visiting the Doc to have my prostate checked (something to do with pacemaker maintenance) and Travis was visiting her to have his blood pressure checked (something to do with obesity). Since his room was next door to mine, I had no trouble hearing everything that was being said, especially the part when the nurse told him to lower his pants and lean over the table. I have no idea what happened after that, as my blood pressure was fine, and I hurriedly left the building.

I was about five minutes out of the office, when my cell phone rang; I noticed that it was Travis'
number! I suppose his red cap didn't hinder the prostate exam, though you can tell from the picture that he does look a bit bedraggled!

A New Pulpit!

Tuesday afternoon, December 11, 2007

One of the members of GCF is a 78 year old man, who has worked as a general contractor here in Macon for many years. He built some seventeen of the churches in Macon, not to mention, numerous school buildings, houses, even the new DOT building. One would be well within the parameters of accurate to say that he has been and continues to be a successful business man.

As you might guess, he is also a believer, one who sincerely believes that God really is God, that Jesus is His son, and that He is his provider, sustainer, healer, and redeemer. He not only loves this part of the Body of Christ, he also loves his pastor and he makes it obvious—very obvious.

He comes from that generation of folk who believed that work is a thing of honor; unfortunately, his numbers are few today. I have seen this man do physical labor that few, if any, of today’s young men would even attempt. To follow him for a week or so would lead most to assume that he is a work-a-holic, but that would be an incorrect assumption; he works because he sincerely believes that his working honors the God, whom he loves.

As is true with most, who reach his age, he is having some physical problems—some minor and some not-so-minor—that affect his energy level and, therefore, his ability to work at the pace he is accustomed to working. Because I know him quite well, I can see that his not to be able to do the things he is accustomed to doing, e.g. pouring cement for a parking lot, frustrates him quite a bit. Giving up is NOT in his vocabulary, neither is retirement; he will press on until his last breath, which I trust will be much later on and farther down the road.

Anyway, in his “free time” he has decided to build a new pulpit for me; I say “new” but the truth is in the twelve years that I have been preaching at GCF, I have never had a pulpit, not a real pulpit. I have, instead, used a lectern that Noah brought over on the Mayflower. For those of you who know me, you know that I really don’t need a lectern, much less a pulpit, in order to preach; however, I am really looking forward to preaching from this pulpit—more than mere words can express.

The hands that will have constructed it are rough and rugged from the years of abuse—missing fingernails, missing finger tips, scars from saw cuts—but the heart that has motivated its construction is made of pure gold and filled with love for me. Ralph believes in the preaching of the gospel and he believes it ought to be preached with fervor and passion, as well as with dignity and honor.

I spent most of the morning with him, watching his skilled hands and pure heart doing what they were created to do, and being reminded of another Carpenter, whose hands were probably much like Ralph’s and whose heart was as pure gold.

Who knows how long God will allow me to continue preaching but for as long as He does, I will treasure the treasure that this gentle giant is constructing for me.

What an incredible gift!

Blessings,

Mac

A Prayer Request from Beth Stewart

Hey all.... One thing I've learned this year, in my old age, is about the power of prayer. I've been fortunate to see it work in my life and what a mystery it is. One that I'm very grateful for, knowing that He does hear me....

Below is an email update from one of my very best life long friends, Sue Hickman, in Kalamazoo Michigan and I just adore her mom Rose. Her mom had always kept in touch with me no matter where I had moved to throughout the years... :)

Sue has had a very trying month, her dog Shadow under went surgery to remove a cancerous tumor, her daughter got in a head on collision with a truck but fortunately her car took the brunt of the blow and she survived but was pretty badly bruised up and had a broken leg,...........

The very next day, her mom took a very bad fall on the ice and has been in ICU at Borgess Hospital ever since.. and these are just a couple of the major things that Sue has been dealing with in one short month.

Things aren't looking well for her mom Rose right now, but I have all the faith in Him, that he'll hear our prayers for her mom especially, and to also help Sue maintain her spirit and strength in being there for all she dearly loves

Please join me in praying for them all and thank you for the bottom of my heart for doing so. Prayer is Powerful

Thank you :)

Beth Stewart

About Sunday's Message

This is an easy text: "If anyone sees his brother committing (sinning) a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death" (1 John 5:16-17). A piece of cake! Right?

Hmmm, well maybe not, at least not from my vantage point. In the first place, what is this "sin that leads to death"? I thought all sin lead to death! Even more, what is this sin that does NOT lead to death; again, I thought all sin lead to death!

As you can see, I have three options: (1) Bypass this text, like most exegetes do; (2) make a few inane guesses; or (3) admit the fact that I am clueless but also wait, watch, and listen. Rest assured that I will pursue the latter and hope against hope (really!) that He will bring into existence that which does not exist, namely some understanding of this text.

See you Sunday!!
Your Pastor

Two Important Reminders!

Leftovers will not meet during the month of December. Hopefully, each of you will prayerfully consider the idea of "simple church" in anticipation of our gathering together after the first of the year to, hopefully, determine the best approach for making others aware of the incredible treasure we enjoy at GCF.

Annie and her new family will be with us on December 30 (if the survive the Seattle flood!)and we will have a pot luck (covered dish) dinner for all to enjoy. I think you can plan on hearing from them, as well.


Blessings to each of you!
Your Pastor

Tomorrow's Message: Surrendered Prayer

Hopefully, you will be present in the morning as we gather to worship Him and to study His Word, His living, abiding Word! The text is interesting: This is the confidence we have in Him . . ."

Blessings,
Your Pastor

Our Annie is Married!

Oops! Mega Church's Mistake--

One of our members sent this article to me via email and I really believe that you need to read it--soon! Thanks, John; I truly appreciate your sending me the article, especially in light of our notion of "Simply, church!"

FIRST-PERSON: A shocking confession from Willow Creek Community Church leaders
By: Bob Burney
Original article can be found here, http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?Id=26768.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP)--If you are older than 40 the name Benjamin Spock is more than familiar. It was Spock that told an entire generation of parents to take it easy, don't discipline your children and allow them to express themselves. Discipline, he told us, would warp a child's fragile ego. Millions followed this guru of child development and he remained unchallenged among child rearing professionals. However, before his death Dr. Spock made an amazing discovery: He was wrong. In fact, he said:

"We have reared a generation of brats. Parents aren't firm enough with their children for fear of losing their love or incurring their resentment. This is a cruel deprivation that we professionals have imposed on mothers and fathers. Of course, we did it with the best of intentions. We didn't realize until it was too late how our know-it-all attitude was undermining the self assurance of parents."

Oops.

Something just as momentous, in my opinion, just happened in the evangelical community. For most of a generation evangelicals have been romanced by the "seeker-sensitive" movement spawned by Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago. The guru of this movement is Bill Hybels. He and others have been telling us for decades to throw out everything we have previously thought and been taught about church growth and replace it with a new paradigm, a new way to do ministry.

Perhaps inadvertently, with this "new wave" of ministry came a de-emphasis on taking personal responsibility for Bible study combined with an emphasis on felt-needs based "programs" and slick marketing.

The size of the crowd rather than the depth of the heart determined success. If the crowd was large then surely God was blessing the ministry. Churches were built by demographic studies, professional strategists, marketing research, meeting "felt needs" and sermons consistent with these techniques. We were told that preaching was out, relevance was in. Doctrine didn't matter nearly as much as innovation. If it wasn't "cutting edge" and consumer friendly it was doomed. The mention of sin, salvation and sanctification were taboo and replaced by Starbucks, strategy and sensitivity.

Thousands of pastors hung on every word that emanated from the lips of the church growth experts. Satellite seminars were packed with hungry church leaders learning the latest way to "do church." The promise was clear: Thousands of people and millions of dollars couldn't be wrong. Forget what people need, give them what they want. How can you argue with the numbers? If you dared to challenge the "experts" you were immediately labeled as a "traditionalist," a throwback to the 50s, a stubborn dinosaur unwilling to change with the times.

All that changed recently.

Willow Creek has released the results of a multi-year study on the effectiveness of their programs and philosophy of ministry. The study's findings are in a new book titled "Reveal: Where Are You?," co-authored by Cally Parkinson and Greg Hawkins, executive pastor of Willow Creek Community Church. Hybels himself called the findings "ground breaking," "earth shaking" and "mind blowing." And no wonder: It seems that the "experts" were wrong.

The report reveals that most of what they have been doing for these many years and what they have taught millions of others to do is not producing solid disciples of Jesus Christ. Numbers yes, but not disciples. It gets worse. Hybels laments:

"Some of the stuff that we have put millions of dollars into thinking it would really help our people grow and develop spiritually, when the data actually came back it wasn't helping people that much. Other things that we didn't put that much money into and didn't put much staff against is stuff our people are crying out for."

If you simply want a crowd, the "seeker-sensitive" model produces results. If you want solid, sincere, mature followers of Christ, it's a bust. In a shocking confession, Hybels states:

"We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become 'self feeders.' We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their Bible between services, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own."

Incredibly, the guru of church growth now tells us that people need to be reading their Bibles and taking responsibility for their spiritual growth.

Just as Spock's "mistake" was no minor error, so the error of the seeker-sensitive movement is monumental in its scope. The foundation of thousands of American churches is now discovered to be mere sand. The one individual who has had perhaps the greatest influence on the American church in our generation has now admitted his philosophy of ministry, in large part, was a "mistake." The extent of this error defies measurement.

Perhaps the most shocking thing of all in this revelation coming out of Willow Creek is in a summary statement by Greg Hawkins:

"Our dream is that we fundamentally change the way we do church. That we take out a clean sheet of paper and we rethink all of our old assumptions. Replace it with new insights. Insights that are informed by research and rooted in Scripture. Our dream is really to discover what God is doing and how he's asking us to transform this planet."

Isn't that what we were told when this whole seeker-sensitive thing started? The church growth gurus again want to throw away their old assumptions and "take out a clean sheet of paper" and, presumably, come up with a new paradigm for ministry.

Should this be encouraging?

Please note that "rooted in Scripture" still follows "rethink," "new insights" and "informed research." Someone, it appears, still might not get it. Unless there is a return to simple biblical (and relevant) principles, a new faulty scheme will replace the existing one and another generation will follow along as the latest piper plays.

What we should find encouraging, at least, in this "confession" coming from the highest ranks of the Willow Creek Association is that they are coming to realize that their existing "model" does not help people grow into mature followers of Jesus Christ. Given the massive influence this organization has on the American church today, let us pray that God would be pleased to put structures in place at Willow Creek that foster not mere numeric growth, but growth in grace.
--30--
Bob Burney is Salem Communications' award-winning host of Bob Burney Live, heard weekday afternoons on WRFD-AM 880 in Columbus, Ohio. This column originally appeared at Townhall.com. Reprinted with permission.

Copyright (c) 2007 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press. Visit www.bpnews.net. BP News -- witness the difference! Covering the critical issues that shape your life, work and ministry. BP News is a ministry of Baptist Press, the daily news service of Southern Baptists.

Luke & Sue Wicker's Granddaughter

Some pictures are just too good for you to miss!

God Paintings

God decided to paint some pictures around our mountain house and I thought I would share them with you. Enjoy his creative abilities!




I looking forward to seeing you in the morning!!

Love and blessings,
Your Pastor

Kevin is at it Again!

Tonight at Central Baptist Church in Warner Robins, our own R. Kevin Daniel will be sitting on a rather prestigious panel, receiving questions from teenagers about teen sexuality and providing them with answers!

I have some secret agents, who will be attending in order to provide me with an accurate report, which I will, obviously, share with you.

Blessings,
Your Pastor

Leftovers on Wednesday Evening

Thanks to the Bluhm's we will have Pizza for supper on Wednesday at 7:00 PM. I hope to see you then. Remember to read the chapter in our book and come prepared to discuss it.

Tomorrow's Message

Hopefully, I will see each of you in the morning--bright eyed and bushy tailed--filled with eager anticipation! The message has to do with our showing Him our Love, which I must admit can be a bit slippery. Regardless, I am going to tackle the task and trust that He will turn water into wine ONE MORE TIME!

Blessings and much love,
Mac

A Genuine Treasure

Yesterday in Reynolds, I was involved with the funeral service of a life-long family friend--Mary Hally. As you might imagine, when I return to Reynolds, the place of my growing-up, for the funeral of one of those who helped to make Reynolds the town it was during those early years of my life, I also get to see friends from those days, who have returned for the funeral, as well.

Most of you have heard heard me speak about Hollis Goodre, the guy who was my best friend during those growing-up years. We literally spent most of our waking hours together and most of our sleeping hours (in a tent; we loved camping). When we graduated from Reynolds High School (1960), he went to Georgia Tech in Atlanta and I went to Asbury College in Kentucky and, obviously, our paths parted; however, our roots continued to run deeply in our hearts and souls.

Years later, Hollis retired from the Southern Company and now resides in the panhandle of Florida. Yesterday, however, brought us together (as have several other funerals over the years) and we were privileged to do something that we had never done before (not that I can remember)--we spoke from the pulpit at the Reynolds United Methodist Church, the church we attended when we were growing up. Although, the event had its sad moments, it was an incredible experience, one that neither of us will ever forget.

Anyway, I just wanted to remind you that true friends are very precious and Hollis and I continue to hold ours very close to our hearts. As I was speaking, I told the folks that I couldn't help but remember those days, when we were running around the church as children, and now, at 65, we were there together again--friends forever.

Some roots just run deeply!!

If You MIssed This, You Missed a Great Time!!

Once again, pictures are worth thousands of words!

Two New Sermons

Just letting you know that Chris has added two more of my sermons to the blog! Pass the on and let us see if we cannot stir the "religious" out of their religion!
Blessings,
Your Pastor

And a Good Time Was Had by All!

It really is true; a good time was had by all! From my casual observation, everyone liked the 'possum stew, as well; I am trying to come up with a name for this particular variety but have had no luck thus far. The fellowship was the kind God created His children to enjoy; I can only look forward to more of it!

Your Pastor

Leftovers on Wednesday Night!

As you know, tomorrow evening is Leftover time at the Goddard residence--a "time" of great fun, 'possum stew, and wonderful fellowship. For some reason, I have always loved "home groups" and this one has proved to be no exception! From what I have been able to see, everyone really looks forward to our gathering and for good reason: we have a great time! I might add this: the book we have been studying has certainly added to the value of our time together.

I am really thankful that our Lord takes great delight in our not only enjoying Him, but also in our enjoying one another. How would we make it through this journey we call life without the incredible fellowship of believers?

Truthfully, as I wrote those words, I also thought of the many times I have been disappointed and hurt in this journey, especially while attempting to enjoy the fellowship of other believers.

Today I saw this bumper sticker (one I had never seen before): LORD, PLEASE PROTECT ME FROM YOUR FOLLOWERS! When I saw it, I actually stopped, got out of my truck, walked over to it, read it carefully, and thought, "This ought not be so, but it is!"

Come on out tomorrow night and take the risk of actually enjoying being with His followers; I think you will be glad you did!

Your Pastor

New Pics of Annie & Family

I think you will really enjoy these pictures of Annie, Matthew, Mike and his parents!

You Are Invited!!

A Beautiful Story from Beth Stewart!

Hi Mac! :)

I want to share with you the experience I recently had when talking to a dear friend who was about to lose all hope. He is 42 years old and six years ago underwent two triple by pass surgeries in one day and then was in a coma for well over a month. It was touch and go for a long time. Needless to say, he can't work, recently lost his VA benefits ( I don't know the details with that), going through a tough divorce and has no health insurance and hence no doctor. The last doctor he saw was a VA doctor who told him that he wasn't a candidate for open heart surgery, to keep taking his medicine, and to go home and pray. Hill felt like he would be going to Heaven much sooner than he thought.

He felt so hopeless and lost. He was about to cry because he was giving up hope. I told him that in the darkest times of life is when God may provide us with an answer to our prayers and we become closer to Him. We prayed and I kept praying. Then I thought about asking the cardiologist I was going to see for the last time if he would see Hill for free. I thought that since lawyers sometimes do pro bono (spelled wrong), that maybe a doctor would and it sure wouldn't hurt to ask. The cardiologist is also from Iran, and since the first time I saw him, I tried to speak farsi with him...he was absolutely amazed that after 23 years I could still speak very well. He was such a nice person and I could see he cared very much for all the patients he saw each day. Anyway. At my last appointment with him, I began to tell him about my friend Hill and the situation he is in. I didn't even have to ask because Dr. Tehrani immediately told me that he would see him for free and that he needs to have a doctor. I couldn't believe my ears and of course had to give him a hug of thanks. I couldn't wait to call Hill with the news. Hill was so relieved and grateful..then a couple days later....a friend of his father also found a cardiologist that agreed to treat him for free as well. He couldn't believe that with in one week, when he lost all hope and had no doctor, now he had TWO!!! All this just happened recently and Hill is getting his medical records to take to the doctor his father's friend found. Prayer's are a powerful thing and I'm still pinching myself over it....Hill attends church in Macon with his parents most Sunday's but I'm hoping that he will come to ours one day once I can come back.... I wanted to share this miracle with you because I know that you would appreciate hearing about it....
Thanks so much for giving me the faith that I had lost so long ago. I feel like He worked through me to help my friend find his faith again as well.
God Bless you and miss you all! Much Love Beth:)

Sermons on the Web!

Thanks to Chris Reeves, my last two sermons are now ready for viewing! Hopefully, you will find them thought provoking and worthy of sending them on to your friends and enemies!Click here for September 30 Sermon Click here for October 7 Sermon

A Courtroom Experience!

One must experience it to appreciate and that is all I know to say!

A Better Day

Thankfully, today was a much better day than yesterday, but I am probably suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome--whatever that is! If I am not, I should be! Hopefully, Medicare will pay for my psychological treatments, if not maybe Medicaid will kick in and take care of them.

Seriously, life can sometimes be difficult to deal with, and when it is, it ain't fun by any stretch of the imagination! I thought that by this time in my life, everything would be running smoothly and the road would be bump-free, but that is what I get for thinking! But then, it ain't as bad as it could be and I know that!

Tomorrow begins in the court room, which means it is going to begin with lots of fun, I feel sure. I can hardly wait for the band to begin playing!! Why can't grown folk just do what they ought to do instead of making life so difficult for everyone--even themselves. Oh well--

We just finished Leftovers, our Wednesday night home group, which, as far as I can tell, was enjoyed by everyone. Both the pound cake that Data made and the casserole Annis made were delicious, as was evidenced by the leftovers (no pun intended!).

I hope to see you Sunday morning, if not before!

Your Pastor

Some Days Are Not as Much Fun as Others

Have you noticed that some days are not as much fun as others? Well, today has been one of those days for me; in fact, there was very little "fun" in it at all (the crises have been coming at me like machine gun bullets!). I did have lunch with Travis and his grandson, William, which was about the only bright spot in the entire "very few bright spots" day. Yes, I know that God didn't promise that we would always have sunshine, and I also know that many, many people had a much worse day that I have had, and I also know that this will probably not be my last "very few bright spots" day; even so, I am very thankful finally to be in my little cocoon, my place of solitude. The fact is one can know all the truth there is to know and still want to be alone and away from it all. Hopefully, all will be quiet for the rest of the night!

I do not know how these kinds of days affect you, but they sap my energy to the point of feeling wilted and depressed and weary and weak and frustrated and spent and really wanting to be alone; strangely, the older I become, the more I react this way. I do not know whether it is good or bad, but I do know that it is true--for me. I also know that we do have an enemy and, although, he has been defeated, he never ceases his attempts to distract God's children and, oftentimes, he is successful. Sadly, it sometimes takes a while to get back our bearings--to refocus--especially when the crises come like rapid fire, and he really enjoys that!

Strangely, just before I completed that last sentence, my phone rang and there was another crisis (10:05 PM) and I am wondering, "What is going on?" and I am praying, "Please, God, intervene and bring peace where there seems to be no peace!"

Thankfully, tomorrow is a new day and, hopefully, between now and then, there will be a good night's rest--

Your Pastor

Dancing With the Stars???

'Tis true: these pictures are worth a thousand words--and then some!!

Sunday's Message

"And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us" (1 John 3:24). The Ten Commandments are impossible to keep; however, in comparison to this "His" commandment, they are a "piece of cake"!

Just for informational purposes, I offer this bit of trivia to you: in chapters 3, 4, and through verse three of chapter 5 (a total of 48 verses!), the word "love" is used FORTY-THREE times! I think this tells us something of the message John is attempting to convey to those who were being tempted to leave his teaching and join the ranks of those, who were teaching that Jesus did not come in the flesh!

I really hope to see you in the morning!

Your Pastor

PS: This message will be a tad longer than last Sunday's, but shorter than the previous week's.

Something I Have Never Before Seen!

Today, I was involved with the funeral service of a Reynolds man, who had spent much of his live serving our country in the Armed Forces, the US Army, to be precise. Unlike most services of this kind (with which I have been involved), there were some 50+ uniformed military personnel present at the service, including ranking officers, as in Colonels, even a General! The chaplain who spoke said this about the deceased soldier: "I want you to know that I have carefully thought through what I am about to say, so listen carefully: this man is the finest soldier I have ever known! Wow!

It was at the cemetery that I saw, what was unique to me; the honor guard folded Old Glory into its customary triangle, and as they finished, a General walked up to one of the soldiers, and while standing at attention, he received the flag of this great nation from him, and before walking away, he saluted the flag. Then came the moment that took my breath: this General, dressed to the nines, holding the US Flag, as only a General could, walked over to the widow of the deceased soldier and knelt directly in front of her. While he was kneeling, he began to speak words to her, whispered words, but familiar words to me: "On behalf of the President of these United States of America and all the men and women, who serve in her Armed Forces, along with a grateful nation, I present this flag to you in honor and appreciation of your husband's faithful service to this great country!" Then he stood to his feet, bringing himself to "attention", and saluted Old Glory!

Now, I have seen many flags presented to widows of servicemen, even presented many myself, BUT this was the first time I had seen a General "do the honors" and I want to tell you that I was very proud to be an American!

You can call me foolish, if you like, but there was something about this General's kneeling before this widow and presenting the US Flag to her in honor of her late husband, that reminded me of Jesus kneeling before His disciples and presenting them with a towel and a basin of water.

Some leaders really are and they do not have to announce it to anyone because people simply follow them!

I will never forget what I saw today, nor will I ever forget that I, too, am called to kneel before His people and present them with a towel and a basin of water.

His!
Your Pastor

Fish Fry Wednesday PM

That is correct; we are having a fish fry Wednesday night at the Goddard residence. Immediately following we will discuss the current chapter of our book--"The Summation of the Christian Life"!

I hope to see you then!!

Grace and peace,
Your Pastor

Mother & Child

Well, this is what we have been waiting for--a picture. Wow!! Go to the following web address, click on "blog" and you can see several more pictures: www.laurencekimblog.com

Can a Christian Sin?

Tomorrow's message will come from 1 John 3:5-12, and as you probably already know, these verses usually cause quite a "stir" among the religious. Over the years, I have been amazed to see how commentaries simply avoid the obvious--"No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him" (vs.6). For the most part, the religious have failed to realize that God, through Jesus' death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, did a perfect and complete work concerning sin. The fact is this: God is finished dealing with sin--forever finished dealing with sin! When Jesus returns, He will do so without reference to sin (Hebrews 9:28)! Thankfully, when He appeared the first time, He did so in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin (1 John 3:5). Just for the record, take note of this: "No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God" (vs. 9).

If my memory serves me correctly (which is certainly questionable), I have heard many people lay claim to having been born of God (born again, saved, etc); however, I have heard only a very few lay claim to these passages. Much to the contrary, they choose to act as if these passages don't even exist OR the attempt to explain them away with some kind of watered-down, pious pabulum!

Let me just tell you that God through Jesus did a much better job than most realize, and I think it is time for those to whom He has given the right to be called His children to lay claim to their inheritance--free from sin, free from sin, thank God Almighty, I am free from sin!

See you in the morning!!
Your Pastor

Breaking News!

The video of last Sunday's sermon is now available by simply clicking on this link: Mac's Latest Sermon

"Miss Hazel"

Some people are just too impressive not to share with others and "Miss Hazel" is one of them. I met her several weeks ago, on one of my visits to the health food store, aka McDonalds--the new one on Bass road. On each of my following visits, I made it my business to get to know her a bit better, hopefully earning the privilege of sharing her story. This past Monday, I took my grands there for some health food and they got me over the line with her, thus her picture and this amazing story: "Miss Hazel" is 81 years old, which means she was born in 1926. Her husband died several years ago, and her son died in 1964, at the young age 16. She made it abundantly clear that she would not have made it through his death, had it not been for her Lord! She also has a daughter, who has two daughters, one of whom has a son, who also has two sons. You can figure it out, but this means that she not only has two granddaughters, but also one great grandson, not to mention, two great, great grandsons!

Now, this is the impressive part of my story: this dear lady drives from Lizella to the McDonalds on Bass road to WORK, and when I say work, I mean W-O-R-K! I think this picture illustrates that. I asked her how in the world she could swing her mop the way she does and her reply was quite straightforward: it tires me but I do it at my own pace! One thing is for sure, NONE of the other employees in this "health food" store will EVER try to get her job, so she can just continue her pace!

To top it all off, she does this with a geniune smiling face, greeting everyone, as if she owned McDonalds! I do not know who her superiors are but if they had any sense at all they would give her a dozen roses every morning. You should see her; why, she cleans as if she is cleaning her own house.

To be sure, this present generation has no clue as to the mindset of this lady and in time it will tell, and you can count on that!

If you visit McDonalds on Bass, tell her hello, and tell her that the old, white haired man with with camera sends her love and admiration!

Blessings,
Your Pastor

For those of us Who Know!

Someone once said, "A picture is worth a thousand words" but they had not seen this one. For those of us who know, this picture is worth far more than a thousand words, even a thousand dollars; in fact, it is priceless! I am tempted to say more but I am choosing to let the picture speak for itself--to those of us who know!

I must say this: God does answer prayer and He sometimes does it "our way"! (=:

Sunday's Message

See how great a love the Father has bestowed (given as a gift) upon us, that we should be called children of God! How can we see (really see), this side of Heaven, the love that God has given to us in causing us to be His children? As His children, Adam is no longer our father; sin no longer has dominion (power) over us; our debt has been paid in full; we are as righteous as Jesus; our sins have been taken away, never to return; we are joint-heirs with Jesus to God's estate; we have a new past,a new present, and a new future; and He is going to get each of us Home before dark! Wow!

Can you now see how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God? I think it is much-too-much for us to take in; however, I receive it and trust it and relish in it--by grace alone through faith alone!

I hope to see you in the morning!

Blessings,
Your Pastor

A Suggestion--

Visit http://macsperspective.blogspot.com in order to read the last two or three perspectives I have posted. You can click on the link "Mac's Perspective" in the upper right hand corner of this blog and it will take you there--pronto.

Last Night's Leftovers!

What an incredible night; if you missed it, it is your loss because we had a great time. Home groups must be akin to the early church, as there is so much dynamic in them that reminds me of what I read in the Scriptures about the early church. Let me see if I can remember who attended: Travis, Karen, Eddie, Syd, Joanne, Debbie, Shamona, Carolyn, Bob, Mac, Ralph, Phyllis, Dudley, Annis, Data, Jim, John, Kevin, and Carolyn's Mom,(a visitor). The menu included roasted pork loin, green beans, baked potato, corn bread, and for desert, a homemade cake. The drinks for the evening were wine and water and from what I could see, someone must have turned the water into wine!

Our study time involved a chapter from the book, "The Power of the Blood Covenant" entitled, "Sins Remembered No More". As you might imagine, the religious folk wouldn't appreciate this chapter but, just for the record, I ain't religious, and from what I could observe, neither were the rest. The fact that God is finished dealing with sin is most incredible; He will never remember them again! Wow!

Thanks to each of you for attending and for making the evening such a wonderful experience; I think we can safely call it "church!"

A Beth Stewart Update!

Well, here's an update from my last visit with Dr. Stefanis. He said the bone is growing and he'll see about me returning to work after my next visit with him in 5 weeks! WOW...I told myself that I was going to leave it all up to the doctor and what God's plan is for me, but needless to say, that took me by surprise. I cried most the day...when I thought about it I realized that I'm worried about my job because it's already been a long time. Everyone from work was also surprised, but really cheered me up. My bosses were so understanding and told me not to worry. I feel so fortunate to work for such a great company and even greater coworkers and bosses.

Dr. Stefanis gave me persmission to drive, just once in a while, very short distances so I can now go to the store and such. That helps a lot.
I also saw the cardiologist Friday and he's scheduled a chemical stress test, but also said that everything looks good and that I'm one of the fortunate ones to have low blood pressure. He had quite a sense of humor. I also found that I have an over active thyroid, not under active...and he commented that it's probably a good thing otherwise I would have gained 30 pounds instead of the 15 pounds since my surgery! LOL:)

Sunday is Upon Us Again!

Time is flying by so fast that I can hardly keep up any longer; it is Sunday and before I know it, it is Sunday again! This wouldn't bother me (when I was younger, it didn't) except for the fact that I interpret it to mean that my life is passing by much too quickly. Oh well--

As you can see in the picture, one of my granddaughters (Sydney) celebrated her birthday recently (#11) and I was privileged to be present for a few minutes. How in the world did I get so old so quickly; why, I can remember thinking that folks with grandchildren were as old as old oak trees--and now I am one! I am telling you that time is moving at the speed of light!

Anyway, we will be looking at 1 John a bit more in the morning, so I hope you come prepared. The text begins as follows: "Dear children, this is the last hour . . .", so in light of what I just said, I must admit that it got my attention. What if this were the last hour? What did John mean? Obviously, the hour to which he referred was not the last one. Maybe he meant "these are the end times" but they surely have lasted for a long time to have been the end times. Yes, I know that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as one day, even so, I stay confused most of the time, especially when it comes to understanding the Scriptures.

Whatever John meant, in my opinion we need a renewed awareness of the truth that Jesus is coming again--sooner, rather than later, I trust!

Hopefully, I will see you in the morning!

Blessings!
Your Pastor

Local Preacher Wins Lottery!

A local preacher, Mac Goddard, won the lottery this morning, but chose not to accept it because his deep "religious" beliefs would not allow him to accept "ill gotten gain"! If you believe that, then I must also tell you that he doesn't like wine, either. And if you believe that, then I must also (and quickly) tell you that he also can't stand good cigars! While I am on a roll, I must also tell you that he also keeps the Law!

Now, this is the truth (if you can believe it; well, whether you can or not): I stopped by the Marathon station this morning to purchase a diet Pepsi, and on a "religious" whim, I asked the clerk to sell me a $3 Big Bucks Lottery ticket, which she did. I walked out to my truck and stood by its door, as I scratched off the proper places. Much to my surprise I won $240--CASH!

Now, ain't that a hoot!

Your Pastor

A Really Cute Girl!

Leigh Popp sent me this really cute picture of Syd's granddaughter, so I thought I would share it with you. If you will just hint at being interested, she (Syd) will be more than happy to fill you in on all the details--and then some. These grandmothers are really something else!

Sunday is Upon Us!

Hopefully, I am making some headway with our text for tomorrow--Love not the world nor the things in the world. Obviously, we have two very significant words with which to deal--"love" and "world". The more I think about the passage, the more I believe that understanding what John meant by "love" is key to our understanding the passage.

Anyway, I am looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!!

Grace and peace,
Mac

A Picture IS Worth a Thousand Words!

As you can tell, Annie's baby is about ready to make his debut and she is quite beautiful, as she awaits his arrival. The man in the picture is Mike and, as you can, see, he is very fond of Annie. From what I have been able to glean, something very special is going on between Annie and Mike (I think you can detect it in their eyes!). Mike has a degree in engineering and is a student at the Divinity school at Mars Hill, where Annie is in graduate school, getting her Masters degree in Counseling (and several other areas, it seems!). Mike has obviously discovered the treasure that we call Annie. From her reports, he treats us with utmost respect, honor, compassion, and love! You can tell from this picture that he is one heck of a man!

Anyway, I wanted you to know what is going on in Little Darlin's life and now you know (at least part of it!). Keep Annie and Mike in your prayers and pray for a healthy baby boy!

Blessings,
Your Pastor

Our God is an Awesome God!

I am enclosing a picture of the Sombrero Galaxy; most of you have probably never seen it but God sees it every minute of every day. It is really not very far from the earth; only 28 million light years away. Just for the record, this means that if you could somehow stand on it and throw a baseball back to the earth at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second) it would take the baseball only 28 million years to reach the earth (probably have to throw it early one morning in order to get it here in time for the next Braves game!). Furthermore, this galaxy has only 800 billion suns and it is has a diameter of a mere 50,000 light years.

Yet, God knows you and loves you, even has the hairs of your head numbered and your name engraved on the palm of His hand. Go figure!

Entering the Covenant!

At leftovers last night, we discussed this all-important question: How does one enter into the New Covenant? A "certain lawyer" (Luke 10:25)asked Jesus a very similar (actually the same) question, when he asked, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Nicodemus (John 3:4) followed Jesus' statement (". . . unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God") with the same question (just stated a bit differently), when he asked, "How can a man be born when he is old?"

The fact is this: every person who makes it to Heaven does so through Jesus, who is the New Covenant; there is NO OTHER WAY! It matters not whether the person is Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob; Matthew, Mark, or Luke; Joe, Jane, or Sam; in fact, it matters not whether the person is an Old Covenant prophet like Jeremiah, Isaiah, or Hosea, or a New Covenant teacher, like Paul, John, or Luke, even a post-modern Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, or Episcopalian--there is but one way Home and Jesus, who is the New Covenant, is the way.

You see, the question of our discussion is a very important one, one that must be addressed and answered correctly. To be honest, I think we did a good job of answering it, and I also think everyone went home with a renewed interest in simply telling their own story. At the very least, I think everyone went home without carrying the burden of having to "win the world to Jesus!" It is very freeing to know that THAT is the task of the Holy Spirit!

Just for the record!
Your Pastor

A Reminder!

Leftovers meets tonight at 7:00 at the Goddard residence and you are invited! The chapter for tonight deals with our entering into the covenant that God made with Himself and with Jesus. Interestingly, it is a "how-to" chapter, which I think will be meaningful to you.

Supper should be tasty (not to mention,tender),as I have been marinating the 'possum in liquid sunshine for several days.

I hope to see you tonight!
Your Pastor

Last Night's Leftovers

Last night took me back to some of the most incredible days of my entire life, days when God's Spirit moved in such a way that His Presence seemed tangible. To be honest, it has been a long time since I have experienced His Presence, as I did last night, and as I did, I was made very-aware of just how much I long for those kinds of experiences.

It is difficult for me to put the experience into words, even as much as I like to write, so for now I will simply say this: last night was one of those "Song of Songs" experiences, where the Lover of my soul was making me keenly aware of His love not only for me, but also for each of us!

Hopefully, He has many more of these kinds of experiences in store for us!

Grace lavished,
Your Pastor

Dancing Lessons

It is my understanding that the pictured couple are going to begin teaching dancing lessons, provided, however, that they have 5 couples who are eager students. From what I have been able to observe, Carolyn's trip to Canada set her feet to dancing and now she wants someone to set Eddie's feet to dancing.

So this is your official notice: If you are interested in learning some of the finer things of life, in particular how to dance, let one of the members of this pictured couple know!

Now you are in the know!!

An Update from Beth Stewart

The following is an update from Beth Stewart. After you finish reading it, send her an email at this address: bethstewart2007@yahoo.com

Here's an update - I'm a little tired today. Last week I took a long walk, probably too long, and then yesterday, I took another long walk. I thought I was supposed to be doing a lot of walking, but find that my neck hurts much much more after I do. And since Farah, my daughter, has been working a lot these days to raise money for her books for college, she hasn't been home much to help so I've tried to do a little around the house, but I'm trying to avoid that temptation right now. I keep thinking about what your wife, Annis told me about not picking anything up that is heavier than a plate, but I had been, but I'm not any longer! :)

I'm counting down the days until I see Dr. Stefanis on Sept 13th. I'm not sure if he will release me then to return to work or not, but right now even though I'm bored silly, I'm hoping he'll extend my return to at least the end of September. I keep hearing that if I don't heal well, I could easily wind up having another surgery in the future, or worse yet, that I'll still have pain in my neck to live with each day.

I feel that I'm just now getting "used to" not working so I'm d thinking of things to do that I haven't had the chance to do in the past. I'm making up a list. My arms are beginning to get better. They felt tingly and my hands felt as if they were asleep, but I hope to start drawing again.

I have yet to make an appointment with the cardiologist. While in the hospital, they discovered that I have a very low pulse rate. Even though I had been awake for a few hours, my pulse rate was 39, of which I've heard was kinda bad. (I'm not athletic either)

A Dr. Khan referred me to a cardiologist for an echocardiogram and to wear a heart monitor for 24 hours in order to track my pulse rate during the night. Dr. Khan commented that he was afraid that my pulse rate may be dipping lower, into the twenties, during my sleep. They took blood tests as well and found that my potassium level was very low and that I have an under active thyroid. I just finished taking those huge potassium pills. But all in all, I'm assuming that all that may be part of the causes of my low pulse rate. I think I'm too young yet to be in need of a pace maker :) But then again, one never knows.

One thing that's on my list, which I'm rather ashamed to admit, is that I've never read the bible straight through. I'm beginning to now. In a way, and this may sound odd, but I truly believe that God made me take this break in life. I've honestly have never been off work for this long since my early teens and when I lived overseas in 1984.

This "break"is beginning to allow me to rediscover myself, to face hardships that I choose to avoid by working even harder at my job (all my life and because I was a single parent), and to allow myself a rest that I've long needed to heal from those hardships, do a little crying, and become a better me in the long run by becoming closer with the Lord, and myself for that matter. It is truly a journey, and although wearisome and sometimes difficult, it is a positive step forward that has been long overdue, but it is on God's timetable! :) I find comfort in knowing that as I press on , moving forward.

Thank you ever so much from the bottom of my heart in being there for me! I always look forward to hearing from you.

Bless you and much love always, Beth :)

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words!

A picture IS worth a thousand words, most of the time anyway! Certainly, this is true regarding this picture. How anyone could look at this and not believe that God IS, is beyond me. The picture is a bit deceiving; the butterfly (moth) is much smaller than the picture indicates, which serves only to strengthen my belief that God IS.

God is the creator of this UNIVERSE--the entire thing! He rules and reigns over it day in and day out! He can hold the sun in the palm of His hand, if He chooses! He can cause all the planets to collide with each other on a moments notice OR He can cause them to continue in perfect order. He can do whatever He chooses to do!

On this given day, He chose to show this butterfly (moth) to me and I was mesmerized with its beauty, especially as I examined the intricate details of it body and wings. Just recently, it resided in the dark chamber of a cocoon but today, well you can see for yourself that it is no longer having to exist in the confines of darkness.

The truth is neither are you and like this butterfly, you are free to live in the Light!

Can you guess where this butterfly is perched?

Blessings,
Your Pastor

Leftovers Tomorrow Evening!

This is your invitation and reminder to attend Leftovers tomorrow night at 7:00. As I see it now, we will be eating Open Air's barbecue and Brunswick stew, along with slaw and chips. The chapter title has to do with Mephibosheth: " And Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, “Mephibosheth.” And he said, “Here is your servant!” And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall eat at my table regularly.” Again he prostrated himself and said, “What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me” (2 Samuel 9:6-8).

Come on out and plan to have a grand time!

Grace & peace,
Your Pastor

A Prayer Matter

Corrie, whom many of you met at church a few weeks ago, had a cyst appear, somewhere on her spine, that was putting pressure on her spinal chord. As you might imagine, this was not good news for her, as she had to have surgery and, unfortunately, it left her with numbness below her right (if I remember correctly) knee. The Doc had to do some very extensive work, which left her nerves very irritated and, consequently, she is enduring considerable pain. Anyway, she desires and needs our prayers.

I know that you would want to know!

Thoughts on a Sunday Evening

It just finished raining here at 111 River North Court and, as you probably know, the rain was much-needed! The forecast is for HOT weather this week and I am not looking forward to it because it saps my energy and I mean SAPS my energy. Maybe it has to do with my age but I do not remember heat affecting me as it does now. Anyway, I enjoyed the rain and the brief respite that followed.

Speaking of rain: I am longing to see the "rain" of His Spirit fall upon you and me. I am not really sure what that means but I think it would bring a time of spiritual refreshment that we all probably need; to be sure, I do!

After today's message, I feel sure that each of you fully understands 1 John, especially the first several verses; after all, grasping their meaning is "a piece of cake!" You know, sometimes (often, really) I wonder why the Scriptures could not have been written so they could be more easily understood, especially in light of the fact that they are the Word of God! Yes, John directed his comments to "little children" but from what I can see, he should have directed them to those a bit further along. I mean, what in the wide-world was he thinking?

In the end, I guess it all came together in this: "the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked"--completely and totally dependent upon His Father! We would all do ourselves a favor, if we chose to place ourselves where we already are but don't have sense enough to admit it--in complete and total dependence upon Him!

Still searching!
Your Pastor