BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES FOR OCTOBER 16, 2024

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:

FRED COATES

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO:

ROB & CAROL HIMMEL

Edifying Christ, in EVERYTHING

October 16    Edifying Christ, in EVERYTHING  1 John 1:6-7

Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina…“If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”  (1 John 1:6-7)

Is it possible to be a “Born-Again, Blood Brought” child of Almighty God, and demonstrate a social and political position that is contrary to His Holy Word? Is it possible that our social and political beliefs and actions are separate and apart from our Christian Commitments? Can we promote a political or social position that is opposed to the standards and commitments and commandments of Christ? (“A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” James 1:8) It is my conviction, that every believer MUST demonstrate a true and total commitment to God’s Word in ALL that we DO and all that we SAY and ALL that we ARE! The idea that we can be one thing in our social interactions and another in our Christian interactions or our political interactions, is inconsistent with the call to be Holy and to demonstrate HIS HOLINESS! Our walk with Christ MUST be CONSISTENT with God’s Holy Word, and we MUST demonstrate HIS LOVE and Our Commitment to HIS LOVE, in our thoughts, actions and endeavors! I am amazed that individuals, that are active “churchgoers,” promoting positions and ideas that are opposed to the standards of God’s Holy Word! If our political positions or our social positions are opposed to God’s Word, then, we need to re-assess our priorities and determine if we are truly committed to the Love of Christ and HIS Saving Grace! BOTTOM LINE: If our political or social positions are opposed to the standards of God’s Word and our positions are not edifying to the Body of Christ, then we need to leave it alone, and seek His Face and continue to Grow in His Grace and Love! Satan is attacking and we MUST be prepared to face the battle that is upon us! Our job is to PROCLAIM JESUS to this Lost and Dying World. 1 Corinthians 14:8 declares a truth: “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?”  As a Professing, Born-Again Christian, your witness, your voice MUST be clear and committed, and NOTHING IN THIS WORLD SHOULD MUFFLE OR HAMPER YOUR “TRUMPET CALL” TO THE LOST FOLK IN THIS WORLD!! Political Positions will come and go, socially acceptable positions will change, BUT THE LOVE OF GOD AND HIS PROMISE OF REDEMPTION, THYROUGH JESUS, WILL NEVER CHANGE, AND IT IS UP TO US TO BELIEVE IT, CLAIM IT, AND TO LIVE IT! Be Consistent, Be Committed, Be Truthful, Be REAL! Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE!

BIRTHDAYS FOR OCTOBER 15, 2024

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:

OLIVIA COOKE

BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES (LATE)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY (LATE) TO:

7th: Zachary Worley, Kylie Liles

8th: Gerald Price

9th: Donnie Coley, Jr.

10th: Mrs. Luna Parrish, Rachel Bloniarczyk

11th: Mr. Bob Shuman (In Heaven)

12th: Neal Driver, Anna Walters

13th : Jimmy Bergeron

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY (LATE) TO:

8th: Robbie & Tammy Edwards

10th: Stan & Tammy Pruden

Continuing to Grow…

October 14       Continuing to Grow…  Matthew 16:18

** THANK YOU to our BTC CHURCH FAMILY for providing the opportunity for some Time Off for Annette and I. We are back, Prayed Up, Armored Up and Ready to Share Jesus and to Serve God with Each One of You! TO GOD BE THE GLORY! **

Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”  (Matthew 16:18)

I love ole Simon Peter! He reminds me of my life and my own responses to God’s call. You can say that Simon Peter was an example of what NOT to do in your Christian walk. Think about it! He stepped out of the boat and was walking on the top of the water, then took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink. He challenged and disagreed with Jesus when it came to the matter of washing his feet. He denied Jesus three times and he acted rashly and impulsively when he cut off the servant’s ear while they were in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Wow! Ole Peter made some mistakes! Actually, He has provided us with the actions and opportunities to learn from.  Think about it…Peter was the only follower of Christ to step out of the boat and walk on water. He wasn’t timid or fearful to ask Jesus questions, such as when Jesus washed his feet!  Amazingly, he was the only disciple to follow Jesus after He was arrested, and he tried to defend Jesus when they were in the garden. There are times when I think that I am constantly making mistakes and missteps in my Christian Walk, yet I keep moving forward. Peter made many mistakes, yet he kept moving forward! My Daddy used to say that “Life is a process, not an event,” and we need to keep moving, keep growing, keep learning and the Lord God will help us along the way to fulfill His plan and purpose for our lives! Remember that Peter fulfilled the commission of Jesus Christ, and he preached the Good News, and he led many souls to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Why am I still excited? Just like ole Peter, my Lord is not through with me and, even though I still have limitations and even though I still make mistakes, He has amazing and Great things ahead for me! How about you? Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE!

Are We Salty Disciples?

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”

Matthew 5:13

Ponder This

Salt penetrates. You take just a pinch of salt and put it in a jug of water, and the entire jug will be instantaneously salty. We need to be salty disciples. But the problem with many of us is that we’ve allowed our churches to become holy saltshakers while we sit inside and salt the salt. Jesus said we “are the salt of the earth.” He didn’t say we’re the salt of the Church. We need to be separate from sin, but not isolated from sinners.

However, salt can lose its saltiness. Most of the salt in Bible times came from the Dead Sea. They would take it from the Dead Sea, and the sun would shine on it. If it rained on that salt and stayed too long that way, the salt would leach out and leave noxious chemicals. It had no flavor, and it was actually dangerous. If you put it on the fields, it would kill the crops. If you put it down a well, it would poison the water. But they found one good use for that salt: they could put it on the roads, and it would absorb the moisture. That damaged salt was good for nothing but to be trampled underfoot. Jesus said if we lose our spiritual saltiness, we’re not effective disciples.

• What does it look like to live as the “salt of the earth”?

• Who are some friends or neighbors you are being salt to? Who are some people you could be salt to?

Practice This

Show your love for a neighbor or friend and be salt in his or her life today.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/are-we-salty-disciples

Working Honestly

Good Morning from Jimmy Faison, Deacon Chairman

(Before anyone gets “offended”, this devotion is to me, for me, and no one else, that is

unless it applies to you!)

–Colossians 3:25 He who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong

which he has done, and that without partiality.

The Bible says whatever our work is, ultimately we’re working for God, not a human

boss. That means we are to obey our employers as we obey Christ. We are also to

perform our work diligently, not slacking off or sweeping dirt under the rug–God sees

what we do even when our employer doesn’t.

In Colossians 3, we find a third lesson about work: we are to perform our work honestly.

(Read it for yourself)

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Christian or non-Christian–if you do wrong to your

employer, you’re going to be held accountable to God for that wrong. You are not to

steal from your employer.

Stealing from your employer involves more than dipping into the cash register. We’re

guilty of stealing when we steal time from our employer–that is, when we come in late

and leave early instead of working the full amount of time for which we’ve been paid.

We’re guilty of stealing when we speak badly of our employer or the organization for

which we work–in doing so, we’re stealing their reputation, which, in some ways, is

more valuable than the money in the cash register. We have an obligation to work

honestly, diligently, and obediently–that is one test of whether we’re becoming like

Christ.

Homecoming

Good morning from Matthew Lee, Deacon, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, NC.

1 Corinthians 2:9

However, as it is written What no eye has seen,  what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived,  the things God has prepared for those who love him

It was great to see so many familiar faces yesterday on Homecoming Sunday 2024.  I always look forward to homecoming. The fellowship, great food, (especially the fried chicken) and the sounds of happy reunions all around the room; it sure does my heart good.  As I reflected on our homecoming here, as much as I loved it, I could not help but think, it will never compare to the joy that Christians will feel on that Great Homecoming Day when we all see our Savior, Jesus. We cannot even imagine what great things that the Lord has prepared for us who call on His name and accept Him as our savior.

  My wife and I love good ole gospel hymns. At home, we often have the Gaither Vocal Band or other similar gospel style groups singing to us via “Alexa” or YouTube.  As Leigh and I talked about BTC’s Homecoming and how much we enjoyed it, we reflected on two things; how happy we will be at the Great Homecoming to see loved ones who have gone to heaven and the words from a wonderful hymn, “That Glad Reunion Day”.  The lyrics can serve as a reminder to each of us what Pastor Glen loves to proclaim. . .  “The best is yet to be”.

 Who remembers this song and is looking forward to the greatest Homecoming ever?  I am!

 Glad Reunion Day - Adger Pace

 There will be a happy meeting in Heaven, I know
 When we see the many loved ones we've known here below
 Gathered on that blessed hilltop with hearts all aglow
 That will be a glad reunion day.
 A glad day, a wonderful day,
 A glad day, a glorious day
 There with all the holy angels and loved ones to stay
 That will be a glad reunion day.
 When we live a million years in that wonderful place
 Basking in the love of Jesus, beholding His face
 It will seem but just a moment of praising His grace
 That will be a glad reunion day.
 A glad day, a wonderful day,
 A glad day, a glorious day
 There with all the holy angels and loved ones to stay
 That will be a glad reunion day.

  Link to song:

James Blackwood, Terry Blackwood, Jimmy Blackwood - That Glad Reunion Day [Live]

BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES FOR OCTOBER 6, 2024

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:

EMMA BARBOUR

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO:

CHARLIE & HANNAH NORWOOD

“Brother Against Brother”

October 6   “Brother Against Brother”  Matthew 5:11-12

** Today, Sunday, October 6, 2024, Baptist Tabernacle Church will Celebrate our Annual Homecoming Service! Thank God, we have been a place of Worship & Praise for 102 years, and, by God’s Grace, we are still going strong! You are invited to share in our celebration and worship at 11:00am, with a catered meal after the service! Ya’ll Come! **

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** The Deacons of BTC will be sharing the morning devotions for the next week. Annette & I are taking some time away to refresh, retool and to refocus. Our Chairman of Deacons, Jimmy Faison, and our Vice-Chair, Matthew Lee, will be coordinating any congregational needs that arise during my absence. Thank you BTC Family for the opportunity to get away and to re-set! **

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Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”  (Matthew 5:11-12)

This world is becoming difficult for the true believer.  Sharing Jesus, and His Love, has become offensive and the sharer has the potential, to be considered, to be spreading “Hate Speech!”  Sadly, none of us are insulated from the Evil and the Chaos that Satan is churning up among God’s people.  A few years ago, I was asked to intervene in a “Squabble” between two brothers.  It was difficult to “cut through the hyperbole,” in order to determine the cause of the riff.  Finally, I determined that one brother had shared the Plan of Salvation with the other brother, and the brother that heard the message was totally and completely offended.  “How dare he say that I am a sinner!  I could tell you who is the sinner!”  I forgot to mention that these boys are twins!  They have been together, doing things together, dating sisters, marrying sisters, yet, about this one thing and about the message of Christ, the one brother broke ranks and began to criticize the other and say terrible things about him and his God.  Finally, I realized that the brother that shared Jesus with the other, was doing it out of Love for his twin.  Now, the brother that was on the receiving end of the message was having no part of this, in his words, fantasy!  They were shouting at one another and saying terrible things to and about one another and I, in a stern and loud voice, told them to stop it and sit and listen!  I was praying, in my spirit, that the Holy Spirit would provide the words necessary to calm the situation and to touch the brother that was offended and to minister to the brother that shared Jesus, in order, to bring the “Lost” brother to Christ!  The one brother got up and stormed out of the house and there was the, well intentioned, brother, with tears in his eyes.  The brother that left, before leaving, said some hurtful and “hate-filled” words to his twin brother.  The brother that was left with me, looked at me and asked, “what can I do now?”  I told him that he had to be aware that his brother had to make up his own mind and that all he could do is share the life changing message of Jesus Love, and the Holy Spirit would handle the outcome.  Then he asked how he was to handle the hateful and hurtful words of his twin, the one individual that was the closest to him, in every way.  I shared this scripture for today: “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”   Remember, God’s Word is offensive to this world, and we must “Armor Up” and keep Serving Him, regardless of the worldly challenges, even if it is our own brother! As Dr. Jeremiah says, “Just Keep Going!!”  Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE!

PS… Prayers are continuing for the other brother! The one twin is committed to praying for his brother to come to a saving experience with Christ! Family functions are a bit challenging, yet they continue to be civil towards one another! Praiseworthy is the fact that Mom, Dad, and their sister have come to a saving relationship with Christ, and, together, they are praying for the other twin. Remember, Jesus has provided the means, we must believe, confess, and receive His Amazing Grace! I believe that this young man will ultimately come to Jesus! Faithful, Persistent, and “Love-filled” Prayer will make a difference! (Re-Posting with a Purpose)

BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES FOR OCTOBER 5, 2024

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:

SHERRIE ALFORD

SIERRA STANLEY

BARBARA LUMLEY

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO:

JAMY & KATHY WHEELER

Fellowship

October 5            1 John 1:7

** On Sunday, October 6, 2024, Baptist Tabernacle Church will Celebrate Homecoming! Praise God, we have been a place of Worship & Praise for 102 years, and, by God’s Grace, we are still going strong! You are invited to share in our celebration and worship at 11:00am, with a catered meal after the service! Ya’ll Come! **

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Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”  (1 John 1:7)

Many years ago, my dear Pastor, and friend, Reverend Norris Cook, exposed me to a lesson that has lasted ever since. There was a lady, in our community, that had experienced tragedy and difficulties, and she was all alone in the world. I felt the need to step up and step in to help this special lady! She had devoted her entire life to service for others, and now, with her family gone, she was lonely and had little resources, in order, to pay anyone to help her. Following the example of my mother, I jumped in and began to help this dear lady. Quickly, I realized that I was going to be unable to help her by myself. Mr. Cook gave me some sage advice! “Let other people help you, help her!” That was the moment that I realized, although noble and “Christ-like,” I couldn’t do it alone. God’s word instructs us to “fellowship” together and to, come together, in worship and service. I started calling on my Christian friends for assistance! Amazingly, within a short time, we had an entire group of folks that were a part of helping with Miss Ruth’s needs! The lesson from Mr. Cook is still an important lesson for today: “When I, alone, can’t, we, together, can!!!” Thank you, Mr. Cook, for your guidance and THANK YOU JESUS, for YOUR LOVE AND FOR OTHER BELIEVERS! Do Not Forsake the Assembling of Yourselves Together! Not just to hear the preacher, but for the support and fellowship of other believers! Stay Strong, Stay Focused… THE BEST IS YET TO BE!

BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES FOR OCTOBER 4, 2024

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:

SAMANTHA BUNN

RANDY DRIVER

LEENA WHEELER

AVA SCOTT

MARIE HOLLAND

TERESA FAULKNER

KELLY LANE

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO:

DAVID & VICTORIA BUNN

“You Can Count on God’s Love”

October 4  “You Can Count on God’s Love”  Romans 8:38-39

** HAPPY 11th BIRTHDAY TO OUR GRANDDAUGHTER, AVA SCOTT! **

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Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

When times are difficult, and the world, and all of its challenges, seems to be closing in around me, I am so grateful for the fact that God’s Amazing Love is always with me and protecting me, and sustaining me, and allowing me to flourish in this chaotic existence! I get so excited when I stop to realize that God’s Love for us is absolutely permanent, everlasting, and nothing that is or will be, can tear us away from His Mighty Love! I love Romans 8:38-39, because it is so complete in the promise of His sustaining Love! NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM GOD!  Please keep in mind the fact that this scripture does not promise us that life’s challenges and problems will not happen, or will our lives be easier, however, it does promise that He will always be with us, sustaining us, empowering us, and carrying us through the difficult times of life! Every time that I am about to doubt or fear, I recall and quote out loud this amazing promise of His Sustaining Love, and I remember and claim the fact that I have NOTHING to FEAR! Isn’t it exciting and comforting to know that God is always by our side, ready, willing, and able to protect us, and care for our every need? Let us continue to claim the victory fact: “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” TO GOD BE THE GLORY! Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE!

BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES FOR OCTOBER 2, 2024

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:

JAN DIEHL ( In Heaven)

CATHY LOCKLEAIR

CHLOE BARBOUR

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO:

JOSEPH & RACHEL BLONIARCZYK

“You Can Always Come Home!”

October 2   “You Can Always Come Home!” Luke 5:25

** HAPPY BIRTHDAY ( In Heaven) DADDY! I MISS YOU TODAY AS MUCH AS I DID THE DAY THAT YOU WENT TO BE WITH JESUS! **

Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “Immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God.”  (Luke 5:25)

My daddy grew up in the Orphanage at Kennedy Home, near LaGrange, North Carolina, and the experience of not having a traditional home motivated daddy to create a stable and permanent home for me and my mother. Home was so very important to him. He used to tell me that, regardless of the situations and challenges that I would face in this life, that I could always come home. He said that coming home to a place of comfort, both physically and emotionally, and coming home to a place of safety, was so important for our survival, as humans. Dear Friends, One Hundred & Two Years Ago, our forefathers and mothers, desiring to create a place of comfort and security and a place of praise and worship, established the Fellowship that we now know as Baptist Tabernacle Church. For 102 years this place has been a place of sanctuary and worship and praise, and it is a place that we can come and worship without fear or anxiety. I am so honored to be the pastor of such a beautiful and active church family! As long as God allows this life to exist, I pray that BTC will continue to be a “Bright Light” into this “Dark and Dismal World!” Daddy used to exclaim, “Remember Son, you can ALWAYS come HOME!” Daddy is now in his Heavenly Home, and we are celebrating what would have been his 97th birthday, today! I am so grateful for my earthly father, and I am so grateful that my earthly father introduced me to my Heavenly Father! I am excited about the fact that my earthly home is a place of sanctuary and security, but I am more excited about the fact that my Heavenly Home is going to be more secure and more comforting and more inviting than anything that I enjoy here. The fact is clear!  This world is not my home, I am just passing through! Thank you, God, for a great earthly home, and an amazing Church Home, and the fact that my Eternal Home is getting closer and closer! TO GOD BE THE GLORY! Stay Strong, Stay Focused…REMEMBER – THE BEST IS YET TO BE!!!

GRATITUDE

October 1         GRATITUDE               Psalm 92:1

Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;” (Psalm 92:1)

Many years ago, my pastor asked me to pick up one of our senior lady’s and bring her to church. Pastor Cook told me that she was a bit grumpy and difficult! I knew her, casually, yet I had no idea what an impact that this lady was going to make on my life. Miss Ruth had never married, and she took care of her parents and brother until they passed away, and she lived in the house that she was born in. The first Sunday morning that Kayla and I arrived, I was driving my truck, and I immediately saw that there was going to be an issue with her getting in the truck. I asked her to wait a moment, and I rushed back home and retrieved a stool for her to step up on. She climbed into the truck, and she was clutching her purse like I was going to take it from her. Kayla said, “Miss Ruth, that’s a pretty dress!” Her response was, “Yeah!” Wow! This was going to be something! Long Story Short… Miss Ruth lived a simple and lonely life. Her only contact with the world was her weekly trip to church. I discovered that Miss Ruth was different, yet she was the sweetest and most giving person that I had met. She lacked worldly goods, yet she offered so much more! Kayla and I developed a relationship with Miss Ruth, and we visited her on other days, besides Sunday. The one thing that you could count on is the fact that Miss Ruth was grateful! I filled in, in her Sunday School Class, on Sunday, and the class president asked Miss Ruth to have the opening prayer. Wow! I was shocked and tears began to well up in my eyes. Miss Ruth began her prayer with the prettiest words that I had ever heard, “Thank you, Lord, for the privilege to be here today. Thank you, Lord, for Brock and his girl! Thank you, Lord, for them bringing me here…” One of the dear ladies, in the class, told me, later, that she prayed that same prayer every time that she was called on to pray! In her struggles and in her isolation, this beautiful lady taught me a lesson! Regardless of the challenges and situations of life, we can always be Thankful! Miss Ruth, thank you for the privilege of having known you and to have called you FRIEND! Folks, NEVER MISS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AND TO BE THANKFUL FOR THE BLESSINGS OF GOD! Miss Ruth has gone on to Glory, yet her witness and her gratitude still exists, as an example for me to aspire to achieve! Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE!

BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 30, 2024

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:

TERESA MORGAN

MRS. TEMPIE WHITLEY

CONNIE BECHDOLT

“RESTORATION”

September 30          “RESTORATION”      Acts 3:19

Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”          (Acts 3:19)

On Monday, January 31, 2022, I lost the use and control of my left leg and experienced the reality of my left arm feeling heavy and difficult to control. There were so many thoughts, at the same time, cascading through my mind, and I thought about the possibilities that I might never “get back” what I had lost. Over the past two years, I stand in gratitude and awe for the amazing power and Grace of my God. In the light of my  experience, I thought about salvation and the reality of sanctification, and I understand that sanctification is truly, about “getting back” that which was lost! Sin entered the human experience, when Adam disobeyed God’s command, and, at that moment, we lost the relationship and fellowship with God, the Creator! PRAISE GOD! He loved us enough that He desired to reestablish what we had lost, and He sent Jesus to be the “Refreshing” power necessary to reestablish the Holy Relationship with Him. Friends, Peter, and John, in the Name of Jesus, had just healed the lame man, who was near the gate that is called “Beautiful!” This lame man “got back” that which he had lost, the strength in his legs! On Tuesday morning, February 1, 2022, I “got back” the strength in my left leg and I recognize the miracle in the reality of restoration! The doctors were amazed and glad that I had made, in their words, a miraculous recovery! Hear this please! The healing of the lame man gave opportunity for Peter to preach a sermon, and he did just that! His sermon is reality for us today! He said that we are to REPENT! He declared that we should turn from our sins and, through the shed blood of Jesus, stop our sinning! He went on to instruct the Jews that REDEMPTION was the result of their REPENTANCE through FAITH, and that they would be converted and would turn from their sin and would follow Jesus! His sermon concluded with the fact that, when we REPENT and we are REDEEMED, then RESTORATION occurs!! Hear me right now! My God had the power to heal the lame man’s legs, and He has the power to heal our sinful hearts, and He has the desire for you to be RESTORED, so why not ACCEPT His GIFT OF REDEEMING GRACE through JESUS CHRIST and RESTORE your RELATIONSHIP with GOD! From a personal perspective, I am grateful for my RESTORATION and RELATIONSHIP with my God, and I am excited and humbled by his restoration of the strength and control for my left leg. I pray that I will forever recognize His Power and Provision and that I will constantly be in a state of Praise and Gratitude for “Getting Back” that which I had Lost! TO GOD BE THE GLORY! Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE! (Re-Posting)

** POST SCRIPT: Yesterday afternoon, after the Saunders Memorial Service, I was in a local grocery store and there was a lady in front of me in the checkout line and she dropped her wallet and I reached down to collect her wallet for her, and she exploded on me! “Mind your own business! I don’t need a Trump supported helping me do anything!” I was shocked and a bit irritated that my actions were motivated by my upbringing, and not politics (How did she assume that I supported anyone)! As she turned to me, I saw several political pins on her blouse and before I could speak, she continued to berate me and to “assume,” because of my dress, my skin color and my accent, that I “Must” be one of those, according to her assessment, MAGA idiots! Discretion became the reality, and I quietly and calmly responded, “May God Bless You!” This hate filled example of entitled flesh told me to go @#^* myself! Then she turned her wrath on the young clerk as her EBT card was rejected! She “flipped out!” After what seemed like days, she finally completed her purchases, after demanding to see a manager, accusing him of treating her differently because of her skin color (the manager shared the same skin color) and she left the building, ranting and fuming and using colorful language to describe everyone in the store, vowing that she would never return to this establishment! Wow! I looked at the clerk and she was about to cry! “Sweetheart don’t let that woman cause you any grief or challenges! She has a problem and the ‘chip’ on her shoulder will continue to be an issue and she, apparently, enjoys being a ‘pain’ to all that she encounters!” I completed my purchase, and as I walked to my vehicle, this woman was chastising a young lady, in the parking lot, and she was screaming that the lady had parked too close to her car and that she was going to call the police, if she could find one that wasn’t prejudice! Sadly, this is the attitude and behavior that we are experiencing in our culture and the Satanic influences are causing individuals to act and to behave in an INSANE Manner! I got into my car and sat, staring at this evil woman and I began to pray for this “Possessed” individual. Last night, before bed, I prayed for her again, and again this morning, and I plan to continue to pray for this sad and deeply troubled soul! Pray with me for those that are living in the misery of unrepented sin and the idea that they are offended by life itself! (You can’t make this kind of stupidity up!!) Love your Neighbor… Boy oh Boy, often it is not easy!

BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 29, 2024

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:

THAD CREECH

CAROLYN YOUNG