Just A Thought! - By Pastor Mark Agan

Can God Trust You With His Silence?

2012-01-04T06:53:00.000-08:00

It is always exciting when we get to begin a new year. A new year brings with it new opportunities that we must seize. Sometimes I feel like the Apostle Paul when he said in Phil. 3:13, "...forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before."

For some, the end of 2011 brought them to the close of a year full of heartache and troubles. For some, they are still waiting on God to answer prayers they were praying in 2011. Why is it that God seems to delay in answering our prayer? Well, if your prayer has not been answered yet, you are not alone. This very thing happened in John 11 when Lazarus died and Jesus seemed to delay in coming to the rescue with the desired answer they were praying for.

The Bible says in John 11:5-6, "Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was."

So, a family member had died but this was not just any family member. This was a close friend of Jesus. I'm sure they felt that Jesus would quickly drop everything He was doing and rush to prevent this great friend from dying. What they didn't realize was that Jesus had a greater plan in mind. When they prayed, all they got was silence. But what they didn't understand was that sometimes God's silences ARE His answers!

Think about it. It takes much more faith to trust Him when we CAN'T see Him working but the reward can be experiencing a greater revelation from God. Not everyone got to see Jesus raise their loved one from the dead, but Mary and Martha did!

So, the question for us is this...can God trust us with His silence? Does God know we will trust Him no matter what, or does he know that we have to know every little detail before we will trust Him...which, by the way, is not really trust.

Has God been silent with you lately? Just keep praying. Keep on trusting. Keep on believing that God is doing something wonderful behind the scenes that he will reveal in His own time.

Welcome To Our Newest Staff Member!

2011-11-01T17:52:00.000-07:00

On October 19, the church unanimously voted to call Bro. Tyler Chandler as our Youth & Assistant Pastor. Bro. Tyler is the son of Bro. Rick & Mrs. Kay Chandler who pastors in Graham, NC. He attended West Coast Baptist College in Lancaster, California, under the ministry of Dr. Paul Chappell and was able to serve in various ministries while there in college.

We are excited about having Bro. Tyler on staff at Community. He has a heart for young people and a desire to teach them to have a heart for God.

I believe the addition of Bro. Tyler will only expand what God will be able to do here at Community Baptist Church!

Say What?

2011-08-29T06:30:00.000-07:00

Deut. 3:24 – O Lord GOD, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might?

Moses made an amazing statement here when he said, "O Lord God, thou has begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand:" Say what? Moses, are you telling me that you have only seen the 'beginning' of God's greatness and might?

You have to understand, when Moses said this, he was at the end of his life. Up to this point in his life,

He had heard God speak to him out of a burning bush.
He saw God send the ten plagues upon the land of Egypt.
He saw God part the Red Sea for the children of Israel to pass over.
He saw God lead the children of Israel with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
Twice, he saw God give water out of a rock.
He saw God give them manna every day for forty years.
He saw God defeat armies that were much greater and more skilled than they.

He saw all of this and more, and still he says that he had only begun to see the greatness and might of God. In other words, God still had more greatness and might that He could reveal if Moses had more time to live. This should encourage us!

I doubt that anybody reading this article has seen God do this much in their life. Not that God couldn't do it, but He simply has not had the opportunity to show this level of greatness and might. God wants to show His greatness and might in our life, but we must give Him the opportunity to do so. The only reason why Moses saw all of these things is because he stepped out by faith and trusted God. The biggest reason we don't see God’s greatness and might in a greater way is because we have not stepped out in a greater way.

God will only reveal His greatness and might to the degree of our faith. BUT, to whatever degree you HAVE seen God's greatness and might in your life, let me remind you that you have only BEGUN to see it! Praise the Lord, what we have seen God do here at Community Baptist Church is just the BEGINNING of what God wants to do here!

Believing Is Seeing

2011-06-11T12:42:00.000-07:00

Psalm 27:13 says, "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living." David said "I would have fainted unless I had believed."
The world says has it backwards. They say, "I will believe it when I see it." That was Martha's problem. Lazarus, her brother, had been dead and in the grave for four days. But Jesus said to her in John 11:40, "Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" Thomas said, "Seeing is believing," but Jesus said, "Believing is seeing."
David said that had he not believed to see, then he would have fainted. There are many Christians today who are fainting because they are waiting to SEE before they will BELIEVE.
Jesus also said in Matt. 21:22, "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." Could it be that we are not receiving more because we are not believing God for more?

What Do You Want Me To Do?

2011-01-31T06:21:00.000-08:00

In Acts 9, we find the story of Saul on the Damascus Road. Saul was not looking to have a religious "experience". In fact, he was on his was to stop those who were following Christ and hopefully wipe out Christianity. Like every sinner, he is going along thinking he has life by the tail. He is in charge of his life. Then all of the sudden he encounters the LIGHT from heaven. God uses this light to get Saul's attention, and get his attention it does!

It would have been scary enough to SEE a light that bright at noon time (According to Acts 22:6), but he also HEARD the light speaking! See, he not only encountered the LIGHT from heaven, he also met the LORD of heaven!

It is interesting to note that when he really encountered the LORD, it stopped him in his tracks! Verse 4 says, "he fell to the earth." I believe the Bible teaches that if a sinner truly encounters the LORD, they will stop doing what they are doing! It bothers me to see people who claim to have gotten saved yet their life has not changed one bit. My Bible tells me in 2 Cor. 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." For some, their lifestyle never changed because the "old things" never "passed away."

But here is where I believe Saul evidenced a true conversion experience; I believe it is found in verse 6 when he said, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Many people today are too busy TELLING God what THEY want to do and what they want HIM to do for THEM. Instead we need to be saying, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"

One of the greatest evidences a person has truly been born again is they will want to live for God. Jesus said in John 14:15, "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

See, the real issue with many today is simply this: they have a heart problem. It is easy to come to church, lift your hands during the worship songs, sway back and forth and shed a tear while you sing about loving God. What I want to know is, ARE YOU KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS? That is where the REAL evidence is at!

Many people want Jesus as their SAVIOR--they do not want to go the hell. But they do not want Him as their LORD. To have Him as their LORD means he controls every aspect of their life.

They have ACCEPTED Him as SAVIOR,, but have never ACKNOWLEDGED Him as their LORD. That is why they live like they do. They might be a believer, but they are living like an unbeliever.

Start asking God, today, "What do you want me to do?"

Talking To A Sheep

2011-01-02T10:58:00.000-08:00

You can tell a lot about a person spiritually by how they respond to rebuke. In Matthew 7, Jesus speaks of two types of people.

1. The Hypocritical Believer
The favorite Bible verse of some people is Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” They believe Jesus is saying that we are never to judge anyone for anything. But that cannot be right because later in verse 5 Jesus said, “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.”

Jesus was warning against hypocritical judgement. He said, “Take care of the sin in your life before you try to help someone with the sin in their life." Then He mentions the second type of person.

2. The Hardened Unbeliever
Matthew 7:6 “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.”

Two types of animals are mentioned in this verse—dogs and swine. We know this is referring to an unbeliever, because 1) Back in verses 3-5 he is referring to a “brother.” 2) Dogs and swine always represent unclean animals. God’s children are sheep, not dogs and swine.

Jesus said that a believer will respond correctly to loving rebuke, but not a hardened unbeliever. They will no more appreciate loving rebuke than swine appreciate pearls. It does no good to rebuke a hardened scorner. Throw a pearl to a swine and he will resent it as much as if you had thrown a stone at him.

True believers will have a tender heart when they are rebuked. When Nathan confronted king David about his sin, David didn’t get mad at Nathan. He said, “I have sinned.” On the other hand, there have been some who I had to rebuke who, even though they ‘professed’ to be a Christian, they responded to rebuke just like a hardened unbeliever would.

So, pastor, the next time you are faced with a professing Christian who will not respond biblically to your loving rebuke, take heart. You are probably not talking to a sheep.

One Good Thing About Church Division

2010-12-17T08:46:00.000-08:00

We’ve all heard about it and if you have been in church for very long you have probably experienced it. I am talking about division in the church.

I do not believe it is the Lord’s will for there to be division in any church. Division, cliques, gossiping and complaining in the church have done more to hurt the cause of Christ and hinder unsaved people from coming to church than about anything else I can think of.

So, the question is, “Can any good come out of church division?” Surprisingly, as I have been preaching through the book of 1 Corinthians, I found that the Apostle Paul said there is.

1 Corinthians 11:18-19
18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

Paul says that while God does not desire for there to ever be division, He does allow it for a reason. “What is the reason?” you ask. The word “approved” in verse 19 is a word used in testing metals to see if they are genuine.

Paul is saying that when division does occur in the church, it causes the genuine (approved) believers to stand out that much more. Think of it this way, when everything is going smoothly and everyone is getting along, it may be difficult to tell if unbelievers are in the church. It is only when division occurs and sides are taken that the true, genuine believers stand out as those taking a stand for righteousness.

So, along with this revelation comes a warning. If you are a true believer, you should NEVER take part in church division of any kind. Many times, the division comes about because the true nature of unbelievers is being revealed. Therefore, if a believer sides with the troublemakers, they are in fact identifying themselves with them and will be judged with them.

1 Corinthians 1:10
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Though we are all different and unique and all have different opinions about things, as believers we are commanded to come together with the same mind and same judgement. We can do this because we are coming together with God’s mind and His judgement, not ours.

Church unity does not come through our different opinions. Church unity comes when all agree on what God says in his Word.

Get Your Outlook From Your Uplook

2010-11-28T12:02:00.000-08:00

In Psalm 42 & 43, it is easy to see that the psalmist was very discouraged. Discouragement and depression is something that affects everyone at some time or another. I preached this morning from these two chapters; about what we need to do when we face discouragement and depression.

Remembers, even great men of God such as Moses, Elijah and Jeremiah faced discouragement. If they faced it, then it should not be a surprise when we do, too. So, how can we avoid living in depression?

1. Stop Looking At "YOURSELF" & Start Looking A "GOD".
There are 51 personal pronouns the psalmist uses all throughout these two chapters. Words like "I", "me" and "my." He had gotten to the place where all he thought about was himself! Do you know anyone like that?

God just might be allowing that trial in your life to get your eyes back on Him. Therefore, the most important thing about your trial is not "THAT" you get out of it, but "WHAT" you get out of it.

2. Stop Looking At the "PAST" & Start Looking At the "FUTURE."
There is nothing wrong with looking at the past, as long as you see God in your past. But we should not let our past define our present and especially our future!

3. Stop Searching For "PREMISES" and Start Resting On His "PROMISES."
Some people cannot move forward because they are waiting for God to answer all their questions. Just because God has all the answers doesn't mean He is obligated to share them with us!

In fact, there are a couple of reasons God may chose NOT to give you an answer:

Sometimes, answers only lead to more questions. -- God knows that even if He answered your question, you would still not be satisfied.
Sometimes, the ANSWERS can hurt more than the QUESTIONS! -- it might hurt more to know the truth which might be that our sin is what caused the mess we are in!

Just keep your eyes on Jesus. Circumstances will let your down. People will let your down. But God's Word will NEVER fail you!

What Is Your Answer?

2010-11-15T04:46:00.000-08:00

There comes a point in everyone’s life when they must answer the question “What will I do with Jesus Christ?”

Elijah, up on Mount Carmel, gathered all the false prophets of Baal together along with all of Israel and said in 1 Kings 18:21, “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him...”

They were undecided and they needed to make a decision. The heathen there needed to decide between accepting the true God or rejecting the true God. But interestingly, the heathen were not the only people to whom Elijah was speaking. Verse 19 says that all of Israel was gathered there as well.

See, the question was to Israel, too. They were just as guilty at times of mixing worship of idols with worship to the true God and Elijah was saying to them, “How long are you going to ride the fence? It is time, now, to stop this nonsense and make a choice. Either follow the true God or go follow Baal, but you can’t follow both!”

Sadly, we see the very same thing, today. How many professing Christians do you know who go Monday through Saturday basically worshipping some idol in their life; something that is more important to them than God is. Then on Sunday (if they even bother to show up at all) they come to church to worship Jesus Christ.

The question to them is the same, “How long halt ye between two opinions?” Decide, today, to follow the LORD with all your heart, soul and mind.

Are You Flying First Class?

2010-11-07T10:15:00.000-08:00

Rom 8:5 "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit."

When a person trusts Christ as their Savior, it is like a person boarding a plane. Everyone who has a ticket can board the plane but you can either choose to fly economy or first class.

Now, everyone on that flight is going to the same destination and will get there the same time. But on every flight there are some who will enjoy their trip more than others.

Likewise, there are many who have trusted Christ as their Savior but because they are living in the flesh, they are not enjoying their Christian life like those who are living after the Spirit.

“What’s the difference” you ask? It is a difference between life and death! Rom 8:6 "For to be carnally minded is death...” Every thing a carnal believer touches will bring the kiss of death to it! He may be a Sunday School teacher, but if he is a carnal believer, his class will be dead. They may sing specials, but if they are carnal, their singing will only be filled with fleshly emotions but will be void of the Holy Spirit’s power.

On the other hand, Paul says, (v.6b) “but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” In other words, just the opposite is also true. You take a spirit-controlled teacher and put him in a dead class and he will bring life to it.

One of the greatest hindrances to the cause of Christ is when the world sees a believer living and acting like the world. No wonder Paul goes on to say in (v.8) “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to settle for being an economy-class Christian, I’m ready to fly first class!

You Can't Be Serious?

2010-10-28T05:24:00.000-07:00

You can’t be serious! “Oh, but I am” you say? Well, let’s just see how serious you really are. The Apostle Paul gives us a glimpse into how serious he was about living the Christian life when he said in 1 Cor. 9:26, “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:”

The word “uncertainly” means Paul had a clear understanding of the Christian life and what he was up against. He was determined to be a winner and win the prize. Many Christians do not seem to have this understanding.

Imagine an Olympic athlete showing up to compete and he hadn’t even bothered to train. He would be a disgrace to his team and to his country. Many Christians have become a disgrace to their church AND to the LORD

Why? Because they have a casual, indifferent, lackadaisical attitude toward the Christian life. A true athlete’s attention is focused on one thing – WINNING! He is not focused on the cheerleaders. He is not focused on the crowd and he is not focused on the cameras.

What Paul was trying to convey to the believers at Corinth is true, today, as well. Christians, today, are too easily distracted. A rainy day is all it takes to keep some home from church. A concert, their child’s ball game, or a chance to go fishing is all it takes to divert their attention from what really counts.

Why? Paul said it is because they are not in the race to win. All they are doing is playing games. Paul said, “I am not playing games, here. I am in this race to win it. I am in the ring fighting the enemy with all I’ve got!”

Why should we give everything we’ve got? Because there are eternal rewards at stake! Paul reminded them in (v.25) “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.”

He said that when an athlete strives to master his event, he is going to be “temperate in all things.” That means he will exercise some self-control and restraint in every area of his life so that he might be the best he can be.

The trouble is, many believers exercise very little restraint in their Christian life. The first desire that pops into their head is what they follow after. Why? Because they have quit striving for the mastery. They are not interested in running an effective race. They are not interested in winning any prizes. They have become more consumed with having a “corruptible crown” today than striving for an “incorruptible” crown later.

So, are you really serious? Are you IN it to WIN it? If not, get back in the race, today. After all, the Christian life is not a spectator sport!

Can A Person Change?

2010-10-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

The following is an excerpt from Sunday morning's sermon, but I felt it was something that others needed to read. Many times when a person loses their temper and reacts out of anger, they might say something like, "That's just the way I am." Or they might say, "I can't help it and I can't change." So the question is "Can a person change?" Consider the following:

1. The Bible says that change IS possible for a believer. In fact, the Bible says that if you are truly a Christian then you have ALREADY been changed! 2 Cor. 5:17 says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." The whole reason Christ came to die for our sin was to change us.

2. We must do OUR part to change. Verses like Eph. 4:22-24, Eph. 5:1-21, and Col. 3:1-17 specifically tell us that change is not only possible but it our responsibility. Rom. 8:29 tells us that as a believer we have been predestined to be "conformed to the image of His Son." To be conformed to something means change must occur. So, when we see an area of our life that does not glorify God, that area must change.

Heb. 12:1 says we are to "..lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us." It is OUR responsibility to lay them aside. It is OUR responsibility to change.

3. Change is possible with God's help. Phil. 2:13 says, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." You cannot change in your own strength, but fortunately we do not have to. When you trusted Christ as your Savior, the Holy Spirit came to dwell inside you and will give you the strength to change.

If someone says, "I just cannot help myself. There is no way I can change." They might just be indicating the real problem. They just might be revealing that they cannot change because they do not have the Holy Spirit indwelling them and that is the problem.

I am so glad that God never commands us to do something that He does not give us the power to do. We CAN change for His glory!

Don't Get Mad, Get Glad

2010-10-11T06:04:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had someone who just got on your last nerve? I mean it just seems they know exactly what to do to just irritate the fool out of you. How do you handle someone like that?

Yesterday I was preaching about Hannah in 1 Samuel 1. The Bible says she had an adversary who just loved provoking her because she could not have children. But Hannah decided early that the one weapon she had in her arsenal was more powerful than anything her attacker could hurl at her. It was PRAYER!

Hannah prayed in spite of her ADVERSARY. 1 Sam. 1:6 "And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb." She made a decision to give it to God. We all have adversaries but what how we respond to them makes the difference. Hannah didn't pout or pitch a fit, she prayed.

Hannah prayed in spite of her ATTITUDE. 1Sam. 1:6 "And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret..." The words used here means "angry" and "irritated." Then verse 10 says she was also getting bitter. She was getting a bad attitude because her adversary would not let up. So, what did she do? She prayed! (v.10) "And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore."

Hannah prayed in spite of her AFFLICTION. 1Sam. 1:11 "And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid..." The word "affliction" has a meaning of depression. Things had gotten so bad that her irritation which led to her anger and bitterness had now grown into full-blown depression! So how did she get back at her adversary? What underhanded trick did she pull to exact revenge? Verse 12 tells us, "..she continued praying before the LORD..."

What? How can you pray when you are angry, irritated, bitter and depressed? Someone has said, "When it seems hardest to pray that is when we need to pray the hardest." If there's one lesson I take away from this it is this: She kept praying even when she didn't see an answer in sight!

So many times, we pray but when we do not see immediate results we stop praying. Her prayers did not immediately change her circumstances, BUT it did change HER in the circumstances! See, sometimes God's plan might not be to calm your storm. His plan might be to calm YOU in the storm.

So, don't get mad...get glad! Keep on praying. Don't give up!

Will You Look At The Time?

2010-10-07T04:54:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed when someone gets caught up in a conversation that takes them longer than expected they look down at their watch and say, "Will you look at the time?" Why? Because they have just realized that time has slipped away from them.

In 1 Corinthians 7, the Apostle Paul is basically saying the same thing to believers. He says there are two things that we, as believers, can look at that will tell us what our priorities should be in this life.

He first says, LOOK AT THE CLOCK. (v.29) "But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;" The word 'short' means contracted. It is used only one other time in the New Testament and that is referring to when Ananias dropped dead from God's judgment and the the young men "wound him up."

What is Paul saying? He is saying that we need to look at the time and realize time is short, it is about to be wrapped up! And because time is about to be wrapped up he says that "both they that have wives be as though they had none;" In other words, our HUMAN relationships should not take priority over our HEAVENLY relationship with Christ. Then, notice what he goes on to say...

(v.30a) "And they that weep, as though they wept not;" - Are you going to let some PAIN or some tragedy in your life keep you from serving God? If so, you will never serve God because life is full of pain and tragedy.

(v.30b) "..and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not;" - Are you going to let PLEASURE in your life keep you from serving God? While some allow bad things to hinder them, others let good things hinder them. When life is good they do no need God.

(v.30c) "..and they that buy, as though they possessed not;" - Are you going to let POSSESSIONS in your life keep you from serving God? Many a man has allowed his business or work to hinder his walk with God.

Then Paul says, LOOK AT YOUR CLOSET. (v.31) "And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away." It is ok to use this world in a way that glorifies God but many abuse it by going too far and they start worshiping the creation instead of the Creator. But ultimately Paul is reminding us to not get too attached to this world because "the fashion of this world passeth away." He says to just look at your closet and just as the fashion of this world passes away, so is time passing away.

What are you doing for Christ? Live for him, today!

Can A Christian Be Demon-Possessed?

2010-10-04T06:57:00.000-07:00

Last night I preached on "Demonic Angels." It seems that people have little problem believing God and angels exist, but seem to think that Satan and demons are just a myth.

The Bible not only teaches that there is a devil, but that he has great power, too. In fact, Ephesians calls him the "prince and power of the air." We also see his power in Luke 4 where he tried to tempt Jesus. Luke 4:5-6 says, "And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it."

Many Christians make the mistake of thinking that Satan has no power. If he can get you to think he has no power, then you will let your guard down and THAT is when he will attack. That is why the Apostle Paul said in 1 Cor. 10:12 "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."

So, the BIG question is, "Can a Christian ever be demon-possessed?" The answer is a resounding "NO" and here's why.

The Bible says in 1 Cor. 3:16 "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" So, when a person trusts Christ as their Savior, the Holy Spirit immediately takes up residence in them. Jesus said, in Matt. 12:29, "..how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house."

Satan cannot possess a child of God because he would first have to overthrow ("bind the strong man") the Holy Spirit living inside you and he does not have the power to do so because 1 John 4:4 says, "..greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."

So, as a believer, we should not be worried about being possessed by the devil, but rather what we SHOULD be concerned about is being filled with the Spirit. "Why is that important?" you ask. Because, although Satan cannot possess a believer, he can oppress us and hurt our effectiveness for Christ. "So how can I make sure I am not oppressed by Satan?" you ask. I believe James give us the answer.

James 4:5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

1. Confess any sin and pride in your life. (v.6)
2. Submit yourself to God. (v.7a)
3. Resist the devil. (v.7b) - this sound obvious, but how times have we fallen to temptation without a fight?
4. Draw nigh to God. (v.8)

Stay Right There

2010-09-30T04:57:00.000-07:00

When a person becomes a Christian, how far should he go in changing his lot in life? Should he divorce his unbelieving spouse? Should he stop working for his unbelieving employer? The church at Corinth had the very same questions and the Apostle Paul answers three different times in 1 Corinthians 7.

Paul sums up his answer in 1 Corinthians 7:24 by saying, "Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God." In other words, Paul is saying in whatever circumstances of life you find yourself when you become a Christian, begin to live for Christ right there where you are.

Remember, Paul is also speaking to some who were saved as slaves. They were still in slavery when they trusted Christ as their Savior. What should they do? The answer is the same. (v.21) "Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather." Paul said, "If you are a slave, 'care not for it' or "don't worry about it, just begin right where you are as a slave and serve the Lord until He allows you to be free."

This is a great truth that will help anyone who finds himself or herself in a job or situation they think is unbearable. Do not use it as an excuse to not serve God. Paul is saying, "You can live for God in the most horrible of circumstances, that of slavery."

How? (v.22) "For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant." He reminds them that though they may be a slave to man, they are now in fact the Lord's "freeman." That word "freeman" means purchased by God. That is why in the very next verse Paul says, "Ye are bought with a price..."

"Whether you are a slave or free; whether you are in good circumstances or bad", Paul says, "If you will serve Christ right where you are until He changes your circumstances, He will bless you and just might possibly USE you to bring about change in others around you.

"But how can I continue to bear this unbearable circumstance?" Paul answers that question by bringing us back full circle to our original verse, (v.24) "Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God."

Any circumstance is bearable when God is there with us! Just ask the three Hebrew children. So, STAY RIGHT THERE and let God work through you!

Put The Fear Of God Into Your Home!

2010-09-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

Someone said, "Marriage is an institution in which a man loses his Bachelor's degree and the woman gets her Master's." While one can often find humor in marriage, the truth about the matter is that homes everywhere are under attack.

Last Sunday I began a new sermon series on the home and I preached on: "Three Materials Every Home Needs." You can listen to the sermon HERE.

While there is nothing simple about husband/wife relationships and what it takes to have a successful marriage, I believe that God has given to us some simple instructions in His Word that will heal and help every marriage.

Ephesians 5:21 says, "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God." This may be a small verse but it packs a powerful punch! The Apostle Paul said that every home needs "the fear of God." Think about it, when every member of the home is living in "the fear of God" and they are submitting themselves to God, then they will have no difficulty in submitting themselves "one to another."

The reason many children have not submitted themselves to their parents, is because they have not first submitted themselves to the Lord. Likewise, a wife will not submit to her husband and a husband will not submit himself to his wife if they have not first submitted themselves unto the Lord.

Homes are chaotic and falling apart because there is no "fear of God" anymore. The one thing that would get your home and marriage back on track is if you once again put the fear of God into your home!

The Most Honored Guest

2010-09-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

I am still amazed at how God blessed our 911 Honor Service last Sunday. Every year it just seems to get better and better. I want to thank all of the members of Community Baptist Church who worked so hard, and in some cases almost none-stop, to make this day such a blessing and a success. As I told our church on Sunday night, a day like this does not happen by accident. It takes much preparation, planning and most of all, prayer. But what a blessing to see what God can do when we turn it all over to Him!

We had 262 in attendance and the place was packed! The choir did an outstanding job singing and you could feel the Holy Spirit moving from the first song all the way through to the invitation when three people, including a police office, trusted Christ as their Lord and Savior!

Our special speaker was Bro. Brian Stewart. Bro. Brian is a former Georgia State Trooper and he did a great job sharing how the Lord got his attention and saved him and is now using him to reach others in law enforcement for Christ. You can see read about his ministry at: www.reachingcops.com

I am thankful for the Sheriff and Siler City Police Chief who came to show their support as well as the many other law enforcement officers, Firefighters and EMS. One of our police officers brought his entire shift with him and they had just gotten off their 12-hour shift!

Yes, we had many honored guests here, Sunday, but the MOST honored Guest Who showed up was the Holy Spirit!

When Trouble Comes

2010-09-07T05:01:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed that as soon as you decide to do right, things start going wrong? It seems that sometimes when trouble comes, it comes in a BIG way! David said in Ps. 34:19, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous..." David knew a little something about trouble. In fact, he wrote Psalm 34 when he had been seized by the Philistines at Gath. Does Gath sound familiar? It should. The great giant Goliath whom David slew was from Gath. He had killed their champion and now they are wanting to kill him! So, like us many times, not long after his big TRIUMPH David found himself in big TROUBLE!

So what did David do? What was going through his mind? Well, he tells us what he did and what we should do when trouble comes. Psalm 34:1 - "I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.." "You are going to do what, David?" David said, "I will bless the LORD..." David didn't say he FELT like blessing the Lord. Sometimes it takes an act of the will to do what is right. Sometimes it takes an act of the will to go on to church even when you don't feel like it. Sometimes it takes an act of the will to read your Bible and pray even when you don't feel like it.

If you are like me, when you are down you want everyone else to be down with you. Not David. When he was down he encouraged others. He encouraged them to praise the Lord, too! (v.3) "O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together." The word "magnify" means to enlarge something. David was saying, "Let's start magnifying the Lord. We cannot make the Lord any bigger than He already is, but we can start seeing Him bigger than anything else in our life."

Are you surrounded by trouble, today? Decide to start blessing the Lord. Get back to church. Get back to your Bible and begin magnifying Him!

God Wants Full Custody

2010-08-30T07:18:00.000-07:00

There was a church sign that read "God wants full custody, not just weekend visitations."

Yesterday, Bro. Ed Gibson preached for us and used that saying in his message and what a truth it is. It never ceases to amaze me how people can say they love God with ALL their heart yet they do not show they Him enough love to even come back to His house on Sunday night!

We are lacking, today, believers who will be totally committed to God. Some say, "People are just not committed anymore." I don't know that I believe that statement. I submit to you that people are very much committed today....they are just committed to the wrong things!

The Bible says in Matthew 15:8 "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me."

If that doesn't describe the day in which we live, I do not know what does.

The Bible also says in Hebrews 10:25 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

Folks, we are to be MORE committed to God and His house the closer we get to the Lord's coming. Stop giving God your left-overs. Stop only giving Him weekend visitations. He wants FULL CUSTODY!

Beginning At Jerusalem

2010-08-26T04:03:00.000-07:00

This month has been a month of focusing on missions, particularly "Reaching the Unreached." The apostle Paul said in Rom 15:20, "Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named..."

What an awesome task, yet such a fulfilling task that we could partner with God to get the gospel to those who have NEVER heard of Jesus Christ! What? Never heard? We cannot imagine such a thing in America.

Last Sunday I preached on "Beginning At Jerusalem" and my text was Luke 24:47 "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

While there may be few around Siler City who have NEVER HEARD, there are still MANY who haven't believed. Let's make sure that while we reach across the world, we also go across the street and make Christ known!

"Who is my mother?"

2010-08-10T04:41:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we allow GOOD things to keep us from the BEST thing.

In Matt. 12:46-50, Mary and Jesus' brothers came to see Him, but Jesus (knowing their intentions) did not allow even His family to interrupt His ministry.

In fact, He goes so far as to say, 48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Jesus did not allow them to hinder His ministry. He had not lost affection for His human family, he was simply putting them in their proper place or priority.

It is sad to see how many are doing just the opposite today. They let every little family get-together keep them from their ministry and service to God.

Thank God for our family. But can we really ask God to bless us when we allow things to come before Him? Just a thought.

Ahoy Mates!

2010-06-16T16:25:00.000-07:00

Well, our Vacation Bible School is underway and is growing every night! Our theme this year is "Treasure Hunt" and the auditorium has been transformed into a Caribbean island, complete with a bamboo hut and a life-size ship that's run ashore. Each night the kids have had a surprise visit from the unknown, mysterious pirate who is out to steal the treasure. By the end of the week, he will find out that God's treasure (Salvation) can't be stolen or even bought because it is a free gift. I am so thankful for Bro. Dan and all the hard work both he and our many adults and teens have put into making this week such a success!

Friend Day Weekend

2010-04-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

What a weekend we just had! For months we have been praying, preparing and advertising our Friend Day with Dr. Bobby Brindle (The World's Smallest Evangelist.) The Lord truly blessed us with three great services this past weekend. On Saturday night, we had a Teen Youth Rally and had several other churches come, including a teen ensemble from Bailey's Grove Baptist Church in Asheboro who sang for us and did a great job. Then Dr. Brindle preached a sobering message on "Flee Fornication" and when the invitation was given, the altars were filled! Sunday, April 25, was even more exciting! Our choir did a fabulous job singing and you could sense the presence of the Lord sweep over the auditorium! Sunday morning ended with people in the altar and two people joined the church! What a blessing it is to be in a church where God is moving!

How's Your Heart?

2010-02-13T11:38:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Valentines Day, a day in which many people think about their sweethearts. It is a day symbolized by a heart. Although our hearts may appear similar physically, they may be very different spiritually. 1. Some Have A BROKEN Heart. Nothing will break a heart like sin. Sin will affect a person’s heart but it will not stop there. It will eventually affect everything a person does. If you have a broken heart, give it to Jesus. Only He can mend it. 2. Some Have A BURDENED Heart. Psalms 25:17 says, “The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.” Maybe your heart is burdened because of someone or a situation that is causing distress in your life. Jesus wants you to cast your burden upon Him so He can sustain you. 3. Some Have A BLESSED Heart. Psalms 28:7 says, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” The psalmist said that his help came from trusting in the LORD. Maybe you have found yourself in need of help but you have nowhere to turn. Turn to Jesus! Let Him become your strength and shield, then your heart can rejoice like the psalmists. Which heart describes you?

A Fresh Vision

2010-02-06T07:18:00.000-08:00

This morning we had a good time at our men's fellowship breakfast. We had a good time of fellowship, but as men, we ALWAYS have a good time eating! Before we ate, I challenged the men to get a fresh vision from God. I read from Acts 26 where Paul encountered the Lord on the Damascus Road. This vision of the Lord affected Paul and it will affect us, too. 1. A Fresh Vision Will STOP Us. Acts 26:13-14 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. ^[14] And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me... This vision stopped Paul in his tracks! Sometimes it is good for us to stop and re-evaluate our direction. A fresh vision from God will cause us to stop and re-evaluate our priorities. When Paul set out that morning, the LAST thing on his mind was serving God, but a vision from God changed his direction and his priorities. 2. A Fresh Vision Will STRENGTHEN Us. Acts 26:15-16 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. ^[16] But rise, and stand upon thy feet... A fresh vision will remind us that our strength comes from the Lord. Up until this, Paul was laying on the ground, but once God spoke to him, He said, "rise, and stand upon thy feet." A fresh vision will give us the strength to take a stand again and stand up for the Lord. 3. A Fresh Vision Will SEND Us. Acts 26:16 ...I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Paul's vision was not just to make him feel good or feel spiritual. God had a "purpose" for him. He was sending Paul to minister and be a witness for Him. 4. A Fresh Vision Will STRETCH Us. Acts 26:19-20 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: ^[20] But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. Paul would have never dreamed he would have gone to all those places as a witness for God, but God's vision stretched him and helped him become what he never would have become without it. We will never reach our potential if we do not allow God's vision to stretch us.

A Sermon In The Snow

2010-01-31T05:49:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 1:18 – Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. There is nothing as pure as the driven snow. When it snows, everything looks clean and pure again. A yard may be filled with dead grass and ugly bare spots before a snow, but when it is covered by the snow, even the ugliest parts look clean! Aren’t you glad that God can take the stain of sin in our life and make the ugly parts of our life clean and pure again? But for the stain of sin to be taken away, three must happen: 1. There Must Be A COMING – “Come now...” The dry-cleaner cannot clean a garment not taken to them. Likewise, God cannot cleanse a sin that has first not been brought to Him. Not only must we come with our sin, but we must “come now.” Don’t delay. Do not wait another moment. Before we can LEAVE clean, we must COME clean! 2. There Must Be A CONFESSING – “..let us reason together, saith the Lord.” God wants us to come to Him in honesty and see what He says about our sin. True confession is agreeing with God about your sin. 3. There Must Be A CLEANSING – “..though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” We can never be pure unless we have been cleansed. Some may apologize, but they have never repented and therefore the stain of their sin has never been removed. The good news is that the Lord has promised in 1 John 1:9 that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” All the good works in the world cannot remove your stain. Come to Christ, today and be made pure as the snow!

Using The Gift You've Received

2010-01-13T08:35:00.000-08:00

Christmas is over and many have returned gifts they received. Well, when it comes to the Christian life, the Bible says that every believer has received a spiritual gift. Do you know what your spiritual gift is? If not, you are not alone. Many Christians do not know what their spiritual gift is and as a result they are not using them to their fullest ability. Tonight we will begin a study on "Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts." This will be an exciting series as we look at the different gifts God gives and determine which one(s) God has given to us. I trust you will not miss a week!

321 In Attendance, 15 People Arrested!!!

2009-09-29T08:28:00.000-07:00

That's right...on Sunday, September 20, we had our 6th Annual 911 Honor Service where we honored Law Enforcement, Firefighters, EMS and all emergency services personnel. This is the biggest day of our year and our church did a super job planning and preparing for this day. I preached a message on "The Five Most Disturbing Things About Hell" and God really moved in the service. We had 321 people in attendance and 15 people were ARRESTED by the Holy Spirit of God and put their faith and trust in Christ as their Savior! I want to thank all those who labored and worked and prayed for this day. God has truly blessed us with a great church who loves people and has a heart to reach this community for Christ. I am blessed to be your pastor!

Whew! I'm Dizzy!!!

2009-07-17T06:36:00.000-07:00

We have just finished up one busy summer! We had a lot going on but I would rather be in a church that is active than one that it dead! We have had some exciting activities but the biggest blessing to me is the people we have seen saved. Seeing somone trust Christ as their Lord and Savior beats every activity put together! Of course, when we get right down to it, that is really the purpose of our activities; to reach people for Christ. Not only have we seen people saved in our services, but others are being saved during the week, as well. Recently, while our "GO" Outreach Team was on visitation and our Jeremiah Prayer Team was praying, Bro. Chris Stephens was able to lead his wife's 97 year old grandfather to the Lord! That is what it's all about, folks! I mentioned our prayer team, just now. When we began our new "GO" Outreach, we also started the Jeremiah Prayer Team. This group of people meet every visitation night and while others are out knocking on doors and witnessing, the Jeremiah Prayer Team is at the church praying for them and also for all the special prayer requests which have been turned in. If you have a special prayer request you would like for them to pray for, just go to our church website at www.cbcsilercity.com and click on the "Submit A Prayer Request" link. Or you can go directly to the site at www.CBCPrayer.com.

Give Me A "G"...Give Me An "O", What Does That Spell?

2009-05-06T07:20:00.000-07:00

It spells our new "GO" Outreach on Thursday nights! Our church is real excited over this new outreach ministry we have started, and I can't blame them! What a blessing it has been, to me as a pastor, to see people getting excited over ministering to others and reaching them for Christ. That is what Christianity is all about. To also help with outreach, we have some special events coming up that are very exciting. Our Homecoming is May 17. We have some special music along with a Bar-B-Q afterwards. Then, on June 7, we will be having "Help For The Hurting" Sunday with our special guest, Bro. John Bishop. You do NOT want to miss that Sunday! If you are a member of Community Baptist Church, let me encourage you to make sure you not only attend each of our special events throughout the summer, but invite someone to come with you. You may not realize this, but the last two people we've seen saved here at church came because someone invited them. Sometimes that is all it takes. I really believe if we will do OUR part, God will do HIS part!

Is That Really You?

2009-04-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

We just finished five great revival services beginning last Sunday morning! The music was up-lifting, the preaching was right on target and the altars were filled each service. What a blessing it is to see how the Lord is working in our church. We have such a wonderful spirit in our services. The purpose of revival is not to just have a speaker come in for a few nights. The purpose of revival is for God's people to get REAL with God! We just had a pictorial church directory made. As I looked through it, I realized that most everyone smiles when their picture is taken, even if they are not genuinely happy. We want to at least "look" happy. So many times the smiles are fake; just there to make the picture look better. As I thought about that, I wondered how many times that same attitude has crept into our Christian lives. When others look at us, they see someone who appears happy and loves God, but God knows the "real" us. He knows what is behind those fake smiles. We cannot fool him. Jesus said in Mark 7:6 "This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." How true that is of people in the church, today. They want everyone else to think they really love God, but when they do not get their way, their true colors show. Their heart is revealed. They are exposed for who they are. I realize I will never be perfect until I am in my glorified body, but until then, it is my desire to be real. I want to be a genuine Christian in church and away from church. I do not want my life to hurt the cause of Christ in any way. I want people to know that when they see me on Sunday, it is really me!

From Cell To Sale

2009-03-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

The Lord has blessed Community Baptist Church with some wonderful people with a heart for ministry. One of our members, Bro. Keith Johnson, ministers in the local nursing home and does a wonderful job. My youngest son, Anthony goes with him and plays the piano for him. That is what I used to do when I was a teenager and learning to play the piano. Of course back then I was still learning to play so my version of "Victory In Jesus" sounded somewhat similar to "She'll Be Coming 'Round The Mountain." But Anthony does a great job and I am proud of him. Then, my oldest son, Tyler, goes almost every Saturday with Bro. Lamont Green to our Jail Ministry. I also went and preached in the jail a few weeks ago. Last Saturday, they came back rejoicing because they had five men saved! What a blessing! Tyler led three of them to the Lord! Then Saturday night we had our annual "Love Auction." Church members donated all sorts of goods and items to be auctioned. We brought in some professional auctioneers to run our auction and we had a great time! Everything was bought and all the money went toward our benevolence fund to help needy families throughout the year. Psalm 41:1 says, "Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble." So, we literally went from Cell to Sale ministering for the Lord!

Bigger And BIGGER!

2009-02-06T11:04:00.000-08:00

Psalms 70:4 "Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified." To magnify something can either mean to "make something look bigger than it is" or "to see something as big as it is." Well, there is no way we can make God look bigger than He already is, so I believe what we need to be doing is seeing God as BIG as He already is! It is a wonderful thought to think that we serve a God Who is bigger than any problem or any person or an plan that comes against us. The people who love God and thank Him for their salvation will want to magnify Him. I must confess that too often I am guilty of magnifying my problems more than I magnify God. But I want my life to be centered around the fact that, as John said, "He must increase, but I must decrease." It is interesting to note that the more worldly a person becomes, the more they exalt themselves and everything is about them. Satan wants it that way because then the attention is taken off Christ. But the more we walk in the Spirit, the less we will lift ourselves up. As great a Christian as Paul was, he said that he was "less than the least of all saints." What a lesson we need to learn that everything is not always about us. It is not about making us look better. It is about exalting Christ and making Him look bigger and BIGGER!

Small In Man's Eyes; Big In God's Eyes!

2009-01-27T07:54:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, we were blessed to have Dr. Bobby Brindle with us. As you may know, he is known as "The World's Smallest Evangelist" but he is much more than that. He is a man of God and I am proud to say he is my friend. Dr. Brindle has a ministry to the Little People of America. If you would like to find out more about his ministry, you can visit his website at www.BobbyBrindle.com He spoke on Saturday night at our Men's Steak Fellowship and what a time we had! The physical food was great but the spiritual food was even better. Dr. Brindle was going to just give a devotion but ended preaching and as the men will tell you.....we were glad he did! Then on Sunday, Dr. Brindle preached a great message in the morning worship service and the people responded. All in all, it was a great time of hearing from God.

Out With The Old; In With The New

2008-12-29T07:21:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard the saying, "Out with the old; in with the new"? Well, sometimes that can be a good thing and sometimes it can be a bad thing. It can be a good thing when it comes to MATERIAL things. It is always exciting to get rid of those "old" clothes and get some "new" ones or trade that "old" car in for a "new" one. It can also be a good thing when it comes to MINISTRY in the sense that we should not be driven by the past but a by a vision for the future and what God wants us to strive for in this upcoming year. While I am thankful for what God has done for us in the past, and we should not forget it, I also want to be careful to not let the past hinder the future. There are many churches that do not seem to move forward because they are stuck always thinking about the way things "used to be." But while many times trading the old for the new can be a good thing, it can also be a bad thing. Change can be good unless it is change in the wrong direction. We must be careful to not trade the Word of God for any of the "new" teaching we are hearing today. God's Word still has the power it always has and God never changes; He will always honor things done His way. I hope as the new year dawns, you will make a resolution to ged rid of the old habits that kept you from serving God to your fullest ability last year and decide to commit yourself afresh and anew in 2009.

500 Tracts In About 15 Minutes!

2008-12-06T07:54:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday night our church took part in the Siler City Christmas Parade. It was a great opportunity to give out the gospel to people in our community. Last year they prepared 500 tracts but had alot left over because there were not that many people there. So, this year we decided to prepare 500 candy canes with gospel tracts tied to them just in case the parade was larger this year. Boy, were we surprised! The parade this year was over three times larger than last year's. There were so many people there that we gave out all 500 candy canes and tracts in about the first 15 minutes! We were way under prepared because we had no idea that many people would be there but we will be ready next year. It was sad to see the many lining the streets that we could have given the gospel to but were not able to. People were taking the tracts as fast as we could hand them out. What a great outreach opportunity. We came back rejoicing that even though we wish we had been more prepared, we were still able to give the gospel out to 500 more people than we would have otherwise. So, to God be the glory!

Are We Successful?

2008-11-24T06:34:00.000-08:00

One of the many jobs of a pastor is to continually evaluate your ministry to make sure it is staying on course and is balanced. One of the questions I often ask myself is, "Are we being successful?" I do not mean by the world's standards of course. But are we a success by God's standards. Last Saturday, we had a Men's Prayer Breakfast and we had a great time of fellowship and prayer. Bro. Mickey Gaines brought a great devotional and spoke to us from Joshua 1:8 where we find the only mention of "success" in the Bible. Joshua 1:8 saysm "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. " I can think of 101 things we need at our church, but none are more important than to be a success in God's eyes and I believe that cannot come apart from the Word of God. When the Word of God is preached then I believe we free the Holy Spirit up to work and move as He desires. On Sunday nights we have started taking time out of the service to pair up with one another and pray for each other. That has done more for the spirit of our services than anything else. Prayer works! God has begun to move. In the last month, we have seen eight people trust Christ as their Savior as a result of our church and ministries! If we will keep on doing our part, then God will surely do His. And that, my friend, is the secret to success.

The Million Dollar Pastor

2008-11-04T05:44:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday nights, I have been preaching a series on "Witnessing As A Lifestyle." We have been talking about looking for those divine appointments God gives us to be a witness whether it is simply giving someone a gospel tract or actually being able to present the gospel with someone. Sunday night after church, our family went out for something to eat. A lot of people from our church were at a local fast-food restaurant and we were going to go there but as I turned in, I noticed the parking lot was packed. So, I went to plan "B" which was to go across the street to another restaurant. There was hardly anyone there so we went in to eat. As we ordered, I talked with the cashier and she was telling me how hard she had been working all day so I handed her a gospel tract that looks just like a $1,000,000 bill. I said, "Maybe this will help." She turned around to the other workers and said, "Look what he just gave me!" Another worker came up and wanted one, too. I gave her one and then gave them both another tract from our church and told them I was a pastor. Our fries were not ready so she said she would bring them out to us. In a few minutes she came around the corner and said, "Where's that million-dollar pastor at?" She stood there and talked with me and I began to talk to her about the Lord and the importance of being in church. She had to go back to work but I told her to read the tract because it would tell her how she could go to heaven and that was worth MORE than a million dollars! I told my wife that I believe that was the reason the Lord did not want us at the other restaurant. Maybe God is preparing some circumstances for you to be a witness, too. Look for them everyday. You just might be surprised at the opportunities you will find.

What Should Concern Us?

2008-10-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

I know that politics is a touchy subject with some people so if you are one of those people then skip to the next article below! It really concerns me that what should concern us does not concern us! Ok, did that make any sense? What I mean is, it bothers me when I hear people who profess to be Christians talking about the presidential candidates and they are more concerned about the candidates' position on the economy than where the candidates stand on issues such as abortion or same-sex marriages. Unless I am reading my bible wrong, it says in Proverbs 14:34: "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people." That tells me that if we as a nation will stand right on the MORAL issues, God will take care of our MONEY issues. Now, I can't tell you who to vote for but I can tell you that I cannot vote for a man who values a woman's right over a child's life. Life does not belong to us. Life does not belong to the government. Life does not belong to the President. Life does not belong to the Supreme Court....life belongs to the SUPREME JUDGE, God! And if you think that God will bless this nation even if the president is ok with abortions and same-sex marriages, which Barack Obama is for, then that concerns me....and it should concern you.

Pastor Appreciation

2008-10-13T05:16:00.000-07:00

I was told that October is "Pastor Appreciation Month." Yesterday in the morning service, the church presented me with a special gift for Pastor Appreciation. They gave me a complete set of commentaries by John Phillips for the entire New Testament! What a blessing! The funny thing was....right before the service began I saw one of the commentaries laying on the shelf inside the pulpit and I asked my Assistant, Bro. Dan, if it was his and I commented that I have been wanting to get the entire set! I had no clue they were about to give them to me! If you are reading this and you belong to another church, I want to encourage you to show your appreciation to YOUR pastor, too. Be an encouragement to him and let him know you are standing behind him lifting him up as he leads the church. Years ago I had a preacher tell me that his church did not even get him a christmas card for christmas. How sad. It is no surprise that God finally led that man to another church who WOULD appreciate him. I want the members of Community Baptist Church to know how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness toward me as your pastor. It really means alot to me and you have this pastor's appreciation for Pastor's Appreciation.

Two In A Row

2008-10-03T08:52:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday nights I am preaching a series on "Witnessing As A Lifestyle" and we have been learning to look for the daily opportunities that come along to be a witness for Christ. It has been a blessing to see the different people each week who have begun to witness to others. Two weeks in a row now we have had someone make a public profession of faith at church! What a blessing! Last Sunday my dad and mom were able to be with us and my dad preached both services. In the morning service the altar was filled with people when the invitation was given. It is great to see people responding to the Word of God when it is preached. I am praying that seeing people walk the isle to get saved will be something we see happen every service.

"Good" and "Pleasant"

2008-09-22T04:56:00.000-07:00

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" - Psalms 133:1 Last night I preached from Psalms 133:1 on unity. It is interesting to note that the word "pleasant" means "attractive." In other words, there is something attractive about a church that is united together in one purpose and one goal. A.W. Tozer wrote, "Unity of the mind on the part of the people of God precedes the blessing. I have often heard people pray, ‘Oh Lord, send the Holy Spirit that we may become a united people.’ That is all right except it is precisely backwards. The Holy Spirit comes because we are a united people; He does not come to make us a united people." Our prayer should be, "Lord, help us to get united that the blessings might flow and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit might fall upon us!" A church without unity is like a car without gas. It might look good from the outside, but it will not go anywhere. Big buildings or a big youth group might draw people to the church, but it is unity that will keep them there. It is my desire that Community Baptist Church be a "good" and "pleasant" place to be because of the unity of God’s people.

Giving Honor To Whom Honor Is Due

2008-09-08T07:36:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was our 5th Annual 911 Honor Service. It was a day we set aside to honor all of the Emergency Services Personnel and what a great day it was! When all was said and done, we had 316 people who attended the service. Among those present was the Chief of Police, the Fire Chief and the Chatham County Sheriff, Mr. Richard Webster. Sheriff Webster presented me with a Sheriff's lapel pin and after that, I was looking forward to making my first citizen's arrest! Fortunately there was no need for that because everything went smoothly. I also want to thank the host of other police officers, fire-fighters and medical personnel that were present who made it the success it was. We are also grateful to the UNC Air Care team who supported our day by flying the UNC Air Care helicopter to our church. Most of all, I am thankful to the faithful and hard-working members of Community Baptist Church who are ultimately responsible for the success of our 911 Sunday. You made me look good and you made our church look good. But most of all you represented our Lord well!

Where Did The Power Go?

2008-08-28T07:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had a gully-washer! At least that is what we called it in Georgia. It rained so hard and so long that I was afraid we were going to have to begin a new "Ark-Building Ministry." Just before supper, the power went out and stayed out until later last night. I was amazed when church time came that we had about as many sitting there in a dark auditorium for church as we normally have on a Wednesday night when the power is on. We sang and had a great time as I preached by flashlight. As I thought about the power outage, I realized that we were aware the entire time that there was no power. We still sang like usual but we had no power. We made announcements as usual but we had no power. I preached as usual but we had no power. Do you see where I am going with this? Many churches meet every service as usual and they go through the same rituals week after week, but there is no power. The saddest part of all is that they do not even realize there is no power. I pray that there will never be a time at Community Baptist Church that we will meet and not have the power of God on all that we do. I do not want to look back one day and say, "Where did the power go?"

Jesus Was Our "MAINE" Mission

2008-08-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

As you know by now, we just returned from our Teen Mission Trip to Maine where we spent a week helping our missionary, Bro. Todd Bell, and the Calvary Baptist Church of Sanford, Maine. It was a tiring week but, to God be the glory, by the end of the trip we had seen many saved and others who were interested in the church, there. I was able to lead two teenage girls to the Lord and the next day one of them brought her cousin and SHE got saved! We spent the mornings visiting for VBS and the evenings knocking on doors inviting people to the Gospel Tent Meeting held each night. Bro. Bell is doing a terrific job there in Maine. It is a tough area and many are cold toward the gospel. Visitation there is much more difficult than in the South where people are a little more receptive. But God showed us He can even work in the tough areas, too. While out visiting one afternoon, we came across three teenage boys all dressed in black. At first glance they looked like the last ones you would expect to come to a tent meeting. But to our surprise they showed up! In fact, they even came back the next morning to VBS and my oldest son, Tyler and another young adult in our group, Bro. Travis, led two of those boys to the Lord! We have posted a DVD of our trip on our church web site. If you would like to see it, go to www.cbcsilercity.org and click on the "Photo Galleries" page and you will see a link to watch the DVD. What a blessing it is that God would use us to reach people in an area we have never been to. This trip has fired us up to come back and reach Siler City to the Lord. So, we plan to make it our "MAINE" mission down here, as well.

Which Way Did They Go?

2008-07-28T04:44:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen the t-shirt that has written on it: "I'm the leader, which way did they go?" Well, this past week was our Vacation Bible School and I think I needed one of those shirts! What a blessing it was to see kids (and even some adults) from all around our community coming to VBS each night. Even more amazing was the great way our workers were able to work with the large number of children and keep everything working smoothly. We began the week with a great crowd but each night it grew. Then, on Friday night, we had the largest crowd of the week! There were parents and kids everywhere enjoying themselves and having a great time. Our men, and young people, built an obstacle course for the kids that was a big hit all week long. And as you will see in the pictures on our church web site (http://www.cbcsilercity.org), it was also a hit with some adults, too! On Friday night we rented a huge rock-climbing wall along with a huge blow-up slide. I want to thank our Assistant Pastor, Bro. Dan Principe, for all of his hard work to make this all come together. His leadership and coordination of the entire week was what kept things going smoothly. We are very blessed to have Bro. Dan and his wife Mrs. Cherish here at Community Baptist Church. They are not only a blessing to this church, but also to me as their pastor. We are now preparing for our Teen Missions Trip to Maine coming up in a couple of weeks. Pray for us that we will be a blessing and that God will speak to OUR teens as well.

Our First Sunday

2008-07-14T17:29:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was my first Sunday as pastor of Community Baptist Church in Siler City, NC, and what a great day it was. The auditorium was filled with people but it was also filled with a spirit of excitement and anticipation. From the moment I first visited Community Baptist Church, I realized it is not the typical baptist church. There is a spirit of unity and love that you feel the moment you walk in the front door. The day began with everyone gathered into the auditorium for a special combined Sunday School hour where Bro. Harold Fletcher, who has been the Interim Pastor here, spoke to the entire church and challenged them as they prepare for their new pastor. Bro. Fletcher is a great man of God and was used greatly of God to help keep Community Baptist stable during the two months they were without a pastor. When I took the pulpit in the 11 o'clock service, I was ready to preach! The singing and the enthusiasm of the people had fired me up! Then the evening service ended with almost every person kneeling in the altar praying for our church. Pray for us as we begin our new ministry here. The devil is sure to fight because this church is excited and ready to get busy reaching Siler City and the surrounding areas with the gospel. To the members of Community Baptist, let me say what an honor it is to be your pastor. Thank you for all you have down to make us feel right at home. All the gifts, food, money and prayers all have shown us so much love on your part. Thank you!

Siler City, Here We Come!

2008-07-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

For over a year, now, we have been praying for God’s direction for our family. Recently, the Lord allowed our paths to cross with Community Baptist Church in Siler City, North Carolina. Although we have visited many churches, we felt right at home the moment we walked into Community Baptist Church. The people were so friendly and made us feel so welcomed there. The services were also a blessing to us. The music was uplifting and the spirit of the services was exciting. It is truly a blessing to be in a church where the people are excited about what God is doing and looking for God to do more! On June 29, the church voted unanimously to call me as the next pastor and I am honored to accept. We are now looking forward to getting there and getting settled so we can get busy for the Lord. Help us pray we can find the right house and get moved soon. We are excited and believe great days are ahead!

My Gender, My Choice?

2008-02-29T08:06:00.000-08:00

I do not know if you saw the Fox News report of the second grade boy who told his parents that he wanted to go to school dressed like a girl. I could not believe my ears. Of course, if you are one of the social "elite" who pride yourself on forcing everyone else to accept your bizarre and unnatural whims then you are in luck because there are no shortage of parents, teachers and even judges who are more than willing to cater to these sinful and ungodly behaviors. My first thought was the same as the reporter doing the story which was, "So what, the boy wanted to dress like a girl? Are we now allowing children to do everything they want just because it is their desire?" Since when did we start letting children, who should not even be sexual beings at that age to begin with by the way, dictate what they would and would not do. I remember wanting to do some things in school, too, like lean my chair back on the back two legs or chew gum in class but I was rightly told by the teachers that I was there to learn, not to teach. This child was there to learn, but instead has become the teacher; teaching us that we live in a society too scared to say "No, you can’t do that" because to do so would be to impose a moral judgement and you cannot impose a moral judgement without acknowledging a moral JUDGE! Now that they have said he should be allowed to dress like a girl, what will they say when he comes in one day saying he wants to dress like a baby, wearing only a diaper? Or what if he suddenly has no desire to dress at all? Where does it stop? Sadly, I feel it will not stop until the Lord returns to stop it, Himself! Even Governors are promoting it! California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently signed into law SB 777, making it unlawful to criticize homosexual, bi-sexual, and transsexual teachers. Isn’t it ironic that the world says we should each live by our own moral code. In other words, what is right for you might not be right for me and vice versa. But, at the same time, they are passing laws forcing us to conform to THEIR moral code (or lack thereof). On the one hand, they say there is NO absolute standard, but then by their actions, they are saying that THEIR standard is absolute. When there is no standard of morality, then we will do as men did in the days of the judges in the Bible. The Bible says in Judges 17:6 "In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes." Folks, we better pray hard and fervent for our country. More than ever we must train our children to seek after God. I do not want the "Terminator" telling me what I can and cannot believe....that is MY CHOICE!