And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?

This week I want to display the journey of Moses and God’s people into the Promised Land that initially started with a promise made to Abraham by God. Early in this column, it is essential to note that God has a promised land for each of us. Of course, that ultimate land of promise is in heaven with God in our very own mansion that has been built for us to reside in, but our promised land here on earth is found in the specific purpose He has laid out for each person individually.

You will see in Deuteronomy 10:12-13 the words of Moses to the Israelites as he prepared them for their Promised Land that was filled with a purpose for their descendants. The question posed here is what does God require of us as we journey toward that land, as we look toward residing in our purpose, or better stated, how to live a life that God desires us to live to the fullest?

As stated in the words of Moses is, five simple directives to fear God, please God, love God, serve God, and obey God. For the sake of space and time, I will not be able to go into deep detail about each of these points, but I can state that each of them can be found intertwined in the ten commandments found in Exodus 20 and echoed by Jesus in Matthew 22:35-40.

The verses in Matthew read this way, “Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

There is a commission that we are to have an attitude of fearing, pleasing, serving, and obeying, but there is something about true love that helps us bring the first four right in line with God’s will for our lives. Paul in 1 Timothy 1-5-7 states that the commandants of our life should be derived from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. This pure heart that Paul talks about gives us our genuine desire to please God through service to others. This direct obedience to God’s Word shows that we are not scared of God but possess a fear derived from reverence and respect. John tells us in 1 John 4:7-10, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

My friend God is love. Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

Fearing, pleasing, serving, obeying, and loving are simple requirements when we consider that God sent Christ to forsake it all for us to have freedom from the bondage of our sin. I have found that once we begin to understand 1 John 4, we begin not only to see why Deuteronomy is pertinent but you will begin to see the truth in Jesus’s answer to the lawyer in Matthew 22. That love should compel us to love others, which will result in a display of all the requirements needed to inhabit the promises from God. Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Love God, and I promise, friend, you will experience more than you can imagine.

May God bless you and keep you and allow his face to shine upon you and give you peace. God bless you!

Rev. Ewell Vernon is pastor at Mountain View Baptist Church in Lowgap.

US newspapers continuing to die at rate of 2 each week

There are plenty of needs in the community, from homelessness and lack of mental health care to childhood hunger and substance abuse.

For the leadership of one church in Dobson, those needs are opportunities to reach out and help others.

Scott Meadows, pastor at Dobson Church of Christ, and others in the church hosted a meeting of community leaders at their facility Wednesday, with the goal of asking how the church can help.

Among those in attendance were Dobson Mayor Ricky Draughn, Mount Airy Mayor Ron Niland, Surry County Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt, school leaders, social workers, and others, gathered for a lunch courtesy of the church ladies’ group.

“We sent out a letter to a lot of community leaders,” Meadows said of how he and church leaders went about planning the gathering. “We wanted to see if we could get the answer to two basic questions. What are the major needs in the community, and how can our church get connected in the community to meet those needs?

“We got really good responses from everybody, and it was really effective what we ended up getting,” Meadows said.

He said the two areas that stood out to him, areas he believes his church can be effective, is working to help meet the needs of children in the community, as well as finding ways to encourage those in “service work,” such as teachers, police officers, social workers, and similar fields.

Meadows said now the church leaders will get together and figure out the best way to proceed.

“We want to be focused in our efforts here, we don’t want to be all over the place…we want to have a focused effort.”

Meadows has been pastor at the 100-person church for about three months, and in that time he said he has seen a desire among church leaders and members to become more involved with the community. That is what drove them to start their effort with Wednesday’s lunch.

“We’re just trying to make the effort to reach out into the community. The church is wanting to be active in the community….now we need to prioritize the needs we found out about and go to work.”

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

I want to start today by saying God wants you to know He is right there with you today and forever. Last week I said we would look at the splendor of God, and realizing he is right there with you is the first step in recognizing that splendor. The writer of Hebrews is clear in stating this point by first saying He will never leave you and then follows that with the wording of never forsaking you.

As I counsel people, I ask them to list their fears, worries, struggles, and most of all, their weaknesses. Very rarely do I find people with the same list. Some express identical words but very seldom do the causes behind those words look the same. Paul states in 2 Corinthians 12 that he had a thorn in his flesh that Satan used to try to keep him away from God, but in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Paul states this, “And he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

As I titled this article, I debated on calling it “Finding Strength in our Weakness,” but quickly realized that although strength can be drawn from our shortcomings, it is imperative first to accept that power into our lives.

The disciple Peter experiences God’s splendor in Matthew 14:22- 33 when Jesus invites him to walk out to him on top of the water. Peter does excellent at first because he keeps his eyes on the Son of God (God incarnate), but when he starts looking around, he begins to sink! Jesus does not allow him to go entirely under but instead pulls him up to ask about his faith. I hope you find it humbling today to know that Christ is there to catch you and even pull you up out of the sinking water of life. Peter was standing on solid water one minute and then sinking the next. His cry to Jesus was, “Save me!” Such a simple sentence in words, but so strong when we scream it with meaning.

One more time, I want you to remember that God wants you to know He is right there with you, waiting to hear not only your voice, but he wants your heart, your mind, and your soul to desire that He is the force in this sinking world to save you. So quickly, our heart says yes to the ways God tells us to face the things of this world, but our mind drifts to other means. Sometimes our mind knows that He is the only way, but that same mind becomes clouded with things of this world. We lose sight of the splendor.

Paul tells us in Romans 12:1-2,” I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Today my friend I encourage you to seek God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your soul. Look for Jesus and keep your eyes planted on him for your direction. Make a list of all your fears, worries, struggles, and most of all, your weaknesses, and one by one, give them to God, and he will set you on a path to strength. One last time, God wants you to know He is with you today and forever. May God bless you and allow His face to shine on you and give you peace. God bless you.

And they said unto me, “The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.” And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days and fasted, and prayed before God of heaven. Nehemiah 1:3-4

A typical thought is that when something is broken, it can never be fixed. Some would say it is ruined. Others may say it will never be the same again, but with God, that is not the case. I want to start this column by saying there isn’t anything that God can’t fix, and I will go further to say that God takes broken pieces and makes everything beautiful.

God’s people and Jerusalem in Nehemiah are only one of many examples in the Bible of God taking brokenness and creating beauty. As you can see in Nehemiah 1:3-4, the book starts with an emotional Nehemiah, but as you read through the twelve chapters of the book of Nehemiah, you will see beauty, miracles, and God-filled people. It is my favorite book about this transformational brokenness to beauty.

The process to get all this started is easily found in Nehemiah 1:4, “And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days and fasted, and prayed before God of heaven.”

It started with identifying the brokenness. This step can be challenging, I believe. If we are being honest, denial sometimes can be easier than admission. Think about it this way. You turn your car into a pole at the drive-through. You quickly look at the damage and start to reason how much damage has occurred. Anyone who has ever experienced this will know what I mean when I say ignoring the damage will lead to more problems.

When God incarnate came to planet Earth, Jesus found lots of damage that had been let go for way too long. Like Nehemiah’s perspective, we were broken, and God’s people needed to be fixed. This repair begins with us admitting that the dents, scrapes, and loose parts are present in our lives, and the master mechanic is Jesus. Listen to John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but the world through him might be saved.”

Following Nehemiah’s truthful observation, next, we see the progression of steps. Take some time to mourn. God understands our emotions; after all, He created them, but then we have to hand them over to God. Fasting and praying is a whole topic in and of itself, but in short, it is our way as believers to give everything to God. It is the act of not letting anything distract us from what needs to be handed over to the One who can fix everything and make everything beautiful.

Listen to the words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” The process is not in our control, not in our time, and not in our way.

These three statements might frustrate us, but it is the only way. God’s ways are higher than ours, and his thoughts are higher than ours. Trust and obey, for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey. Follow the process, and I promise you will experience the beauty that God will provide. Next week we will look closer at the splendor of our God, but until then, identify your broken pieces, hand them to God, and get prepared for the amazing things God will do in your life. God bless you.

For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

As we open God’s Word to the book of Second Corinthians, we find the letter that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth. His letter carrier is Titus, an early Christian missionary and a student under Paul who has been asked to lead the Corinthian church. In his first letter to this church, he pointed out the problems, pressures, and struggles that resulted from the corrupt society that surrounded the lives of the people living in Corinth.

Regardless of the love Paul expressed to the Christians in First Corinthians, we find that some of these same Christians have been convinced by false teachers in Second Corinthians that Paul was fickle, proud, dishonest, and unqualified as an apostle. I think this is the appropriate time to include my title; there was more than meet the eyes of the church at Corinth. I am a firm believer that perception is reality to most people until reality becomes their perception. It is so easy to get caught up in the words and actions of others and dismiss the truth of what God wants to reveal to us each day.

I remember as a child, my parents and other mentors shared with me that I could not always trust the things people said and did. I also was taught that there is a difference between good things and God things. As I grew and matured, I attempted to keep these wise points in the back of my mind as I also kept Paul’s words in Hebrews 11 as a guide. Paul states in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Again, this is our call to walk by faith and not by the things we see. This verse is a difficult concept to grasp, and is probably why this group of Christians in Corinth listened to the false teachers and judged the qualifications of a man that directly had a conversation with Jesus Christ (Acts 9:1-19).

In my title, another idiom I wanted to use is, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.”

The Bible teaches us as we encounter people, situations, decisions, etc., that we should open those books and compare them to the book that is our accurate guide of truth. This approach opens the eyes of our heart and mind in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Just as his letter in Second Corinthians is written due to these false teachers, he gives this same warning to young Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:3-4. Paul’s words to Timothy states, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch though in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of their ministry.”

So let me end by saying that there is indeed more than meets the eye in this world. We are inundated with news, information, rumors, messages, and conversations every day. Each comes with some level of truth, but our job as Christ-following believers is to seek if it is the truth.

Our ears will fail us, our hearts will deceive us, and our eyes will trick us, but there is one source that will never let us down. That source is God. Let me close with this final verse as I encourage you to see truth as you walk in faith; 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” God bless you!

Holy Angels Roman Catholic Church in Mount Airy hosted the pilgrim statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Mother of God May 27-30.

“This Marian Pilgrimage was one of the signature events planned by the Diocese of Charlotte in commemoration of its 50th anniversary year,” church officials said in a statement about the event. Since 1972, the diocese has grown from 30,000 Catholics to more than 500,000 today, according to the church.

The statue, representing the Virgin Mary, will travel to more than 100 locations across the diocese during the year — visiting churches, schools, events and sites of significance to Catholics in western North Carolina.

To open the golden anniversary year, the statue was blessed by Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of Charlotte, on Jan. 12, just before the start of Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. In his proclamation of the anniversary year, Bishop Jugis noted – “Mary, the patroness of our diocese is so closely connected with her Son’s work for our salvation, we also draw close to her in this special year of grace.”

“Having welcomed this spiritual pilgrimage, the parish of Holy Angels, under the guidance of Rev. Peter Nouk, pastor, inspired its parishioners to go to deeper with their faith and celebrate their own church history and contribution to the growth of the Catholic Church in western North Carolina,” the church said in its statement.

For the first time in three years, area residents were able to gather publicly to mark the National Day of Prayer in both Mount Airy and Dobson.

The annual observance, held the first Thursday in May across the nation, was cancelled locally in both 2020 and 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, leaving the Mount Airy Ministerial Association to commemorate the day with local radio broadcasts.

This year, the organization was able to once again hold public gatherings, with more than 40 people on hand for the noontime observance in Mount Airy, and more than 60 turning out in Dobson for the prayer service.

“A sweeter day in the whole year cannot be found,” Dr. David Sparks told those who were gathered on the lawn of the city municipal building in Mount Airy. Calling it a “very solemn day,” Sparks — pastor at Flat Rock Pentecostal Holiness Church — said thousands upon thousands of people were gathering publicly across America for the Day of Prayer.

Mount Airy Mayor Ron Niland said this year’s service takes on a particular poignancy because of the Russian invasion of and war with Ukraine.

“We are gathering today to pray, while they are just trying to survive,” he said, urging those in attendance to pray for Ukraine and its people as well as for America.

During his remarks, Rev. Danny Miller of Central United Methodist Church spoke of the Apostle Paul and his writing to the church in Colossae, telling the church members there that he prayed for them daily, seeking God’s guidance in their growth and maturity as Christians.

Miller said Paul encouraged them to pray as well, to stay true to God, and to not be discouraged or led astray by false teachings — “disinformation, if you will,” he said.

Miller then encouraged those in attendance to remain strong in their prayer life, because that was a key to building a relationship with God.

“This shouldn’t be the only day that we pray. That wouldn’t be much of a relationship,” he said, exhorting those wishing to grow in their relationship with God to pray daily, to pray multiple times a day.

“Prayer is just talking to God. It doesn’t have to be fancy.”

His comments came after Mayor Niland had read a proclamation declaring Thursday a Day of Prayer in Mount Airy. During his remarks, he traced the history of the National Day of Prayer, with its earliest mention coming in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonists to pray for “wisdom in forming a nation.”

“…the call to prayer has continued through our history, including President Lincoln’s proclamation of a day of ‘humility, fasting, and prayer’ in 1863.”

In 1952, he read from the document, Congress passed a joint resolution — which was signed by President Truman — declaring a national day of prayer, and in 1988 the law was amended and signed by President Reagan setting the day as the first Thursday in May.

A similar scene played out in Dobson at noon, with Pastor DM Dalton, president the ministerial association, overseeing the service there, with Dr. Rick Jackson of Welcome Baptist Church delivering the message to those gathered on the courthouse lawn.

For the past two years, the Mount Airy Ministerial Association has moved its annual Day of Prayer celebration to the airways — broadcasting a brief talk and prayer time on local radio station WPAQ.

This year, the ceremony will move back to the open air, in-person gatherings the organization has been holding in Mount Airy for years. And, for the second time, there will be an observance in Dobson as well. Both services and prayer times will be on Thursday at noon.

Pastor D.M. Dalton, president of the ministerial association, said he and the association are thrilled to be able to return to holding the services in public.

For years the ministerial association, working with local officials, have held a gathering at the Mount Airy City Hall, on the lawn just outside the front doors. In 2019, the group expanded, with a second service in the county seat of Dobson, on the Courthouse Lawn facing Atkins Street.

The 2020 and 2021 gatherings were cancelled as a result of public gathering prohibitions in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, with cases low and those regulations largely repealed, both services will be held at noon.

In Mount Airy, Dr. David Sparks of Flat Rock Pentecostal Holiness Church will serve as moderator, while Rev. Danny Miller of Central United Methodist Church will be sharing a sermon. Dalton said that Police Chief Dale Watson and Fire Chief Zane Poindexter would be serving as flag-bearers for the ceremony.

In Dobson, Dalton will serve as moderator while Dr. Rick Jackson of Welcome Baptist Church will share the sermon. The Surry County Sheriff’s Office will be serving as Honor Guards there.

This year’s theme is from Col. 2:6-7, which reads “Exalt the Lord Who has established us.”

Dalton said he has appreciated the way so many people and groups have stepped up to help, not only this year, but in previous years. He said the county was quick to support the effort in 2019 and again this year with the expansion in Dobson, as the city leaders have been through the years. He also praised the sheriff’s office for readily helping, and specifically cited John Kennedy from Salem Baptist Church as someone who has “been there to do anything we need.

“Everyone has been absolutely marvelous. Everyone really seems to embrace this,” he said.

“The gospel shows us a God far more holy than a legalist can bear and yet more merciful than a humanist can conceive.” – Tim Keller

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” – 1 Peter 2:9

Recently on Wednesday nights we watched The Chosen series. One of the things I like about that series is that it can help me to see something that has always been in the word of God in a framework that I had not realized before. I knew Jesus came to push back what was dark and that in His own perfect way fought against the brokenness of the world.

But in The Chosen I see that very clearly, but it strikes me that Jesus’ opposition isn’t coming from just one particular place, even though he is fighting one thing, it is actually coming from two places. The message and ministry of Jesus is at odds with Rome and at odds with the Pharisees. Jesus, intentionally and yet lovingly is pushing against both of those. He is pushing against one thing; he is pushing against unGodliness. But that one thing is showing itself in two different ways. It is showing itself as being anti-God and so Jesus confronts both; humbly, sacrificial, and lovingly.

He confronts Rome’s Godlessness. We know that his ministry confronts this because it is Rome that puts him to death. And we see Jesus’ ministry, both by himself and by his followers, call him Lord; an undeniably political theological term. His ministry preaches against the secular Roman culture that is all too prevalent in some of the churches New Testament letters find themselves in. It calls people to personally, culturally, lovingly fight against anything that would strip away the goodness of the reality of God.

This is not surprising. After all, if you have grown up around Christian culture or household you were taught how important it is to stand up for Jesus, and reject false doctrines of this world that say only the material matters, God is not real, or Jesus is not 100% God and 100% man. But Jesus does not just push against Rome; He pushes against the Pharisees.

The New Testament follows this example by not just pushing against Roman culture but also against religiosity. Rome was anti-God and the Pharisees were anti-God. Yes, they knew his name and they knew his word. They had learned about it since they were young, and had grown up in a culture steeped in it. And yet the way Jesus speaks to them absolutely says you do not know or represent the real God. Paul makes this same argument in the first century christian context of Galatians. Being furiously against demonic ideologies; and then telling us that demonic ideology is legalism, is Jesus plus, is seeking to measure up in works.

Satan is fighting in our current culture the same way he has always fought. From the very beginning when he deceived Eve he spoke half-truths that sounded right but in the end led away from God. And so what he may be doing now is pointing to one side of the aisle and saying look at how wrong they are and then whispering the lie in our ear “so the other side must be right.” “Look at how Godless that left side is; the other side must be correct. Look at how unloving and ungracious and unpeaceful that right side is; the other side must be correct.”

If we take an honest look at all of Jesus’ ministry and the whole of the New Testament, the reality we will be left with is the truth that Jesus does not belong to the left side or the right side of the aisle. He does not sit closer to one side of the voting platform than the other. No, Jesus Christ sits as king on his throne. Telling his followers what His kingdom is and what it looks like. Promising that this kingdom will come to fruition and asking those who carry his name and bare his mark live in the reality that he already made. Jesus is neither Democrat nor Republican. Jesus is king.

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” – Hebrews 10:24-25

Around two years ago I held my first service in a pastoral capacity for Rocky Ford Christian Church and what I mean by held service is me preaching to a camera in my living room on live stream because COVID had become a reality. After the right amount of time we began to meet at the church but we continued to play it safe by staying outside with members in the vehicles and me behind a podium on the front porch area. Then after some more time we moved back inside and encouraged masks and social distancing and hand sanitizers and all those things.

I start this article by telling you this because it is important to remember and realize that this reality was true for some congregations and individuals before COVID and it is still true for some congregations and some individuals now. And so how do we lay the undeniably New Testament command for brothers and sisters in Christ to gather across such things?

One, I think we do so humbly. We remember that our circumstance is not everyone’s circumstance, and that what is going on in our local demographic is not what’s going everywhere; in our world, in our nation, or even in our state.

We also wrestle with this command individually, the same way we do with all of God’s commands. What does God’s command for us to gather look like for me? And although I have continued to speak in a way that is regarding one to two hour interactions one day a week this verse sits in a context in this book, and in the grand story of the New Testament of something far more.

The New Testament would call brothers and sisters in Christ to absolutely always meet Sunday morning. What it would call Christians to do is to do life with each other as seen in the book of Acts, as with Jesus with his disciples, and as implied with Paul with his churches, and this means two things at least: Time and authenticity.

If you’re going to do life with somebody it involves you doing real time with them. Twenty-first century America is a busy, busy place and there are lots of things we can do that all in all are really good. And are good for us. But very few of those things are biblical things. And almost none of them are commanded with the same emphasis we see the command to do life together. Family is good. jobs are good. Social engagement is good. But those things do not negate or contradict the command of the word of God for brothers and sisters in Christ to be together.

The other thing this must mean is be authentic. To do life together is to be absolutely real with them. I grew up in the church and have spent thousands of Sunday mornings in worship gatherings which means I have probably heard some variation of the question “How are you?” tens of thousands of times. But I can tell you that less than ten times have I ever heard anyone answer that question without a smile on their face.

It’s not easy to be authentic or to be real. And yet when we look at the example of Jesus and his disciples or the book of Acts we see real authentic Christians with each other. Brother and sister in Christ I am convinced by the Holy Spirit and the word of God that you and I will not be all of what God has called us to be if we are not doing life with others who are in Christ.

“Have you noticed that Jesus talked more about serving humanity than fulfilling your destiny?” – Naeem Fazal

And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” – Luke 3:10-11

The Bible calls us to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and in the same passage it calls us to love our neighbor as our self. Now one way we see the Bible explain what this means is it’s continual call for us to be generous to our neighbor. We see this with Jesus’s story of the Good Samaritan — how he sacrifices his time, his money, his reputation to take care of this man who is near death. We also see when John the Baptist talks to a group listening to him preach, he tells them that if they have two coats, they should give one to the poor.

So, the universal biblical truth that we find all throughout scripture, and especially pointedly at New Testament believers in Jesus is that those who would call themselves Christians should be generous, overflowing or sacrificially loving to our neighbor.

What does that mean as we bring that forward nearly 2,000 years into our current culture and our current context? It means that as we live in one of the wealthiest places in the world, and as we have the freedom to work for a wage we are to freely and somewhat sacrificially give some of that away. Now I don’t know what the next week or months or years will look like for you and your pocketbook. I don’t know if they will be affected by things in this world far out of our control or not. I don’t know if your savings account or 401k will boom or take a massive hit because of the cost of living or any number of financial variables.

But what I do know is that the word of God has called me and you to be generous, and it does not stipulate the time. It does not stipulate our financial circumstances, it does not stipulate what our house looks like. So when things get lean it’s really easy for me to want to keep my second coat and stop being generous to those around me, but that is not the call of Christ. The generosity of Christ cost him his very life, and he calls you and I brother and sister in Christ to do the same. To voluntarily sometimes take up our cross, to die to comfort or even our own life for the sake of loving others.

Now what if these “others” are ungrateful or do not accept Christ? Well, once again in the example of Jesus — that did not stop him from being generous. Jesus heals ten lepers knowing that only one would come back. Their appreciation of Jesus as Messiah or even their appreciation of just what he had done for them was not the motivation for Jesus’ kindness. The underlying factors for his generosity was that he was generous and they were needy. And so fellow brother and sister in Christ, let’s model our savior and do the same. Let’s seek to be generous in loving our neighbor, making the only requirement that they are needy.

“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” – John Piper

And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” – Luke 10:27

A lawyer comes up to Jesus with a question. His question is “what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus, who regularly answers a question with another question, asks him “What is written in the Law?” To this the lawyer answers with our verse up above; the Luke 10:27 passage. Jesus tells him that he has answered correctly. It is this answer that I want us to look at in detail. What exactly does it mean?

It means, in general, that followers of Jesus, Christians, are people that love God with all of who they are. God is the sovereign ruler of the universe and there does not exist a square inch of reality that is not his; this includes every bit of you and me. The reality of Christianity, real Christianity, is loving God means giving him everything we are. And everything we are includes our heart, soul, strength, and mind.

To love God with our heart means to be passionately in love with God. Being someone who loves God does not simply mean you believe the right things, nor that your love is an action. Loving God is doing the right things and love is action, but loving God is more than those things. To love God is to feel love for God. God’s call for all Christians is to be in love with him. To be head over heels, puppy dog, boy just discovered girls aren’t icky, heart beating out of your chest, sweaty palms, emotional love.

To love God with our soul means to put the hope of our eternal self in his hands. For as long as people have walked this earth we have wondered about eternity and our place in it. So we have sought to find, and came up with, a way to ensure that eternity favors us. Some have put that hope in science and some in false religions and cults, but the truth is we all put that hope in something. The Bible calls Christians to put that hope in God: To trust not in our own ability to ensure our eternal reward, but to trust in the sacrificial work of Christ on the cross: That he lived perfectly and died for my sins and that even though I should die because of my sins I now get the eternal life that he deserves.

To love God with our strength is to love God with what we do. Once someone becomes a Christian they are given a new heart that seeks to please the one who loves us most, God. The call to love with our strength is the command to love with our hands and our feet; to let the new heart of Christ flow into our actions. Christ, in affirming the lawyer’s answer, is saying that to be one of his is to do what pleases him and what he has called us to. And not to do it because we have to or because it earns anything. But to do it because that’s what love does. Love seeks to please its lover.

To love God with our mind is to seek to know God more. When we love something, truly and deeply love something, we want to know all there is about it. New relationships often start with long conversations over the phone, or now through Snapchat I guess, because each person wants to know more and more and more about the person of their affection. People who love football spend hours looking at stats of their favorite players. Baseball junkies pour over baseball cards. None of this is mandatory. Instead, it flows from a heart that is in love. Love seeks to know and understand. To love is to seek to better know him and better understand him. He is found most directly in his Word.

This lawyer rightly says that to inherit eternal life one must love God with their heart, soul, strength, and mind. One must love God with all of who they are. Do you have eternal life?

“Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

I have loved the message of that song ever since I was a child. In a world that seems so cold and oftentimes even hostile to our soul, it’s a comfort to know that the God who gave me life, truly does love me, and He truly loves you too!

The Word of God is full of this amazing truth. God has shown toward us loving kindness and tender mercies. (Psalm 103:4). There is conclusive evidence in the story of Jesus, who loved us so much that He left Heaven to be the sacrifice that would purchase our pardon, and our peace with God. If you need a reminder of how very much He loves you, read these beautiful verses, Psalm 139:1-18, John 3:16-17, 15:13-15, Ephesians 2:4-8, and I John 3:16, 4:9-10, 19, “We love Him, because He first loved us.”

Jesus Christ is our preeminent teacher and greatest example of what true love really means. Because Jesus Christ has loved us, and given Himself for us, that we might be saved, we should reply with love for Him; our deepest, truest, most faithful love. We should respond to the point of entering and abiding in Him; to the degree of being one with Him. Rather than pledging our allegiance to Him, it’s more like falling in love with Him. As my pastor likes to say, “racing heart, sweaty palms, butterflies in our tummy, head over heals in love with Jesus.” We should fall so deeply and completely in love with our Lord, that we can never climb out. After all, He is worthy of our greatest love.

This life is full of distractions, and we being so very human are easily derailed. How do we abide in Christ? How do we have victory over this world to remain true to our Beloved One? As with any good relationship, it will take much of our attention. It will take lots of time shared together, and plenty of communion between us and our Lord. Jesus makes it clear in Revelation 2:4-5, that we are to keep Him as our “First Love.” In other words, we should hold Him as our love above any and all other loves. Yes, husbands should love their wives, and wives should love their husbands. We should love our children. We should even love our enemies; but with all the love Christ has taught us to have for others, He should be our greatest love. We should always love Him more.

There’s a song I like, by Pat Barrett, named “Better.” Here’s some of the lyrics, “All the money that the world could hold, mountains made of solid gold, riches that could buy my dreams, You are better than all these things. The prettiest face to turn their eyes, beauty that could hypnotize, the open doors that looks may bring, You are better than all these things… and the chorus, Your love is better than life. You are the Well that won’t run dry. I have tasted and I have seen, You are better than all these things.”

To keep our spiritual affection for Christ from falling away, or being choked off, we must keep fresh in the forefront of our minds, “Jesus is better.” When this flesh we live in is tempted to sin, hold this to be true, “Jesus is better.” With us abiding in Him, and He dwelling within us, we can and will overcome any other competing temptation, desire or love. Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself also in the Lord; and He shall give you the desires of your heart. If we delight ourselves in Him, He becomes the desire of our heart! He alone, our “First Love,” our greatest treasure, our most fervent passion, our soul mate.

Colossians 2:6-7,10 tells us, “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye (your daily walk of life) in Him. Rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith”… And you are complete in Him.” Do you want to be complete, whole? Only in Him can you be. Not in self, not in the flesh, not in the world: only in Christ will you be complete. For fullness of joy and abundant life, be one with Him. Jesus wants our heart. Every other part of us will follow.

Our outward behavior is the evidence of what God has done, and continues to do within our heart. We are His home. Please read all of II Cor. 6:14-7:1, “…for ye are the temple of the Living God…” And I Cor. 6:13-20…”You are bought with a price (Christ’s sacrifice): therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Our Creator and Re-Creator is sanctifying us (setting us apart exclusively unto Himself): and, Jesus Christ makes all the difference in those who receive Him. Look at Acts 4:13, “…they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” When you spend time with the Lord, it’s going to show. People will see the difference Christ makes in you. His beautiful light radiating through you, and the power of His love changing the world around you.

I John 5:20-21, “And we know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” All other loves are idols; false gods that can never satisfy or fulfill your hungry soul. Christ alone can complete you! Place Him as the “First Love” of your live, and be eternally blessed in Him. I Peter 5:14, “Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.”

II Corinthians 15:57 “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We’ve been studying the Word of God to best understand what it means to be “in Christ.” We will see today the victory we have over our spiritual enemy, over the world system, and over our flesh, by being in Christ Jesus the Lord. But first an admonition (warning counsel, gentle rebuke) for those who are not living a victorious life in Christ: The church (organization) in the world today seems to be just that — in the world, rather than in Christ.

You can barely tell the difference between so many claiming to be a Christian from those who are not. Too many quote, unquote Christians are still in bondage to their appetites and addictions, with conversation and behavior as though there has been no change by God in their lives. Like there has been no new spiritual birth.

Too often, “a man of God” is called out for his deplorable affair with a woman that’s not his wife. The scandal is made public all over the tabloids and TV. Even the world knows to call him out, because what that makes him is a hypocrite.

What the evidence shows is either that these are claiming Christ but are liars, or they have been washed by the blood of Jesus, born again by the Spirit of Christ, but have backslid into disobedience, defeat and shame. Romans 8:13 says, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify (kill) the deeds of the body (fleshly sins), ye shall live.”

Those claiming Christ, but living a defeated life according to their carnal appetites, are not denying the flesh, taking up their cross daily, and following Him with obedient heart. (Luke 9:23, Rom.12:1-2) Christ came to destroy the works of the devil (I John 3:8), why would we continue to walk in that shame? If they are disobedient children of God, God will chasten and correct them. There can be no one more miserable than a Christian that is out of the will of God, and under His chastening. (Hebrews 12:5-13, Lamentations 3:19-40, Psalm 51).

But, it doesn’t mean that’s the end of the story, because there is great and abundant hope. Psalm 103, “God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plentiful in mercy. He will not always chide (rebuke): neither will He keep His anger forever…For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him (godly fear and reverence). As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us…the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him…”. I John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

We all love stories of redemption, especially when it’s our own story. Stories of a failure, a rebel, an addict, a tramp, who makes a mess out of their life, who crashes and burns; “But God” in His mercy and love, as we cry out to Him for salvation, brings us back from the dead, and up from the ashes. (Ephesians 2;4-9, I Cor. 6:9-11) We are born again, made a new creature, in His image; we go on in Christ, and in victory. Not in our own tiny strength which will fail us; but in Christ and in His resurrection power. II Cor.2:14, “Now thanks be to God, Who always causes us to triumph in Christ”. We are then become proof to the world; a walking, talking billboard that Jesus Christ is for real! That Jesus Christ truly is the Savior of this lost and broken world.

Consider Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained (appointed and established) that we should walk in them.” Receive this as a matter of fact, that you and I are a work of God. We are His creation in Christ Jesus. With us in Christ and Christ in us, we will do His good works. I John 3:24, “And he (or she) that keeps His commandments dwells in Him, and He in him. And hereby we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He has given us.”

Keep these close to your heart for the victory, I John 2:12-17, “…I have written unto you, young men (and women), because ye are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one…” I John 4:4, “Ye are of God little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” And, I John 5:4-5, “For whoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcomes?..he (or she) that believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”

And if we truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God, sent by God to redeem us from this sinful and fallen world, and to save us from our own brokenness and failures; we will receive Him as Lord and Savior, and live in Him as a new creature. A forgiven, cleansed and grateful child of our God. We won’t be perfect, nor sinless; but we will surrender to His will, confess our sins often, and turn to Him often for power unto victory, day in and day out. I John 2:28, “And now little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”

Yes my brother and my sister, there is victory in Jesus.

What does it truly mean to be in Christ? Let’s search out what the Scriptures answer us about this most important question.

In Revelation 3:20, Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door (of your heart), and knock: if any one hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to them, and will sup with them, and them with Me.” The first thing Jesus is saying is “Behold,” or open you eyes and give me your full and complete attention. Secondly, I am knocking; will you hear my voice calling you to Me? Thirdly, Will you open yourself to Me? If you’ll receive Me, I will come into you (your heart, you soul, your life), and we will sup, (commune together). And in Hebrews 13:5 “He has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you”. And, Matt.28:20, “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

This is God’s promise which is unbreakable. He will keep His vow of forever abiding with you when you call His name and invite Him in. This is how you receive Him. Jesus taught us in John 15:1-17, “I am the true vine…Abide in Me, and I in you.” We realize that He is our life source, and that we only have life, spiritual life if we are in Him, and He is in us. We know we must abide or remain in Him to continue to have life. We’ll come back to Jesus’ quote in a little bit.

II Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man (or woman) be in Christ, he (or she) is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” If we are in Christ, we are changed, we are new, we are different from the old person we once were. Jesus described this change as being “born again…of the Spirit.” above just being born of flesh. In fact, the prior verses state that “old things are passed away.” we are no longer lost, nor in bondage to the old sinful nature. We don’t have to cave in to temptation and the tempter any more. We now have the power of God within to resist, and to have victory over sin. Another scripture in Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified (put to death) with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh (this body) I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” His great love is our compelling motive to live life in Him!

We live in produce country. Jesus gave us terms we can easily understand, when He stated “I am the true vine, ye are the branches: He (or she) that abides in Me, and I in him (or her), the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

If a branch is cut off of an apple tree, there is no way that branch can continue to live. It has lost its source of nourishment and will wither and die. A branch which is within the life-flow of the apple tree will be healthy and bear apples. Jesus is teaching us that just as in the nature He has created, if we are in Him, and He in us, we will have His life flow through us, and we will bear fruit.

What kind of fruit? His fruit. Please look up and read all of I John 3:5-10, “And you know that He was manifested (made know) to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin. Whoever abides in Him sins not: whoever sins (or continues in sin) has not seen Him, neither known Him…Whoever is born of God does not commit sin; for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God…”

Understand, the Scripture says that Christ’s seed remains in us. If we are in Him, and He is in us, we have His seed and will bear His fruit. His fruit is spiritual, and it is holy! If we are in Him we will not continue to bear fruits of unrighteousness and ungodliness. We will not continue in the sins of the old nature. By our obedience to His work in us, the sins of the flesh will be put to death. We are His, His life flows through us, and we will bear His beautiful fruit unto the Father.

John 15:6, “If a man (or woman) abide not in Me, he (or she) is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” So we are either all in, or all out. God gave us a free will to decide to receive Christ and live in Him, or reject Him. There will be a day of judgment, with fire and burning for those who do not accept the Savior and God’s offer of grace.

John 15:8, “Herein is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit”. God the Father is pleased when He sees the fruit of His Son growing in abundance from our lives. Our lives with His seed, with His likeness. Moving to verse 11, Jesus said, “These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

This is the key to a life that’s full of purpose and true happiness. If I abide, remain, stay, dwell in Jesus Christ, and He in me; if I allow Him to live through me, and His righteous seed to grow and flourish through me, then I can bear an abundant crop of His good fruit; which will bring God the Father’s many blessings upon me, unto my complete and utter joy. Isn’t that what we all should want? The fullness of God’s joy remaining throughout our life, and into eternity? It can only be had if you are in Christ. I’m all in, are you? Enter in and abide!

Just two weeks ago we celebrated Christmas, and I hope you haven’t gotten over this miracle yet. This miracle; God incarnate, the word of God born in human flesh, Emmanuel, God with us, was the biggest thing to happen to change the coarse of human history so far. Prior to the birth of “God’s Son,” man by nature was dead in sin.

Throughout the Old Testament, too often the words displeased, anger, provoked, punish and wrath were used in regards to God’s dealings with the sinful inhabitants of Earth. But God, in His great love and mercy, sent us a Savior. Luke 2:10-14, “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be unto all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ (God’s anointed and chosen One) the Lord… And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth, peace, good will toward men.”

This was no small announcement. God sent an angel messenger to the commonest and humblest in social status. And the message to all people; “unto you is born a Savior, the Christ, the Lord!” Then a multitude of God’s holy angels proclaimed that God gave mankind a gift, His Son. Jesus would bring peace and good will (between God and man).

Everything changed. The door of grace was opened wide to any and all who would trust in the Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord. Even you. Even me. Let’s not ever get over this. This is worth our dwelling on. God’s love has changed so much of this fallen world. This event has brought about the salvation that is life changing. It should shape who we are every day. Since that moment in time, multitudes of sinful by nature souls have become born again sons and daughters of God. Born of flesh and bone, and also born of the Spirit of the Living God. (John 3:3-6, 14-18, 33, 36)

If you haven’t yet experienced this new birth perhaps you should look deeper. In fact, I invite you to call out for God to reveal Himself to you. I can pretty much promise that if you will seek him with an open heart, through the power of His Word, and His Spirit, that He will increase your faith and draw you near to Him. (Matt.7:7-8, Acts 17:24-27, James 4:8)

Consider John 1:1-14, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…In Him was life; and the life was the light of men, And the light shined into the darkness… That was the true Light which lights every man (person) that comes into the World…as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons (and daughters) of God, even to them that believe on His name: (Jesus, which means Savior) Which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God…” , Galatians 4:6, “And because ye are sons (and daughters), God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba (Daddy), Father.” What a beautiful start to an amazing life changing relationship. Here begins our forgiveness, our cleansing, and our sanctification unto Him. (please read II Cor. 4:3-7, God’s light has shined into our hearts).

Even once we’ve humbled ourselves, with contrite heart, and called Him Lord, we are still after all new at being born again, being born spiritually. Phil. 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that He which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” There will be some shaping of our young childish will by our Abba. Some correction. Some reward. Some of it is unpleasant. Some of it hurts, speaking from experience, but it is all for our good. Even His chastening is for our remedy and healing, not for our destruction. (read Heb.12:5-13) There will be more surrender to His will on our part as we continue to “grow up into Him.” (Ephesians 4:11-15)

We’ve seen some very difficult and troubling events in the past couple of years, and it appears we’re still in for much more. But, In Christ we have super-natural help to overcome daily. We can experience the peace of God in the midst of a world in crisis. We can remain unbroken in the midst of life’s storms, as we are established on the sure and solid foundation of Jesus Christ our Rock.

Matthew 7:24-27, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock…” We know the consequences of building a house on the sand; we’ve seen the news footage.

Here are our options; we can live this year in crisis, fear, and sorrow, or we can embrace the reality of Christmas and Christ’s coming. We can know the fulfillment of living in Christ. Friend and family, choose Christ, and be found in Him for salvation, peace and even joy. Live life to the fullest in possession of God’s Gift, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Dec. 21 marks the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year.

“But the name, Longest Night, also describes the feeling many of us have during this season,” said an announcement from First Presbyterian Church of Pilot Mountain. “The long, dark winter nights, memories of past experiences and situations can become overwhelming. Job loss, health issues, the end of a relationship, the death of a loved one, all of these things can turn this season into a time of pain with a magnified sense of loss.”

To help folks get through this period, First Presbyterian Church of Pilot Mountain is holding what it calling the Longest Night Service at 7 p.m. on Dec. 21.

“Come out, and join with us in sharing and hearing prayers, scripture, and music that acknowledge that God’s presence is for those who mourn, for those who struggle – and that God’s Word comes to shine light into our darkness. Everyone is welcome,” the church said.

The church is at 316 E Main St, in Pilot Mountain.

Central United Methodist Church will be hosting “White Christmas” this year. “White Christmas” is a drive-through live nativity program where the church will be collecting non-perishable food items for Yokefellow Ministries Food Pantry.

All items of food are asked to be wrapped in white, hence the name “White Christmas.”

“This is an adaptation of a tradition at Central UMC that began in the 1960s,” said Rev. Daniel V. Miller, senior pastor at Central United Methodist Church. “The children reenacted the Nativity Story, in costume, during a special worship service in the church sanctuary.”

When this service ended, the congregation would come to the alter and leave food items wrapped in white paper.

“These canned food items were given as gifts to Jesus and then given to local food banks in Jesus’ honor,” said Miller.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, things had to be changed as there could be no large gatherings in enclosed areas. Kisha Sipe, the director of children’s ministries, modified the event to be a drive through.

When arriving to the event, viewers will park and turn their headlights off. They will each be given a program which has the narration of the live Nativity printed inside.

“We also provided QR codes for those who wanted to listen to an audio recording inside their cars. Those without ‘smart phones’ were offered CDs,” said Miller.

This live nativity consists of several different “stations.” These stations included angels, shepherds, the Holy Family, and the wisemen.

“At each station, participants would stop and listen to, or read, the narration of the birth of Jesus Christ,” said Miller.

This event will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 12 at Central United Methodist Church.

The event is free but organizers ask that you bring a non-perishable food item wrapped in white.

“We look forward to sharing the story of Jesus’ birth with the community and sharing the gifts brought in honor of Jesus’ birthday with people in the community suffering from food insecurity,” said Miller.

One of the most famous kings in human history was born in 1341 BC in Egypt. He was the 12th king of the 18th Egyptian dynasty and given the name Tutankhamen, perhaps you know him better as King Tut.

The name Tutankhamen means “the living image of Aten” the Egyptian Sun god believed to be the creator of life. King Tut’s father Akhenaten prohibited the worship of multiple gods in favor of worshipping Aten and demanded his son be worshiped as the living image of the creator.

At the close of the First World War, British archaeologist Howard Carter began an excavation in a place called The Valley of the Kings in Egypt. On Nov. 22, 1922, after years of intense work Carter discover and entered the chambers of King Tut’s tomb.

To his amazement, he found much of its contents and structure miraculously intact. Inside one of the chambers, murals were painted on the walls that told the story of King Tut’s funeral and his journey to the afterworld. Also in the room were various artifacts for his journey—oils, perfumes, toys from his childhood, precious jewelry, and statues of gold and ebony.

The most fascinating item found was the stone sarcophagus containing three coffins, one inside the other, with a final coffin made of gold. When the lid of the third coffin was raised, King Tut’s royal mummy was revealed, preserved for more than 3,000 years. As archaeologists examined the mummy, they found other artifacts, including bracelets, rings and collars. Over the next 17 years, Carter and his associates carefully excavated the four-room tomb, uncovering an incredible collection of thousands of priceless objects. Over the years many interesting facts about King Tut have emerged. For example he is said to have been about 5 foot, 8 inches tall, began ruling Egypt when he was 9 years old and died of a blow to the head when he was a teenager.

The life of King Tut is interesting to say the least but many years ago on a cold winter’s night in Bethlehem a king was born that would change the course of human history. His name is Jesus and He is my King. The name of his birthplace, Bethlehem, means “house of bread” and from this “house of bread” came the bread of life.

I can’t help but think about the angels in heaven watching in stark amazement as the eternal God left his throne to be swaddled in the loving arms of a young girl named Mary. Mary gently took the infant king and placed him in a manger, a feeding trough, surrounded only by her espoused husband Joseph and a few animals in the stable. One songwriter said, “the king has left his throne and is sleeping in a manger tonight.” It was a night like any other night but it wasn’t a child like any other child. This child was the Lord Jesus Christ, God and man fused together in indivisible oneness.

King Tut was known as the image of the sun god but King Jesus is the brightness of God’s glory and “the express image of his person” (Heb.1:3). He is my king! There was nothing divine about King Tut but in King Jesus “dwells the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form” (Co. 2:9). He is my king! King Tut ruled with oppression and control but King Jesus was God wrapped in human skin “reconciling the world unto himself” (II Cor. 5:19). He is my King!

King Tut was an earthly king whose remains were discovered 3,000 years after his death. King Jesus, given to the world as God’s greatest gift, died on the cross bearing the weight of the sin of the world and gloriously defeated death, hell and the grave to bring eternal life to all who come to him by faith. He is my King! King Tut was king in name only but King Jesus is “Emmanuel God with us.” He is my king.

Our world has incredibly complex problems: wars, terrorism, disease, natural disasters and broken families. People have complex problems: physical, emotional, financial and relational problems.

Sometimes we feel overwhelmed as we attempt to help others or as we try deal with our own problems. Fortunately, God in his steadfast love, unlike King Tut, has promised to never leave nor forsake us.

He is a father to the fatherless, a friend to the friendless, and a present help in our time of trouble. He is my King! I trust that King Jesus is your king as well and that he rules and reigns upon the throne of you heart. As we move toward the Christmas season and celebrate the birth of Jesus my prayer is that each of us know him and love him more with each passing day and that you too can declare, He is my king!

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”

Born June 23, 1894, Edward Christian was the first-born son of King George V and Queen Mary of England. Edward entered the Naval College at 12 years of age and from there continued on to Dartmouth. In 1911 Edward Christian became Prince Edward, the 20th Prince of Wales. At five minutes till midnight on Jan. 20, 1936 Edward’s father, King George V, passed away and Edward Prince of Wales became King Edward VIII, King of England. King Edward ruled the most extensive empire in world history. The British Empire controlled a quarter of the world’s population and encompassed a quarter of the earth’s total landmass. The global expanse of British territory gave birth to the reality that, “the sun never sets on the British Empire.”

During his brief reign as King, Edward enjoyed immense popularity until he made a life- changing announcement. He had fallen madly in love with and intended to marry Mrs. Wallis Simpson. The British Parliament viewed Mrs. Simpson and her questionable background to be unsuitable to be the next Queen of England, and forbad Edward to make her his wife. King Edward found himself at a crossroad. He could end the engagement with Wallis and remain King of England or he could abdicate the throne and marry Wallis. He could walk away from the love of his life or he could forfeit the power, the wealth and the honor of the British throne.

On Dec. 10, 1936 King Edward the VIII announced his decision to exchange the crown of England for the hand of his bride. He announced to parliament, “I, Edward the VIII, of Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Emperor of India, do hereby declare my irrevocable determination to renounce the throne for myself and for my descendants, and my desire that effect should be given to this Instrument of Abdication immediately. This decision I have made has been mine and mine alone.”

Talk about a great exchange! The only King in England’s history to voluntarily give up the throne Edward VIII exchanged royalty for insignificance, nobility for peasantry, and authority for subordination.

Two thousand years ago a king, far more significant than the King of England, made a great exchange. Moved by the love for fallen humanity Jesus, the King of Glory, abdicated his throne in heaven and entered this world as a helpless baby born in Bethlehem’s manger. He traded honor for humiliation, the worship of angels for the mockery of sinful men, a crown of jewels for a crown of thorns and a throne in heaven for a cross at Calvary. Jesus was not forced to leave heaven nor required to vacate the throne in glory but he volunteered to relinquish all that was rightfully his and assume the role of a servant.

When the redemption plans for humanity were prepared the angels witnessed the infinitely wealthy Son of God become the infinitely poor Son of Man. Jesus removed his robe of royalty, vacated the right hand of the Father and entered the human family through the womb of a teenage girl in Nazareth who wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger. As the Son of Man, Jesus borrowed a little boys lunch to feed the 5,000, he borrowed Peter’s boat to use as a pulpit, he borrowed a donkey to enter Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and upon his death he was placed in a borrowed tomb. Though Jesus experienced all the benefits heaven had to offer he forfeited his rightful place, abdicated his throne in heaven and came to earth for the purpose of taking the hand of one he loved.

During the six hours of crucifixion the Son of Man was stripped of his dignity and bore in his body the payment for a sin filled world. The thirst from his physical suffering would not be quenched nor would the emotional strain of separation from his Father be alleviated. Jesus’ death on the cross, consummated the great exchange for the scriptures declare “For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Jesus took our spiritual bankruptcy and exchanged it for his righteousness. He became separated from God the Father so we would never be. He endured the anguish and poverty of Calvary to cancel our indebtedness to God and ensure our eternal destiny. Perhaps the great exchange was articulated best by hymn writer William Newell who wrote, “Oh the love that drew salvations plan, oh the grace that brought it down to man, oh the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary.”

The LeFevre Quartet will highlight a concert Sunday at Mount Airy Wesleyan Church beginning at 10:30 a.m.

Since 1921, the LeFevre name has been synonymous with gospel music. The LeFevre Quartet was formed in 2005 and was voted the 2006 Singing News Fan Award’s Horizon Group of the Year. Their 2009 song “Big Mighty God” was nominated for a Dove Award, and The LeFevre Quartet has been nominated as a Top 10 Traditional Quartet in the Singing News Fan Awards on numerous occasions.

Their last two albums from New Day Records/Daywind have produced three No. 1 hit songs. Mount Airy Wesleyan’s pastor, Rev. Eric Smith, notes, “Mike LeFevre is not only a member of one of the most legendary families in gospel music, but he has also made a name for himself in the Southern Gospel Music genre. The LeFevre name is truly legendary in gospel circles, but it takes more than a famous name to become as popular as The LeFevre Quartet. They have great voices, great energy, and a heart for ministry. Their goal is to reach the world with a message of hope, grace, and salvation through Jesus Christ.”

The concert is free and open to the public. Mount Airy Wesleyan Church is located at 2063 South Main Street, Mount Airy. Interested persons may contact Mount Airy Wesleyan at 336-786-7250 or contact the church via website or Facebook. A love offering will be taken during the service.

Mount Airy Wesleyan Church will be hosting a gospel music concert on Saturday at 4 p.m. featuring multiple Dove Award winners Jeff and Sheri Easter.

Jeff Easter, a Mount Airy native, is the son of James Easter, one of Mount Airy’s acclaimed Easter Brothers. Sheri Easter’s roots are also in gospel and bluegrass music; her mother is a member of the renowned Lewis family. Jeff and Sheri have shared gospel music with audiences all over the world since forming their own group in 1988.

Jeff and Sheri Easter, and their vocalist daughter, Morgan, have received six Dove Awards which honor outstanding achievements and excellence in Christian and Gospel music. They have also received two career Grammy nominations and a multitude of individual awards for their excellence in gospel and bluegrass music. The Easters have participated in Bill Gaither’s Homecoming Video Series since 1993.

Apart from their frequent appearances on the Gaither Homecoming tour and videos, Jeff and Sheri have toured extensively. “When we perform, we want people to leave a little different than when they came in,” Sheri said. “We want them to have a great time smiling, laughing, crying, and healing. We want them to know God loves them and that He is in control.”

Saturday’s concert is open to the public. Mount Airy Wesleyan Church is located at 2063 South Main Street, Mount Airy. The concert will be held in the gymnasium/worship center. This is a ticketed event, and persons may contact Mayberry Music Center at 336-786-4713 or 336-710-6453 for tickets or information.

In the past two weeks’ columns we talked about the man that Peter and John through Jesus healed as they entered the temple. How he was so excited about what Jesus had done in his life and to his body. We talked about how we could not see him losing that excitement for the rest of his life.

We also talked about how that so many believers today have become complacent with our salvation. We have lost the excitement of being a child of God and all the wonderful blessings He has given us because of our faith. In these columns I have been sharing challenges to help us reawaken the excitement of our salvation.

We have looked at challenge one, that we must simply get excited about our salvation again. When we think about just what Jesus did for us when He went to the cross and died for us so that we could have eternal life, and when we think of all the benefits of salvation, we must renew our excitement.

Challenge two, we must get excited about spending time in prayer. There is nothing that builds a relationship more that communication. So let us stop making prayer a ritual and truly make it an exciting time to talk with the Lord.

Challenge three, to be excited about spending times reading the Bible, God’s Holy Word. It will guide and change your life and there are so many exciting stories in it.

Challenge four, we must be excited about joining together corporately at the house of God. It is gathering at the church house where we find family, strength, encouragement and help to face life’s situations.

Today let me share with you challenges five and six.

Challenge 5, we must be excited about giving thanks to the Lord for His bountiful blessings. When the man that Peter, through the Lord healed, jumped up, he ran into the temple, and I can assure you he was giving thanks for what the Lord had done for him. God has blessed those who are His children with so much. He watches over us, guides us, and meets our needs, often in ways and times we do not even realize. Yet so often we will not even bow our heads at a meal and thank Him for our food, let alone thank Him for the other things He does for us.

Several years ago, before I was called into the ministry, I was blessed to lead a youth group and we would go occasionally into the rest home and visit and sing. One night, there was a man that I found out later did not have any family or no one to visit him in the rest home. Yet he asked us if we could sing for him the song, “Thank you Lord for Your Blessings on Me.” We have gotten so caught up in our selfishness that we have forgotten to be excited about all the things God has done for us. It is time we get excited about giving thanks to the Lord for His wonderful blessings.

Challenge six, we must get excited about sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with others. One of the problems we experience today is no one wants to share Jesus with people. Yet we have the greatest news that anyone could ever hear, and we often keep it to ourselves. Many have used the illustration but if we found the cure for cancer and would not share it, people would call us so selfish and unloving. Yet we have the cure for eternal death and a separation from God in the Lake of Fire forever and ever and yet we fail to be excited enough to share this wonderful truth. I pray we would see the urgency of sharing the gospel and would do so with great excitement.

As believers today I want to encourage us to stop enduring our religion and begin to enjoy our salvation so much that we will get excited to be a child of God. Then the world could see a difference in us and desire what we have in Christ.

The planned Craft Brothers Gospel Quartet performance which had been scheduled at Mountain View Baptist Church on Sunday has been cancelled.

A church spokesperson said the quartet decided to call off the appearance as a result of the recent surge of COVID-19 cases.

In last week’s column we talked about the man that Peter and John through Jesus healed as they entered the temple. How he was so excited about what Jesus had done in his life and to his body he excitedly entered the temple. We talked about how we could not see him losing that excitement for the rest of his life.

We also talked about how so many believers today have become complacent with our salvation. We have lost the excitement of being a child of God and all the wonderful blessings He has given us because of our faith. In these columns I want to share challenges to help us as believers reawaken the excitement of our salvation.

We looked last time at challenge one, that we must simply get excited about our salvation again. When we think about what Jesus did for us when He went to the cross and died for us so that we could have eternal life, and when we think of all the benefits of salvation, we must renew our excitement.

Challenge two, we must get excited about spending time in prayer. There is nothing that builds a relationship more than communication. So let us stop making prayer a ritual and truly make it an exciting time to talk with the Lord. Today let me share with you challenges three and four.

Challenge three, be excited about Bible study. There is so much going on in the world to capture our attention that we do not have time for reading the Bible. We feel like the preacher or Sunday School teacher can teach us all we need to know. I read a few years ago a statistic that said only 16% of Americans read their Bible regularly and less than 10% have read it all the way through. It is time we get excited about reading our Bible and teaching our children to have a love for it too.

We have come to believe reading the Bible is boring and the reason is that most people do not realize some of the exciting things one can find in the Holy Bible. A talking serpent and a talking donkey, a burning bush that does not burn up, an axe head that floats on the water, a man digging a grave when he allows the body he is burying to touch a bone of a prophet that was buried in this grave and the man comes to life and runs off, a king starts to quickly ride his chariot toward a city and a prophet of God out runs him on foot and arrives in the city first. These are just some of the exciting stories one can find in the Bible. We need to get excited about reading the Bible once again.

Challenge four, we must be excited about worship time. We are living in a day when it seems most believers think church attendance is of little importance. People say, I do not have to go to the church house to worship the Lord. Yes, that is true, but there is something that brings strength, peace, comfort and hope when one corporately comes together with other believers for a time of worship.

I know in the last year because of COVID we have had to develop alternatives to corporate worship. My friends it has been wonderful to have drive-up services or online services during this pandemic but let us remember what the Bible teaches us, to not forsake the assembling of our selves together so we can exhort and encourage one another. When many of us returned to in-person worship, I was hearing how excited people were to get back together. Yet in just a few short weeks people have already begun allowing this honor, privilege, and the excitement of coming together for worship to be taken for granted. People are already beginning to find excuses to stay away. We should live with the excitement of the Psalmist when he said, “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord.”

In Acts 3 there is a familiar story of Peter and John as they approached the temple. There at the gate lies a man who was crippled and begging for money. Peter said to this man as he passed by, I do not have any silver nor gold but what I do have in the name of Jesus I give it to you. Immediately the man’s legs received strength and he stood up and began to walk. This man because he was crippled was forbidden to enter the temple. Now he entered the temple leaping, shouting, and praising God for his new ability to walk.

I wonder did this man ever get over what Jesus had done for him? Did he ever come to a time in his life he thought, praising God seems to be too old-fashioned for him to do, leaping and shouting is not the “in” thing to do, going to the temple is not particularly important for me, or nobody wants to hear about what Jesus did for me. This writer personally does not think he ever got over what Jesus had done for him and continued to praise the Lord continually.

Today, there are so many believers that were once lost and headed for hell and Jesus saved and transformed them but yet it does not seem so important to give the Lord praise and honor. We live in a world that says praising God is too old-fashioned for me, we do not shout and praise the Lord because someone might see me, we do not have to go to church to be a believer, we do not have to share our salvation experience with anyone. We have lost the excitement of being changed from one who was dead in trespasses and sin and made into a child of God, headed for heaven when this life on earth ends.

I would like to share with you over the next three weeks six challenges for all believers that have become complacent of being a child of God to experience a reawaking of excitement.

Challenge one, renew your excitement of salvation. We might say, well if God had healed me of being lame like the man in the story, then I would be more excited. Let us be reminded that we were on our way to the Lake of Fire and God showed His love to us, while we were yet sinners, that He would allow Jesus to die on the cross for us. We have something to be excited about.

When you think of the hymn of the faith, “Amazing Grace” and really think about the words, we could not help but get excited. The first verse speaks of “Grace” God’s undeserved favor. We did not deserve Jesus’ substitutionary death, yet he came and died on the cross for us. One verse reminds us that since we were saved God has brought us through so many toils, dangers, and snares.

Another verse tells us that we can be sure that God’s promises will never fail. Another verse tells us that if time stands, we will all walk through the valley of the shadow of death and God’s love, peace, mercy, and comfort will be with us. Another verse tells us that this world and all its material things will one day pass away but God’s word will never pass away. The last verse reminds us that one day we will, as believers, get home into the presence of Jesus and because of His amazing grace after 10,000 years, we will have just begun to enjoy our salvation.

We do have much to be excited about.

Challenge two, we need to be excited about spending time talking with God in prayer. The way we build relationships is to learn to talk with each other. This is true of all relationships: husband-wife; parent – child; friend to friend; employer – employee just to name a few.

We have often allowed our prayer time to become a check the box to ease our conscience. We go through the motions of prayer so we can feel good about ourselves but do not spend quality time with God. We often use prayer also as a 911 emergency number, and we use it when a storm arises in our lives and the rest of the time it is non-existent. Prayer for a child of God is one of the most powerful tools we have but we must truly get excited about using it if we are going to truly make a difference in our circle of influence.

Let us seek to more excited in our faith. Next week we will look at some more challenges for an exciting walk with the Lord.

A question we all have been encouraged to ask ourselves this past year before we went out into public places, “Am I contagious?” It is the way we tried to curb the spread of the COVID virus, and it has helped in other areas as well.

When a person is contagious there are at least three meanings for contagious that we need to remember. First, contagious means to spread by direct or indirect contact with others. This means to spread viruses by either touching or coming into direct contact with another person. We can also spread germs indirectly by touching something such as a doorknob and then another person touches that same surface.

Secondly, contagious means a person who is a carrier or transmits disease to others. Often this is done inadvertently by someone who really does not know they are infected, but they are spreading a virus to others.

Thirdly, contagious means someone who goes out with intention to spread germs to someone else. In our world it is considered a negative thing to be contagious. Today I want to look at contagious as being a positive thing. I want to consider how different our world would be if we were believers that were contagious in our faith. Let us look at the definitions we just used and apply them to being contagious in our faith.

The first thing we must determine concerning having a contagious faith is, are we infected ourselves? If we are to be “infectious” in our faith we must first have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We have to come to a point in our lives that we realize we are a sinner and in need of a Savior. We have prayed and received Jesus’ shed blood and death on the cross as payment for our sins. We have allowed the Holy Spirit to take up residence in our hearts and to lead and guide us as we walk through the world daily. It is when we have done this that we must become contagious. If we are contagious in our faith, then we will spread the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ in three ways.

First, we will go about spreading the gospel either directly or indirectly. If we are spreading it directly, we will be sharing the message of salvation through Jesus Christ in our spoken witness of what Jesus has done for us and will do for whosoever will come to Him. We will be using words, songs, testimonies, and witnessing to reach others with the gospel. We will be spreading the message indirectly by living a godly lifestyle for others to see. We will strive to act and react like Jesus would in the different circumstances and situations of life. Others would see that we are living separate from the world. When we are contagious in our faith we will not walk, talk, or act as the world, but as born-again believers in the Lord Jesus. Therefore, we will be contagious in our faith.

Secondly, if we are contagious in our faith, we will become carriers of the gospel message. This means that we will become so infected with the gospel and our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that it would transmit the truth of salvation though Jesus Christ to those we encounter every day. We will without even trying spread the gospel to others. We will become contagious in our faith.

Thirdly, if we are contagious with the gospel of Jesus Christ, we will have a desire to purposely “infect” others with the truth of Jesus Christ. We will, go out into the world looking for opportunities to infect others with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We will want to see people that think they have no hope and do not know the truth come to know our Lord Jesus and the difference He can make in their lives on earth but most of all their eternity. We will be contagious in our faith.

I want to encourage all of us as believers, as we ask ourselves the question in the coming days, “am I contagious physically,” to determine if we can safely go out into public places. Then let us also ask, “am I contagious spiritually,” so I\we can make a difference for the Lord Jesus in the lives of others every day. Let us be contagious with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Part of the work of a pastor is developing and guiding moments of public celebration of God. This could include weddings, baptisms, Christmas, and Easter worship. As well as funerals.

As the world around us is taking steps for gathering after a long period of shelter-in-place, the importance of celebration seems more precious. Gathering to celebrate is set against the need to control. The disruption from the pandemic has spun much of the world into a struggle for control. Amidst the endless dates about following science and medical guidance, to the divergent opinions of our preferred news outlets, celebrating God seems a remote interest for most people these days. Giving focus, however, to what matters to God holds the key for moving forward.

When the Apostle Paul wrote the Letter to the Ephesian Christians, it was during a similar time of tension and struggle. There was just as much “us-versus-them” stuff going on, in the church as well as between Christians and the culture.

Paul begins this letter by reminding the Ephesian Christian community to remember and celebrate what God has already provided. We were chosen in Christ before the world was formed; God made a plan to adopt believers as God’s own children; and God chose to bestow grace upon us. Everything that is most needed has been provided already – redemption and forgiveness through Jesus.

Why would God choose to bless us so greatly, long before we had any knowledge of God’s existence or awareness of this love? I choose to believe this is an ongoing thing. This outpouring of grace and love is still at work, like the rising and setting of the sun each day. This amazing gift of redemption and grace is still unfolding!

What is God up to? What is the goal or purpose of this gift? And why extend it so extravagantly to all people and to creation itself?

Do you know the story of the tower of Babel (Genesis 11)? It’s a cautionary tale of the human desire to reach the heavens and be like God. To control the world. The effort backfires. As punishment for the arrogance of humanity, which spoke one common language at the time, God destroyed the tower and scattered the people to the ends of the earth. It’s understood as an origin story for why there are so many languages around the world.

Ephesians 1 describes the goal and purpose of God’s gift of redemption and grace as having the opposite effect of the Tower of Babel. That is, the goal of God is to bring the world together in unity. Furthermore, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 describes this mystery, as well as the call to be partners with God in this mission to bring the world together.

So, if God’s goal is to bring the world together into unity through the gift of redemption and grace, which has been provided in Jesus, what are we doing to support it? This is a key question for all time. When I consider the difference makers in history who have done great things to bring about cooperation out of division, healing out of brokenness, reconciliation out of war, resilience out of trauma, and hope out of defeat it seems this theme is front and center in the story.

Furthermore, it seems these extraordinary people found a way to celebrate God first. Even when all around them was mired in division and struggle. For by celebrating God, they were able to focus on God’s goals and purposes, rather than their own need to control outcomes or determine who their enemies should be. As they gave themselves to being partners with God in celebrating the gifts God has already provided through the redemption and forgiveness in Jesus, they discovered new and creative ways to be devoted to God’s work of reconciliation. We need to make the same effort as we seek to reopen businesses and churches. Put the good of all above our own goals.

The Delta variant is still taking lives and impacting the young. The three main vaccines are very powerful against this variant, but slightly less than they have been against the original virus. That means there remains risk for all of us.

As much as I would love to gather as normal to celebrate, caution is needed. While I believe in God’s call to bring people together to celebrate the news of redemption and grace, paying attention to the risks is part of the call, too. Knowing that God cares about building unity in our communities, it inspires me to make the effort to be careful. I trust the time to celebrate freely is coming, and I look to God to grant us patience as we try to take the steps to get there safely.

As we celebrate Independence Day, my thoughts this year go to the meaning of freedom and equality that are the foundation of the core values of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. This year they seem more important, as the COVID-19 pandemic and the political tensions of the past two years continue to challenge us.

So many voices in the media contend that freedom and equality cannot coexist. Yet many stories of scripture declare that they can. In fact, for justice and love to thrive, freedom and equality must coexist. I am grateful that this has been embedded in the Christian faith hands down to me.

From an early age I have had a deep appreciation in how Christian faith and practice played a significant influence on the founders of our country and this state. Did you know Benjamin Franklin’s contribution to the US Constitution and his rationale for a government that reflected a balance of freedom and equality was significantly influenced by his connections to the Iroquois Confederacy? It was collaboration of indigenous people and tribes spanning much of the East Coast.

Franklin’s connections were greatly aided by Christian missionaries who helped him connect to the Iroquois Confederacy, which already had in place “The Great Law of Peace” – a constitution that Franklin and others used as a prototype for the US Constitution. These missionaries played a role in helping Franklin make this discovery.

Did you know Thomas Jefferson was influenced by the writings of many European thinkers who had advocated for personal rights, freedom, and equality? Among them were Christian reformers such as John Wycliff, John Hus, and William Tyndale. Such writings would influence Luther and others to bring about the Protestant Reformation. They would also influence several political revolutions in European history that became the seed bed for western expressions of democracy.

Thomas Jefferson himself remained fascinated by the intricate role of freedom and equality as the foundation of democracy, and the requirement of pulling together to be a community of citizens that chooses to honor both in balance without the threat of violence or the direct oversight of military regime. But how do we strike such a balance?

Did you know the first community to officially observe a celebration for Independence Day was the religious settlement of Moravians in Salem, here in North Carolina? Soon other religious communities led the way. Early on few communities celebrated this day because most citizens were not confident the thirteen colonies could emerge as a sustainable and independent democracy.

It seems to me this year the celebration of July 4 is unique. Following the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with recent the political and social unrest, this is a season for reflecting anew on the core values our Christian religious forebearers had for freedom and equality. Simply put, they understood that unlimited freedom often leads to excesses that prevent equality.

At the same time, unlimited equality often leads to limited freedom. They also understood that justice demands a reasonable limit for both freedom and equality, which was reflected in early Christian settlement community covenants like Salem. I find myself longing today for a deeper expression of working together to support and preserve a balance of freedom and equality without resorting to actions that create more division and isolation.

Paul said: “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are beneficial.” (1 Corinthians 6:12). Moravians put a premium on the demand for ongoing spiritual development – “until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13). They called upon the community to “adult up.” The older I get, the more I appreciate how many of the Christians spiritual forebearers in America understood that freedom and equality can coexist, but not without out making love and justice the higher calling.

I am grateful that Independence Day falls on Sunday this year. Many faith communities will gather today to pray for our nation and its people. I hope that our mutual prayers will take us further than our aspirations for our country to be the beacon of freedom and equality for the world. They are just the beginning. May they be accompanied by our actions, as well as a renewed effort in mature choices that build a stronger balance for freedom and equality.

Make this month a special time to pray for our community, our state, and our nation to find a deeper passion for freedom and equality that fosters a vision of hope for all people.

And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?

This week I want to display the journey of Moses and God’s people into the Promised Land that originally started with a promise made to Abraham by God.

It is important to note early in this column that God has a promised land for each of us. Of course that ultimate land of promise is in heaven with God in our very own mansion that has been built for us to reside in, but our promise land here on earth is found in the specific purpose He has laid out for each person individually.

You will see in Deuteronomy 10:12-13 the words of Moses to the Israelites as he prepared them for their Promised Land that was filled with purpose for their descendants. The question posed here is what does God require of us as we journey toward that land, as we look toward residing in our purpose, or better stated how to live a life that God desires us to live to the fullest?

Stated in these words of Moses is five simple directives to fear God, please God, love God, serve God, and obey God. For the sake of space and time I will not be able to go into deep detail about each of these points, but simply I can state that each of them can be found intertwined in the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20 and echoed by Jesus in Matthew 22:35-40.

The verses in Matthew read this way, “Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

There is a commission that we are to have an attitude of fearing, pleasing, serving, and obeying, but there is something about true love that helps us bring the first four right in line with God’s will for our lives. Paul in 1 Timothy 1-5-7 states that the commandants of our life should be derived from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from a sincere faith.

It is this pure heart that Paul talks about that gives us our genuine desire to please God through service to others. This is a direct act of obedience to God’s Word that shows that we are not scared of God, but possess a fear derived from reverence and respect.

John tells us in 1 John 4:7-10, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

Fearing, pleasing, serving, obeying and loving are simple requirements when we consider that God sent Christ to forsake it all for us to have freedom from the bondage of our sin. I have found that once we begin to understand 1 John 4, we begin to not only see why Deuteronomy is pertinent, but you will begin to see the truth in Jesus’s answer to the lawyer in Matthew 22.

My friend God is love. That love should compel us to love others, which will result in a display of all the requirements needed to inhabit the promises from God. Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Love God and I promise friend you will experience more than you can imagine. May God bless you and keep you and allow his face shine upon you and give you peace.

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

I want to start today by saying God wants you to know He is right there with you today and forever. The writer of Hebrews is clear in stating this point by first saying He will never leave you and then follows that with the wording of never forsaking you. As I counsel people I ask them to make a list of all their fears, their worries, their struggles, and most of all their weaknesses. Very rarely do I find people with the exact same list. Some express identical words but very seldom do the causes behind those words look the same.

Paul states in 2 Corinthians 12, that he had a thorn in his flesh that Satan used to try to keep him away from God, but in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Paul states this, “And he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

As I titled this article I debated on calling it, “Finding Strength in our Weakness,” but quickly realized that although strength can be drawn from our short comings it is imperative to first accept that power into our lives.

I don’t want to completely repeat the article “Easier Said Than Done,” but I do want to say it is humbling to know that Christ is there to catch us and even pull us up out of the sinking water of life. But even that requires that we trust He will do it. Remember Peter was standing on solid water one minute and then sinking the next. His cry to Jesus was “Save me.” Such a simple sentence in words, but so strong when we scream it with meaning.

One more time I want you to remember that God wants you to know He is right there with you waiting to hear not only your voice, but he wants your heart, your mind, and your soul to desire that He is the force in this sinking world to save you. So quickly our heart says yes to the ways God tells us to face the things of this world, but our mind drifts to other means. There are times our mind knows that He is the only way, but that same mind becomes clouded with things of this world.

Paul tells us in Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Today my friend I encourage you to seek God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your soul. Look for Jesus and keep your eyes planted on him for your direction. Make a list of all your fears, your worries, your struggles, and most of all your weaknesses and one by one give them to God and he will set you on a path to strength. One last time, God wants you to know He is right there with you today and forever.

May God bless you and allow His face to shine on you and give you peace. God bless you.

Mount Airy Wesleyan Church will be hosting a gospel music concert on Sunday, June 6 featuring Brian Free and Assurance.

Free is one of the most recognizable tenors in gospel music. Fans have responded to his music by honoring him and the group at the Dove Awards for Southern Gospel Performance of the Year, “Say Amen,” in 2014 as well as “Long As I Got King Jesus” in 2006. Brian Free and Assurance has also made a number of television appearances, including on TBN, Gospel Music Channel, Prime Time Country on TNN, The “Today Show” on NBC, and on 27 of the “Gaither Video” series.

The mission of Brian Free and Assurance is to lift up Jesus Christ through their music, see souls come to know the Lord as Savior and be an encouragement to Believers across the nation and abroad.

The community is invited to hear Brian Free and Assurance at 10:30 a.m. at Mount Airy Wesleyan Church located at 2063 South Main Street, Mount Airy. The concert will be held in Mount Airy Wesleyan’s gymnasium/worship center. Interested persons may contact Mount Airy Wesleyan at 336-786-7250 or via the church website or Facebook. There is no charge for the concert. A love offering will be taken during the service.

Rulers, scholars, and commoners — history shows people from all walks of life have made errors in judgement that cost them something. In the Shakespearean tragedy Romeo and Juliet, the lovesmitten Romeo plots his own suicide upon hearing the announcement that his Juliet is dead. In his haste, he ingests poison before he receives the message that she is not gone, but merely drugged. We cringe at the couple’s misfortune and scoff at Romeo’s hastiness.

It’s true what the writer of Proverb 19:2 says, “Desire without knowledge is not good—how much more will hasty feet miss the way.” Oftentimes acting without the right information will often lead us down the wrong path.

Consider another example of fear and misjudgment from the life of King Saul. Instead of waiting for the priest Samuel to offer sacrifices for Israel to be blessed in battle, Saul hastily does the task himself. When Samuel arrived, he rebukes Saul and declares, “If you had listened God would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart.” (1 Sam. 13:13-14).

The stories of impetuous mistakes seem endless. And if we mentally review our past, we find our own errors in judgment. We excuse ourselves by saying that action must be better than inaction — at least we’re doing something. How strange that the very action we avoid is the one God asks of us: to wait.

Waiting can be one of the most difficult things in life, but the alternative can sometimes be more difficult. It’s hard when you’re single to wait for the person God wants you to marry; but it’s even harder to live with a spouse God never intended you to be with. It’s difficult to wait on God to provide the house you and your family have been praying for, but it’s even more difficult to rush into a purchase and then try and figure a way out from under the debt God wanted you to avoid.

When we fail to wait on God we’re either saying that God can’t provide for us or that he’s holding back blessings from us. When we recognize this for what it truly is, we see this has been our temptation since the Fall of Humanity. The serpent in the garden convinced Eve that God was keeping the fruit and the blessing of being like God from her. The truth was that she and Adam were already created in the image of God. There are no blessings that God does not want to give us, if we’ll just trust and wait on Him.

Unfortunately, our biblical ancestors did not trust and wait, and thousands of years later we struggle in the same way. In the days ahead, I hope that you pause long enough in life to remember the importance of waiting on God.

A favorite hobby of mine, that I share with many others, is working in a garden. There’s a wonderful feeling as you get out on a warm day and get your hands dirty planting, tending, and harvesting. To witness the miraculous growth of God’s creation and to know that you played a part in that is truly satisfying. Not to mention the blessing of health and tastiness that you get to enjoy and share with others.

But, as with any blessing, there is also a necessary sacrifice. Much to my dismay, I have found that gardens do not plant themselves. Neither do they weed, water, or any of the other things necessary for them to thrive. To enjoy all the blessings that a garden can produce requires a good deal of intentionality, determination, and sweat. No matter how well you start, without hard work, your garden simply won’t do well.

I have found this to also be the case within my own life; spiritually, relationally, and in almost every other area. If I want a strong relationship with God, then it is going to require intentionality and work on my part. I am going to sacrifice some things in order to make time to spend with God and develop my faith. If I want a healthy marriage or a solid relationship with my children as they grow older; these things will require daily work to tend, care for, and occasionally address the “weeds” that crop up. These principles apply to my finances, my health, and every other sphere of life. We can’t just assume the blessings of life will spring out of an untilled life. We have to prepare ourselves to receive the blessing God wants us to experience.

Now, can God bring blessing in spite of neglected efforts? Of course. God is gracious and generous causing the sun to shine on the godly and ungodly (Matt. 5:45). I have been thrilled this year to see tulips and blackberries spring up in my yard even though I didn’t plant them or even know they were there. God is good like that and loves to surprise us with His goodness. But it is foolishly presumptuous to assume God will always send good your way, especially when we are not putting forth the effort to encourage those blessings.

So my question to you is: what harvest do you want in your life? What do you want in your relationship with God? What do you want for your marriage and your children? We all have certain hopes and dreams for these areas of our life, but are we doing the hard work of preparing ourselves to receive these blessings? Are we making plans, breaking up the soil, planting those seeds, and picking the weeds? It’s going to take effort. There are going to be days where you don’t want to do what’s required, but you remember what you’re working towards. You remember the harvest.

What do you do in those moments when you’re not sure if the effort is worth it? For those days when you’re wondering if the seeds you’ve planted in your faith, your family, your finances, or your health will produce anything; remember that this is all an exercise in faith. Like gardening, you’re trusting that if you make this investment today in something you can’t quite see; one day in the future you will reap a harvest that would not otherwise have been possible.

So, I hope that you will plant those seeds now in this season of your life. That you will sacrifice those good things now, for the best things later. And I hope that God will bless you with a harvest that far surpasses your wildest expectations.

Everyone loves an underdog story; A tale of someone who had the odds stacked against him, surrounded by people telling him it can’t be done, yet he pushes forward and proves them all wrong.

One of my favorites is the movie Rudy. It’s an inspirational story of Rudy Ruettiger who, despite being too small and scrawny, only dreams of playing football for Notre Dame. Throughout the movie he ignores or overcomes obstacles and criticism from family, friends and fellow teammates. In the end, his persistence inspires the entire team to allow him to play in an official game, fulfilling his dream.

Maybe your story is similar to Rudy’s. Perhaps you’ve overcome obstacles and criticism to get to where you are today. Perhaps your obstacles are more internal. You may be daily attacked by an inner voice that tells you you’re not smart enough, pretty enough, or skilled enough to achieve the things God has placed in your heart. The question we answer each day is whose voice are we going to listen to?

Another great underdog story is that of a young Jewish boy named David. The youngest of eight brothers, he was the handsome runt of the litter who was often overlooked. We first see David being overlooked by his father, Jesse, when Samuel the priest comes to anoint one of his sons to be the next king of Israel. David is doing the menial task of shepherding and isn’t worth calling in from the field because surely he’s not the one God will anoint. But, while David may be overlooked and underestimated by those around him; he’s caught the eye of God.

We next see David overlooked when Israel goes off to war against the Philistines. Jesse sends his seven sons to the battlefront, but keeps David with the flocks at home. When David is eventually sent to deliver food and supplies to his brothers in camp, he sees the army of Israel cowering as the champion of the Philistines taunts Israel and their God. In this moment David will either rise or fall depending on whose voice he listens to.

His brothers try to shame him into silence and King Saul reminds him of his inexperience, but David keeps his focus on God who had helped him overcome the overwhelming obstacles of bears and lions before. King Saul, seeing David’s determination to go represent Israel in this fight, tries to dress David in his kingly armor. But David can’t go into this battle as anyone other than himself. God is with him and that’s more than enough.

Most of us are familiar with how the story goes. Once the dust settles, young David is left standing with Goliath lying at his feet. The impossible has happened and the underdog is victorious! Both armies are left dumbstruck and God is glorified through the centuries. This moment is so shocking that King Saul asks his servants, “Whose son is this young man?”

I find this especially amusing as we remember that in the previous chapter David is brought into Saul’s court to play music that soothes his soul, and is elevated to Saul’s personal armor bearer. Saul knows who David is, but he can’t recognize him now because the victorious warrior before him does not seem like the young musician he knew before.

All of us have been the underdog at some point in our life. We have all faced obstacles and challenges that seemed too big for us to handle. Thankfully, we have a God that is bigger than our obstacles. Like David, we need to remember how God has caused us to overcome the struggles in the past and is the same today as he was yesterday. Our real challenge is not in overcoming the mountain before us, but in focusing on God’s voice through the flood of negative voices and naysayers. Will you cower with those around you, listening to the naysayers, or will you march onto the battlefield listening to the soft whisper of God?

There are times where big changes happen. Sometimes these changes are welcomed, like when a couple gets married or at the birth of a child; and sometimes they are forced upon us, like the death of a loved one or the loss of a job. But whether the change is wanted or not, all change has a way of challenging us as we let go of what is familiar to us and step into the unknown. It is often during these transitions that we can either grow and thrive or get lost and lose hope.

Our nation and our local community have found ourselves in the midst of a seismic change. With a pandemic-induced lockdown, elevated racial tensions, and the ever increasing political divide in our country; it can often seem like our world is transforming from what it once was. None of us asked for these events and most of us long for things to return to the way they used to be. But while things are rarely pleasant in the midst of change, I believe there are some anchors in God’s Word that can help us weather the storms of change and come out better on the other side.

One of the greatest changes we see in scripture is when God gave birth to a new nation by liberating the Hebrews from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. While this was something that the Israelites had longed for, the catalyst for the change was anything but smooth and peaceful. Most of us are familiar with the ten plagues of Egypt and the increased workload that the Hebrews were punished with. While it is true that God was working in profound ways to bring a blessing to his people, it is also clear that the process of receiving that blessing was not altogether pleasant or easy.

The part that I want us to focus our attention on are the last few moments of Israel’s exodus from Egypt. In Exodus chapter 13, all the plagues of Egypt have passed and Pharoah has finally agreed to let the Hebrews leave. It would seem as though their liberation is complete and the time of change has passed. However, in verse 17 we read an interesting statement that might surprise us about God and how he works in our lives. God’s Word tells us, “Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, ‘Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.’ So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea.”

To some, this may seem like an inconsequential detail, but it’s actually a profound truth of how God often works in our lives. The Israelites had been longing to be freed from slavery and enter into the Promised Land that God had sworn to their ancestor Abraham more than years earlier. Yet instead of leading them by the quickest and straightest route that would have had them there in a week or so; he instead takes them on a zig-zag path through the barren wilderness. God did this because he knew there would be obstacles along the way that would have kept them from finishing their journey and experiencing his blessing.

We all have changes in our life that we’re going through. Some are looking forward to getting married, buying a dream house, or retiring. Others are looking forward to a season of difficulty and hardship to be over with. What we see in the lives of the Israelites is important for us to remember, least we lose heart and give up. Sometimes God’s path to the blessings of life are not the quickest, straightest paths. Sometimes God seems to be taking us out of the way in order to get us to where our blessings are.

That’s probably not what you want to hear. We tend to know what we want and we want it now. But like a good father, God knows that sometimes we’re not ready to receive his gifts. Perhaps we’ll become prideful, or we’ll treasure the gift above the Gift-giver. Whatever the case may be I can assure you that God does not hold back any good gift from us unless the timing is not quite right. But there’s still encouragement.

In the last few verses of chapter 13 scripture tells us, “And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.”

This is the wonderful promise of God. As he brings about the blessings he has for us, he may lead us through seasons of life that we would rather avoid. Yet even as we’re left waiting or as we go through the wilderness, we can rest in the knowledge that God is there with us and will never leave us until his purpose is fulfilled in us. So, I pray that you will continue to journey on and keep your eyes on the one who loves you and is guiding you home.

After a donation last week of a formal portrait of the late Isaac Martin Gordon, First Baptist Church of Pilot Mountain will be able to prominently display a remembrance of the man who had served a significant role in the church’s history as well as that of the town.

The donation was made by Isaac Martin (I.M.) Gordon’s grandson, Gordon M. Thomas. Thomas is one of several family members who grew up in Pilot Mountain, with some relatives still residing in the area.

Isaac Martin Gordon (1870-1963) was a native of Stokes County as was his wife, Mary Rebecca Oliver Gordon (1880-1958). The couple was married in 1904 and in 1914 moved to Pilot Mountain.

Isaac Martin Gordon co-founded the Bank of Pilot Mountain and continued to work there until his passing, almost 50 years later. Beginning in January of 1942, he served as the bank’s president.

The original First Baptist Church building was burned to the ground in a 1919 fire, after which Isaac Martin Gordon, who served as a church trustee, recorded that the only items salvaged were a small table, a Bible and offering plates. Later that year, land was purchased for the church to be rebuilt at the Main Street location where it now resides. The new church building was constructed in 1922, with Gordon serving as chairman of the building committee. Stained glass windows were dedicated in memory of family members.

In 1914, Gordon began a 30-year stint of service as Sunday School Superintendent. In 1944, a plaque recognizing that service was placed on the back wall of the church sanctuary. Gordon also served for years as a deacon of the church.

As his home was only three doors from the church, Gordon often rang the church bell on Sunday mornings, built fires in the coal furnace and shoveled snow from the walks. He donated the first organ to the church in 1948 and, in 1961, he and his daughters donated a new organ.

Throughout the years, Mary Oliver Gordon served the church at her husband’s side. The daughter of a Missionary Baptist minister, she and her husband regularly hosted visiting ministers for meals and overnight stays in their home. On Mother’s Day, 1956, the adult women’s Sunday School class named their class the Mary Oliver Gordon Sunday School Class in her honor. She was presented with a portrait of herself which today hangs in the Sunday School classroom.

According to Gordon M. Thomas, the couple was frequently heard to note that “the hope of the church is in its young people.”

The late Robert Walter (Bob) Thomas was another of Isaac Martin Gordon’s grandsons and Gordon M. Thomas’s brother. He was baptized at First Baptist Church and went on to be an active member. He later became a Baptist minister, pastoring other churches in the area.

Bob Thomas’s wife, Marilyn Thomas, never met Isaac Martin Gordon but the couple later resided in Gordon’s homeplace near the church. In going through saved papers and memorabilia long stored in the home, she now feels she has come to know her husband’s grandfather.

“He was a witness,” she described. “He didn’t hold back but let everyone know that Jesus Christ was in his life. His house was always open to visiting ministers. He was a man with a big heart.”

The donated portrait was commissioned in 1942 by Isaac Martin Gordon’s aunt, Nell Gordon Isenhour of Salisbury and her husband, John H. Isenhour. Painted by a Salisbury artist, the painting hung above the fireplace in the Isenhour home.

Gordon M. Thomas is a 1969 East Surry High School graduate who grew up in First Baptist Church where both of his parents served In active roles. A longtime resident of Arlington, Virginia, he was given the painting by a cousin, Kay Isenhour Kyle, in 2014. He recently contacted First Baptist through another cousin, Pilot Mountain resident Carolyn Boyles, who is a member of the church. Boyles reached out with the offer to the church deacons’ Chairman Charlie Brown.

“On behalf of our church, we are welcoming a part of our legacy to come back home,” Brown said.

“I know that my grandparents, parents, brother and other Gordon family members would wholeheartedly approve the donation of the Isaac Martin Gordon portrait to the church,” Gordon M. Thomas said in a letter accompanying the donation. “I hope that it will be displayed for a long time in a prominent location as a testament to the Christian values and service of my grandfather and other members of the Gordon family.”

At the presentation, Gordon M. Thomas added a thought. “I decided it was time to bring it back home.”

For the second straight year, the COVID-19 pandemic will keep area residents from gathering in public to mark the National Day of Prayer on Thursday.

That doesn’t mean local clergy won’t be leading an observance.

The Mount Airy Ministerial Association will be holding a National Day of Prayer service at 12:30 p.m., with the event carried live on WPAQ, at 740 AM and 106.7 FM on the radio dial.

“The theme this year will come from II Corinthians, chapter three, verse 17,” said DM Dalton, president of the ministerial association. That verse reads “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

Dalton, who will serve as moderator for the radio broadcast, said that Dr. Rick Jackson will be delivering the message built around the theme “Lord, Pour Out Your Love, Life, and Liberty.”

In addition to the message, Dalton said he would read proclamations recognizing the day of prayer from both Mount Airy and Surry County officials.

Prior to the pandemic, the ministerial association sponsored a National Day of Prayer service on the front lawn of the city municipal building for years, and in 2019 had its first such service in front of the county courthouse in Dobson, something Dalton had hoped would be done annually going forward.

“It was graciously, graciously accepted by the county commissioners when I presented it to them,” he said of the first-time service in the county seat. While the crowd at the city service is typically between 20 and “upwards of 60” depending on the weather, he said the Dobson service drew quite a crowd that first year.

While the state and many organizations are loosening COVID-19 restrictions, Dalton said he wasn’t yet comfortable with doing the National Day of Prayer service in person.

“There are still a lot of churches … doing virtual services…it’s just more prudent, I think, to do it this way one more year,” Dalton said.

He’s hopeful the ministerial association will be able to return to the two live services in Mount Airy and Dobson in 2022.

For this year, he’s hopeful many people will tune in to the service.

“It’s critically important that we all, with the way this world is today, the cultural changes going on, we need to make sure we are continuing our prayer help,” he said. “We need to be praying for our leadership, we need to be praying for our country, we need to be praying for our state, we need to be praying for our community.”

Individuals wishing to listen live online can do so at https://www.wpaq740.com/listen-online/

In last week’s column, we examined how Jairus and the woman with the issue of blood had pursued the Lord with purpose to get help in their dire situations. Jairus’ 12-year-old daughter was at home at the point of death, and the woman had been sick for 12 years, quite possibly nearing the point of death herself.

Both of these people reached out to Jesus in faith, knowing that he could change their situation, when no one else could. Both of them reached out with a confident expectation that Jesus would help them and they would have the results that they each desired.

Jairus was a very high-ranking religious official, no doubt with upper-class social status, and the woman was not even identified by name and was of the lowest social status in that day. In fact, she could have been killed on the spot for merely being out in public in her physical condition. The culture was at that time if she came out she had to announce herself unclean and avoid touching anyone. These two people represented either end of the social spectrum, and I believe this is on purpose because the Lord wants us to know that His help is equally available to everyone. It is by our faith, not our social status that we get results.

We pick up in verse 28 where the woman declared that she would be healed if she could merely touch Jesus’ clothes. Verse 29 tells us that as soon as she did, her condition changed and that she knew in her body that she was healed of that plague. She got what she requested from the Lord, her healing miracle. She believed, pursued, and received. Jesus was not looking for her, she was looking for him. She did not wait for Jesus to come by her house, she reached out to him.

As believers, this is the action part of our faith that is necessary to receive what we desire from the Lord. Christians, I cannot express this point strongly enough. There are spiritual laws in place for the believer to correct negative things that arise in our lives. Jesus told many people who came to him seeking help that their faith in Him produced their desires. Psalm 37:4 tells us to delight ourselves in the Lord and He will give us the desires of our heart; we need to live like we believe the Word and act accordingly.

Too many believers are praying faithless prayers, not knowing God’s great love for them and His strong desire to help them. God has provided a system for us to access His power in our lives, but we have to follow it. Hoping God will help you, but thinking that He might not is a zero faith prayer, and do not expect it to be answered. In fact, it is an open door for the enemy to come in and do the exact opposite of that prayer, and then blame it on God.

Hosea 4:6 declares God’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, and we see this happening to heaven bound Christians every day. It is sad, and it is not God’s will. Jesus said in Mark 11:23 that we can have what we say, but the problem is we are saying what we have. In fact in verse 36 of Mark 5, Jesus had to keep Jairus’ faith on track when the report that his daughter had died came from the house. Jesus had to keep him from accepting the bad report, and to keep his focus on the healing that he was believing for. It works the same for us today. We have to stay focused on our faith, knowing God loves us and will help us to get our desired result, as we stay connected with Him.

Three people in Mark 5 connected with the Lord by faith, and they all got life-changing glorious results. The maniac got healed and went on to live a prosperous life; the woman got healed and was able to have a much better life; and Jairus’ daughter was healed, and they had a much better life. I submit to you today that the Lord’s desire is to help you so that you can have a better life.

In last week’s column, we looked at how Jesus healed the possessed man of Gadera, delivering him from demonic influence. That man’s life was dramatically changed, as he went from pitiful to powerful, publishing the Lord’s character of compassion and help. Jesus’ character of love and assistance for the believer is reflected throughout the Gospels and the New Testament. He wants to provide so much more than just forgiveness of sins and a heavenly home.

Although if that was all He offered, that would be an overflowing glorious plenty, but He is always a very present help in time of need (Psalm 46:1) because He loves us so much. We see this in the second part of Mark chapter 5.

We pick up in verse 21 where Jesus returns to the other side and many people are gathered to hear Him teach. Jairus, who was one of the religious leaders, came and begged Jesus to come to his house and lay His hands on his daughter, as she was at the point of death. Jairus made a faith statement to the Lord when he said she will live if You lay hands on her. She will live; not she might, or we have tried everything else maybe this will work. He said she will live.

Jairus’ faith in the healing power of Jesus saved his daughter’s life. In verse 24 we see that Jesus went with him. Jairus’ faith connected with and moved Jesus. Our faith does the same thing today.

Jesus probably had an agenda when He came back from Gadera. Jairus was looking for Jesus, Jesus was not looking for him. But Jairus’ faith request got results, and Jesus was on His way to heal that little girl, because that is His character.

The focus changes in verse 25, and we see a certain woman with an issue of blood for 12 years, who had been to many doctors and spent all that she had. In spite of all the medical care, she was no better, and in fact she was worse. This woman, who was probably feeling hopeless after 12 years of no results, said to herself, “if I can just touch His clothes, I will be healed and whole.”

She had to say this to herself because no one would be around her, as she was considered unclean, an outcast, diseased and untouchable. She was taking a huge risk by just coming out in public, much less approaching Jairus and (gasp) touching Jesus. She could very well have been sentenced to death as a result. That day she had a decision to make, either stay in the house and complain about how bad it was, or by faith pursue healing that was available with Jesus. She chose to take action.

Faith takes corresponding action toward the goal. This is what James chapter 2 means in saying faith without works is dead. Faith has to be spoken and declared, as both the woman and Jairus did. Faith must have action, as both came to Jesus, they did not stay at home. For example, if you are believing for a job, you must put in applications. You cannot sit on the couch and say you are believing for a job without corresponding action. Faith without works is dead. We must take action toward our goals, connected with the Lord. But we must first believe that we receive (Mark 11:24). The most important component of faith is being connected and communicating with the Lord, knowing how much He loves us and believing His great desire to help us.

Next week’s column will examine the outcomes for both of these people who believed Jesus would help them, spoke their faith and made corresponding action.

The Lord’s character is clearly displayed in all four of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In Mark chapter 5, Jesus encounters three people who are dealing with extremely difficult life circumstances, even to the point of life and death.

The first man that Jesus met, the Bible describes him as having his dwelling in the tombs and no one could subdue him anymore, not even with chains. This man was possessed, or oppressed, or controlled by several unclean spirits. His condition sounds like addiction or a self-harm mental illness of today. The Bible says the man was crying cutting himself with stones as a result of the influence of the unclean spirits.

The man did muster up enough of himself to run to Jesus for help, as we see in verse 6. In verse 7 the spirits took back over and spoke to Jesus. I look forward to talking to this man when I get to heaven. He was in extreme bondage and probably hopeless, but when he saw Jesus, he got a glimpse of hope and he desperately ran to Him. That last-ditch effort for help that he made paid off. Jesus freed him from the spiritual bondage that was controlling his life. That man was suffering through life miserable and isolated, with no hope for change or a better future. No one had been able to help him.

I imagine the local religious people tried to talk to him, but to no avail. Everyone had given up on him. The man was pitiful. But Jesus came and gave him a new life. In verse 15 we see that he was sitting with Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. What a change. The Lord made a similar change in my life 12 years ago, and as an addiction/mental health counselor and pastor, I have the privilege of witnessing Him doing the same work for people today.

In verse 18, the healed man wanted to go with Jesus on his journey, but the Lord had bigger plans for him. He told that man to go back to his home and to his friends, those people who had seen him decline to his worst condition, and tell them how the Lord had changed his life. In fact, Jesus told him to “tell them how great things the Lord has done for thee, and has had compassion on thee.” Jesus knew that people needed to see real results, and when they did they would believe and follow Him. I submit to you that Jesus desires to do the same thing today, which is showing Himself real and doing great things in our lives.

That man, even in his worst condition, connected with Jesus on purpose and asked for help. Jesus promised in John 14 and several other places in Scripture that if we would ask, He would always help us. He said if we would ask, we would receive, seek and find, knock and it would be opened to us.

Our situations may not be changing because we are not asking and seeking and knocking. Or when the Lord tells us to do something, we do not do it. Jesus told the healed man to go home and tell people, and in verse 20 we see that he began to publish in Decapolis (Ten cities) the great things Jesus had done for him. I believe he had to publish it in written form so he could get the word to everyone in those 10 cities, and I believe he achieved a level of notoriety and respect and a comfortable lifestyle that he enjoyed throughout the remainder of his life. Jesus transformed him from misery and torment, to peace, joy, and prosperity.

Yes, that is definitely the Lord’s character. I am looking forward to talking to the healed man of Decapolis when I get to heaven. Let us have that same motivation to seek the Lord for our best life. Be blessed friends.

The New Testament is packed full of evidence of God’s love for us, and His great desire to bless us, His beloved children. I like that word beloved, it tells us as believers to be loved, to accept the vastness of our Father’s love for us, to enjoy His blessings in our lives to the full.

At the end of the last column, we reviewed Ephesians 3:17-20. I am drawn back to that passage that clearly illustrates the character of God. Verse 16 tells us that He would have us “to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.” The Lord desires for us to have strong spirits so that we can resist the attacks of the enemy, as well as the daily difficulties that can arise from living in a fallen world and sinful flesh. Jesus tells us in John 14-17 that we as believers will have a piece of God that will live in these bodies with us, and that Holy Spirit will connect us to His peace.

Sometimes it feels really hard to not worry or be in fear when difficult situations arise. But when we look inward to connect with our spirit, our core, that sealed place where our personal Spirit of God resides, we can find the peace that passes all understanding (Phil. 4:6-8).

We can to have a strong spirit by being connected with Him. God created us for this connection, and the enemy is constantly trying to distract us away from it. Worry, fear, strife, bitterness, just to name a few, can cause our focus to be taken off of our relationship with Him. This is why the Bible tells us to guard our heart with all diligence (Proverbs 4:23), so that we keep our focus on our Father, and access his best blessings in every area of our lives. Verse 17 tells us that with Christ dwelling in our heart (focusing on and listening for him), we can be rooted and grounded (very secure) in His love for us.

As a pastor and professional counselor, I see so many people who are insecure, or not sure of who they are as a believer. God loves us perfectly, and His great love is unconditional, which means it does not depend on our performance. He will not love me more if I can be really good because He already loves me perfectly, and that cannot be improved upon. But do not be confused, bad decisions bring bad results, which is not God’s will for your life, but He will still love you.

Bad decision-making can usually be traced back to deceitfulness of the enemy, and his attempt to distract us away from God’s helpfulness and guidance. When we are secure in God’s love for us we are much less vulnerable to be drawn away by the enemy. We stay close to our Father and enjoy His best blessings! Verse 18 speaks to the enormous level of love that God has for us.

Verse 19 encourages us to experience and enjoy that great love, acceptance, and security that we have with Him, so that we can be “filled with all the fullness of God.” Wow, what an amazing offer for the believer to accept and enjoy to the full! Verse 20 goes on to say that His ability to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think can be accessed into our lives “according to the power that works in us,” which is our willingness to receive and experience His desire to help us. Folks, this is where miracles happen, when we believe what the Word says, and operate in it with a confident expectation in the goodness of God and His great desire to help His children.

This is His true character. We are the apple of His eye.

Psalm 103:2-4 is an instruction to the believer, saying “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,” (NKJV).

This passage is telling us to be continually mindful of the broad range of blessings that our loving heavenly Father graciously bestows upon His children daily. We should recognize how much He loves us and the fact that He is always trying to help us. He is constantly flowing helpful communication to the believer, and we should be steadily working to improve our ability to hear and receive His guidance and direction. He only wants the best for us.

God is not trying to hurt us to teach us a lesson or trip us up to see if we will fail. That is what the enemy does. Jesus made this clear in John 10:10 explaining that the thief/devil comes to steal kill and destroy but He/Jesus came that we can have life and have it more abundantly. Furthermore, examine the Gospels and we find Jesus always teaching, helping, and healing, never hurting anyone to teach them a lesson. He never rejected a request for healing under the pretense of God trying to teach them a lesson with sickness or infirmity.

In Luke chapter 13, Jesus made it clear that Satan had caused the woman to be bowed over for 18 years, not God teaching her a lesson. The only people who did not receive healing from the Lord were those who did not seek it and those who did not believe that he could or would.

Mark chapter 6 tells us that Jesus could not do any mighty works in his hometown because of their unbelief. Jesus did not suddenly lose his power to heal, the problem was that those people would not believe and receive healing He wanted them to have. The woman with the issue of blood in Mark chapter 5 confidently stated that if she could just touch His garment, she knew she would be made whole. She did not question His ability or His desire to heal her.

Some misguided believers would strongly acknowledge God’s ability to heal, but question His desire to do so. Luke 5, Matthew 8 and Mark 1 all document the account of the leper who came to Jesus saying, “I know you can heal me, I just do not know if it is your will/want to.” Jesus quickly made it clear that it was His will and desire to heal the man, and He did. It is important that we as believers apply this truth into our lives.

God is well able to help us, and He desperately wants to. Psalm 103 tells us that He heals all of our diseases; 3 John v.2 tells us to prosper and be in physical health, even as our soul prospers (mental health). Jesus promised us in John 14:13 that if we would ask He would always help us. Jesus said many times (Matthew 7, et al.) to ask and receive.

His healing is for physical, emotional, mental, relational, and whatever else needs repair. This is God’s will for us. His Word is His will for us. It all comes down to how much He loves us. Let’s believe and receive it! Blessings.

Dr. John Pulliam is director of Choose Life Counseling Services.

A week from now is Good Friday, the dark day on which Jesus died a brutal, horrific death on the cross at Golgotha, the place of the skull. We will retell the Passion narrative, remembering Jesus as we do when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper together. We do this in remembrance of him, of God’s amazing mercy and love, because the story is too important to allow it to slide into the haze of history and fade from our sight.

We began to hear the story of Jesus when Moses wrote down the history of the universe. Those uplifting, beautifully simplistic words which begin the story, “In the beginning, God…” are continued by the Apostle John, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Word created a universe with the express purpose to fashion a place where we could be together, Creator and Created, united in love.

It would have been a very short story if we’d been able to end right there. And they lived happily ever after for ever and ever and ever and ever. But the world broke. We broke the only rule we were given. The relationship was shattered. Angels with burning swords blocked the return to the Garden. We immediately turned on each other, the first two siblings ever experienced jealousy, envy, anger and murder. We sank into depravity. Despite that, there were bright spots in humanity who remembered what we had in the Garden, who remembered God and honored the Lord. The very water that washed humanity off the face of the earth also saved Noah and his family because of his devotion to God.

Abraham walked with God, too. God made a promise to him thousands of years ago, foretold of one descended from Abraham who would save the world and bless all people. We saw foreshadowing of the one to come in Moses, leading God’s people out of bondage and slavery, into a promised land, with God at their side. People, being people, being descended from the ones who broke the one original rule, betrayed God and began sleeping with the enemy, worshipping gods fashioned by the hands of people, imagined out of the darkness in our souls. God had already promised not to wash the world clean again and to bless everyone through Abraham’s children.

The world waited on the arrival of the Reason, the Point, the Healer, the Redeemer. We waited a long time, many despaired God would never return. Then, quietly, until the angels couldn’t contain themselves, a baby showed up in a feeding trough, so poor, so meek as to be no threat at all. The Word had come. A new chapter for humanity began.

The Word taught us to love, to see the most important aspect of our lives is our relationship with God, one that was worthy of everything we are, body, mind, heart and soul. The Word showed us we are all beloved children of the Most-High God and by loving each other we are fulfilling our purpose to love God. He challenged the ones who would use position and power to take advantage of the weak and disadvantaged, the widows and orphans. He called them out for their hypocrisy and championed the cause of the poor. He brought the Good News that there is a path which leads back to Eden, to the new Heaven and the new earth, a narrow way which leads us to the Throne of Grace, to our salvation, redemption and life.

We do well to not only remember the story at Easter. This story is so important we need to hear it afresh every day. The story isn’t finished. One day, soon, Jesus will return and take us home. Then we will live happily ever after. Come, Lord Jesus!

There is a long-held practice of giving up something for Lent. I had a friend tell me recently he was giving up Lent for Lent! What’s the deal with that? Jesus tells us we are to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him. It’s the denying of ourselves which drives our Lenten sacrifice.

Jesus gave up his life for Lent. We see the final push of his ministry in the Gospels. We see him marching inexorably toward the cross. He knew what was coming and he went anyway. The first Lenten journey ended in death. To stop there is to do the story an injustice. Lent always ends in death. And yet, Easter is always about new life and resurrection!

We make a sacrifice in our life to echo the sacrifice of Jesus. No, our sacrifice is not the equivalent of his. But when we miss what we deny ourselves for Lent, we are reminded of what Jesus gave up for us. A friend is fasting once a week every week of Lent for 24 hours. When he hears his stomach, he says a prayer. When he would normally sit down for a meal, he sits down with his Bible and follows it with a healthy helping of prayer. The point is to make more room in our life for the spiritual side of our life to permeate all of our life.

We live in a world of which we are not a part. The ruler of this domain is not in alignment with God’s Kingdom and as such demands of us an allegiance we cannot entertain. We reject the priorities of this world — greed, selfishness, power, violence, dominance — for the attributes of God’s Kingdom — faith, mercy, justice, hope, peace, and the greatest, Love. This is not an easy stance to maintain and the enemy is constantly hammering at our defenses to break in and defeat us.

The enemy will never get to us if we remain in God, allow God to fight our battles, and submit our life to God’s authority. Just as Jesus prayed in the Garden, “Not my will, but yours, Heavenly Father,” so we pray to be part of the Divine Plan. That’s not to say the enemy won’t come at us. He tried, futilely, to break Jesus. He will certainly try to take us down. You’d think after all this time the Devil would know he will lose, but he has such hatred of the Father, he will still try. We have a solid rock, a strong tower to which we can run. We will not be shaken or moved.

The practice of Lenten sacrifice keeps us focused on Jesus. As we follow in his footsteps, we discover the will of God for our lives. The closer we draw to God, the more we are transformed by love, made over into the image of Jesus. I want God to see Jesus when looking at me! It’s the only way God will be able to say to me, “Well done, my good and faithful son.” It is by the righteousness of Jesus, by the stripes he suffered, the nails he bore, that I have been saved, not by anything I’ve ever done or said. I can never be worthy of his grace which is exactly why it is grace and by grace we are healed.

I believe in adding a spiritual practice during Lent, not just giving up something. This year, I’m looking for God every day and writing down where I saw God in a journal. I have yet to come up emptyhanded on any day. I see God in action, in people, in events. I see God answering prayers, healing relationships, and performing miracles ever day. Try it yourself. When we tune into God’s frequency, we will notice God everywhere.

Jesus didn’t sugar coat what it meant to be his follower. He said they hated him so we are sure to be hated, too. If we had any thoughts of being rich and powerful, they were burst when he said, “Deny yourself. Take up your cross. Follow me.” He calls us to discipleship, to move toward mastery of love. And he promised to always be with us, even to the end of the age. Come, Lord Jesus.

Last week I wrote about a “heightened sense of expectation” and how martial arts masters are able to break through boards and bricks because they punch a point past the material. I want to revisit this idea for today.

We are in the middle of the Lenten season as we march toward the cross and Easter morning. Jesus willingly went to the cross, laid his life down of his own free will. His prayers in the garden before he was arrested attest he was aware of how bad it was to be and he submitted to the pain, the humiliation, the inhumanity anyway. Why? How? Because he was striking a point beyond the cross and that point was so important that no barrier would stop him.

Look around you. Everything you can see, everything you cannot see, from one end of the universe to the other, was made so you and God could be together. That’s the point of creation. We were created to be in relationship with God, to be able to hear and be heard, to love and be loved, to share and be shared. We were built to be in relationship with each other. We are infinitely stronger together than we are individually. Some would go so far as to say our salvation isn’t just about us but also about our community.

Then sin happened. The bonds broke. We were separated from our family, from our Father. It was traumatic to the human race. We’ve never recovered. It took Jesus coming here, giving himself up to pay our penalty, to restore our bond with our Creator. Jesus knew that the brief time it would take to play out his passion was worth eternity with all of us. He endured ridicule, betrayal, abandonment, condemnation, and barbaric abuse by his own creation. He took three nails meant for us.

We march toward Easter and we relive the joyous entry into Jerusalem that turned on a dime to an ugly mob, goaded by our worst demons and we experience Jesus’ death once more afresh. We do this in remembrance of him. The story didn’t finish at the cross. Jesus punched past the gates of Hell and Death, confiscated the keys of both from the one who stole them and returned victorious so we would no longer face either.

We know how the story ends. We’ve celebrated it every year of our lives. Because He lives, we can do more than face tomorrow. We can have a heightened sense of expectation! Out of more than 300 prophecies found in scripture that are fulfilled by the life and person of Jesus, there remains one left undone, one promise unfulfilled. He promised to come back.

We awake every day expecting this to be the day. The amount of time from when Jesus made the promise to today is immaterial. He was promising past the barriers. He will strike his mark, he will split the sky and return with legions of angels to take his faithful home, back to the Garden, back to a place where we live in communion with God and each other, as we were meant to be. The dark day of the cross was a shadow of death and the brilliance of God’s love and light shattered the darkness and the bonds of sin.

Rest in his promise. What do we do while we wait? Jesus said dozens of times in the Gospels, “Follow me.” Let us look to retrace his steps to the poor, the oppressed, the marginalized, the shunned, the least, last and lost. We will find him there and there we will find ourselves. Keep expecting God to be amazing.

I have had the pleasure of seeing martial arts masters punch and kick through layers of wood and brick, defying my mind’s inner dialog saying this can’t be done. I began looking for the trick, because there had to be a trick. No way anyone could punch through that many boards, through that many blocks of concrete.

It’s not a trick.

Do they take advantage of the material’s weaknesses, such as lining up the grains of the boards? Sure, but that doesn’t negate the skill and confidence necessary to break a stack.

What’s the secret? The masters tell you they do not strike the boards. They visualize a place just beyond the wood, that is where they focus, where they are striking, not the actual surface. They see their hand or foot passing through the material to reach their goal.

In Christian terms, I’d call this a “heightened sense of expectation.” They expect to succeed and thus, they are successful. Do we have an equivalent in our faith? Yes, because with God anything is possible. When we have a “heightened sense of expectation,” we are able to ask more and receive more. Jesus told us we have not because we didn’t ask. He speaks to us again and again about asking, seeking, knocking and we will receive, find and be invited into the presence of God.

Jesus tells us if we, who are sinful people, can figure out how to give good things to our children, how much more does God want to give to us, God’s beloved children? We don’t hand out snakes when our kids ask for fish, scorpions when they ask for bread. Why do we expect the creator of all that is who loves us so much that all of this was created for us to have a relationship would want anything other than the very best for us?

We don’t think we are worthy of such an amazing love. Truth is, we’re not. Truth is, we are, because God said we were, even when we know we are not. It’s called grace. It’s free. It’s for us. Jesus said if we would seek God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness first, before we do anything else, the result will be that we will find God and become a part of God’s kingdom, with the righteousness of God given to us. On top of this most amazing gift, we would have all our needs met. Food, clothing, shelter and love, our most basic needs, are then God’s responsibility to provide. In my experience, God does more than cover the basics. When you’ve experienced the Love of God firsthand, you understand, nothing compares in all of heaven and earth. To be fully known and loved by God is humbling, staggering, cleansing, freeing, and joyous!

Let us maintain a “heightened sense of expectation” by deepening our own walk with God. Dive into the Word every day. Keep an open prayer line to the Throne of Grace. Seek God first. With all we have, body, mind, heart and soul. Love our neighbors. Watch our lives grow in love and grace. We expect much because we know the one of whom we expect is able to create everything just so we can be together. God has never failed to live up to the promises made to us. He promised, so we may live with the highest expectations possible.

How big is our God?

Work on the Pilot Mountain First Presbyterian Church fellowship hall is progressing quickly and, according to Building Committee Chairman Steve Gilbert, the committee is pleased and excited by how the resulting structure is taking shape.

“It’s coming along really well,” Gilbert said. “It’s nearly finished inside. We’re very pleased with both the layout and the construction.”

When complete, Gilbert said, the addition will feature a large, open central area for fellowship. Areas along the side will be available to be partitioned off, allowing for Sunday School classes or meetings. A kitchen area will allow for food preparation and service and bathrooms will be included in the new area.

An enclosed breezeway will provide easy access to the sanctuary. The creation of a breeze entrance into the sanctuary necessitated the removal of one of the stained glass windows that have become a part of the existing structure’s history. In keeping with a desire to integrate the old and the new, however, the window was saved and moved to a prominent location at the front of the fellowship hall when viewed from East Main Street.

The project includes a renovation of the church parking lot, allowing it to connect to both East Main and Needham streets. The lot renovation will allow for a significant increase in the number of vehicles which can be parked. A covered drop-off area, Gilbert said, will allow individuals to move from the parking lot into the sanctuary without the necessity of dealing with any steps.

According to Gilbert, wet weather has impacted the pace of the outside work but plans are still to have the project completed at some point in the spring.

The sanctuary front entrance is also being redone in a way, Gilbert noted, that will allow for much easier handicap access. Other work in the sanctuary building will include renovations to church offices and bathrooms as well as the addition of a nursery and choir rehearsal area.

Gilbert attributed the success of the project to “good architects,” mentioning John Fuller of Fuller Architecture in Mocksville, and “good contractors,” noting that the building is being constructed by Garanco of Pilot Mountain.

First Presbyterian Pastor Travis Milam noted that the building was already generating positive comments from the surrounding community.

“I’m pleased with how it’s coming along,” Milam said. “This will give an update to our church and help us to be more of a presence in our community.”

Greetings to each and everyone of you today. I really appreciate speaking with you. It seems each passing year goes quickly. But of course we have had so much happening everyday. The deadly coronavirus, that has affected family, and loved ones. This deadly virus does not discriminate. No difference here.

Oh only if this could be this way in everything. We ought to really think about this for a while. This year is a new year, and new opportunities. I am praying for our nation, especially the elderly, and the youth. I have never ever seen the voter turnout as it was in the November election. Most of us wanted change, I certainly did. And according to the voters they wanted it also.

The younger generation were not being heard. There was so much bloodshed. We have so many that we need to give homage to. Thank God for President Biden, finding these children that had been separated from their mothers, These children will be traumatized for life if they do not get help. I certainly see President Biden and Vice President Kamala started working before they got in office.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream, and we caught in to his dream. Congressman John Lewis was a man full of faith, and did so much for the people. The late Rosa Parks was also a wonderful woman that made an impact. A new year and new opportunities.

(Isaiah 6:1-2) To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of Vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; opportunity can be yours.

Take that step! Thanks for reading. Hope you were blessed. God Bless You.

Greetings my fellow readers. I do appreciate your faithfulness in reading. I don’t see you to tell you, but it’s much appreciated. I desire your prayers. And I know a lot of you are praying. Thank you very, very much. We must pray for one another.

The spirit spoke with me. Sometimes people lose their way spiritually. That is why we must press our way and pray. Press and pray means to act upon through steady pushing or thrusting force exerted in contact. To bear, compress, drive and move according to God’s plan. Sometimes we procrastinate. Oh, I don’t know about you, but sometimes I do. And I am sure at some point we are all guilty. If you are a faithful prayer warrior, you pray and press and press and pray.

This is Black History Month. Oh, I am so proud of my people, proud of what we have accomplished. I was so proud when we had our First African American President Barack Obama. Now we have our First Black-Asian American Vice President Kamala Harris. Oh what a blessing to have a president with a smile and not arrogant. One who cares about people. President Joseph Biden, when he speaks, he gets your attention, without falsehood. We needed a big change, thank God we have one now. We have a long way to go but we are in this together. It sure looks and feels like there’s hope with this new beginning. I praise God for it.

There is so much to cover, but not all in this column. In this column we are speaking on the blood of Jesus Christ. Romans 5:8-9 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while were yet sinners, Christ dies for us. Romans 8:9 much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. We will sum it all up as because of the blood. God bless you!

Hello, to each and everyone out there. I do hope you are trusting and taking heed to things going on around you. I am sure you all know what taking heed is. Webster says we should listen, attend, hear, hearken, mind, note, observe, see, watch, and pay attention. Some of us pay attention and hear what is false, instead of what’s true. It seems some of us are guilty. But if we follow the spirit of Jesus Christ, we will not error. ‘

Sometimes we would rather things stay the same, than to experience change. Most of our lives have changed tremendously. I know mine has. The corona virus pandemic has affected all of lives, one way or another. We are speaking on taking heed on situations, and all things.

I am so proud to be celebrating Black History Month. We have made history, by the grace of God. Even with the tragedies with family, and loved ones. I am very delighted we have our first African-American and South Asian vice president in the White House. Oh wait a pleasure to have a president that wants to bring us together, instead of separating us. Praise God! Matthew 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones, for I say into you, that in heaven their Angels do always behold the face of my father which is in heaven.

Mark 13:5 And Jesus answered, answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you. Mark 13:6 For many shall come in my name, saying I am Christ, and shall deceive many.

There are so many people being deceived today. But thanks be to the Lord, people’s eyes are being opened. Some people refuse to open their eyes, but would really see themselves. When you are in denial, it’s a hard pill to swallow. Well, there are so many I would love to give homage too. The late Congressman John Lewis, he was such a humble man. Cicely Tyson, a pioneer woman who opened many doors for our people. We can never forget Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. They served with such class, and I know it could not have been easy. It’s so much to say, and very little time.

The Bible says in Matthew 24:4 and Jesus answered and say unto them, take heed that no man deceive you. There are people, just refuse to believe the truth. Well! I am going to close now. I do hope you enjoyed the reading. Keep looking up. Lean and depend on Jesus Christ. He has the answers you need.

© 2018 The Mount Airy News