Volunteers Encourage This Pastor

There is nothing that excites me more than watching our church members dive in up to their elbows as they work around the church. We're all familiar with the Pareto Principle that says, "20% of the people do 80% of the work;" but I am blessed to pastor a church where our percentages are much higher. About a month ago, the work started as we began preparing for our Homecoming service. Our church family worked outside as they cut grass, trimmed bushes, spread mulch/pine straw, edged sidewalks, pulled weeds, reworked flower beds, and more! Inside they cleaned the Worship Center, painted, dusted instruments, oiled the wood on the pews, washed nursery curtains, replaced torn speaker cover, reworked our baptism changing rooms, and more! I can't even begin to tell you all that went on around here, but I know that people enjoyed each other's company and enjoyed caring for the Lord's house.

The volunteers didn't stop working after Homecoming, but instead they picked up on additional projects. A group started preparing a brand new flower bed that will spell out "EMMANUEL" and they picked the coldest, windiest day to lay the ground cover; but they enjoyed each other's company and are still telling stories. Another group came out to decorate our church for Christmas and spent two days tying bows, hanging garland, and decorating trees. It looks beautiful! Some of our men (1 deacon in particular) installed new lights in our gymnasium, which was a first step as we prepare to turn the old stage in our gym into a theatrical set for our children's & youth ministries. On another day, some of our men planted trees and our ladies taught classes in tying bows and making gingerbread houses. I apologize to those that I didn't mention, but there are volunteers out here all the time doing work that I don't even know about.

Now don't misunderstand...I didn't say we have 100% of our people involved and volunteering, but we have a large percentage. I believe that's why we have such a great church, because many people are rowing the boat and very are rocking it. Even we have a few, but we love them anyway and invite them to pick-up an oar and start rowing with us at any time. When people love their church, they want to build it -- not break it; and we all must realize that we only get out of a church (or any other organization) whatever we put into it.

THANKS to all of our wonderful volunteers! This pastor greatly appreciates ALL you do!

Revival Results in Reconciliation

There are many wonderful joys in ministry (and some not so joyous); but tonight was one the highlights. Tonight, I had the privilege of performing a re-marriage, and this is only the third time in 25 years that I've had the opportunity to do this. Approximately four years ago, unfaithfulness crept into a beautiful home and ripped it apart, as was shared by this dear lady during her recent baptism. BUT, she reminded our church of how loving, forgiving, and full of grace God really is. This dear family has been involved in our church for nearly a year and they have seen (and now experienced) God doing some wonderful things. The husband's card read as follows, "I wanted to say thank you for everything! You and Emmanuel played an important piece in putting my family back together." One of the greatest joys came as I watched this couple's two daughters beaming with smiles that stretched from ear to ear. They were getting the wish of every child whose parents divorce. It was like watching the movie "Parent Trap" played out before our very eyes. We all got to see the story of Hosea acted out in real life. We were all reminded of Christ's unfailing love for his Church!

My heart goes out to divorced couples, but the truth is that every divorce has "selfishness" at the root. One spouse or both put his or her own desires above their spouse's. Someone chose their own path, instead of following God's. Selfishness leads to infidelity, irreconcilable differences, wanting something different, dissatisfaction, etc. BUT, when we put God first, He can help us put the interests of others before our own (Phil. 2:3-5) and understand true humility.

This marriage (and family) being restored is just another example of the results that come from personal revival. As we draw closer to God, we draw closer to each other. When our vertical relationship is right, our horizontal relationships are right. On the flip-side, you CANNOT be right with God, when you are not right with other believers. So, put God first, obey His commands, and begin experiencing the abundant life that Jesus described. So many of us miss the joys of life and choose to live with the heartaches; simply because we choose our sin over the Savior. We would rather hold grudges, fail to forgive, harbor bitterness, carry malice, prove our point, inflict pain on those who hurt us, and live as a slaves to sin; instead of following God and extending forgiveness. Revival is the desire to lay aside everything that would hinder our relationship with God. I'm not sure that any more hurtful offense could be committed than infidelity within a marriage. So, if this couple could forgive and restore their marriage, what's your excuse for not forgiving those who have hurt you? Truth is... if you are carrying grudges, harboring bitterness and failing to forgive... YOU NEED REVIVAL!

4th annual "Carolina vs. Clemson Day"

Upon moving to South Carolina, one of the first questions I was asked was, "Are you for Carolina or Clemson?" Being a Miami Hurricane fan, neither of those names had ever crossed mind. Taking advantage of a natural rivalry, our church began hosting "Carolina vs. Clemson Day" on the Sunday before the big game (that way neither team could gloat.) Our guest preacher each year is the chaplain from USC or Clemson, on an alternating basis. This year, we had Tony Eubanks from Clemson. Our people decorated the auditorium, the fans sat on their respective sides (yes... we divide the church intentionally), we usually do a coin toss to see which team parks on which side of the building, we played the team fight songs, we had tailgate parties during Sunday School, and we even asked our people to dress in their game day, fan attire. There were painted faces, garnet wigs, tiger faces, and more. It was exciting! The most exciting part was that it gave our people an "excuse to invite" their unsaved friends and people who don't usually attend a church service. We always have a large number of guests and Tony made sure they heard a very clear gospel presentation. Each year, spiritual decisions are made and it happened again today!

You ask... "Does everyone like all the hoopla and the different format?" The answer obviously is "no;" but most have come to see the success of such days and the eternal impact, so they tolerate it. 99.9% of our folks LOVE IT! You should hear them talk. I enjoyed hearing the stories of people inviting friends, coworkers, relatives, etc. They were praying for people to be saved and they see these special days as "tools" for evangelism. I like to call them "hooks." Jesus told us to be fishers of men and I want to have as many lines in the water as possible; BUT I don't want to be fishing inside the boat and merely swapping fish from one cooler to the other (stealing members).

Today was, again, a HUGE eternal success! So, what do we plan to do in the future? Everything we can and whatever it takes to make an eternal impact on Hartsville and Darlington County. I like the way the Apostle Paul put it in 1 Cor 9:22-23, "I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel's sake..."

NEW EMMANUEL WEBSITE

Hey all... Wanted to let you know that our NEW Emmanuel Baptist Church website is now up and running! It's not fully complete, but it's live. Check it out at www.ebconline.com. One of the men in our church (Bill Carr -- a deacon and friend) built it and he's quite talented. If you need some work done, I'd highly recommend him, so also checkout Morningstar Design Studio http://www.morningstardesign.biz/

REVIVAL REQUIRES PURITY

Isn't it amazing that church-goers expect God to do whatever they want, whenever we want, and however we want; regardless of how they live. God wrote the rule book, so why would anyone think they don't have to live by His rules? Churches are filled with people who regularly attend, pray, sing, and give; BUT can't keep their pants up or the skirts down. That was the topic of my sermon yesterday, and YES, I used the word "sex" in church. Why not? God designed it; but all we hear about on the news are the perverts in the political, educational, and even the religious realms. What comes to your mind when I say "Catholic Priests" or "California?" What about when I mention names like Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinsky, John Edwards, Elliott Dupree, Larry Craig, Barney Frank, Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggert, Ted Haggard, Earl Paulk, and the list goes on! Why are we having to vote on what a marriage looks like? The simple answer is, America was built on biblical absolutes, but we continue to abandon our roots and buy into the philosophy of moral relativism.

Every man is doing what seems right in his own eyes, forgetting that God already established the standard. His Word instructs us to have nothing to do with any form of immorality (Ephesians 5:3-7) and it tells us to know our areas of tempation and avoid them (1 Thess 4:3-4). It sets the standard high and tells men not even to look at a woman with inappropriate thoughts (Matt 5:27-28). It's also blunt and states that those who fall into adultery are naive and foolish (Prov 7). The New Living Translation states... "They lack common sense." Fools are throwing away their families every day -- even in the church -- even in our church!

It's time for the church to live what we preach! We can rant and rave about homosexuality all we want to, but ALL sex outside of marriage (whether homosexual or heterosexual) is sin! That's not my opinion -- it's God's Word! When the church stops playing around, maybe we can really begin to impact the world.

I challenge every person who claims to be a "Christian" to be faithful to your spouse, stop flirting around the office, cancel your cable if necessary, block your Internet if you can't control yourself, marry the person you're cohabitating with, and stop doing whatever supposedly everyone else is doing. We better realize that the Church of Jesus Christ has a wedding to prepare for and our Bridegroom, the Lord Himself, wants a pure Church.

SUCCESS OF A NATIONAL PASTOR

Our church is blessed to support 30+ missionaries and projects around the world. I still believe in sending American missionaries, but I've also learned the benefit to training national pastors. National pastors already speak the language, know the culture, follow the customs, etc. In addition, national pastors can usually live on a small percentage of what it costs to send and maintain an American missionary.

We had one of our national pastors (missionaries) from India visit with us tonight. Justus Banuel is a native of India and was saved back in 1973 by listening to a "Back to the Bible" radio broadcast. He was saved to serve and immediately desired to attend Bible college. He began pastoring while in school and experienced great success. Today, God has used Justus Banuel to start 348 churches that have a combined total of over 200,000 people attending the Sunday services. Together, those churches have approximately 50,000 people going out on weekly visitation and they are seeing literally 1,000+ converts each month! In addition, they have a Christian school that has over 900 children enrolled. Remember, all of this is in a Hindu nation. You can learn more about Dr. Justus Banuel and the ministries in India at http://www.christianityindia.com/

Justus is just one example of the great success that national pastors can have among their own people. I encourage your church to consider supporting some national pastors. You can get started by contacting Gospelink at www.gospelink.org. Another option is to support Luther Rice Seminary-University in their efforts to train national pastors - http://www.lru.edu/

Election

Oh, the conversations I've heard since the election. Some are excited that history has been made and others talk as though they think the Antichrist is now in place. Truth is, I personally didn't like either candidate and my life is no different today than it was on Nov. 3. The only thing that really jolted my thinking was seeing the excitement of Louis Farrakhan (Head of the Nation of Islam), country of Kenya (where Muslims bombed our embassy) and Iran (a current threat); over Barack Obama being our president-elect.

During the election, I did not publicly endorse any candidate, but chose rather to encourage people to vote for candidates who support biblical values. I did this, so people would do their own research and take the initiative to educate themselves as to where the candidates stood on the issues. Too many "Christians" like to be spoon fed in political (and spiritual) matters. Now, I'll admit that my favorite candidate was Mitt Romney for many reasons. He and I would differ greatly on our theology, but I was looking to call him my president, not my pastor. My next favorite candidate would have been Sarah Palin, because after the media turned over every rock in Wasilla, AK, the only thing they could do was poke fun at her clothes. I like the idea of a candidate who actually has to work for a living and has ironclad integrity.

It's been both sad and funny to hear conservatives and the religious right (who could not stand John McCain in years past) defending him and championing his cause. Let's be honest... he held to more biblical values than Obama, but he was still a liberal simply the "best of the worst." It was also sad to hear so many reducing this presidential election to a racial contest. The exit polls revealed that 97% of black voters cast their vote for Obama, even though they admittedly did not necessarily agree with his views and political positions. Because of the exit polls, radio talk show host Rick, from the "Rick and Bubba Show" stated that this historic election fell far short of fulfilling Martin Luther King, Jr's dream for men to be judged on their character and not on the color of their skin. The race emphasis and now an African-American president elect, removes all future excuses, from all races, and PROVES that America is still the land of opportunity for those who will make the effort to apply themselves.

Finally, the election is over and we must move forward. America is still the greatest nation in the world and God is still in control. I have no problem with a black president or one of any other ethnic origin, because my confidence is in the Lord. Barack Obama can make all the promises of "change" that he wants to, but Jesus Christ is the real agent of change! I expect that Washington will look very similar in 4 years, but I expect individuals and families in our community to look very different based on our efforts to share the message of God's love.

82nd Homecoming

Yesterday, was Emmanuel's 82nd Homecoming service! Pastor Emeritus, Milton Frazier, taught a combined Sunday School for all of our adults. Pastor Frazier served EBC for 36 years as their pastor. Danny Hodges preached in our main service. Danny grew up at EBC and now serves as the pastor of Calvary Chapel in St. Petersburg, FL. His website is http://www.ccstpete.com/

Danny used Luke 15 as his text and shared his personal testimony through the story of the Prodigal Son. He shared how he ran from God, became addicted to drugs and the party scene, and was expelled from Hartsville High School; BUT God never gave up on him. Danny was eventually saved, attended Liberty University, and now pastors a church that runs over 4,000 in weekly attendance. Danny's testimony encourages us to realize that God can use ANYONE, regardless of what they've been involved in.

Many "home-grown" musicians provided special music for our service. In addition, the trio "One Focus" ministered to our church family. Check them out at http://www.onefocustrio.com/ Brian and Libby Geddes teach in our Christian School. I highly recommend this group. Following the service, we enjoyed a feast! Our members, attendees, and many guests who returned for Homecoming; gathered in the gymnasium to eat and fellowship. It was great to meet new people and renew acquaintances with others. It was also exciting to see everyone pitch-in and help with the clean-up. We had the whole gym completely cleaned and all equipment put away in 35 minutes. A special "thanks" to all the volunteers!

We also had 1 baptized and 3 more people join our church family yesterday! Praise the Lord!

Our New Worship Coordinator

Emmanuel Baptist Church has been without a full-time Worship Pastor since December 2006, when our former Worship Pastor had a moral failure which devastated our church. We tried to help his family and allowed wis wife to serve as our Interim Worship Leader. She did a good job and we ALL learned alot through that process. I learned "why" staff members who have moral failures MUST move on. Neither the individual nor the congregation can heal when they stay together. Following Melodie, Brian Watts served as our Interim Worship Leader. Brian is a college student and one of the most gifted musicians I've ever met. Brian has one more year and I'd recommend him to anyone. Following Brian, Lori Jones stepped into the role.

Lori and her husband, Kevin, moved to Hartsville approximately two years ago. Lori has served in churches such as Rehoboth Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA and Florence Baptist Temple in SC. Lori's first love and entire background is in music, (although she just graduated with a law degree and recently passed her bar exam). She loves the old and the new, choirs and praise teams, even Southern Gospel and Contemporary. Under Lori's interim leadership, our choir has been running more than it did when we had a full-time person on our staff.

So... after searching long and hard for a full-time Worship Pastor, God has changed our course! On Wednesday, I told the choir and band that the Deacons and I felt led to offer Lori the position of Worship Coordinator on a permanent basis. The choir errupted in spontaneous applause. Today, we made the announcement to the church and got the same response. Even some of those who have been the most critical of our music program thought she was a great choice.

Following a model that I observed in another local church, Lori will be serving as our overall worship "coordinator" on a permanent basis. She will lead our choir, select music, schedule all groups, oversee the band, etc. In addition, Lori will be working with volunteer leaders who will work under her to lead our congregational worship, band rehearsals, and more. This model involves more lay-people and also allows us the financial freedom to hire a full-time Children's pastor. We are very excited about what the future holds and I ask you to pray for Lori (and our church) as we embark on this journey!

We Work and Worship Together

Today, we had a workday to tidy up a bit, give the grounds their last manicure before winter, and prepare for Homecoming. I said "today," but the work really went on all week. Those who could not be here today came out early to cut grass (we have about 60 cleared acres), edge sidewalks, paint, dust, sanitize toys in our nurseries, wash curtains, condition the wood on the pews, spruce-up our baptismal changing rooms, and more! Then today, people were working in the flower beds, running weedeaters, trimming bushes, cleaning grass out of sidewalk cracks, spreading pinestraw, spreading mulch, blowing sidewalks, cleaning the Worship Center, making tea, moving equipment, setting-up tables and chairs in the gym for our Homecoming feast, and still more!

Stewardship comes in many forms and taking care of the beautiful facilities that God has given us is part of stewardship. Personal involvement and taking ownership are part of bringing a church together and a good exercise in team building. This week, we not only "cleaned-up" our campus, but we eliminated things that might have been distractions to those who come to worship.

Overall, there were probably 60 people involved throughout the week and on the workday! This is the strength of EBC... People who love God, want others to know God, and are willing to do whatever is necessary to make that happen. Including the dirty work!