♪A Note of Thanks ♪ Enter to Worship - Leave to Serve
“You will take refuge under His wings.” Psalm 91:4
Up in Walker County, Alabama on the Black Warrior River, Mulberry Fork, that we sometimes call “The Big River,” when you’re riding in the boat, whether for pleasure or to go to your favorite fishing spot, and you see someone on their dock or pass another boat everyone always holds their arm up and waves their hand. Perhaps this is a Southern tradition of having a neighborly wave as you pass by, but my Mother always taught us to be polite and wave to everyone, whether you know them or not. This still holds true for rural areas of the South.
Also, in preparation for the launching of the boat or before leaving the dock, you need to make sure that the boat has enough fuel, the oil is checked and that you have enough safety equipment on board. I think another important facet of the boat ride is the anticipation of what you might see or maybe what’s around the bend. Isn’t this the way it is in worship? We prepare ourselves as we come to worship by praying, planning and seeking God to lead us. We come with expectant hearts knowing that we will be encouraged by experiencing God’s Presence through hymns of our faith, hearing God’s word read and taught, resulting in the congregation collectively and individually being uplifted, edified and rejuvenated for His service as we leave.
So, how is it with you? How do you prepare for worship? Do you expect to hear God speak to you or do you ‘zone-out’ and just go through the motions? Do you give an encouraging word to those whom you come in contact with? Do you leave determined even more to serve God through your ministry to others? There are many ways of service, but the message never changes of His redeeming love. Will you join me today and re-double your efforts in service for the Lord, touching lives wherever you go, being a shining lighthouse, guiding vessels (people you come in contact with) to shore and safety. Launch out with me into the deep and cast your nets. Let’s trust the Lord as we go down the river of life. Yes, we will experience difficulties, but God is there to quiet the troublesome waters. He will be with us, even as we have to make changes and adjustments in life and church. He promised to protect us.
Recently, Frances Williamson, along with her children and grandchildren were in Aspen, Colorado for a family gathering. They took a trip down a river nearby. As Mrs. Williamson told me about rafting down the river through the rapids, her eyes got big and she said, “It was kind of scary.” Many times in life when the storms are gathering and the waves are tossing you through torrential rain, we need the Lord to say: “Peace Be Still.” Last Sunday, during the greeting and fellowship time, we sang the song entitled “Still.” This song was suggested to Richard Hitchcock by his Mother. Think about being in a place in your life where you really need to be still; you need the Lord, and you really want to serve Him. Read these words and let them sink into your spirit:
STILL
Hide me now under your wings,
Cover me within Your mighty hand.
Chorus
When the oceans rise and thunders roar,
I will soar with You above the storm;
Father, You are King over the flood,
I will be still and know You are God.
Find rest, my soul, in Christ alone.
Know His pow’r in quietness and trust.
Chorus
When the oceans rise and thunders roar,
I will soar with You above the storm;
Father, You are King over the flood,
I will be still and know You are God.
-Reuben Morgan
Come just as you are. Hear the Spirit call. Come just as you are. Come and see; come receive; come and live forever. Life everlasting; strength for today; taste the Living Water, and never thirst again. – Chrystal Lewis
Thank you for the opportunity to serve along-side you as we go down life’s river.
Your friend, Mark David Jackson
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
Grace, Mercy, Peace and Strength.
♪A Note of Thanks ♪ Grace, Mercy, Peace and Strength
“Grace, mercy and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.” 2 John 1:3 “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them…in our ministering…he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” Romans 12:6-8
Grace is what God freely gives that we don’t deserve. God extends to us his favor.
Mercy is what God withholds that we do deserve. God extends to us His kindness, compassion, forgiveness and love.
Peace is what God brings to us. God extends to us His freedom from disquieting feelings with a calm serenity.
Strength is what God gives us so that we can endure, even in our darkest hour. We become stronger because of Him.
Do you experience days when you think you just can’t go on, yet somehow you make it? It is a result of God’s Grace, Mercy, Peace and Strength that spurs us on. How do we go on when we lose a loved one? How do we go on when we are the caregiver for our loved one who has Alzheimer’s? How do we make it, when a spouse, child or dear friend suddenly gets cancer or becomes ill with a serious disease? We sometimes become overwhelmed and ask God, Why?
“Why me Lord? What have I ever done to deserve this?
As God’s children, He bestows on us His Grace and Mercy resulting in His Peace and Strength to help us endure and persevere. As the church, we can show others His Love by being their friend, assisting them and further which is sometimes difficult to do, forgive them. As a by-product of this, we will have Peace that passes all understanding, strength, God’s strength, to help us go on with life. Another important facet of this process is that we will have thankful hearts, even in the midst of the storm. God has given and continues to give us huge amounts of grace, mercy and peace. We should ask Him for these qualities, so we can have them and extend them to others. When we realize how much we need grace and mercy we won’t have trouble giving it to others.
TILL THE STORM PASSES BY
In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my face,
While the storm howls above me, and there's no hiding place.
'Mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry,
Keep me safe till the storm passes by.
Many times Satan whispered, "There is no need to try,
For there's no end of sorrow, there's no hope by and by"
But I know Thou art with me, and tomorrow I'll rise
Where the storms never darken the skies.
When the long night has ended and the storms come no more,
Let me stand in Thy presence on the bright peaceful shore;
In that land where the tempest, never comes, Lord, may I
Dwell with Thee when the storm passes by.
Chorus
Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more,
Till the clouds roll forever from the sky;
Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand,
Keep me safe till the storm passes by.
-by Mosie Lister
“He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.”
-Flint
Dear Lord, thank you for your wonderful mercy, grace and peace. Thank you for Your strength to help us through difficult times in our lives. Increase these qualities in us. Help us to show mercy and grace to others. Forgive us for the times when we have not. Increase our faith and strengthen us with Your power to radically show Your Love to others. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.
Grace, Mercy and Peace as we serve along-side each other.
I remain your friend, Mark David Jackson
“Grace, mercy and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.” 2 John 1:3 “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them…in our ministering…he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” Romans 12:6-8
Grace is what God freely gives that we don’t deserve. God extends to us his favor.
Mercy is what God withholds that we do deserve. God extends to us His kindness, compassion, forgiveness and love.
Peace is what God brings to us. God extends to us His freedom from disquieting feelings with a calm serenity.
Strength is what God gives us so that we can endure, even in our darkest hour. We become stronger because of Him.
Do you experience days when you think you just can’t go on, yet somehow you make it? It is a result of God’s Grace, Mercy, Peace and Strength that spurs us on. How do we go on when we lose a loved one? How do we go on when we are the caregiver for our loved one who has Alzheimer’s? How do we make it, when a spouse, child or dear friend suddenly gets cancer or becomes ill with a serious disease? We sometimes become overwhelmed and ask God, Why?
“Why me Lord? What have I ever done to deserve this?
As God’s children, He bestows on us His Grace and Mercy resulting in His Peace and Strength to help us endure and persevere. As the church, we can show others His Love by being their friend, assisting them and further which is sometimes difficult to do, forgive them. As a by-product of this, we will have Peace that passes all understanding, strength, God’s strength, to help us go on with life. Another important facet of this process is that we will have thankful hearts, even in the midst of the storm. God has given and continues to give us huge amounts of grace, mercy and peace. We should ask Him for these qualities, so we can have them and extend them to others. When we realize how much we need grace and mercy we won’t have trouble giving it to others.
TILL THE STORM PASSES BY
In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my face,
While the storm howls above me, and there's no hiding place.
'Mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry,
Keep me safe till the storm passes by.
Many times Satan whispered, "There is no need to try,
For there's no end of sorrow, there's no hope by and by"
But I know Thou art with me, and tomorrow I'll rise
Where the storms never darken the skies.
When the long night has ended and the storms come no more,
Let me stand in Thy presence on the bright peaceful shore;
In that land where the tempest, never comes, Lord, may I
Dwell with Thee when the storm passes by.
Chorus
Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more,
Till the clouds roll forever from the sky;
Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand,
Keep me safe till the storm passes by.
-by Mosie Lister
“He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.”
-Flint
Dear Lord, thank you for your wonderful mercy, grace and peace. Thank you for Your strength to help us through difficult times in our lives. Increase these qualities in us. Help us to show mercy and grace to others. Forgive us for the times when we have not. Increase our faith and strengthen us with Your power to radically show Your Love to others. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.
Grace, Mercy and Peace as we serve along-side each other.
I remain your friend, Mark David Jackson
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Each One Reach One
♪A Note of Thanks ♪
“His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” Jeremiah 20:9 (NIV)
“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8
“He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they would live.” Acts 17:26
Reaching Your Neighbors With Christ
God has set the times and places, for those made alive to God in Christ, to live for His glory (Isaiah 43:7). Christ inaugurated His earthly ministry by reading from Isaiah that He came to “preach the good news.” And as the Father has sent His only Son, Christ sends us, the Church, to do the same in our neighborhoods where God has placed us. Wherever you are – there is the Church. Your life can be used to serve another in need.
I have a question for all of us to pray about and ponder…
If you don’t reach your neighbor for Christ – who will?
Your neighbors make up the community where you live. Your neighbors are those you are around where you work and where you live. It would include whoever lives on your street or block.
Plant Some Seed
As you begin to pray for your neighbors, it is important that they know where they can turn for spiritual help. Introduce yourself, if you don’t know them. Give them a little note with your name and phone number on it. Real estate agents have found that if they maintain regular contact with homeowners in an area, a percentage will use their services when they are ready to sell a home. We should remember this same principle in helping people.
Pray for Them
Intercede in prayer for your neighbors. Be prepared to minister to them, help them, and pray for them. Be loving and available should they need you.
Invite Them
Give them a personal invitation to church. As we have heard recently in a sermon by Michael Ethridge, in modern times, the greatest percentage of those that will come to church are those invited by a close friend (neighbor) or family member. Invite them to special events (i.e. Church Picnic, special sermon series or special musical presentation). You have credibility in your neighborhood. Offer them God’s Grace. Your neighbors will be more willing to listen to you.
Don’t wait. Get started today. Take the first step. If you don’t reach your neighbor, who will? You can offer the love of God and use it to reach your neighbors!
Perhaps we should develop a motto coined in the 1950’s: “Each One Reach One.”
“Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” John 4:35
“The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Matthew 9:37
“I am only one, but I am one.
I cannot do everything, but I can do something.
And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”
-Edward Everette Hale
Heavenly Father, thank you for our neighbors and the opportunities we have to minister to them. Help us to minister to them by demonstrating Christ’s love and showing them in tangible ways that we care. In Jesus’ precious and Holy Name. Amen.
What a joy as we serve along-side each other.
Your friend,
Mark David Jackson
“His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” Jeremiah 20:9 (NIV)
“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8
“He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they would live.” Acts 17:26
Reaching Your Neighbors With Christ
God has set the times and places, for those made alive to God in Christ, to live for His glory (Isaiah 43:7). Christ inaugurated His earthly ministry by reading from Isaiah that He came to “preach the good news.” And as the Father has sent His only Son, Christ sends us, the Church, to do the same in our neighborhoods where God has placed us. Wherever you are – there is the Church. Your life can be used to serve another in need.
I have a question for all of us to pray about and ponder…
If you don’t reach your neighbor for Christ – who will?
Your neighbors make up the community where you live. Your neighbors are those you are around where you work and where you live. It would include whoever lives on your street or block.
Plant Some Seed
As you begin to pray for your neighbors, it is important that they know where they can turn for spiritual help. Introduce yourself, if you don’t know them. Give them a little note with your name and phone number on it. Real estate agents have found that if they maintain regular contact with homeowners in an area, a percentage will use their services when they are ready to sell a home. We should remember this same principle in helping people.
Pray for Them
Intercede in prayer for your neighbors. Be prepared to minister to them, help them, and pray for them. Be loving and available should they need you.
Invite Them
Give them a personal invitation to church. As we have heard recently in a sermon by Michael Ethridge, in modern times, the greatest percentage of those that will come to church are those invited by a close friend (neighbor) or family member. Invite them to special events (i.e. Church Picnic, special sermon series or special musical presentation). You have credibility in your neighborhood. Offer them God’s Grace. Your neighbors will be more willing to listen to you.
Don’t wait. Get started today. Take the first step. If you don’t reach your neighbor, who will? You can offer the love of God and use it to reach your neighbors!
Perhaps we should develop a motto coined in the 1950’s: “Each One Reach One.”
“Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” John 4:35
“The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Matthew 9:37
“I am only one, but I am one.
I cannot do everything, but I can do something.
And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”
-Edward Everette Hale
Heavenly Father, thank you for our neighbors and the opportunities we have to minister to them. Help us to minister to them by demonstrating Christ’s love and showing them in tangible ways that we care. In Jesus’ precious and Holy Name. Amen.
What a joy as we serve along-side each other.
Your friend,
Mark David Jackson
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
"I Am The Bread of Life"
♪A Note of Thanks ♪
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Those who come to me will never go hungry, and those who believe in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35
Okay, I’ll confess. I love milk chocolate! Oh, I’m not the kind of person who craves chocolate all the time, but sometimes, as my Dad says, “I get a hankering” for some homemade chocolate cake or even homemade chocolate syrup that my Maw King used to make in a cast iron skillet. Especially on Friday nights, Maw King would have two of us at a time to spend the night. At breakfast one of my cousins Jimbo, Tommy, Keith, Marilyn, Deb, Susan, Kem, my sister Judi or I would put a hunk of butter on our plates, pour over the hot chocolate syrup onto the butter, mix it up with our forks and sop it up with little delicate homemade biscuits formed by Maw Kings strong little hands, that in her day, could pick cotton faster than any man in West Cullman County, Alabama.
The other Wednesday night at the church’s evening meal, before Prayer Meeting, Annette had prepared homemade chocolate cake with milk chocolate icing for dessert. I sat next to my dear friend, Kathleen Owens. We didn’t rush our meal, but enjoyed and savored the cherished moments we had around the table. Our conversation revolved around our families, about mutual friends we’ve known through the years and life in general. Towards the end of the meal, Kathleen said, ‘Won’t that chocolate cake keep you awake tonight?” I said, yes, it probably will, but it is so good and reminds me of when I was a little boy attending Barrett Elementary School in East Lake. We would have this wonderful delicious chocolate cake. Our chef, Annette, has learned the art of duplicating what I so enjoyed as a young student in school.
All that being said, did you know that today is Chocolate Day, a day certainly created by the chocolate confectioners of the world. Chocolate Day always falls on July 7th, as if we needed another day to indulge. As I viewed a website called Holiday Insights, I discovered what Chocolate Day is all about and found that they had suggestions for how to eat chocolate all day long: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Of course, they also claimed that chocolate is a vegetable, since it comes from the Cacao tree found in the rainforests.
When you think about it, no amount of food would ever be enough to satisfy us. In the creation of our physical beings, God ordained that we would find ourselves hungry at intervals in the day and evening, and seek nutrition in order to meet our physical needs. If we think about our spiritual needs, the same holds true. We need a steady and balanced diet of prayer, Bible study, meditation, exercise, rest, play and reflection to grow close to God and to become the people God wants for us to be. In the creation of our spiritual nature, God also seems to have prescribed that on a regular basis we would find ourselves “hungry” for the love of God.
Jesus spoke of that hunger and thirst and wanted us to see beyond our physical bodies and into our spiritual natures. Jesus knew what it was to be hungry as evidenced in the stories about his desert wanderings, but he also knew that the relationship with God was something that could fill our very souls. Does God want us to starve? No, I do not believe that for a minute. But in our American culture where we gorge ourselves on food and drink, where so many of us struggle with obesity and all of the illnesses that derive from being overweight, perhaps it is important to refocus our lives on God.
Spending time in prayer and study, seeking God’s face in our daily living may be the very thing we need in order to be freed from our addictions to food and drink. So, on this Chocolate Day, instead of eating chocolate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, why not spend the time breathing in the breath of God and as Jesus said, being hungry and thirsty no more.
Holy One, I ask this day that you would fill me up with Your love, with Your Grace and Peace, and with Your Hope for the world. Free me from those things that have hold of my life. Let me give myself to You afresh and anew so that I will never be hungry or thirsty again. In Jesus precious and Holy Name. Amen.
What a joy as we serve along-side each other.
Your friend,
Mark David Jackson
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Those who come to me will never go hungry, and those who believe in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35
Okay, I’ll confess. I love milk chocolate! Oh, I’m not the kind of person who craves chocolate all the time, but sometimes, as my Dad says, “I get a hankering” for some homemade chocolate cake or even homemade chocolate syrup that my Maw King used to make in a cast iron skillet. Especially on Friday nights, Maw King would have two of us at a time to spend the night. At breakfast one of my cousins Jimbo, Tommy, Keith, Marilyn, Deb, Susan, Kem, my sister Judi or I would put a hunk of butter on our plates, pour over the hot chocolate syrup onto the butter, mix it up with our forks and sop it up with little delicate homemade biscuits formed by Maw Kings strong little hands, that in her day, could pick cotton faster than any man in West Cullman County, Alabama.
The other Wednesday night at the church’s evening meal, before Prayer Meeting, Annette had prepared homemade chocolate cake with milk chocolate icing for dessert. I sat next to my dear friend, Kathleen Owens. We didn’t rush our meal, but enjoyed and savored the cherished moments we had around the table. Our conversation revolved around our families, about mutual friends we’ve known through the years and life in general. Towards the end of the meal, Kathleen said, ‘Won’t that chocolate cake keep you awake tonight?” I said, yes, it probably will, but it is so good and reminds me of when I was a little boy attending Barrett Elementary School in East Lake. We would have this wonderful delicious chocolate cake. Our chef, Annette, has learned the art of duplicating what I so enjoyed as a young student in school.
All that being said, did you know that today is Chocolate Day, a day certainly created by the chocolate confectioners of the world. Chocolate Day always falls on July 7th, as if we needed another day to indulge. As I viewed a website called Holiday Insights, I discovered what Chocolate Day is all about and found that they had suggestions for how to eat chocolate all day long: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Of course, they also claimed that chocolate is a vegetable, since it comes from the Cacao tree found in the rainforests.
When you think about it, no amount of food would ever be enough to satisfy us. In the creation of our physical beings, God ordained that we would find ourselves hungry at intervals in the day and evening, and seek nutrition in order to meet our physical needs. If we think about our spiritual needs, the same holds true. We need a steady and balanced diet of prayer, Bible study, meditation, exercise, rest, play and reflection to grow close to God and to become the people God wants for us to be. In the creation of our spiritual nature, God also seems to have prescribed that on a regular basis we would find ourselves “hungry” for the love of God.
Jesus spoke of that hunger and thirst and wanted us to see beyond our physical bodies and into our spiritual natures. Jesus knew what it was to be hungry as evidenced in the stories about his desert wanderings, but he also knew that the relationship with God was something that could fill our very souls. Does God want us to starve? No, I do not believe that for a minute. But in our American culture where we gorge ourselves on food and drink, where so many of us struggle with obesity and all of the illnesses that derive from being overweight, perhaps it is important to refocus our lives on God.
Spending time in prayer and study, seeking God’s face in our daily living may be the very thing we need in order to be freed from our addictions to food and drink. So, on this Chocolate Day, instead of eating chocolate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, why not spend the time breathing in the breath of God and as Jesus said, being hungry and thirsty no more.
Holy One, I ask this day that you would fill me up with Your love, with Your Grace and Peace, and with Your Hope for the world. Free me from those things that have hold of my life. Let me give myself to You afresh and anew so that I will never be hungry or thirsty again. In Jesus precious and Holy Name. Amen.
What a joy as we serve along-side each other.
Your friend,
Mark David Jackson
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