Today, I had the expressed pleasure of preaching at the Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church, Waterloo, IA, where my good friend Rev. Frantz T. Whitfield serves as the Pastor. Rev. Whitfield is a new pastor, who succeeded Dr. Thomas as Pastor after he went home to be with the Lord towards the end of last year. Pastor Whitfield is a young and energetic preacher who is experiencing many of the same growing pains that most young preachers face at their first church. However his is a little more pressing that others I know because he is a "son" of the church and often times it is more difficult for a "son" to enjoy a period of success at a church when many of the members remember him as a little boy.
What I truly like about this church is that there is a good core group of people who really love and respect the office of Pastor and they seem to have latched on to Pastor Whitfield's leadership for the church to be very protective of him.
I was invited to Mt. Carmel for their Family and Friends Day Celebration, and I was really unsure of what I would preach on today. I thought I had landed on a text found in II. Corinthians 4, while I was waiting for my connecting flight in Minneapolis, MN, but last night when I came back to my room to go over the message, the Lord led me to another text that really hit the nail on the head for the congregation. A famous story in the scriptures found also in II. Corinthians 12:7-9, which deals with Paul's thorn in the flesh, in which I tagged the messge, Handling the Hard Times. I argued basically that Paul teaches us in this text that when we change our perception of hard times, we will be able to experience all of the benefits that hard times will bring. The people seemed really receptive to my attempt at biblical exposition, to God be the glory.
Please keep Mt. Carmel and Pastor Whitfield in your prayers as he attempts to lead them to greater heights in Jesus Christ. Also, please pray for First Mt. Zion, because before I left on Friday, a building that we were looking at as a new location, accepted our offer to purchase and I must get back early in the morning to finalize the contracts and allow our contractor and architech to see the inside so that we can determine the total cost of both the purchase and the renovation. I am both excited and cautious, so please keep me in your prayers. God be praised!!!
6 comments:
The workings of the Holy Spirit NEVER ceases to amaze me. Especially how the Man of God interprets His voice and know what it is he is charged to preach. And, it gladdens my heart to know that in your obedience, the sermon reaps great reward in the lives of so many. I know that you were a blessing to both the Pastor and People.
I will keep Mt Carmel, Pastor Whitfield, and you Pastor Lance for the upcomming events you are facing. May the Lord be with you.
One more thing. I was sooooo happy to see I was on the Fraternity Blog list. I "are" a Docta Now!!
(LoL) Thank you for the honor. Have a safe trip home. Blog you later.
Etta
Pastor Mann,
You just answered my question. I was wondering the name of the hurricane that blew through Waterloo. The preaching experience I trust was a blessing to all.
I continue fervently in prayer for you as you anticipate God's next move, and also for your friends in Waterloo.
Lance, I am grateful and thankful to know that it went well in Waterloo. I will be praying for this young pastor. It is so interesting; the Lord did the same to me in preparing to preach here. God is awesome! I am sure that the Lord was pleased and that your Pastor friend and congregation were helped by your allowing the Lord to speak through you. I am praying for your safe arrival home!
What happened to the outline Revun? You holdin out bruh!!! LOL!!!!!
Sounds like a mighty powerful word. God bless you. I will truly be lifting you and the church family in prayer as you launch out on the new project.God is good!
Also praying with and for young pastor Whitfield. I can relate very much to exactly where he is at this point. I have "been there and done that." 23 years ago I was called and sent by the Lord to pastor in the city where I was born and raised. To the church where I was a member, had been ordained as a deacon, preached my first sermon, received my license to preach and was ordained to preach. In addition I was pastoring people who knew me before I knew myself and friends I had grown up with and went to school with. Wow! It has been quite a journey but one that God has blessed abundantly. I encourage Pastor Whitfield to "preach on" and "pastor on." He is truly blessed to have friends like you.
I pray all goes well for your church as well as Pastor Whitfirld
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