Sunday Stuff

As I entered the sanctuary on yesterday to prepare for Sunday School and worship, I had a great sense of appreciation that the Lord chose me to be the Pastor of His people at this branch of Zion. Not because we have a great and large membership, because we do not. Not because we have a plethora of ministries that has our church overflowing with things going on every day of the week, because we do not. But I had this sense of appreciation because God chose me to lead His people, when he could have chosen anyone other than me, because the truth is that I do not deserve to receive any kind of blessings that the Lord provides for me.

I realize that many of us complain about our situations, Lord knows I am guilty of that, but when you really consider all of the evidence, we have no other recourse but to lift up hands of gratitude to a merciful and wonderful Master, who chose us to lead His people in spite of us.

Penny again, did an outstanding job in Sunday School, and what I am loving about it most of all, is the participation that the congregation puts into the class when she is teaching. That tells me that they are engaged and want to grow into great disciples of the Lord. God be praised!!!

We had some special visitors yesterday. One of my armor bearers, Karriem Ali, some years ago, was diagnosed with Leukemia and needed a bone marrow transplant. He received this transplant from a Christian man who lives in Hartford, CT. As a result of this procedure, the two of them and their families have maintained a wonderful relationship, which culminated in the man coming down from Hartford to worship with Karriem on yesterday. It moved me greatly as we in the church have no problem promoting church fights, pastor troubles and things of the such, but when a person who loves the Lord, gives of himself to save the life of another, and still maintains a relationship with each other, God truly deserves to be praised.

We continued our series on the book of Ezra, with an exposition on the 6th chapter, which I tagged, They Finished the Temple. Here the Jews had just survived an attack by Tattenai, with his letter to King Darius telling him to stop them from rebuilding the temple of God. The Jews did not stop but they finished what they started and rejoiced because they realized that it was the Lord who brought them through this opposition to complete the work that the Lord called them to do. We must realize that whatever we complete as a ministry and as a child of God, we only make it because the Lord will bring us over and bring us through. I can't wait until we can celebrate when we finish our temple that will be built for the Master.