Good Morning All,
Ever get up in the morning and feel like going back to bed…and just sleeping the day away? The fact of the matter is many people have those kind of days, every day. But there is hope and there is a reason we have each day to live. Remember, this is the day the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it. Even though today may feel like it is just another day, everything you do today will have an effect on those around you as well as those that follow you (Romans 14:7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.). The choices we make today, will not carry throughout our life, but also throughout the lives of those around us. I remember a story about a doctor who made a similar choice one night:
In a remote district of Wales a baby boy lay dangerously ill. The widowed mother walked five miles in the night and through drenching rain to get a doctor. The doctor hesitated about making the trip. “Would it pay?” he questioned. He would receive no money, and, besides, if the child’s life were saved, he would, no doubt, become only a poor laborer. But love for humanity and professional duty conquered, and the little life was saved. Years after, when this same child—Lloyd George—became Prime Minister of England, the doctor said: “I never dreamed that in saving the life of that child on the farm hearth, I was saving the life of the greatest man in Wales.”
Approach today, in a way to seek out to be a blessing to someone in your life. If each one of us would look at trying to be blessing to someone else, think about how things would change. Just maybe, the person you reach today, may reach a thousand tomorrow.
Have a wonderful day.
Til the Shout,
Dr. B.J. Stagner Jr.
Pastor
New Testament Baptist Church
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Weekly Words of Encouragment 9-21-09
Good Morning All,
I trust you all had a good weekend.
Most people in modern day society are dealing with issues that are unseen by the outside world. There are souls that deal with drunkenness, smoking, profanity, pornography, wandering eyes, angry thoughts (and words at times) etc. While others are dealing with depressions and discouragement in simply dealing with this present world. I am convinced, what Satan could not accomplish in America through problems and poverty, he is succeeding through promotion and prosperity. Many are so caught up with striving for personal goals or attaining the promise of gold they forget about Who and What the Lord is…namely what He did for them. Again, I say that many people are dealing with issues that are unseen by man’s eyes, but remember “…the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”(1 Samuel 16:7). The Lord knows your situation, He knows your joy and He knows your struggles. We must not be ignorant of Satan’s devices and understand that if he can keep you discouraged, depressed and just simply down and out then to him it is accepted as a victory.
We need to be awakened to that fact and understand, that no one is too good that they need not be saved, nor is anyone ever too bad that they cannot be saved. Yesterday, I closed the morning sermon with a story of man in Wales and would like to share it with you today. It may be lengthy, but I ask you to read on and share it with others, it will by all means touch your heart.
Years ago, in a little Welsh mining town, there was an evangelist whose name was Henry Moorehouse. Henry Moorehouse preached primarily the love of God, and his text was John 3:16. Everywhere he went, he preached John 3:16.
There was a man in that little Welsh mining town who was a drunkard, a brawler, a profane and ungodly man. A gambler who consorted with prostitutes, who abused and had beaten his wife and children. His name was Ike Miller. When Ike Miller heard that Henry Moorehouse was there, holding revival, Ike Miller said, "If that preacher, preaches tonight in this town, I'm going to come to that meeting and I'm going to pistol whip him out of town".
The people knew Ike Miller, and they said to Henry Moorehouse, "Brother Moorehouse, don't preach tonight, go somewhere else, don't let this man abuse you this way." Henry Moorehouse said, " No, I'll be there tonight, and I'll trust God to take care of me, but I'll preach." That night the little church was full, when this man of God stood up, and entered the pulpit, and everybody heard the back door slam. In walked this hulk of a man, with a pistol in his hand. He sat down and folded his arms, and looked at the preacher as if to say, "You do your stuff, and then I'm going to do mine."
Henry Moorehouse began to preach. He took his text from John 3:16, and he preached: "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." He poured his heart out and he preached the love of God. At the close of the service, this hulk of man stood up, and everybody said, " Oh no, it's about to start." But rather than coming forward after the preacher, he turned around and went out the door, slamming the door behind him. And he began to walk down the street of that little mining town. The girls from the upper window said, "Come on, Ike, let's have a good time!" But he paid no mind. Some of the men in the Saloon said, " Hey, Ike, come in, let's have a drink!" He gave them no attention. He went down the main street of that little town, till he came to a little side street, and he turned down that dusty side street, till he came to a little weather boarded shack. With his fist, he through the door open of that shack. Inside was his wife, who had been beaten and abused so many times, and little children.
When the little children saw their father come home, they thought he had come home in a drunken stupor. And the little children, like squirrels, scurried under the bed. His wife spread her skirt out, backed up, to hide the children, under the bed. He looked at her and said, "Woman, you don't have to be afraid, get the kids out from under the bed, and we're going to pray." She said, "What?" He said, "You heard me woman, get the kids! we're going to pray!" So she got the kids out, and Ike Miller kneeled down by the bed, and he tried to pray. He didn't know how to pray. He said, " Oh, God!" But no prayer came. "Lord!" but no prayer came. Then he remembered a prayer, that his mother had taught him, when he was a little boy. This is what he prayed:"Gentle Jesus, Meek and MildLook upon a little childForgive my simplicityAnd suffer me to come to thee"And Ike Miller was saved. He's the one who recorded this story that we can share.
Do you know what it was that changed Ike Miller's life? People came to Henry Moorehouse and said, "Why didn't you preach the wrath of God! Why didn't you scold him! Why didn't you preach against sin! He said, "Because that man needed love. He needed the love of Jesus."
Friends that's what our world needs. The God that saved Ike Miller, is the God that either saved or will save you today. Your life style may not have been the life style of Ike Miller, but, there's nobody so good they don't need to be saved, and nobody so bad they cannot be saved, if they trust Jesus.Would you pray? No issue is so good or so bad that the Lord cannot or will not answer… just a simple and humbly pray a little prayer; placing your faith and trust in the risen Savior this day…"Gentle Jesus, Meek and MildLook upon a little childForgive my simplicityAnd suffer me to come to thee"
Have a wonderful day and thank you for reading… You are all in my prayers today.
Til the Shout,
Dr. B.J. Stagner Jr.
Pastor
New Testament Baptist Church
I trust you all had a good weekend.
Most people in modern day society are dealing with issues that are unseen by the outside world. There are souls that deal with drunkenness, smoking, profanity, pornography, wandering eyes, angry thoughts (and words at times) etc. While others are dealing with depressions and discouragement in simply dealing with this present world. I am convinced, what Satan could not accomplish in America through problems and poverty, he is succeeding through promotion and prosperity. Many are so caught up with striving for personal goals or attaining the promise of gold they forget about Who and What the Lord is…namely what He did for them. Again, I say that many people are dealing with issues that are unseen by man’s eyes, but remember “…the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”(1 Samuel 16:7). The Lord knows your situation, He knows your joy and He knows your struggles. We must not be ignorant of Satan’s devices and understand that if he can keep you discouraged, depressed and just simply down and out then to him it is accepted as a victory.
We need to be awakened to that fact and understand, that no one is too good that they need not be saved, nor is anyone ever too bad that they cannot be saved. Yesterday, I closed the morning sermon with a story of man in Wales and would like to share it with you today. It may be lengthy, but I ask you to read on and share it with others, it will by all means touch your heart.
Years ago, in a little Welsh mining town, there was an evangelist whose name was Henry Moorehouse. Henry Moorehouse preached primarily the love of God, and his text was John 3:16. Everywhere he went, he preached John 3:16.
There was a man in that little Welsh mining town who was a drunkard, a brawler, a profane and ungodly man. A gambler who consorted with prostitutes, who abused and had beaten his wife and children. His name was Ike Miller. When Ike Miller heard that Henry Moorehouse was there, holding revival, Ike Miller said, "If that preacher, preaches tonight in this town, I'm going to come to that meeting and I'm going to pistol whip him out of town".
The people knew Ike Miller, and they said to Henry Moorehouse, "Brother Moorehouse, don't preach tonight, go somewhere else, don't let this man abuse you this way." Henry Moorehouse said, " No, I'll be there tonight, and I'll trust God to take care of me, but I'll preach." That night the little church was full, when this man of God stood up, and entered the pulpit, and everybody heard the back door slam. In walked this hulk of a man, with a pistol in his hand. He sat down and folded his arms, and looked at the preacher as if to say, "You do your stuff, and then I'm going to do mine."
Henry Moorehouse began to preach. He took his text from John 3:16, and he preached: "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." He poured his heart out and he preached the love of God. At the close of the service, this hulk of man stood up, and everybody said, " Oh no, it's about to start." But rather than coming forward after the preacher, he turned around and went out the door, slamming the door behind him. And he began to walk down the street of that little mining town. The girls from the upper window said, "Come on, Ike, let's have a good time!" But he paid no mind. Some of the men in the Saloon said, " Hey, Ike, come in, let's have a drink!" He gave them no attention. He went down the main street of that little town, till he came to a little side street, and he turned down that dusty side street, till he came to a little weather boarded shack. With his fist, he through the door open of that shack. Inside was his wife, who had been beaten and abused so many times, and little children.
When the little children saw their father come home, they thought he had come home in a drunken stupor. And the little children, like squirrels, scurried under the bed. His wife spread her skirt out, backed up, to hide the children, under the bed. He looked at her and said, "Woman, you don't have to be afraid, get the kids out from under the bed, and we're going to pray." She said, "What?" He said, "You heard me woman, get the kids! we're going to pray!" So she got the kids out, and Ike Miller kneeled down by the bed, and he tried to pray. He didn't know how to pray. He said, " Oh, God!" But no prayer came. "Lord!" but no prayer came. Then he remembered a prayer, that his mother had taught him, when he was a little boy. This is what he prayed:"Gentle Jesus, Meek and MildLook upon a little childForgive my simplicityAnd suffer me to come to thee"And Ike Miller was saved. He's the one who recorded this story that we can share.
Do you know what it was that changed Ike Miller's life? People came to Henry Moorehouse and said, "Why didn't you preach the wrath of God! Why didn't you scold him! Why didn't you preach against sin! He said, "Because that man needed love. He needed the love of Jesus."
Friends that's what our world needs. The God that saved Ike Miller, is the God that either saved or will save you today. Your life style may not have been the life style of Ike Miller, but, there's nobody so good they don't need to be saved, and nobody so bad they cannot be saved, if they trust Jesus.Would you pray? No issue is so good or so bad that the Lord cannot or will not answer… just a simple and humbly pray a little prayer; placing your faith and trust in the risen Savior this day…"Gentle Jesus, Meek and MildLook upon a little childForgive my simplicityAnd suffer me to come to thee"
Have a wonderful day and thank you for reading… You are all in my prayers today.
Til the Shout,
Dr. B.J. Stagner Jr.
Pastor
New Testament Baptist Church
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Weekly Words of Encouragment 9-14-09
Good Morning all,
I hope and pray you all had a safe and blessed weekend… We did for sure as we had our 9th annual Old Paths Preachers Meeting the 11th-13th, what a blessing !!!
My thoughts today come from one of the sermons preached by Pastor Danny Farley, concerning Enoch, who ‘walked with God’ (Genesis 5.22 & 24). A quick study will find that the days of Enoch overlapped with the days of Noah. In these days the people ate, drank and rose up to play, they married and were given in marriage. Genesis 6 tells us that the imaginations of the people were continually evil. It was a time of complete iniquity (lawlessness) where mankind did that which was right in their own eyes; whatever felt good they did. The time was ruled by adultery, fornication, murder, deceit, robbery, sensuality etc. Yet in all this, Enoch walked with God!
Fast forward 4000 years and we have today’s society… Not too unlike it was in the days of Enoch, Noah and later even Lot. Mankind today lives by the rule of what seems right in their own eyes, they dictate to others what will benefit them the greatest. Adultery, fornication, thievery, sensuality deceit and murder reign in the world today and sad enough to say even in many churches. To get a good idea of the imaginations of mankind today, just look at the latest CD and box office sales; it will not take long to understand that mankind imaginations are simply evil continually.
Yet in all this, we can still walk with God! Enoch has been given unto us as an example, of how we are to live. He did not camouflage himself to be as the world, nor did he put a ‘moral slant’ on an immoral activity… He just walked with God. We can, even in the insanity of today’s world, walk with God…we can today even when the everything and everyone around us is going the way of Cain, walk with God. In doing so, God will honor it and bless us. We just need to remember that Enoch was in the world, but truly not of the world….for he walked with God!
Have a wonderful day!
Today in History:
1716 – Boston Light, the first lighthouse in America, in kindled for the first time.
1814 – Francis Scott Key writes “The Star Spangled Banner” after watching the British bombard Fort McHenry in Baltimore during the War of 1812.
1847 – U.S. forces, including Marines, capture Mexico City and raise the flag over the “halls of Montezuma.”
Til the Shout,
Dr. B.J. Stagner Jr.
Pastor
New Testament Baptist Church
I hope and pray you all had a safe and blessed weekend… We did for sure as we had our 9th annual Old Paths Preachers Meeting the 11th-13th, what a blessing !!!
My thoughts today come from one of the sermons preached by Pastor Danny Farley, concerning Enoch, who ‘walked with God’ (Genesis 5.22 & 24). A quick study will find that the days of Enoch overlapped with the days of Noah. In these days the people ate, drank and rose up to play, they married and were given in marriage. Genesis 6 tells us that the imaginations of the people were continually evil. It was a time of complete iniquity (lawlessness) where mankind did that which was right in their own eyes; whatever felt good they did. The time was ruled by adultery, fornication, murder, deceit, robbery, sensuality etc. Yet in all this, Enoch walked with God!
Fast forward 4000 years and we have today’s society… Not too unlike it was in the days of Enoch, Noah and later even Lot. Mankind today lives by the rule of what seems right in their own eyes, they dictate to others what will benefit them the greatest. Adultery, fornication, thievery, sensuality deceit and murder reign in the world today and sad enough to say even in many churches. To get a good idea of the imaginations of mankind today, just look at the latest CD and box office sales; it will not take long to understand that mankind imaginations are simply evil continually.
Yet in all this, we can still walk with God! Enoch has been given unto us as an example, of how we are to live. He did not camouflage himself to be as the world, nor did he put a ‘moral slant’ on an immoral activity… He just walked with God. We can, even in the insanity of today’s world, walk with God…we can today even when the everything and everyone around us is going the way of Cain, walk with God. In doing so, God will honor it and bless us. We just need to remember that Enoch was in the world, but truly not of the world….for he walked with God!
Have a wonderful day!
Today in History:
1716 – Boston Light, the first lighthouse in America, in kindled for the first time.
1814 – Francis Scott Key writes “The Star Spangled Banner” after watching the British bombard Fort McHenry in Baltimore during the War of 1812.
1847 – U.S. forces, including Marines, capture Mexico City and raise the flag over the “halls of Montezuma.”
Til the Shout,
Dr. B.J. Stagner Jr.
Pastor
New Testament Baptist Church
Monday, September 7, 2009
Weekly Words of Encouragment 9-7-09
Good Morning All,
In 1991 I was involved in a motor vehicle accident that changed four lives forever. Personally I suffered injuries that should have ended my college football career (thankfully it did not), the driver and other passenger in the car I was in were much worse than I. Ironically, the drunken driver who was traveling south in the north bound lane hitting us head-on experienced the least. It was by all means an event that not only changed my life, but nearly ended it. I still look back today, thinking about better decisions that could have been made that night to avoid the location of the accident or the incident all together. Many sleepless nights have occurred wishing we would have just taken another route. But we did not, and the product of that night has left two men with a painful gait and two others with brain damage. Each one of our lives could have been have lost that night, each one of our lives changed, but each one of us lost something, some more than others. It is amazing to think how quick a life can be changed by just one bad or good decision…
As I look back at the fateful night, I see a group of individuals that lost peace of mind. As you may know peace is one of the fruit of the Spirit, as located in Galatians 5.22-23. They are the product of the having the Holy Spirit of God in your life, which is a product of surrendering to the Lord Jesus Christ in repentance and believing on Him for eternal life. Events occur in people’s life that change everything: a child is born, a love one dies, a car accident or a soul is saved. These are all things that have mighty and long lasting effects on people’s lives; some good and some bad. It is hard for me to remove the images of that night from my mind, but there must be peace in all of this.
Where can one go to find the peace to survive the haunting images of our life or the trouble past that creeps up on us in the middle of the night or the day to day battles of living in a depraved world? We can go to the One that saved us…to the One that knows us, but we must know Him. The Lord Jesus Christ is called the good Shepherd, making those who are saved and born again His sheep. Read on:
John 10:27-30 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one.
Peace can be found in a five point review of the relationship between the Shepherd and His sheep…It is a:
1. Personal Relationship: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them”. What a comfort to have a relationship with the Creator of all things that is personal, He knows who His sheep are.
2. Permanent Relationship: “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish”. We can lose everything and anything here on earth; relationships, friendships, family…but the relationship the Shepherd has with His sheep is permanent and cannot be taken away.
3. Protected Relationship: “neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”. This relationship is protected by the Lord Jesus Christ, the Shepherd.
4. Promising Relationship: “My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all”. The Father made a promise when He gave us Jesus Christ a promise that will not be removed.
5. Perfected Relationship: “I and my Father are one.”. As Jesus Christ is one with the Father, we too are one with Him, the good Shepherd Who knows His sheep and they know Him.
So with all that said, we have all had things happen to us in life, some things were so tragic that we possess a constant reminder everyday…other things are mere moments that have an effect, but only in episodes. Where can we find peace, joy, love and longsuffering? In the Shepherd, in the One that will never change…in the One that is always there for us and protects us, even when we make bad decisions.
So, today, think on these things when your mind wonders back to an event that cost you something; think on the fact that there is a Shepherd this morning that knows His sheep, no matter where they may be, what they are doing or where they may going. Just make sure you are His sheep (Jesus Christ said just one verse before the above passage: 26 “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep…”).
If you find that you are not His sheep today, with a repenting heart believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. If you do this, reply back so that I may rejoice with you or if you have further questions concerning the relationship with the sheep and the Shepherd and eternal life.
Today in History:1896 – At the Rhode Island State Fair in Cranston, A.H. Whiting wins the first car race ever held on a racetrack in the U.S.
1899 – In Newport, Rhode Island, 19 cars decorated with flowers and flags participate in the first automobile parade in the U.S.
1927 – Philo T, Farnsworth transmits the first image sent by electronic television.
1963 – The Pro Football Hall of Fame is dedicated in Canton, Ohio.
Til the Shout,
Dr. B.J. Stagner Jr.
Pastor
New Testament Baptist Church
In 1991 I was involved in a motor vehicle accident that changed four lives forever. Personally I suffered injuries that should have ended my college football career (thankfully it did not), the driver and other passenger in the car I was in were much worse than I. Ironically, the drunken driver who was traveling south in the north bound lane hitting us head-on experienced the least. It was by all means an event that not only changed my life, but nearly ended it. I still look back today, thinking about better decisions that could have been made that night to avoid the location of the accident or the incident all together. Many sleepless nights have occurred wishing we would have just taken another route. But we did not, and the product of that night has left two men with a painful gait and two others with brain damage. Each one of our lives could have been have lost that night, each one of our lives changed, but each one of us lost something, some more than others. It is amazing to think how quick a life can be changed by just one bad or good decision…
As I look back at the fateful night, I see a group of individuals that lost peace of mind. As you may know peace is one of the fruit of the Spirit, as located in Galatians 5.22-23. They are the product of the having the Holy Spirit of God in your life, which is a product of surrendering to the Lord Jesus Christ in repentance and believing on Him for eternal life. Events occur in people’s life that change everything: a child is born, a love one dies, a car accident or a soul is saved. These are all things that have mighty and long lasting effects on people’s lives; some good and some bad. It is hard for me to remove the images of that night from my mind, but there must be peace in all of this.
Where can one go to find the peace to survive the haunting images of our life or the trouble past that creeps up on us in the middle of the night or the day to day battles of living in a depraved world? We can go to the One that saved us…to the One that knows us, but we must know Him. The Lord Jesus Christ is called the good Shepherd, making those who are saved and born again His sheep. Read on:
John 10:27-30 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one.
Peace can be found in a five point review of the relationship between the Shepherd and His sheep…It is a:
1. Personal Relationship: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them”. What a comfort to have a relationship with the Creator of all things that is personal, He knows who His sheep are.
2. Permanent Relationship: “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish”. We can lose everything and anything here on earth; relationships, friendships, family…but the relationship the Shepherd has with His sheep is permanent and cannot be taken away.
3. Protected Relationship: “neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”. This relationship is protected by the Lord Jesus Christ, the Shepherd.
4. Promising Relationship: “My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all”. The Father made a promise when He gave us Jesus Christ a promise that will not be removed.
5. Perfected Relationship: “I and my Father are one.”. As Jesus Christ is one with the Father, we too are one with Him, the good Shepherd Who knows His sheep and they know Him.
So with all that said, we have all had things happen to us in life, some things were so tragic that we possess a constant reminder everyday…other things are mere moments that have an effect, but only in episodes. Where can we find peace, joy, love and longsuffering? In the Shepherd, in the One that will never change…in the One that is always there for us and protects us, even when we make bad decisions.
So, today, think on these things when your mind wonders back to an event that cost you something; think on the fact that there is a Shepherd this morning that knows His sheep, no matter where they may be, what they are doing or where they may going. Just make sure you are His sheep (Jesus Christ said just one verse before the above passage: 26 “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep…”).
If you find that you are not His sheep today, with a repenting heart believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. If you do this, reply back so that I may rejoice with you or if you have further questions concerning the relationship with the sheep and the Shepherd and eternal life.
Today in History:1896 – At the Rhode Island State Fair in Cranston, A.H. Whiting wins the first car race ever held on a racetrack in the U.S.
1899 – In Newport, Rhode Island, 19 cars decorated with flowers and flags participate in the first automobile parade in the U.S.
1927 – Philo T, Farnsworth transmits the first image sent by electronic television.
1963 – The Pro Football Hall of Fame is dedicated in Canton, Ohio.
Til the Shout,
Dr. B.J. Stagner Jr.
Pastor
New Testament Baptist Church
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