Good Morning all,
How many times yesterday did each one of us give the Lord thanks for our day? How often did we take time to ask the Lord for help, direction and guidance? Throughout our day, the Lord revealed Himself to us in great and mighty way as well as in little, seemingly insignificant manners.
In reality, it is the little things we should give thanks and honor to the Lord Jesus Christ each day. For blessings, as curses, are just as imperative when they are small as when they are large. Comparatively speaking, it is not the catastrophic events that enter a person’s life that causes them to utterly crumble, but rather it is the small…little sins and/or situations that continue in our life that hurt our homes and churches. It is the little things that go un-noticed in business that take root and finally devastated the company.
Blessings, under the same examination are just as effective. It is the little blessings in our lives that go unseen and unnoticed that have the greatest impact on our life and those around us. A blue sky, a full moon, a rising or setting sun, the dry roads to drive upon and a wet ground grow the crop…all of these things most people do not give a second thought; we carry on and just skip over the little things that make the day God provided. But the Bible tells us ‘in everything give thanks’, that means EVERYTHING, not just large things, but everything, not just the miraculous moments, but the common contributions as well.
As we begin to evaluate yesterday, November came to an end. Let us open the door of December, the final month of 2009, and not only give thanks for the blessings that cannot be avoided, but also to the ones that we usually take for granted. For therein are more gifts of grace at the Lord’s disposal; if we will be thankful for that which is before us now. “…The LORD is able to give thee much more than this. II Chronicles 25:9”.
There are many more blessings the Lord is able to give, amazing and wonderful, as well as quiet and plain blessings that when placed together, grants us the day the Lord has made for His creation.
Have a wonderful day.
Til the Shout,
Dr. B.J. Stagner Jr.
Pastor
New Testament Baptist Church
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Weekly Words of Encouragment 11-24-09
Good Day All,
I hope this finds you doing well and having a blessed day. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I would like to offer just a few words today that may be helpful. The Apostle Paul said in: I Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. It is the will of God that we give thanks…in EVERYTHING.
I hear people complaining about work or about their children or spouse. The fact of the matter is, instead of complaining, we should rather give thanks. We should simply be thankful. Friends, we should be thankful we have a job; We should be thankful we have a family; We should be thankful we have those children.
Rather than complaining about the massive workload, we should give thanks to the Lord for many blessings of increasing our business.
Rather than complaining about the crazy schedule with our family, we should give thanks to the Lord for the great blessing of having a family.
Rather than complaining about and school and church activities for the children, we should rather give thanks to the Lord Who blessed us with a church to take to those activities.
The list could go on forever, but the fact of matter is, that it is the will of God that we give thanks, both for the blessings and the ‘blastings’ (I don’t think that is a word, but you get my point) of life. We are all in better shape today than we could be and we should simply give thanks to Lord Jesus Christ for who and what He has allowed in our life. This is the only time when we will have the chance to offer our thanks to the Lord for our job, family, and fellowship…One day they will be gone and we would have lost that time to give thanks to One Who gave them to us. Men, right now is the only time you have to be a husband…Ladies, right now is the only time you have to be a wife… Mothers and fathers, right now is the only time you have to be parents…One day it will be over with, today is the day the Lord has given us to be thankful.
So the next time you are tempted to complain about work, home or activities just bow your head, close your eyes and say “thank you Lord for the opportunity to fulfill your will…Amen”
Have a wonderful day dear friends and a happy Thanksgiving.
Til the Shout,
Dr. B.J. Stagner Jr.
Pastor
New Testament Baptist Church
I hope this finds you doing well and having a blessed day. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I would like to offer just a few words today that may be helpful. The Apostle Paul said in: I Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. It is the will of God that we give thanks…in EVERYTHING.
I hear people complaining about work or about their children or spouse. The fact of the matter is, instead of complaining, we should rather give thanks. We should simply be thankful. Friends, we should be thankful we have a job; We should be thankful we have a family; We should be thankful we have those children.
Rather than complaining about the massive workload, we should give thanks to the Lord for many blessings of increasing our business.
Rather than complaining about the crazy schedule with our family, we should give thanks to the Lord for the great blessing of having a family.
Rather than complaining about and school and church activities for the children, we should rather give thanks to the Lord Who blessed us with a church to take to those activities.
The list could go on forever, but the fact of matter is, that it is the will of God that we give thanks, both for the blessings and the ‘blastings’ (I don’t think that is a word, but you get my point) of life. We are all in better shape today than we could be and we should simply give thanks to Lord Jesus Christ for who and what He has allowed in our life. This is the only time when we will have the chance to offer our thanks to the Lord for our job, family, and fellowship…One day they will be gone and we would have lost that time to give thanks to One Who gave them to us. Men, right now is the only time you have to be a husband…Ladies, right now is the only time you have to be a wife… Mothers and fathers, right now is the only time you have to be parents…One day it will be over with, today is the day the Lord has given us to be thankful.
So the next time you are tempted to complain about work, home or activities just bow your head, close your eyes and say “thank you Lord for the opportunity to fulfill your will…Amen”
Have a wonderful day dear friends and a happy Thanksgiving.
Til the Shout,
Dr. B.J. Stagner Jr.
Pastor
New Testament Baptist Church
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Weekly Words of Encouragment 11-17-09
Good Morning All,
It has been said you are either in a storm, coming out of storm or getting ready to go into a storm. The storms of life are what they are; “part of life.” It would be wonderful to ‘coast’ through life on calm waters without problems, but how would our faith grow? If one looks into the lives of the disciples, their issue was not that they did not see what Jesus Christ could do, but namely they had ‘seen’ so much that it became common place, therefore their faith was weak. When the storms rose, (such as the arrest of Jesus) many of them ran, most into the life they led before. They simply had a weakened faith and ran from the storm rather than trusting God in midst thereof.
It is a natural response for us to desire or to seek to get out of a storm. When that storm rolls in, we typically pray and ask God to ‘settle the seas’…yet He most often seeks to ‘strengthen the saint’. The Lord is not always interested in us getting out of the storms of life, but rather that we would get through them trusting Him. You see, it is during a storm when our faith is tested. Our faith is tried, to see what type of foundation it is built upon. If it is built upon sand, you will see that soul running, attempting to open another chapter of their life, when the one they are in is yet to be closed. If it is built upon the solid Rock, they will lock down and work through the storm until clear skies appear.
The apostle Paul was ship wrecked four times in his ministry, the last time was on the way to Rome, where he finally died for the name of Christ. In the midst of that storm, Paul simply trusted in the Words of God, that he must witness Christ in Rome. For that reason, the storm did not move him. Yes it was hard, sure it was painful, but eventually they landed upon an island called Melita, where the “barbarous people shewed us no little kindness”. (read Acts 27 and 28)
There is something to be said, in coming through the storm trusting Christ, usually on the other side, the Lord has prepared a fire to comfort you, food to feed you and friends to fellowship with you. All you have to do is come through the storm, trusting and resting in the words of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Maybe you are in a storm today…just maybe you see the clouds gathering before you…batten down your faith upon the foundation of the risen Savior, Jesus Christ and He was get you through to the other side, where a fire, food and fellowship await.
Have a wonderful day.
Til the Shout,
Dr. B.J. Stagner Jr.
Pastor
New Testament Baptist Church
It has been said you are either in a storm, coming out of storm or getting ready to go into a storm. The storms of life are what they are; “part of life.” It would be wonderful to ‘coast’ through life on calm waters without problems, but how would our faith grow? If one looks into the lives of the disciples, their issue was not that they did not see what Jesus Christ could do, but namely they had ‘seen’ so much that it became common place, therefore their faith was weak. When the storms rose, (such as the arrest of Jesus) many of them ran, most into the life they led before. They simply had a weakened faith and ran from the storm rather than trusting God in midst thereof.
It is a natural response for us to desire or to seek to get out of a storm. When that storm rolls in, we typically pray and ask God to ‘settle the seas’…yet He most often seeks to ‘strengthen the saint’. The Lord is not always interested in us getting out of the storms of life, but rather that we would get through them trusting Him. You see, it is during a storm when our faith is tested. Our faith is tried, to see what type of foundation it is built upon. If it is built upon sand, you will see that soul running, attempting to open another chapter of their life, when the one they are in is yet to be closed. If it is built upon the solid Rock, they will lock down and work through the storm until clear skies appear.
The apostle Paul was ship wrecked four times in his ministry, the last time was on the way to Rome, where he finally died for the name of Christ. In the midst of that storm, Paul simply trusted in the Words of God, that he must witness Christ in Rome. For that reason, the storm did not move him. Yes it was hard, sure it was painful, but eventually they landed upon an island called Melita, where the “barbarous people shewed us no little kindness”. (read Acts 27 and 28)
There is something to be said, in coming through the storm trusting Christ, usually on the other side, the Lord has prepared a fire to comfort you, food to feed you and friends to fellowship with you. All you have to do is come through the storm, trusting and resting in the words of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Maybe you are in a storm today…just maybe you see the clouds gathering before you…batten down your faith upon the foundation of the risen Savior, Jesus Christ and He was get you through to the other side, where a fire, food and fellowship await.
Have a wonderful day.
Til the Shout,
Dr. B.J. Stagner Jr.
Pastor
New Testament Baptist Church
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Weekly Words of Encouragment 11-10-09
Good ‘evening’ all,
Please accept my deepest apologies for the tardiness of the weekly words, in all honesty I was exhausted after Sunday and the Lord had not given my anything until late last night. However, I do believe in what needs to be conveyed now will be a blessing to you all, it has been for me.
What are the qualities of a leader? Confidence, charisma, character? Is being a leader left to attributes of having a following or successful numbers? I will have to admit that all of these things and much more have their place in a leader’s repertoire, but what would be the greatest quality of leader?
Notice what Jesus Christ says of His leadership:
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
It quite apparent that in order to have eternal life and never thirst again one must follow Christ, therefore He becomes a great leader through His gift to mankind. Nevertheless, the greatest quality of a leader is found in His fulfillment of the will of God, notice this verse: John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
A leader is not someone who dictates and rules…But a leader is someone who not only capable of leading but also following… The greatest quality of a leader in life is his or her ability to submit. It is the spirit of humility that makes a leader; it is not always what a leader says, but rather what the leader does in their submission to perform the task at hand. Jesus Christ was able to submit to the will of the Father even though He also said: I and my Father are one. John 10:30.
It is that quality that makes a leader; that even though He and the Father are One (in the eternal Godhead) Jesus Christ had the quality to humble Himself to the will of Father and come to this earth and pay a price He did not owe in order for us to live forever with Him.
Some of you may be struggling with you ability to lead those around you in the right direction…if so, it may mean that a spirit of humility is the answer. Surrender your will to the will of the Father and lead those around in the direction to bring glory to God.
Have a wonderful day.
Til the Shout,
Dr. B.J. Stagner Jr.
Pastor
New Testament Baptist Church
Please accept my deepest apologies for the tardiness of the weekly words, in all honesty I was exhausted after Sunday and the Lord had not given my anything until late last night. However, I do believe in what needs to be conveyed now will be a blessing to you all, it has been for me.
What are the qualities of a leader? Confidence, charisma, character? Is being a leader left to attributes of having a following or successful numbers? I will have to admit that all of these things and much more have their place in a leader’s repertoire, but what would be the greatest quality of leader?
Notice what Jesus Christ says of His leadership:
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
It quite apparent that in order to have eternal life and never thirst again one must follow Christ, therefore He becomes a great leader through His gift to mankind. Nevertheless, the greatest quality of a leader is found in His fulfillment of the will of God, notice this verse: John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
A leader is not someone who dictates and rules…But a leader is someone who not only capable of leading but also following… The greatest quality of a leader in life is his or her ability to submit. It is the spirit of humility that makes a leader; it is not always what a leader says, but rather what the leader does in their submission to perform the task at hand. Jesus Christ was able to submit to the will of the Father even though He also said: I and my Father are one. John 10:30.
It is that quality that makes a leader; that even though He and the Father are One (in the eternal Godhead) Jesus Christ had the quality to humble Himself to the will of Father and come to this earth and pay a price He did not owe in order for us to live forever with Him.
Some of you may be struggling with you ability to lead those around you in the right direction…if so, it may mean that a spirit of humility is the answer. Surrender your will to the will of the Father and lead those around in the direction to bring glory to God.
Have a wonderful day.
Til the Shout,
Dr. B.J. Stagner Jr.
Pastor
New Testament Baptist Church
Monday, November 2, 2009
Weekly Words of Encouragment 11-2-09
Good Morning All,
Just a simple thought this morning that I hope and pray will be a blessing to each and every one of you. Have you ever considered the value of a friend? Solomon said in Proverbs:
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24
We all have acquaintances…we all have colleagues or business associates… It is the friends in our life that will be there when the days go dim as well as when the days are delightful. Jesus Christ mentioned friends many times. It was friends that Jesus told the maniac of Gadara to go and tell what great things the Lord had done for him (Mark 5.19); Jesus Christ referred to His disciples as friends when He expounded the fear of God (Luke 12.4); In the parable of the lost sheep, when it is found the Lord says the man called his friends to rejoice (Luke 15.6-9); Likewise with the prodigal son (Luke 15.29).
But perhaps that greatest illustration our Lord has given us concerning friendship was Himself as prophesized in John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. We know that Jesus Christ laid His life down for us, He gave it willingly. That’s is the value of a friend, one who will sacrifice their time, effort, money and manpower for the one they call ‘friend’.
But how can we have a friend today?
The best way to have a friend is to be a friend. Jesus Christ gave us a beautiful example of friendship – He laid down his life. Sometimes in being friend, we will just have to lay ourselves down, prefer others and esteem them better than ourselves. Sure it may cost you, but remember, you are investing in the value of a friend.
An English publication offered a prize for the best definition of a friend, and among the thousands of answers received were the following:
"One who multiplies joys, divides grief."
"One who understands our silence."
"A volume of sympathy bound in cloth."
"A watch which beats true for all time and never runs down."
But here is the definition that won the prize: "A friend—the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out."
Now, is there any cost that is too high when investing in the value of a friend?
Have a wonderful day.
Til the Shout,
Dr. B.J. Stagner Jr.
Pastor
New Testament Baptist Church
Just a simple thought this morning that I hope and pray will be a blessing to each and every one of you. Have you ever considered the value of a friend? Solomon said in Proverbs:
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24
We all have acquaintances…we all have colleagues or business associates… It is the friends in our life that will be there when the days go dim as well as when the days are delightful. Jesus Christ mentioned friends many times. It was friends that Jesus told the maniac of Gadara to go and tell what great things the Lord had done for him (Mark 5.19); Jesus Christ referred to His disciples as friends when He expounded the fear of God (Luke 12.4); In the parable of the lost sheep, when it is found the Lord says the man called his friends to rejoice (Luke 15.6-9); Likewise with the prodigal son (Luke 15.29).
But perhaps that greatest illustration our Lord has given us concerning friendship was Himself as prophesized in John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. We know that Jesus Christ laid His life down for us, He gave it willingly. That’s is the value of a friend, one who will sacrifice their time, effort, money and manpower for the one they call ‘friend’.
But how can we have a friend today?
The best way to have a friend is to be a friend. Jesus Christ gave us a beautiful example of friendship – He laid down his life. Sometimes in being friend, we will just have to lay ourselves down, prefer others and esteem them better than ourselves. Sure it may cost you, but remember, you are investing in the value of a friend.
An English publication offered a prize for the best definition of a friend, and among the thousands of answers received were the following:
"One who multiplies joys, divides grief."
"One who understands our silence."
"A volume of sympathy bound in cloth."
"A watch which beats true for all time and never runs down."
But here is the definition that won the prize: "A friend—the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out."
Now, is there any cost that is too high when investing in the value of a friend?
Have a wonderful day.
Til the Shout,
Dr. B.J. Stagner Jr.
Pastor
New Testament Baptist Church
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