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Proverbs 27:17 proclaims: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”. This simple verse tells us that no one is alone. The verse is a call to make ourselves better through mentorship, followership, and learning together.     

This iron sharpens iron podcast is an examination of Genesis 17 verses 1-27.  I am joined in this informative conversation by Jimmy Richardson.    

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In baseball, the midpoint of the season is when the all-star game is played. The all-star break is a time where major league teams evaluate their chances at making the playoffs.   The 2021 Atlanta Braves had a losing record of 44-45 at the all-star break.  Superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. was lost to a season-ending knee injury.   Atlanta’s pitching ace Mike Soroka was also out and hurt.  Experts gave the Braves a 0.3 percent chance of winning the World Series.  Very little was going well for the Braves most folks saw them including this fan as a losing team.  

Alex Anthopoulos the general manager of the Braves did not see them as a losing team.  He acquired Joc Pederson, Adam Duvall, Jorge Soler, and Eddie Rosario remaking the outfield along with fireballer Richard Rodriguez reinforcing the bullpen.   The 44-45 Braves got the message, their general manager saw them differently not as a losing team but as a World Series-winning team which is exactly what they became.   

Abram grew up in a pagan home in an unbelieving and idolatrous society.  With such an upbringing many could easily see Abram as a sinful unbelieving man, however, God saw things differently.  When Abram was 99 years old God made an extraordinary promise to a person of his background.  The Lord declared to Abram that at long last he and his wife would have a son and that he was changing his name to Abraham reflective of God’s vision and status for him to become the father of many nations.  

God sees you differently from what you and the world may see you to be. God’s plans for you are far greater than we can ever imagine.  Many of us may not know how God sees us and what plans God has for our lives.  The discovery process may take some time remember Abraham was 99 when God came to him, but it will happen.  For those of us who know what God has in store for us, I have this advice live as God sees you and not as the world sees you.   We need to look no further than the World Series Champion Atlanta Braves and Abraham to know that God sees you differently. 

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I am in my second week as the pastor of the Greater Saint Peter African Methodist Episcopal Church in Jonesboro, Georgia.   There are so many things to do, meetings, mortgages, budgets, directions, transitions, and moving. Phone calls with members, elders, and even our Bishop. The days have been exciting, enjoyable, and I must admit exhausting.  

Jesus in his busy days provides the role model that I need in my busy days, no matter how busy you are never too busy for God.   

In Mark 1:29, we find Jesus teaching all day in the synagogue. In the middle of his teaching, a man with an unclean spirit interrupted. Jesus dealt with him casting out the demons.  In the afternoon, Jesus goes with his disciples to the house of Simon Peter and Andrew, his brother.   

There Jesus finds Simon’s mother-in-law in bed very sick.  He heals her and she begins to serve them.  I imagine Jesus and his disciples were thinking they would finally get an evening to have a great meal and relax.  But about that time, outside the house was the whole city.  They were waiting to be ministered to by Jesus.  Mark records there were those who were possessed by demons and those with various diseases.   Jesus goes out and ministers to them.  I imagine this goes on into the late hours of the night.  It was another day of a full schedule for him. 

When the next day approached, Jesus had a human decision to make.  Get the day going again and go out and continue to minister in Capernaum.   The crowds would be back.  There were still more people to heal.  Busyness was at the door of his day ahead.  However, in verse 35, we see what Jesus did often when faced with a busy day.  He got up early before the crowd woke.  He went out to a quiet place to pray and to be with his Father.  

Jesus needed time to find out His Father’s plan for His day. The needs were great.  The people would be waiting, the disciples would need instructions.  The list of things to do would get long.  Jesus knew he needed to pray.   He needed to hear from His Father.  He needed to plan his day in light of what the Father wanted and not what the crowd wanted.

The thing I have learned this week, more important than budgets, mortgages or moving is that we are never too busy for God.  When we put God first going to the Lord in prayer he will give our busy days direction, order, and purpose.    Remember, we are never too busy for God. 

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Pediatricians can start vaccinating children ages 5-11 years against COVID-19.

Federal health officials gave final approval to use the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for about 28 million children in this age group.    Booster shots for adults who have taken the vaccine are now available.    Dr. Cynthia Snider, MD, MPH the medical director of infection prevention at Cone Health in Greensboro, NC joins Dr. Veita Bland, MD to talk about the latest  COVID-19                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            &

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What does it mean to be greater? 1 John 4:4 tells us that we are greater when Jesus is within us. Therefore, to have Jesus within us means that we are greater which means that we are greater than great.  Often as Christians, we forget that we are greater, we forget because this world can beat us down, we forget because we fail to spend time in the word, we forget because we become disillusioned by preachers who lie, cheat and steal.  We forget because the devil is working all kinds of schemes to make it easy to forget that we are greater. For we are greater not for anything that we have done, rather we are greater for what we have become.  And what we have become is a disciple of Jesus.  

So, in the midst of a pandemic where sickness, silliness, and death are all around it is time for us to take up the blood-stained banner of the Jesus that is in all of us to be greater. 

Join me tomorrow as I preach the first sermon in my new pastoral assignment at Greater Saint Peter African Methodist Episcopal Church in Jonesboro, Georgia.  My teaching will be from 1 John 4:4 and it is entitled, It is time to be Greater.  Our Worship Starts At 10:00 AM and you can catch the service on our Facebook Page www.facebook.com/GSP9540.  So until tomorrow at 10:00 AM blessings, peace, and love.  

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Death is the absence of life.  Death is something that we all experience.  We experience the death of famous people like Colin Powel, we experience the death of people who pop into our lives because of television or the internet like Gabby Petito and now Brian Laundrie.  

We experience the death of loved ones as many of us have over the years have lost grandparents, parents, siblings, and friends.  

And yes, one day we will experience our own death, that moment where we will slip into eternity. 

John 11:32-44 deals with death.  For me, the text reveals three important Biblical truths about death taught to us by Jesus.   Discover these truths in a teaching from John 11:32-44 entitled The Death of Death.  Sunday School is at 10:00 AM, Worship is at 11:00 AM all times are Eastern watch us on our Facebook page @NBCDublin or call in at 857 799 9977.  So, until tomorrow blessings, peace, and love.  

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Psalm 150 calls us to Praise God in his sanctuary.  Well for almost two years many sanctuaries have been limited in the ways people have come into the building to praise God.  However, instead of lamenting the limitations of coming into the sanctuary, the faithful people of God have created many ways to praise the mighty deeds and greatness of the Lord.  

Yes, while we long for the days of being back in the sanctuary praising God with tambourine, dance, strings, and pipe. We will still praise God within the sanctuary of a Zoom session, we will still praise God within the sanctuary of a conference call, and we will still praise God in the sanctuary that we now call home.  Because we know, count on, and believe pandemic or not that everything that halth breath will praise the Lord, and that everywhere we are and all that we do is a sanctuary.   

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This Sunday, October 31 at New Bethel we will observe All Saints Day.   All Saints Day is a time set aside on the Christian calendar to honor those who have died in Christ.  With special emphasis on those who have passed within the last year.  

As we have done in previous years, on Sunday we will call the roll of those who have died in the past year.  If you have a loved one or family friend who has died in the past year anytime between November 1st, 2020 until now, we would like to honor them on Sunday.  

Please call or text me at 608 358 1309 no later than Thursday, October 27th.   I need the name and picture of the Saint who has passed.   This Sunday’s service will be virtual-only and will be available at 11:00 AM ET following our 10:00 AM ET Sunday School.  

Watch the service on our Facebook page @ nbcdublin or listen to the service on your phone by calling 857 799-9977.    I hope to hear from you as we honor your loved one or family friend.  -  Blessings, Peace, and Love.

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In a sermon recorded live at New Bethel in East Dublin, Georgia Marben inspired by Mark 10:46-52 discovers how a conversation with Jesus changed the life of a blind man named Bartimaeus and how your conversation with Jesus will also change your life. 

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This week we will study the story of blind Bartimaeus from Mark 10:46-52.  Within this remarkable story that ends with Jesus proclaiming that it’s Bartimaeus's faith that brought him sight.  There is a remarkable conversation between Jesus and Bartimaeus which demonstrates how faith is developed. 

I hope you will join me tomorrow in person or online at New Bethel for a teaching that I have entitled A Conversation With Jesus.   Our Sunday School is at 10:00 ET, and worship begins at 11:00 ET.  Catch us on Facebook @ nbcdublin or you can call in without a passcode or waiting room with our new worship number 857 799 9977.   

So, until tomorrow blessings, peace, and love.  

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