Lake Blackshear Baptist Church

For the first time since the COVID, our ladies met for a brunch yesterday. They planned outreach for our children and youth and for the Annie Armstrong Easter offering. One of our deacons and I were in the church office. Down the hall we could hear peals of laughter.😇 We smiled and rejoiced with them.🎉 Father, thank You for the strong women of Your church, please help them, encourage them. Satan take warning; the women are back.❤️🙏 Amen.

Some times Satan confronts me with the depths of the sins I have committed. That’s what he delights in - bringing pain, despair into our lives. Then the Holy Spirit speaks and reminds me that the precious Blood of Jesus has erased them, and He remembers them against us no more!! Don’t know about you, but I needed that reassurance this morning. “What a Mighty God we serve”. (If you know the chorus, sing it with me.) Amen and amen.

Another pop up blessing at Hardee’s, I was pulling up to the drive thru, and a car came from the other direction. I waved him on first. When I got to the window, the young lady said, “Your order has been paid. The young man ahead of you appreciated you letting him go first. He’s running late”.🎉 Small gestures can mean a lot. Father, help us to be kind, considerate and not demand our “rights”. Let others go first, amen.

Fourth grade, I passed a note to the little girl in the desk in front of me. It read, “I like you; do you like me? Check yes or no”. She checked no!😅 Read John 3:16 again, the Father always checks yes. In fact, we can cross out the word “world” and write our name in.❤️ Jesus did it for us on the cross; He checked “Yes” - I love you, amen.

Happy Valentine’s Day!❤️ The Beatles had it right, “all you need is love”. I read 1st John 3:1 NIV. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God”! It’s a love that does not demand anything in return. If we’re good He loves us, if we’re bad He still loves us, His greatest desire is that we be in a right relationship with Him through His Son. Yep, the Beatles were right. All you need is love, ❤️ and we have it, amen. The message today is “all you need is love”. Tune in on our Facebook page or at lakeblackshearbaptistchurch.com. 

At the drive through, the young lady asked if I wanted “something” for a dollar. I thought it was for some cause, so I said, “yes, of course”. It turned out to be two apple tarts.😇 I need to wear my hearing aids.😅 Thankfully, the tarts are good. There are three kinds of giving. There is token giving (yeh, I’ll give a dollar to that), tithing (we won’t belabor that), and what the widow did in Mark 12 & Luke 21 which is sacrificial giving. She gave all that she had. Father, remind us that everything belongs to You; we are to make wise use of the resources that You’ve entrusted to us, in Jesus’ name, amen.

For all who have to “go in” today - TGIF. I did it for 60 years! Oh how we loved Fridays, two days ahead free from the grind, and on Sunday, we gather with family and friends for Sunday school and worship - then a big “dinner” (lunch, you can’t get the country out of the boy) and then a nap! Simple, but good. Oh my, Father, thank You for another day of life, help us to enjoy the simple things of life, amen.

Oops-I spoke too soon; my wife had a reaction to the “shot”. She felt bad and wouldn’t eat. She’s better now. 🙏 A mom in our church sent me a picture of her young daughter holding a valentine to her heart. Our children’s director had mailed one to all the children. Oh my, Valentine’s Day Sunday, would you call someone and encourage them, pray with them? Father, help me to remember those who need encouragement, love, prayer, in Jesus’ name, amen.

We got second shot with little or no reaction. I took some Tylenol. I encourage everyone as it becomes available to take the “shot”. Protect yourself, family, friends and those we don’t know. Someone wrote long ago “no one is an island unto themselves; we are all part of the continent, the main”. Father, today give us wisdom and courage to do the “right thing” in Your sight, amen.

My wife and I receive our second COVID-19 vaccine shots this morning. Thankful...a little apprehensive, we heard some “horror”stories. Father, we ask for deliverance from the evil virus that Satan has sent against us; we ask for strength and encouragement to worship and serve You, regardless! Fill us with Your Holy Spirit, let Him control our very lives, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Death, death, death. Family, friends, and folks I don’t even know. Martha said, “Lord, if You had been here?” Jesus’ reply was “roll back the stone, Lazarus come forth!” I long for the day when He will step out on the balcony of nothingness and call out the names of all who have died trusting in Him.🙏 Come Forth!! Lord, we ask for Your return soon; it’s so hard, in Jesus’ name, amen.

I don’t know the most evil person in the world (got some candidates for the job), but I want them to be saved! I don’t want anyone to die and go to the devil’s hell.🙏 Jesus didn’t, and He made a way for us. We’re the church with out “walls”. All are welcome. Jesus was constantly eating and drinking with sinners. The message today is “I am, the Bread of life”. Join us on Facebook or our website. Amen, amen.

Moments of great joy pop up unexpectedly while at Hardee’s in the rain, I bumped into a fellow church member coming out as I drove up. He’s standing in the rain. It’s pouring in my window😅, but for several minutes we shared how God has blessed us, delivered us, saved us.🙏We went on our way, promising to see each other at worship tomorrow. Just a couple of minutes, but it made my day!🎉 Look for the pop up blessings today! Father, help us to rejoice in You and again I say rejoice,🎉amen.

 Following family prayer time, little Sallie piped up, “Daddy and I prayed for Bobby (her brother) because he had his eyes open during prayer”!😅 Oh be sure that our sins will find us out. Sometimes I cry, “Oh wretched man, that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Then the refrain comes: “Amazing Grace, that saved a wretch like me”. Oh my, thank You, Lord, amen.
#comehomeatlbbc

Lab work this morning😕 and two doctor appointments next week.😕 Notice how our lives are punctuated by doctor appointments.🥲It’s part of the aging process. We are thankful for the quality medical care we receive.😇 Psalm 103 reminds us that we have a Father who forgives all our sins and heals all our diseases.🙏 Father, I have on my heart this morning, specific persons who need Your healing, I lift them up to You, in Jesus’ name, amen. #comehomeatlbbc