Six years and counting…

Today, six years ago, our family arrived at Pleasant View Baptist Church after a unanimous vote.  I didn’t know what God had planned, and neither did most of the church members.  But I serve a God that has a plan, and nothing can stop it.  God is an all powerful, all knowing God – and His purpose will be be performed – in spite of our efforts and mistakes. Philippians 1:6  ”Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”  God had a plan for this church, and for the many people that would walk through the doors.  Thanks be to God, His plan is being performed.  I thanked God this morning as I looked around at the families that God has brought into His flock.   The new converts, the new members, the families that have come and been transformed in the last 6 years were a testimony of God’s power and blessing.

Many times in the last six years, I have been discouraged and wondered why God brought me and my family from halfway around the world to pastor in a city that is saturated with Baptist churches and the Gospel.  I have given up trying to make sense of His plan – I’m just doing my best to perform the burden and execute the vision that God gave me for this church.

I have determined to keep preaching the Bible, keep loving sinners, keep encouraging our youth, keep living an example, keep depending on God, and leave the results up to Him.  My message this morning revealed my heart – I can’t build a church and pastor a flock, but He can through me.  I have learned that without Him, I can nothing.  I’m even more convinced that it’s that crowd that has it all figured out that is killing us!  They know what they want, they know how to do it, they know how it ought to be done, and they are going to do it, whether God wants it or not.  Not me!  I’m following Jesus.  Not man, or tradition, or a movement, or a group, or anything – I’m going with God.  And He’s doing a fine job if you ask me.

Hope to be here many more years, doing what I love to do best – serve God and serve His people.

Pastor