His Glory: Our Ultimate Goal
February 29 His Glory: Our Ultimate Goal John 14:13
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “Whatever you ask in My Name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13)
Prayer, and our participation in prayer, is simple; yet; has very specific requirements. Jesus told His Disciples that whatever they asked in His Name would be given to them. These are the words of Jesus, Himself, and these words have promise for us, right now, today! We need to, first, consider the “ask in My Name!” Many of us (Christians) will close our prayers with the words, “IN JESUS’ NAME, AMEN.” Daddy told me, many years ago, that, if I did not pray “In Jesus’ Name,” that my prayers were just “so many words…” What he was attempting to explain, is that our prayers, regardless of the intensity and specific nature of the request, if we are not asking in the proper attitude and in the proper relationship and if our prayers are not in alignment with the will of God, do not expect God to fulfill the request. Folks, our prayers, our communication motives, should be completely consumed in our desire to glorify the Father through the Son and our prayers should include an attitude and desire to express “Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Bottom Line: Prayer is our opportunity to “Praise God,” and our responsibility to communicate and to “Glorify” God through Jesus Christ! Everything that we do, as Believers, in about attitude and relationships. The stronger that we grow, in our faith, and the more committed that we become, the results will be a stronger prayer life and that will be demonstrated by a “Selfless” request and a “Glorifying” praise! What God does with you is entirely up to you. It always has and it always will! Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE!
BIRTHDAYS FOR FEBRUARY 28, 2024
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:
ALLYSON CREECH
SHIRLEY LANE
CAROL WOODARD
HEATHER WENTZ
GINA HINTON PRICE
JESUS is the WAY!
February 28 JESUS is the WAY! John 14:6
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
Studying the Old Testament, we discover that it is a series of signs and events that point to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ! Praise God! He is the prophesied Messiah, the Way, the Truth, the Life, that the scriptures for told. God loves mankind so much that He was willing to send Jesus, His Only Son, to reestablish the broken relationship that occurred in the Garden of Eden by Adam and Eve. We, a sinful, imperfect, and habitual rule breaker, could not stand before a Holy God, and ask for anything! Our Human Good is not enough to reestablish a relationship with God! God knew that we needed a way through to establish this Holy Relationship! Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the TRUTH that was PROMISED from the first sinful event in the Garden of Eden! Friends, pay close attention… JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN! WE ARE NOT WORTHY TO COME BEFORE GOD, IN OUR SINFUL NATURE! THE FACT IS THAT WE CANNOT KNOW GOD WITHOUT JESUS CHRIST AND HIS ATONING BLOOD THAT COVERS OUR SINFUL NATURE! GOD CANNOT LOOK ON SIN AND WE MUST HAVE JESUS AS OUR SAVIOR, REDEEMER, AND FORGIVER, TO COME INTO THE PRESENCE OF ALMIGHTY GOD! WE CANNOT KNOW GOD, HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM, WITHOUT THE ATONING BLOOD OF JESUS THAT COVERS OF SINS! “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” When we know Jesus, we know the FATHER! THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO HEAVEN, THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER GOD! Jesus is the ANSWER! Jesus is the WAY! Jesus is the TRUTH! Jesus is the LIFE-GIVING POWER TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH FATHER GOD! Facts are facts, and the simple fact is that JESUS IS THE WAY! Stay Strong, Stay Focused… THE BEST IS YET TO BE!
BIRTHDAYS FOR FEBRUARY 27, 2024
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:
AVA GARNER
KATHRYN O’NEAL
JASON WYATT
JIM MALONE
HIS Guiding Light
February 27 HIS Guiding Light 2 Peter 1:3
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3)
When the power goes off, at my house, the first thing that we do is to open all the curtains and the doors, to allow the natural light to come in. Although the natural light is usually minimal, we can continue to operate, awaiting the power to be restored. Amazingly, in the Christian life, we experience a momentary loss of power. Think about it… When the Doctor reveals a serious health issue, or you receive a message that your loved one is in trouble, or you experience the death of a dear friend, or you experience a financial reversal, or the unexpected revelation of wrongs by a dear friend… These are the moments in our lives when we need to run to the Light! I thank God that He has provided infinite and dynamic power to keep our world operating along and it is bursting with energy. This same Divine Power provides strength, vision, endurance, and guidance when we face the seemingly insurmountable challenges and obstacles of life! PRAISE GOD! It is through HIS Power that we can face the present-day challenges and are prepared to deal with the issues of the future, with Divine Confidence and HIS Power! We have what we need, when we are walking with HIM, PRAISING HIM, and actively SERVING HIM, even when we are experiencing a momentary power outage in our lives. There are days when I am overwhelmed with the challenges and issues of the day, and I “feel” that the light has dimmed, and at times, has gone out, but, in those times, I slow down, walk deliberately, call out to God, and Claim His Power for Restoration, Recovery, Direction, and HIS GUIDING LIGHT! Every one of us experience times of “low light,” but HE is ready, willing, and able to BRIGHTEN our Way, and Illuminate our Path! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, LOOK TO HIS LIGHT WHEN LIFE GETS DARK!!!! Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE!
BIRTHDAYS FOR FEBRUARY 26, 2024
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:
MIRANDA ALLEN
FREDDIE BATTEN (In Heaven)
Demonstrating Real Love
February 26 Demonstrating Real Love Luke 10:27
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “So, he answered and said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 10:27)
When I reflect on the Love of God for Humanity, and His Amazing Grace that we are so undeserving of, and His willingness to send His Only Son to be our Sacrifice so that our sins could be forgiven, I am in awe of such Love! So unworthy am I of this Love! So undeserving of this Love, yet God, in His Great Love, has offered an opportunity for us to reestablish a divine relationship with the Father through His Son. When I think of this measure of Love, I am reminded of a beautiful song that simply describes my thoughts and emotions. It is entitled, “I Should Have Been Crucified!”
“I was guilty with nothing to say, and they were coming to take me away. When a voice from Heaven was heard that said
‘Let him go and take Me instead!’ Oh, I should have been crucified, And I should have suffered and died! I should have hung on the cross in disgrace But Jesus, God's Son, took my place! That crown of thorns, the spear in His side, And the pain, it should have been mine. Those rusty nails were meant for me, Yet Christ took them and let me go free!” Simply put, the Love that God demonstrated to mankind, on the Cross of Calvary, should be the example for all believers to follow! Whether we think that any one person is worthy of this love does not matter! We are called to demonstrate His Love to EVERYONE! This Love is greater than a tolerance of one another or a distant acquaintance relationship! We are to be deliberate, active, and engaged in the demonstration of His Love! We are to Love one another with all our hearts, our minds, and our souls! The genuine way to demonstrate God’s Love is to Love our Neighbors! As we focus on His Great Love for us, then we can, by his Holy Example, extend to our Neighbors, this Love, because God Loves US! Please Lord, help me to demonstrate Your Love to someone today! Lord, help me to treat others with your Love and offer to them, the Message of Love and Your Saving Grace! Lord, please continue to provide opportunities for me to demonstrate Your Love to others! Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE!
BIRTHDAYS FOR FEBRUARY 25, 2024
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:
EDDIE PERRY
MARTHA WHITED
I am an OVERCOMER
February 25 I am an OVERCOMER Galatians 2:20
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
My dear mother told me that there would be challenges and trials in this life! Every one of us experience challenges, every single day! Guess what? I experience trials every day – In this World and in my own heart! Jesus told us that “In this world, I would have tribulation, but He instructed me that I was to be of ‘Good Cheer,’ for He had overcome the World, and as His child, I, too, am an overcomer (John 16:33)!! Isn’t it exciting to know that “Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4)!” PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW! TO GOD BE THE GLORY, FOREVER AND EVER…AMEN! He has promised Victory in Jesus, and we can count on His Grace and His Power and His Provision for our living! Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE! (reprint)
BIRTHDAYS FOR FEBRUARY 24, 2024
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:
ANNA CREECH
“Reasons to Serve the Lord”
February 24 “Reasons to Serve the Lord” Acts 9:1-6
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” (Acts 9:1-6)
Growing up in the Brock house meant that you were introduced to the reality of work early! Daddy told me, when I was old enough to hold a hoe, “You don’t work, you don’t eat!” Guess What? He never lied to me, and he certainly didn’t, this time. I heard a preacher say, many years ago, that “We are saved to serve, not to be served!” I wonder how many Christians recognize this as the truth! Wonder where the idea originated that we shouldn’t have to work? Recently, I have witnessed a great deal of “Give Me,” and absolutely none of, “Lord, what wilt thou have me do?” Whatever happened to God’s system of, a man having to work, to obtain things? If all that we had to do was say, “Give Me,” we wouldn’t need companies or factories or stores to operate, at all! All we would have to do is say, “Lord, give me clothes, a car, a home, some food, plenty of heat, plenty of air conditioning, etc.” I guess that we all discover, sooner or later, that God expects us to be willing to work! The Apostle Paul ran into some “Give Me” Christians, in his day and time and he told them, in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, “…this we command you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat!” Sound Familiar? We have a true privilege to serve God! He loved us enough to send Jesus to be crucified, to be resurrected and to take our sins upon His back, so that we could live eternally with God the Father. Our Heavenly Father said, “In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy path” (Proverbs 3:6). May our prayer be the same as the prayer of Psalm 25:4, “Shew me Thy ways, O Lord; teach me Thy paths.” Christ provides so many benefits to us, as Believers. Christ provides His saving Grace, He provides life eternal with God, he provides His abundant blessings when we follow Him and obey His call! I love the lyrics of a song that we often sing, “We’ll work till Jesus Comes!” “There is work on earth for me and you, According to God’s word and whatsoever work we do, should be done as to the Lord! We’ll work till Jesus comes! We’ll work till Jesus comes! We’ll work till Jesus comes and we’ll be gathered home.” We are called to work, so I encourage you to “BE ABOUT THE FATHER’S BUSINESS! Stay Strong, Stay Focused … Remember, THE BEST IS YET TO BE!
BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES FOR FEBRUARY 23, 2024
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:
MARY PAT HICKS
AMY CREECH WATT
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO:
LARRY & OTHELL (In Heaven) PRICE
“Walking in FAITH "
February 23 “Walking in FAITH 1 Peter 1:8
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:” (1 Peter 1:8)
We (Christians) are called to “walk” by FAITH, and not by what we see! In Hebrews 11:1, the scripture passage defines “FAITH” as, “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen!” How could the First Century Christians continue to follow Christ, when they were facing brutal and fierce persecution, torture, and death? How did they endure? Their secret is found in one word: FAITH!! This FAITH has the amazing power to guide and direct believers through the roughest and darkest days that can be imagined! The same FAITH that sustained Abraham, the same FAITH that compelled Noah to obey the call of God, the same FAITH that empowered Paul to Preach the Good News, is the same FAITH that can direct, empower, and sustain us, right now, today!! This FAITH is the energy that drives Christians through the challenges and trials of this life! Peter tells us, in the scripture passage for today, that he was anticipating seeing Jesus! This FAITH, this Confidence was his overwhelming and driving force! Challenges, circumstances, issues, chaos were no match for the FAITH that drove and sustained these early believers! LISTEN, the same FAITH that propelled these believers past the issues of the day, is the same FAITH that provides power for our living, right now, today! This same Jesus, that died on the Cross, arose from the Grave, and is now seated on the Right Side of God, the Father, advocating for you and I, still provides His Power to change us, sustain us, save us and to see us through, until we stand in His presence, through FAITH in Him, as OVERCOMERS! May each of us have this genuine FAITH that guides, empowers, and sustains us, until we see His Face in Eternity! Let our lives of FAITH, bring Praise, Honor and Glory to Our God, through our Savior, Jesus Christ! “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:” Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE!
BIRTHDAYS FOR FEBRUARY 22, 2024
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:
CAITLIN SCOTT
VAN BURKS
BRENDA WHITLEY
BEVERLY IDE
Recovery Mode
February 22 Recovery Mode 1 John 4:4
** THANK YOU, Annette Brock for always having my back! I Love You! Many are not aware of the active role that Annette plays in the ministry at BTC. She does what she does, so that I can do what I do… **
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, NC … “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)
Since Monday evening, I have experienced a “Gut Wrenching,” and double-sided dilemma! Feeling sick to my stomach, yet must make a dash to the bathroom, and determining which option would offer the worst scenario if not successful. Absolutely drained, weak and vulnerable, this opponent, this invader had ravaged me physically, and I had no control over its ability to knock me off my feet. During this ordeal, I continued to repeat, almost a chant, that “Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world!” Over and over, before, during and after each wave of nausea, each sprint to the bathroom, and the slow, wobbly walk back to the bed. Annette and I were supposed to go away for a couple of days, for some R & R, yet we determined that there was too much happening for us to go ways, so we stayed home, and were prepared to continue to serve our church family and our community. God has determined that I would get some rest … Wow, what a way to spend time in bed. Please remember, every challenge that you experience, every difficulty that you endure, every obstacle that you overcome, as a Believer, God has your steps ordered and your path set, and He has determined that all will be for your good! Annette and I still plan on breaking away, soon, however, PRAISE GOD, we will continue to serve HIM, Praise HIM, and Proclaim HIS Good News, every single day! Stay Strong, Stay Focused… THE BEST IS YET TO BE!
BIRTHDAYS FOR FEBRUARY 19, 2024
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:
CAROLYN BROWN
ERIC HOUSE
CINDY JOBE
JOANN YOUNG (In Heaven)
Strength for the Battle
February 19 Strength for the Battle 2 Thessalonians 1:11
** Over the past several weeks, I have been asked why I talk so much about the struggles and challenges of life, while neglecting to speak of the happy aspects of life. Well, I am attempting to highlight the fact that we (Christians) are living in a HOSTILE Environment and that we are in a BATTLE with Satan, Every Single Day! My desire is for every Believer to be Fortified, Empowered and Armored Up to face the Challenges that WILL COME! **
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “Therefore, we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power…” (2 Thessalonians 1:11)
How strong are you? In our culture, being strong is equated with being tough. Have you ever seen someone who appeared to be emotionless, stern, self-asserting? We refer to these folks as “strong!” Listen, regardless of how strong that you are or perceive that you are, the strength and resolve of the strongest will rapidly fade under the onslaught of pressures and battles that Satan is poised to bring to us and is in the middle of attacking our Spiritual wellbeing! For Followers of Christ, this is where the “Battlefield” really exists! In Ephesians 6:12, it tells us about the battles that we are, and will engage in, and none of us are strong enough to stand up under the onslaught and pressures of this kind of battle, on our own! Listen… “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Dear friends, do not fear the battles, because we have the ultimate weapon in this struggle between “Good” and “Evil!” God did not mean for us to fight this battle alone! He has promised Victory, and I choose to claim this Victory, Power, and Strength! Friends, we are the strongest when we surrender to Him and rely on His power, provision and His Glorious Promises for Complete and Total Victory over the Evil One! As Born-Again Believers, we are not alone, nor are we fighting this battle by ourselves! “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the POWER of HIS MIGHT!!! (Ephesians 6:10).” TO GOD BE THE GLORY! Stay Strong, Stay Focused, And Prepare for the Battles… THE BEST IS YET TO BE!