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NC Office 336-674-6538; FAX 336-676-0505 sebc@gosoutheast.org Home | Interactive Map |
.. December 10, 2000 Lonnie H. Baxley, Jr.
December 14, 2000 Rhonda Allison
December 15, 2000 Carolyn Andrews
December 16, 2000 Jane Simpson
Lonnie H. Baxley, Jr.
Each time the Judge’s gavel strikes it emphasizes the accumulation of sins committed. The trajectory of temptations and sin separate us from God. We are prone to "Selfish Indulgences Now" (SIN) that move us farther and farther away from God’s Will. As the Judge’s gavel strikes we must acknowledge our sins and accept that there is a better trajectory; one that leads toward God.
Commitment points to the One we are focusing on during this Advent Season, Christ, the One that gave us so much that our sins are forgiven and we have salvation from the wages of sin. We much trust in God’s way, accepting Christ, which leads us to salvation and service under the direction of the Holy Spirit. This takes us from a paradigm of SIN to a paradigm of ACTS.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 (NLT)
Our Father, as we ponder these words, I pray we will become more sensitive to our "sins" that separate us from your will. We acknowledge our shortcomings, commit our trust to You and pray that we will be drawn closer to our full potential in your will. May you be glorified in all we do during this season of Advent. Amen.
Winnie Byrd
I learned early in life about sin. It was shameful and scary. I knew it was wrong but I felt defenseless and was weighted down by extreme feelings of guilt.
Thankfully, at the age of 21, I received God’s forgiveness and I accepted Christ as my Savior. Years later, after having grown in His grace and the knowledge of Him and His unconditional love for me, I was finally able to forgive myself. Through quiet time alone with God, through Bible study and fellowshipping with other believers at Southeast Baptist Church, I feel that I was given a "second chance" at life.
I will no longer be judged by my past but by the faith I placed in Christ. Knowing that gives me joy and peace. I wish the same experience for my family members and I trust that the seeds which have been planted will one day take root in their lives as well. I know quite well that they too need the Love of God in their lives.
"The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands." Psalms 9:16
Dear God, Thank you for not giving up on me, for not judging me without showing me your love. Thank you for Your guidance, Your healing and Your protection. Your gifts are awesome and abundant. Forgive me when I fail You and help me live each day in Your love. In Christ’s name, Amen.
Al LaMachio
Men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by our words we will be acquitted, or by our words we will be condemned.
Matthew 12:36 - 37
This is pretty scary stuff when we become aware that God is keeping tabs on what is coming out of our mouths. As kids we used to say that "sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me." We all know this is not true. Words can be very hurtful or they can be a source of comfort, healing, and encouragement.
We tend to think that what we do is more important than what we say, or that actions speak louder than words, but do they?? Evidently God thinks words are very important. Matthew 15:11 says "what goes into a man’s mouth does not make him unclean, but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him unclean."
In my own everyday walk I need to be ever on my guard, that what comes out of my mouth will be pleasing to God. The only way I know to do this is to become aware of His presence every waking moment. Easier said than done!! Just think of how our church body would be blessed if we had better control of our tongues, not to mention our homes and workplace. If we could "accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative and get rid of Mr. in between." I believe there was a song that included this phrase, if you’re old enough to remember it.
Lord (Psalm 19:14), "may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight", each waking moment of each day, wherever I may be and whatever I may be doing. Amen.
Kathy Hout
Upon meeting someone, have you quickly decided that you didn’t want that person in your life? I have. I made a decision to avoid a certain person. While nice at a distance, I soon learned that the more I tried to remain at a distance, the more I actually thought about this person. God let me know that he had a purpose for putting this person in my life.
I wondered if I was letting my own prejudices and selfishness get in the way of God’s purpose I realized that I was not concentrating on living my life in a way that prepared me for Christ’s coming and if He came right then He wouldn’t be pleased. That judgment soon humbled me.
The Lord accepts us as we are. Everyone can receive his grace. I know this person is not saved and I felt terrible that I had not tried harder to show them how wonderful the grace of God is. God has blessed my life so much and showed me that I am unworthy of his blessings when I make harsh judgments about another person and don’t welcome them into the Lord’s family.
God’s challenges are not always easy. Developing a relationship with this person has been a long and uphill process, and I’m not there yet. I am trusting the Lord however, and striving to be faithful in my goal.
Malachi 3: 16 - 18 "God remembers every act of faithfulness, every testimony of trust despite circumstances." David Guzik Study Guide
Dear Lord, clear our hearts and minds of preconceptions and distractions. Humble our hearts. Help us to see clearly and react swiftly to your message so that you may find us to be a shining example of your love and a reminder that God’s promises are for all of us. Amen.
Rhonda Allison
When considering judgment my mind splinters into different directions. The first is the prospect of the final judgment. Questions came to mind, when?, where?, will I be ready?, will I be worthy? Secondly, human judgment, that illusive measuring stick we all carry for our fellow travelers, ignoring the fact that the only true measure is Jesus Christ and to him none of us measures up. Thankfully he is a loving and forgiving God and extends his grace to us all. However, the area I want to pursue is the idea of personal judgment, discernment or wisdom.
I met Jesus Christ early in my life. This I owe to the spiritual influence of Catherine Moss, my maternal grandmother. She taught me from an early age, to anchor my life in God.
As a child I did not appreciate the enormity of my decision. It was first a child’s simple wish to belong to God and to try to follow Jesus’ example. This decision has held firm over time and became the filter by which I would live my life and make many decisions.
The wisdom and discernment derived through my belief in God has helped me navigate an uncertain and inconsistent world. One thing I wish I could convey to my sons and other young people today is God’s wisdom helps me answer such life-determining questions as: Who do I chose as friends? Do I go along with the crowd or will God give me the courage to stand for what I believe? What do I do with my life? Will I marry? Can I endure seeing my parents suffer with serious illness? Can I bear all, decide all and relish all that this world throws at me?
My decisions may not have always been the best, or the easiest or the clearest, but I believe that those times when I was truly relying on God’s wisdom and not my own, were the times when my life was the most content.
Carolyn Andrews
The little boy looked at me and said nothing, but his bespeckled brown eyes and solemn face said everything. In a split second, he knew exactly what had taken place in my art class between the teacher’s assistant and him. The assistant had lashed out with unkind words, describing for me the kindergartner’s inability to accomplish tasks in their room, finally ending the assault with the ‘not-so’ uncommon trick adults use of spelling out a word. She didn’t want the child to hear—only this time it was the word S-T-U-P-I-D which finished the sentence.
At that moment I froze in shock, and the child’s eyes locked with mine. I quickly moved to him and lifted up his paper. On the back, I saw characteristic wavy lines drawn by a child who couldn’t see well. Without a word to the assistant, I began speaking to the boy. As I rubbed his back, I suggested he sit up straight. He quickly responded. And as I corrected the grip he had on his crayon, taking his small hand in mine, I praised him for the lines he made.
Looking up, I wordlessly mouthed "pray for him" to the assistant as I patted the boy’s shoulders. I tried to ignore the anger that rose in me during that incident, but it didn’t go away.
I believe God allowed that to happen to direct me to search, study, and become more aware of the special needs of students in my class. It also made me aware that people that I work with don’t always handle situations correctly and that I need to be constantly in prayer for all those around me.
2 Timothy 4:1-8 talks about how God will judge the living and the dead…and that we should be unfailing in patience and in teaching. I need to be steady, fulfilling my ministry as a teacher.
Oh, Lord help us be accountable everyday for our actions toward others, to keep the faith and look forward to eternity with you. Amen.
Jane Simpson
When I was a little girl, times were hard but our family seemed to always have plenty to eat, clothes to wear, and a comfortable home, although there were no luxuries or extras.
I had a little friend named Amy. She lived two houses from me. I loved to play with her, and almost every day we would spend the day cutting out and playing paper dolls. Amy had two pair of scissors and this was extra special to me, because I didn’t have any. One day after we had been playing together, I put a pair of scissors in my pocket and carried them home.
I told my mama that Amy had given them to me. The next day, I had fun all by myself cutting out paper dolls with the scissors. But the following day, I was missing playing with Amy. I didn’t feel comfortable going to her house, because I knew she had missed her scissors by now. I was miserable, and didn’t know what to do. Finally, I couldn’t stand looking at and playing with those scissors. I threw them into the trash can.
My mama found them and I had to tell her what I had done. She made me go to Amy and her mother and tell them that I had taken the scissors. As I stood before them, I was ashamed and very sorry for what I had done. I knew that my selfish sins had interrupted a beautiful relationship. I also learned that through confessing that sin, I could be brought back to a right relationship with my friend. I will never forget that judgment experience. It made a lasting impression on my life.
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Revelations 3:19
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for loving me so much and sending your son, Jesus into the world. His perfect life is an example as to how I should live. Thank you that the Holy Spirit is reproving and disciplining me that I may become the person You created me to be. Forgive me when daily I fall short of Jesus’ example. Amen.