Thankful

16And the twenty-four elders(A) who sit on their thrones before God(B) fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17saying, "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, (C) who is and who was,for you have taken your great power and(D) begun to reign.
Revelation 11:16-17 (English Standard Version)

As I sit at my computer to write this maiden blog, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and awe. Grateful to God that he would allow a person like me to be blessed with the honor of preaching His Gospel and pastoring His people. The Macedonia church family is a good church far better than I deserve and I am grateful to God for them.

My mother taught me that people don't have to be nice and when they are nice they don't have to be nice to you. With that said, there are some people that I need to express my thankfulness to God for allowing them to cross my path.

Wanda Dudley- My team leader over our media ministry who is finishing our website and helped me with this blog, it is not easy working so close with a pastor as many times we can be infuriating and bossy but I thank God for a great member who listens to God and always says to me what God instructs her to say. I pray she never loses the gift of listening to God because in a world where God talks all the time, there are many deaf Christians within the body of Christ.

Rev. Tony Rhone- Pastor Rhone was the leader of a group of Oklahoma preachers who grew up idolizing the "Sons of Thunder" to come out of Bishop college, Pastors Ron Carter, Kelly Booker, Tim Neal, Charles Douglas and later Pastor Joe Carter. We later watched God raise up another generation of preachers, Pastor Ricky Turner at Oakridge, Pastor Jeff Mitchell at Tabitha and Pastor Teron Gaddis at Greater Bethel Church and we wondered would it ever be our time.

Pastor Rhone taught us if we would just be faithful to God and our Pastors, God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. The Lord blessed Pastor Rhone with the Galilee Church and then blessed me with Macedonia and recently our brother Pastor Wendell Beneford with the Shiloh MBC in New Mexico. However out of all of us, there is not a better man, minister or messenger of the Gospel than Tony Rhone, his hermeneutic skills are off the chain and it makes me want to study more, I thank God for what he did for me and all the preachers of Oklahoma City.

Pastor Andre A. McGhee
Pastor Keith D. Witherspoon- My brother pastors in South Bend. I answered God's call to come here not knowing anyone here except God. My prayer was for God to help me find some good pastors who I could share the ups and downs with, to be real and honest with who wouldn't sugarcoat what they said to me but would help me grow in Christ as a person and a pastor. God answered that prayer and more in the "Bishop of South Bend" Pastor McGhee and the "Translator of the Text", Pastor Spoon.

Every young Pastor needs a seasoned Pastor because he has already been where you are trying to go, and can share things with you that will make your journey easier then theirs. I thank God everyday for them and pray for BBC and STJMBC and their ministries that God will bless and keep them always. Don't forget me on the Grand Rapids run.

Pastor A. Glenn Woodberry, Finally to the "Preacher's Preacher. My pastor and "POP". I love him more than words can say because everything I have he gave me, the love of the Word, the expository style of preaching, the burden for a connection with the audience, pulpit etiquette, for 7 years of being his assistant at the Greater Mt. Olive Baptist Church and for 22 years of being his son in the ministry.

If I fail as a Pastor it will not be because Pastor Woodberry did not show me the way. Through his success and failures, he showed me the providential nature of God. While I have done many things that has caused him to wonder will I ever amount to anything, I am grateful he never gave up on me and I love him more than words can say.

It is out of gratitude that a spirit of thankfulness rests on my heart this morning, Andre Crouch said it best:

How can I say thanks For the things You have done for me,Things so undeserved,Yet You gave to prove Your love for me.The voices of a million angelsCould not express my gratitude.All that I am and ever hope to be,I owe it all to Thee.To God be the glory,To God be the glory,To God be the glory,For the things He has done.With His blood He has saved me,With His power He has raised me,To God be the glory,For the things He has done.© 1971, Andrae Crouch