Tuesday, November 16, 2010

We've Come This Far By Faith

The story is told of an old farmer who had a strawberry farm. He was on his knees pulling out weeds when he noticed there were runners on the berry plants. From each original or mother plant a number of slender shoots like arms reached out in all directions.

They were thin, green stalks creeping along the ground and after reaching out about six inches, the end developed roots and they penetrated in the ground and began to grow upward being nourished by the mother plant to help bear more berries.

Then the new plant began putting out runners and after growth of about six inches, it penetrated into the ground and started a new plant. The berry plants were multiplying…bringing forth more fruit. This is what God wants us to do—become effective responsible reproducing Christians. He wants us to be productive—reaching in all directions bearing fruit for Him.

We celebrated our 85th church anniversary and we thank God for allowing Macedonia to make it this far. Special thanks to Pastor Paxton Reed of the Northlake Community Church of Huntersville, North Carolina for preaching a powerful sermon "The Power of Weakness" from Judges 6. Also, special thanks to everyone who volunteered their time, skills and services to make this event possible.

To all the kitchen workers and servers, no one knows the headache and heartache that it entails feeding church people but we made it. May God give you back everything you expended.

Someone might ask, "How did you make it 85 years"? We are the fruit of Pentecost, the plant kept putting runners. Paul and Barnabas, then Paul and Silas, Paul's second Missionary Journey produced new runners, In Macedonia, in Ephesus, In Berea, In Philippi, In Thessalonica, but the Church is still running.

We ran until in 1925 The "Gospel Light Mission Was Formed which was the birth of Macedonia. The plant kept putting out runners from Pastor Young, to Pastor Alexander, from Pastor Lemon to Pastor Childress, We kept on running.

From Pastor Trotter to Pastor Johnson, from Pastor Matthews to Pastor Jackson, We have kept on running. Buildings changed and locations were moved but the Macedonia Church never stood still. God used Pastor F.D. Johnson to create more runners, one of his thin stalks turned into Macedonia's next Pastor in the person of Pastor Pettus and the church kept moving.

The church kept running under Pastor Williams and by the grace of God, Macedonia is still running. Albert Goodson said it better than I can so I leave you with the words our forefathers used to sing before we got the praise teams and projectors:

We've Come this far by Faith , Leaning on the Lord
Trusting in his holy Word, He's never failed me yet
Oh-------------Can't Turn Around
We've Come this Far by Faith

1 comment:

Rev. Barney said...

Your turn doc. Run until you out of breath then lean harder on the Lord and run some more!!! Love ya man of God.