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 angels Could 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
Just as Paul said it to the people he loved in Philippians 1:3, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God”, so do I say it to you and our church family at Macedonia, Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. I have been blessed with a wonderful congregation of God-fearing people who are kind and caring.
Just as Paul said it to the people he loved in Philippians 1:3, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God”, so do I say it to you and our church family at Macedonia, Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. I have been blessed with a wonderful congregation of God-fearing people who are kind and caring.
Special thanks to all the members of the Pastor’s Appreciation Committee who embodied through their service the spirit that was demonstrated by the workers in Mark 2:1-12 who showed us the power of people who work together for the greater good.
To the Chairpersons of the committee who are the right mix of strength and submission; who know when to push the Pastor and when to pray for the pastor, I will forever be grateful to you. I realize what you do is a labor of love so I pray that everything you lost in time, energy and resources by heading this committee, God will give back to you in abundance.
To all of the Pastors who came this week to pour into our church what God placed in your heart, I am grateful and remain steadfast in my resolve to work with you to make our city what God would have it to be. Please know my heart as a Pastor is, “IF I CAN’T HELP YOU, I PROMISE I WILL NEVER HURT YOU”.
To Bishop Alford, Pastor Hardy Williams, Pastor Andre A, McGhee and Pastor K.D. Witherspoon, I acknowledge a Pastor’s calendar is very busy especially for preachers of your caliber, so for you to find time within your preaching itinerary to come over and bless our church is an encouragement to me so deep I cannot explain. May God bless and keep you is my prayer.
Finally to the greatest people in South Bend who worship at 1862 N. Olive Street, thank you for allowing me to be your Pastor. Thank you for being patience with me as I grow in Christ. Thank you for following me as I follow Christ understanding that obedience does not require understanding. When God tells us to move we must move, so thank you for keeping your eyes on Jesus as Christ is the head of the church.
A party of pioneers on the Oregon Trail suffered for weeks from a scarcity of water and grass for their animals. Most of the wagons had broken down, causing endless delays in the stifling heat. A feeling of fretfulness and futility prevailed. Optimism and cheer were gone. Courage was in limited supply.
One night the leaders called a meeting to air complaints. When they gathered around the campfire, one man stood up and said, "Before we commence our grief session, don't you think we should at least first thank God that he has brought us this far with no loss of life, with no serious trouble from the Indians, and that we have enough strength left to finish our journey?"
The other settlers agreed. After the brief prayer, all that could be heard were the cries of a distant pack of wolves. There was otherwise stone silence around the campfire, because no one had any grievances they felt were important enough to voice.
They suddenly realized if they couldn't be satisfied with what they'd received, they could at least be thankful for what they'd escaped. Thankfulness enabled them to see the mercies of God they had been overlooking. I hear my mother saying to me:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
WE ARE MACEDONIA AND WE ARE CALLED TO HELP SOMEBODY
PASTOR
1 comment:
Pastor Owens. I celebrate you, your ministry and your church family. I know God is using you in a mighty way on Olive street and in this community. When you get discouraged from time to time, reach back in the recesses of your mind to what God has done and lean on His everlasting arms.
Be not weary in well doing, for in due time you shall reap if you faint not. I am at your beck and call. I wish I could have been there to celebrate with you in person, but do to work constraints that was not possible. Even as I type this I really should be packing to fly out to Calif. in the morning for work.
One day God is going to pull me out of the secular work world, oh what a day that will be, but in the mean time I have to be faithful to all that He has called me to....So-o-o-o, As Robert Frost would say, "You still have miles to go before you sleep." Stay focused, stay faithful, stay on fire for the Father and stay a friend. Love ya man!
Post a Comment