Solidarity Through the Savior

I have been absent in this forum for a while but I have been busy with church and convention work both national and state. We just came out of celebrating the 89th session of our Original General Missionary Baptist State Convention Of Indiana, INC., that was held at the Van Buren Baptist Church in Gary, Indiana where the pastor is Rev. Dwight Mobley.

The pastor and church did a wonderful job in hosting and many productive changes were added to our convention. We praise God for our General State President, Dr. Isaac Culver, Jr. for his vision of implementing tenure/term limits into our convention. We were one of the last conventions to introduce this concept. Funny thing, it was always a good idea until you became President and then it wasn't time. We believe this change will foster growth and better participation of our local churches.

I want to thank the Macedonia church family for following me down on Monday as I had to preach the opening night sermon of the convention. I haven't been that nervous in a long time as the full arsenal of Gary preachers emptied out from their chambers to see what this little "Oklahoma boy", ain't he from Woodberry" would do. Gary preachers are known for helping you when you preach and cat-calling you if you are dying. The easiest way to die is trying to be something that you ain't, pardon the English so I was me and God was God, and it was nice in the Van Buren house that night.

We talked on the National Theme, Solidarity with the Savior, although I changed with to Through and we used for our scripture Acts 1:8. I can't share it all with you but it was my contention that Luke more than any other gospel writer would empathize with this theme because Luke writes an apologetic defense of the Gentile Movement.

He argues that Judaism is not the true religion but Christianity is and Christ loves Gentiles as well as Jews. The synagogue was a racist, sexist place that openly practiced discrimination on a daily basis. The prayers displayed this as they would pray, "Lord thank you I am not a Gentile, Lord thank you I am not a woman. They showed this in their practice as they only let men sit at the feet of a Rabbi because only men could be disciples, not women.

How do you change a racist institution? How do you alter a sexist environment? How do we welcome in those that others would leave out? It must take some power! The Holy Spirit is that power and it ought to do more than JUST make you dance, make you shout, cut your step and say your phrase but it ought to teach you how to live, how to forgive, how to share, how to communicate, HOW TO CHANGE YOUR WORLD. This power that gave Solidarity changed the world in four ways:

I. Power to Believe---They had to believe before they received because if they didn't believe, they wouldn't have been waiting at the right place at the right time. Acts 1:12-2:1 BELIEF DICTATES BEHAVIOR

II. Power to Become--The last time we saw Peter open his mouth in public when it came to a discussion about Jesus, he denied him. He cursed. He backslid, but I am grateful that Peter was still becoming. Jesus found Peter when he went back fishing, sometimes after we mess up we go back to what we know we can do right, Peter went fishing, but Jesus had called him to be FISHERS OF MEN, Mt. 4: 18-20. Jesus restores him in Jn 21:15-20, and now Peter has a chance to stand for God.

This time he succeeded. Last time he failed. The problem with a lot of people today is they think they have already arrived instead of realizing I am becoming. Last time I failed, Last time I fell short, Last time I lied, Last time, and we all have a last time but thank God my Last time wasn't my last time because He gave me a This Time. This time I am becoming, II Corinthians 5:17

III. Power to Belong- "and you shall be my "witnesses". We are fighting over titles and positions, who is president, who is moderator, I am apostle this and Bishop that, when all of us should be "WITNESSES". Tell the world what you have seen and what you have heard, Acts 4:18-20

IV. Power to Go Beyond- "In Jerusalem, In Judea, In Samaria and to the ends of the earth".
Star Trek says, "Space the Final Frontier, These are the voyages of the star ship Enterprise, Its five year mission is to explore strange new worlds, to seek out life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before, well long before Star Trek came up with that God had already commanded that, Matthew 28:19-20

There are still those in Macedonia, in Antioch, in Berea, in Thessalonica, there is still Timothy, still a Philippian jailer about to commit suicide, a demon possessed girl that needs to be delivered, still is a boy that needs to raised from that dead that fell out of the church window, we must go beyond our base, beyond our building, beyond our comfort zone, for there is power in the name of Jesus.

I leave you with what Mt. Olive left me, It may be in the valley where countless dangers hide, It may be in the sunshine where I in peace abide, but this one thing I know if it be dark or fair, if Jesus goes with me I'll go Anywhere. If Jesus Goes with me I'll go anywhere, tis heaven to be where ever I be if He is there, I count it a privilege here His cross to bear, If Jesus goes with me I'll go anywhere.

Owens

We Made It

John P. Kee has a song entitled "We Made It" The song says, We made it through hard trials We made it through the pain Often criticized, we never gave up Lied on, we remain strong My life is in God's hand. Many tired, along the way Had no vision, desire to stay Felt it would crumble if they were gone We kept praying, we stood strong My life is in God's hand. He upholdeth me He holds me up He upholdeth me With His right hand Yes, yes, yes With His right hand My life is in God's hand.

We just finished hosting The 88th Session of The Original Missionary Baptist State Convention of Indiana, Incorporated and I am so proud of the Macedonia Church family. We are not a big church or a church blessed with an abundance of money but God gave us favor.

I need to thank many people who made our hosting possible. 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, so let me say thank you to a lot of nice people in this town.

Thank you to my South Bend Pastor, Pastor K.D. Witherspoon for his knowledge and assistance for helping South Bend put our best foot forward. Without him and BBC, this would not have been a success

Thank you to Angelia Forrest and the entire office staff: During stressful times, the office deals with the brunt of the pastor's moods. I certainly was barking loudly but I am grateful that the staff knows I don't bite. Bless you!

Thank you to our state youth director Martha J. Bowlds: Your knowledge of convention work and your love for me made everything work greatly. Every Pastor needs a "sweet meanie".

Thank you to Ida and Jerry Malone and the entire kitchen committee for serving food the entire week. Bless you for your patience and dedication.

Thank you to All the Pastors of South Bend whose support and physical presence made a lasting impression to our convention, with special thanks to my South Bend seminary professor Pastor Andre A. McGhee who is part of another convention but still came to help his brothers out. Also, a special shout out to Dr. Erskine A. Jones, Pastor of Sweet Home Ministries Church for preaching our late night service and completely killed the house.

Thank you to our Greeters Ministry: who served as guides, hospitality agents, bathroom directors etc. bless you for being kind.

Thank you to the greatest choir ministry and one of the most gifted minister of music musicians in the land Jovan Lewis: for singing every night for 6 straight nights bringing us into an atmosphere of worship.

Once again let me thank the entire Macedonia church for all of the teamwork of cleaning, painting, polishing elbow grease and grunt work it took to pull this off.

Due to the influence of Pastor Witherspoon, I was blessed to receive a position that will require a lot of prayer. I was honored to become the President of the State Congress of Christian Education of The Original General Missionary Baptist State Convention of Indiana, INC.

Please pray for us as we step out in faith. Haters are everywhere! Admittedly, I have only been pastoring 15 months here in South Bend so to walk into this position is nothing but the favor of God and the generosity of kind Pastors. I don't want to embarrass MY God, my church or my preaching brethren but I firmly believe that Christian Education in our churches is the key to transforming them into what God actually intended for them to be.

Owens