Pastor Buddy’s Blog

The testimony of God…

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Journal,

CJ and I? went early to the church to pick up the paper.? Always enjoy my walks with my buddie. And he is so beautiful when he runs. CJ looks like a young colt stretching out his legs. Course he always keeps me in sight. The problem is that CJ is fawned colored and easily blends in with his background. Sometimes when I can’t see him, I’ll clap my hands. Guess what. There he is right behind me.? ? :)

Had a wonderful morning. Read the paper. As usual I fixed me a couple cups of coffee. Then I settled down for? a quiet time with the Lord.? I? love these early morning devotions. The Lord fills my heart with good things. This morning this Scripture caught my attention, “Then they brought out the king’s son and put the crown on his head, and gave him the testimony and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and said, ‘Long live the king!’” (2Ch23:11 nasb)

When I read this I remembered God’s instructions concerning the enthroned king. The Lord said,? “Now it shall come about when he [the king] sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests … he shall read it all the days of his life…” (Deu17:18,19 nasb)?

This is when the Lord brought my thoughts back to the new covenant, where all of God’s people are to be living testimonies to the Lord. Paul wrote concerning Christians, “You are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” (2Co3:3 nasb)

Then again, “This is the covenant that I will make … I will put My laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” (Heb8:10 nasb)

God’s people are to be His living testimonies in the earth. The one thing that really bothers me about all this is that God’s people need to be taught correctly? for the ways of the Lord to be enscribed on their hearts. I see so many pulpits today that major on emotional pushes. The preacher simply screams? out his message and the people think this is the anointing of the Lord.? I see other pulpits that are so shallow that the people will never grow as they should. These precious souls are simply famished for the Word of God and don’t often? realize this is the lack in their lives.

Forgive me if this sounds negative. I am normally not a negative person. But when it comes to the people of God, I can get a bit upset. God’s people are to be trained to be disciples. This can only happen under good Bible instructive teachings. This is one reason that the ancient Jewish instruction was to ‘Find a good teacher and sit at his feet.’

This is not a matter of glorifying preachers. Is is? a call to the obedience of discipleship. Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore? and make disciples of all the nations…”? (Mt28:18,19) Only the statement ‘make disciples’ is imperitive in the Greek. A? Biblical disciple? is the student who sits at the feet of a master teacher.? How desperately the church needs master teachers today. Just something to think about.

Ok. Let’s get past the preaching. Need to get up-to-date? on my journey of faith. Yesterday afternoon is a good place to begin. Around 3:15, Nathan and Jon, our youth minister, came by the house. Jon had a special gift for me. And what a? gift it was. He brought me a? big jar of pickled pig’s feet. Boy I could have flipped out of my chair!? I was as happy as a pig in a? mud wallow.? :)

I set about trying to convince Nathan and Jon that heaven has a river flowing with buttermilk. Jon said, “Buttermilk and honey.” I never much liked honey. Too sweet. But? if it is connected to ‘buttermilk river’ guess that will be alright. (I had me one of them pig’s feet last night. Gonna have another tonight.? Boy them pig’s feet have sure? been making calf’s eyes at me. Don’t know if I can wait to night.) ?

Nathan said that when the folk saw me by way of the web cam Sunday, one of the ladies told her husband that he ought to shave his head like mine. Then he would be good looking like Brother Buddy. (Something like that. Eat your hearts out fellows.)

Had a charming call from Jessica Harmark yesterday afternoon. She is such a darling for Jesus. It was simply a joy talking with her. Jessica asks good questions. And she listens well. She did ask about my ‘evangelistic’ training, and if ladies could be involved. Most certainly. One thing I need to stress, however, this area of training will be several months from now. My chemo treatments will take me through May. Then I’ll probably need a bit of time to recoup my strength.

The training I plan to give is not about pulpit ministry. It will be about harvesting souls for the kingdom of God by whatever means the Lord provides. I want to train these folk to be fishers of men.

Lane called around eight. Wonderful conversation. He told me that two Baptist pastors wanted to come visit with me. Both these pastors attended our Thanksgiving banquet. When I was asked to share, it seems my testimony affected them deeply. What I shared was that I am ready to go meet the Lord, and I am ready to stay. Whatever the desire of the Lord is, that is my desire. One of the pastors said that he had never heard anything like that. I am grateful that the Lord touched his heart.

Got a special email from my cousin, Pat (Carver) Gordy. She wants to come visit me. Nothing could thrill me more. She is Uncle Cullen’s daughter. That family has always been very special to me.

Well, this morning Betty went to the church to do her book work. A bit later CJ and I went for another morning constitution. Walked up to the church. CJ sat in Nathan’s office while I went into the sanctuary to look things over. Wow. Jeff and Nan were there, along with Nathan and Betty. They have turned the platform into an absolute picture of beauty. I just stood there transfixed. (I am so glad that I’ve taken ‘hands off’ on Christian Challenge. I want Nathan to have the full freedom to set the course for the ministry that he desires.)

Nathan had asked me about taking our ‘beautiful’ glass pulpit apart, and put it in a frame to set in the foyer. Would place a inscription over it, ‘How beautiful upon the mountains…” I thought it was a great idea. They want to put a much smaller pulpit to match the decor of the platform.

What else? Oh yeah. I received a ‘blessed’ email from my buddie Warren. The subject was, ‘Old Man.’ He began with, Morning Kojak. (Course he is talking about my bald head.)? :)

I always have a special way of addressing Warren. He calls me ‘old man.’ I call him ‘buzzard bait.’ (All in fun.) My brother always shares wonderful gospel things with me. He is such a blessing.

Ok — Here’s the thriller. Lane called and said he would be leaving his house at 11 a.m., to bring me the fish. I called my two boys, Nathan and Andre, and invited them for lunch. Boy, I couldn’t wait. But Lane got delayed and couldn’t make it as early as he thought. Betty and I enjoy our visit with our boys. They had to leave and couldn’t wait for the fish. Andre was overloaded with work and had an appointment. His hunting trip to south Texas put him in a bit of bind.

Anyway Lane said that Jerome, my first cousin, was coming with him. Hallelujuh, what a treat. I’ve never had fried catfish like that in all my born days. (Not that I can remember.) Lane brought catfish, fired taters, stuffed peppers, and some special candied pecans that his mom made. It was a thrill to get to visit with Jerome. We were raised up together. More like brothers than like cousins.

Hate to say it, but when we four sat down to eat, Betty and I made absolute ‘grunts’? of ourselves. The only person who loves fried fish more than me, is my sweet love. We have been feasting today.

Let me leave off with just a couple of things. Nathan will begin a series of teachings this Sunday on the Christian Challenge ‘Statement of Faith’, and our ‘Seven Tenets of Faith.’ (The series will be called “Why We Believe What We Believe.”) This would be good viewing for any of you who can watch our services via the internet.

Well — Here’s the final. I think it is really cool. Andre came back from hunting in south Texas. Actually he hunts with Nathan’s sweet wife Lori’s brother. The brother has one of those 1000+ acre spreads. Anyway, Andre has been trying to get him to come to Louisiana. Then he got the idea.

Andre and our grandson Brandon, are going to get an alligator license to help harvest alligators. That will be a drawing card for Lori’s brother. Alligators are not that hard to capture. Just keep clear of their head and their tail. (Don’t leave much, does it. I’ve been known to slap an alligator over the head with a boat paddle. Everyone was hollering, ‘Pull him in the boat!’ I had one word for them, ‘You pull him into the boat.)

Well, that’s it for now.

Love all you more than mucho,

Buddy

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