The Baptist Beacon

What can you do yesterday? Can you go back and un-commit any sin? Who has the power to recall one second? Though we all must admit we have sinned and come short of God's glory, and in spite of the fact we cannot erase, we can ask God's forgiveness and press on. If all or any of us try to go back and straighten up all the devil has torn up, we would have no time left to serve God and reach forward. I'm not suggesting in the slightest that we sweep our wrongs under the rug.

I came upon a young man by chance the other day. He was washing his car, and I was looking for the house of an old acquaintance. He expressed to me that a few years ago he had felt God wanted him to preach. So he announced such to the church and began making efforts. After some six or eight years had passed, he realized he was mistaken. This dear man stood there weeping because he felt that some would be confused or perhaps have less confidence in him. I asked him if God had forgiven him. He replied in the affirmative. Then, I asked him if he had informed the church, and his reply was the same. I told him that if God had forgiven him, let it pass and go on to serve the Lord in whatever capacity God required. My prayer is that no one is so small he would throw off on someone so sincere and honest.

Sometimes we create barriers in our churches that keep us from going forward. Maybe we are never satisfied with our efforts. Listen, God will have to magnify every effort by us all in order to accomplish His eternal purpose. Only in our weakness is His strength really made evident.

Are we worshipping God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and spirits? The unsaved world will never hear the gospel message of a people

worshipping themselves, their accomplishments or

their human correctness.

A new song going today is "Where are the Children?" You and I have driven many of them away from church and home because we are more concerned about their hair-dos than we are about their souls. Bless your heart, we can't make Baptists out of sinners. They still must be saved first. Some Mammy or Pappy is embarrassed by the way their children dress or look. Make the cup good and the platter will look a lot better.

I beg you to win the lost at any cost because Jesus has paid it all! I've not seen many born-again children of God who had no desire to follow the Lord in baptism. Why the first thing wanted to do after God had saved me was to tell someone, and then I told the church while requesting admission.

Ministering seems to be a forgotten matter with most of us. We are our brother's keeper. I don't care if an atheist is down and out, we should minister to his needs. A lot of shut-ins support false teachers they hear over television or radio. Do you know why? Because they are lonely, and these people write to them promising to pray for them and their lost loved ones. What are we doing? Driving right past them because we are so preoccupies with fault-finding in someone or some other church besides our own.

Fellowship was a vital catalyst to the early church (Acts 2:42). Some base fellowship on the size of the church, or the pastor's pay, or the number getting saved (too many). Folks, if you are worshipping God to His pleasing, evangelizing the unsaved with all earnestness, and ministering to all men as opportunity affords, you will want to sit down at the end of day's work for the Master and enjoy His blessings with the sweet fellowship of the Brethren. I pray God will help us to WORSHIP, EVANGELIZE, MINISTER and FELLOWSHIP.