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The Jenkins County Times
Friday, March 17, 2023 - Page 3
Words of
Encouragement
By Joshua Johnson, Special Contributor
for
The Times
Pastor Oak Hill
Baptist Church, Millen
“Table Time”
One of my favorite hymns is “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”. The reason why I love this
song is for some phrases in the last verse, “Let Thy goodness like a fetter, bind my wandering heart
to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.” I love those phrases because
they speak of my own heart!
What does it mean that my heart is prone to wander, prone to leave the God that I love? Even though
I love the Lord God, even though He has saved me and has given me eternal life, my old sin nature
that still lives in me tempts me to run away from Him for other things. In the book of Deuteronomy,
when God tells Moses that he is about to die and Joshua is going to succeed him as the leader of
Israel, God also tells Moses a sad truth - that Israel would turn away from God and suffer for it. In
Deuteronomy 31:21 God says, “...I know what they are prone to do, even before I bring them into
the land, I swore to give them.”
God knew that their hearts were prone to wander before they ever did it. God had delivered them
from Egypt, parted the Red Sea, led them through the wilderness while supplying them with water
from the rock and manna from Heaven, given them His presence in a cloud by day and pillar of fire
by night, and blessed them with the leader Moses, who spoke with God like a friend - and still Israel
would quickly wander away from the Lord God. Their sin nature, just like mine, tempted them to
turn away from the Living God to other things.
Here is God’s grace in our wandering - the fetter! Charles Spurgeon told a good story about a
fettered horse: “Concerning a beautiful horse of his friend, which was feeding in the pasture with a
weight attached to its leg, a gentleman once asked his friend, ‘Why do you tie down and restrain such
a noble animal?’ His friend answered him, ‘I would much sooner confine him than lose him, for that
horse is given to leaping hedges.”
I’m the horse, and I’m given to leaping hedges. I am prone to leap over the hedges and boundaries
that God has placed in my life. So, God in His grace and mercy places a weight on my leg, a fetter
to bind me close to Him. I may not be able to run free, but I will experience a greater freedom close
to my Master, than far away from Him.
The last lines of “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” are, “Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal
it, seal it for the courts above.” Would you be willing to pray today and admit that you are prone to
wander away from the God you love? Do you need to ask the Lord to, in His goodness and for your
good, bind your wandering heart to Him?
A Timefor Everything
Pastor Bill Kent,
Memorial Baptist Church
Sylvania, GA
Irvin Favre ran off the road after suffering an apparent
heart attack or stroke and died on Sunday, December 21,
2003. His son was scheduled to play a football game one
day later. What would Brett Favre do as he dealt with
a flood of emotions? His Daddy coached him when he
played quarterback in high school. Would he be paralyzed
by his emotions and take some time to grieve? Everyone
would understand if he did but Brett Favre played the
game of his life with a heavy heart.
Brett Favre threw four touchdown passes and threw for
399 yards as the Green Bay Packers defeated the Oakland
Raiders 41-7. The stadium was full and millions of people
watched with amazement as Favre played one of the
best games of his career. Even though time is needed for
expressing grief and healing when we experience loss, this
legendary performance is a reminder that we should not
stop living during times of sorrow. Our living family and
friends still need our presence and attention.
When Jesus went back to Heaven, the Disciples looked
up in stunned silence but the Angels told them to spend
several days in prayer but then prepare for the next chapter
of their lives. They wanted Jesus to always walk beside
them in the flesh but something better was ahead. "And
while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went
up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who
also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up
into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you
into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him
go into heaven,'" (Acts 1:10-11).
Since my first wife went to Heaven twelve years ago. I've
wanted to only cling to her but I need to continue showing
love to my children, grandchildren, mother and others.
Plus, I needed to open my heart for the possibility of re
marriage which will happen in October of this year. More
importantly, people still need to hear the good news of
the Gospel. So we should cherish memories, avoid being
paralyzed by the past and remember that we live first and
foremost to be messengers of Christ. "But none of these
things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so
that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which
I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of
the grace of God," (Acts 20:24).
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Millen. Ga
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TRINITY EPISCOPAL
CHURCH
Sunday's 10:30 a.m.
IBLE Bill
■ Bonded Leather
- Genuine Leather
■ Cowhide
125 North Main Street, Sylvania, Georgia 3046
This section is a
complimentary service
for Jenkins County and
surrounding area churches
listed in the Church
Directory. We will run your
church news for two weeks.
Email announcements to
jenkinscountytimes@
gmail.com or drop them
off at our office Tuesday,
Thurday or Friday at 425
Hwy 25 S„ Millen, GA.
Our deadline is noon on
Fridays for the following
week.
East Burke Baptist Church
Sunday Services 11am.
Pastor: Jordan Clayton
Hwy 24 Sardis, GA
Please call 706-526-1733 for
more information.
Millen Baptist Church
Come join us!!
Morning Worship
8:30AM & 11AM
Sunday School 10 am.
219 N. Gray St, Millen, GA
478-982-5411
Pastor Brad Asbury
pastorbradasbury@gmail.com
Oak Hill Baptist Church
Sunday School: 9 am.
Sunday Morning: 10 am.
Wednesday: 7 pm.
Choir practice - Bible Study
Youth Group -
Kids Mission Group
3233 Oak Hill Church Rd„
Millen, GA 30442
Pastor: Joshua Johnson
478-982-1616
www.oakhillmillen.com
Trinity Episcopal Church
4401 Country Club Rd,
Statesboro, GA
Sunday Eucharist
8:15 a.m. and 10:30a m.
Father Charles Todd, Rector
Jonathan Murphy, Music Director.
912-489-4208
www facebook com/TrinityEpiscopalStatesboro
