About The Jenkins County times. (Millen, Ga.) 2023-current | View Entire Issue (March 17, 2023)
thejenkinscountytimes.com 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). Help visitors find you! List your church in the directory for six months $60 or one year $120 Call: (912) 451-NEWS or 478-401- 5007 M-T-F 0 Auto insurance 0 Home Insurance Q Life Insurance 0 Health Insurance a Commercial /y Medicare w insurance Supplements 0 Title Bonds @f AFLAC Products (§ wvKw.brinsoninsurance.net (C) 478401.0495 BRINSON ♦ (jy 513 Cotton Ave Millen. Ga Sharia Brinson Kayla Shuman 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
