Newspaper Page Text
jenkinscountytimes.com
The Jenkins County Times
Wednesday, September 20, 2023 - Page 3
Pastor Jordan Clayton
Senior pastor at
East Burke Baptist Church
in Sardis.
Don't Let Go
I was recently over at a
friend's house, and I was
helping him clean out some
things that belonged to his
late son. He had lost him
tragically in a car accident
some months before and he
felt he was ready to move
on. As we sorted through
the model airplanes and
model cars, I came across
an old photograph of him
and his son dressed up in
their best fishing gear. As
I held up the photo, tears
started to well up in his
eyes.
He went on to describe
the day the photo was taken
to me. His vivid memories
brought his son's memory
to life as he described how
they loved to fish together.
I could see his son standing
there on that dock beside
their j on boat as my friend
went on with the tail.
He took his wallet from
his back jeans pocket and
slid the precious picture
down between its folds.
He said, "I'll never let go
of this one, thank you
for helping me find it."
Something about holding
the photograph gave him a
sense of peace as it brought
back fond memories of him
and his child together. He
later told me that holding
on to that picture helped
him to somehow "hold on
in life."
I heard about a festive
day in a small Colorado
town in which hot air
balloon enthusiasts had
gathered for a day of
fun. The weather was not
ideal as wind gusts were
sweeping through the field
where they had gathered.
Many smaller balloons
had been launched as they
began to inflate the main
attraction, a hot air balloon
of epic proportions. Its
sheer size dwarfed the
balloons around it as it
puffed and grew, needing
twelve men on ropes to
keep it from lifting off the
ground.
The owner proudly
posed for some snapshots
by the press and enthusiasts
alike, when suddenly,
tragedy struck. A sudden
strong gust of wind blew
through the arena catching
the gargantuan balloon,
ripping it from the hands of
nearly all the men who held
it back. All of them turned
loose of the ropes except
for one. He held his rope so
tightly that he was pulled
up into the sky right along
with the monstrosity, far
from the ground below and
far from any hope of rescue.
The onlooking crowd
screamed and watched
with horror, expecting the
worst, fearing that at any
moment the man would tire,
and subsequently lose his
grip on the rope. To their
amazement, the man held
on. He kept holding on for
hours as the balloon slowly
began to lose altitude.
Emergency personnel
chased the balloon on
its flight and met it right
where it came to rest. They
raced to the man's rescue
only to find him standing
there next to the carcass of
the deflated beast.
They were all amazed
at the man's strength and
determination. They asked,
"how did you hold on so
long?" He simply replied,
"I took hold of the ropes
around me that the other
men had been holding. I
was able to tie them around
me into an emergency
harness of sorts." "It wasn't
me holding the ropes sir,"
he told the reporter, "it was
the ropes that were holding
me."
So often we are faced
with difficult situations in
life. Sometimes it can feel
that we have lost it all, like
the man with the photo, or
that calamity has swept us
away, like the man with
the hot air balloon. We
are sometimes called in to
face these extraordinary
circumstances with great
strength and resolve. I am
thankful that in these times
of uncertainty and fear
we have something that
will always help to see us
through. We can hold tight
to the promises written in
God's word, like the man
held the picture of his so so
dear. We can hide that word
in our hearts and access
its truth anytime we are
in need. We too can trust,
like the man who tied the
ropes around himself that
day. God will hold on to us
when we are too weak to
hold ourselves.
Trust in God has never
failed me, and it has truly
seen me through the storms
of life. Look for your own
answers in Him and there
you will find safety and
peace. Come and follow
Jesus, you'll never be sorry
that you did.
r
EXCITING WORSHIP
Oak Hill Baptist Church
3233 Oak Hill Church Rd,
Mi I ten, GA 30442
Down load
Oak Hill
Chu rch
APR
Today!
W elcome to
OuV CIuiiv/,
East Burke Baptist Church
Sunday Services 11 a.m.
Pastor: Jordan Clayton
Hwy 24 Sardis, GA
Please call 706-526-1733 for
more information.
Green Fork Baptist Church
Pastor Jesse Sadler (Phone Number:
850-843-6102)
Worship Opportunities:
Sunday Sunday School 10:00 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
Evening Worship 5:30 p.m.
Children's Choir 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday Bible Study/Prayer Mtg 7:00 p.m.
Mii.i.f.n Baptist Church
Come join us!!
Morning Worship 11AM
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
219 N. Gray St, Millen, GA
478-982-5411
Pastor Brad Asbury
pastorbradasbury@gmail. c om
Mii.i.f.n Methodist Church
Morning Worship 11AM
Sunday School 10 a.m.
413 N. Gray St, Millen, GA
478-982-2664
Pastor John Drake
For questions about our services, please
email us @ millenmethodistchurch@gmail.com
Oak Hill Baptist Church
Sunday School: 9 a.m.
Sunday Morning: 10 a.m.
Wednesday: 7 p.m.
Choir practice - Bible Study
Youth Group - Kids Mission Group
3233 Oak Hill Church Rd., Millen, GA
Pastor: Joshua Johnson
478-982-1616
www.oakhillmillen.com
Scarboro Baptist Church
4204 Scarboro Church Loop
Millen, GA 30442
706-466-4494
Pastor: Perry Hearn
Sunday Worship: 11:00 a.m.
Due to the fire, this will be our service time until further notice.
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
Jj
' 1 Cl B
Jj
X
J1
What's going on in your church?
Homecoming?
Celebrations?
New Pastor?
email us or call us at:
thejenkinscountytimes(o)gmail.com
478-451-5007
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 T-Th-F
Do you need to add, remove, or change any
information of your
listing in the church directory?
Give us a call or email me at:
deb.jctimes@gmail.com
WOKDS OF
Encouragement
By Joshua Johnson,
Special Contributor
for
The Times
Pastor Oak Hill
Baptist Church, Millen
ENOCH
“When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah.
Enoch walked with God - 22-21:5 Genesisafter he fathered
Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters.”
There is a big difference between the two verses above, but
it is only highlighted by two small terms. The difference is
found in the terms “lived” and “walked with God”. Genesis
5:21 says that Enoch “lived” for 65 years, and Genesis 5:22
says that after Methusaleh was bom, Enoch “walked with
God” for 300 years. Enoch lived for 65 years, and then he
walked with God for 300 years. What’s the difference?
Everybody lives, but few people walk with God. Walking
with God is a choice, a turning point, a watershed moment
in life. Walking with God means entering into a relationship
with God and obeying Him daily. Walking with God means
keeping God’s commandments and seeking his will and
way over your own. Walking with God means surrendering
my life and my way, giving my life to God, and living for
God and with God. Enoch started walking with God at 65
years old, when he had Methusaleh.
Methuselah’s name means “his death sends judgment.”
What a strange name to give to your son! In fact, in the
year that Methuselah died, God sent Noah’s flood on the
earth in judgment. Why did Enoch choose to name his son
this prophetic name? In the book of Jude, verses 14-15
tell us the Enoch had a prophecy about judgment day, ““It
was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam,
prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten
thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and
to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness
that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and
of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken
against him.””
Enoch’s prophecy was the Lord showing him that one day
He would come, with his angels accompanying Him, to
execute judgment on all of the ungodly, those who have
sinned against God. Here’s what I think happened - around
the time of Methusaleh’s birth, God revealed himself
clearly to Enoch in this prophecy of judgment. Enoch
woke up to the fact that he was ungodly, a sinner standing
in the way of coming judgment, and he repented of his sin
and got right with God. That’s why Genesis 6:22 says that
after Methuselah’s birth, Enoch walked with God. That’s
also why Methuselah’s name is what it is - the name is a
memorial to God’s clear message to Enoch, and the change
that the Word of God brought about in Enoch’s life. God
spoke to Enoch, and woke him up from his “slumber”,
showing him that he was just living, and needed to be
walking with God.
What will it take to wake you up? What does God need
to do to convince you to walk with Him? I can relate to
Enoch’s story because it was the birth of my first child
that God used to wake me up and show me it was time
to start walking with Him. In August of 2016, I made the
decision to walk with God and fully surrender to Him. Are
you just living or are you walking with God? Are you fully
surrendered to Him?
CHECK OUT OUR
Daily Specials
ON
(478)982-2390
537 East Winthrope Ave.
Millen, Georgia 30442