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The Shepherd’s Voice

The Shepherd’s Voice is one of our pastor’s communications extension to the Church, our friends and the world. He uses it as a way to reach out to our faith community while providing spiritual insight and perspectives to the sermon messages and events and issues of our day. We are welcomed and encouraged to comment on any of the messages by clicking the “Fine or Main Point” link you want to comment on, going to the bottom of the page and filling in and Submitting the Reply at the end of the message. Most of the blogs have audio playback so we can listen to as well as read them. We hope you are blessed and inspired by our Shepherd’s Voice.

Jun '17

Epilogue Friday June 9, 2017

Posted on Jun 9, 2017 in Pastoral Messages |

Jun '17

Greetings Beloved

As we come to the end of another week, there is much we all can be thankful for. Among the things we should be most grateful for is God’s Grace. It is by the grace of God that we are alive. And because we are alive, we still have the opportunity to make the necessary corrections in our lives to receive His gift of eternal life. Let’s be careful then not to squander a minute of His precious and amazing grace.

I hope some of you took the time as you awaken from sleep this week, to examine your thoughts. These first thoughts inform us of what is important to us and what gives us purpose and direction each day. If you missed my post on yesterday and looked for it in the Shepherd’s Voice, you couldn’t find it there. That’s because I placed it in a new category called “Christian Education”. On Thursdays, I am going to begin sending a preview of the upcoming Sunday School lesson along with any links that might be helpful. So, if you didn’t see yesterday’s message, go to “More” on our mobile app or “Ministry” on our website and select “Christian Education”.

Finally, a reminder to all men of our practice for Men’s Day at 12:00 tomorrow. Also, Vacation Bible School starts Monday beginning at 6:15 each night. Because of VBS this week and my unavailability the following week, we will not have Bible Study for the next two weeks. I hope the messages I have been able to share are benefiting those who take the time to read and/or listen to them. I will continue to share them as God gives me grace to do so.

Join me in wishing a happy birthday to Hildren Hilton who celebrated her birthday on Monday and Barbara Robinson who celebrated her birthday on Tuesday. Have a wonderful and safe weekend! And I hope to see you in the Lord’s House on the Lord’s Day.

Blessings

Pastor Jordan

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Jun '17

Contact Wednesday June 7, 2017

Posted on Jun 7, 2017 in Pastoral Messages |

Jun '17

Greetings Everyone

Some people say and/or believe if God was more accessible or visible, then I would believe and serve Him. If I could just touch Him with my hands or hear Him with my ears or see Him with my eyes I would believe Him. If this is the case, then there seems to be some doubt about God’s existence. Because why does a person have to see God with their eyes, to believe or obey Him? Or why does a person really need to feel God with their hands and hear His voice with their ears to keep His commandments? The answer is that we don’t.

We don’t have to see, hear or touch God with our natural features to follow what the Bible teaches us to do. No one has to have access to God and see Him to obey Him. So, accessibility is not an excuse for disobedience. The real problem then is either unbelief or rebellion. If it’s unbelief, then a person has doubts about the existence of God or the power of God to do what the Bible claims about Him or both. If it’s rebellion, then a person simply refuses to be ruled by God and has chosen the way of Satan and the fallen angels. So, saying I need more access and proof to obey God is not being truthful. It’s like Jesus told Thomas after Thomas saw Him and touched Him, “blessed are they who have not seen, yet believe”.

Christianity call upon us to believe and obey God on the evidence that is available to us. There is plenty of evidence all around us that attest to the existence and power of God. And in addition to all the general evidence all around us, we have the Word of God as found in the Bible. So, if a person is not going to obey God, they better come up with another excuse. Because the one about needing more accessibility and physical contact just isn’t going to work.

Blessings

Pastor Jordan

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Jun '17

Purpose Tuesday June 6, 2017

Posted on Jun 6, 2017 in Pastoral Messages |

Jun '17

Greetings Beloved

“Why am I here?” and “What is my purpose?” were two of the questions raised on yesterday. The answer to those questions lie in the thoughts we wake up with. Did anyone stop and noticed what they woke up thinking about this morning? Were you surprised at what it revealed? Make an effort to notice what you wake up thinking about each morning the rest of this week.

Why do I say make an effort to notice it? Because acting on our thoughts is so natural to us, we just follow them without thinking about them or examining what they are saying to us. But by paying close attention to what we wake up thinking about, reveals a lot about us. It gives us a snapshot of what is important to us and motivating us each day of our life. Noticing what we are thinking about as we wake up each day, will help us to see what we are living for.

A second question raised on yesterday was “what do you suppose Jesus thought about as He woke up each day?”. By examining the life of Jesus in the Gospels, we can imagine He arose each day thinking about His assignment for His Father. Paul says “Let the same mind and thoughts be in you that was also in the mind and thoughts of Christ Jesus” – Philippians 2:5. What Jesus thought and thinks should be what we think.

I believe Jesus thought each day about making progress on what His Father sent Him to do. Surely, He thought about and did lots of things, but nothing more importantly or consistently than what He was doing for His Father. They were His purpose and His reason for being. His thoughts about His mission and assignment for Our Father gave His life meaning, focus and purpose. So, let me ask you again “What is giving your life meaning, focus and purpose?” Wake up this week and think about it. You might be surprised at what you find!

Blessings

Pastor Jordan

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Jun '17

MBR Monday June 5, 2017

Posted on Jun 5, 2017 in Pastoral Messages |

Jun '17

Good Day FB and Friends

For thousands of years, there have been men and women who have asked the question “Why am I here?” or “What is the purpose of life?” or some similar question. It is a natural question and the answer to it allows a person to focus their time and energy to fulfilling that purpose. When the answer eludes them, some people begin to makeup answers to these questions, while others look to people and things to give their life meaningful purpose. Still others spend their entire life simply existing and die without ever defining the purpose and meaning for their life. What is your answer to this question?

As a computer science student and teacher, I know that every time you power on or restart an electronic machine or device, it goes through what programmers and engineers call a “boot cycle”. An electronic device, whether it’s a phone, computer, television, coffee pot, copier, automobile or basically anything with a computer inside, is designed to read and execute the instructions found in the “MBR” or master boot record. The MBR usually instructs the device or machine to first go through a diagnostic procedure and then to initialize all of its systems. If it discovers something unusual, it is programmed to take self-correcting measures. The point is, these machines and devices have no purpose or function until they read their MBR.

All people everywhere and in every time also have a type of MBR. Just like the machines and devices that use them, the MBR gives people their purpose, function and direction. It is activated and executed every time we power on, or in other words, wake up from sleep. The first thing we think about and initialize our waking time around is located in our MBR. In it we have the answer to the questions about existence and purpose. So, what is the first thing you consistently think about as you awaken from sleep? Know this and you will at least know what is giving your life meaning and purpose. Jesus too had an MBR. What do you suppose Jesus woke up with consistently on His mind? Think about it.

Blessings

Pastor Jordan

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Jun '17

Epilogue Friday June 2, 2017

Posted on Jun 2, 2017 in Pastoral Messages |

Jun '17

Happy Friday FB and Friends

Well, we lived to see the end of another week as well as the beginning of another month. Can you believe that 2017 is nearly halfway over! I’ve had a wonderful time sharing my thoughts with you this week and thank God for the opportunity and privilege to do so. So as a way of ending the week, I would like to take a moment to revisit the week’s main thoughts in light of our Christian calling and faith.

Everyone has influence and is at the same time being influenced and influencing others. Allow your faith to influence others for Christ, while not allowing nonChristian influence to change or affect you. If you have not updated your profile, the instructions on how to do it is in Tuesday’s message. I’m glad to report that someone read the instructions, texted me with a question and proceeded to update their profile with no problem. So, go ahead, you can do it too. People have all kind of ideas about what it means to be a Christian today and a growing number of them are confused about our faith. Mainly because people who claim the Christian religion are becoming increasing indistinguishable from nonChristians. It is time for us to help clear up this confusion. And finally, there are times when we look back for a happier time in life to escape momentarily from the present realities of life. Let those happy times remind us of the happier days ahead as we live each day for Christ.

In closing, I want to say happy birthday to Bro. James Crowder who celebrated a birthday on Wednesday. Also, don’t forget about the Men’s Breakfast tomorrow at 8:30 am at Golden Coral. I want to say a special thank you to my father’s youngest brother, Bro. Excel Jordan who was a great blessing to me this week. Also, whisper a prayer for Sis. Carolyn Byars who is scheduled to undergo an outpatient procedure around 4:30 this afternoon. Let’s have a happy and safe weekend everyone! And, see you in the Lord’s House on the Lord’s Day.

Blessings

Pastor Jordan

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Jun '17

Nostalgia Thursday June 1, 2017

Posted on Jun 1, 2017 in Pastoral Messages |

Jun '17

Greetings Beloved

Nostalgia. A word that means looking back and longing for happier days gone by. If we take a minute, most of us can think of at least one moment in our life, no matter how brief it may have been, when there was a joy and happiness that has rarely been equaled or surpassed. It shouldn’t be too hard to remember, since many of us occasionally think about those times.

It was probably a time when we were younger, before the children came along, before the bills became due or the alarm clocks signaled it was time to get up and go to work. Maybe it was before a loved one passed or an illness or accident or the signs of age began to make their presence felt. Whenever the time, we sometimes long to return and relive those moments in an endless loop to forget about the trials and challenges of day to day life. We may not ever be able to relive or recapture those moments, but the promises of God in Christ Jesus surpass even the best memories we can recall.

God promises a place of rest and peace, a place free from the pain and heartaches of our present world. It is a place of unsurpassed beauty, joy and happiness reminiscent of a day and time now gone with the wind. We can’t turn back the hands of time, and even if we could, we don’t have to try. Because if we love the Lord and keep His Word, then the best days behind us will be like our worst days today compared to the days that lie before us. Nostalgia is good in as much as it reminds us that something even better is on the way.

Blessings

Pastor Jordan

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May '17

Confusion Wednesday May 31, 2017

Posted on May 31, 2017 in Pastoral Messages |

May '17

Greeting FB and Friends

What does it mean to be a Christian today? The term is confusing and becoming more so because an increasing number of people who say they are Christian are becoming indistinguishable from people who are “Nones” or have no religious affiliation.

For example, the typical None doesn’t reverence Sunday as a holy or special day to honor and worship God. They treat Sunday like any other day. They use it to do laundry, cut grass, clean up, wash cars, go shopping, tv binge, do outdoor activities, workout, sleep in, and anything else they want to do. Typical Nones spend most, if not all, of their money on themselves and their own interest. Occasionally they may give a few dollars to a charity like United Way or a Church. But never would they give 10% to anything that wouldn’t directly benefit them.

Typical Nones engage in sex outside of marriage, go to bars and clubs and stay out late or all night long. Nones drink sociably and attend functions and go places where social drinking and partying is going on. Typical Nones swear, use profanity and have no problem lying or cheating especially if it is to their advantage. Typical Nones are not concerned with the welfare of other people and generally will only help people who they think will help them.

These behaviors also describe a growing number of people who say they are Christians. So if Nones and Christians are doing many of these same things, what makes them different? Why would God call one of them His child and the other one an unbeliever? Why would one be saved and the other lost? The world is confused because it is getting harder and harder to find genuine Christians. People who distinguish themselves from Nones and others by observing all the teaching of Jesus Christ.

I too am guilty of having added to this confusion. So, I repeat the question, “What does it mean to be a Christian today?” It depends on who is asking the question. Think about it.

Blessings

Pastor Jordan

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May '17

Technology Tuesday May 30, 2017

Posted on May 30, 2017 in Pastoral Messages |

May '17

Greeting FB and Friends

As most of you know, May is Online Registration month. With only two days left, only a handful of members have updated their profiles. Many more, however, have downloaded our mobile church app of which you are one if you are reading this message. One of that handful to update their profile is Dea. W. Evans. He traded in his flip phone for a smart phone and asked the questions he needed to ask until he got it done! He should be an inspiration to us all!

I’m not angry nor am I fussing or complaining. There is a lot of resistance that must be overcome to do real ministry for Christ in our day and time. A person has to be determined in order to break through the obstacles we face to help ourselves and others perfect our faith. So here is what I want you to do, access and update your profile. It is easier to do on a tablet or computer because the screens are larger, but it can be done on your smartphone. Your profile can be accessed from “Member Access” on our website or by selecting the “More” option from our mobile app.

Enter your email address and select “I do not know or have a passcode” if you don’t know your passcode. Key in the 6 character code in the empty box and select continue. A passcode will be sent to your email. Check your email and open the email from “ChurchTrac” to get your passcode. It is a 6 or 7 character code that must be entered exactly as it appears. Now you have what you need to access your profile.

If you access your profile through your phone, you must select “Request desktop site” from your Chrome browser options (the 3 bars at the top right) or something similar if you are using a different browser in order to make changes to your profile. Take your time and update all the fields that need updating. When you are finished, click the “wheel” on the top of the menu to change your passcode to something easy for you to remember. That’s all it is to it! It requires a few steps and these steps are the obstacles I mentioned before.

This is something we as a congregation need to do to move ministry forward. In order to communicate effectively with the people in our culture, we must learn to speak their language and meet them were they are. I’m seeing two and three year old children being raised today with smartphones in their hands. So please contact me if you need assistance or complete the “Technical Assistance Request” form on our website. Thanks for your cooperation. And I’ll meet you online!

Blessings

Pastor Jordan

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May '17

Influence Monday May 29, 2017

Posted on May 29, 2017 in Pastoral Messages |

May '17

Greetings Family

Yesterday’s sermon message was entitled “Women With Influence”. Because of our observance of Women’s Day, the focus of the message was on the influence women have had and still have on people, and on men in particular. During the message, I intended to mention the influence one particular woman had on me.

While an undergraduate at Winthrop University, a young woman approached me and invited me to an Intervarsity Christian Fellowship group meeting. I can’t recall where I was and don’t know why she asked me. She told me where and what time the group was going to meet and said she hoped to see me there. I’m not sure why I decided to go, but I did. That meeting changed my life forever.

Over the next few days and weeks, this young women befriended me and gave me a green covered Living Bible, a gesture I’ll never forget. I don’t recall if I even had a bible of my own at that time. I will never forget how reading from that bible in the Book of Isaiah that I began to experience and see God in a way I had never before. It brought a realism to my faith and a consciousness of God I hadn’t had before that remains to this day. I have no doubt this experience started me on the present faith journey I am on today. All this because a woman who seemed to me to have genuine faith in Christ invited me to a Christian group meeting.

Women, and men, you all have influence and you are influencing people every day, especially those closest to you, living with you, and working with you. Whether many of them will be saved depends on your influence. What kind of influence are you having on those you care the most about and other people you know and have contact with? Let’s all make a collective effort to allow our influence to lead the ones we care about most and all others to Christ. I hope you have a good Memorial Day! Until next time,

Blessings

Pastor Jordan

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May '17

Coptic Friday May 26, 2017

Posted on May 26, 2017 in Pastoral Messages |

May '17

Greetings Beloved

Today I must end on a disturbing incident in Egypt. It appears that 28 more Coptic Christians, including women, elderly people and children, were murdered today and about the same number injured as their two buses and one truck journeyed to St Samuel’s monastery. They were all shot, some at close range, and killed or seriously wounded.

This was just the latest in a string of recent attacks that have killed at least another 78 in 3 separate attacks at Christian places of worship by Islamic State militants, Gun attacks on homes and businesses in another small Christian community has forced some Christians to flee the area. The Coptic church, based in Alexandria, Egypt, has its roots as far back as with John Mark, believed to be the first bishop of the Coptic Church and writer of the Gospel According to Mark. Today, they represent about 10-15% of the Egyptian population.

We should allow the faith and courage of these Christians in the face of such persecution to inspire us to be true to our calling and live out our Christian faith to a greater degree. Coptics cannot meet, gather together, walk or drive down the street or simply sit in their own homes without the threat of attack. How much more genuine and true should our worship be who live in a free society where we can openly express and embrace our faith?

Thank you for allowing me to share with you another week. We want to say happy birthday to Min. H. Duncan and to Sis. Francis Walls. Enjoy the weekend. Hope to see you in the Lord’s House on the Lord’s Day.

Blessings

Pastor Jordan

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