Newsletter Oct 18th

GREETINGS FROM BARBEE’S GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH

Not long after Dad bought the Big Oak Curb Market, peach season arrived. I won’t go into all the details now, but Dad made arrangements with 2 Peach Growers for us to pick our own peaches in their orchards. The orchards were in Inman SC [near Spartanburg]. We would leave Albemarle around 3:00 am and begin to pick as soon as possible after daylight arrived.

Of course, we needed breakfast. Near Cowpens, SC, was a Truck Stop. It was just past the NC/SC state lines. Today, Truck Stops are huge. They have multiple fuel pumps, stores, restaurants, shower facilities, etc. 65 years ago, that Truck Stop was a ramshackle building about 20/25 ft. With perhaps 1 gas and 1 diesel pump. We stopped to eat. There were 5 of us. It overwhelmed the poor older lady who was the cook, cashier, and waitress. It took her forever to prepare our meals. We arrived at the orchard very late.

A couple of days later, we stopped again. Dad was a great cook. He politely asked the lady if she minded if he did the cooking. She sat down at a corner booth, rested, and smoked a cigarette. If they had a County Health Department back then I doubt they would have approved of that arrangement!!! I was a teenager; I didn’t get a vote either. In about 10 minutes, Dad had us all happily eating. He paid the Lady the same price as if she had done the cooking. We got to the orchard right on time. That became the normal routine. Dad cooked. She rested. We paid the normal price. Everyone was happy. If a Long Distance Trucker came in while Dad was cooking then Dad cheerfully cooked that man’s meal as well.

Dad was not a professing Christian at that time, but in a sense, he was obeying the Apostle Paul’s admonition in Galatians 6:2—-“Bear ye one another’s burdens”. Cooking for more than 1 person at a time was a burden, an anxiety producing stress on that older Lady. Dad took her burden away.

One of the greatest honors, privileges, and responsibilities we have as Christians, is the opportunity to minister to others. Recently, in the middle of the night, the Holy Spirit began to bring people to mind—8 or more who are hurting because of the death of a spouse, a similar number who have serious medical issues that doctors can’t seem to diagnose, some that are praying desperately for loved ones to be saved, and single mothers facing financial difficulties and years of struggle to overcome past mental and physical abuse. I was almost overwhelmed with the number of genuinely hurting people I know personally.

I suspect that if you will ask the Lord, He will give you a similar list. What can we do to minister to those people and to show the love of Jesus?
   …Do you have finances you can share?
   …Can you prepare a meal? 
   …Can you babysit so that the single mother can rest or take care of a sick child?
   …Do you have the skills to build a ramp, repair leaky plumbing or repair faulty wiring?
   …Are you “Tech skilled” able to help with computer or phone issues?
   …Can you send an “I love you, I care, I am praying for you” card?
   …Can you take someone out for a meal?
   …Can you phone someone, listen to their hurt, and pray over the phone with them?
   …What else might the Lord ask you to do? [Perhaps, lay hands on the sick and ask the Lord to heal—Mark 16]

The CHURCH of the Lord Jesus Christ was born on the Day of Pentecost [Acts 2]. Immediately, filled with the Holy Spirit, they began to minister to one another [Acts 2:44-46–4:34-37– 6:1-6]. The Apostle Paul was eager to take up an offering for the hurting people in Jerusalem [2 Corinthians 8:1-15 and 9:1-10] Jesus taught us in Matthew 25 that we ministered unto Him when we aided the hungry, thirsty, naked, prisoners, and those who were ill. The little chorus says it well “They will know we are Christians by our love”.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS

1. Sunday School is at 9:00 am
2. Morning Worship and Children’s Church are at 10:00 am. Also available in the parking lot at 10 on 99.1 FM and on the website after 12:30 pm
3. Prayer and Bible Study are at 6:30 pm on Wednesday in the Fellowship Hall
4. October 20—Trip to the mountains for apples

Share the love of Jesus with someone this week!!

Pastor Ed and Deacons of Barbee’s Grove Baptist Church