Serving Christ Through Montgomery Area Churches

N H ,D M T ,S 14, 2017

REFLECTIONS FROM A MAN DESIRING A HOLY LIFE

Im an imperfect man serving a perfect Creator. God calls
Christians to be holy. God, in His perfect wisdom and
power says, You shall be holy, for I am holy (1 Peter
1:16). How can I be holy as God is holy? Have you ever
looked at a person and thought, That guy is really holy?
No man, without the work of the Holy Spirit, can ever do
a holy thing; however, Christians are no normal men.
Christians have the Holy Spirit which works in them to
the glory of God. Though I see my sins, my short-
comings, and my imperfections, I still desire a holy a life.
Below are a few reflections from an imperfect man
seeking the face of a Holy God.
Jordan Nelson 1. Prayer is the very air Christians need. Prayer is often
MBA Ministry Intern
neglected. No man has ever looked back on his life and
said, I spent too much time in prayer.
lackadaisical toward the Word of God, I find myself despondent to the people of
God.
6. To be like a tree planted beside a stream of living water is the greatest calling a
man could have. Allowing your roots to be in the Word of God will bear much fruit
for the day of harvest.
7. Death is coming soon for all of us. Oh, how sweet it is that the believer will not
taste deaths sting. Spurgeon said, It is the very joy of this earthly life to think that
it will come to an end. To be prepared to die is to be prepared to live.
8. Only a holy man will see the glory of the Father. Being a good person is not
enough. A holy God will only accept a holy person. Flee Sin! Run to Christ who
will make you holy. R.C. Sproul said, Holiness provokes hatred. The greater the
holiness, the greater the human hostility towards it. Beware, that when you grow
in holiness the world will hate you for it.

2. Grace is the only reason I can boast in the Lord. Grace is why Im saved. Grace
is why I can have joy. Grace is the means by which I can love people well.
3. True genuine fellowship begins and ends with the person of Christ. The
community that seeks true fellowship and never speaks of the Word of God, the
things of God, or the person of Christ is not a community of believers; rather they
are but a ship of babbling tongues steering toward a tidal wave of moralism.
4. Suffering under the mighty hand of God produces a steadfast joy in the believer.
Ebenezer Erksine (a puritan acquainted with much suffering) writes, My sinking
hope is revived by the sight of Christ. My bonds are loosed, and my burdens of
affliction are made light, when he appears. If he calls me to go down to the
swellings of the Jordan, why not, if it be His holy will?
5. The overflow of my study, prayer, and meditation on Gods law and Gods grace
have produced a wellspring of love and hospitality toward others. When Im
9. Singleness is a gift from the Lord. Though at times this gift can seem like a
curse, I have found much joy in being freed up to serve and love the church. As one
pastor said, Singleness need not be a life of solitude, but can be rich with
friendship. Nor should it be aimless, for it is a privileged opportunity to pursue a
life of pleasing Christ and making disciples.
10. Christ is better than anything this world has to offer. He is the Alpha and
Omega, the beginning and the end. He is sweeter than honey, but more ferocious
than a lion. He hates sin! He protects his sheep! He heals the sick! He admonishes
the faint-hearted! He listens to the persistent widow! He weeps over the death of his
friends! He provides a way of escape for all those who look to Him and repent! He
saves sinners! All glory belongs to Christ my King!
The joy that is to be had in heaven means that we must pursue holiness in this life. I
challenge you, as an imperfect man to imperfect people, to put away the things of
this world. We are citizens of heaven. Lets live in light of this reality.

September 16: Bi-vocational Pastors Breakfast

7:30 am at the MBA* After 45 years of Pastoral Ministry,
including 23 years serving as Pastor,
September 19: WMU Prayer Luncheon at MBA* Dr. Rick Marshall
11:30 am has announced his retirement.
September 21: Lunch n Learn free lunch and
12:00 pm training on the topic Millennials by The Eastern Hills Baptist Church family
Jess Rainer, at MBA* cordially invites you to join us
as we celebrate his ministry.
October 2: Executive Board at Eastern Oaks*
11:30 am Sunday, September 24, 2017
2:00-
2:00-4:00 pm
October 16: Ministers Conference*
*Please RSVP by contacting 11:30 am Joe Godfrey, Speaker Eastern Hills Baptist Church Gym
Elizabeth at 271-6227 or 3604 Pleasant Ridge Road
ekirk@mgmbaptists.org by the November 6: Annual Celebration at Gateway
5:15 pmBusiness Meeting/Ministry Fair 7:00Celebration Montgomery, Alabama
Wednesday prior to the event.
MBA Pastor Steps Into Heaven Lenny Bolton, longtime
Montgomery Baptist pastor, stepped into heaven late Saturday evening, September
2. During his years on earth, Lenny served Stevenson Baptist Church, Chisolm
Baptist Church, Pine Level Baptist Church, and Wares Ferry Baptist Church. In
addition to his pastorates, Lenny served Montgomery Baptist Association with
distinction as moderator, 2002-2004, as well as numerous other committees. Lenny
was a pastor who genuinely loved every person he met. In his later years he served
bi-vocationally with Southern Care Hospice. Please be much in prayer for our
brothers sweet wife Judy, along with his son, Chuck, daughter, Jennifer (Brian),
six grandchildren, and one great granddaughter. Also, be prayerful for the churches
who mourn his passing. Lennys most recent congregation, Wares Ferry Baptist
Church, said it best on their church marquis: Lenny Bolton has gone home to be
with the Lord. Amen.

The Montgomery Baptist Association MBA Community Ministries, Inc. 20 Interstate Park Dr. Montgomery, Alabama 36109 334-271-6227 www.mgmbaptists.org
This publication is made possible by your churches contributions to Associational Missions.