Brethren,

This past weekend, we at Cool Springs Primitive Baptist Church were privileged to host our March Meeting.  This year, we were blessed to have Elder Mark Green from Booneville, AR with us to do the preaching.  All during the weekend, it appeared that the Lord's presence descended upon us and rested on us throughout the weekend.  Much like the children of Israel rested when the cloudy pillar remained on the tabernacle, so we rested while His presence dwelt among us over the course of our services.  As with many Spirit-led and Spirit-felt meetings, there was a general them to the preaching woven like a cord throughout the sermons.  The theme of this meeting appeared to entail the high priority relationship of the Lord to His people and our reflected attitude toward Him for this wonderful bond that He has with us.

The services and the sermon details were as follows:

Friday Night – "The intense love of Christ to His bride"  Brother Mark expounded on several of the ways that the Lord has blessed His beloved, particularly on the singularity of His love for us, and our love to Him should reflect the same characteristics that He has for us.

Saturday Morning – "Attributes of Christ both as God and man" From Philippians 2:5-9, Brother Mark showed the glory of our Master as both the Son of God, equal with God, but also as a man of no reputation that submitted Himself for the benefit of all of His chosen.

Saturday Night – "Working out what God has worked in"  Taking Philippians 2:12-13, Brother Mark expressed the beauty of showing love to the Lord for all the wonderful ways He has blessed us.  When we diligently work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, we show forth what has been done in us, and thereby express our highest adoration for him.

Sunday Morning – "Going the way, which we shall not return" Using Job's language in Job 16:16-22, Brother Mark expounded the beautiful principles of our short pilgrimage ending with all of us going the same, singular way by the grace and power of God.  Furthermore, that road to heaven is one that we shall not return again from.  Heaven is both real, but ultimately comforting, it is permanent as well.

Sunday Night – "The minister's job and the bride's job in getting close to the Husband" From Genesis 24, Brother Mark showed that to get close to Christ (in His tent), the minister needed to responsibly follow the Master's direction, and the bride needed to willingly follow to the rich Husband's house.  At the end of the day, the Husband (much like Isaac) is comforted in the presence of His beloved as we should be comforted at the presence of our Beloved.

The tone of the preaching was the sweet combination of love and firmness that comes from the seriousness of the subject matter, coupled with the tenderness of the thoughts conveyed.  There were several points during the services when Brother Mark became quite emotional and carried away with the Spirit's presence at that moment.  Such times are impossible to manufacture, and those that know Brother Mark's personality understand that such a scene is definitely out of character for him.  We thank God for such rich mercies unto us, though we deserve none of the blessings that we enjoyed and were nourished by.

As a body, we thank all of our visitors that came to worship with us and participate in making this such a wonderful meeting experience.  The food was so remarkable that my clothes do not feel right, which is a testimony to the care and labour the sisters put forth for every meal.  Our natural and spiritual needs were more than supplied from beginning to end.  Already, I have found myself yearning for our August meeting and anticipating in prayerful expectation another wonderful time and season with our Lord.  Should any ever have a desire to worship with us, please do come and see us whenever you can.

For those that are interested, the sermons from the meeting will be posted to our website at: coolspringspbc.org.

In Hope,

Bro Philip

Brethren,

In lieu of a "Morning Thoughts" today, please allow me some space of thanksgiving on the written page.  My home church Cool Springs Primitive Baptist Church in Danville, GA enjoyed our annual March meeting this past weekend.  We were blessed with good services, beginning on Friday night going all the way through Sunday night (5 services in all).

Elder James Isaacs from Magazine, AR was our invited minister, and he was truly sent our direction by God this weekend.  While there is much that I could say personally about this man, how much he means to me, and the level of comfortable familiarity that we have with each other (sometimes to the point of playful insults…), a far higher object and prize came brilliantly into view before our eyes in God's pavilions.  Yes, the fellowship was heavenly and the experience refreshing, but the highest order of majesty was put on display in the efforts of worship.

The meeting enjoyed what seemed to me two major themes and avenues of thought from Brother James' preaching.  While firmly bolstering the position of free and amazing grace through the mercy of a loving God, he proceeded to show the path of well-trod, hallowed ground that our aim is to seek while we sojourn here below.  To those that know Brother James and his preaching style, the enlightening – but oftentimes hilarious – illustrations of food, livestock, and personal family experiences were put to very good use in driving the points home in application.  After the wonderful preaching efforts, we again had every reason for thanksgiving for God's saving grace, while seeing again with illumination the path of serving grace here in this world.

Even though every sermon was well blessed, the last one (Sunday night) stirred me perhaps more than the rest.  Using "Love" as his subject (and beginning in I John 4), Brother James proceeded to draw the line showing the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Since God so loved us, so ought we to love one another.  Simple point, yet not so simply applied so many times.  Our hearts burned.  Our faith muscles were exercised, and our souls reached out in yearning to that place we long to see: heaven – our home.

The meeting was quite well attended, and I was personally thankful to see so many of our sister churches visit with us and confirm their love to us by their presence.  May we return the favour in kind by confirming our love to them in the days to come.  On one more personal note, I was also thankful to see Brother James' visit and our meeting encourage so many in needed ways.  One of the younger brothers in the church began for the first time to assist in song leading, and some weary hearts relayed their feelings that so many of the sermon points were "just for them."  Brethren, we do wish all of our family and kindred in Christ could have been with us, but we do sincerely beg an interest in your prayers and bessech you also this day that you rejoice with us!

In Hope,

Bro Philip