Mark 2
Stretcher Bearers!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church. Today is Tuesday, April 21
Last week, a small group of men from church helped a single mom and her kids move. Needless to say, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, this took some hard work and creative thinking. We wore masks and gloves, and to the best of our abilities kept our distance while moving heavy furniture down the stairs, through doorways… you know the drill. As one of the men told me afterwards, the gospel was proclaimed today.
Listen to a small group of friends who used both hard work and creative thinking to help their friend in his time of need from Mark chapter 2, verses 2-4: “So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and [Jesus] preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.”
Sometimes there are obstacles in our way when we want to help someone. Some of those obstacles are God-sized and require of us to pray and fast; to wait upon the Lord. Other obstacles require us to do physical work and think creatively so that we can meet the need. We have to be willing to do either, whatever the situation requires of us.
Seize the moment and pray that God gives you the wisdom to know the difference. If it is time to wait on the Lord, then pray and fast for the person in their time of need. If it is time to get to work and be creative to find a solution, then be a stretcher bearer for your friend and preach the gospel through your love and good works.
FBC wants to be there for you personally, so please dial the phone number below if you need any practical assistance or would like to talk to someone today. We are praying for you!