Adam ate the forbidden fruit, then when confronted about it, he came up with an excuse: 'The woman you put here with me- she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it' (verse 12). The people of the Bethel Methodist Church faithfully give and work to set me free to study and minister the Word in the pulpit, on the phone, in homes, in hospitals and anywhere I find an opportunity (Acts 6:1-4). The Bible is full of people making excuses and making excuses is as old as human beings. When you believe the Word you cannot help but love the people. God charges me with the responsibility to preach the Word without compromise. In the words of my pastor Dad, feed the people and love the people. I have been a full time senior pastor without interruption since that calling in 1982. That church was patient as I pursued my formal pastoral and theological education. Before I had time to allow the gravity of my calling to sink in I was the pastor of a small church in southeast Texas. Life was good! God shook my world when He made my call to full time ministry clear. I was married, had two toddlers, a new house and a new car. In 1982, I was enjoying early success in the accounting department of a large company.
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