New beginnings – 2011

It is the beginning of a new year and we are all thinking of things that we should do better than last year. We do it every year and that’s not a bad thing, we should always be trying to do things better. Let me share with you what I think should be the number one resolution for all of us, but first a little ground rules.

It seems to me that we fall into one of three categories with the whole God thing.

ONE – Some don’t really care. They either don’t believe there is a God, or their not sure if there is a God, or they kinda believe but they believe in God like they believe in the North Pole, they know it’s there but don’t see the relevance to them.

TWO – Some people do believe in God, they know a little something about Him and they “try” to be a good person, most of the time. God has very little to do with any day to day decisions and they spend more time hoping God can’t see what they’re doing than thinking about any kind of relationship with Him.

THREE – Some people know God intimately, they worship and revere Him. They communicate with Him through prayer and study His word. They know He loves them and has excepted them. They truly live with the deepest hope to serve Him.

This blog reaches out to all three categories, but this message is to the threes.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (New Living Translation)
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
I want to encourage you to develop a passion to serve God. If we are committed every day to reach out and love others with Christ’s love we never know who we will touch in His name and for His glory.

I was in the Smokies back in early December on a bitter cold day shooting some work with the new D7000. A car pulled up to the pull out where I was shooting and a nice couple rolled the window down with a question. We had a short, pleasant conversation. The man, Mark, said his camera was not working and he hated he would have any pictures of the beautiful Cades Cove in light snow. I suggested if he would email me I would be happy to send him a CD with some of what I had shot. He gladly accepted the offer and I gave him my website so he could get all my
contact info. What I’m going to share with you is an email I got from him this morning. Before you read it please be sure to know that I do not in any way mean this as self aggrandizement. No, this is just an example of how God gets magnified when we treat others the way He would want us to.

If we have a real passion for serving Him this is the result.

Bill,
Thanks for your note and the DVD you are sending. I hope your trip to New York went well.

Yesterday, in the church where I pastor, I continued with the people there in a new study through the book of Galatians. I took the first verse of chapter one to show how Paul had an identity in life and how his identity was linked unashamedly to Christ. I had wanted a real life illustration of how that is applicable in our lives on a daily basis. It was during my preparation time that it all came to pass—the story of how the Lord allowed me to meet you in Cades Cove and was directed to your website where the first thing I saw was your name and the passage of Galatians 2:20.

Well, I shared that story yesterday and then took the link from your website “ABOUT LIFE” and read your words to the people from that page. It was one of the clearest illustrations I have been given in a long time, and greatest of all I could tell it connected. People were actually able to see that the most important thing in life is not who we know, where we have traveled, what we have done, how many things we have, etc., etc., etc. Rather, it is that when others look at our lives they know that we unashamedly are linked to Jesus Christ. The Lord is using your website to make that known to whoever drops by to find out about you.

I might have spent 90 seconds with you in a beautiful place as Cades Cove, and your pictures and stories about all you have done throughout life speak volumes as to your gifts. But greatest of all, when I think of Bill Fortney, I undoubtedly say and said in various ways yesterday when preaching, “There is a man who has a grip on what life is all about. There is a man who really knows Jesus. There is a man who is the real deal!”

I pray you have a blessed 2011, and that you are able to continue to share Christ with others wherever you travel.

Your Friend,
Mark Howard

Thanks Mark, for those kind words, but as you know, the one that should always get the glory and honor is our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Without Him, I would be nothing.

the pilgrim

*Photo note: Shot from that day in Cades Cove’s, Primitive Baptist Church. Nikon D700, 17-35 AFS.
Silver Efex Pro Antique Plate Filter.

Health Note: Monday, January 3rd – 239