Improvise

I don’t know how many people in the U.S. experienced this but we sure did here in Deep Dixie! The impact of Hurricane Ike, which made landfall at Galveston, Texas on Sept. 13, 2008, was felt throughout several Southern states. Many of the oil refineries in Texas were closed due to the intensity of the storm. The closures caused a temporary increase in gasoline prices, home heating oil and natural gas. There simply wasn’t enough time required to restart production at the refineries because Hurricane Ike struck right after Hurricane Gustav, which hit the Louisiana coast on Sept. 1. This resulted in gas shortages in the Carolinas, Tennessee and even where I live in Georgia.

The lines of vehicles would wrap all the way around the block with sometimes over 100 cars waiting for a little gasoline. Now I can live with that but not on Sundays when I am supposed to preach. On one particular Sunday my friend, Pastor Joel Long, head of staff at First Presbyterian Church in Eden, N.C., was expecting me in the pulpit. The problem was there wasn’t enough gasoline for me to make the over six-hour trip, or 351 miles from my home in Georgia to the church in North Carolina. Joel and I decided to do the next best thing.

We connected the church by telephone to my office and then connected to their congregation and I preached twice from my office here in Dawsonville, Ga. It worked like a charm! I began thinking, “How many other folks would like for me to ‘visit’ their church and preach?” I can preach God’s Word from the comforts of my office. All we would need is a telephone and a speaker. If that interests you and you’d like more information, e-mail me at ben@row.org.

The obstacle I faced in trying to get to the church in Eden to preach makes me think of Paul’s ordeal traveling to Rome. After being shipwrecked and undergoing many trials en route, Paul arrived in Rome and was placed under house arrest. This didn’t deter Paul from preaching the Gospel. We read in Acts 28:30-31:

“For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Even while under house arrest, Paul spoke of Jesus to all those who visited him, he wrote several letters, which are now recorded in the Bible and he had an opportunity to witness to the Roman guards. Despite what roadblocks may be in your way, go forth today and proclaim the saving message of Jesus Christ, even if it means doing so from the comforts of your home.

Category: Serving, Witness