Holeup there now D!!
Wazzup?
You slipped that ‘Obedience is Better than Sacrifice’ in on the cool, cuz when I came to your site the other day, you had this picture of some dude named Clarence and the title was, On the Battlefield..but I couldn’t quite read the words under the picture.
That was a page from the funeral program of Brother Clarence A. Simmons, the Scripture under his picture was from I Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in thework of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” Brother Simmons was one of the teachers at Blueridge Baptist church and God called him on home and we had his funeral last week.
Called him home??
That’s a common Christian terminology for our mortal death. It refers to the passing of the spirit from our shell of flesh so that we might be present with the Lord.
So when Christians die, they immediately go to Heaven?
That’s what the Scripture says in II Corinthians 5:6-8
"Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."
Ohhh..okay..I guess that’s an empowering thing to know.
Already! That’s why we say Brother Simmons went home, because we know that he was a man that lived the life on the battlefield for the Lord. Brother Simmons was one of the teachers at Blueridge Baptist Church that grew up under the tutelage of the late Pastor W.D. Richardson. Pastor Richardson was a very compassionate and powerful soldier that groomed and prepared many ministers and teachers to go out and be fruitful leaders in the church and the community. Brother Simmons’ passing creates a void on the battlefield that will be sorely missed, but yet we must continue to move on toward the glory.
What ‘battlefield’?? What are you talking about?
Do you know that song that goes,
“I am on, the battlefield, for my Lord,
I am on the battlefield, for my Lord
And I promised Him that I
I would serve Him til I die
I am on, the battlefield, for my Lord..
Man D…it’s a good thing you can write, cuz you can’t sing worth a damn! (laughing) But yeah..I’ve heard that song before.
That’s the battlefield that I’m talking about, the one for the Lord. Brother Simmons heeded his call to Christ and he served as a fruitful servant of the Lord, his sound Biblical knowledge and teaching has fortified many soldiers on that battlefield, including me.
So you knew him?
Yeah..actually he wasn’t just a church member, he was also a neighbor and golf buddy. We lived on the same street, and years ago, when I first started playing golf, he took me under his wing and taught me the many nuances of playing the game the right way.
Bible scholar, teacher, golfer, sounds like Clarence Simmons was a real soldier.
Already. He helped me a lot along my spiritual journey, because talking to him was always an enlightening experience. He had a firm grasp of that Scripture and he was always ready to talk about God’s Word.
Sounds like he shoulda been a preacher if he was all into the Bible like that!
Just because someone loves the Lord and is hooked on to that Bible doesn’t mean they’re called to be a preacher. God calls us into our own different capacities, including preachers and teachers.
Oh..I see. I guess I just don’t have that many people around me that get all off into that Bible like that..
It’s cool..I think it’s good for everyone to reflect on their skills and talents and pray to the Lord to guide them toward the purpose He has for each and every one of us. I’m going to miss Brother Simmons for the fellowship we shared, not just at church, but also on the golf course and even in the neighborhood where he would often drive by my house and stop to talk whenever he saw me outside…
Whatcha say there young man?? (he leaned out the window of his Suburban and smiled at me)
(smiling back) Heyyy Brother Simmons! What’s going on??
Hey! Whatchu think our boy Tiger Woods go do now that he done got married??
I’d imagine he’d get a bit more focused and come back and have a stronger year next year.
Some folks say that marrying that white girl done got him distracted from golf.
It don’t matter the color, no matter what woman you fool around with, they all get you distracted! (laughing)
(laughing) I know that’s right!
But Tiger still had a good year though, he came in 4th on the money list and won over $5 million.
Yeah..but he couldn’t touch brother Vijay!
I know! Vijay was just on that mission this year.
Yesssuh!! Vijay just got that consistency..we went down there to the Houston Open and watched him hit balls on the driving range, he puts in that work!
Yeah..no matter what you do, you have to put somework into it..just like reading the Bible..most folks just want to show up at church and read the Bible verse for the sermon, then they go home and never pick it up again until the next time they’re in church.
You got that right! You got to read that Bible everyday! That’s where you get yo strength from. (heh-heh)
Brother Simmons always got excited and pleased whenever it was time to start applying that Bible to everyday life. Because no matter how long or how often you go to church, the real application of the Christian life takes place in those daily steps that you take on the battlefield. And as we walk along the sometimes murky path of life, trying to find our way amongst a sea of questions and decisions that comprise our journey, the Bible serves as a guide and law for us to heed and abide by. When you take that Scripture and make it a part of your life, of who you are and what you are striving to be, that’s when you join the battlefield for the Lord.
That Brother Simmons sounds like a cool dude..I’m sad to hear that he passed away.
Yeah..me too, but it’s a path that we all must tread one day. Our job while we are here in this body is to remain obediently on the battlefield and perform our duty for the Lord no matter what. You don’t give up til you go up.
How do you know exactly what you’re supposed to be doing tho?
All Disciples of Christ are bid to take part of the Great Commission.
What’s the Great Commission?
When Jesus addressed the remaining 11 disciples before His ascension, He told them in (Matt 28:19) ‘Go ye therefore and teach all nations..’
Yeah..so?
It’s the commission to spread the Word of the Gospel of Christ..it’s our orders.
But Jesus was talking to the disciples, not regular folks.
If you believe Jesus Christ is Lord, then you ARE a disciple.
Oh. That sounds kinda..creepy. You know..disciples seem like those guys in robes and sandals walking around slow and humming all day.
Everybody gets down in their own way that God calls them to serve..some preach, some write, some sing, some dance..some teach. That’s all forms of serving on the battlefield.
Well what’s wrong with just going to church or taking time out to help the poor and needy? Doesn’t those efforts of good will made count toward the battle?
I’m sure it plays a part, but no matter how much you sacrifice of your time and/or money toward doing ‘good’ things in the community, God’s Word is very specific when regarding how we should respond to His commands.
And what does it say?
Obedience is better than sacrifice.
