The Podcast With Marben Bland Marben Bland

As I write this devotional it has been 29 days four hours and 15 minutes since March 31st of 2024, the day that we celebrated Easter.    
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of our Christian faith. Without the resurrection, the belief in God's saving grace through Jesus is destroyed. 
The Resurrection was a literal, physical raising of Jesus’ body from the dead, but it set the stage for so much more. 
When Jesus rose from the dead, he confirmed his identity as the Son of God. When Jesus rose from the dead his work of atonement, redemption, reconciliation, and salvation was proven to be right.  When Jesus rose from the dead the system of obtaining atonement from the priest with offerings and sacrifices died.  Given rise to a glorious direct connection to Jesus for our salvation.  
So now that Jesus has risen what has he been doing?   
For 40 days after his resurrection Jesus taught and ministered to His disciples.  The Biblical scholar D. Lee Tobler reports that Jesus left the disciples with three messages. 1) His Resurrection was real and all are inheritors of that wonderful gift; (2) His Atonement was completed, but there would be requirements for us to fully partake of its blessings; and (3) His disciples were responsible to carry the message of His gospel to the world.
Now as I record this devotional it has been 29 days four hours and 55 minutes since Easter 2024.  And the question is what have we have been up to since the resurrection of Jesus?  
Is the Resurrection real to us and what are doing with God’s wonderful gift?  
Are we full partakers in the blessings of atonement?  
As disciples of Christ are we carrying the message of His gospel to the world?
If we haven’t been busy doing the Lord’s work since the Resurrection, it’s not too late.  The clock is ticking so let’s get busy.  
 
 
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This week the Augusta Conference of The African Methodist Episcopal Church had its Annual Conference.  

Pastors make a report at the annual conference.  As part of our report which is a written document in addition to an oral report, I reported that we had zero conversions, meaning no one under our watch during the 2023-2024 conference year gave their lives to Christ.  
At Greater Bethel we have one mission one vision one purpose: That is fulfilling the Great Commission Command of Matthew 28:16-20—That command is to make disciples for Christ.  
So, there are 52 Sundays in a year.  And each of those Sundays, during the 2023-2024 conference year we had a church service. 
And during those services, we offered the people in the church, the people watching online, the people listing to the sermon later on a Podcast, we have offered them Christ.  We have offered them salvation we have offered them Jesus.  
No one came, no come accepted Jesus.   
At Greater Bethel we have one mission one vision one purpose: That is fulfilling the Great Commission Command of Matthew 28:16-20—That command is to make disciples for Christ.  
And in the 2023-2024 conference year, we failed, as your pastor I failed.   For no one accepted Jesus.  
In 1st Samuel chapter 8 we find that Samuel whom God has appointed as his anointed leader is growing old.  Samuel appoints his sons as leaders.   They do a poor job, and the people are upset. 
The people of Israel who have never had a king, demanded to have one saying in 1st Samuel 8:6 “Give us a king to lead us,”
Depressed and believing that he had failed Samuel prayed to God asking forgiveness.   God answered saying it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.
Saints, after offering Jesus every week in our worship service, and our in everyday efforts to offer Jesus on our prayer call, Bible Study, devotional moment and two Sunday Schools. No one accepted Jesus it was not us that was rejected it was Jesus. 
In every age and in every place, people can, will, and will continue to reject the Jesus. 
We see Jesus in John chapter 8 verses 58-59 escaping being stoned by an angry mob because they did not like his teaching of the gospel.  
The text tells us that our savior was saved to live another day, however, the life of Christ and the life of the followers of Christ is a constant tail of rejection.  
Isaiah 53:3 describes Jesus as a person who was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. He was despised, and held in low esteem.
Nathanael in John 1:46 rejected Jesus saying, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” 
In the book The Great Dechurching authors Jim Davis, Michael Graham and Ryan Burge chronicled that America is currently in the middle of the largest and fastest religious shift in the history of our country.  
About 15 percent of American adults living today (around 40 million people) have effectively stopped going to church, and most of this dechurching has happened in the past twenty-five years. And with a ton of it happening as churches returned to in person operations after the restrictions of the pandemic.   
What does Greater Bethel AME in Athens, Georgia A church with one goal, one mission, one vison which is to make disciples for Jesus do when the people reject Jesus?  
What do we do in Athens, Georgia a town with a vast college population?  What do we do in Athens, Georgia a town with diversity from some of the best educated people in the state to go alone whit one of the largest homeless populations in the state? 
What do we do, what do we do?   As in all things I must tell Jesus.   
The text we are studying today is from Matthew 
13:
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Paul in Ephesians 4:12-14 gives Pastors the charge “To equip the saints for the work of ministry, and for building up the body of Christ.  
In the African Methodist Episcopal Church Pastors receive a yearly appointment to a church.  The appointment or charge is based on the recommendation of the Presiding Elder and approval of the Bishop. The appointed pastor is in full charge of the Church and is an ex-official member of all boards, organizations, and clubs of that Church.
It was my honor to receive my third pastoral appointment for The Greater Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Athens, Georgia.  I received this charge at the recently completed 110 session of the Augusta Annual Conference. 
A charge to keep I have as I partner in faithful leadership with the people of Greater Bethel to complete our, one vison, one mission and our one goal which is to make disciples for Christ.  
 
 
 
 
 
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Did you know people got so upset at Jesus for teaching the Gospel that he was nearly stoned? 
In John chapter 8 Jesus in teaching in temple attracting a gathering of people including the scribes and the Pharisees.    
Always ready to find fault scribes and the Pharisees presented an adulterous woman.  
 Siting the law of Moses which demanded stoning they asked Jesus to pass judgment.  Jesus responded saying “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 
The ire of scribes and the Pharisees continued to be raised as Jesus asserted that he is the light of the world.  As he foretold his death and resurrection, and as he defines what it means to be a true disciple.  
So, it is one thing for Jesus to raise the ire of scribes and the Pharisees however, it is another thing for Jesus to get the regular people mad.  Well, when Jesus said that was not only greater than Abraham but came before him.  That is where the stuff hit the fan, and the folks in the temple picked up stones to kill Jesus.  Always resourceful Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.  The savior was saved to live another day, until the ultimate rejection.  The day the crowd turned on Jesus, exchanging him for Barabbas.  
In every age and in every place, people will reject the Lord.  Jesus tells us this in the In the Parable of the Weeds (Matthew 13:24-43) and in other passages.  So much so that we should not be surprised or overreact when it happens.
So, what to do when people reject Jesus?  We follow the lead that Jesus taught us in the Parable of the Weeds which is simply be patient and keep presenting the Gospel.   In two drive-through lanes at the Chick-fil-A society we live in we want everything fast.    God has his own timing and while we are all called to make disciples the timing of making is all up to God.   
 
The point for us is to teach the Gospel, in and out of season and as we share the Good News, let’s be patient people will reject Jesus.  However, in the end every knee will bow and ever tong will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  
 
 
 
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In a teaching from Luke 5:17-26, Pastor Marben Bland tells the story of how great things happen when people of faith work together.  
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Coached by the incomparable Dawn Staley, the University of South Carolina Women’s basketball team completed an undefeated season beating the University of Iowa and the sensational Caitlin Clark in the title game of the 2024 NCAA Division One women’s baseball tournament.  
For many the win was redemption for the Gamecock’s upset loss to Clark’s Hawkeyes in the semifinals of the 2023 tournament.   However, for Coach Staley the win was because God’s grace.  She put the entire thing in perspective saying, “We serve an unbelievable God,” and her team was the recipient of the uncommon favor of God.  
The accomplishments of Dawn Staley and her team shows how great things happen when people of faith work together.  
In Luke 5:17-26, we find Jesus teaching the word of God. Gather with him in a small house are folks from Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem.  Also, in the crowd are the Pharisees and teachers of the law, men who are critical of Jesus.  
Knowing the power of Jesus to heal a group of four men try to get their paralyzed friend into the crowed house to see Jesus.  But the crowds are too big they can’t get through.  Instead of giving up in defeat the men use their God given creativity “tearing the roof off the sucker” the men lower their friend into the house bypassing the big crows going directly to Jesus.  
Jesus heals the man saying to the dismay of the Pharisees, “take your stretcher and go to your home.”
It’s abundantly clear be it with the four men in the house that day, or Dawn Stately in the final four.   The uncommon favor of God is there when people of faith work together. 
Join us tomorrow at Greater Bethel, where we continue to explore God’s uncommon favor in a teaching from Luke 5:17-26 in a teaching entitled Tear The Roof Off The Sucker! The Story Of How Great Things Happen When People Of Faith Work Together.  
We worship in person at 140 Rose Street in Athens, with Sunday School with a tasty breakfast starting at 9:30 and worship at 11:00 AM.  Watch the live stream of services on our Facebook page and YouTube channel.  
So, until tomorrow, blessings, peace ,and love. 
 
 
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