The Deacons Corner

Well A lot has happened since my last post. We have an interim pastor. So I have not written any more articles. I have rotated out of the "hot seat" as the chairman of the deacon council. My youngest daughter graduated college on May 8th and then got married on May 15th. All the while I have filled several pulpits in this area. God has given me many blessings. Today is my oldest daughters birthday and she's a great mother, wife, daughter and teacher. She was an answer to prayers over 28 years ago.

First Baptist Church Tutwiler, MS 4-11-10

The Reason For The Season

Ecclesiastes 3:1 3 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

From 1960 to 1980, the divorce rate more than doubled
Though the divorce rate seems to have decreased and stabilized, it
is with a skewed look at the data. The study does not take
into account more couples co-habitat now. Men and women are
waiting longer to get married and it does not ask if a married
person is on first marriage or consecutive marriages.

W. Bradford Wilcox is the director of the National Marriage
Project at the University of Virginia and a senior fellow at the
Institute for American Values. See

If you look at the magazine counter of any store you’ll find
numerous novels and magazines devoted to romance and love.

Television shows today show a perverted idea of love; shows like
Desperate housewives, Army wives, Married with children, Ellen
Degenerate and Will and Grace.

Many people seek to be loved and accepted. We are born with a
need for love.

Love is mentioned in the bible (573 xs NKJ) & 429 KJ times.


I contend that the real reason for this season is Love.

First what is Love:
Some say Love is Blind
We find In
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NKJV)4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails…………………

Jesus said to the disciples in John 15:17 (NKJV)17 These things I command you, that you love one another

What about you? Do you feel unloved? The enemy will tell you no one loves you. God loves you. We see in Romans 5:8 (NKJV)
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

A very familiar verse says it all. You may have learned this verse when you were small and still felt loved.
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten, Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NKJV)3 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:


What Season are you in? Are you in a season of hope or despair?
Do you want to know true Love. Make this Easter season the
Season you experience true love. The Love of the Father.
Jesus said: in John 14:6 (NKJV)
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Article 53 The Deacons Corner

The three amigos for a medical company on the way to The Cleveland Clinic. Myself, Paul Rigoni and Mike Bonfig We all worked in CT for this company. I was grateful to be with two of the smartest people at the company. The one thing we had in common other than CT was a sharp sense of humor. As Mike drove our discussions would vary. Sometimes it would be just laughter as we would pull pranks on each other.

I saw a tree in full bloom just like one I have in my back yard. I called it by the name I had been told it was a "Tulip Tree". Miked and Paul just rolled with laughter. Paul said it was a Japanese magnolia.
You see being the only southern person in our group I was always hit with southern jokes. All in good fun. I learned a valuable lesson that day.
When I got back to the hotel my research began. I surfed the web. When I got home I looked in my encyclopedias. I was right, the trees common name was a Tulip tree because the bloom looked like a tulip. Paul was right because it was a Japanese magnolia. Every time I see the blooms on a "Tulip tree" I think of my friends. I miss working with them. I am also reminded we should "test" our knowledge and seek out the truth in Gods word that we are given by others. We find in 1 Thessalonians 5:21:
21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.

I have many good memories of my days at that company. I'll hold fast onto them and God's Word



With the Love of Christ
Deacon Dan
John 3:30

The Deacons Corner 3/15/10

Working in the medical field I see people in pain everyday. It reminds me of how much pain this world has in it. There is pain that comes from injuries we suffer. A broken arm maybe from a fall, a hurt back from lifting improperly or maybe pain from a burn while cooking. Yes there is much pain in this world.
I remember visiting with our former interim pastor Dr. Stan May to a lady's home. She felt pain. Her pain was not physical though. It was more of mental pain some real pain some perceived pain. Mostly her pain came from life choices she had made in the past. Family members had deserted her, she was divorced . Her pain was so great I felt as if it slithered onto me by the time we left. Dr. May had a message of Hope for her. He didn't hesitate to share the love of Christ and God. She felt even God had turned His back on her.
So many people become depressed and believe that God has turned His back on them. Even Jesus experienced this type of despair in Mark 15:34 we read And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” As Jesus took our sin on himself He seemed all alone. But the good news is we don't have to be. Jesus said in Matthew 28:20 ...................and, Lo I am with you Always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

May you know the Love of Jesus Christ

With the Love of Christ
Deacon Dan
John 3:30

The Beacon Article 3_10_10

Willie Carter, a great man in my eyes. I am sure you don’t know him. He had a son named Jimmy (no not the president, Jimmy was my uncle). What made Mr. Carter a great man one may ask? Well he was honest, he had integrity and character. A meticulous carpenter people sought him out to build their own house.
He was ordained into the ministry of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by Muddy River Baptist Church. It was in a day when microphones were unheard of. I don’t think they had been invented yet or at least they were only used by radio stations. Mr. Carter was a very soft spoken man, yet when he spoke his words of wisdom demanded respect.
My grandfather left the ministry for some reason. I was always told it was because people couldn’t hear him when he preached. I hope that is so. I know he never turned his back on God. He never lost faith.
I remember him falling asleep daily reading his bible, while sitting in a naugahyde chair. It took me years to learn that I couldn’t’ go hunting for Naugas, that the chair was made from vinyl.
Oh! I digress.
Character, Mr. Carter (Willie to some, daddy to others but he will always be papaw to me) was the epitome of character. He demonstrated the love of Christ to everyone he met. You see he had many trials and tribulations in his life. My aunt Betty (whom I never knew) was taken from my grandparents at the age of two. His last days were filled with the pain of multiple heart attacks. He never complained.
I think that’s why I love our church so much. The elderly members of our church never complain. They remind me of him.
In Romans 5:1-5 we find how character is built:
5:1Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our LordJesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we
stand,and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that
tribulation produces perseverance;
4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured
out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
I hope you rejoice in your character building exercises.
Keep the faith and hope as God builds your house of character. .



With the Love of Christ
Deacon Dan
John 3:30

The Beacon Article 3_3_10

The Deacons Corner
A young strapping boy of 15 looking to impress the young ladies waded deeper and deeper from the shore of the beach.
He didn’t want them to know some things about him. One secret was that he couldn’t really swim. At 6’ 2” he thought they would think he was swimming if he just waded far enough from the shore. As he tried to impress the teenage girls at the beach, he didn’t want them to find out that his mother was on the beach, too.
Just about three minutes into the water, he heard a bloodcurdling scream that unnerved him. He became so embarrassed and ashamed when his mother yelled, “Charles Daniel Sandlin, come back here, YOU CAN’T SWIM!” that he insisted on leaving the beach.
You see, I was ashamed that I couldn’t swim and as a young “man” my mother came to the beach with me. Not too impressive for young teenage girls.
What are you ashamed of? I am ashamed of many things that I did before I met Christ, yet they are all forgiven now.
All my shame is under the blood that Christ shed for us on the cross.

Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 1:8
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but

share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,
I pray that you feel the freedom to tell others of what Christ has done for you.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16 (KJV)


With The Love of Christ,
Deacon Dan
John 3:30

The Beacon Article 2/24/10

The Deacons Corner

Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog used to be a favorite song of mine. Three Dog Night sang that song passionately. I wanted to sing that song in a talent contest at the county fair. My mother said I could if I would sing it to my Papaw (Willie Carter). Papaw had only been home from a Nashville hospital after his third heart attack for a day or two. I didn’t know it then but within a month I wouldn’t be able to sing to my grandfather. You see I have learned since those days that Jeremiah was a prophet, a prophet of the most high. I sing a new song nowadays. It says in Psalm 33:1-3 (NKJV)
1 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful.
2 Praise the LORD with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
3 Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
I will sing praise unto our Lord. I hope you enjoyed The Two Tenors this past Sunday night. Talking about singing a new song WOW!


With The Love of Christ,
Deacon Dan
John 3:30

The Beacon Article 02/17/10

Facebook had people sending Valentines wishes to “friends”, Wal Mart went all out this year for Valentines day much like they do at Christmas. I have several reasons to like Valentines Day.
Most of you know I love chocolate, but did you know my first name sake Danielle Sircy Violette , and her twin sister Michelle Sircy Trimble were born on Valentines Day 27 years ago? Happy Birthday my little Valentines.
I love my wife and girls what better way to celebrate that love than flowers and chocolate?
But this year I believe God has impressed upon me to look at it from a different perspective.
God’s love is amazing like a big heart shape box of chocolates (stay with me, no irreverence intended). It demonstrates the size of His love with the sweetness of his blessings inside. Oh and the color red, this year it reminded me how God loved me by covering my sins with the blood of Jesus. Jesus tells us how we are to love in. John 15:9-13 (KJV)
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments,
And abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Real love means we accept one another no matter of each others flaws. I hope this Valentines Day you were full with the joy of Jesus oh and chocolate too.


With the Love of Christ
Deacon Dan
John 3:30

The Beacon Article 2/10/2010

I gave in I finally got an old mans chair (a recliner).
It seems like the older I get the faster time passes. Maybe it's just that I can't keep up with the pace like I used to. There is more work to do now, and less time to do it in. This is not new I just thought I would be able to slow down once my children were grown. I am not complaining.
God has blessed me immensely and I am thankful to be able to work. I am just trying to convey my experience on aging. It also seems that most things I thought were major issues and concerns for me in my twentys are so trivial now. My perspective has changed. All the time I struggled to bank and save time to enjoy with my children later just disappeared. My children grew up way too fast.
Older men and women would look at my young children with a strange admiration.

I now find myself doing that, understanding that the older people of my youth was remembering special moments in their youthful parenthood days. Maybe they would see one of my daughters do something that reminded them of heir own children. I do that more now. I have slowly learned that yes God is in control and I can turn over to Jesus all my problems just as He promised in:

Matthew 11:28-30
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Do you rest well? I think I'll sit back in my chair now and enjoy the rest Jesus gave me a long time ago.

With the love of Christ
Deacon Dan
John 3:30

The Beacon Article 2_3_10

I loved my uncle Floyd he always had time for us and he was always pulling practical jokes. I liked him for another reason too; he was the only person I knew that was more scared of the dark than I was.
When I was eight years old my uncle Floyd cane over to my grandmothers house after dark. I knew he was coming so I hid behind a bush and jumped out and scared the bejeebies out of him. Well it was really funny until my uncle caught me. No he didn’t whoop me he just gave me a talking to very sternly. That actually hurt me worse than any paddling would.
I digress, back to surprises, of all times to be late for church I was this past Sunday. How could I have known what would happen at the end of the service? I didn’t even wear my sport coat. I had a surprise.
Mere words could not begin to express my gratitude for the gift from the church. I thank you for that gift and for the blessing of your support. CBC means so much to me and my family.
I have seen God operate this past year in many different ways. He has taught me many things and given me a glimpse of what a pastor’s life is like. I just want to serve Him in any way I can.
Please continue to pray for me and Charlotte as we seek the direction God wants us to go.
I have had something on my heart now for a couple of years and I am trying to make sure it’s what God wants too. When I am convinced it is what He wants I’ll let you in on it.
Please accept my humble thanks and gratitude but my feelings really are much more expressed in my wife’s favorite hymn “To God Be The Glory”.
He has given me the “Abundant life” promised in John 10:10 (New King James Version)
10………………………………. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Once again thank you and God Bless you
Philippians 1:3-6 (New King James Version)
3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,
5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,
6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;


With the love of Christ
Deacon Dan
John 3:30

1_18_10

The Deacons Corner

Friends, we all have friends. A true friend is one that will always tell you the truth and be upfront with you. He will do it in a loving kind way. How many true friends do you have? I may have three true friends. They are ones that can give me advice about my worst faults and I know they mean to help. I accept their comments no matter how painful they may be. You see Job had friends
Job 2:11 (KJV)
11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.
In today’s society so many of us have friends only because of what we can offer them. Ask anyone who has come into a great sum of money. They have friends coming out of the woodwork.
In the recent past I have experienced just these type of friends being invited to dinner so my “friend” could glean information on an issue that I would mediate, only to degrade me in front of several people with malice. He couldn’t be upfront enough to ask me my opinion at the dinner. Another “friend” that I spent a day with discussed the same issue and then to team up with the first man with an arsenal of comments, allegations and lies against me. Now these people seem to have a certain position of power within our church.
I was distraught about this until God impressed upon me to read the epistle of Jude.

Jude 1: 4, 8, 10 & 16 says:
4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

You see, God was telling me that He knows they are there.

The verses He impressed upon me to read next gave me peace.
Jude 1:17,20-22 says:
17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:

You see the Love of Christ truly will make all things better. Fret not God IS still in control.



With The Love of Christ
Deacon Dan
John 3:30

The Beacon Article 1/13/2010

Theft is a particular problem here in Clarksdale. I have had five bicycles, an electric chain saw, a tree trimmer, and other small garden tools stolen.
Nationally on a scale of one (lowest) to ten (highest) the crime rate nationwide is on average a three.
Here in our city the crime rate is two times higher than the national average among these crimes {crimes against property (theft, vandalism, and breaking and entering)}. I don’t mean to complain or be negative about our city I am just stating the facts.
The words for a thief appear approximately forty-eight times in the bible. Proverbs 29:24 (KJV) says:
24 Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not.
This article is not meant to offend but God had placed it on my heart a while back and I just can’t put it off any longer. You see sometimes truth hurts and while I was studying some verses in Malachi he impressed upon me to write this article.

You see Malachi 3:8-10 says:
8 “Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,
‘In what way have we robbed You?’
In tithes and offerings.
9 You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me………….,

I pray you don’t have a problem with theft of any type. God tells us to
try Him in tithes and offerings and He will:

10……………….. pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.

May you receive blessing immensely.





With the Love of Christ
Deacon Dan
John 3:30

The Beacon Article 01/06/2010

The cliche' “You can’t judge a book by its cover” has a new meaning to me.
One Saturday morning on a trip to Greenwood I wondered how many people would be at the competition and how skilled my opponents would be.
I did well in the first event. I would have a trophy to show for my effort. Yet this prize is not the one I really wanted.
My opponent for the next event came forth, he looked very overweight slightly shorter than myself. He seemed to move slowly and I should easily have more reach on him.
As the referee dropped his hand I never saw the fist that hit me in my left eye. He got a point and I had a great pain in my eye. I thought he had given me what is called a blowout fracture. There was not enough time for me to contemplate my pain, diagnosis or anything else except to fight and fight hard and fast.
You see I had greatly underestimated my foe. I based his skill on his outward appearance. The lesson I received from my second event in this Karate tournament would be far more valuable than any trophy. After the tournament was over, my sparring opponent and I met again in the locker room. When he took off his top to his “Gi” (karate uniform) I realized what I had mistaken for layers of flab were actually very developed muscles. I found out he worked out six days a week at about two hours a day.
You see in life we pre-judge people many times on an outward appearance. Sometimes their hair may not appeal to us. They may stutter, have a birth defect, a shrill voice or a different color skin. What we sometimes don’t realize they have a wonderful personality, are very intelligent, or have a very godly spirit.
God the Father created them and He does not make mistakes. I pray this year be the year we see people through the eyes of Jesus with a love that goes beyond negative first impressions’.

12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12 (NKJV)



Happy New Year
With The Love of Christ
Deacon Dan
John 3:30