Spoken word by the spiritual poet

Today, we bid our Pastor, Reverend John C. Ames farewell from our household of faith at Emmanuel Baptist Church. As God has called him to support church planting and church strengthening in the region of Sub-Saharan Africa’s mission field with Converge Worldwide ministries. Over the past 15 years, we have been truly blessed by him as a “sent one” of God, commissioned to do His work. Therefore, I thought it appropriate to write my reflections of Pastor John C. Ames on the theme of “sent one”.

“Sent One“

We, the household of faith at Emmanuel Baptist Church recognize Reverend John C. Ames as a sent one, not from flesh and blood but by the covenantal call of Christ the Redeemer, the Universe Maker to join the triumphant marathon of new creation, new birth and new life grounded in the unapologetic Law-free gospel of God’s grace. Pastor John of his own volition accepted the summons to be a sent one in the service of the heavenly calling to preach the gospel to every creature foreign and domestic, ocean to ocean around the globe until the second coming or he is called to Glory–the Eternal One of Israel. Therefore, Pastor John declared by faith to walk worthy of the heavenly calling, engage Ephesian’s warfare, run the race without hindered strides, and to testify to the gospel of God’s grace anytime, anywhere and everywhere so that the sons of peace may become sons of God.

Pastor John has been with us through our miraculous regeneration, repentance, resurrection living and brazen proclamation as followers of Christ by water baptism. Pastor John has been with us through the officiation and declaration of our two becoming one flesh in holy matrimony. Pastor John has been with us through our procreation, dedication and glorious doxology of highest praise to our God of new birth and new beginnings from whom all blessings flow. Pastor John has been with us through our trials and triumphs, through our thrills and throes and through our times of bane and benevolent blessings. And Pastor John has been with us through our burial-cry, benediction-cry and our deepest and grievous bereavement-cry of our families as mortality is swallowed up by the light of life.

We are forever indebted to our Lord and Savior, Yeshua Messiah for all the granted years He has blessed us with His servant, His shepherd, His sent one. We have given him the right hand of fellowship as family and he has become bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh and faith of our faith. He has truly born fruit of life worthy of repentance. For all the years he has given up no ground expounding the gospel, standing sturdy and staunch in Christ alone, Scripture alone, grace alone, faith alone, and God alone for us and with us. For all the years he waited in the iron inferno of delayed answers for us and with us. For all the years he took us to our mountaintop experience to view the Promise Land of prayers past for us and with us. For all the years he walked the road of longsuffering and loneliness in salient silence for us and with us. For all the years he drank the bittersweet communal cup and ate the bread of affliction for us and with us. And for all the years he has borne all things, believed all things, hoped all things and endured all things for us and with us. We give God all the glory, all the honor and all the praise! For his living with us has not been in vain as God has done great and mighty things through the obedience of His sent one.

As the days drew near for Jesus to be taken up, he sets his eyes on Jerusalem. So, too, as Pastor John’s days draws near to be taken up by Converge Worldwide, he sets his eyes on Sub-Saharan Africa’s mission field. Therefore, as a praying and sending church, we pray as he becomes full of days his eyes will never grow dim, his words will never fall to the ground, and his strength will never abate. We pray that God’s unfading glory will shine round him all about like the Bright Morning Star. We pray that he will forever be bold, strong and courageous for the LORD God Almighty is with thee. We pray that a double portion of God’s grace, mercy and favor like the morning dew will fall fresh on him anew. We pray that the bread of life and the breath of life will fill him richly with all the fullness of God. We pray as he walks with thee, may his feet and footsteps of faith remain forever beautiful before thee as he announces the gospel of good news making disciples of all nations. We pray that love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self-control will follow him all the days of his life. And we pray to Him who is called Wonderful, Mighty God, Majestic Glory, Prince of Peace, and the Promise Keeper who began the good work in Reverend John C. Ames will strengthen him to completion rendering him blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ as a sent one.