Old Honda’s Don’t Die They Just Retire

I remember the day like it was yesterday… Georgette and I were shopping for a car at Floyd Traylor Honda in Fort Smith. We picked out a 1991 Honda Accord Wagon (I wasn’t the van kind of guy and this was as close as I wanted) because it had room for our expanding family. After test driving the Navy Blue Far Eastern car we knew this was the chariot for us. The usual posturing began with the salesman, as we set down in his closet-sized office preparing for the negotiation of all negotiation’s! In my corner was a Classic Red Sierra pickup truck for trade-in… in the salesman corner was the infamous “manager” who would let the novice salesman know if it was a deal or no deal. Following several tenacious rounds both the salesman and I were weary from the barrage of heavy left’s and right’s applied to each other’s brain. Finally, it came down to the 15th and final round, I heaved my final price and danced in triumph as he went to his corner seeking advice. Then, the old man, the boss, Mr. Floyd Traylor himself came to the center of the ring…and after acknowledging that my grandfather had given him his first job, threw in the towel giving me the TKO! From that day when we drove the Hondanator off the lot it has been part of our family for the past 16 years.

  She, the honda, did her best after 16 years to hold on to her paint, but like her driver began to go bald. Inside her organs were strong but her shoes wore out often…8-9 times! She has been there for us everytime we needed her. She brought children home from the hospital, carried Christmas gifts to Grandma’s house, faithfully raised her trunk to carry the bags and bags of groceries to our house. She endured the cold of winter, heat of summer and loved it when the water hose was turned her way. She has driven fast while everyone laughed… and driven slow while we cried coming home from a funeral. She didn’t mind the french fries between the seats, or the coins lost for years in locations no human would ever find. She was home plate during baseball games and the field-goal during football season. In her early years she was only a city girl, but later learned to find her way to the dusty roads of the country. As a matter of fact it is suspected she has even been hunting!!! She has parked at many houses during her 16 years of tireless service and only a few times was she seperated from us while staying the night with other friends “at the shop.” She has drunk more gas than the Exxon Valdez, been waxed more than most women, and taught two boys how to drive.

  Well, you probably know how the rest of the story is about to go… although I made a promise not to change vehicles until Houston Nutt had a passing game… I have decided to go ahead and do the upgrade anyway! We looked at her cousin “toyota” but my dollars and their yen could not match up very well. However, we did find a nice German born in 2002 that seems to need adoption. 

  So, we say goodbye in  a couple of weeks to an Ol’ Honda…she didn’t die, but just retired! I wonder what kind of memories the German will give us…

Jeff “I really want a Plane” Beshears 

We Are Still In The Race

“Everywhere there is apathy. Nobody cares whether that which is preached is true or false. A sermon is a sermon whatever the subject; only, the shorter it is the better.”  Charles Haddon Spurgeon 1888

  Greetings to all of you:

   Spurgeon shared that thought over one-hundred years ago. He was witnessing the church accomadate its culture by devising a brand of Christianity where taking up one’s cross was optional–or even unseemly. Indeed, as John MacArthur Jr. says, many members of the church in the Western world suppose they can best serve God by being as non-confrontive to their world as possible. Having absorbed the world’s values, Christianity in our society is now dying. Subtly but surely, worldliness and self-indulgence are eating away the heart of the church.

  While I stand and look from the shore toward a horizon marked by Pragmatism, Utilitarianism, and Liberalism you might think that I would just throw up my hands and surrender. To the contrary, I see what’s happening in the church and culture today as a great opportunity! The opportunity is: that Truth (preached/taught) will shine its light and expose the falseness within and without.  After this past weekend it has become clearer to me that some people know what the label says, but they don’t know what the ingredients are! Let me encourage each of us to be better students of the Scriptures… to “really” know what God’s Word teaches and what IT doesn’t.

  I look forward to our Christ for Maumelle Crusade. I believe that many will be saved. Have a good day and week.

Dr. Jeff Beshears

Prayer Meeting

We were blessed to have Dr. Marvin Peters guide us through our prayer meeting last night. I want to thank him and the members of FBC for a special time of intercession and Crusade preparation. May God use us to win 100’s to His family! Have a good day. Jeff

In The Beginning

Hello Everyone: 

   I’m sure you are estastic and overjoyed to learn that Pastor Jeff has this public venue up and running…”the blog!” Wikipedia says that a blog is:  (a portmanteau of web log)  a website where entries are written in chronological order and commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. “Blog” can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog. Blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject such as food, politics, or local news; some function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (artlog), photographs (photoblog), sketchblog, videos (vlog), music (MP3 blog), audio (podcasting),  and are part of a wider network of social media. Micro-blogging is another type of blogging which consists of blogs with very short posts.  

  I think this “blog” can be used beyond a simple diary! As a matter of fact I hope to use this “blog” to encourage both the members of First Baptist Church of Maumelle and those of you who just happen by. I hope this “blog” will also let many people get to know me better… since very little time and attention can be given to each person at a Sunday service. The majority of people see/talk to their pastor only on Sunday thus they only get a small one-sided view of God’s man. I want people to know more about me and what happens between Sundays.  

   We live in a time of unparalled pragmatism, relativism, and “new” ways of ministry. I will from time to time address some of these issues with a barrage of Biblical Truth! It is time to step up our defense against such devilish things that undermine the church and its work in the world. I will, however, throw in some humor, personal stories, family events, etc. so you will have something to talk about at the water fountain!!!  

  My name is Jeff Beshears and I’m blessed with a great family: My wife, Georgette; My sons: Timothy(19), Jonathan (16); My daughter: Emily(11)(if I see a boy near her watch out!). I pastor the First Baptist Church of Maumelle, Arkansas. If you are in the area come by and worship with us. That is it for today… check back at least once a week for updates.