Celebrating Christmas

Jesus was once a baby in a manger. His mother and earthly father looked down upon him, no doubt thinking quite a bit about how God had spoken to them sometime earlier about who He would be and what He would do.

But He didn’t stay a baby. He lived a life filled with lovingkindness for all those who were hurting and oppressed. He healed the sick, raised the dead, and proclaimed the Good News to all who would listen. And then Jesus went to the cross and paid the penalty for our sin.

But He didn’t stay dead. The Sunday after His crucifixion…He arose! And after spending time showing Himself to His disciples, He then ascended into Heaven where He makes intercession for those who know Him.

But He won’t stay there. One day Christ will come and receive those of us who know Him unto Himself that where He is we may be also. Let us celebrate Christmas while remembering it’s not just about a baby in a manger, it’s about a Savior – Christ the Lord!

Merry Christmas to you all! –

Bro. Matt

Cannon's Corner

“We Need Revival!”

I’m writing this just a few days after the attempted assassination of former president and current presidential candidate Donald J. Trump. As of right now, not much is known about the shooter or his motives. We also don’t know all of the ways this event has changed people in this country or how it will change us in the future. What we do know is that it was a terribly evil act that left a man dead, devastated his family, and impacted an untold number of people in various ways.

After this incident, I was asked an interesting question: Why does the sinfulness in our world seem to be getting worse? My answer was that when someone who is sick gets closer to death, he generally gets sicker. The same can be true for a country.

Our county is sin-sick and has been for quite some time. The worsening of this sin-sickness may be an indicator that it is getting closer to death. I do not like this, but I believe it to be true. The values this country was founded on have slowly eroded and been stripped away leaving us in a culture that is increasingly hostile to the things of God. If this keeps happening, this nation I love so dearly is in danger of demise.

Which is why we need revival!

A revivalist named Richard Owen Roberts described revival as “the extraordinary movement of the Holy Spirit producing extraordinary results.” There is no doubt in my mind or hesitation in my heart about the fact that this is what we desperately need. We need an “extraordinary movement of the Holy Spirit” to produce “extraordinary results” in our churches, communities, state, and nation. We need the Lord to move!

Would you pray diligently with me for the upcoming Simultaneous Revivals taking place in our association? Would you commit to being a part of these special services? Would you join me in being fervent in prayer for the Lord to “rend of the heavens and come down (Isaiah 64:1)?”

To continue living, that which is near death must be revived. May the Lord revive us again!

– Bro. Matt

Cannon's Corner

“Still Strong”

“Reminder – if you’re going to believe everything you read, you should only read the Bible.” I posted this on Facebook last week after reading some of the headlines from news agencies covering the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Indianapolis. As someone there, I can tell you many were “fake news.” The churches that make up the Southern Baptist Convention are still strong in their faithfulness to the Bible and belief that only Scripturally qualified men should be pastors. We proved this again this year by overwhelmingly voting to deem a church in Virginia not in friendly cooperation with the SBC due to having women pastors. This, in effect, disfellowshipped them from the Southern Baptist Convention. We did this by adhering to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.

You may be wondering why the Law Amendment was not passed if this is the case. This amendment to the Constitution required a 2/3rds majority vote (around 66%) at two consecutive annual meetings. It received well over this threshold last year but only a little over 61% of the vote this year, meaning a little over 38% voted against it. Why did they vote against it? I believe that the vast majority (likely around 95%) of those who voted against it did so because they didn’t believe it was necessary since it was already in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, and since we are already using that document to remain true to the Bible’s teachings on who can be a pastor. This means that the vast majority of those voting still holds very firmly to the Word of God!

This means that the SBC is still strong on following what God has declared concerning who can and should be the pastor of a church. But we are still strong on more than just that. We are still strong in sending out missionaries. There was an IMB sending celebration during the a meeting where we celebrated the sending out of 83 missionaries from all over the world. We are still strong in cooperation. The reports from the various SBC entities show that we are as committed as ever to reaching the lost, equipping the saints, and exalting the Savior. We are still strong in praising the Lord. One of the greatest joys of being at these meetings is seeing and hearing thousands of Christ-followers singing praises to His great name together. The SBC is still strong, and the Big Emory Baptist Association is still strong. Let us give God praise and let us keep lifting high the blood-stained banner of Jesus Christ, never letting it hit the ground!

– Bro. Matt

Cannon's Corner

“A Reflection”

I have now been your Director of Missions (DOM) for a little over a year. It has been a blessed year-plus of service, and I have enjoyed it tremendously. Something that is still happening is that I am still being asked if I like my “new job.” My answer is a resounding yes, but I usually also tell the inquirer what I like most about being in this role.

Within our association, we have churches of different sizes. Those churches have various worship styles, and they do things in slightly different ways. Some have full-time pastors, and some have bi-vocational pastors. Some have a full praise band, and some have a piano or guitar player. Some have a large children’s ministry, and some have very few children present. The differences between the various churches are too many to go into here.

But despite the differences between various churches in our association, there are faithful people who love Jesus in each one. And, to me, that is the most beautiful thing.

We live in a world divided over a wide array of things. People separate themselves into different tribes and look down on those different from themselves. The differences between the churches in our association could cause us to do the same.

Thankfully, it has not. Jesus Christ remains at the center of our association of churches, and I am so thankful we can unite around our worship and service to Him. I look forward to what the future holds as we continue doing this to the glory of God!

Following Christ with You,

Bro. Matt

Cannon's Corner

“Christ is Risen!”

I have preached more funeral services over the past 3 months than I have in a very long time.

The ages of the deceased range from a preborn baby to a 99 1⁄2 year-old lady. Each service has

featured sadness and singing, grief and God’s Word. And each service has also had a large

dose of hope.

The hope provided comes from the fact that Jesus Christ is risen...He is risen indeed!

At Easter, we celebrate and commemorate the sacrificial death of our Lord on the cross of

Calvary and His glorious resurrection from a borrowed tomb. People who confess with their

mouths the Lord Jesus and believe in their hearts that God has raised Him from the dead shall

be saved. Because of this, we have a hope that is steadfast and sure that those who know

Christ, though they die, live on in Glory!

There is nothing so outstanding, so heart-uplifting, so joyfully-marvelous than having a true and

living hope that lasts beyond the grave. Let us celebrate this Easter like never before and let us

keep doing so until Christ returns or calls us Home!

Praising Jesus with You,

Bro. Matt

Cannon's Corner

“He Does More Than Get Us”

Jesus gets us, and that’s a good thing. He understands us fully and is completely aware of every fault, failure, victory, and triumph. This understanding comes from His omniscience and the fact that He became one of us in the incarnation. He has lived as a man on the same planet with the same problems as us. He does indeed get us.

However...He does so much more than that. If all he did were get us, we would still be dead in our sins and trespasses. If all he did were get us, we would be hopeless and helpless in the face of death. If all he did were get us, we would still be headed for hell.

But Jesus does more than get us.

He created us and sustains us. He came near to us and redeems us. He cleanses us and transforms us. He restores us and delivers us. He loves us and heals us.

And He saves us!

If all we needed was to be understood, we could go to any number of counselors, psychologists, or any other human being who has dealt with issues similar to ours. But we needed much more than to be merely understood.

It’s good that Jesus gets us. It’s even better that He does so much more!

Praising Him with You,

Bro. Matt

Cannon's Corner

“An Exciting Opportunity”

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” - Psalm 119:105

I think of this verse often as I ponder the importance of the Bible. The best tool we have at our disposal to grow in spiritual maturity is the Word of God. The main way we speak to God is through prayer, and the main way He speaks to us is through His Word. This divine dialogue is extremely important as we seek to follow our Savior. This is the reason we should devote ourselves to the daily reading and studying of Scripture and the reason we should encourage others to do the same.

It is also why I am so excited about the Big Emory Baptist Association becoming an extension center of Samford University’s Ministry Training Institute (MTI). This means we will offer affordable theological and ministry education through the MTI here in the Big Emory Baptist Association!

Each course costs just $50 plus the cost of the textbook and is eight weeks in duration. The first course will be "Biblical Interpretation" and be offered on Tuesday nights from Jan. 23-March 12 from 6-9 pm and the second course will be "Intro to the Old Testament" and be offered on Tuesday nights from March 26-May 14 from 6-9 pm.

These courses are open to anyone from age 16 to 116 (and beyond) who wants to learn more about God and His Word. Various diplomas are also awarded to anyone who completes the required courses. Those wanting to register can go to www.bebatn.com/mti and click the "register" button. Additional information can also be found at the same place.

If you or anyone you know has any questions regarding MTI, please have them contact me by phone at 865-278-8801, email at bigmattcannon@yahoo.com, or by coming by the office.

Serving Him with You,

Bro. Matt

Cannon's Corner

“Let Us Adore Him”

Christmas plays, pageants, cantatas, and musicals are wonderful ways for churches to celebrate the entrance of Jesus Christ into this sin-cursed world. I love and have been a part of each one of these throughout the years and greatly appreciate all who work so diligently to highlight the greatness of the Incarnation in these ways. They are all wonderful ways to help people turn their focus onto the One who makes Christmas time (and all other times) possible.

But what if we had none of these things? What if every church suddenly stopped with all of these special events? What if we threw out all the mangers and angel wings and baby dolls that dutifully played baby Jesus for years? What would happen if all the caroling was quietened and all of the Christmas trees vanished? What if there were no more Christmas cards, Christmas cookies, or Christmas parties? What if Christmas ceased to be celebrated all over the world? What would we have then?

We would still have Jesus…the only thing about Christmas that we’ve ever needed anyway.

I’m not saying that we shouldn’t enjoy all of the wonderful events, decorations, and fun of Christmas. I encourage you to soak in every good thing you can about this wonderful holiday. I know I’m trying to do so.

What I’m saying is that in the midst of it all, we must make sure we adore the One that this holiday (and every other day) is all about.

O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord!!!!

Serving Him with You,

Bro. Matt

Cannon's Corner

“The Forgotten Holiday”

Have you noticed something I’ve noticed? Have you noticed that Halloween has begun to be celebrated with insane amounts of special events and fervor and that as soon as November 1st hits more people and companies have decided to immediately shift their focus to Christmas? Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think it is. I believe over the past several years we are beginning to be conditioned to forget about the least commercialized holiday of all…Thanksgiving.

I really don’t know why this has happened, but I have a couple of guesses. One is that most businesses don’t profit off of Thanksgiving as much as they do Halloween and Christmas. With all the candy, costumes, and decorations that are purchased for the former and all the gifts and decorations purchased for the latter, it likely makes financial sense for them to focus on those two special days. Secondly and most importantly, the devil doesn’t like people being thankful and is doing all he can to keep us distracted by other things.

Let me encourage you to not allow him to do this to you. Don’t forget Thanksgiving...the holiday that is set aside for us to remember and give thanks to God for all of the blessings we have received from His hand. He has been far better to each of us that we discern and even if we lost every material possession we have, we would still be blessed because God the Father sent Jesus Christ the Son to be the Savior of the world!

So..don’t forget Thanksgiving and seek to cultivate a life of Thanks-living, where you pause on a continual basis to give praise to God for who He is, what He’s done, what He’s doing, and what He’s going to do.

He deserves all glory and honor and praise!

Serving Him with You,

Bro. Mat

Cannon's Corner

Take Heed

There are some very rough people in this world, people who have done the worst things imaginable to their victims. The horrendous acts done to people by those with the power and inclination to do so are shameful and we would do well not to speak of the details of such acts at all. This is often an evil, vile world and those who perpetuate evil acts are deserving of punishment for their actions.

But I wonder…how close am I to being one of those types of people? How close are you?

We like to think of ourselves as being people who would never go down certain paths. We read the paper or see the news on television and could never even imagine doing the disgraceful deeds that are reported each and every day. “I could never do something so awful” we say or think as we learn of repulsive acts done by people who often live in our own neighborhoods.

However, there is something we need to remember: any of us could become the worst of us.

How many sinful choices does it take for us to head down a path that leads to abhorrent behavior? I submit to you that it could only take one bad decision for many of us to get in such a big mess that we keep making bad decisions to try to get out of the consequences of our first one. One wrong move could lead to a life of appalling actions.

To put it differently, as we see the repugnant deeds done by others, we must realize that we are just as susceptible to the same sinful urges which led them down the path they are on. Because of this, we should do what 1 Corinthians 10:12 says and take heed lest we fall.

Don’t think you are impervious to the schemes of satan. Stay in the Word of God. Stay with the people of God. Stay walking with the Son of God in the Spirit of God. When it comes to becoming one who others look at as a sickeningly immoral person…we should all take heed lest we fall.

In Christ,

Matt Cannon

Director of Missions

Cannon's Corner

Shine the Light

What would you think about a man who walked into a dark room in his house and went on a rant about how dark it is and who declared how much he hates the dark without ever even thinking about turning on the light? We would all likely think that a man like this has become at least somewhat mentally unstable, if not completely unhinged from reality. Getting riled up about the darkness of a room without doing something about it when the means to do something about it is right at our fingertips would be illogically laughable and absolutely ridiculous.

Now, think with me about how Christians often respond to the spiritual darkness of this world. Most of us believe the world is a dark place that has gotten darker due to the increasing wicked godlessness which is running rampant. This is evident every day we live, every time we turn on our televisions, and likely every time we have any interactions with the world at all. What do we do about this spiritual darkness?

We often respond to the spiritual darkness like the man who walks into a dark room and begins complaining loudly and bitterly about it. It is easy to go on long diatribes about the spiritually diseased state of this world. We are eager to point out with loud voices all the vices being indulged in by those who are endangering their souls with reckless disregard for their eternal destination. And we often do this without shining the light of Jesus Christ into the darkness that we see.

I know and agree that the world is spiritually dark and getting darker, but the way to make the greatest impact is not by continually ranting about it. The way to make the greatest impact on the darkness is by shining the light of Jesus Christ through proclaiming the Gospel and performing good works.

Would you join me in striving to be people who shine the light instead of just being people who fuss about the darkness. Christ is more glorified and those who are wandering aimlessly in the darkness are better helped if we live life in this way.

In His Service,

Matt Cannon

Director of Mission