Tag: Jesus

Behold What Manner

Posted on by Billy Holbrook
by Dr. Grant Scarborough

He was an old white man living in a racially divided city, the city where Martin Luther King was shot and killed. Racial relationships were strained at best and the only thing people could agree on in the entire city was Elvis and BBQ. But I had lived there for a few years and had begun to understand the unspoken rules.

So when I saw the older man in the hospital, I was a little confused. After I met him, I turned around and saw a younger black woman in there as well. “Hmmm—who is she?” I thought. She was very attentive. She asked a few questions. “Maid? Caregiver?” She really did not act like either one.

Everyday I came to check on my new friend. Everyday she was there. He slowly improved. She took notes. She would talk to the patient about details. I examined him every day. He was slowly improving, but I was so curious.

I could not take it anymore—I turned to the old white man in the bed, “Sir, who is this young black lady in the room everyday.” He looked at the girl with a twinkle in his eye, smiled and then said, “Doctor, I have two daughters, one of them is adopted and I know not which one she is.”

What great love!

If you are a Christian—a believer in Christ—can you see and smell the gospel in this story? Do you realize what Christ has done for you? Because of his great love for you, because of his rescue of mankind by dying on the cross; because of his blood spilled and covering your skin, you too can hear the same words.

You will stand, one day, in front of the God of heaven and earth and beside you will be your elder brother, Jesus. And God Himself will look down and say, “I see two children before me, one of them is adopted and I know not which one it is.”

When you are loved by God, you are loved completely. You are His Child. He loves you. He is proud of you. He turns His face to you in love, and with a twinkle in his eye, smiles and says, “Child, you are mine!”

Behold what manner of love the Father has for us, that we should be called sons and daughters of God, and that is what you are! AMEN.

Seeds

Posted on by Billy Holbrook

Dr. Grant Scarborough

(pictured above, Dr. Grant Scarborough and Dr. Robert Campbell.)

 

Seeds are pretty simple. You plant and water and then wait. Add a little fertilizer, water a little more and wait. It seems like a lot of waiting.

After a while there’s a shoot from the dirt – then more waiting. My garden is not the best of gardens. Many plants grow up and then bear no fruit. Well that just stinks. I really think that as much money as I spend on my garden – and the little fruit I receive – it would be cheaper to go to the grocery store and buy the entire vegetable section. But don’t tell my wife, she likes the backyard dirt.

Sometimes you get that one plant that completely over produces and it makes it completely worthwhile. One year it was our cherry tomato plant and once it was our cucumbers. Last week I saw some more over production from seeds planted in Augusta, Georgia ten years ago.

In 2007 I moved to Augusta to try and start a clinic with a friend Robert Campbell. We had so little. Many of you know the story of God’s faithfulness, and how God provided for our families and our clinic. It was the biggest step of faith we had ever taken as a family. We planted a small seed called caring for the poor. We prayed, many people watered it. Somehow, it grew.

I was able to go visit it last week. I was overwhelmed. The seed had grown into a tree. I think of the bible story where a very small seed was planted and grew into the largest tree in the garden where many birds came and nested in that tree. I saw a clinic in Augusta, where many of the poor have come and found a home. They found a tree where they were cared for. They found a resting place. They found hope. They found Jesus.

I was even more amazed to see many names on a sign on a wall that made it possible. Many people from Columbus, GA were on the sign. Amazing! People from a different city planted a seed. You need to know that in a different city and in a different garden, the great gardener God grew a beautiful tree. The people in Augusta do not know I am writing this – but I encourage you all to go visit and see the seed that was planted by many from Columbus. See the seed that has grown into a fruitful tree.

In 2011 I moved to Columbus and more seeds were planted. It allowed us to open another clinic called MercyMed of Columbus on January 19, 2012. Exactly five years ago. Today is our five year birthday. I am overwhelmed as a I write about how God blessed MercyMed. I report on this fifth birthday that our success is due to many things and today I stand to give glory where glory is due. After completing an expansion, adding dentistry, hiring a new nurse practitioner, expanding counseling – we stand to give glory first and foremost to the God of Heaven and Earth.

Deuteronomy 8:11-18 says,  

“Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, 12 lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, 13 and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, 15 who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, 16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end.17 Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ 18 You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

We desire to publicly acknowledge on our fifth birthday, that it is all about Jesus. We want to remember Him and acknowledge – it was not the might of our hand and our power. It was all about God. We will remember and celebrate Jesus first and foremost today. We will NOT forget!

But I also want to thank you. You have planted seeds with us. You have invested in us. We dug some dirt, manipulated the soil, you planted seeds, we all watered and God showed up. Thank you for being a part of what God is doing in Columbus, GA. Thank you for investing in MercyMed, but even more, what God is doing for the poor in this city.

May we, today on our fifth birthday, celebrate Christ. Let’s celebrate Him as the defender of the poor; let’s celebrate Him who is the Great Provider; let’s celebrate Him as the Lover of our Souls; let’s celebrate Him who so kindly and graciously waters the little seeds we planted; let’s celebrate Him who brings forth the sprouts that lead to fruit.

Let’s celebrate – not MercyMed – let’s celebrate Christ!

To God be the glory. Great things He has done!

Foreword

Posted on by Billy Holbrook

My name is Beverly “Ms. Cookie” Thornton.

This is not a life story. It’s more of a lesson in life. How to accept it, endure and embrace it. About giving up and going on, acceptance, sinking low, and rising above. And most of all faith in God and not giving up on Him.

Four years and ten months ago I was at the point of death, which seem to look that way at that time. I fell out on my church lawn, Highland Community Church, unable to breathe, where an ambulance picked me up and carried me to the hospital. There I was diagnosed with a throat mass as large as a lemon or an orange, which was cancerous and had to be removed immediately. Okay this was on the 14th of January 2012 the surgery was scheduled for the following Wednesday. So the wonderful surgeon took it out almost. There was a piece left in the back of my voice box that could have been left in. To leave it in, meant that I would be able to talk. So the Doctor asked me what I wanted: leave it there and talk or take it out and lose my voice. My instant reply was to take it all out. It doesn’t matter whether or not I can talk because I want to live.

So the next Wednesday I had the surgery and it went well. I spent the week in ICU, and the next week I was on the floor on the way to recovery and soon after then went home, praise God. Of course I couldn’t talk any more, but I was alive by God’s wonderful Grace and Mercy. And believe it or not that’s when my life really changed for the best. I embraced my new life and know that moment still today. God and only God can do the impossible. He sustained all my needs then and now. I didn’t have a job, I had been laid off. Didn’t have no insurance but through God my debts were paid in full.

Not only did he do that, he He gave me the best Doctors in this world. In my time of need to follow up with a primary care doctor, God put a wonderful Doctor’s office just around the corner from my house. It’s not everyday that you hear about a doctor moving into a neighborhood like this. When I walk to see Dr. Scarborough for my appointment, we make sure we talk a little bit about medicine, but a lot about Jesus. 

Thanks Dr. Scarborough

P.S. Today I have hope and love and so can you, and so can you. Just let the Lord live in you. Surrender it all to Him.  

 

photo credit: Ritchie White Photography

City on a Hill

Posted on by Billy Holbrook

 

 

City on a Hill, Dr. Grant Scarborough

Dr. G preached a sermon last Sunday at Highland Community Church. Highland is doing a series on the sermon on the mount. Pastor Rob Strickland called and invited Grant to preach on the words Jesus spoke in the book of Matthew chapter 5 verses 14-16:

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Click to listen to the sermon audio below. Remember to share and then let us know what you think!

 

 

 

 

Heading to the Barn

Posted on by Billy Holbrook

by Dr. Grant Scarborough

A marathon is a long way. Twenty-six point two miles. That can take hours in Atlanta traffic and longer when you are running. I remember a 16-mile training session. That’s a long way also. We left at 3:30 in the morning. I wasn’t sure if the cars we were passing were coming in from a long night or getting up early for the day—until we were yelled at and whistled for. They were obviously drunk because we were three ugly men. The other thing about running that early in the morning is that you can almost run down the middle of the road without concern. The other interesting thing is that the waffle house is the only option when your bowels start talking. They might just try to lock you out—just saying—I have heard of that before. I would not know.

That late night early morning, we ran around the airport. That just hurts to write—around the airport. The runways are very long. Rounding the terminal, the phrase rang out from each one of us, “Heading for the barn.” When you are running for hours, you have to get into a zone. When you run three miles, you can keep saying the entire time that you are almost done—just a little longer. But running for hours, you must realize that you are in for a long haul. If you are running 16 miles, just settle in. But there is a point in the run when you realize you are heading home. You are no longer running away from home, you are running towards home. You are getting closer to finishing. You are heading to the barn. In fact, you get excited—sometimes the pace picks up a little—you can picture sitting down, feet propped up, food on the table, and laughing about the long haul. In fact, good runners should be picking up some speed in the second part of the run. It is always good to hear the words, “Heading to the barn.”

A couple of days ago, my wife and I were attempting an 18-mile run. We are not good runners. Our second half was not nearly as good as the first half of the run. But when we turned around, I yelled out the phrase, which got me thinking. I am heading to the barn. I am past 40 years old. I am heading to that great wedding feast in the sky. I am heading to eternal fellowship with God our Father. I will enter into the home Jesus has been preparing for me. And we will laugh about the long haul of life.

But how am I doing on my spiritual run? Am I picking up speed? Am I more in love with Jesus? Do people see more of the aroma of Christ in me? Am I becoming less and Christ becoming more? Am I less concerned with the things of this world and more concerned with Christ? I wish I could answer yes for all those questions or even one.

The first 40 years were very fast—the second I hear is even faster. I want to cross the finish line and finish well. Finish with eyes set upon the Lord, sprinting to expand his Kingdom, picking up speed to make His name great.

Lord change me. May You that began a good work in me, finish it. Give me the humility to see where I need change and the strength and courage to ask you to help. And may I run with joy these last 40 years to the great barn paved with gold streets. Wow! Let’s head to the barn together!

Enoch was no more! Genesis says, “Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.” My father-in-law, in one of his sermons once said that as God and Enoch walked, God looked at Enoch and said, “you are closer to my home than yours, just come on with me.” Sounds like Enoch walked to the barn.

Let’s walk with God and head to the barn.