Focusing on the Future

Another Christmas gone, another year gone by, what lies ahead?  I’m no prophet nor am I a prognosticator, but we can have a vision of where God wants us to go in 2014.  We can look toward to the future, with dread, or we can look forward in faith, trusting and believing that God will do great and mighty things in our church if we will just be obedient to what He shows us. 

I have to wonder in the church in America today hasn’t lost her focus.  Are the things we focus on the things that are dear to God’s heart.  Let me share a few things that are on my heart and I think His for the coming year.

1.     We need to focus on people more than programs.  Reaching people and ministering to them is all about relationships.  I understand and realize that programs can be used to build relationships, but when the program becomes more important than the people; when we fret more over the program not going well than we do the people that are missing, it is doomed for failure and death.  Bob Mayfield, who is the Sunday School, Small Group, and Discipleship specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, made this statement, “You are in trouble when the people that attend your church’s outreach ministry are more concerned about lack of participation by church members than their concern for the lost and unchurched.”  This could be said about any program in our church.  We need to get our focus back on what Jesus called us to, that is, being burdened for people (see Matthew 9:35-38)!

2.     We need to focus more on the substance of our worship than on the style of our worship.  Songs and singing that honor Jesus are really what blesses the heart of God.  Jesus said they that worship the Father must worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23).  God’s word doesn’t give us all the details of how His children worshipped Him, just that they did with songs and hymns and spiritual songs making melody in their heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19).  We need to do likewise.

3.     We need to focus more on our prayers than on our petitions.  Are what we think of as prayers nothing more than our wish lists (petitions) to God?  Prayer includes petitions, but it is more than giving God our lists of wants and desires.  It is praising, thanking, and having a personal conversation with the Creator of the Universe.  The last time I checked having a conservation meant to enter into a two way communication with someone.  That is, talking and listening.  And when it comes to having a conversation with God I don’t know about you, but speaking for myself I probably need to do a whole lot more listening than telling.  Maybe we need to be more like the publican who stood and prayed, “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner’, or the apostle Paul who asked, “Lord, what would you have me to do”. 

Let’s get back to what God has called us to be, a church focused on people, praise, and one that seeks His face in prayer.  He might just do something miraculous in us.  I’m ready for a few ‘God Moments’ aren’t you?

Whatever Happened to the Carpenter?

It’s a cold, clear, spring evening in 40 A.D.  On a hillside outside Bethlehem, a group of shepherds warm themselves around a flickering campfire as the night settles in.  Having discussed the hardships of the day, their conversation turns to the prophecies in the Scriptures concerning the coming Messiah.

 Many ideas, interpretations, and thoughts are shared until someone asks, “Whatever happened to that carpenter from Nazareth that everyone thought was the Messiah?”  All is quiet until one man states, “I will tell you what I know, if you want to hear.”  Quickly they agree, “Yes, tell us about the Carpenter.”

Slowly he begins.  “It’s a sad story really.  Jesus, as was his name, had inherited his father’s carpentry business.  But one day he just left the carpentry business with no explanation.

“Some folks thought he was going into the wine business, because he had made some wine for a wedding that everyone said was the best they had ever tasted.  Word was his wine brought great joy.

“Tried the fishing business next.  Did quite well.  Though he never threw a net himself, he sure seemed to know where the fish were.  But no sooner had he started until he began speaking with his partners about becoming fishers of men, whatever that meant.

“After that he became a physician.  People said he healed all manner of disease.  Said he never carried any potions, medicines, herbs, or anything.  Sometimes he just touched them.  Sometimes he just gave the word and they were healed.

“They said he didn’t even need to be around the person; he could speak and they were healed.  Rumor was that one woman touched his garment and was made well.  Others said they actually saw him raise the dead to life.

“He started talking strangely about this time.  Spoke about being a shepherd though he never had any sheep.  Closest thing to a flock he ever had was that little group that followed him everywhere he went.  He told them about going to Jerusalem to die for his sheep.  It’s really sad because it seems he actually believed that.

“Went to Jerusalem and began confronting the religious leaders.  Caused a near riot one day when he began overturning the moneychangers tables while shouting about his father’s house being a house of prayer.

“End result was that the priests had him arrested and condemned to death.  It’s ironic that what he had said about himself came true.  It was a sad day when they crucified him, for many believed he really was the Messiah.”

Whatever happened to the Carpenter?  Some people say he’s still opening blind eyes, bringing joy to hearts, raising the dead, and healing those who would only let Him.

What’s the Message of Christmas?

What is the message of Christmas?  Is it gifts and giving, shopping and spending?  Is it love and joy, eating and spending time with family and friends?  Is it Santas and sleighs, trees and garland?  Is it a time of sacrifice and serving others who aren’t as fortunate as us, or is it just another Holiday to be enjoyed?  Is that all it is or is it the outgrowth of something deeper?

To remember what Christmas is really all about we need to go back to the basics for a few minutes and think about how the Christmas came to be in the first place.

(1)   Christmas is about the ultimate gift – a Savior.  God sent His Son to save us from our sin.  Birthed in the heart of God before the world was ever created God the Father planned Christmas.  His best gift for those who needed it the most.  Born of a virgin without a sin nature so that He could redeem us from our sin.

(2)   Christmas is about the greatest love ever shown.  He loved us before we breathed our first breath.  I think the greatest desire in the heart of any person is to be loved.  Not for what they might do or could do, but because of who they are.  Jesus came to lay down His life for us that we might know God’s love for us.  And when our hearts overflow with His love then we can’t help but love and bring joy to those around us.

(3)   Christmas is about enjoying the most blessed fellowship that we can know.  We enjoy the times of food and fellowship with our families and friends during the holiday season, but to be adopted into His family is the ultimate fellowship.  Our fellowship with family and friends here is a temporary thing, but to be a part of His family is a fellowship that will last for all eternity.  And because we are accepted into His fellowship and family we can and should accept others.

(4)   Christmas is about the life giving sacrifice of Jesus.  We are free to celebrate not presents or pageants, parties or programs, but the forgiveness we have in Jesus Christ.  And because of His sacrifice we are free to serve others in whatever way we can to make a difference in their lives.

We need to see the bigger picture of Christmas.  Christmas is not all about us, it’s all about Him!  Let’s celebrate it this year for its true meaning.

Thanksgiving, Are We Thankful?

Around November of each year you probably, like me, try to focus on those things we should be thankful for.  We talk of faith, family, friends, our churches, and our country (as off track as it is right now), among a host of things. 

I was reading a American Family Association publication this afternoon and saw a list of things that we either aren’t aware of, or do not normally think of.  I thought it would be good to share it.  It comes from J. Lee Grady’s column “10 basic blessings you should be thankful for.” 

1.       Clean water:  88.4 million people lack access to clean water.

2.       A Bathroom:  40% of the world does not have a toilet.

3.       Electricity:  1.6 billion people live without electricity.

4.       Shelter:  2.5 million in America are homeless and 640 million children worldwide do not have shelter.

5.       Food:  28% of children in developing countries are estimated to be under weight or have stunted growth.

6.       Your Stove:  2.5 billion people use fuelwood, charcoal or animal dung to meet their energy needs.

7.       Regular Income:  Most of humanity lives on less than $10 a day.

8.       Education:  Nearly 1 billion people cannot read a book or write their names.

9.       Health:  2.2 million children die each year because they are not immunized.  Annually there are 300-500 million cases of malaria including 1 million fatalities.

10.   Freedom to worship God:  More than 400 Christians die for their faith every day across the world.

Makes you think doesn’t it?  Should help us to thank God for His blessings, but also to pray for those who don’t have what we do.

It’s That Time of Year

Fall.  It’s that time of year when the leaves begin to fall, the first frost hits, and the days fluctuate between beautiful sunny times and damp, drizzly days.  There are so many holidays to prepare for in the fall.  Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas just around the corner, not to mention football games, cheerleading games and events, band competitions, and a host of other fall related activities.  Makes us want to set some boundaries on our time.  What we will do and what will we forgo.

 

Throw in a Chili Supper, Trunk or Treat, Thanksgiving Meal, Christmas Dinner, Revival, Christmas program preparations, and a host of other Church related activities and it’s enough to make us all want to go and hide for a while.  All these things are good in themselves, but obviously we all can’t do them all. What are the priorities?  What should you and I do?  Which things should we be most concerned about?

This is a story I have seen on the internet for years.  I’ve adapted it a little for our church family, but it’s truth always reminds me of life’s priorities.

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him.  When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, rocks about 2" in diameter.  He then asked the students if the jar was full? They agreed that it was. 

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks.  He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.  He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous - yes.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things - your faith, your family, your children, your health - Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job, your house, and your car.

The sand is everything else. The small stuff."

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are really important. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your life. Spend time with God, make family and friends a priority, worship with fellow believers.

"Take care of the rocks first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

Ever had a Bad Day?

I read the following a few years back and have hung onto this to remind myself that we all do have bad days from time to time.

How to Tell When It's Going to be a Rotten Day

You call Suicide Prevention & they put you on hold

You see a "60 Minutes" news team waiting in your office

Your birthday cake collapses from the weight of the candles

You turn on the news and they're showing emergency routes out of the city

Your twin sister forgot your birthday

Your car horn goes off accidentally & remains stuck as you follow a group of Hell's Angels on the freeway

Your boss tells you not to bother to take off your coat

Hopefully none of these things have happened to you, but bad things do happen to good people.  Sometimes describing them as bad just touches the tip of the iceberg.  And we often ask why?  As Joni Eareckson Tada says, we often ask, “Why me?  Why now?  Why this?”; as if we should be immune to trouble. 

There are reasons we suffer and hurt.  All of our pains cannot be explained, but they will usually fall into one of the following categories:

1.)       The Sin of Adam – Because Adam and Eve sinned, this world was cursed and the penalty for sin was death.  We live in a fallen world of sinful people and death, pain, and suffering came as a result of their failure.

2.)       Our own sin – we do reap what we sow.  Our lifestyles and the decisions we make all have consequences.  God doesn’t shield us from the effects of our decisions.

3.)       Sin of Others – You’ve probably heard it said that no man is an island and that is certainly true.  Our sin affects those around us, from our homes, to our communities, to our nation.  If you don’t believe it, look around at how many children are suffering today because of the sins of their parents.

4.)       Because of Satan – Luke 13:16 says, “And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?”  It doesn’t give us a lot of details other than to say Satan was the cause of her infirmity.  Job was living a righteous life when Satan challenged God to allow him to afflict Job.

5.)       Sometimes it’s the trying of our Faith that puts us through the storm.  Check out Job, Abraham, Isaac, David, Paul, or just read Hebrews 11.

6.)       And there are always the times that we suffer for God’s Glory.  Remember in John 9:2 when the Disciples asked Jesus why a man was born blind?  In John 9:3 Jesus answered, “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”  Sometimes God is working in ways we do not understand to show Himself and His Glory to an unbelieving world.

You don’t know why you’re going through the trial you are right now?  As my dear friend Pastor Tom James says, “When you can’t see His hand, trust His heart”.  I concur.  He will not let you down.

Things I Love #2

I love it when children are excited to see me.  They just accept me and others for who they are.  They want a hug, a handshake, a high-five, or just anything to make contact and I can tell you sometimes they can hurt you!  Not intentionally, of course, but they can deliver a blow!  I had a young boy once give me a hand slap, but he forgot that he had a pencil in his hand and ended up stabbing me in my palm.  Not good…

I am encouraged by their smiles and simple faith in God and you.  I have the great privilege of sharing a children’s sermon each Sunday to a lively group of about thirty children ranging in age from 2-8.  They sit and wait expectantly for me to share something with them and they love it when I ask them questions.  They love to be involved in the sermon.  They are a blessing to me, their parents, and our church.  I must confess that I am not very good at children’s sermons, but you know what, I have never heard one of them tell me how bad my sermon was or if I could have done better.  They just take me as I am and move on.

I can learn a lot from our children’s sermon time.  Not from what I attempt to teach, but from the lessons they teach me.  What do I learn from them?

1.    I learn to be patient until they get settled in and are ready to listen.  I wish I were as patience with God.  He’ll show me what I need to know when I’m ready to listen.  They remind me to be patient and wait on God.

2.    I learn to enjoy the simple things of life.  A laugh, a smile, a funny story, or just laughing at myself.  Life is too short to be uptight about a lot of things.  I’m not sure sometimes if they’re laughing at my attempts at humor or me.  But you know, it really doesn’t matter, a merry heart does good like a medicine.

3.    I am learning I need to not dwell on what just happened in my life, but to look forward to the next thing God has for me.  When the children’s sermon is over they are ready for children’s church and all that comes with it.  I tend to want to rehash what happened yesterday and fret over that, rather than letting the past be in the past.

I sometimes wonder what our adults think of my ‘Children’s Sermons’.  Thoughts like, that was dumb, or did they even understand what he was talking about?  I’m pretty sure the children probably couldn’t tell their parents when they get home what my sermon was about and the parents more than likely can’t either, but this what I hope they do remember, that their Pastor loves them and that Jesus loves them even more.  That’s really what it’s all about isn’t it?

Things I Love

People often ask each other what they like, what is important to them, or what they like to do, so I’ll tell you upfront that I enjoy writing.  It’s kind of neat for me to put my thoughts down on paper or should I say into the computer.  Then to display them on my blog (http://whereheisfirst.blogspot.com/) and watch and wait to see who reads them, and if they have any comments, is always a joy.  I am always amazed how God can take some small thought and encourage or challenge someone to grow in their faith in Him.  And I give Him all the credit, if any is due, as I couldn’t write anything if He had not given me the grace to share my thoughts.  With that in mind I want to share the first of several things that I love.

I love people who are excited about life and what God is doing around them.  They may not be the bubbly, overflowing, incessantly speaking folks who are always talking about how good God is and what Jesus is doing in their lives.  They may just be the ones who have that joyous, radiant smile that brightens the whole room when they enter.  They love people because Christ has put His love in their hearts (Romans 5:5).  Their whole countenance suggests that they would like to be your friend.  Every church has them because God knows we need them around us to lift us up when things are not going well.  When I come into our church on Sunday mornings, or for any other service, I usually try to greet a few of them first because I know that if I’m not in the right frame of mind they will help me to get there quick!  Gotta love the Debbie Downers and the Frustrated Freds, but they can sure drain your joy.  I just love the Barnabas Christians, not that I don’t love the others, but those ‘Sons of Consolation’ sure know how to pick up your spirits!

Eleanor H. Porter, in her story of Pollyanna said this, “People radiate what is in their minds and in their hearts.”  When church members have the Lord in their hearts and are filled with His love and joy it just comes out!  And I’ll tell you, it’s hard to be all down and out when their joy is just radiating from their very being.  Being a ‘Pollyanna’ is not a bad thing or something to ridicule.  In fact, we need more Pollyannas in our world today.  Life is too tough to live it without any joy.

So let me conclude.  Most Barnabas Christians (encouragers), don’t realize that they are.  They are just living life and enjoying God and His people so don’t forget to thank them and encourage them because they need to be uplifted too.  And maybe, all of us need to stop and ‘smell the roses’ because as someone said once, “I’m too blessed to be distressed”.  ‘Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise what the Lord has done’, as the old songs says.  Don’t forget to thank those who the Lord has put into our lives to brighten our days and most of all to thank Him who created us all.

I love people who have a smile on their face and the Joy of the Lord in their hearts, don’t you?

Does Our Church Need Revitalization?

I copied the following from an article by Ron Edmondson.  He pastored in Auburn, KY. a few years ago.  I think his points are well worth the time for all of us to consider.

Here are 7 vital components in church revitalization:

1.  Admitting you need to revitalize – That’s hard isn’t it? Recently a senior member of our church visited another church that has undergone revitalization. She saw the excitement and came back with a new understanding. Her comment to one of our staff members was, “We have to change some things, don’t we? We don’t have a choice!” The church as a whole must come to that level of understanding.

2.  Letting go of right to control - This is what makes or breaks revitalization in many churches. If the “No Change Allowed” sign is hung…or even the “but not that change”…on issues that aren’t even Biblical, then revitalizing the church will be very difficult.

3.  A vision of something better – What’s next for this church? Where are we going? How are we going to get there? There must be a compelling vision, such as loving a community for Christ and clear avenues for people to be involved in reaching that vision.

4.  A history worth revitalizing – This will be the toughest part of this post. There are some toxic churches that seem to have never been healthy. They’ve run off every pastor they’ve called. Many of these churches wouldn’t follow Jesus well either. They are stuck in systems and personal agendas and aren’t going to budge. (I realize that’s a cruel statement, but it’s a sad reality.)

5.  Leadership willing to lead change – This is more than the pastor. In many cases, the pastor is only the figure head of vision and change. Change is hard. It requires trusted leaders within the church willing to step up and lead along side the pastor. I wrote recently the difference in trust and popularity as a leader. Read that post HERE and understand the difference. It’s what makes collective leadership that much more important, especially in the early days of revitalization.

6.  The tenacity to weather storms – It won’t be easy. It’s far easier to start something than to try to grow again after a period of decline. Some pastors, leaders and churches have the patience. Some don’t.

7.  A few committed people – You need some people already established in the church who love the church more than their personal agenda. These might be leaders or might not. Many times newer people attracted during times of change don’t have the roots or credibility to do this. As great as they are…and even with them as a primary focus…the church needs longer term people to embrace a new future. These people have to support the pastor, speak up for the changes and create an atmosphere conducive for growth again.

Well, those are my candid observations. They aren’t based solely on opinion, but they certainly aren’t a product of extensive research either. They are derived from hundreds of conversations with other pastors and personal experience - Ron Edmondson

Hope these speak to you as they did me.

We Need a Royal Birth!

With all the talk of the Royal Birth in the news I couldn’t help but laugh.  All the network coverage, the internet blogging and articles, the twitter world trending about this new addition to the royal family, and the queen making her celebrated visit to see her new great-grandson, it was almost beyond belief for a commoner like me.

I was watching the network news the other night and all the commentators were speculating on such things as:  What will they name the baby, what will the mom’s role be in rearing her child in the royal family, how will Prince William involve himself in the raising of his child?  They were even questioning if he would change any nappies (diapers).  By the way, a dummy is a pacifier in British lingo.  Such relevant questions, I was about to break up laughing!

Now before I offend any of you moms, I want to clarify that having a baby is a big deal.  Any new birth should be celebrated with joy and thanksgiving.  And that brings me to my point.  We need to have some babies at Second Baptist this year!  Now some of you are about to go into panic mode with questions and denials such as:  Not me, I’m too old to have any more kids, or I’m finished with my family, or I don’t want any right now.  Let me explain what I’m talking about.

I’m not talking of literally of having some new flesh and blood babies, though all those are welcome, but of birthing some new Sunday School Classes!

We need to plan on starting two new classes this year and before you can have a baby, we need to get pregnant.  And before that happens, we need some parents.  Translating that into church terminology means we need some Christians willing to step out to teach and lead a new class.  We need some members with a heart to start some new classes in our church.

It is a proven fact that Sunday Schools grow through the start of new classes.  No new classes, no growth, it’s that simple.  Who will be the vessel that God will use to begin a new class.  It could be a class that is birthed from an existing class.  It could be a class that just begins by inviting those in our church who don’t currently attend any class.  It could be what we call a ‘paper class’; that is someone who just takes a list of prospects and begins praying and inviting.  There are all kinds of possibilities, but it takes someone who will allow God to use them to birth a class.  It takes all of us supporting, encouraging, helping, praying, and just doing what God has called us to do.

When a announcement is made of an impending birth our ladies immediately begin to plan a ‘Baby Shower’.  Maybe we need to start planning for the new births now.  We need another forty to fifty year old class.  We need another thirty to forty class.  Maybe God wants a class that I’m not even thinking of right now.  What will it be?  Will you be a parent?

I’m praying for some new babies.  Let’s get ready to celebrate their births!

Staying On The Right Path

I was reading an article on govolsxtra.com this morning, (http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2013/jul/19/sec-coaches-weigh-talent-vs-potential-for/), about athletes in the SEC and the effort of the SEC and their coaches to curtail the ongoing off the field problems that seem to be constantly in the news.  Several coaches were interviewed at the SEC Media Days and gave their assessment of why young student athletes continue to experience behavior problems.  Coach Nick Saban at the University of  Alabama (and I’m not a Saban or Bama fan at all!), had this to say, “We can be the moral compass for our young people but we cannot always drive the ship. We cannot always be there to drive the ship."

From the article: Alabama dismissed four players from school following their arrests stemming from two violent robberies on campus barely a month after the Crimson Tide claimed its second straight national title.  Saban said, "With events of today and the attention on some of the people who have been arrested in sports in the last couple of weeks, it's even going to be more critical to players' future that they make good choices and decisions.  And they have to realize that."

Every school has some sort of program to teach and hold each player accountable to his teammates, coaches, and ultimately the university for which he plays, but obviously, there are still breakdowns in behavior.  What can be done not only for athletes, but also for all our young people in the general population?  Below are a few keys that I have found to steering all of us away from trouble.

(1) Stick with the right people.

Running with the wrong crowd will always cause you grief.  Your friends can make you or break you.  Choose your friends carefully.  You can’t fly like an eagle when you’re surrounded by buzzards!

(2) Avoid the wrong places.

Frequenting places that promote things associated with trouble will lead you into trouble.  Clubs, bars, places where known troublemakers hang out is to avoided at all costs.  Stay clear, it’s not worth it!

(3) Have a clear cut standard of what's acceptable and not.

If you don’t know what’s acceptable you’ll be easily swayed by someone who doesn’t have your best interests at heart.  Those in positions of authority in your life can help you whether they be parents, coaches, or other adults that care about you.  Settle it in your heart before the temptation comes.

(4) Consider the consequences of your actions.

We may have to directly suffer the repercussions of our own decisions.  Ask yourself the question; is it worth the risk to my reputation and my life going forward?  .    Look before you leap, you make not like where you’re going to land.

(5) Think of how you impact others.

     We have to realize that all our lives are interconnected.  A few bad eggs in the basket will make the rest smell bad.  Commissioner Mike Slive of the SEC called it "a crushing disappointment" when a current or former SEC athlete runs afoul of the law. He said any perception outside the league that coaches or schools don't police or discipline athletes, is inaccurate.

     "In some ways, it's an inverse form of flattery," Slive said. "I mean, we have about 1,800 football players. We can count on one hand the behavioral issues, but they get the headlines and the disappointments."  And I could add that what a few do stains the reputation of their teammates, coaches, and schools.

(6) Pray and ask God to lead you daily. 

Read His instruction manual and seek His wisdom.  He’ll never steer you wrong.  Stay close to people who follow Him and His ways, they will keep you on the right path.

The young son of a missionary friend of mine said this, “Stay on the right path, cause if you don’t stay on the right path, you’ll end up on the wrong path.”  Well spoken.

Who’s That Calling Now?

When the phone rings what is our response?  Answer it or check to see who is calling?  Do we look at the caller ID or just wait and see if they leave a message.  After all, if it’s an important call they will leave a voice mail, won’t they?  Maybe we get someone to ‘get it’ for us so we can screen the unwanted caller and have our ‘go between’ to tell them we’re not available right now.  We’re so busy you know.

And we always want to know (before we answer) what the call is about.  What do they want?  What do they want from me?  Is it a telemarketer or solicitor?  Does someone need a favor from me?  Do they have information they want me to know?  I’m continually amazed that our younger generations will ignore a phone call, but will answer a text in a heartbeat!  You figure that one out!  But what if it was Jesus calling?  Would we answer?  Would we want to know the nature of His call before we spoke with Him?

Did you know that Jesus is calling!  He’s calling men and women to trust in Him and be saved!  He’s calling every Christian to make Disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).  He’s calling His children to share His good news of Salvation.  He’s calling them to teach and train others to follow Him.  He’s calling us to encourage and challenge other believers to follow Him with our whole heart.

Which brings me to the question will we/you answer the call?  Will you and I follow His instructions for daily living?  Will we/you share with our neighbors the greatest story ever told?  Will we/you step forward to teach and train others?  Will you and I encourage and challenge others to answer His call with their whole heart?

Are you involved in our ‘Go Outreach’ on Wednesday nights?  Why not if you’re a Christian?  See Randy Whitley and he will tell you all you need to know to answer that call.  Will you start and teach a new Sunday School Class?  See me or Gaylen Baugh and we can find a place for you to teach.  Are you helping with Children’s Ministry in our Church?  See Konnie Smith, she would love to see you using your talents and gifts to impact the lives of our little ones.  Opportunities abound to all who will answer His call to make Disciples.

The phone is ringing and the Bible says it’s Jesus!  Will you and I answer it?

Life with the Faith of a Child

I came across some interesting quotes this week regarding children.  Here are a few that you might find as intriguing as I did.

You can learn many things from children, how much patience you have, for instance.

Children are unpredictable.  You never know what inconsistency they're going to catch you in next.

Children seldom misquote.  In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said.

There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child.  There are seven million.

While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.

Jesus said in Mark 10:15 that “Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.”  Scholars have debated the question of having faith ‘as a child’ and how that statement is manifested in our adult lives.  I am certainly no scholar, but I think sometimes we try to make things more complicated than Jesus intended them to be. 

For instance, children don’t debate the existence of God nor do they question Him or His ways.  They just believe in Him and trust Him.  They don’t argue about His will for today and the future for their lives, they just trust Him.  They don’t worry about tomorrow and if everything will be all right, they just leave tomorrow to Him.

Another thing I have noticed about children is that they do not dwell on whether God loves them and if He is a loving God or not.  They see Jesus exactly as He is, a loving savior who loves them and all people.  They have a tender heart toward others and all of God’s creation.  They can be broken over a sick person and an ailing pet at the same time without letting it depress and discourage them.  They just trust God to make it all right.

One last thing I have noticed about children.  They don’t seem to separate and divide this life and the one to come from reality.  Heaven is just as real to them as the life they live in today.  Last week a father was in the hospital for a few days and his children were missing their daddy terribly and wondering when he was coming home.  Their mom called the hospital and had the children talk with their dad on the phone.  After ending the conversation, his daughter asked if daddy was in heaven?  No, her mom answered, daddy was not in Heaven, and he would be home in a couple of days.  I thought about that and realized that to this little girl heaven was not some far away distant place, but a real place that her daddy would be in one day.  She just thought the time had already arrived.

Heaven is real to them.  Children believe in heaven because they believe in a loving God who they can trust.  Our job is to teach them about the Son of God who came to show us what they already know.

What God is doing in Brazil

I am copying this from an email Rob Patterson sent to me.  As most of  you know, I partnered with a team from Eastwood Baptist Church in Bowling Green to travel to Brazil back in February.  When Rob sent this I rejoiced in what God is doing there and how He used our feeble, tired efforts for His glory.

Here's is Rob's email to the team.

Dear Eastwood Team, 

I pray this email finds each of you well & thriving in the Lord. Our family arrived back in Belém last night from an encouraging time in the field. Three teams were working in three different Quilombos Saturday: Mangabeira, São Benedito & Umarizal.

I wanted to share with you the wonderful results we're seeing in Umarizal. We've now completed all of the studies that were initiated during your time here, and we've seen more than 30 people make professions of faith in Christ…including Deonata (the lady who hosted you guys in her home in Umarizal)! Services are taking place on a regular basis in Boa Vista, and Saturday, May 25, will be a special day as the church building in Umarizal will be inaugurated. 

Please mark this day for prayer. As you will remember, your team plugged into a partnership among two Brazilian Baptist churches. The Ituquara church, alongside of which you served, has been sending teams for evangelism. The Baptist Church in Vila Permanente has supplied the resources for the construction of a church building and is now investing in training for Dinaldo & Maria. On May 25 the Baptist church in Vila Permanente is sending TWO buses of volunteers to conduct street dramas, social ministry & evangelism. Meanwhile, Ituquara will be sending over a literal "boatload" of people for additional evangelism.

Please pray that God will be honored & many more will come to know Christ during this landmark weekend!!!!

You'll be excited to know that both churches are currently planning on launching out into two new Quilombos in August! The Kingdom is advancing. Thank you once again for your willingness to join God in what He is doing in Umarizal. I know that it was tough, but your sweat…and sometimes nearly tears…have impacted eternity.

For His Glory in the Amazon,

Rob Patterson

Continue to pray for Rob, Jenny, Hannah, Haley, and all the Brothers and Sisters in Christ as they labor for His Kingdom.

What is This World Coming To?

When I look at the news on the internet or turn on the TV and see the latest catastrophe I shudder.  School shootings that began a few years ago in High Schools have now migrated down to elementary schools and kindergarten.  Bombings that were occurring at the entrances or inside public buildings have now found their way to the streets where runners innocently are enjoying a distance competition.  Explosions and disasters whether they are natural or man-made seem to capture the headlines daily.  What is this world coming to?  Or maybe we should ask what God wants us to do in such turbulent times.

Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:13-15 But evil men and seducers shall grow worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 14 But continue in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing of whom you have learned them; 15 And that from a child you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Notice what Paul advises young Timothy to do in the face of evil growing worse and worse and men being deceived into believing that killing others will somehow benefit them. He tells him to continue to follow God’s word and obey it.  In such an unstable world we are to stand on His truth. The word of God will stand safe and sure (1 Peter 1:25). 

Notice he admonishes him to have faith in Christ. Christ is our rock and redeemer.  He alone can withstand and calm the storms raging around us.  There is not a headline that catches Him by surprise.  There is never a news report that He didn’t already know about before it happened.  He knows the evil residing in men’s hearts that will erupt in more death and violence.  We must trust Him in these darkening times.

Lastly, Paul tells us in his letter to Titus in chapter 2 verse 13 to “Look for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;” He is coming again and He is going to fix our world. As we see men’s hearts continuing to darken can we pray with earnest, “even so, come Lord Jesus”?  He is our hope.  What is this world coming to?  It’s coming to Jesus!  Look up, for your redemption draws near!

Revival and Restoration

Webster’s Dictionary defines the word revival as:

1.    Restoration to life, conscientiousness, vigor, or strength.

2.    Restoration to use, acceptance.

3.    An awakening in a church or community, and interest in and care for matters relating to personal religion.

We just concluded our Spring Revival at Second Baptist which could be defined as a series of meetings for the express purpose of bringing about the above definitions of revival.  Did we see these things evident in and following the meetings in our individual lives?  I can give a hearty “amen” to that question!

Which brings me to a question Brother Mike posted on our Facebook page, “Is Revival over or has it just begun”.  Good question.  I would like to think it has just begun for our church, but a church is made up of individual members, so really we have to ask ourselves personally to get a true answer.  So I ask you, have you experienced a restoration to life and strength in the Lord?  Are you sensing a restoration to use or acceptance to the Lord’s work?  Have you felt an awakening to interest in and care for matters relating to your personal walk of faith in Christ?

If you have not, why not?  What will it take?

Vance Havner made this statement years ago, “Revival is the church falling in love with Jesus all over again.”

There’s a song by Shane and Shane that has the following lyrics:

When I think about the Lord
How He saved me, how He raised me
How He filled me with the Holy Ghost
How He healed me to the uttermost

If we start to really dwell on what Jesus Christ has done for us the love of God really does well up in our hearts for Christ.

Brian Edwards said, “In revival, the minds of people are concentrated upon things of eternity, and there is an awareness that nothing else really matters.”

That should be true of us.

Anyone Going Fishing?

In Luke chapter 5 verses 1-6 we find the account of Jesus giving instructions to the disciples on catching fish.  They’re washing their nets when Jesus approaches because they’re finished for the day.  They’ve fished all night and caught nothing.  Keep in mind that they are professional fishermen.  This is how they make their living.   

Fishermen in Jesus’ day used big corded nets that were easily seen by the fish in the daylight hours.  The fish could not see the net falling down around them at night and were easily trapped. Here it is now daylight and He wants them to try again.

At His urging they go back out and cast their net into the sea.  Quickly the net was filled with fish to the point of breaking.  They are amazed and marvel that this carpenter turned Rabbi would know more about catching fish than them.  Do you and I realize He still knows more about catching fish than we do?  There are some simple lessons in this story for you and I about fishing today.

One, take the time and prepare.  They were cleaning their nets when He approached.  If a net wasn’t kept clean it would rot in a very short time.  Trying to pull in a net full of fish with a rotten net would surely lead to losing the catch.  The analogy for us is that we need to keep our nets clean too.  How’s our prayer life, are we studying His word daily to make sure our hearts are clean?  As the old preacher said, “we need to be fessed up, prayed up, and charged up to reach people for Christ”!

Second, we need to go where the fish are.  I haven’t been on any fishing trips where the fish just jumped in the boat while it was still in the garage!  We have to go where they are.  We can’t just hang out an ‘Everyone Welcome’ sign and expect folks to jump in our church.  Last time I checked, fish don’t want to be caught.  As a matter of fact, they will try and avoid you.  Jesus told them where to throw the net.  We need to ask the Holy Spirit to lead us to where the fish are.  He knows.

Thirdly, a fisherman has to cast his net.  Fish just don’t jump into the net while it’s in the boat.  We’ve got to throw it out.  That may mean passing out flyers, going door to door inviting, sending mail outs, making phone calls, or giving personal invitations to those we know.  It can mean taking out newspaper ads, running radio spots, or posting flyers at local businesses.  Whatever it takes we’ve got to do it.  He told us to!  Let’s go fishing!

Call a Timeout!

Whew!  Do you ever just want to call timeout?  Stop the world for a little while until you could get your thoughts back together?  Just pull off the road and park your little self until you’re ready to continue on with your journey?  Do you ever think, “Who do I see to call a timeout”?

In the sports world, when one team begins to overwhelm the other, the coach, or one of the players, will signal the referee that they want a timeout.  They take the time allotted to regroup and settle themselves so that they can continue the contest without being embarrassed.  Now I know God is not to be compared to a referee, but like the referee who has the authority to stop or continue the game, God is in control of our lives.  But also like the referee who doesn’t call a timeout for the players, God leaves the calling of timeouts in life up to us.

How many times in the Gospels do we see Jesus ‘calling timeout’ in His life and the lives of the Apostles (Matthew 14:13, Mark 6:31-32, Luke 4:42, Luke 9:10)?  Maybe we should stop (call a timeout) and think about that for a little while.  But we would say, “I can’t, there too much going on in my life!  All these things won’t get accomplished if I stop doing what I’m doing!”  But ponder that for a minute (short timeout).  Maybe that is part of the problem.  Maybe we’re so busy we can’t even catch our breath.

I read of a pastor who decided to take one day off (Friday) and not do anything.  No cell phone, no email, no contact with the world.  Just about drove him crazy at first.  Waves of guilt, depression, worry over things that he was supposed to do, just plain anxiety over not doing anything.  WOW!  But he’s no different than me or you, pastor or layperson, doctor or lawyer, or Indian chief.  But you know what, instead of continuing to go nuts, his life began to calm like the waves after a storm has blown through.

You say, “I can’t do that.”  Really?  Try this, cut a few things out of your schedule that aren’t that important.  Take a little time to be with yourself (and God, He’s there).  And most of all listen for the noise to die down around you as God gives you His peace.

Vance Havner, an old Baptist Evangelist of yesteryear, said this, “We need to come apart before we come apart”.  Wise words aren’t they?  Just go ahead, do it, call a timeout.

2013 – What Does It Hold?

What’s coming in 2013? With the tragedy and turmoil that we saw in 2012, I just have to ask what 2013 will look like. Let me share a story that helps me to look to the future.

Back in 1999 Payne Stewart was a professional golfer who lost his life in a plane crash.  I won’t go into all the details concerning it, but 4 others lost their lives along with him.  One of those who died was Robert Fraley.  Robert was one of Payne’s agents and had played quarterback for Bear Bryant at the University of Alabama.  Robert, along with Payne, and maybe some of the others, were Christians. 

When reading about Robert and his life, I discovered that he was a health and fitness advocate.  Nothing unusual there, but then I read a comment that he had made at some time in his past.  It was this, “I plan my life each day as if I am going to live for another fifty years, but I live each day as if it is my last”.

Those words have echoed in my heart from time to time over the years, and I have never forgotten them.  It forces me to ask myself a question and I ask you to ask it of yourself as we enter 2013.  The question is this, “If this was my last year on earth what would I do”?

Here are some things I think we all could benefit from as individuals and as a church in 2013.

 1. Love people as Christ loves them.

     John 3:16 says He loves the world, shouldn’t we?

     He loves people as they are that they become what He wants them to be.

     We are called to be His Ambassadors.

2. Forgive others as Jesus forgives them.

    If He could forgive from the Cross, who are we to hold onto grudges and 

    offenses?

3. Help all I can as I may not get another opportunity.

    We only get one shot at life, don’t waste it.

4. Look for every window we’re given to tell someone about Jesus.

    Our words may be the difference between someone spending an eternity in 

    Hell or Heaven.

May this be my heart, your heart, and the collective heart of our Churches in 2013, its Christ’s heart, let’s be His people.