Weekly Devotional - July 6, 2012

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine

and puts them into practice is like a wise man

who built his house on the rock."

Matthew 7:24 NIV

 

You may find this hard to believe if you live in a part of the country that is experiencing drought - like in Arkansas. But just a few days ago in Invermere, British Columbia, heavy rains led to the collapse of a retaining wall supporting a road into a residential community. Engineers say the wall was properly constructed but that the recent influx of water is the problem.

 

What? Aren't retaining walls built for the purpose of keeping soil from sliding downward? And isn't rainfall one of the things that can cause the soil to slide? I'm not an engineer and I did not stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night, so my thinking might not be up to par on this topic.

 

But I do know that Jesus talked about crumbling foundations and shifting sands. The uncertainties of life can lead to problems and even downfalls. What you think is solid ground can slide out from under your feet when tempted. Your secure footing can give way when bad news or disappointment comes. It's possible to maintain control even if you haven't prepared very well by implementing some disaster control. But most likely - hasn't this been the case in your life? - the lack of preparing facilitates the crumbling foundation.

 

Jesus tells us to prepare for floods by building the house on a rock. The solid foundation can withstand the torrents. You can eliminate some of the disasters that lurk around the corner but you can't avoid all of them. Life will certainly be marked by problems. A good foundation minimizes and even eliminates damage.

 

What makes a good foundation in life? Jesus said that a good foundation that will withstand the storms of life is to hear his words and put them into practice. Do you hear the word of God? Do you obey the word of God? Pray that God will help you put into practice what his word says.

It's a Long Season

The Cincinnati Reds are my favorite professional sports team. I started loving baseball and the Reds in the early 70s and the love affair continues in today. The Reds are in first place in the National League Central Division by one game over the Pittsburg Pirates.

The baseball season in long. The teams play 162 games over six months. The the playoffs begin. The World Series caps the season in late October - a season that began in February when pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training.

Being in the lead of your division at any point in the season is an accomplishment, but the only lead that matters is after 162 games. The Reds have been five games out of first place this year. They've also been up by five games this year. The long season has an ebb and flow of wins and losses. Leads are built, diminished, and lost. In the end, the champion is not the team that scored the most runs or stole the most bases or had the longest winning streak. The championship pennant goes to the team with the best record over the long season.

My life has its ups and downs, too. I've had some winning streaks but I've also wallowed in the cellar some. Taken in narrow slices, you might conclude that my life is a huge success or a grand failure depending upon which slice you see.

God sees my life - and yours - as a whole. He notices the ups and downs, the victories and defeats, the good and the bad. But he doesn't pull the plug on us until the season is over. Then he may not pull the plug at all.

Jesus Christ died for your sins and mine. He had to because God demands punishment for our sins. That punishment is death - eternal separation from God. Yet God loves us so much that he desires to redeem us rather than punish us. So in order to meet his just demands for punishment of sins, Jesus died to take the punishment. So we don't have to!

Now, God extends an offer to each of us that, if accepted, sets us on a winning path. God freely offers salvation to everyone who will confess that Jesus is Lord. That means you repent of (turn from) your sins and follow Jesus. When you accept the free gift of salvation your unrighteousness is replaced with Christ's righteousness so that when Judgment Day comes you'll be found right with God.

Along the way you'll experience the ups and downs. You'll have amazing hit streaks. You'll commit some errors. You'll win some battles and lose some. But in the end God won't look at a scorecard to see how you've done. He'll look at a book that has written in it the names of all the redeemed.

Sure, I want my scorecard to look pretty good. But I want my name written in that book. And I know that it is because I have by faith accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord. That's the only way any of us can know we are right with God and saved by his grace.

Now, I'm rooting for you to follow Christ and press on to the end, and I'm rooting for the Reds to press on to win the pennant.

Everyone

"Everyone who calls on the Lord will be saved." The Apostle Peter quoted the Prophet Joel. So did Paul. This is a truth for all people everywhere.

Today four children in 3rd and 4th grades called upon the name of the Lord for their salvation. I'm always cautious talking with children about salvation because I don't want to guide them where they are not deciding to go. I've had too many adults say they prayed a prayer in Bible School or summer camp or revival services only to realize later they never called on his name for salvation.

What an injustice the church does to a person when they lead them to believe they are saved - right with God, OK for eternity - when actually they are still lost in their sin and in need of salvation! They think they are saved because of a recited prayer or a mindless decision. And they never really get serious about coming to Christ because they think they already have.

No doubt, the rolls of Cross Road Baptist Church - and of your church, too - contain at least a few who would fall into this category. Maybe there are many. Take a look around next time your church gathers for worship. Who is not there? Who is regularly not there? Who has dropped out and been missing for years? Whose life seems to be a series of bad choices? Who lives in disregard for God's word? Who lives without a sense of guilt or conviction?

There's really no way to know for sure if a person is saved or not, but Jesus said that a tree is known by the fruit it bears. Salvation is a total makeover of the person. If the "change" lasts only until his hair dries after coming out of the baptistry, then there's probably no real change at all. If a person can turn on and off his "Christianity" as he pleases, then there's probably no real turnaround in his life.

The truth from Scripture is that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. That decision cannot be made lightly. But made rightly, it's a life-changing decision.

I witnessed four children make that decision today. I believe they did it right. Now it's our responsibility (or the church's where they normally attend) to help them grow into faithful followers of Christ.

Weekly Devotional - June 22, 2012

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'

will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who

does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

Matthew 7:21 NIV

I'm a chemical engineer. Do you believe that? You shouldn't because it's not true. Just because I say I'm something doesn't make me that thing.

If I claimed to be a tree you would laugh at me and probably discount everything else I say. Why? Because I don't look like or act like a tree. I'm obviously a human being.

How can you tell I'm not a chemical engineer? I might claim to be one so how can you know for sure? The best way to tell if I'm a chemical engineer is to test me to see if I am doing the job. Listen carefully, I didn't say to test me to see if I can do the job. A person might know a lot about the subject but still not be doing the job.

How can you tell if a person is a follower of Jesus Christ? Is that even possible? Ultimately, you and I cannot know the heart of another person with absolute certainty. But their actions do portray the heart and sometimes betray the lips.

Let's say a person claims to be a Christian but their actions don't testify to it. Should you believe them and not be concerned about their salvation? Maybe we should take the position of our friends from Missouri and say to that person, "Show me!" God can see the heart, we can only see their actions.

A person doesn't become a Christian because of their lifestyle or actions; but they do demonstrate their faith in this way. Paul wrote in Ephesians that we are save by grace through faith exclusive of works. He continued by saying we are saved to do good works that God had planned for us along ago (Eph 2:8-10).

Pray that God will help you match your testimony of words with a testimony of actions so others will know you belong to him.

After the Fall

Can you imagine what life must have been like for Adam and Eve? They lived in the Garden of Eden - a perfect place. They lived with no sin - a perfect existence. They had everything they needed and communed with God regularly.


Requirements for living in the garden were quite simple: don't eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Visualize the garden. It was as lush a garden as ever planted. Every plant grew and produced fruits and vegetables. Adam and Eve lacked nothing when dinner-time came.


Why are our eyes always drawn to what we should not look at? Sitting in a restaurant, the wife tells her husband about someone across the room and says, "But don't look!" What does he do? He turns and gawks. He probably points and says, "You mean him?"



The Lord has given us plenty of room to travel on this Christian road. Jesus says the gate is small and the road is narrow - in comparison to the broad road that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). Paul says we have great freedom within the Christian faith (Galatians 5). The problem is not the width of the path nor is it the lack of freedom. The problem is our innate desire to live along the edges, to gaze at the forbidden.


Just a couple of weeks after we started walking back in January, I had an accident. You need the back story. In January 2000 I fell on the slopes at Crested Butte and sustained a tibial plateau fracture. In other words, I broke my left leg just below the knee. Now, twelve years later, I still have a weak left leg and I don't trust my knee to hold up under much stress. Walking across uneven ground or not paying attention to the steps in front of me can get the best of me.


So we are walking before sunrise and a car comes up behind us. We move to the right edge of the road. I moved a little too far to the right and stepped on the edge of the asphalt - but with my right foot! My right ankle buckled and my left leg didn't hold me up. I fell, rolled like a good high school football player doing drills, and hopped up sorta quickly. Then I hobbled to the finish line. In a couple of days I was all better.


I fell because I got to close to the edge. Now I move to the edge of the road when a car comes toward us but I make sure I leave a little space between me and the edge of the pavement.


Living on the edge is dangerous. I'm all for pushing known boundaries to discover new and better ways of doing something. The technology I'm using to write this post exists because somebody pushed the limits. But we must be careful not to live on the edge of what God says is right. The divide between right and wrong may be hard to discern. You may misstep and wind up in the ditch.


Life after the Fall was different for Adam and Eve. Life after the fall in Crested Butte has been different for me. Let's guard ourselves - even when taking chances - to make sure we are safely within God's guidelines for living.

Southern Baptists Are Great Commission Baptists

The Southern Baptist Convention convenes annually for two days in June. The meeting is going on now in New Orleans. Messengers from Southern Baptist churches gather to conduct convention business, hear reports from Southern Baptist entities and agencies, and elect officers for the upcoming year. It's a Baptist business meeting on steroids!

The action taken by messengers that will get the most press is the election of Fred Luter as president of the convention. Luter is a pastor in New Orleans. He has built Franklin Avenue Baptist Church twice: once before Katrina and again after the storm. He's a passionate preacher. He's an evangelist.

He's African-American. That's what causes the great interest of the press. The Southern Baptist Convention was formed in 1845 by churches in the south in part because the previous organization would not fully include them in missions and ministry because of their stance on slavery. Electing a black man to lead the SBC is newsworthy. Maybe in a few years it won't be. This is a breakthrough for Southern Baptists that's been a long time coming.

The most divisive issue addressed by the convention messengers dealt with a recommendation from the Executive Committee calling for a non-binding, non-legal descriptor. A tagline that Southern Baptist churches may use to further identify them or to be used instead of "Southern Baptist." Those in favor of the descriptor claim that the convention no longer is only "southern" but exists and ministers in all 50 states. They say in northern and western areas of the country, the descriptor will help them reach people without the distraction of having to explain the name.

Those opposed to the descriptor say that the name has served us well and that we would be leaving our heritage behind. One messenger who spoke against the motion on the convention floor said this would be the second step to dismantling the SBC. Not sure what he thinks the first step was unless it was the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force Recommendation adopted two years ago at the convention in Orlando.

Outgoing President Bryant Wright pressed the issue a few months ago by calling for a task force to study the possibility of changing the name of the convention. The task force recommended to the Executive Committee that the convention not change its name due to several issues. The name recognition garnered by the SBC over the years is invaluable. The legal mess created by a name change would be long and costly. The cost to every church and entity associated with the SBC would be great as they had to update signs, printed material, and electronic sites; and to rebrand themselves in their communities.

The recommendation did include approving the descriptor "Great Commission Baptists" for use as churches and entities should desire. So a church can call itself whatever it would like. By the way, that's no change from before. My church can do nothing and that would be completely supported by the convention's action. A church might want to take the name "Cross Road Church" and add the descriptor "We Are Great Commission Baptists" and that would also be completely supported by the convention's action.

The convention voted to approve the recommendation by a vote of 53% to 46%. I'm for it and I will encourage our church to adopt the descriptor in some fashion. Yes, we are in the south and we are in the Bible belt. But what better way is there to remind us of our mission than to keep the descriptor in our eyes?

We are Cross Road Baptist Church - Southern Baptists and Great Commission Baptists.

The Man

Jesus gave up so much to come to earth as a man. Jesus endured so much to take man's punishment for sin. The God of heaven walked the dusty roads of Judea and Galilee. The creator of the universe entered creation so much like a created being that a debate has raged for two millennia about the nature of his being. The glorious King of king and Lord of lords was rejected by those he came to seek and save. He was was tortured and crucified.

Jesus did it all for you and me.

He is the man. When we use that phrase we think about a stud who can take anything and still accomplish the task. I'm not sure what Jesus looked like. Don't know if he was large or small, buff or not. I do know that he took everything and never quit. He never gave up. He had a mission to do and he endured everything to do it.

My running buddy passed out and fell on the church parking lot Saturday before we got started on our run. He was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. He came home Sunday afternoon with the outlook of more doctor visits this week. I called him Monday night to check on him and let him know that he could skip the Tuesday morning run. He would hear nothing of it. He showed up a few minutes before 5:00 A.M. like he always does. He joked around like he always does. He took off like he always does. He left me in his tracks like he always does. He wasn't going to let a little thing like a knot on his head make him quit. I'm even more impressed with him. He's the man!

On a much grander scale, Jesus let nothing deter him from his purpose. He came to seek and save the lost. Crucifixion was part of the plan. He did it. For you. For me.

Jesus is the man.

Unexpected Morning

I'm used to getting up at 4:30 on Saturday mornings to go walking/running with our fitness group at CRBC. Today was no different except that all the ladies had already checked out leaving just Forrest and me. So the alarm went off at 4:30, I got up and washed my face, then headed to the church to meet Forrest.

That's when the expected things stopped. Forrest got there just a minute or two before the 5:00 start time. As soon as he stepped out of his vehicle he said, "This is going to be hard."

Forrest has thyroid problems and is on meds for that. The big impact is that he runs out of energy in the early afternoon of workdays. He's not been feeling well lately and today started out rough. After a minute of talking with him I realized (he did, too) that we weren't heading down Rushing Road this morning.

Instead, Forrest blacked out and hit the ground. I rushed to him, found him unconscious, and called 911. And I called his wife. And I called upon the Lord.

I must say that the West Pulaski Fire Department responded quickly. It seemed like a long time as I knelt beside Forrest but it was only a few minutes. The three men responding and the EMTs from the ambulance service went to work getting Forrest stabilized and headed to the hospital.

Don't yet know exactly what happened. He'll spend the weekend in the hospital and let the doctors poke and prod on him.

Since we started walking in January, I've grown to love and respect Forrest even more. Today held an unexpected turn. I'm relieved that Forrest is getting back to normal - expect for the bumps and bruises. The staff at Baptist Hospital ought to have a fun time this weekend.

Weekly Devotional - June 15, 2012

 

"But Jesus immediately said to them:

'Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.'"

Matthew 14:27 NIV

 

The kids at Cross Road Baptist Church participated in the Pulaski Baptist Association's Day Camp this week. One of the stops we made was at the Museum of Discovery in downtown Little Rock. The kids had fun and learned some pretty cool stuff.

 

One thing they learned was about the power of pulleys. The experiment had three stations: one with one pulley, another with two pulleys, and a third with three pulleys. The child sat in a seat and pulled on a rope connected through the pulley or pulleys and to the seat. As you may know, lifting your body weight gets easier with more pulleys. It took a while for them to figure it out!

 

The museum also had an exhibit describing the events of a tornado outbreak in January 1999. We sat in a room that looked like your grandpa's storm cellar. A young Ed Buckner alerted and reported about the tornados. Sound and lighting effects made it seem real. A sign at the entry warned that some children might be frightened at the realistic demonstration.

 

Have you ever been frightened by a storm? I can remember a time when a powerful storm came near the church where I was pastor. We were gathered for our mid-week Bible study. When the winds picked up and the rain came down hard, we moved to a central hallway and huddled close together.

 

We prayed and asked the Lord for safety and protection. Almost immediately, the storm was past. We celebrated and thanked the Lord for hearing our prayers. Then we looked outside and found that a gust of wind had lifted the roof above the front porch off the posts that supported it. The bases of the posts were moved about a foot. We thanked God again!

 

Storms can come in nature or in many other ways. Relations, jobs, finances, or school can go crazy. Pray that God will give you the calm you need today.

Alaska Mission Trip - Post 11

We have completed our week in Wasilla and are on our way home. The men did an impressive job bringing the building from a bare slab to almost completely framed in five days. No accidents or injuries!

Even more impressive is the vision Fairview Loop Baptist Church has for Wasilla. They are hard-working believers who want to reach their community for Christ. If the commitment they have made to host the volunteers this summer is indicative of their commitment to loving people and sharing Christ's love, they will point many people toward faith in Christ.

The pastor and leadership of the church is to be commended. Cross Road will pray for these partners in ministry. I prefer to look at this trip as a partnership. We have shared our resources and abilities with them so that they can share theirs with others.

Through partnerships, Cross Road's ministry extends beyond Fairview Loop and beyond this week. We do the same with the Church at Argenta and in Talitsa, Russia.

Partnerships allow our church to help another that will help another and so on. We aren't the origin of the help but are in the middle of a chain. Believers help us at our point of need so we can extend help to others.

I will be happy to be home in a few hours but I'm glad to have spent the last ten days sharing in this task.

Ed Meux

If you read this blog or connect with me in social media you know Ed Meux and the struggle he's had for the last six months.

Ed broke his hip on December 8, 2011. His first day back home was Tuesday. The doctor said that Ed's condition would not improve after months of infection and ensuing problems. Ed chose to go home rather than to a nursing home.

Ed went home to be with the Lord on June 8, 2012. His healing that we've all prayed for is now complete. But we are left to heal even amid the celebration for Ed.

I met Ed on Sunday, November 5, 2006 when I preached in view of a call at Cross Road Baptist Church. After the noon meal and Q&A period, Ed came to me privately and asked if I had an issue with a divorced man serving as a deacon. We talked about his situation and the biblical teachings. I told him I had no problem with him serving as a deacon.

Ed looked me in the eye and said, "OK, Bro. Bob, I'll support you and go anywhere and do anything you want."

Ed kept his word.

I learned of Ed's death while I'm away on a mission trip in Alaska. I am confident Ed would be here, too, had the last six months been different.

Ed spent more time in direct contact with me than any other church member other than Deana and Riley. He stopped by the office for coffee, to talk about the new building, to share news of health issues, to pray about his family, and to show his support for me. We talked on the phone often. We shared meals. We joined his family at the lake.

He loves the Lord, his family, and our church. Uniting them all is John 3:16. Ed said that there is enough Gospel in that verse to save the world if we will tell it and they will believe it. He's right about that.

Ed is with the Lord in eternity. I know he left this world concerned that his family prepare to meet the Lord and that his church grow and be healthy. That pretty well sums up over five years of conversations Ed and I shared.

Pray for Shirley, their children, and extended family. Pray for our church, too.

Alaska Mission Trip - Post 9

Today has been one of the most amazing days here. Breakfast is served at 7:00 A.M. each day and before most of the men even made it through the line the boss was asking for volunteers (from the truss team) to come on out and get started. The crane was here and since it is rented by the hour, they needed to get to work.

I know very little about construction but have learned from listening to several conversations that setting the first truss would take an hour or so but the rest of them would take less than ten minutes each. The first one took about an hour.

Then a few of us who are not on the truss team took off for the mountains. We drove toward Matanuska Glacier northwest of Wasilla. The mountains jumped into the sky with snow capping most of them. Between the road and the mountains was a stream at times and a raging river at other times. Tributaries poured into it along the way. The water was a muddy as Riley's pants after digging out rocks in the ball field earlier this week. Most of the time, the river was meandering in narrow "braids" on a wide bed of rock and silt. It wasn't very attractive like this but when it was rolling it was awesome.

We saw a couple of rafts on the river. As we got our cameras ready they disappeared along the bank behind a row of trees. That was their pick-up point. We missed a good opportunity to photograph some wild whitewater rafting.

The Matanuska Glacier is long and flat. Imagine a frozen river winding through the mountains. I've always envisioned glaciers as tall blocks of ice with jagged edges that break off and fall into the sea. We haven't seen one like that. Glaciers take different forms and the one's we've seen are powerful. We hiked a one-mile trail that led to different vantage points for viewing the glacier, the river, and the mountains. I counted that as my Thursday workout.

Scott Dettmer, Bob Garrett, Riley, and I had lunch at the Grand View Cafe. It was in an RV park and the view was indeed grand. After lunch we headed back to Wasilla. The Grand View Cafe was about 75 miles from the church and we had spent about three hours getting there. We were ready to get home so the return drive took about an hour and a half.

Remember the truss team? When we left they had finished the first truss and had a couple others in place. When we returned they had about three-fourths of them in place. That's an impressive amount of work for just a few hours. They still have a few hours to go and I'm praying for their safety as this long day wears on. These guys were hand-picked and their ability and stamina are impressive. John Miller, Forrest Grimmett, and Terry McCallister are part of the truss team.

I've said this several times but I will repeat it: I'm proud of the men from Cross Road who are serving at Fairview Loop in Alaska. They have all (Riley included) contributed to a wonder week. We are the first crew of volunteers. I think we have given the project a good start.

Alaska Mission Trip - Post 8

The construction is going along quickly and smoothly. Today was fairly light as we are waiting on trusses - which came this afternoon. A crane is coming tomorrow. The plan is to have the trusses in place by the end of the day tomorrow.

The big project today was to place huge beams for a drive-thru entry at the front of the building. It almost got to the point that we had too many bosses. The crew that had been working (and working well together) all morning, drew a crowd in the afternoon. The crowd included some folks that had a little input - even though the project was in good hands. Anyway, the crowd dispersed and the beams are now in place.

Forrest, Riley, and I went into Anchorage for a quick visit to the Alaska Museum of Natural History. That was a good trip and a needed break from the work. We were gone for about two and a half hours and made it back just in time for lunch.

Have I told you about the meals? We get a full, hot breakfast every day. We had four choices of soups and two choices of sandwiches for lunch today. I expect a really good supper tonight, based on the last few days. The church has mobilized dozens of volunteers to take care of us this week. And when we leave another group will arrive for next week's work. That continues throughout the summer. The church has been an excellent host.

And have I told you about the desserts? Very nice!

Once again, CRBC was well represented in today's work. And they represented the Lord even better.

Alaska Mission Trip - Post 7

Yesterday (Tuesday) was a good day. The progress this group is making is unbelievable, especially for someone who has very little knowledge of construction. I just stand back and look at the building rising from the slab and I'm very impressed.

I learned yesterday that the total number in the group is fifty-five. That's about ten more than I first thought. Getting that many men - many of whom know or think they know a lot about construction - all moving in the right direction is an amazing accomplishment. Fairview Loop Baptist Church has one man, Wes, who is in charge of the project. Our group has three "white hats" or crew leaders that serve as next-level managers. Most of the fifty-five work under these three men. A few of us are doing special projects like painting or picnic table building.

When I needed a break from painting I strolled over to the slab to watch. Just like on Monday, I saw the Cross Road guys working. With a crowd that big, a lot of guys are standing around a lot of the time. Our guys were working. Happy to see that and not at all surprised!

God is really at work in the midst of all this. We've had no lost time accidents. The pace of work is phenomenal. Men are getting to know one another. Christian music is playing on the site. Most egos are checked at the door.

My hometown newspaper would have written, "A good time was had by all."

Alaska Mission Trip - Post 6

Today was the first day of construction on the trip. Our group got involved in several ways. I'm proud to be their pastor.

Scott Dettmer, Forrest Grimmett, Bob Garrett, and Jon Miller spent the day framing the new worship center.Each time I passed by the site, they were all doing something. That wasn't true for all the men standing on the slab, but our guys got busy and stayed busy.

Terry McCallister joined with a few others to build picnic tables for the church. They duplicated a table the church already had. Looked like some specialty work and they did a great job. When I saw Terry working the saw (the main construction site had two designated to run the saws) I knew he was on a special project. They picked the right guy for that kind of work. I've never seen Terry tackle a project and not get it done with quality.

Riley and I partnered with two other pastors and three other boys for a couple of projects since anyone under 18 years of age is not allowed on the construction site due to insurance regulations. Our first task was to clear rocks from the proposed softball field. That started out easy enough but then we unearthed a huge rock. It was large and heavy. We spent an hour getting it out of the ground! That wrapped up the morning then we found another huge rock just after lunch. Our morning experience helped us get this one out of the ground in about 20 minutes. We stopped picking up rocks after that.

Another project the boys could do with our help was dig a trench for an electrical line. The church has a pavilion behind the kitchen and fellowship hall. They want lights and an outlet in it so we dug the trench, laid out the wire, and covered it up. It looked good. The boys learned how to work hard and use some new tools. I hope they are not as sore as I am!

At the end of the day, most of the exterior walls are up, one picnic table is complete and the pieces are cut for three more, the ball field is free of a few hundred rocks, and the electrical line is in place for the pavilion. The team from CRBC was a big part of all that. The entire team from Pulaski Baptist Association did a good job. Fairview Loop Baptist Church was an incredible host, once again.

I'm sitting in the dining room now. Three tables are full of guys playing cards and dominos. Several are just sitting around talking. Some of the guys have already gone to sleep (It's 8:30 here, 11:30 P.M. at home). Another great day awaits us. To God be the glory!

Alaska Mission Trip - Post 5

Hospitality - the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. (So says the google search.)

Perhaps the definition should be updated to include a picture of Fairview Loop Baptist Church in Wasilla, Alaska.

This afternoon the church gathered for a picnic and warmly welcomed 40+ guests from Arkansas. Actually, they don't consider us guests because (as the pastor said this morning in the service) we've slept under their roof for at least two days. We belong and they made us feel like it.

This is Alaska so the menu included moose burgers and king salmon along with other dishes both familiar and new. It was a potluck that could have been birthed in the South. I felt right at home.

They have fed us. They have welcomed us into worship. They have given up Sunday School space so we can use the rooms as a campground. They will feed us three meals each day as we work on their new building. They appreciate what we are doing and they express it through service. Through hospitality.

Does your church express appreciation in tangible ways? Is your church hospitable to both friend and stranger? Do your guests feel welcome or watched?

A church near 62 degrees latitude is a great example of hospitality. May those near 35 degrees be as warm.

Alaska Mission Trip - Post 4

I'm on the clock.

These other guys have taken vacation time.

I'm so glad to be part of a church that has this kind of commitment to sharing God's love through missions and ministry.

A mission trip is not a cheap event. It costs team members time off work; time away from the family; and the cost of travel, food, and supplies. That's a commitment from them and their families.

And it's life-changing. I've never taken a group on a trip when at least one person has not said, "This has changed my life." Missions is life-changing.

I'm hoping - confidently expecting - that these men will say the same thing. And when a man is changed, his family is changed. And his church is changed.

Alaska Mission Trip - Post 3

What a day we had yesterday! We took a road trip to Prince William Sound. Logged over 400 miles. Away for about 14 hours.

The trip down the Kenai Peninsula took us along Cook Inlet, through the mountains, along the sound, through a 2.5 miles one-lane tunnel. We saw mountains and rivers. Eagles and a moose. Glaciers and a cruise ship. The snow-capped mountains soaked up the sun and gave up a lot of water as the snow slowly melted.

We spent 9 hours in three airplanes to get to Alaska - the land of salmon and reindeer. Not real keen on reindeer but am looking forward to salmon or halibut or some kind of seafood. Our first meal was Mexican. It was good, real good. Just not salmon. We ate lunch in Seward. Chinese buffet. OK but not salmon. So last night, in desperation, I ordered salmon from Country Kitchen. It was good but not stamped with the Alaskan imprint I expected. I guess I panicked.

There'll be more chances, I'm sure. And I take them!

Today's a new day. New adventures. Same God.

That's the same for you. No matter what you face, God's been there. He's not surprised at what comes your way. He won't hit the panic button even if you do.

Let's have a great day!

Alaska Mission Trip - Post 2

Those snow capped mountains were, in fact, clouds. But we did see a few peaks with "trails" of snow. Streaks of white against the brown and green. Will post pictures soon.

We left DFW late so our 1-hour rest period in Portland turned into 20 minutes of hustle from gate to gate. That wasn't too bad except we've not eaten in over 4 hours and didn't have time to pick up anything. Terry's baggie of trail mix was looking pretty good!

But we let Terry keep his snack and I bought Riley the Kid's Snack on the plane. We split it. He's playing with wax pipe cleaners now. Don't tell his mother, but she's getting a couple of snazzy gifts when we get home! And they came from Alaska Airlines. That counts as an Alaskan souvenir, doesn't it?

We are ready to spend some time on the ground! Sight-seeing is on the agenda for Friday and Saturday. We'll worship in Wasilla Sunday with Fairview Loop Baptist Church, then get to work bright and early Monday.

Well, probably not since we are in the land of endless summer days. "Bright and early" may come shortly after midnight. But some go-getter will wake us up earlier than I'm used to getting up.

"We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV)

The men with me are doing work produced by their faith. They will labor because they love the Lord and his mission. They will endure as they hope in the Lord. Please pray for us over the next 10 days.

Alaska Mission Trip - Post 1

I'm 30,000 feet above Texas or New Mexico or Colorado. Headed to Portland, Oregon then on to Anchorage. Final destination today: Wasilla, AK. I hear that you can see Russia from there.

A group of seven from Cross Road Baptist Church will join with about 40 others from Pulaski Baptist Association to begin construction on a building for Fairview Loop Baptist Church. A group from PBA helped construct an education building several years ago. Now for the sanctuary.

As I watch the flat farmland and cattle farms give way to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, I am impressed with the beauty of God's creation. The dry Spring has left the quilt beneath me mostly brown. The irrigated plots were easy to identify. As the terrain changes, the shadows cast by the rolling hills add a new dimension to both topography and color.

Clouds at the horizon appear to be snow capped mountains. Not likely on this last day of May in Texas or New Mexico but maybe Colorado.

It's turned out to be a pretty day for flying. God is showing off his handiwork. He's awesome and his creative power is amazing.

Memorial Day

To my knowledge, I don't have a family member who gave his life defending our country. My grandfather served in the Pacific during WWII. I never heard any stories. I have friends from school, church, and work that have served.

Respect. The hardship they endured (and their families) is beyond what I can imagine. The separation from family. The uncertainty of tomorrow. The enemy taking aim. And much more, I'm sure.

Memorial Day is traditionally a time to remember and honor those who gave their lives defending the country. I thank them because of the freedom they secured and maintained. Especially the religious freedom.

And I want to thank our veterans and current service members.

Their sacrifice and commitment are worthy of our attention everyday, not just a weekend.

Time, Attention, Effort

If you open your Bible to the very center, you'll most likely be in Psalm 119. It's the longest Psalm and the longest chapter in the Bible. This Psalm has twenty-two eight-verse segments, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In fact, all verses in a stanza start with the same Hebrew letter. Twenty-two stanzas, twenty-two letters of the alphabet. Pretty cool, huh?

What's even more cool is that the content of all 176 verses focuses on the word of the Lord. Read the acrostic poem called "Psalm 119" and notice how often God's word or law or precepts or commands are mentioned. The central theme of the central chapter of the Bible is God's commands.

I've been a Christian for almost 40 years. I've been in ministry for almost 30 years. I don't know all the commands of God. The Bible is a big book! But I know that I'm supposed to align my life with what the Bible says. I am to give my life to the one who gave me life and gave his life for me and gives meaning to my life.

So reading the Bible, studying God's word, following the commands, and applying the principles is a priority. Priorities require time and attention. And effort.

Riley recently told me that when he gets to the MLB (pro baseball) he wants to be a pitcher. I told him that in order to do that he would have to put in a lot of hard work starting now. He can't wait until he gets to there to start working on his pitching. He can't wait until he gets to high school to start. He can't even wait until next year. If he wants to realize that goal he has to get started now. Put in the time, pay attention to detail, and make in the effort.

I want to honor God so I have to put in the time, give attention to detail, and make the effort. Is there any other way? That's the path for you, too, if you want to honor God. Can you imagine anything better than entering heaven and hearing God say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant"?

Put in the time, pay attention to detail, and make the effort. Today.

The only way it's possible to obey any of God's commands is through Jesus Christ. On your own, you won't try to please or honor God. We are too selfish and sinful for that. God dealt with this impossibility through the death of his son Jesus. Your sin demands a sacrifice. You aren't able to make a sufficient sacrifice, but God is. He sacrificed his own son - the perfect Lamb of God - to atone for your sins and put you in right relationship with him.

Will you trust God to forgive you and make you right with him? Click here for more about claiming Jesus as your Savior. I'd love to hear about your decision and help you get started with this "Time, Attention, Effort" thing.

Weekly Devotional - May 18, 2012

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the
wisdom and knowledge of God!"

Romans 11:33 NIV

There's a lot I don't know. As a matter of fact, I don't even know what I don't know. And I've learned that the more I know the more I know I don't know.

I'm told that humans use very little of their brain capacity.  We could know much more than we do! If we don't even know what we could know, how could we ever completely know God?

Knowing God is not an event. You don't wake up one morning and have everything about him stored up in your mind as if you had studied and prepared for a history test. Knowing God is a journey.

Some things about him you learn as your study the Bible. The Bible is the record of God's revelation of himself through Jesus Christ, through his interaction with people throughout history, and through his natural creativity. If you want to know God you have to pick up the main resource. And you have to begin the journey of getting to know him through study and application.

Some things you learn through experience. In the process of living life you come to times when you need comfort and God is there to comfort you. Or you need courage and God is there to embolden you. Or you need strength and he is there to empower you. Or you need joy because life gets hard and God is there to lift you up spiritually and emotionally. Experience never trumps the truth of Scripture but through experience you often can more easily apply those truths. The Bible is the text; experience is the lab.

Your journey is already underway. You began this trip the day you were born. Some lessons have been unnoticed, like the way you have come to depend upon his oxygen for life. Some lessons are unexplainable, like the way he created this whole world. Some lessons are unforgettable, like how he saved you from sin. Pray that God will bring you along the path of knowing him.

Monday Mornings

How many of you dread Mondays? If that was a question on the old game show "Card Sharks" I would have to say that number would be very high. But a Facebook friend asked why anyone would want to so easily give up on 1/7th of their lives. That's about 15% of every living moment. Rather than dread Mondays, we need to find ways to leverage the day for something good.

Let's take a look at Monday. How do you prepare for the day? Being in church on Sunday would be a great way to prep for Monday. Worship draws us to God. Fellowship binds us with one another. Bible study equips us for the spiritual battles that take such a toll on Monday. If you're not in church on Sunday then what are you doing? Probably focusing upon yourself. That won't prepare you for much. On Monday you'll be expected to focus on the job and other responsibilities that you break from over the weekend. No wonder Mondays are so dreaded - the selfishness you enjoyed on Sunday is ripped away bright and early the next morning. I just think a less selfish Sunday - a more God-centered Sunday - would lessen the stress of Monday.

How do you start Mondays? Sleep as late as possible and hit the snooze button at least once? Now you don't really have time to wake up. Probably don't eat a good breakfast. Let me rephrase that; probably don't eat a breakfast that's good for you! prayer and Bible study? No time for that! So there you go - out the door with your shirttail barely tucked in, and your look even more disheveled on the inside. You may not want to hear this, but you will probably agree with me: give yourself a few extra minutes on Monday morning (any morning) for Bible study, prayer, and a good-for-you breakfast. If you feel better inside and out as you pull out of the driveway, you are bound to have a better day.

I'll not go on with this exercise except to say that when you focus upon God and others, any day and any point in the day will be better. The circumstances may not change much but how you respond and react will change for the better. I challenge you to give it a try. Put God first and see what happens. Maybe your life will suddenly get 15% better!

My Mother

Outside of referring to her when writing blogs and devotionals or when talking to others about her, I have never called her "mother" or "mom." She is Tuti. I don't really know how that name got started. Probably my older sister had already pegged her with that name before I was able to say my first word - which was probably, "Tuti."

As Mothers Day comes around this weekend, I want to say a few things about her. First, Tuti is the most generous person I know. Taking from the "5 Love Languages" book, her love language is giving. She gives and gives and never asks for anything. I'm 48 years old and am still on the receiving end of the relationship. Not that I'm complaining!

She cares. Tuti rejoices when I rejoice and cries when I cry. It was Mothers Day in 1992 when I told her I was getting divorced. She cried tears of sadness. In 1982 when I told her I had been called to preach, she cried tears of joy. And maybe tears of grief because she knew the trials a pastor and his family would face. Our phone calls always have the standard "how are you doing?" from both of us. Her answer is always short. She wants to hear about me and my family.

Tuti is there. My successes and failures are dotted along the path of my life. One thing constant throughout is that she's been there. She and my stepfather Ralph have worn out several cars just being there for their kids. It makes this preacher really happy to have Tuti in the congregation on Mothers Day. Because of my job, I don't get to go see her on this special day, so she comes to see me. I know that won't last forever, but I'm glad it's happening this year.

When you meet her or see her again, she'd be honored for you to call her "Tuti." I'll see her this weekend and I'll tell her I love her.

Weekly Devotional - May 11, 2012

"In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit."

Judges 21:25 NIV

 

Anarchy is a state of disorder because there is no recognized authority. A people - like the United States - would quickly cease to exist with no rule. Civics professors, constitutional lawyers, and political pundits talk about the rule of law by which governments make decisions by applying agreed-upon legal principles. For a people to live in community, there must be laws or rules.

 

Around your household, the same applies. You have standards of behavior expected of your children. Even the husband and wife have expectations of one another. If everyone did as he saw fit you would have an unhappy household.

 

Israel was a people in chaos. Just a few generations after settling the Promised Land, they were anarchists. God would raise up a judge to rule them from time to time but they generally did as they saw fit. Each time Israel fell into this state of disarray they would be defeated by the enemy. When they would follow the judge that God set over them they would excel.

 

Rules provide order and are guidelines for success. Lee Iacocca is credited with turning around the failing Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s. He said, "Start with good people, lay out the rules, communicate with your employees, motivate them and reward them. If you do all those things effectively, you can't miss." His leadership made all the difference for Chrysler.

 

We can apply this principle to America, your family, our church, and the workplace or school. Orderliness provides the boundaries within which we are free to live. We see the principle in the creation of the world as God created everything out of nothing. All family members are given specific roles for household order. Paul admonishes believers to be orderly in worship.

 

We have the freedom to do as we see fit but we will live with the consequences. Or we can live in freedom under God's authority. Pray that God will help you experience a full and free life under his authority.

Excuses and Obstacles

It rains on the just and the unjust. And sometimes it doesn't. A group from our church has been walking and running every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday since the first of the year. We've never been rained out. It may rain later in the day. Sometimes it had been raining earlier in the night. But not at 5:00 A.M.

I guess God wants us to exercise so he's taking that excuse away.

I suppose God clears the way for his children to do a lot of good things. The obstacles I see when given an opportunity to help someone in need are just excuses of my own making. Maybe Satan helps a little. But where God gives opportunity, he clears the way and protects the path.

I've not always shared my faith in Christ when I knew I should. Again, the excuses were mine. Sure, God knows when I should keep quiet but if I'm sure I should speak up, then I should speak up and trust God to clear the way and protect the path. And the messenger.

As you go through the day, look for opportunities to share the love of Jesus with someone through word and deed. And trust God to take care of the obstacles. Let today be a "No Excuse" day.

Therapy

I'm in therapy. I know, I know...some of you have thought that would be a good idea for quite a while. But it's for my knees, not my head! Misdiagnosis, huh!

Anyway, I started today. The point is to try to strengthen my hips and knees so as to alleviate the pain associated with the running I've been doing. It's a very long story that started twelve years ago.

I broke my left leg snow skiing. It was a tibial plateau fracture - the top of the bone in my lower leg. In effect, I broke my knee. I have a plate and five pins in there that make for a very nice xray.

My physical therapist back then told me that if I didn't rehab completely my left hip would get the worst of it for having to make up for the weak knee. Then over the long haul, my right leg would pay for it by having to take up the slack for the left leg.

That's where I am today. The running I've recently been doing isn't really the culprit. The running just magnified the problem.

So I'm not able to run for a few days, maybe weeks but I hope not. I really like running and hope to one day be able to run the half mile in a time as good as or better than my personal best of 2:14.8. That was in the spring of 1979. I was 14 years old in 9th grade. I may even go to the Robinson High School track. That's where I ran 2:14.8.

The therapy hurt worse than the injury at first. I whined about it in a FB post. But now, about six hours laters, there's not much pain in either knee. That's the first time in about a week. So maybe the doctor and the therapist know what they are doing after all.

I guess I'll stick with it, follow the instructions, do it all, and come out of this ok.

Sometimes doing the right thing doesn't make sense. And along the way it's uncomfortable or just plain hurts. But God works in every situation you can get into and he works to make something good out of it. So we can consider the fact that we may face trials as pure joy, knowing that God wants us to become more like Christ.

If you take that approach to your trials, I think your trials won't get the best of you.

Weekly Devotional - April 27, 2012

"...because you know that the testing

of your faith develops perseverance."

James 1:3 NIV

 

I can't tell you how many times I've had people tell me that they would not pray for perseverance or patience because you end up with tribulations, troubles, trials, and tests. My response is always, "You are guaranteed to have tribulations, troubles, trials, and tests so you better pray for perseverance and patience!" They just misunderstand what the Bible says about these two godly traits.

 

The two words are similar but not exactly the same. Patience is to refrain from taking action you might later regret. Did your mother ever tell you to count to ten before responding to something someone did to you? That's patience.

 

Perseverance is putting up with the circumstances without acting negatively. A co-worker might get the promotion but you continue being a good employee. The road ahead may seem to be all uphill and marked with potholes but you stay the course and complete the task. That's perseverance.

 

And we need both perseverance and patience if we are to live a life of faithful testimony that will draw others to Christ. People are watching believers and they notice how we respond. Are you patient or hot-headed? Do you persevere or give up easily?

 

Surely perseverance comes from God. Job endured his trials because he was faithful to God. His relationship with God brought about the perseverance Job would need when Satan attacked him. And patience is also from God. Paul says it is a fruit of the Spirit - those qualities that grow in your life as you cultivate a strong relationship with Christ.

 

Since trials will certainly come and since perseverance and patience are products of walking with the Lord, doesn't it make sense to desire these traits? Pray that God will help you develop perseverance and patience so that you will be a faithful witness when trials come your way.

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

I completed a series of lessons on prayer last night. I spent several weeks looking at different prayers in the Bible and providing principles of "Praying the ____________ Way." The different "ways" were Jericho, Mount Carmel, Babylon, Gethsemane, Jerusalem, Philippi, and Patmos. I hope to one day write the studies in a good format for other churches and individuals to use.

Last night's "way" was the Patmos way. Among other things, we talked about the last words of Jesus in the Bible and John's response.

Jesus said, "I am coming soon."

John replied, "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus."

Jesus made a promise. John prayed based on the promise.

Are your prayers based on God's promises? Where will you find them? You can't remember them all so you'll have to pray with your Bible open (eyes, too!). Try praying that way for a few days. Read God's word and pray based upon the promises you find.

The Bible says that God will never leave you or forsake you. You can pray claiming that promise as you face a difficult situation or are going through a lonely time.

The Bible says that God will forgive your sins when you confess them. You can pray claiming that promise when you feel guilty of sins you've committed.

The Bible says that you can cast your cares on God and he will sustain you. You can pray claiming that promise when you are feeling anxious.

Think about this: prayers based on God's promises is the same as praying according to God's will. And if you ask anything - according to his will - he answers. God will always keep his promises and prayers based on those promises are powerful prayers.

Take notes during Bible studies and sermons so you can pray those promises back to God. Read God's word each day and pause to pray the promises back to him.

Prayer should echo God's promises.

Aches and Pains

It's been almost four months since I started walking three days a week. Those walks are now runs. I can't express fully how much I appreciate those who have taken the journey with me. I've never stayed with it this long and I know it's because of them.

I have a metal plate and five pins in my left leg just below the knee. That's from a snow skiing accident twelve years ago. Up until now the knee has not been giving me problems. But I hope the pains are just the typical aches that go along with using body parts you haven't used in a while. My knee has more stress on it now than anytime in a long time.

I've had muscle aches along the way. Not worried about that. Didn't even know I had some of those muscles! But watching the knee to make sure I'm not doing damage there.

I gotta go to bed now because 4:30 will be here in just a little while! If you pray, please add me and my knee to your prayer list. I want to do all I can and not damage my knee.

Weekly Devotion - April 20, 2012

"I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago."

Psalm 77:11 NIV

I was first introduced to Henry Blackaby in the mid-90s. The Experiencing God Bible study greatly influenced my life. In fact, I believe that a particular church and its pastor, along with Experiencing God and MasterLife, were the catalysts God used to bring me back to my calling to preach and pastor.

One of the most memorable aspects of Blackaby's Bible study was what he said about spiritual markers. Every Christian should be able to look back and see specific times when God was working in their lives in dramatic and memorable ways. Here are a few of my spiritual markers.

I was saved on the first Thursday of August in 1972. I realized I needed Jesus as my Savior during revival services at New Hope Baptist Church in Dardanelle. But I didn't do anything during church. My Dad talked with me at home later that night. I came to saving faith in Jesus that night.

I was called to ministry on the last Thursday of June in 1982. Having just graduated high school, I was attending summer camp as a counselor for the first time. The Lord impressed upon me clearly that I was to be a minister. I wasn't sure what kind, but I knew I would be doing something for the church.

The last Thursday in May of 1992 was the lowest and darkest day I had ever experienced. I walked into an empty house after work that day but I prayed for peace and strength to deal with what was happening. Just like when he calmed the storms, Jesus calmed my life and I am forever thankful.

Asaph was a musician in the temple and wrote some of the Psalms. Psalm 77 is a song of hope. You might not think that when you begin reading. The words show anguish and desperation. But at the halfway point he recalls the spiritual markers in the life of Israel. Pray that God will help you identify spiritual markers and recall them when you need encouragement and strength.

Red and Yellow, Black and White

A crowd of high school students just dropped in the Chick-fil-A where I'm spending the morning. They were on field trip to the Little Rock Zoo. Must've been 50 of them.

I watched as they began to group together in booths and tables in the dining area. Some body language clearly said that some kids were welcome to sit with them and some weren't. I began to wonder how it was in my high school. We didn't have cell phones. We didn't drive $30,000 cars. But we were probably just as clique-ish as today's students.

Nowhere are divisions more noticeable than in the typical Baptist church in the south. I've read articles recently about white churches firing pastors for baptizing people of another color. I've read articles of churches requiring members to hold to particular forms of racism or discrimination. That's really sad.

If a person should feel accepted anywhere it should be in the church. If that "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" statement (Ephesians 4:5) is really true, then one Church is also true. Who is there to follow besides Christ? Sure, there are local expressions called churches that are uniquely fit for carrying out the Great Commission and Great Commandment, but that doesn't mean a local church can exclude anybody. We (Christians) are all on the same team. We ought to act like it.

I'm assistant coach for the Red Roc Rockets baseball team. We don't let the boys talk down to one another. They are on the same team. They are to encourage and help each other. That's how a church should be and how churches should interact with one another. What's at stake for the church is much more important than a baseball game. A vast majority of people alive today are headed for eternal separation from God if they don't hear the gospel and accept the gospel.

We have a huge task and we have no time to waste. So quit saving seats for the people you like and join with all Christians to win all kinds of people to Christ. Eternity depends upon it.

I Ran My Mother Off Today

Let me explain before you jump to conclusions about the title of this post. I love my mother but I had to run her off today.

When I was a senior in high school at Dardanelle, playing for the Sand Lizards' football team, Coach Richie Mathis would run us hard every Monday. He said he was running the poison out out of us. I never had that kind of poison in me and the running was bad. I can't imagine how bad it might have been had I boozed it up over the weekend! Coach Mathis felt that by the end of Monday's practice he would have our bodies back in shape for the rest of the week's practices.

My mother (Tuti) and step-father spent the weekend with us. She likes to cook, he likes to pay when we go out, and I like to eat. That combination probably has something to do with my current physical condition. They arrived on Friday. We ate out Friday night. She got up early and cooked a big breakfast Saturday. We stopped for a quick bite for lunch on the way to a ballgame. After a band concert Saturday night, we ate out again. She got up Sunday morning and fixed sausage and biscuits. We ate out after church.

They went home Sunday afternoon so when I say I ran my mother off today, it's not what you think.

The alarm went off at 4:30 A.M. I jumped up and started the routine that has become habit on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. I meet my walking/jogging crew at 5:00 A.M. Tuesdays are running days. We started out in January walking each of the three days. I've gradually gotten to the point that I can run. So Tuesdays and Thursdays hold at least a 2-mile run on the schedule.

I gained some weight over the weekend. Thanks, Tuti! I ran it off today.

So I ran my mother off today and I feel good about it.

Weekly Devotion - April 13, 2012

 

"Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices

as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?"

1 Samuel 15:22 NIV

 

Saul was king of Israel. Samuel was the Lord's prophet. The Amalekites had fought against and beaten the Israelites during the years of wandering between Egypt and the Promised Land. God was ready to settle the score.

 

Through Samuel, God told Saul to attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belonged to them: all the people and all the animals. So Saul went to battle with his army of 210,000 men. The Israelites completely destroyed the Amalekites but they did not completely destroy the animals. They kept the best of the cattle, calves, and lambs.

 

Samuel heard about it from the Lord as soon as it happened. God was displeased that Saul had not carried out his orders completely. So Samuel set out to meet Saul.

 

When confronted with the reality of not fully obeying God, Saul said he had kept the best animals to make sacrifices to God. He believed he had obeyed God enough since he was going to honor God with the sacrifices.

 

Samuel's response rings through the ages: "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice."

 

Which are you trying to be better at, obedience or sacrifice? You may give up your time on Sunday morning to attend church but do you try to obey the Ten Commandments? You may give up a portion of your money in tithes and offerings but do you honor God with the rest of your money? You may go on mission trips away from home but do you share your faith as you go along your daily routine.

 

Obedience to God's commands is more important that sacrifices you might make. Pray that God will help you obey so that your sacrifice is meaningful.

Love God

The Great Commandment (as it is known) is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31). I've been thinking about that lately and plan to preach a series of messages throughout May and June on how to live the crucified life. I think the Great Commandment is the key.

In Galatians 2:20 Paul wrote, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." We do not live for ourselves nor do we live apart from others. We live to glorify God and achieve his purposes. We live to impact the lives of those around us - to impact them for Christ.

I began the pastorate at Cross Road Baptist Church in November 2006. Immediately, I began to promote the theme of "Impacting Eternity at the Cross Road of Life." This series of messages will bring us back to that emphasis in a very practical way. Check back for weekly updates and thoughts on this blog. Sermon audio will be posted promptly here.

A Series of Lessons on Prayer

I'm enjoying the series of Bible studies we've had on Wednesday nights. Is it OK for the pastor to say that about his own teaching? Anyway, I'm liking it!

We are looking at principles of prayer throughout the Bible. The first lesson was "Praying the Jericho Way" and we talked about the prayers that the Hebrews must have prayed as they prepared for and marched around the city of Jericho.

The second lesson was "Praying the Babylon Way." We looked at several of the prayers found in the book of Daniel and drew some pointers form them.

The third was "Praying the Gethsemane Way." The contrast between Jesus' prayer and the disciples lack of prayer made the difference in the trials they were all about to face.

The fourth lesson was tonight. We looked at "Praying the Jerusalem Way." Peter and John had stirred up a commotion in the temple when they healed a crippled man. The religious leaders didn't like that at all so they called the disciples in to punish them. "Don't speak in the name of Jesus again!" they were told. But the followers of Christ answered, "We can't help it. We can do nothing but speak of what we have seen and heard." Then they went to where the other believers were gathered and told them what had happened. The church began to pray for boldness to speak the name of Jesus. The house shook and they proclaimed his name throughout the city! Oh, that we would pray like that and experience God's power like that and obey his command like that!

Next week we'll look at a fifth perspective of prayer, "Praying the Philippi Way." Paul and Silas were jailed. But they were singing and praying at midnight. And something mighty happened. We'll uncovered some prayer principles to help us in our midnight hours.

The final installment of the series is "Praying the Patmos Way." From the Revelation, we'll find principles of praying from John's prayer on the Isle of Patmos.

Then I hope to write up the lessons in a format that I can share with other pastors and teachers. The series is doing me a lot of good! And I hope my church benefits, too.

Easter

I celebrated Easter several ways yesterday.

My family and I got up early to attend the Community Sunrise Service hosted at Martindale Baptist Church. The sky was cloudy so I'm not sure the sun got up that early but we had a good time. Christians from Martindale Baptist Church, Holly Springs Baptist Church, and Cross Road Baptist Church get together every year for worship, fellowship, and a good breakfast! Sunrise Services may be a thing of the past for many churches, but I'm glad we take part in this one.

Cross Road kept the regular schedule for Sunday morning. We had Bible study at 9:45 and worship at 11:00. CRBC is different that other churches I've served and attended. We rarely have big crowds on special Sundays. I'm not exactly sure why and that is frustrating. Some of our members attend other churches with family on Christmas and Easter - they get a "hall pass" for that. And a few families gather at Cross Road. But a lot of people who would consider themselves to part of the CRBC family just don't come to church on these special days. Too much cooking to do. Too much family to enjoy. Too much of __________. I just don't get it.

But those of us who were in church at CRBC yesterday had a great time. The Bible study I'm part of talked about sin, judgment, and grace and how God balances all that. We had a good, spirited discussion. Then our worship service included music that pointed us to the cross, the empty tomb, and beyond as we focused upon our Savior Jesus Christ. The choir sang a beautiful song. I'm thankful for those who love to sing and are glad to lead in worship. My message was based on Mark 16:1-8 and was entitled "The Difference the Empty Tomb Makes." The empty tomb - the resurrection of Jesus - turns our perspective from death to life, from despair to hope, from desolation to relationship, and from doubt to belief. The resurrection is real and really makes a difference!

We had lunch with Deana's family then headed to North Little Rock to talk with the folks at the Church at Argenta. This is a church plant just getting underway. Michael and Amanda Carpenter moved into the Argenta district last fall. They now have another couple and individual who have moved there to help staff the church. They plan to open a coffee shop and Argenta's third place and the plans are coming together. Michael told us about space on Main Street that is available. All they need to do is a little remodel and they'll be ready to go. He is aiming for an opening date of September 2012. A group of believers are already meeting in the Carpenters' home and they have been taking a van load of neighborhood children to a supporting church in North Little Rock for several months. We met a 10-yr old girl yesterday who is getting baptized soon! We are glad to be associated with the Church at Argenta.

Then we were off to Dickey-Stephens Park to watch the Arkansas Travelers take on the Frisco Rough Riders. That was a great way to end a great day. Just with the Travs would've won the game!

Jesus, church, and family. It was a great Easter Sunday.

Weekly Devotion - April 6, 2012

 "Greater love has no one than this,

that he lay down his life for his friends."

John 15:13 NIV

 

Jesus taught his disciples that the greatest love gives up everything for the object of that love. He said those words just hours before he was crucified. And his crucifixion was the sacrifice necessary to satisfy God's righteous demands for punishment of sin. All sin. My sin. Your sin.

 

Sin's a big deal. No matter how small because any sin is enough to break the relationship God wants to have with you. It happened in the Garden of Eden. It happened to King David. It happened to Peter. It happens to us. Nobody is exempt.

 

That's a big problem because to be separated from God leaves you no place to be for eternity but in hell.

 

Many people try to overcome the negatives of sin by the positives of good works. They must think that God keeps a ledger with sins on one side and works on the other. "Do my good works offset and outweigh my sins?" they must ask. And the answer is "No!" With all that the Bible says about good works, it never says that we are saved from sin by our good works. We are saved from our sin so that we may do good works. There's a big difference in those two statements.

 

The Bible says that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. It's not good works that atones for your sins but blood. To be specific, the blood of Jesus atones for your sins.

 

And he must have had the greatest degree of love for you - for us - in order to lay down his life. That's just what he did to demonstrate his love for us while we were still sinners.

 

Take comfort in the love Jesus has for you. You should be grieved by the sin you commit but relieved by the grace given you. Pray that God will help you realize the depth of his love and the breadth of his grace.

What Does It Take To Be An Encourager?

All of us need encouragement. Otherwise, we feel alone or even worse - we feel beat down.

Some people aren't good at encouraging others. Either all they want to talk about is themselves or they are just so negative. Who needs that!

One of the great encouragers in the Bible was Barnabas. We meet him in the story of Paul's conversion in the book of Acts.

Paul is a new convert. He's been persecuting Christians so everybody is shying away from him. They aren't sure his conversion is real. Maybe he's just laying a trap for them.

But Barnabas comes to Paul. And then he introduces Paul to the disciples. Then he travels with Paul to spread the gospel.

Barnabas didn't call Paul on the phone and say, "Next time you're in town let's do lunch." No, he went out of his way to go to Paul.

Barnabas didn't expect Paul to be anything other than a new convert to Christianity. New believers aren't as wise and mature as those who have been following Jesus for a while.

Here's a principle of encouragement: An encourager comes alongside you rather than demanding you come alongside him.

Forrest Grimmett is my encourager in this fitness thing I'm doing. Forrest is in great shape and can run circles around me...backwards. Instead of constantly telling me to do like he does, he walks and jogs alongside me. Sometimes he picks up the pace and I do too. He hears me breathing hard and he slows down.

That's how we encourage others. Come alongside them and slowly lead them to where you are. That's a good principle for both physical fitness and spiritual fitness.

Paul didn't learn the lesson quickly. He gave up on Mark because Mark didn't finish a mission trip. But Paul eventually got it. He mentored Timothy like a pro - like Barnabas. And he came back around with Mark, requesting that Mark be with him near the end of Paul's life.

Who are you trying to encourage? Take time to come alongside them. You will be more help to them there than from where you are now.