Russia Mission Trip - Post #9

We leave for the airport in about 6 hours. I'm still working! That's OK. I'll have lots of long flights to get a nap or two. But I usually don't sleep on planes. I can take a nap Sunday afternoon. And all day Monday. And Tuesday.

This trip has been successful on many fronts. Let me mention two or three. Just when it looked like reaching Talitsa was going to be a far-off dream, we saw the hand of God at work this week. A man who pastors a church in the area is also interested in reaching beyond his town and into Talitsa. An interest in the Russia people was birthed in my heart in July of 1986 when I came to the Soviet Union as part of an Economics class at Arkansas Tech University. Then when I had the opportunity to come to Russia in February 2008, God stirred a passion in my heart for the city of Talitsa. We came back in 2009 and 2010. But in 2011 there was just not much glimmer of hope that a church would be planted there. I stayed home that year but prayed anyway. This trip has shown me that God works off the radar of my understanding. My faith is strengthened and my desire to pray for and work in Talitsa is rekindled.

Another point of success is that Cross Road Baptist Church has shown it can partner with another church (this one happens to be in Russia) to accomplish kingdom goals. Two American churches (Little Rock and Louisville) sent six people to partner with the church in Ekaterinburg for a week of children's ministry. We're not really sure what to call it. It was like a day camp and we used VBS material. And it worked. Most importantly, God worked through the camp and the churches to touch lives. One parent (a non-believer) said she wanted her kids to come back day after day because she could tell a difference in them. They were singing and happy. That's what the gospel does: it wraps people in the love of Jesus and changes them. Her children are not yet believers but they have tasted of God's goodness and seen the examples of many transformed lives before them this week.

The third point of success may not look like it at first. The woman who normally directs the camp was not able to lead this year because she was pregnant. She had the baby this week. But her sister stepped up to the task and learned that God empowers his people to do what he wants them to do. Many of the Americans and Russians fought with a stomach virus. Our manpower changed on a day-to-day basis. But we trusted God to use those who were able to accomplish his purposes. Even things like travel schedules and exchanging money were messed up. But God is in control! We live in a physical world and fight spiritual battles. Satan uses both spiritual and physical things to stop us. God is sovereign in both realms and always acts in accordance with Romans 8:28. This week was a Romans 8:28 week, for sure.

We head home soon. We get home late Saturday night. Since we are traveling west, we are chasing the sun. That makes for a long, long day of travel. I think I'll schedule a few naps for next week.

Russia Mission Trip - Post #8

It's hard to believe that this week is almost over. The Russian believers here in Ekaterinburg are doing a wonderful job leading the Amazing Wonders Aviation VBS. The Bible lessons have been translated into Russian for the teachers. The theme song is in Russian. Even the Americans are speaking some Russian. Not very good though.

The Americans are doing the crafts and recreation, with the help of translators. Actually, the two women doing the recreation have lived here for three years so they don't need the help of translators but the rest of us do. Jessica and Jocelyn were in the IMB Journeyman program. They've been back home for a year and a half. We thought of them immediately when putting our team together for this trip. It's been a joy having them with us.

Deana, Shirley, and Gwen are doing the crafts. The translators are helpful but we have been able to communicate much of what the kids need to know just by pointing or showing them what to do. Most of the kids have wanted to use English on their crafts rather than Russian for the words and stuff. And most of them know a little English. At least enough to make me feel bad for the small amount of Russian I know.

My job has been to introduce the daily theme in the opening gathering and then to reinforce the theme in the closing gathering. I'm also teaching the kids a song in English. "Every Move I Make" is a little long but they are doing a good job and they love the choreography. A couple of girls "interviewed" me today. One question was, "Bob, do you like to dance?" I laughed inside and said, "Well, in America pastors aren't really supposed to dance." The translator said, "It's that way in Russia, too, but you are pretty good." Now keep that to yourself because I've never been, am not now, nor will I ever be a dancer! (But I'm pretty good at whatever it is I'm doing!)

Tomorrow is the last day. We'll head home Saturday and get home about midnight Saturday night. Eleven days away from home is a long time but the good news regarding our "Reaching Talitsa" emphasis and the exciting week we've had in VBS day camp makes it worthwhile.

Russia Mission Trip - Post #7

We've just wrapped up the second day of VBS day camp at the House of Prayer in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Everybody that was sick yesterday is feeling much better today. Just a couple of folks are not yet back to full strength. Thanks for the prayers and please keep praying for all of us to either get to 100% or stay that way for the rest of the trip.

Just like yesterday, the kids were great. They pay attention, are obedient, and treat everyone respectfully. OK, maybe not completely...they're just kids! But I am impressed with them! Today's Bible study was based on the event recorded in the book of Daniel where Daniel was thrown into a lions den because he would not pray to the king instead of to God. Sometimes we have to make a hard decision to stand strong in our faith or stand up for what the Bible says. That's not always well received by people around us. I'm not aware of any lions dens around today but we may face opposition in other ways when we stand up for the Lord. Stand up anyway! That's what Daniel did and it turned out OK for him.

One of the things I love about working with the Russia children is that they don't really understand the language barrier and don't pay much attention to it. They will smile and say something in Russian that seems to be really important to them. Something like, "Are we going to have crafts again tomorrow?" We may not understand what they are saying but we can tell by their sweet faces that it's important. We'll either smile and say, "Yes," or we'll grab one of the few who can speak both Russian and English. Most of the time a smile and "Yes" work just fine!

I know I'm clumsy when it comes to ministering to children, but the rest of our team is doing great. I'm so glad Deana, Gwen, Shirley, Jessica, and Jocelyn are here. Please keep us in your prayers as we rest tonight and go after it again tomorrow morning. (By the way, the time is 10:50 pm on Tuesday night in Ekaterinburg and 11:50 am on Tuesday morning in Little Rock. We are half way around the world!)

Russia Mission Trip - Post #6

Today was the first day of the VBS Day Camp. About 25 children attended and had a great time. They learned about the time God stopped the waters of the Jordan River so his people could cross into the Promised Land. God is awesome and has mighty power over all he created!

Crafts, recreation, and music were home runs! The kids sang out loud - every one of them! They made bags and airplanes. And flew their foam airplanes outside. They loved it all.

On a personal note, at least four of the Americans have a stomach bug. Pray that we'll be well, hydrated, rested, and back to top form. I believe this is Satan trying to stick his nose in God's business. He can't win!

The kids love the VBS and we are loving on them. The adults, both Russian and American, are working together and with the Holy Spirit. God is at working out his plan for this week. I'm glad I'm here to experience it.

Russia Mission Trip - Post #5

Sunday was a great day. We headed out to the House of Prayer (all churches that are not Russia Orthodox are called this) to worship with Russian believers. The place was packed with over 100 people - men, women, boys and girls. In my limited experience in Russia, this was very refreshing to see!

I preached from the passage in Mark 8 about Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ. A Russian pastor preached from Romans 1 about the need for salvation and the change in lifestyle that brings. The pastor of the church, Pavel, preached. Yes, that's three sermons! We observed the Lord's Supper. There was music and drama. One adult man gave his testimony of coming to Christ recently. The pastor's son, Mark (14 yrs old), gave testimony of repenting and accepting Christ just this last Monday night. We prayed. I love the way Russians pray. I can't understand what they are saying but I can tell they are praying from their hearts.

The service lasted over two hours. We commented about the length of it and how American Baptists couldn't take it. But then I thought about our Sunday morning routine. Bible study begins at 9:45 and we are usually leaving shortly after noon. That's over two hours! We just don't spend the time all together in one place. Maybe we should try a service like this some time.

We had lunch at the church before decorating for VBS. The meal was more of a snack by Russian standards. Cheese and bread. Bread with cabbage and potatoes. Cupcakes. Apple cake. Cucumbers. Watermelon. Another kind of melon. Candy. Coffee and tea. It had been a long time since breakfast (it was about 2:00 now) so we partook generously!

The church is now decorated for VBS. Balloons and streamers. Airplanes and posters. We prayed for God to work his will this week in us and through us. Join us in this prayer as we hope to impact many families this week.

Russia Mission Trip - Post #4

We had a good day of preparation today. The Americans and Russians met together at the House of Prayer (the church) to talk about next week's VBS. Then we hit the streets to let children and families know about the event. We spent about an hour playing in the courtyard of an apartment complex. The idea was to connect with children and their parents. We probably started a little early because the crowd was sparse. Those who were in the courtyard noticed us and the Russians were able to talk with a few families. We hope to see more kids tomorrow.

After about an hour, the Americans took to the streets for a little sight-seeing and souvenir shopping. The Russians went to another complex to meet more families.

The sight-seeing tour led us to The Church on the Blood. This Russian Orthodox church is built on the exact site where Romanov czar Nicholas II and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War.

We rode the metro today. I've only ridden subways in New York City, Ekaterinburg, and Moscow. Ekaterinburg's subway stations are extremely clean. New Yorkers ought to take a lesson from the Russians in this. Ekaterinburg has a population of over two million people. Although the streets were packed with cars today (Saturday), the metro stations are packed through the week. Lots of folks move through these areas every day. Deana found a little shop underground that sells rings that she really likes, among other items. It is operated by a Russian Orthodox convent. Most of the shoppers in our group picked up a thing or two here.

Our next stop was a shopping area near the circus. This is an outdoor gathering of merchants selling products ranging from old collectable coins to hand-made crafts to Martrioshka (nesting) dolls. A lot of money changes hands in this place that is packed with people looking for a bargain or a souvenir.

Back to sight-seeing. The next stop was the Memorial for the Politically Oppressed. The site is built around mass graves found several years ago. In the graves are the remains of tens of thousands of people who were executed for their religious beliefs during the communistic rule of Stalin. While people of all religious faiths were persecuted during his regime, Christianity seems to be the center of the persecution because the Christian cross takes a dominant physical, architectural position in the memorial. Many people died for their faith. My prayer is that the current inhabitants of Ekaterinburg will come to and cling to Jesus Christ even though such decisions may lead to persecution.

Our last stop on the sight-seeing tour was the border between two continents: Asia and Europe. We stood on the line! One foot in one continent and the other foot in another continent. The border is a popular stop for wedding parties. Russian weddings begin at the government office where it's all official. Then the wedding party makes the rounds of popular places in the area. The entire wedding party and families move through the city. Several were at the border while we were there. Their traditions are a little different than our. They probably would say the same thing about a traditional American wedding!

Then we shopped some more, had supper in the food court of Mega Mall (the name is accurate), and headed home to the Home Hotel. We'll attend the House of Prayer tomorrow for worship services then spend the afternoon decorating for VBS. Please pray that we can help the Russian Christians make an impact among families for Jesus Christ.

Russia Mission Trip - Post #3

This is Friday night, actually it's already Saturday morning. We've spent the evening in the home of a Russia couple who are active in a Baptist church in Ekaterinburg. The church is having a day camp next week and we are here to help them. We had supper with some of the camp's leadership so we could get to know each other and talk about the week ahead. It's going to be a busy week.

We do some preliminary work tomorrow (later this morning, really!) at the church then head out to some parks/playgrounds to create some interest. We'll interact with families, play games with the kids, and ask parents for permission for their children to attend (a requirement in Russia).

Please pray for our team: Deana, Gwen, Shirley, Jessica, Jocelyn, and me. Pray for the Russians - I haven't got all their names, yet. Pray that the children will be interested and the parents will be approving. Pray that the gospel will be heard and embraced.

Russia Mission Trip - Post #2

We had a great day today, Friday, August 3.

Breakfast at Home Hotel consisted of two eggs, sunny side up with ham, bread, and some kind of berry juice that was really good. The server works really hard to speak English and she did a good job but we could tell she was a little embarrassed about it. All the staff here speaks English with some degree of success. They are much better at English than we are at Russia. We should do better.

After breakfast we headed to Talitsa. This city of about 30,000 people has been on our church's prayer list. We want to help plant a church in the city, which is Russia's equivalent of a county seat town. The drive was extra long because we usually stay in Kamishlov, a city about halfway between Ekaterinburg and Talitsa. But we didn't plan the trip that way this time. Add to that the construction detour and we were in the car about 4 hours each way. But the drive was worth it!

Our prayer for the last year or so has been that God would raise up a leader through whom God would work to plant the church. We feel it's important for the leadership to be Russian so that the church is Russian, not American. We may have met him today. His name is Vadim and he is the pastor of Spiritual Renewal Baptist Church in Troitsky. Troitsky is Talitsa's neighbor and apparently the two communities almost consider themselves to be one. The church is small, 12 years old this week, and has survived some turmoil. Vadim pastored the church a few years ago and has been back for one year. So we had never met him. The turmoil happened while he was away. He feels God has led him and his family back to this church in order to reach the community.

It seems that about the time I think I have God's plan figured out for Talitsa, I learn something that changes everything. That's how I feel today after meeting Vadim. I believe he is the man God will work through to reach the Talitsa area. I'm pretty excited about this! Will you pray with me about three things Vadim emphasized in our conversation?

1. Pray that the church will regain a standing with the city officials so that they can have more freedom to minister.
2. Pray that the church's members will continue to grow spiritually.
3. Pray that the church will be evangelistic as they engage the community.

Let me expose some thoughts to you. On the drive to Talitsa I was praying asking God to help me understand what I've been calling "Reaching Talitsa." Should we continue? Is it time to move on? So I'm ready to partner with Vadim and lead our churches to partner together to reach Talitsa and the communities nearby. God is good and he's up to something really good!

Russia Mission Trip - Post #1

Our day began with the sound of the alarm at 5:15. But we had not slept much. As with most trips, Deana and I stay up late the night before, get up early in the morning, and sleep very little in between. We like to go!

One reason we stayed up late last night was to repack. Our original ticket to Ekaterinburg was on Delta all the way. That changed a week or so ago and the last leg of the trip (Moscow to Ekaterinburg) is ticketed by Aeroflot. The main thing that means for us is that the baggage allowance is different than we had anticipated.

We thought we'd each get two bags free. That's not the case, though. One free and the second at $80! So we repacked!

Another reason we stayed up was to deliver Riley to Deana's parents where he'll camp out until we get back. They had plans last night so we were able to take him over there rather late. And he misses us more than other times we've been separated. I think ice cream will go a long way soothing his feelings. And swimming.

We are flying Delta and that means delays. We've been running behind from the start. Little Rock to Atlanta was delayed. But so was Atlanta to New York. We are in flight now. The captain just announced we are being rerouted to delay our arrival in New York due to weather. Our short time between flights at JFK may be evaporating. We won' t really know until we get there. Maybe the weather is keeping that one on the ground for a little while.

We were to be joined in New York by two young ladies who served as missionaries in Russia for three years. They now live in Louisville, KY. Their flight to New York was cancelled. They will now go to Atlanta, Amsterdam, and Moscow on the way to Ekaterinburg. They'll get there about five hours after we are scheduled to arrive.

Lots to pray for as we begin the journey.

1. Travel delays and safety
2. Family stuff (separation and sickness are both part of the mix back home)
3. Quick recovery from travel
4. Our willingness to let God work in and through us

Check back soon for more updates. Check Facebook for short updates, pictures, and video. facebook.com/bobloyd

Weekly Devotional - July 27, 2012

“Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?”

Psalm 139:7 NIV

A friend’s testimony of what she’s going through as her husband faces a life-threatening infection led me to Psalm 139. King David wrote the psalm expressing attributes of God: He knows all things and is present in all places. Especially moving to me when I read Psalm 139 is the listing of places a person might go - intentionally to hide from God or unintentionally as driven by circumstances - yet God is there. And God did not arrive when that person arrived there; He was already there.

A couple of decades ago I enjoyed writing songs. Some were pretty good and others were quickly forgotten. Perhaps I wrote some of them just for myself because I cannot remember much more than a hook phrase for some. But one was written out of Psalm 139 and the phrase I remember is, “Where you are now, He’s already been.”

My friend’s circumstances - and my own, perhaps yours, too - have taken her to unexpected places. She wrote in a Facebook post that she felt like she was on an emotional roller coaster: at times high in the clouds then suddenly in the depths. You’ve been there, haven’t you? The good news / bad news of a medical emergency? The sudden change in a job situation? The chill of an empty house when the spouse has moved out? The constant ringing of the phone and you know it’s bill collectors?

“Where you are now, He’s already been.” If you were to try to escape God’s presence you would find he is waiting for you around the corner or in your hiding place. If circumstances drive you to the heights and depths of emotion you will find God is there.

And God is not there to punish you but to restore you, refresh you, and redeem you. Pray that God will meet you where you are today.

Freedom of Speech

Interesting how the pendulum swings. Fifty years ago, Christian principles were more a part of the fabric of our society than today. Divorce was kept quiet and not seen as a good way to resolve marital problems. Abortion was still illegal and tabu. Sexual promiscuity was gaining popularity but nothing like we know now. Homosexuality was not talked about or portrayed in entertainment media.

I'm not saying that all these social issues are new to our generation. They were all part of the biblical story. And they were all considered to be sin because God's word established it so. What has changed over the last 50 years, or the last 4,000 years, is that all these social issues are no longer tabu, no longer kept out of the media, and no longer considered to be sin.

God's word has not changed.

In the news this week is the topic of traditional/biblical marriage versus gay marriage. Dan Cathy, President and COO of Chick-Fil-A, said in an interview with a Baptist paper that his company (privately owned by his family) was built upon Christian values. One of those values is the belief and adherence to the biblical definition of marriage. (Read the interview here - http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38271)

The reaction of many in media, the LGBT community, Hollywood, and left-leaning politicians has been heavy and harsh. Mayors of three cities - Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco - have publicly stated that Chick-Fil-A is not welcome in their cities because of this. Social media and blogs are filled with opinions.

To say that we live in a country that values freedom of speech would make one scratch his head. We say we value freedom of speech. Our constitution's First Amendment guarantees it. But when a Christian speaks freely about his convictions, the firestorm begins. Our actions speak louder than our words.

Here are some examples of what I think is a double standard regarding free speech.

Nabisco is marketing Oreos with cream stuffing in the colors of the rainbow, symbolic of Gay Pride. The LA Times posted an article today talking about using gay pride as a business strategy. Noted in the article are J.C. Penney, American Express, and Cisco. JCP "has earned kudos from many corners (gay and non-gay alike) for sticking with its views" even though the company struggles financially.

The article cites another article from the Economist stating that the workforce may be comprised of 5-10% homosexuals. Both sides would argue the percentages but it's probably safe to extend that percentage to the general populations. "The LGBT community may be small, but it and its backers are vocal." Yes they are. Ask Dan Cathy. (LA Times article http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-oreo-gay-pride-7cookie-reaction-20120626,0,6550055.htmlstory)

Willow Creek Community Church hosted a leadership summit last year. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz withdrew from the conference under pressure from the gay community because of Willow Creek's affiliation with Exodus International (a ministry for those seeking to turn from homosexuality). An estimated 72,000 people were to participate in the conference; about 700 signed the petition threatening to boycott Starbucks if Schultz made his presentation.

Hybels clarified his and the church's position on marriage. "Now, what is true is that we challenge homosexuals and heterosexuals to live out the sexual ethics taught in the scriptures which encourages full sexual expression between a man and a woman in the context of marriage and prescribes sexual abstinence and purity for everybody else.” The biblical standard was taken to task.

Rather than call for a boycott of Starbucks - unfortunately, some Christians did - Hybels said, "Buy a cup of Starbuck coffee in the next couple of days and just show some Christian goodwill." Boycotts by Christians are generally mocked while a boycott by homosexuals was taken seriously. (Read the article about this http://www.christianpost.com/news/willow-creek-church-is-not-anti-gay-pastor-clarifies-53805/)

Here's my point: Christians are in the minority in America and Christian values no longer run throughout the fabric of our country's principles. This is evidenced by the way Christians are not allowed free speech. Sure, we can speak about stuff that the culture doesn't care about but let a Christian get vocal about a key social issue and the oppression begins.

I'm all for free speech. Let the Christian and the Muslim and the atheist speak freely. Let the proponents of the biblical family/marriage and the homosexuals speak freely. Without everyone having freedom of speech, nobody really does.

Weekly Devotional - July 20, 2012

"Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land
from the hand of the king of Assyria?"

2 Kings 18:33 NIV

The king of Assyria was a brutal leader. His army had conquered everyone around, including the northern kingdom Israel. Then he sent messengers to Hezekiah, king of the southern kingdom Judah. The message was simple: surrender. Even mighty Egypt was no match for Assyria. Surrender was the logical action to take.

Hezekiah's representatives asked the Assyrian messengers to speak in Aramaic rather than in Hebrew so the Jewish people in the city would not be able to understand them. Instead, the Assyrians spoke even louder in Hebrew. They told the Jewish people how powerful their army was and how they had defeated all enemies.

And they mocked God by putting him in the same category with all other gods. If the other gods had not been able to stop Assyria's army, then the Hebrew god would be of no help, either.

The Assyrians only knew false gods. They had never encountered the God of the Hebrews. They imagined Judah's God to be just like all the others. And all the others had been powerless.

But Hezekiah prayed to the all-powerful God. And Isaiah prophesied the fall of the Assyrian king. God responded by killing 185,000 Assyrians in camp that night. The king retreated and was later killed by his own sons while worshiping his false god.

God will not be mocked. He will not be considered just as any other god. He is the one true God who is supreme and sovereign.

You may face an enemy that mocks God. You may hear a message like Hezekiah heard: "What god can help you?" No false god can but the living God will. Pray asking God to help you stand firm in the face of enemy attacks.

Attributes of Discipleship - Stetzer

The church is commissioned to make disciples. Part of that involves sharing the gospel with lost people so that they might come to Christ in faith. The other part of the commission is to help each one of those who comes to Christ to develop into a maturing follower of Christ. Evangelism (the first part) must be coupled with discipleship (the second part). Neither works on its own. But together, the church becomes an agent of transformation in a world that badly needs the change that a new life in Christ brings.

This excerpt from Ed Stetzer's site lists eight measures of personal discipleship. I hope you find them useful and encouraging as you mature in Christlikeness.

In 2008, LifeWay Research commissioned a survey of more than 7,000 churches to discover the principles involved with healthy congregations. That research made up the framework for Transformational Church, a book I coauthored with Thom Rainer.

Last year, we conducted another study to focus not on the church, but on the individual believer. In this study, we asked more than 4,000 people about their spiritual lives and level of maturity. This was not a convenience sample drawn from participating churches, but a randomly selected sample to ensure an even higher level of research accuracy.

The results allowed us to identify eight Biblical factors that consistently show up in the life of a maturing believer. Those "attributes of discipleship" are:

1. Bible engagement
2. Obeying God and denying self
3. Serving God and others
4. Sharing Christ
5. Exercising faith
6. Seeking God
7. Building relationships
8. Unashamed transparency

Spiritual growth does not happen by accident, and since Jesus has called us to make disciples of all nations, we wanted to discover the common traits for those maturing in their faith. It goes without saying that such attributes do not make you a Chrisitan but, rather, are an outgrowth of being a Christian. Furthermore, these are measurements of growth, but only God causes the growth. (http://www.edstetzer.com/2012/07/massive-lifeway-research-proje.html)

Now we ought to assess our own spiritual maturity to learn where we can improve. And the church - your church, my church - should look closely at our discipling process to see how we might better carry out the Great Commission.

Different Views

Jerry Sandusky will spend the rest of his life in jail for sexually abusing several boys over the last couple of decades. As a coach for Penn State University, Sandusky had access and freedom and influence. He misused all that. He ought to spend the rest of his life in jail.

Listening to Dan Patrick on the radio this morning, Dan said that Sandusky will spend the rest of his life in jail and then die and go to hell. I understand the sentiment but not the theology.

At the base of this kind of thinking is the idea that sin sends a person to hell. Maybe it has to be a really big sin. Like sexually abusing children.

The Bible says that breaking one point of God's law is the same as breaking all the law (James 2:10). The Bible says that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23). And the Bible says that all sinners deserve death (Romans 6:23). If that is the totality of what the Bible says about sin, then Jerry Sandusky is undoubtedly going to hell.

But the Bible says more about the subject. The rest of Romans 6:23 says, "but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." That's good news because it means that any sinner can have eternal life!

The Bible also says that "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). And if we confess our sins God will forgive us of our sins (1 John 1:9).

If only the first part is true then we are all going to hell. But if all of this is true then it's possible that anyone can go to heaven.

I understand that you may be uncomfortable with the thought that anyone can go to heaven. I am, too. But I wouldn't have it any other way because I could be going to hell if it were not for the grace of God.

Grace is what makes it possible for Jerry Sandusky to go to heaven. But if he doesn't put his faith in Jesus Christ he will go to hell.

A person's eternal destination depends not upon their sins but upon their decision to accept by faith (or not) the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. Would you consider accepting this gift by faith? Message me in the comments if you would like to talk more about it.

Unplugged

I'm going on vacation Thursday and I'm not taking my computer. That's a big deal for me. I can't remember the last time I didn't travel with my MacBook Pro.

I must confess that this was not a hard decision to make. We are going on a cruise and won't have internet access anyway. Still, no computer?

I plan to read a lot so I'll have to take real books with me. (Haven't decided about taking the iPad.) And I'm reading the Bible following the Chronological Plan on youversion.com so I'll have to plan ahead and write down the schedule for the days we are gone.

Are you like me? Are you dependent upon technology? It's not all bad but it is some bad. A vacation from technology may be just what I need so I'll try it. The mission trip to Russia is just a couple of weeks away. Maybe I can make it those eleven days without the laptop, too.

But for now, I'm using the MacBook Pro to post to the blog, checking text messages on the iPhone, and reading on the iPad. Is there a Technology-ics Anonymous around town?

Weekly Devotional - July 13, 2012

"See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ."

Colossians 2:8 NIV

The last century and a half have been times of upheaval in one of the basic ideas about human origin. The advancement of the Theory of Evolution led to a rejection by many of the truths found in God's word. And, as should be the case, when one component of a belief system falls, folks begin to reject more, if not all, of the beliefs.

The crisis of belief is this: Do we believe the Bible or do we believe something that stands to contradict the Bible? If we believe the Bible - and as Christians we say we do - then everything must filter through it before we can accept it as truth. The Bible does tell of the creation of the universe and the origin of the human race. I believe this is accurate so anything that has to do with creation or origin must agree with Scripture or that teaching is false.

When my boys were pre-schoolers they all had a common trait: they denied an accusation if it made them look bad. My middle son's name is Caleb Tanner Loyd. As he learned to write the letters of his name, he always made the Ns capitals and backwards. One day I found his full name neatly printed on the wall of his bedroom in crayon. Capital and backwards Ns just like always. Standing there with him looking at the wall I asked him if he had written his name on the wall. He consistently and emphatically denied that he had done it. Any handwriting expert - or novice, for that matter - could tell he had!

Crisis of belief: Do I believe the Bible when it says we are all sinners or do I believe we are all innately good? You are faced with a crisis of belief many times each day. Do you believe the Bible to be true and the only worthy guide for life or do you accept human philosophies in its place? Pray that God will help you understand and apply all the Bible teaches.

Incentive

What does it take to motivate you? Some of us need money or recognition. Others of us just have an inner drive to get it done. I've been trying to motivate my son Riley to read this summer. He's going into 6th grade and I want him to become a lifelong reader. That's a struggle I have and is one of the reasons I'm not finished with my DMin project.

During the Chick-Fil-A Leadercast, John Maxwell said his father did not give him and his siblings an allowance for doing chores because you did chores because you are part of the family. Instead, his father gave them an allowance for reading books. Not just any books but books that would challenge their reading ability and their thought processes.

I like that idea so I adopted it for Riley for this summer. We need to save money wherever we can so Riley tags along with me when school is out instead of going to a daycare or something like that. Since I have a certain amount of study and sermon prep to do, he has lots of time for reading.

He's spent most of that time watching TV or playing video games, though. That's only partially his fault. I must carry most of the blame.

Anyway, we went to Barnes & Noble Bookstore several weeks ago and picked out four books for his summer reading program. And we added some books of the Bible to round out a list of biographies, mysteries, fun stuff, and scripture.

And he gets a handsome allowance when he completes each book. To date, I am out ZERO DOLLARS! He's always asking for an allowance so I told him about Maxwell's reading deal. We both liked it. He just doesn't stick with it very long. I understand.

But when I make him sit down and read, like right now, he's constantly telling me about something in the book. Maybe we are making progress.

Sometimes you just have to do something you're not all that excited about in order to gain something you really want. For Riley, that means reading in order to get an allowance.

Will y'all take up a collection for an incentive for me to finish my DMin project? I need something. Maybe I just need to do what I'm not all that excited about in order to gain something that would be really meaningful to me.

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!