Redemption

The day started out pretty stormy. The skies were full of choppy clouds - like the waves on a turbulent lake. I was explaining to Riley what makes the clouds look like that and why they sometimes look more like a blanket covering the sky. He asked why God made them that way. That started an interesting discussion.

We decided that since God created everything he must have created the weather processes that result in storms, although we shouldn't say that God send a tornado or hurricane or bolt of lightning to destroy something. Sometimes, but not always. Sometimes the storms are just simply the result of the process he created. When Adam and Eve sinned, all of creation was cursed. The result is a stormy life in many ways. This mornings stormy skies are the result of the Fall. Eden had no skies like those prior to sin.

We also decided that above the clouds the sun is always shining. Riley laughed and joked, "Do you think the sun is even there?" That is a picture of the reality in our lives - God is always there even when life's circumstances cloud our perception. Sometimes we rise above the clouds and experience the warmth of his presence much like we burst through the clouds while climbing to cruising altitude in an airplane. You may know what it's like to look through the small window next to seat 14A as the pilot takes the plane upward. You can only see the clouds as they block the view of the tips of the wings. You have no idea where you are or where you are headed or what awaits you. Then after a few seconds the clouds are beneath you and the sky above is perfectly clear. And the sun is shining.

We also decided that the Bible is correct when it says that all creation will one day be redeemed. Redemption for the sinner is being made right with God as he restores our relationship to what it is intended to be. The redeeming of creation will clear the storm clouds out of the skies. A new heaven and a new earth await us!

Reaching Talitsa Celebration

CRBC is praying for Talitsa, Russia. We hope to plant a church in this city of 30,000 that has almost no evangelical presence and no Baptist church.

I didn't think a church like Cross Road Baptist Church could be involved in partnering with Russian believers to reach their cities for Christ because we are small. During a trip to lead a pastors conference in the Sverdlovskaya Oblast in 2008 I realized we could and should do it. The church joined me in this calling and we have taken two trips to Talitsa since then. We have prayer-walked throughout the city. We have met believers from nearby towns and try to encourage them as they live out their Christianity in a tough situation. We have sent and taken material for the Russian believers and the America missionaries to use. We believe God wants people in Talitsa to know salvation in Jesus Christ and we are willing to get involved in that mission.

Zoya Reshetnikova lives in Troitsky, a city near Talitsa. Zoya is an English teacher in one of the schools. She also serves as our translator when we make our trips. Two other churches in Arkansas are partnering in cities near Talitsa and Zoya translates for them, too. We have all grown to love the Russian believers we have met and welcomed with excitement the news that Zoya wanted to come to America.

She and her son Oleg Reshetnikov are here this week and are visiting the three churches that come to her area. Our opportunity to welcome Zoya and Oleg to America came Sunday night as CRBC held a "Reaching Talitsa Celebration." They both have testimonies of salvation that will move you to tears of joy. We asked them to share their testimonies and as they did I could sense the Lord working in our people. Honestly, testimonies from most people I know are kind of sterile. Satan has such a hold on Russia that Christianity isn't "easy" like it has become in America. When a Russian shares the life-change that has taken place in his life, you know it is real. You know God is powerful. That's what came across Sunday night and I hope it stirs us to think about what Jesus has done for us in order to provide forgiveness and salvation.

Rusty and Lori Hart served as missionaries in Russia when CRBC started this partnership. They have since returned to live in Arkansas and joined us for the celebration. Rusty shared how our prayers and friendships and mission trips will make a difference. And that encourages me. Rusty also sang a song, "You Raise Me Up," in both English and Russian. I heard him sing that two or three times on the trip in 2008. It's my favorite! As he sang Sunday night I remembered sitting in the living room of the home of unbelievers in Krasnotourisnk. They heard that Americans were in town and wanted to meet with us. We had a traditional Russian meal then spent hours talking. Some of them were musicians so they and Rusty took turns singing. As Rusty sang this song and a few others I could sense that seeds of the Gospel were being planted. I was in both Little Rock and Krasnotourinsk Sunday night.

Our church worshiped. Those who have been to Russia on our mission trips shared of their experiences. At least 7 people said they definitely will be going to Russia. A few more began to think that maybe God was calling them to go, too. Gospel work is difficult in this part of Russia. It can be discouraging, especially to those who live there and experience the darkness everyday. We believe God will break through the darkness. We believe we should continue praying, supporting, encouraging, and going. That's one of the two BIG things that came out of our celebration.

The other has to do with fellowship. CRBC does a good job of fellowship - supporting one another, coming to the side of those in our church family who are hurting, sharing life with one another. If I ranked on a "Fellowship-o-Meter" all the events, programs, or happenings over the five years I have served as pastor I will say that this gets the highest score and takes the top spot. We had a larger Sunday night crowd than we have had in a long, long time. Our people stayed long after the testimonies were over. We had several pockets of people laughing and sharing. I stood in the kitchen looking out across the serving counter and thanked God that I was able to experience this. Being about God's business does this to people. I was reminded of some experiences in another church in the mid-'90s. I am encouraged with Christian people and with the God we serve.

First Baptist in DeQueen and First Baptist in Stuttgart are having similar celebrations this week as Zoya and Oleg meet with them. I know without a doubt that they will experience what we did.

I am praying for Talitsa - for the people to hear the Gospel, for believers to come together in fellowship, for Jesus Christ to be made known. Will you join me?

Lessons in Daniel

I started a Bible study in the book of Daniel tonight for our midweek service. I've preached or taught from Daniel before but have never done a verse-by-verse study. The main reason is that, although I'm confident in my position regarding eschatology, I don't have answers I think are sufficient to questions that are bound to come up as we get to the latter chapters. Even so, we dove in tonight!

Some of the most well-known Bible stories come from this book of the Bible. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego survive in the fiery furnace. Daniel spends the night safely in the lions' den. Belshazzar sees the hand writing on the wall. We'll look at these stories and learn about God's sovereignty and his love and care for those who follow him. That will be encouraging to all of us who attend the study sessions.

Even the opening verses illustrate a couple of key points. The four Hebrew teenagers taken into exile to Babylon were given Babylonian names - replacing their Hebrew names. Hebrew mothers and fathers gave names to their children that express the hope of a godly characteristic being displayed in the children's lives. In Nebuchadnezzar's efforts to "Babylonize" the boys, he gave them names that spoke of a pagan god. In spite of their new names they continued to display character of Yahweh.

Our names may not carry the same kind of meaning as Hebrew names did, but Christians should live in ways that display the character of God. Do you try to be righteous? Do you love everyone without placing conditions upon them? Do you forgive when someone wrongs you? Do you face difficulties with peace and confidence in God? Do you turn to the Lord for help in all situations?

The other key point illustrates the sovereignty of God. While we often think that the powerful Babylonian army under the leadership of Nebuchadnezzar came into Jerusalem and did as they pleased, the truth is that God delivered the Hebrew people to them. Read the second verse of the book. Judah, the southern kingdom, had disregarded God's desire for the treatment of humanity. They exploited people. They abused them. They cheated them. The Hebrew nation was also guilty of a disregard of worship. God was a genie in a bottle. Worship was a joke. Holiness wasn't even on the radar. So God gave the leaders over to Nebuchadnezzar. They would now be treated as they had treated others. And God gave the articles used in temple worship to the Babylonians so that even if they wanted to the Hebrews could no longer worship.

God is in control. Even when it seems like life is spiraling dangerously. Even when it seems like you have it all together yourself. God is in control. How do you sense the presence and power of God in your life? Don't dismiss him. Don't struggle against him. Why? You won't win. You may have temporary success - like the leaders in Jerusalem had. In the end God will intervene and do as he wishes. He loves you and wants the best for you so you can (and should) trust him to do as he wishes. It's always better to let him have his way along the way rather than fighting it off as long as you can.

I'm excited to get deeper into this study. Dive in yourself or join us at CRBC on Wednesdays at 7:00.

Time of My Life

This has been an exciting week for me. I am a Cincinnati Reds fan and have been since the early '70s. That's when I was in elementary school and just starting to love baseball. No longer in grade school but still loving baseball.

The genesis of my love for baseball coincides with the glory days of the Big Red Machine. Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, Joe Morgan, Dave Concepcion, Pete Rose, George Foster, Cesar Geronimo, and Ken Griffey are names I'll never forget. Back then we only had one game a week on television. NBC aired the MLB Game of the Week and I hardly ever missed one. Since the Reds were doing pretty good, they would be on a lot. That's why they are my favorite team. Just like kids in the '80s and '90s took to the Cubs and Braves - they were on cable TV so they saw them a lot.

Even though Arkansas is traditionally a St. Louis Cardinals territory and our local AA minor league team was affiliated with them at the time, the Reds became "My Team" and have been for almost forty years. Oddly enough, the only Reds game I've ever seen in person was in St. Louis.

So the excitement comes from being in Cincinnati this week for two games. Yesterday, we saw the Mets and Reds play a wild game that saw the Reds on the short end of a 10-9 score. Both teams had innings in which they scored four runs. Both teams scored in the 9th inning. For a baseball fan that was a great game. Not so much if you are a Reds fan. I'm both so I walked away feeling pretty good.

Tonight's game is against the 2010 World Series Champions - the San Francisco Giants. We will be at Great American Ball Park by 11:30 for a stadium tour. Then we'll spend a few hours in the Reds Hall of Fame Museum. After that we get to go back into the stadium for batting practice and hopefully get a few autographs. Then the game starts at 7:10 with fireworks after the game. Maybe we'll get back to our hotel by midnight!

World Changers

The North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention started a program several years ago that plugs youth into missions ministry. The program is called World Changers. It's been around awhile but I've only been involved for the last five summers. And my involvement is as part of the support team for the church groups that come to Little Rock to work.

The work they do consists of light home remodeling like roofing and painting. Churches bring groups from all across the US to the different cities involved in the program. This year there are 210 World Changers in Little Rock. The group we are supporting consists of ten youth and adults from Dodge City, Kansas and Katy and College Station, Texas. They are painting the exterior of a house in an impoverished part of our city - free of charge to the home owners. The city of Little Rock and NAMB pick up the tab.

CRBC is responsible for feeding our 10 World Changers each day this week. We'll take them pizza, hot dogs, fried chicken, and PBJ sandwiches. We load them down with Gatorade and Powerade. And we express our appreciation to them for serving the Lord in our city. The Sunday Morning Bible Study classes each take a day (or two classes will team up) to provide and deliver the meals.

We are impacting eternity in at least three ways. First, we are helping the work crew make a difference in the home owner's life. The home owners are not necessarily Christians so the opportunity to share the gospel with them is high. And if they are Christians, well we can all use encouragement! What a great way to encourage someone - come alongside them and ministry to them in a tangible way.

Second, CRBC impacts eternity by serving the work crew. The youth and adults are Christians who see the need to put their abilities in the hands of God. God is using us to provide for them this week. Hopefully, they will see godly people gladly involved in ministry toward them.

Third, we feel the impact of being involved in eternally significant ministry. Every church has people who want to get involved but just don't know how. Some of our folks are paying for the meals. Some of us are delivering the meals. Some of us are praying for the entire World Changers project in Little Rock. Whenever someone applies himself to the task of serving others God will touch their own lives.

I'm glad to be involved with CRBC and World Changers. And we aren't the only church in Little Rock that's involved. Hundreds of volunteers are on the ground this week involved in ministry. To God be the glory!

Reflecting on Camp

I spent the week at camp with nine kids from our church (and one other adult). We had a great time and many of our students came home with some sense of how to live the way Jesus wants us to. And maybe they also have the desire to do it! CRBC had not been to a summer camp like this in so many years that the idea of "camp" wasn't on the radar for any of the students or their families. I'm hoping to change that so that camp is something they always do, look forward to doing, and plan to do.

Last year was the first time to go to camp in almost 15 years. We took five students last year, nine this year. Maybe we are on our way to that new mindset.

As I reflect on the week at camp, I think about the overall message we heard: Jesus is the way and the truth and the life. He is the way to salvation. He is the guide/pattern for the way we live. All the students we took to camp are Christians so the emphasis on salvation helped them in the area of assurance, which is extremely important. Once they are secure in their salvation, they can begin to live the Christian life that leads to ministry and blessing and fulfillment. The camp's theme helped our kids in both areas.

The new camp director is implementing a few changes. These changes are good and I'm sure I'll get use to them. This is not a complaint but a confession that I don't do well with changes unless I'm the one making the changes! Since I'm not the one in charge, I need to get on board with the ones who are. I can do that. I think.

Overall, the location is good, the travel is good, the cost is good, the programming is good, the emphasis is good. I'm looking forward to next year. The theme is "Superheroes." Wonder which one I should be.

Heading to Siloam

We are headed to Siloam Springs for camp next week. I'm pretty excited about that. We took 5 kids last year; we are taking 9 this year. I've been working to create an atmosphere at CRBC where camp is something we always do and always look forward to. I hope to get kids and parents thinking that camp is "normal." It's been a while since CRBC went to a camp like this. Actually, until last year, none of our students had ever been to a camp like Siloam. But we are making progress implementing a new culture.

Siloam is a place where Christian students learn about genuine worship. Worship is not a time or place or activity. Worship is a movement of the heart expressing praise and thanksgiving to God. Worship is not something to avoid by slipping out to the bathroom or doodling in the bulletin. Worship is giving total attention to God. Siloam fosters worship.

Siloam is a place for discipleship. Students have a lot of things pulling for their attention. They can follow cultural trends in music, TV, movies, etc. and wind up far away from God. Or they can focus on God's Word and mature toward Christ-likeness. The messages and Bible studies at Siloam lead in that direction.

Siloam is a place for fun. You just gotta be there!

Siloam is a place where people answer God's call in their lives. Some are coming to Jesus for salvation. Some are coming to give their lives to vocational ministry. Some are coming back to Jesus after following the world. Siloam is a place where people are drawn to Jesus.

Other camps can do the same things, I just like Siloam! So we leave Tuesday morning for a few days of camp. Hopefully, we'll all come back changed.

Adult VBS

I'm not sure how many churches still have Vacation Bible School for adults. CRBC does and it's always a good Bible study. Our normal process is to have the five lessons on the five Wednesday nights leading up to the week of children's VBS. It works pretty good and our folks show up for it.

We use the LifeWay material for all ages. The theme this year is "Big Apple Adventure" set in New York City. So we've been riding through the city that never sleeps learning how to apply biblical principles to our lives. Tonight is the last night - or adventure. The youth will have a VBS weekend later this week and we kick off children's VBS on Sunday.

I love VBS! Everyone - any age - can get involved and learn special lessons that make a difference everyday.

Josh Hamilton - I Am Second

Josh Hamilton - I Am Second

The 10 Most Important Days in the History of the Church

We had an awesome Bible study in our home last night. Our church is not meeting on Sunday nights this summer because, quite frankly, very few have been coming lately. But I still want to get the church together for something: a ministry day, a fellowship, Bible study, something. So we invited everyone over last night. I am pleased with the number who came although I would like more to take advantage of these things. We filled the living room. Maybe one day we can fill several living rooms around the community with life-changing, soul-challenging Bible study on Sunday nights.

The Bible study was from Acts 2. Really Acts 1 and the first few verses of chapter two. We focused on the activity/preparation of the 120 during the time between Jesus' ascension and the Day of Pentecost. The Bible tells us that Jesus died, resurrected three days later, and ascended 40 days after that. Pentecost always occurs 50 days after Passover so that means there were 10 days between the ascension and Pentecost. I intend to research scriptures and church history to support this theory: those were the 10 most important days in the history of the church.

Why? Without preparation and a good start, a prolonged life and good finish are nearly impossible. I see five things that happened during that week and a half that set the tone for the church to begin on the path of carrying out God's mission on earth - AND sustain it. I fully believe and understand that the church does nothing significant without the Holy Spirit. God actually does the work but since he chose to use the church I am looking at the church's preparation as led by the Holy Spirit. (That sounds both redundant and convoluted but I don't want anyone to pick apart my thoughts based on a technicality. If the theology is bad, attack that but don't throw out a good idea because you think I'm leaving out the Spirit.)

Obedience. In Acts 1:4 Jesus told the disciples not to leave Jerusalem. They were to wait for the gift promised by the Father. The gift was the Holy Spirit. Ten days later the disciples (120 of them) were still in Jerusalem waiting for the gift. Today's church must be obedient to everything God says. Go, stay, do, don't. Whatever God says. If my church or yours wants to experience unbelievable, supernatural stuff, we must be obedient.

Prayer. A constant prayer meeting took place during these ten days according to Acts 1:14. Have you ever wondered what they were praying about? Previously in the book the disciples had asked about the timing of when Jesus would establish his kingdom. Jesus dismissed the question and told them to focus on being witnesses in the world when the power of the Spirit came upon them. Surely they were praying about that promise and the task associated with it. And since they were just humans like me and you, they were probably also praying about the coming of the kingdom. I am convinced that when the church prays earnestly about allowing the Spirit to flow through us so that the world hears the gospel, and when we pray that the kingdom come, we will then, and only then, make a huge impact on the lostness of the world.

Focus. Acts 1:15 starts out "in those days." At some point between the ascension and Pentecost, Peter suggested that they choose a replacement for Judas, the betrayer. They felt the need to maintain The Twelve as if that were necessary in order to continue on the mission Jesus had given them. Jesus' mission never changes. He came to seek and to save the lost. He is not willing that any should perish. His mission is our mission. Peter realized that and kept the group focused by filling the vacancy. In verses 21-22, Peter said that this was necessary in order to testify to the resurrection. The church can easily lose focus and take off after one thing and another. Some of those things may be good things but distract from the mission. If we will stay focused on the mission we will see extraordinary events in the life of our church just as the 120 believers experienced a few days later.

Unity. As the second chapter of Acts unfolds we learn that the disciples we all together. The KJV says "in one accord." They were together physically, but they were also together spiritually. A splintered group could not be as effective as a unified group. Divisions, arguments, and cliques would quench the Spirit. It works like that in today's church, too. Maybe you have been in a fractured faith family. The pastor may lead in a direction the church feels is not appropriate. The church may not follow its faithful leadership. One family can feel shafted when the Nominating Committee report is presented. The long-time members may feel like they are being shoved aside. Newcomers could feel like they don't really belong. Ephesians 4:3 says that we are to keep the unity. We don't build unity. The Spirit gives unity. We either keep it or destroy it. If we'll keep the unity in our churches we will see a great movement of the Spirit like most of us have never known.

Action. The amazing scene described in the first verses of Acts 2 finds its apex in the acts of the disciples (of course, the Holy Spirit working through them). The ten days are past. The preparation is done. It is time for action. And the disciples did exactly what Jesus wanted. They spoke up. The moved out. They made a splash. They impacted eternity. Inaction would not do. Sitting back while others acted would not do. I believe 120 followers of Christ were filled with the Spirit that morning and every one of them went into action proclaiming the gospel. Today's churches must follow this example: everyone in action on mission to impact eternity.

Obedience. Prayer. Focus. Unity. Action. I am sure these are necessary components for revival in our church and an explosion of influence in the world. I'm still working on whether or not these ten days are the most important in the history of the church. But I think so.

What to Do after 40 Years

So I'm gonna develop a sermon on this idea: What to Do after 40 Years.

CRBC celebrates our 40th Anniversary tomorrow. The actual date is June 13, I think. Seems like we have underachieved much of the time. Perhaps this milestone is a good time to move forward.

I was talking with one of our members today and she brought this up. Forty years. Kinda ho-hum. Wishes we could/would do/be better.

That's been on my mind, too. Linking the experience the Hebrew children had under the leadership of Joshua to the experience our church could have as we move past 40 seems like a natural application. This in no way downplays past leadership - Moses was the leader of the Hebrews during the 40 years prior to taking the Promised Land. He was a great leader who prepared them for their next era. This does not minimize what God has done through the church - he provided for, protected, and led the Hebrews to get them to right location for moving forward. But staying in Egypt or in the wilderness was not an option.

Sometimes you just have to write the next chapter in the story. We love the first 40 years. We've had great successes. We've had wonderful memories. We've learned from some difficult situations. If you were reading a book you would enjoy the previous chapter then turn the page to the next one.

And the next chapter relates to and builds upon the previous. It's not a complete disconnect. So we will build upon and move beyond our foundations with innovation and freshness. Forty years from now, I hope CRBC will celebrate their past and purposefully move into the future.

I'll post sermon audio when I preach the sermon.

Sandy Sue

I slept last night without a sound familiar over the last four years. Our dog Sandy was hit sometime early yesterday morning and died. No note on the door. They didn't move her out of the road.We got her in January 2007 when she was about 5 months old. I'm not sure there has been a night since then when she did not bark loudly at some point. Sometimes it was a nuisance, sometimes outright annoying. And last night it was missing.

Funny how little things like that stick out in my mind.

An emergency vehicle went be the house a little while ago. Sandy always alerted us about 30 seconds before we heard the siren. She would howl as if in pain when she picked up the faint sound. When I heard the siren today I thought of her.

My office door is about a 60-second walk from the front door of the house. Sandy usually made that trek (both ways) with me several times a day. She would lay in a shady spot in the summer or a sunny spot in the winter waiting for me to come out and walk to the other spot. Most of the time she walked just in front of me but close enough to make me alter my pace. Sometimes she would even be laying on the top step outside the office door - that almost always startled me.

So I'll walk over to the church later this afternoon by myself. I'll sleep tonight without waking up to her barking at something. I'll sit on the deck Monday without her head in my lap.

I'll forget and wonder why she's not howling when the sirens sound. I'll forget and ask Riley if he fed her some morning. I'll forget and start singing one of my little songs about her.

Her lore will likely expand - just like that of John John (the kitty cat). We enjoy having pets, we just don't have them very long.

Patience

I'm kinda patient when it comes to waiting in traffic or helping Riley learn something about baseball. But there's an obvious problem now. I think I'm on the same page with God concerning planting a church in Talitsa, Russia. Surely God wants the people there to know him. Surely it's OK to have believers group together in community. Surely God wants a church in Talitsa.

Just not right now. For whatever reason, it's just not time yet. That frustrates me and exposes my lack of patience which exposes a point of spiritual immaturity.

So what do you do when moving forward is not on God's agenda today? Henry Blackaby suggests that we just keep on doing the last thing we are sure he led us to do. In this case, that would be to pray for Talitsa. I'd rather hop on a plane and spend a week talking with a new pastor, meeting Russian believers, and getting the ball rolling. But God is not providing opportunities for those things right now.

So we pray. We are praying for the Southern Baptist missionaries working in the region. We are praying for a person of peace who will help build bridges into the city. We are praying for one or more believers to come forward expressing a desire to have a church. And I'm praying God will help me be faithful to this task while waiting on the next one.

The Last Two Days & The Cooperative Program

The last two days have been rough ones around Arkansas. Two nights of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms make this calm morning with birds chirping a welcome event. As I sit alone in our dining room working on the Bible study for tonight's service, I hear the birds and I hear a clock ticking. It's a battery operated clock so it kept ticking while the power was out. I can also hear the hum of the refrigerator. That was silent for about 24 hours. We are blessed that the power outage wasn't longer and that the food in the fridge stayed cool enough that we don't have to throw everything out.

I can also hear the occasional vehicle drive by. Couldn't hear that with the hard rain and strong winds. I guess you could say things are back to normal now.

But not for the dozens of people across our state who have endured loss the last two days. Some lost family members. Some lost property. Some lost home. Some lost security. For them, today is not back to normal.

Can I go on as normal knowing that people around me cannot? I can't just ignore them, can I? No.

I have several opportunities to be involved. First, I can pray. Only God can really meet the needs these people are experiencing. So I am praying that God intervene in a God-sized way. I know he most often uses people as the conduits for this miracle, so I need to be available to help in ways I can. And I need to be generous with financial support.

A local TV station is promoting a drive for contributions to Red Cross. Other agencies are seeking donations.

Did you know that each time you give to a church that contributes to the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention you are giving to disaster relief? (You should ask your church to contribute to CP!) Arkansas Baptists are deployed across the affected areas clearing debris and cooking meals for the displaced and the workers. The other organizations may do a good job and are both effective and efficient with the money given to them, I don't really know. But I do know that Cooperative Program dollars assigned to disaster relief are making a difference. And I contribute every week.

Arkansas Baptist Disaster Relief trainings take place around the state pretty often. Check this site for the training schedule or here for more information and pray about getting involved with both your checkbook and your hands.

5 Questions

I've just completed a series of sermons about the 5 most important questions you will ever answer. The audio for these sermons is available on our church's website.

http://www.crbclr.org/sermons

I hope you'll find these helpful as you navigate the sometimes-rough-waters of life.

Who Will You Worship?
Who Will You Believe?
Who Will You Marry?
Who Will You Forgive?
Who Will You Tell?

Testing Faith

I visited with an elderly woman today. She is dealing with a fractured vertebrae and cancer. She asked that I pray that her faith would be stronger.

As I talked with her I came to believe that her faith is pretty well grounded in Christ. She's a Christian. She loves the Lord. What bothers her is that she's uncertain about what she is going through. That uncertain translates into a lack of faith in her opinion.

Faith is a funny thing. You may think you have it but you really don't know until it is tested. There mere fact that faith is tested often shows the limits of our faith. Faithfulness is a lifelong journey. I express faith when I call on Jesus for salvation. That is a faith by which I am saved. Then there is the faith by which I live. Not necessarily a different faith but a different application of faith.

The faith by which I live strengthens (or fades) as I experience things that test my faith. For example, if I am laid off from my job and am unsure about how I will provide for my family, my faith grows when I confidently trust God to provide for us. Or my faith fades when I leave God out of the solution. If this test of my faith produces stronger faith, then I am prepared for greater tests in the future. The next time I'm laid off I probably won't struggle as much as the first time because my faith is strong enough to handle it - assuming my faith has not faded in the meantime.

But what if I am diagnosed with a serious disease? Is my faith strong enough for that? Maybe or maybe not. Once again, my faith is tested. The test is an opportunity for my faith to grow. Jesus asked the disciples why they had such little faith. It wasn't that they had no faith, just that their faith was smaller than the circumstance. When circumstances are bigger than our faith we can make two choices: we can focus on God and our faith grows or we can focus on the circumstance and our faith fades.

Faith passes the test when we can say in the face of uncertainties, "God will take care of this, too."

The woman I talked with today is facing that test of faith. I think she's passing the test. But I also think she is expressing the human uncertainty. That's normal when we face something new. For her, faith trumps uncertainty. She will have stronger faith because of this.

I don't know what you are facing today but I do know your faith will be tested. If not today, it will be soon. Everyone is in one of three places. You are facing a test. You just faced a test. Or you will soon be facing a test. Will you say, when facing the test, "God will take care of this, too"?

"Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Heb 11:1).

"You know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance" (James 1:3).

I hope you faith (and mine) grows.

Making a Difference?

I'm working this morning in a coffee shop while waiting on a lunch meeting about church planting. Two things about that statement - first, this is the loudest coffee shop I've ever been in! At the next table are two women who have just returned from working out. Their conversation makes me blush. Just a few more feet away are two men talking business. Money and more money are their goals. As I listen to the various conversations, I don't really expect people to be talking about yesterday's sermon (if they heard one) but I would expect Christians to at least reflect what they hear in biblical preaching and teaching.

Maybe it's a stretch to think the people sitting near me attended church yesterday or are Christians. The truth is that most people in Little Rock do not attend church even half the Sundays each month. Many people never attend church. Fewer and fewer weddings and funerals are held in churches. Christian ministers speak at fewer of these occasions anymore. Bottom line: we are making little impact on the masses.

That brings me to my next thought - church planting. We'll never reach the masses if we never reach the individual. How many people living near our church know much about us? How many of them know about heaven and hell? How many of them are prepared for eternity? The location of the church and the sign out front are mass appeals - and ineffective appeals. We reach the people one at a time when we establish relationships with them. Church planting is about building relationships with people who are not in church and probably not Christians. Those relationships lead to Bible studies which lead to conversions which lead to Christian communities called churches.

I have been struggling with a call to be involved in church planting for the last 15 years. I'm not really sure what that call is - I just know I need to be involved. That's why I am leading CRBC to pray for the city of Talitsa in Russia. That's why I will lead CRBC to join with other churches to plant a church in central Arkansas. That's why I'm having lunch with a church planting strategist today.

But I'm not convinced that leading my church to plant churches is what this call is about. My call to faithful Christianity and to pastor includes church planting. But is this call a call to be a church planter? Am I supposed to be the guy at the new work rather than the guy at the established church? I can give you a dozen reasons why I shouldn't be the guy. I keep thinking of the one reason I should be: God may be calling me to make a difference, to impact eternity by leading a church plant.

Last night's Bible study was about Jesus calling Andrew, Peter, James and John. One of the points in the text is that these men responded to the call immediately and completely. No hesitation. No fear of risking security. If God is calling me to this, I want to be as responsive as his first disciples.

Pray for me about that.

Are You Ready?

I don't know if the economy is rebounding or not. Some gurus say it is and others warn of another drop in the market. And since we live in a world economy, the stuff going on in Libya and the disaster in Japan make the future more uncertain.

But I do know one thing: God is God. He's present. He's loving. He's in control. He's able. He's my savior. He's my Lord. He's coming again.

Is all the instability around the planet the beginnings of birth pains signaling the end of time? I've read articles claiming just that. The Bible does say that wars, rumors of wars, famine, earthquakes, etc., will signal the end just like contractions indicate the soon arrival of a new baby.

The Bible also says that we cannot know or predict accurately when Jesus will return. The timeline of the past 2000 years is dotted with failed predictions. And disasters have always been with us. I do believe that conditions on earth are right for the Lord's return, as best as I can interpret the Bible and the times. But I cannot say that this is THE right time.

I like the way Jesus and Paul talked about all the predicting. They both said to be prepared and to help others be prepared. So rather than spend all my time trying to figure out whether or not Jesus is about to return, I'm going to do all I can to make sure others are ready for his return.

Are you ready? When Jesus comes he will gather all those who have believed in him for salvation - living and dead. For the living, this will be the first moment when accepting Christ will not be an option. For the dead, well, they lost the opportunity when they breathed their last breath. Since we do not know when Jesus will return or when we will die, we must take this moment very seriously. Are you ready?

I'd love to help you or answer any questions you may have. Please reply.

Defending the Gospel

Let me put this out upfront: I have not read Rob Bell's new book Love Wins.

But I have read a few reviews and hundreds of headlines.

Seems that Bell denies the reality of hell. So what? Well, if hell does not exist is heaven a myth, too? If hell does not exist is there any reason to repent of our sin and turn to Christ? If hell does not exist is the gospel relevant at all?

The biblical response is that hell is reall and so is heaven. Repentance and turning to Christ is necessary for salvation. The gospel is relevant.

I'd like to see more splash in the news and on the social networks about the "Good News" and men and women who are getting the gospel to people around the world.

I'm not against all the people who are talking about Bell. This is a real-life application of the illustration many preachers have used at one time or another. How do authorities train agents to identify counterfeit currency? Not by examining the fake bills but by examining the real thing so closely that a counterfeit is obvious.

Rob Bell's gospel is a counterfeit and all the noise is the legitimate reaction.

Ready for Change

Don't let the title of this entry fool you. The change I'm ready for is a change in my heart. I want to be closer to the Lord. I want to be more available to him for his work. I want to know him better and reflect him better.

So I'm ready for change. I just am not sure exactly how or when it will come. I'd like to experience all these things right now. But maybe I'm just not ready for it. My relationship with Christ is precious to me but I can grow. I will put myself in the hand of the Spirit and allow him to do with me whatever he will. I'm ready.

Prayer will be a key. Bible study will be a key. Witnessing will be a key. Serving will be a key.

Starting now is mandatory. Will you join me?