A Waterfall of Blessing

A couple of weeks back I was on the campus of TFC to run and errand. I decided to take a few minutes and walk up to the falls. It's been over a year since I'd been there. It was early and cool, quiet with no other people there. Standing about 75 yards back from the waterfall I could take in a wide view of the never ending cascade down to the pool. The constant mist gives everything in the vicinity a lush vibrant look.
This doesn't happen often enough but as I stood there I was overwhelmed by the awareness that this is a picture of my life. The constant, never-ending grace of God is poured on me in blessing after blessing. John 1:16 says it perfectly: "From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another". God the One and Only, Jesus Christ has made the Father known to me. This is life! An undeserving sinner being constantly showered with one blessing after another. I know I don't deserve it but I take it!
Hope you're taking it too.

Urgent emails

From time to time I get urgent emails (usually forwarded) from friends and family members. They are usually sent with the intent to warn me of some scam, computer virus or health related issue. Recently, as I recall in one day I received the same forwarded email from no less than six people. All of them had in the subject line a mention of the urgency of the situation and the impending danger these warnings were trying to prevent.
I'd like to post this blog with a sense of urgency. This is really intended for friends or family of mine, or anyone else who reads this who are followers of Christ.
Here is the urgent message:
6000 of the 16000 people groups in the world are considered unreached by the Gospel message. That's 2 Billion people!!!!The question I ask myself and the question I ask you is "what are you doing about this EMERGENCY?"
In and effort to do what Hebrews 10:24 commands us to do I encourage you to go to Between Two Worlds a blog by Justin Taylor and look down the page to a video posted on August 17th.
Please share with me what you are doing. I so need to learn from you.

Picking up where I left off

Well hi there! I haven't written anything since April. Got out of the habit I guess.
This is my start-back blog.
I'd like to tell you a little bit about our(Pam and me) trip to Russia. Rather than give a lot of details I just want to talk about a couple of major impressions.
The similarities between the southern US and Southern Russia.
1. People think that tires buried halfway into the ground make a nice yard border.
2. Trees painted white from the ground up to about 3-4 feet are prettier than those without the paint.
3. Comb-overs are a good way to deal with a bald head. Saw some doosies!
An impression about the Body of Christ
The people in the city we visited were nice enough but seemed to be like many in our country-sad, stressed out and tense. There was very little eye-contact, even less smiling our acknowledgement of another person's existence. When we gathered for worship with the Church it was very different. People smiled, looked us in the eye and made a connection with us.
I participated in two worship services while there. The service lasted two or more hours and consisted of singing, praying, testifying preaching and more praying. I didn't understand a cotton pickin word. But, oh how I recognized the presence of the Lord among us. There was such engagement on the part of the worshippers. As I stood there listening and entering in in my own language there was sense of His being with us. The Holy Spirit brings unity around the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was one of the most wonderful experiences of worship I've ever been a part of. It made me look forward to the day when those from every tribe and tongue and nation will gather to give praise to the Lord of Glory. I am so thankful that I got to taste just a little of this.
Soon, we will live in that forever.

Simply Amazing

For the last several weeks I've been reading the Gospel of Mark, with the goal of ending it on Easter Sunday. It has been rich! Today after reading chapter twelve I was struck again by the amazing reality that the Lord Jesus Christ lived a sinless life. In all of His encounters with people, in His life as a citizen of the Roman Empire, in every teaching event, in His observations of people's religious lives He was totally sinless. It occured to me this morning that in the immense amount of living that is not recorded for me to read He was also sinless. There was never a private moment in which He "let His hair down" so to speak, and gave in to the temptations He faced. I am so grateful because I so need a Savior!!!
There's a little bit about my days coming up to Easter. What about you? Have anything you could share?

Let Go of The Bar

I'm one of those people who was fortunate enough to have grown up out in the country. There are just so many things in that setting that were so much fun!! In the summers when we were done with work a gang of us boys (ages 8-10 or so) would run wild around the little community of Verbena, AL. One of the places we hung out was at a deep pool of water in Chestnut Creek which runs through the town. Hanging from a tree on the waters edge was a cable with a bar (sort of like a red-neck trapeeze). The idea was to hold onto the bar, get a running start from the bank and swing out over the water and just when you reached the highest point of the arch let go and dive or go feet first, or cannon-ball, or belly-flop into the water. I have to admit that it took me several days to get up enough nerve to try it after I first saw Benny Frucci take the plunge. Fear cancelled out any prospect of fun. All kinds of bad things could happen-I might hit a rock; or maybe I would land on top of a cotton-mouth moccasin; I might drown! No matter that people had been swimming in that hole for decades without ever touching a rock, and no snake in his right mind would come into the area with a wild group of rock-slinging boys. Drowning? Highly unlikely with everybody around. I took a few embarrasing runs at it one day but could never let go of the bar. My "friends" pelted me with names like-wait I probobly can't use language like that on the blog-anyway they let me have it. Finally, I let go. The terror of flying through the air was quickly replaced with the thrill of freedom. To this day that was one of the best days of my life.
I see this blog as something like that. Sharing my life with you-my victories, my struggles, my journey with the Lord-is a risky thing in some ways. Yet it has the potential to be freeing and thrilling and life-giving. Punching that post button for me is often like "letting go of the bar". Maybe some of you who read these posts would like to comment but for you letting others get a glimpse of who you really are is frightening. What will people think? Will they still like me? Will they run from me in terror?(Maybe that's overstatement) You know what I mean. I see this blog as a tool through which some can connect in the Body of Christ. Who knows where it will lead? Anyway, I want to encourage you as you take the time to read my story (which I really do appreciate) if you've got something you'd like to say go ahead and "let go of the bar". The impact of your story can be life-changing for others who read it. That's how the Body works.

By the way, is there a swimming hole around here anywhere? Wouldn't that be fun?!!

Killing Anger

I thought it would be good to share something that I came across in my study which has been helpful to me and hopefully will be to anyone who needs it.
It is an article by John Piper which can be found at Desiringgod.org. When you get to the homepage type Kill Anger in the search box. That will hook you up to a list with the title Kill Anger Before It Kills You or Your Marriage.
I'd love to hear what you think.

Fireside Fury

Some of you heard me mention this past Sunday the friend who came to me on a Monday morning while I was pastoring a congregation in Indiana several years ago. His words to me were, "You are one of the most angry people I know". He cared enough to observe my tone of voice, my mannerisms, my facial expression-and despite the protests in my mind over his assessment, he was right. That night after my family had gone to bed I decided to take some time to think about what he had said. I was lying on the floor in front of the parsonage fireplace. As I thought about what my friend had said strong emotions of anger began to come to the surface. It wasn't long until I was literally pounding the floor with my fist (fortunately deep pile carpet was stylish in those days) in rage. I don't even remember now the specifics of my anger. Most of it had to do with my efforts to be the "perfect pastor". (I think my tie was too tight!!) To make a long story short God met me in that room. For some reason He impressed me to go to the book of Jonah and it was in this story of an angry prophet that I found deliverance from the foothold I had given the devil. In Jonah 2 there is recorded Jonah's prayer. At the end of that prayer Jonah said, "salvation comes from the Lord". It was in that phrase that the Lord showed me that all of my efforts at performing in the Kingdom were useless. Worse yet they would leave me frustrated, angry, deceived and blind to my true condition. What He wanted was for me to quit trying so hard to please people, and myself and begin to rest in His salvation. I don't have time to go into detail but a stronghold was broken there in that room. Anger began to subside-the enemy was knocked off the place I had given him and the healing restoring power of the Gospel began a work of renewal in my heart. That most certainly wasn't the end of my struggle with being angry-I still have to deal with it as all of you do. But it was a great lesson in the ability of the Lord to deliver me from it. It was a wonderful example of how He uses people in the Body of Christ to build the Body up.
Thanks for reading my story. I'd like to hear from you if you have any feed-back or if you would just like to talk about your own journey in this.

I Never Saw it Coming

Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the one of the hardest experiences my family has ever been through. On March 28th, 2008 my daughter-in-law Stephanie was hit head-on by a wreckless driver. In the van with her were our two grand-daughters Kelsi and Ava. Amazingly, the girls were not injured but Steph was severely injured. She had a broken left femur, several broken ribs , a collapsed lung and her neck was broken in two places. With the Lord's help in answering many prayers she is doing great today. (Any of you who would like more details are welcome to ask) We celebrated yesterday by going bowling. To show how well she has recovered she bowled a whopping 65 or something like that.
The subject of this blog though is about something that happened as a family member. Due to Steph's severe injuries she was air-lifted to a truama center. I spent a great deal of time as did many others with her there. It was there that I experienced some of the deepest anger that I can recall in my life. My opinion was that Steph was greatly mistreated and I was many times furious with the staff. This went on for days and I found myself in this enraged state for days at a time as I tried with others to help her get the care she needed. Little did I realize that I had become not just angry but I was an angry person. Looking back I regret not heeding the admonition of James 1:19-20. But to be honest I didn't want to. I wanted to force those people to treat Steph better. I justified my rage by my love for her but the truth is I felt personally violated that someone I loved was being mistreated. My rage accomplished very little in helping Steph but the damage to me was deep. And to make matters worse, I never saw it coming. Like everybody else life went on busy as ever. A few months later I found myself depressed, dry spirited, hard hearted and joyless. Old temptations which I once was able to resist began to be met with little resistance. Reading the Word was more a chore than a source of nourishment. Prayer was becoming more and more the performance of a monologue. Through my un-resolved anger I had given the devil a foothold in my life. I will spare you all the gory details but suffice it say I was miserable and virtually useless in the Kingdom.
By God's grace I was in a 12-step group at that time. Some of my friends in recovery began to notice the difference in me and began asking questions. The Lord used this group of loving friends to get me to the place where the enemy could be dis-lodged from the "foothold" I had given him .Maybe you identify with my story. I only share it in the hopes that someone else who has "sold Boardwalk" to the devil can find the deliverance that I have. If this is you I am praying for you. I am willing to join with you on your journey in this. Just let me know.
Thanks for reading my story.

A Lesson From the "Atheists"

The Roman Emporer Julian (A.D.332-363) while trying to revive the ancient pagan religion was frustrated by the "atheists"(who did not believe in the Roman gods but in Christ). He wrote:
"Atheism [i.e., Christian faith] has been specially advanced through the loving service
rendered to strangers, and through their care for the burial of the dead. It is a scandal
there is not a single Jew who is a beggar, and that the Galileans care not only for their
own poor but for ours as well; while those who belong to us look in vain for the help
we should render them".

This is a great lesson for The Body of Christ today especially in the present economic state of our nation. There are more and more people in our community who are now in need and if things continue on the present trend many more will be added to those who will struggle to meet the daily necessities of life. Once again the Lord is setting us up. The opportunities to show the love of Christ to people are all around us. Be on the look-out for those around you who need help and give all that you can. Begin to ask the Lord to make you sensitive to the needs of others. Talk with others in the Body about how they are looking out for the welfare of people in need in our community. I am praying that there will be such an outpouring of compassion from the Church in our time that people will be unable to miss the fact that Jesus is among them.

The Church at Togahon

On Monday night Tim Albright told of a group of believers in Burkina Faso West Africa who had been prevented from using the village water source. Having moved on a hillside near the village, they were helped by CAMA Services to dig a well of their own. The next year when the village well ran dry these believers gladly shared their water with those who had denied the same to them. Out of this act of compassion a church has been born. Attached to this post are photos of the dedication of the building in which this church meets. Nancy Pierce, who shared these images with me wrote the following. "The first few young men who believed were beaten and locked into a tiny hut without food. That didn't work!"
Now there is a thriving church in Togahon. Praise the Lord and pray for more people to be given access to the Living Water and drink deep of His salvation.

From me,through me, to me VS From Him, through Him, to Him

On Monday night I listened to a panel discussion of missionaries that was part of the Family Festival of World Missions sponsored by First Alliance Church, Toccoa. These can be really cheesy events but this one was different. Actually, I don't know when I have more clearly seen the heart of God for lost people than I did when these folks were talking. One comment by Matt Fisher, who serves with his family in Krasnodar, Russia as a professor of theology in a Bible college particularly got my attention. When asked what one of the disappointments he had faced during his first term on the field he shared this-many of the people who are being trained as leaders in the Russian church have felt led to come to the U.S. and ostensibly minister to Russian immigrants in this country. While I have no desire to judge the motives of these brothers the effect on the church in Russia of these leader's decision to leave for the "Land of Opportunity"seems to be negative. Let's just suppose that the real motive of this re-location was for self-promotion or self-advancement. I can speak to this motivation because I have surely been guilty of it myself. I believe that this is one of the major issues that we the Church in 2009 must face if we are going to make progress in taking the Gospel to the 2 billion people in the world who are in effect cut off from it. In Paul's soaring doxoloogy in Romans 11:33-36 he ends with the bedrock truth that all things are "from him and through him and to him" speaking of God the Father. In light of this truth he then in 12:1-2 urges us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. One of the results of this sacrificial giving of self is that we are no longer conformed to the "pattern of this world". I think it's accurate to say that the pattern of this world is summed up in the phrase, 'all things are from me through me and to me', or to put it another way 'it's all about me'. This ancient motivation of self-promotion and self-advancement is something I deal with every day. I have been helped recently by realizing that God is actively at work bringing everything in conformity with the purpose of his will. (Eph.1:11) So, I must make decisions to lay down my life even while the momentum of this world and the temptation of the evil one pull toward self-preservation. So must church leaders in Russia-so must you. We are not alone in making Christ-like decisions to do the Father's will in order to fullfill the Father's plan. He is at work with all His mighty power bringing everything into holy conformity.