The Drift

In ministry there is always a risk that we will drift to a place where we are no longer effective in accomplishing our mission. I read an article by Andy Stanley, pastor of North Point Community Church, that really spoke to the need of guarding against three natural drifts in ministry.

1. We have to be careful of the drift toward insiders and away from outsiders. If we aren't careful we will spend all of our time handling the squeaky wheels and little to no time reaching people who don't know Jesus.
2. We have to be careful of the drift toward law and away from grace. As a ministry matures the natural tendency is to begin developing policies and to begin to think of people in the context of categories (tax collector, adulteress, sinner, lost) and the result is that grace begins to slip away.
3. We have to be careful of the drift toward preserving rather than advancing. In the early days of a ministry when all we have is vision and there is nothing to lose, we are willing to take great risks in trying to reach people. As we grow larger the drift is toward preservation, which often comes at the cost of advancing the Kingdom.

Our mission is not to build a great organization, or to exalt ourselves, but to lift high the Savior so that He can build His Kingdom!

Matthew 16:18 (NASB95) -- “Upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it."

To Infinity and Beyond!

One of my favorite animated movies is Toy Story and my favorite character in that movie is Buzz Lightyear. One of the things that I like about Buzz Lightyear is his infectious positive attitude. With his statement "To infinity and beyond!" he let everyone know that regardless of the boundaries that he faced, he was going to push through them.


The apostle Paul wrote to the church in  Philippi these words of encouragement in Philippians 4:13 (NASB95), "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

If these word are true then why do we tend to allow the boundaries and limitations of life to keep us from accomplishing our God-given calling? You can sum it up with one statement: We have doubts about the character of God!

1. We doubt the power of God
2. We doubt the love of God
3. We doubt the faithfulness of God
4. We doubt the goodness of God
5. This list could go on and on . . .

Let us stop falling for the lies of the enemy and let us move out in faith to accomplish that which God has called us. May we say with the apostle Paul, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

UNTO THE LEAST OF THESE

Did you know there are close to three million prisoners in the United States right now and that population is growing at a compounded rate of well over 2 percent a year? Did you know that over 80% of the children whose parents are incarcerated will also find themselves incarcerated one day? What will the future bring?

I want to introduce you to Hospitality House.

This ministry is the real deal and if you’ve been looking for something to support, get involved with or pray for, you definitely want to check this out.

The Hospitality House was founded in 1986 in Huntsville, TX by the Texas Baptist Men to minister to the families of those who are incarcerated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in the Huntsville area. The director, Debra McCammon, shared with our church last night about their ministry.

Here are some of the features of the ministry that meet the needs of the families:

• They provide approximately 1,250 people per year, from all around the world and nearly every state of the Union a place to stay the night when they come to visit loved ones incarcerated by the TDCJ in the Huntsville area.
• They share the love of Jesus to these families through counseling and providing food.
  
• They provide a safe and caring environment for the children.
  
• They minister to the families of those who are on death row.
• They are open 24/7 every day of the year.

Please pray for Debra and Joe McCammon and the volunteers who serve by their side as they minister to the least of these.

Matthew 25:40 (NIV84) - "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

Biblical Illiteracy

I read an article recently by George Guthrie that didn't surprise me, but it did reaffirm how important it is that we as a church take every opportunity to teach people how to read and study the Bible. Some of the statistics that he gave were:

• 25 million Bibles are sold each year in the US
• 400 million copies of all or part of the Bible are distributed through Bible societies each year

Those are the good numbers, but read on for the rest of the story.

• Only 16% of church goers read the Bible daily
• 25% of church goers never read the Bible
• Only 37% of those who attend church regularly say that reading the Bible has made a significant difference in the way they live their lives.

For those of us who are in leadership in the life of the church it is vital that we not only teach people what the Bible says, but we must also teach them how to read the Bible and apply its truths to our daily lives.

John 8:31–32 (NASB95) – “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

The only way to continue or to obey Jesus' words is to read and to study the Bible!

2011 Vacation

We are on our 2011 family vacation. This year we are visiting Becky's brother and sister-in-law in Baton Rouge. Missouri is also taking the tour of LSU while we are here. Today after attending church at Jefferson Baptist Church we took a driving tour around Baton Rouge. One of the places that we stopped was Oakcrest Baptist Church, the place we served 20 years ago, while I was a student at LSU. I was blessed to be the Minister of Youth and Evangelism there from 1989-1991.

It was neat to share some old memories with Missouri as we traveled through a community that had such a great impact on the early years of our marriage and ministry!

The Words I Say

As I had my quiet time this morning, the Lord placed Ephesians 4:29 on my heart. It says . . .

"You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need, that it may give grace to those who hear." -- Ephesians 4:29 (NET)

I was reminded that it is not only a good idea to be careful about the words that I allow to come out of my mouth, but it is actually a command. I stand broken, because too often the things that I say are hurtful or judgmental!

My commitment is to allow my speech to be full of grace with the intent of building others up!

Thankful for a Wonderful Wife

Today Becky and I celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary. I know that this will probably surprise most of you, but I am not the easiest person to live with. I can be driven, stubborn and down right aggravating at times. Becky is the opposite of all those things and she has made my life truly blessed!

Becky is . . .

• my best friend
• my help-mate
• my partner
• my lover
• my biggest cheerleader
• my sounding board
• my main squeeze
  

We are told in Proverbs 31:10 (NASB95), “An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels.” Let me say that I know first hand that this is true, because I have an excellent wife and her worth cannot be calculated.

Becky I love you and I thank God that he placed you by my side!

Flag Day!

As I drove into the church parking lot this morning and saw the flag, I remembered that today, June 14th, is Flag Day. As I thought about the day, I wondered what is the importance of Flag Day? Flag Day is the occasion where we celebrate the adoption of the American flag on June 14, 1777.

When the flag was adopted in 1777 the colors red, white and blue did not have any specific meaning. However, the colors red, white and blue were also used on the first Great Seal of the nation, which was commissioned on July 4, 1776. For the seal, white represented purity and innocence, red represented valor, and blue represented perseverance and justice.

Today, as I observed the red, white and blue flag, it reminded me that I have the privilege of living in a land of freedom. A freedom that was purchased with the blood of the patriots through the generations!

Seeing the Full Picture

I was looking through some pictures that Marvin Slusher sent me several years ago and one of those pictures reminded me of something that God has been teaching me lately. In life there is a strong tendency for me to get so focused on the circumstances of life that I miss the blessings of God. In this picture the clouds keep us from seeing the mountain that is below.

There are times in my life and ministry that I catch myself being overwhelmed by the circumstances in my life. I am so focused on the problems that I begin to lose hope and I become discouraged.

It is during times like this that I must back up and begin to see all of the blessings that God has brought into my life. It's also during these times that I must remember the promises and the presence of God!

Guiding Principles

In a recent speech to the International Mission Board's Trustees, Tom Elliff, the new president of the International Mission Board, outlined three questions that frame his view on missions. As I read the speech I was reminded that these same three questions should guide everything we do at Calvary Baptist Church. These are the three questions:

1. Is it Biblical?

God's Word must guide our vision, our work, and our doctrine.

2. Is it Balanced?

With the Great Commission and the Great Commandment we have five great responsibilities: evangelism, discipleship, ministry, fellowship and worship. As a church we must continually strive to keep a balanced approach.

3. Is it Bold?

Right now, there are 6, 711 unreached people groups in the world. (An unreached people group is a people group where less than 2% of its population is evangelical.) Of these people groups 3,698 are considered unengaged. (A people group is considered unengaged when there is no active church planting occurring within that group.)

To make an eternal difference in this world will require that we take bold actions that are completely dependent upon the presence and the power of God.

Judgment Day Is Approaching

I am trying to work on the sermon for Sunday morning and I am having a hard time focusing and then I read another pastor's blog and was reminded that the world is coming to an end Saturday so I guess I shouldn't worry!

I am amazed that every few years someone comes out with a new prediction that the world is going to come to an end. I know he wasn't the first to make such a prediction about the return of Christ but the first one that I can remember during my lifetime was Edgar C. Whisenant's book entitled 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Could Be in 1988. And who can forget all the hysteria that came with the beginning of the new millennium on January 1, 2000? Now we have a new group saying that the end is coming on May 21, 2011.

How many times will Christians fall for these silly predictions before they go to the Bible to find out what Jesus says. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24 . . .

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. ³⁷ “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. ³⁸ “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, ³⁹ and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. ⁴⁰ “Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. ⁴¹ “Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. ⁴² “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.”

The point that Jesus is making is that "no one" knows when He is coming, but we are to be ready at all times!

Flood of 2011

It was just two summers ago that we stood at this very spot in Vicksburg, MS and contemplated the history of this very building. It is sad to see the flood waters creep up this historic building. But the saddest thing is to think about all those whose lives have been impacted by the flood and the tornadoes that have hit our country this Spring.

In the midst of the tragedy and heartache I am thankful for the SBC Disaster Relief volunteers that give of their time, energy and finances to minister to those whose lives have been devastated. These volunteers are up at 3:00 am and may not go to bed until midnight! Pray that God would give them strength as they labor and that they would have boldness to share the Gospel!