Thursday I visited the Native American Museum here in Bentonville with our Keenagers group and enjoyed lunch with them. Friday we dropped in on the Refuge Lockdown and were blessed not only by seeing 30 teens show up to stay up all night, but were also privileged to exit and sleep in a nice comfy bed! Saturday we watch the University of Arkansas Razorbacks get decimated by Alabama. And today, we had a great day together in worship as a church family.

Today was filled with the second installment of our Marriage Matters class, where couples laugh at each other’s inability to get basic communication quite right. The time of worship was rather powerful and we threw a shower for Kenneth and Christa, who will be wed at Bethel this weekend, which reminds me how happy I am for my cousin John in Louisville who has found a bride and will be wed this weekend as well.

We closed the book of Exodus in our Journey throught the Word and will be jumping into Leviticus in another couple of weeks. I must say, closing the second book of the Bible in this series is a bit like saying goodbye to a friend - I’ve learned much. In fact, I’ve learned far more than my congregation. We closed this evening with a look at the fact that God didn’t allow the nation to move until He was ready, and He wanted them to move as a community. What a lesson for every church. We need to stay in step with God and move as a community directed by the presence of God.

I can’t wait until next Sunday!

We’ve been going through the “one another’s” of the New Testament on Wednesdays at Bethel and it’s been a nice journey so far. I think the Scriptures themselves can simply break our hearts over the need for a close bond of fellowship within God’s family.

The first was “love one another,” which had to do with extending an unconditional, God-like love toward other believers as a witness to the world that we are Jesus’ disciples. Last week was “wash one another’s feet,” which emphasizes service to other believers. It’s humbling to picture Jesus stooping at our imperfect, dirty feet to cleanse us in His rich fellowship.

This week’s study is from Romans 12:10 in which Paul says, “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.” I think it’s a challenging admonition. Loving and serving are tough, but this one is equally tough because it requires us to give up so much of our selfishness. I think there are three key ideas conveyed. WAIT! There is more to read… read on »

What does that mean, anyway? Actually, it means “come by here.” We didn’t sing Kumbaya at camp this week, but God definitely showed up! This was my first experience with church camp… ever! I’d been to Conservation Camp in elementary school and hated every minute of it. This week was vastly different. For one thing, thirty-six people got saved!

As I reflect on camp, let me just share the highlights… The quiet mornings by the lake while the kids slept were great. Waking up by singing the song “Climb, climb up breakfast mountain” was quite nice too. Teaching the college-agers brought about some good discussion. I enjoyed watching activities such as human foosball and playing softball. I was encouraged by fellowshipping with members of other churches. Most of all, I loved the worship time. It was awesome to watch kids “own” the service and take their needs to the altar, many of them inviting Christ in as Savior or rededicating themselves to a thoroughly Christian walk.

What did I not enjoy? Only the noises and odors that are the natural result of sharing quarters with a bunch of boys!! Nonetheless, the cabin was comfortable enough and we really weren’t in it much anyway. I’m definitely going back next year, the Lord willing, and I hope to take twice as many campers with me!

The blog has been put on hold for a couple of weeks now, primarily because of all that my wife and I have been experiencing in our personal lives. Here’s a recounting of it…

On Monday evening, October 30, Angie left her ladies’ Connection Cafe meeting feeling well, but by the time we drove from the church to our house (just a couple of minutes) she was in terrible pain. We decided to go to the emergency room. Our beloved friends, Cory and Lachelle McCaig, came to sit from about 10:00 pm until 4:30 Tuesday morning while Angie was subjected to numerous tests, which found essentially nothing wrong.

On Tuesday morning, October 31, we went for a follow-up visit at her physician’s office and he became concerned about some possible internal bleeding. He decided to admit her to St. Mary’s hospital where he would perform a laproscopic procedure simply to explore any potential problems. He, like the emergency room physician, sought to rule out the possibility of an ectopic pregnancy. One he began the procedure, he discovered the worst scenario, an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy, which can be deadly.

The short, one-hour procedure turned into a two and one half hour operation with a large incision. I was so moved as I waited in the surgery waiting room as about two dozen members of our church surrounded me, waiting to hear that Angie had come through the surgery okay. We were delighted to hear that she would be just fine. The physician explained that she had sustained heavy internal bleeding and that her risk of possible death had been higher than he had anticipated.

Angie’s Dad brought her Mom down from St. Louis to help take care of her for a few days but her stay was interrupted by yet another family emergency. On Thursday, Angie’s grandmother suffered a heart attack and was in intensive care in Washington, Missouri. The family had hoped that she was improving, but in the middle of Thursday night, a call came alerting us that she had taken a turn for the worse. Angie’s Mom borrowed my car and drove through the night to be at her mother’s side. Ella Briggs (our daughter’s namesake) went home to heaven on Friday, November 3.

Later that afternoon, Angie and I loaded up our van and began the trip to St. Clair to attend the funeral, but wisdom along with some forceful but loving input from our family, prompted us to turn back and stay at home. Angie was recovering a little each day, but it may be a total of six weeks recovery time before she is completely healthy again. We’ve taken a much needed one night sabbatical to a nearby vacation spot and have attempted to settle back into a routine, with Angie returning to work on this past Monday, November 13.

The Sunday before all of this began, my text included Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are the called according to His purpose.” That Monday night, Angie testified at Connection Cafe that she had (at least we thought at the time) a miscarriage, but that God was faithfully teaching us to trust Him. It isn’t merely a cliche that “everything happens for a reason.” When you’re a believer, nothing is left to chance anymore. You realize that God has a sovereign plan that allows His children to endure some very difficult crises in life in order that we might enjoy “the fellowship of (Christ’s) sufferings.”

Since we learn how to be disciples through the tough stuff, what have I learned from all of this?

First, I’ve learned the importance of God’s timing. Had Angie not been persisent with her physician in his office, he would have sent her home where she may have bled to death. We’ve heard numerous testimonies from others who experienced the same trauma and were in grave danger. God rescued Angie just in time. On a similar note, I’ve learned the mysterious nature of God’s timing. Why would Angie’s grandmother pass away just after Angie’s surgery when her mother would have to make a midnight dash for Missouri and when Angie could not attend the funeral? All I can conlcude us that God is ultimately wise.

Second, I’ve learned the value of a loving church family, a fellowship of believers. I was surrounded in a waiting room by numerous friends and members of our spiritual family. Once home, people provided meals as well as company with their visits. We’ve experienced an outpouring of love and compassion for which we will be forever grateful. I’ve often heard others say, “I don’t see how people make it through things without a church family.” That statement was exemplified in our tragedy.

Third, I’ve learned what a beautiful and courageous woman I married! I sat in the surgery waiting room virtually helpless. I could do nothing to ensure her safety except to pray. I could do nothing to help her recover except play nurse and fetch water. Yet I watched as Angie handled the situation like a champ. Note that champions have weak moments, moments of curiosity about the activity of God and moments of emotional break-down. Tears rarely come from cowards. I’ve learned a new respect for her. While it was our baby that died so prematurely in a pregancy complication, it was her body that experienced such drastic trauma. I wish I could be half as strong as her!

More than anything, we’ve learned “in all things (to) give thanks unto God, for this is the will of God for (us) in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) At our former church, we used to have a responsive chant: “God is good… all the time… and all the time… God is good.” God really is good. We don’t always get what we expect or want, but God never ceases to be holy or loving. God has been glorified in our lives in so many ways in the last few weeks, all we can do is humbly give Him praise, cry our tears, and go on in faith that God will always be good!

“So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.” -1 Corinthians 3:7

In six days, God made the world, then He watched it grow. He made flowers to bloom in the spring, trees to turn from sproutlings into giant oaks. He made man to develop from a tiny embryo to a full grown adult. God gives growth.

This is true in our spiritual life as well. God gives us spiritual growth. He did not save us for the moment but for a lifetime and for all of eternity. We are not merely trophies in God’s trophy case, we are living and flourishing creatures. Our hearts and minds and souls are to grow by a steady diet of the Word of the Lord. We’re to develop our gifts, go for our dreams, and determine to accomplish God’s great purposes on earth.

Are you growing? God has given you the tools of prayer, fellowship, and His Word. He’s given you 176 hours this week in which to grow. He even gives you trials and tribulations so that you might grow spiritually and develop depth and strength. It is God that gives growth! So flourish today under the green thumb of God’s special care.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” -1 John 1:7

God rescues us from the slime and slop and mire of our sin and washes us with the blood of His very own Son, Jesus. But that’s not all. Our continued fellowship with the Father means for us that Jesus’ blood keeps on cleansing us over a lifetime. “If we walk in the light… the blood of Jesus continually cleanses us…” It’s a word that indicates an action repeated again and again.

We don’t have to worry that an unnoticed sin will strike our names from the Lamb’s Book of Life, we simply give ourselves to Him in daily fellowship and He handles the filth of our fallenness. He cleanses, washes, and purifies us through His continued fellowship in our lives. The grit and grime of the world is removed in the flow of His precious blood.

This wonderful truth is no excuse for continuing disobedience, but rather is the greatest motivation for a pure and holy life. If He has made us clean, and if He continually makes us clean through His blood, then we are free from filth. We can be clean forevermore! There’s no reason to return to the pig stye after finding ourselves wrapped in the Father’s forgiving arms. Now we can dwell in the ultimate cleanliness of our Father’s house for all eternity!

I grew up in a staunchly conservative Southern Baptist church, where I first heard the gospel and received Christ as my Savior. I was baptized by Doug Riley, a man who was committed to the faithful proclamation of God’s inerrant Word. Many of my heroes in the faith are or were Southern Baptist leaders.

I have benefitted greatly from W. A. Criswell’s heart for the preaching of the Word of God in its perfect entirety. I’ve been inspired to be a more wise and well-equipped leader by Dr. Adrian Rogers. The scholarly works of A. T. Robertson and John Broadus have taught me much about preaching and about the message of the New Testament. I’m thankful also for many of today’s leading Southern Baptists who are holding a firm line on having a strong commitment to an orthodox belief in the Scriptures as God’s inerrant self-revelation.

WAIT! There is more to read… read on »

I know in advance that what I write today will not be popular, but the trumpet must be sounded to a renewed stance of separation from error. A few years ago I attended a Promise Keepers conference for the first time. My Baptist brethren had debated whether or not PK was over the edge on their ecumenical philosophy so I reluctantly went, expecting an ear full of talk about breaking down denominational walls. My first year at PK went surprisingly well and the messages seemed well balanced. Over the next year, I learned more about the doctrinal identity of the speakers and decided to give it another try. My second experience at a PK conference would be my last.

The first three messages called men to be godly leaders - a message I wholeheartedly endorse. The last three messages were calls to break down the doctrinal barriers that divide us. The conference closed with an invitation to all Pastors present to come to the altar, hug each other, and apologize for wanting “our denomination” to be the one to bring revival in America. How pompous, how arrogant of us to desire that a truth-teaching body of believers usher in a new wave of the Holy Spirit’s empowerment.

This call to abandon doctrinal rigidness seems to be the spirit of Christianity in our age. Consider this excerpt from a recent daily devotional by Michael Craven…

Don’t misunderstand me, I think doctrine is profoundly important but I pray that
I do not violate the unity of the Body by being more committed to my own
doctrinal convictions than I am to the fellowship of believers and the Lordship
of Jesus Christ. Again, such a position assumes that “my” doctrinal convictions
are true absolutely. (Crosswalk.com’s “Live It” devotional, June 7, 2006)

Notice the common assumption that “the body of Christ” is this foggy, universal collection of all believers of all denominations and all doctrinal persuasions. Scripture speaks of a church that may be organized with ordinances and officers, not an invisible and universal assortment of all who call themselves Christians.

Also notice the equating of “the fellowship of believers” and “the Lordship of Christ” as being together more imporant than “my own doctrinal convictions.” Craven’s order is definitely contrary to Scripture. It is the Lordship of Jesus Christ that determines our doctrinal convictions, which in turn determines the boundaries of our fellowship with other believers.

Finally, notice Craven’s unwillingness to say that his own doctrinal convictions are true absolutely. Allow me to think critically here and assert that Christianity today is guilty of a doctrinal relativism akin to that of the postmodern culture’s philosophy concerning truth. I assume that my specific doctrinal convictions are true absolutely, such as the eternal security of the believer, the nature of the church as a local body, etc. If I felt they were not true absolutely, I would abandon them.

Mr. Craven, I’m sure, is a godly individual and I would never question his heart for Jesus. But I’m concerned with the proliferation of ecumenicalism, theological and doctrinal relativism, and the emphasis on supposed “unity” and “harmony” at the expense of the truth.

In an age of compromise and resulting apostasy, Jude declared that believers should “earnestly content for the faith which was once delievered unto the saints.” The problem with modern ecumenical Christianity is that we’ve lost our fight. The loose and liberal world in which we live doesn’t like our rigid standards, so we’ve accomodated and compromised in the name of our evangelistic witness. But if we aren’t careful, we’ll lose our saltiness, they very key to permeating the world with the gospel.

I believe in getting along, striving for unity, and strengthening the body of Christ (which is a local institution). But I believe that God’s truth demands vindication in an age of error and I’ll not apologize for standing for my own doctrinal convictions. Let’s recover the early church’s zeal for knowledge and truth, and defend our multi-faceted gospel at all costs.

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” -John Wesley

Ever feel overwhelmed? As a Pastor, I sometimes feel that the ocean of activities and tasks to be accomplished are never ending. I dream great dreams about leading a church that ministers to children, raises up leaders, greets the community in a friendly manner, serves the poor, witnesses to the lost, preaches and teaches the Scriptures faithfully, stands against righteousness, ministers to the needs of every member of every kind of family, calls a teenage generation to godly living, and offers opportunities for believers to grow in fellowship with one another. Who can do it all, let alone do it all well?

You, no doubt, could rattle off your own string of demands and expectations from every angle. So how do we cope with such a lenthy to-do list in life? I believe John Wesley spoke with great wisdom when he essentially said, “Just keep doing what you can do, as long as you can do it.”

Paul admonished us to “redeem the time, for the days are evil.” The truth is, we can’t do it all, and we don’t have much time, and we have to sleep sometime. So why not do as the Boy Scouts do and “do a good turn daily.” Squeeze the most out of every moment but don’t spread yourself too thin. If you can’t grow a mile today, grow an inch. Just make progress. Remember that the snail made it into the ark because of perseverance.

What can you do to change the world? Voice an opinion, say a prayer, witness to a lost soul, serve someone in need? God will open a door of opportunity at a time. Be ready to walk through at any moment of your life.

Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” –Jeremiah 6:16

This weekend, my family and I are traveling to our hometown of Bowling Green, Kentucky to see family. This may be our last trip to the bluegrass state until the holidays, so we’re going to squeeze all we can out of this quick jaunt. One great privilege for me, beyond seeing my loved ones, will be the privilege of preaching in the pulpit of the church in which I grew up, Clear Fork Baptist Church in Rockfield, Kentucky.

Clear Fork is not only an old-fashioned, Bible-believing assembly of people, the building itself is set in a picturesque place. Beyond many square miles of cow pastures, attendees top one last hill where the church is nestled in the valley beneath. It’s the end of the road unless you live in one of the few farmhouses down the gravel road behind the building. Clear Fork’s original structure was built in 1833. Since then, the building has been bricked, remodeled, has seen multiple additions of multi-story Sunday School space and a separate Fellowship Hall across the road with an addition of its own, as well as a two-story parsonage.

For me, my earliest memories of reading the Bible, learning from spiritual heroes, and asking questions about the ministry came at this sacred place. I owe so much of my own value system to those who came before me at Clear Fork. My grandfather especially comes to my mind. Jesse Cox was a Deacon at Clear Fork for 52 years. He was the chairman of every major building project during that span. He was also the Browning community’s fire chief, a farmer, the community store owner for a time, served in the Philippines in World War II and worked for Holley Carburetor for forty years. His leathery face and tough exterior gave way to a sweet and gentle smile when grandkids and great-grandkids were around.

My grandfather fell victim to lung cancer in December 2002, but he died my hero. I even had the privilege of sharing in his funeral service. On this Memorial Day weekend, who is your hero? Who do you remember? For whom can you give thanks to God today?