Good Friday

During the Passion Week, I am reminded of God’s love for us demonstrated through the sacrifice of Christ.  The price paid and the pain demonstrated through the flogging, crown of thorns, tortuous walk, and nailing to the cross is often overlooked.  We tend to white wash the excruciating ordeal since it makes us uncomfortable.  We would rather focus on Sunday morning and not Friday morning and afternoon.  The ordeal that Christ endured is a true example of love and obedience.  It is for this reason that Christ came into the world.  He was born to die.  Not just any death, but through the hands of the best executioners.  The Romans excelled at causing pain in hopes of deterring others from causing havoc and chaos to the Roman Empire.  Crucifixion was just one means of showing the public not to mess with them.  However, God used it to model grace, love, forgiveness, and compassion.

How often does God take our mess and make it beautiful?  How often does God overlook our rags and exchange them for His garments?  I am humbled that God would take this country boy, who slaughters the Kings English, and make me into a servant.  I am honored that each day I serve the sheep of His pasture.  All because of Calvary.  All because of His love poured out to a thirsty ground to satisfy the demands of the law.  Not because of me, but in spite of me, God demonstrated His love in Christ dying for the ungodly.  Christ died for the very ones causing pain.  That is love in the purest form.  That is Christ. May we all embrace God’s mercy and compassion, and share it with others.

Memory makers

I know that it has been a while since I have maintained a systematic entry, but I have written countless times in mind.  There was a small computer glitch, and then I eased into a pattern of NOT writing, so now I am trying to ease back into a pattern of faithfully writing random thoughts.  Recently, there have been numerous events that have rekindled memories that have brought smiles to my face.




Seeing boys and girls from our preschool is always a delight no matter where I see them.  It is such a joy to see those smiles and hear their stories of where they are now, and what they are doing.  Hearing from friends that have crossed our paths years ago, and seeing what God is doing in their lives.  Listening to my wife and daughter make memories and new traditions from birthdays, Christmas, school, and other holidays. 




I love to laugh.  I also love to hear laughter.  Since I inherited it mostly from my mom (dad did too), I feel the need to share it with others.  So when I hear a laugh, or help bring laughter into someone's life, I am pleased that I am helping pass along a grand tradition from mom and her family.  Yes, laughter is contagious and it should be since God has given us this great emotion to use and share.

Giving Thanks in All Things

Just recently I was invited to attend a breakfast with the Gideon's and learn about a new outreach they are implementing.  First off I love food, especially breakfast.  Second, I love the work that Gideon's do in sharing the Word of God with all people.  What they failed to tell me was the location.  I don't like to leave the ground.  I don't like roller coasters, but sometimes it is necessary to please a little 6 year old girl and my lovely and talented wife.  However, on this occasion, they served breakfast at the Wells Fargo Building in downtown Raleigh, NC.  A beautiful structure, but the meeting and eating place was located on the 28th floor.  Twenty-eight floors.  Did you understand that?

 
The Cardinal Club, though very nice, is located unnecessarily off the main level.  The expression on my face should have been captured on camera when the receptionist announced that the Cardinal Club is located on the 28th floor.  Do what?  Where are the steps?  But I strode to the elevators and solemnly pushed the button marked 28.  Thankfully it did not stop at any other floor, but it did take a little while before the doors opened.  After I stepped out, I exhaled while maintaining my focus on the beautiful and luxurious carpet.  I was then escorted to the corner room with 4 panoramic windows overlooking the scenic downtown area.  I tried to maintain a focal point away from the windows towards a power point presentation, but my hosts and colleagues were all seated in front of the windows.  This is where prayer and God’s grace washed over me and held me through the next 90 minutes.

 
It was then that I shifted my focus to the presentation of God at work in our teenagers through the Gideon’s plan of sharing “The Life Book” with teens across America.  It was amazing that we are about to witness a prolific movement of God using willing vessels to share His story of love and redemption.  Even though I was out of my comfort zone, it was great to hear about God’s work and how I could be a part of this movement.

Faith Sharing

I want to encourage you to walk across the street and meet someone new.  Make a friend.  Expose yourself.  Make yourself vulnerable.  Humble yourself.  Place others ahead of you.  Meet their needs ahead of your own.  Why would I suggest a thing?  In hopes of sharing the message of a living faith, that is Jesus Christ.  Earn their respect and trust, while modeling for them a changed life in Christ Jesus.  In a world that is focused on self and ego, do the opposite.  Love them.  Bring to the table: encouragement, acceptance, redemption, forgiveness.  I believe that this is what Christ did when He chose to eat a meal with them.  When He chose to carry on conversations that religious leaders chose to not engage.  Christ met a basic human need: acceptance.  He did not leave them in their sin, but lovingly pointed them to the Gospel in hopes of redemption.  Forgiveness of sin.

It seems today that we are facing two options: resign them to hell or love them to hell.  Yet, we have a third option, the one that Christ gave us.  Love them enough to teach the truth.  I say we, the church, ought to take up the mantle that Christ gave us and love them enough to teach the truth.  It may not be popular.  It may not be acceptable to society standards.  It may go against the political correctness model, but it is the way that Christ lived.

So the next time you encounter one of the many forgotten by society or church, speak kind words.  Offer a cup of cold water.  Offer a set of clothes.  Offer a warm meal.  Offer your friendship.  You may just be surprised that a smile will often be treated with a smile.  All the while gaining trust to share the greatest message: Christ loved you enough to die on a cross.  I believe that is a message worth sharing, no matter how difficult to gain an audience.

Go Fish!

In his book In the Eye of the Storm, Max Lucado tells about something that happened to him while he was in high school. Every year, he and his family used to go fishing during spring break. But one year, his brother and his mom couldn’t go, so his dad let him invite a friend.

They looked forward to this vacation with great anticipation. They pictured the sun shining down on them as they sat in the boat in the middle of the lake. The yank of the rod and the spin of the reel as they wrestled the bass into the boat. The smell of fish frying in a skillet over an open fire. They could hardly wait. Finally spring break arrived, they loaded the camper and set out for the lake.

They arrived at night, set up the camper and went to bed anxious to get up the next morning and go fishing. But that night, a northeaster blew through. The wind was so strong they could barely open the door of the camper the next morning. The sky was gray. The lake was choppy. There was no way they could fish in that weather.

"No problem," they said. They could spend the day in the camper. They had brought Monopoly and Reader’s Digest. They knew a few jokes. It wasn’t what they came to do, but they would make the best of it and fish the next day. So they passed the day indoors. The hours passed slowly but they did pass. Night finally came and they crawled into their sleeping bags dreaming of fishing.

The next morning it wasn’t the wind that made the door hard to open, it was the ice! They tried to be cheerful. "No problem," they said. "We can play Monopoly...again. We can reread the stories in Reader’s Digest. And surely we know another joke or two." But they weren’t nearly as cheerful about it all.

And as the day went on, they began to get more and more irritable and edgy. It was a long day and a long night. The next morning, when they awoke to the sound of sleet hitting the roof, they didn’t even pretend to be cheerful. They were flat-out grumpy. They sat in misery the whole day, their fishing equipment still unpacked.

The next day was even colder and they finally headed home. But Max says that he learned an important lesson that week. Not about fishing, but about people. He writes, "When those who are called to fish don’t fish, they fight. When energy intended to be used outside is used inside, the result is explosive. Instead of casting nets, we cast stones...Instead of being fishers of the lost, we become critics of the saved."

 So for us, lets learn from this simple lesson and go fish!

A Grand Visit

Recently I was able to make a trek to Worthington, KY to visit my padre.  My visits seem to come every other year, but would prefer every year, alas scheduling is always difficult.  This visit did not disappoint.  The usual: dad speaking to me on the subjects of tomato raising, lawn care, music, pastoring, preaching, Bible study, and Bible trivia.  We did manage to watch one movie, but mostly we talked…well he talked, I listened.  Still it was a great visit that brought laughter and smiles.  A treat for me was to preach at church on Sunday morning at Wurtland Missionary Baptist Church.  Dad and Hazel are faithful members there, and it’s good to see them still actively serving in the church.

Even though Hazel was not her usual vibrant self, due to back pain, she was still a gracious hostess.  It’s always good to visit the ones you love.  Most thankful for the times we share through visits, phone calls, or emails.  Time spent wisely is always a good thing.  Since dad's health is declining, this visit was even more meaningful. 

 

Dad playing piano before church started.  Love to hear him play.

Catching Up

Perhaps I have a small case of writers cramp, since I have not posted anything new for some time now.  So here I sit at the computer waiting for some type of inspiration to jolt into my brain.  Still sitting and waiting.  Well here it goes....

At church, we are exploring our identity as church on mission.  Since we are to be a place of obedience to God through His Scriptures, we ought to be on mission.  Making disciples.  Impacting lives.  Making a difference.  Now don't get me wrong, we are doing some things, but we should be making a greater impact in our neighborhood, state, nation, and world.

Hence we are examining our relationship in accordance with God's Word as to how to make this happen.  The two main Scripture verses are Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. and Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Through these verses we understand that we are to be on mission.  Sharing the love of God with others with the express hope that they would turn to Jesus and believe.  For this month our focus is on missions: local, state, national, and international.  We are offering ways for families to be on mission in a creative way that will also make an impact.  Join us in being a church on mission.