Ramblings from the life and times of Gideon

As Paul Harvey said--"and that's the rest of the story. Good day!" This morning as I read through Judges 6, 7, and 8 I kept thinking of the times I have taught/preached "the story of Gideon." I would always emphasize (and still think it true) the necessity of every man standing in his place and faithfully following God, with the result being God gives the victory. However, the rest of the story reveals MUCH more!

"Then the Israelites said to Gideon, "Rule over us, you as well as your sons and your grandsons, for you delivered us from the power of Midian." Judges 8:22, HCSB

How quickly they forgot---how quickly we forget! It was not Gideon, it was God that delivered. They advocated making Gideon king, when they should have bowed down to the King of Kings. In fact, this was just another time they rejected God to be more like the unfaithful men around them who did have kings. Why are we so willing to reject God and His ways for the ways of man.

Gideon must have really struggled with his crises. First, he had to send 31,700 soldiers home and keep only 300. Then after victory he had to send the people home without the king they wanted. Gideon's love relationship with God was so firm that he followed God's ways even when human ways were far more attractive. What human glory do you surrender to do it God's way?

There was 40 years of peace, BUT in Judges 8: 32 - 35, we see that AS SOON AS GIDEON DIED, "as soon as Gideon was dead, that the sons of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made Baal-berith their god." (8:33). They "forgot" the deliverance God had given them--they did not show kindness to the household of Gideon. Before I am too critical of them, I must examine mmy own life. How quickly I forget. How quickly I "play the harlot." I (we) are guilty of spiritual adultery when we fail to surrender all and FOLLOW Christ daily.

That hymn at the end of the service, "I surrender ALL," (have you noticed) is generally sung quietly and mumbled through. Our hearts are literally singing--"I surrender SOME----." May we surrender ALL to Him this day and experience the JOY nad fulfillment that only comes through faithful and COMPLETE obedience/following of the LIVING Lord Jesus Christ!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! That's the greeting going around this weekend. It is a good time to examine who we are in Christ and what He would have us to do with out lives! It has been a LONG time since my last post (on any blog), so my first New Year's Resolution as it relates to "social media" is to post more often on the blogs and sites I maintain.

Not just posts, but posts "with purpose." Some of you understand that term. It is not my desire to fill up my time with useless info. Rather, I want my posts to have some value to the reader. So, whether it be an actual blog, FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or TRBA's website, it is my prayer you will find information useful that I post in 2012.

As I have thought of what to post in 2012, I have prayed and then examined what I am "hearing" from various sources in denominational life. To that end, I have determined to focus on the purpose of the association, as well as issues related to overall church health. I will be looking a LOT to Transformational Church and Transitional Pastor as I am working with both LifeWay and the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina in those areas. Truthfully, I think there are things we can glean to strengthen the church and impact lostness (our purpose as an association of churches).

In a conversation with a Sunday School director today we began to discuss some information we had obtained during a Josh Hunt conference several years back. In fact, I bought a book by Hunt today that reiterated the idea of "how to double your Sunday School in two years or less."

The gist of the conversation centered on the fact that the classes seemed content with where they were and had not grown in several years. Basically, we talked about the lack of evidence in many area churches (from conversations the two of us have had with other church leaders in neighboring churches from three associations) that churches want to grow.

I think that is perhaps the first thing we need to honestly look at as we begin the new year. Do we have a genuine desire to grow closer to Christ personally and to grow both spiritually and numerically in our churches. Or are we content with where we are. I would invite you to pray and search with me this simple fact over the next couple of days. After the first of the year I will examine the idea of doubling Sunday School attendance in less than two years. I am pretty confident I will address it from the standpoint of IF we REALLY want to see growth.

I have become convinced that we have all the tools we need to advance the kingdom. We have attended conference after conference. In the YEARS we have attended, there has been little kingdom advance and virtually no SUSTAINED evidence of growth in many of our churches. Yet - we have the tools sitting idly beside us as we moan about our lack of advance.

What do we have:

1. The authority of Christ who commanded that we make disciples.
2. His Word.
3. His presence to instruct, lead, guide, empower.
4. Prayer.
5. His promise to hear, answer, empower as we walk in obedience to Him.

Then we have other tools to assist. Among the ones I have emphasized in TRBA are Link2Lead, The Mapping Center, continued training of church leadership, Transformational Church, Transitional Pastor, etc. etc. etc. Over the next few weeks, expect much info to be shared. As it is shared, pray about your participation individually and as a church.

Do you want to see kingdom advance in 2012? If you do, please join me and the other TRBA staff members as we answer the call to prayer by our denominational leaders. Pray with us daily for kingdom advance. Join us on Monday, January 23rd at 7 PM for a corporate time of prayer.

Again, I wish you the best for 2012. I look forward to walking alongside you as we set out together to strengthen His church and impact the lostness of THIS generation!

Developing A Spiritual Vision For 2011 - Part Two

I want to continue today some thoughts about our need to develop a spiritual vision for our lives in 2011 - praying for God to reveal one scripture to guide our path/prepare us to deal with life's circumstances throughout 2011. In part one of this discussion, I focused on Proverbs 29: 18, "Without revelation people run wild, but one who keeps the law will be happy." (Holman translation). I closed the discussion by revealing what I referred to as "Reality One." I stated, "The reality is - without a spiritual vision for your life, you will run wild." That's where I want to begin in this discussion.

Reality # 1: Without Spiritual vision for your life, you will run wild. That's a reality. That's what the Bible tells us. Without a spiritual vision for your life, you're going to run wild. I'm telling you we've got a lot of wild-eyed Christians right now. You will run on your own. You'll run loosely, you will run freely, you will run unrestrained. You will run shamelessly. You will run naked (Young's Literal Translation puts it), and you know one of the real tragedies of running naked? Is you don't even know you're naked. That's what John wrote about in Revelation 3, of the lukewarm church, you don't even know your own condition, that you're blind, and naked, and weak, and in need because you don't have the Word of God pouring into you.

In the Message, Proverbs 29: 18 reads, "If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed." In this case, I think we can learn from this translation as well! There seems to be a LOT of times that we are stumbling all over ourselves and accomplishing nothing for the Kingdom. Conversely, when we attend to that which God reveals to us/calls us to do in His Word, we are indeed blessed!

With a spiritual vision for your life, you will discover the good life God intends for you. I believe Jesus stated He came to give us "life more abundantly (John 10: 10)." That's a pretty exciting statement. If I can develop a spiritual vision for my life, I can begin to live and discover the good life that God intends for me. And that is true for all! Don't you want the good life God intends for you in your life? Then follow the counsel of God's Word and discover life to the fullest.

Many churches today (and we as an association) have established vision statements or purpose statements. If they set out to achieve their purpose as a church, then they are likely to achieve their goals. If they wander aimlessly - doing a little of this and a little of that - doing what "feels good for the moment" or just that which is popular to the masses - then they may last for a season but they will not achieve the life more abundantly that God has in store for those that devote themselves to following the precepts of God's Word.

As an association, Tar River has established it's primary purpose many years ago. It's purpose is to strengthen the local church. It is our aim to walk alongside our member churches and assist them/resource them/equip them through training and modeling so that the church, the Bride of Christ, will prosper as God directs. If we fail to live by that purpose, we may do a lot of things - even things that are good - but if not in accordance with what God would have us to do, then we will just stumble all over ourselves doing a lot of busy-ness stuff, but we will NOT experience the blessedness of operating in God's Will.

Some of you have heard my story of serving on the Mental Health Board many years ago. I had been appointed to represent the needs of those addicted to drugs and alcohol - a noble cause. I was honored. I set out to do the best job that I could. After a while, they asked me to serve as chair of the board and then politics entered the picture. My life became consumed with meeting after meeting; working lunched with directors and committee chairs from other public service agencies; lobbied state legislators for services to meet the needs of the people I represented and all the others with mental health needs. There were even times the regular meeting went LONG we would go into what the press reported as an "executive session (the press was released and our purpose was SUPPOSED to be dealing with issues of a confidential nature). Reality - the other members of the board ate supper while I rushed out a side door and drove to the church and conducted prayer meeting at the church. I would return and call the press back into the meeting and report, "there is no public action necessary for any items discussed while the board was in executive session.

I became so busy with the work of the board, my life was consumed! When I was not in a meeting, I was meeting with people to prepare for the meeting or talking with a reporter about what was determined at the meeting, etc. etc.

The church I served sent me on a spiritual retreat. There I went to my first session. The leader is well known NOW, but I had never heard of him. His name was Greg Laurie. He made this statement, "This was not what I had planned to say but someone in here needs to hear this; 'Noble causes do not replace God's call for your life.'" I thought - what a great saying and wrote it down.

I went to my second session. I do not remember the name of the individual that was leading the session but he began by saying: "I did not have this in my plans, but someone here needs to hear this statement - noble causes do not replace God's call for your life." I quickly looked around the room to see what individual was in my first session and needed to hear this word - which I was beginning to realize was indeed a word from the Lord.

Now it was time for my third session. I know the presenter was a member of Billy Graham's family, but I can not recall the name. You guessed it - again I heard the words - "noble causes do not replace God's call for your life." I fully realized, that word was for me and as the presenter continued to present, I wrote out my letter of resignation as Chairman of the Mental Health Board and a letter to the County Commissioners stating that I would not accept reappointment to the board. I realized I had allowed a noble cause to replace God's call on my life at that time. He had called me as pastor of Massey Hill Baptist Church, not Chairman of the Board."

Today I strive to be where God wants me to be and not allow noble causes to crowd Him out. Problem is, I still get distracted. That's why I believe we need to continually review our purpose for the cause of Christ and attempt to live in obedience to His call. If we are not careful we get super-busy with lots of good stuff - even noble stuff - yet we are operating outside of God's calling upon our lives. We need to HEAR God - that's why we really need to be in His Word. Again, I challenge you to pray and asking God to reveal a scripture to help you throughout 2011.

We will look at this more throughout our days of prayer as member churches. Until then, pray that all of us will really HEAR God and do those things that He is calling us to do as His disciples.

How Can We Cope With Change In Our Lives?

(Please note: This is a longer version of the article included in the Currents of the Tar for the upcoming issue.)

This entire week has been a super busy week for me (which is really nothing new). I love what God has called me to do, but there are times that is simply places tremendous "busy-ness" in my schedule. Monday morning was back to grindstone! I went by Office Depot to pick up some office supplies we needed; had to be at the Association for a meeting at 10 AM; that meeting was over some time after noon and I had a luncheon appointment; from there it was prep time for the Associational Council meeting that night and then the council meeting. I left the office a little after 10 PM and went home to finally respond to emails and do some work that had to be done before my meetings of Tuesday.

Tuesday I had to run an errand for TRBA as a result of the meeting the night before, so I left the house around 7 AM, did the errand, and went to Cary to a Sunday School meeting. I left there after 3 PM and came by the office and met with a pastor until a little after 6 PM and headed home. In all facets of travel, I was calling several people related to various ministries of the Association and took the time to answer any necessary messages from the office and emails in my mailbox.

Wednesday was a FULL day as well. I had breakfast with 4 pastors; then drove to SEBTS to meet with a 2 church planters and the Church Planting Supervisor from BSC about those and other new work in TRBA. I was invited to lunch with the new Missions Director from the state convention who was meeting with a lot of NC Baptist Leaders in the student center and then set up a meeting I am hosting for NAMB in February with some of the staff at SEBTS and met with a pastor concerning his church needs and set up a time next week to meet with him again to follow-through. I spoke with a student that will "shadow me" as a part of his J-term class in 2 weeks and ran into 2 former TRBA that had come back to NC to work on their DMin before leaving campus. Again - telephone calls monopolized my trips to and from my destinations.

When I got to the office, I again made the necessary phone calls and responded to some emails and prepared for a missions presentation at one of our churches that night. I had dinner with 2 of our pastors and then made the presentation at the church and got home around 9 or so.

Today was to be another full day - but different. No meetings until nightfall were "planned" but then I was scheduled for 3. PTL one was cancelled and I made my final decision as to which I would attend as the meetings were 25 miles apart and I could not "make an appearance" at both.

With all that said - I get to my first point. In the midst of all that has happened, I have spoke with, met with, dined with, worshipped with at least 22 pastors in TRBA this week; 4 former pastors; 1 church planter and 3 potential church planters; 3 or 4 interim pastors; 2 associates; 10 - 15 lay people - and then there are the emails. I consider that a blessing!

A "mainstay" of my life as Associational Missionary is meetings. Associational, with churches, at the Baptist Building, with NAMB as well as other intities, etc. Often times those meetings reflect recommendations for change - especially in the arena of technology and "delivery of product." I was recently in an initial meeting that involved some ideas for change. It was certainly not to be a meeting whereby a final decision was to be made. I guess it would be a "fact finding" meeting and a decision - if necessary - would be made at a much later time. It was one of the most tiring meetings I have ever experienced. People had an "emotional investment" and degree of ownership that makes our practice "comfortable" and the introduction of possible change introduces a level of anxiety that none of us like. With that said though, we have to be careful in such meetings that we not engage in non-christian defenses and accusations. Remember, NO ONE sitting around the table really likes change!

This morning I was reflecting on that meeting and some other things that are on the calendar in upcoming days. Many of the things are new ways/new approaches - or at least not traditional. When the CPA report comes out, there will be changes in the life and work of TRBA as a result I am sure. As I drove to my office, I stopped to pick up a combo for breakfast. Normally I would go to BoJangles (most of you know that), but today I was in a hurry and the drive through there was backed up around the building and no one was at the drive through at McDonalds. McDonalds it would be!

Just as I got to the place where you order, my phone rang. I saw it was from LifeWay in Nashville (I serve on an Advisory Committee with 13 - 15 other Associational Missionaries from around the nation) so I pulled away and answered the phone. The secretary - who is new - needed some additional information from me. The old secretary had always completed the report with my written statements but did not need additional documentation, but this was a "new policy." I chuckled a bit about my resistance to the change she was asking me to do, but told her I would get the information to her by the first of next week.

Afterwards, I got back into line to place my order. I asked for a combo with a large diet coke as opposed to the coffee. The young lady stated my price and I drove to the first window. While pulling up to the second window to get my order, I realized she had given me way too much change so I asked, "what was the price for the combo?" The lady at window 2 went to the lady at window 1; the lady from window 1 came to window 2 with a very defensive posture and stated, "Sir, when you get a drink instead of coffee the price increases and you got a large drink so the price was more." I am certain all of us have had this to happen before.

I stated, "Yes, I understand that. But you gave me a lot more change than you should have and I didn't want your drawer to come up short." As she took the change back, the Lord taught me a lesson and I chuckled a bit. She was so defensive that she wasn't willing - at first - to accept the idea that I was questioning her as to a "neutral" issue. Instead, she had jumped to the conclusion that I was upset with her actions toweard me in the performance of her job. All I was doing was offering her "change." She made the assumption that I was accusing her of something. Isn't that the way we are?

We are often defensive of what we have done that we are ready to be on the defensive before we know the full picture. We make assumptions that are not necessarily true and fail to be open to someone that is only trying to make something right or ascertain if we need to make any changes. Sometimes when we act that way, we hurt people and act unchristian in the process. And - to be honest - it is unnecessary.

If 2007 and 2008 were years of examination and revision, 2009 will be a year of implementation and change. There are still a LOT of things that we will have to address in the operations of TRBA this year. The staff is going to be "learning" and we are going to need your help each step of the way.

None of us like change! We grow comfortable with the way we have done things in the past. However, the truth is - to not be open to change can be a sinful act if we get so defensive that we are not open to God. And to react with assumptions that are unproven and speculation both hurts the chances of success; is hurtful to people involved; and - most importantly - hurts the cause of Christ by our personal witness becoming tarnished. That is especially true when you become so defensive that you make incorrect statements and unfair assumptions to defend your opinion and close out the opinions of others that are just as burdened about the cause being discussed as you are.

Many of my meetings are a little of that and to be honest, they are often paralyzing to me. They cloud my thinking and Satan uses that to distract me from the work God has called me to do for Him. EVENTUALLY, sometimes late that night after a meeting, I realize - God knows the truth; I know the truth; and that was all that really mattered.

Philippians 1 contains the testimony of the Apostle Paul. He was unjustly persecuted; people told outright lies against him; he was imprisoned and awaiting death - but knowing the truth, he praised God and continued to be faithful in his work. Likewise, Peter and the others when they were arrested and "forbidden" to preach the Gospel continued to preach the Gospel with the assertion, "we must obey God rather than man."

Nothing to that level has happened to me, so why do I sometimes allow Satan to experience a victory. All the people at the table were seeking to do the right thing, we just need to be more respectful of one another's opinions and genuinely commit to seek God's Will together.

Like I said - none of us like change. However, with the full implementation of the ByLaws, and Polices and Procedures passed by the Association in it's meetings, there will be changes. Do not assume every change is welcomed by people that are working to implement those changes (I certainly did not like writing a check for $5000 in West Africa because it was interpreted that the expenses were to be "reimbursed," but I did because that was the interpretation/decision made). No one can say that "Well Dougald or Gail has gotten their way with that change" because every recommendation that came before you was by consensus and then your vote. I can assure you, there are aspects that make the staff's life a lot more difficult.

There will be some changes that we know will have to be changed, but there is no reason for people that love the Lord and are striving to work together to accomplish His purpose to make assumptions or become upset with the changes. Instead, we are to be Christ-like in our attitudes and actions, and strive to make the changes necessary to better accomplish His work.

The Truth is - following Christ is all about change! I can not determine to go my way and ignore the path He has chosen for me and experience the joy of walking in His Will. I can not expect that a decision made in 2009 will withstand the test of time and apply in 3009 to accomplish God's purpose for that season. Therefore, I must approach everything with an openness and a willingness to say "not my will but thine be done." To not be willing to pray that prayer is not to be striving to be like Christ.

I remain convinced, "any two people genuinely seeking God can work together." That has been my operating principle as an Associational Missionary from the very beginning, and it remains my guiding principle in the work God has called us to do together. As we implement the changes that have been and will be mandated by your vote as an Association, know that we will be transparent in the process and open to your opinions as we have been in the implementation of the ByLaws and now the policies and procedures. I welcome your input and solicit your prayers as we seek to work together in the important work of strengthening the church to be the church and advancing the cause of Christ throughout the communities of the Tar River Baptist Association.

Pray with me that God will open our eyes to His Will and that we will walk together in His work.

ANY Two People SEEKING God Can Work Together

In a sermon preached at Ridgecrest immediately before I became a Director of Missions I heard Jimmy Draper state "Any two people genuinely seeking God can work together." His words were spoken as he preached on "The Single Priority of Christ," using the testimony of the Apostle Paul from Philippians 1: 21 (and associated verses). I took note of those words and have used it as a guide in my work as a Director of Missions/Associational Missionary.

It burdens me that we (as believers) debate and argue on so many issues and harbor such ill will toward one another as a result of past hurts. While we read and respond to this post, hundreds of people will leave this world to eternity - most without Christ. As those committed to being Great Commission/Great Commandment people (and in our positions leading countless others in that same effort), it appears to me that we should make extra effort to work together for the cause of Christ.

I believe God's Word teaches that the world will know we belong to Him by the way that we "love one another." I believe God's Word teaches that we are to do all that we can to "preserve the unity" of God's church. I believe that God's Word teaches that we are to work together as a body of believers to reach a lost world for Christ.

Draper stated that the Apostle Paul was able to state Philippians 1: 21 because he had learned to live by the SINGULAR priority of Christ. The world encourages us to "get our priorities in order." For most of my life I have shared that philosophy. Today I would tell you that I missed the mark when I proclaimed that philosophy. I should have preached prioritY and not prioriTIES. In Matthew 6: 33 Jesus taught us to "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness" and declared that all these "things" shall be added as well. I am called of God to be like Him, therefore that should be my message as well. I must stop putting "things" ahead of Christ.

When I state my opinion on issues of importance - they are my opinions and not God's Word. When I work diligently to advance my agenda - I must work hard to insure that my agenda is in tune with God's Will for His Kingdom. When I look to my "friends" or my "enemies" and am swayed one way or the other by their comments, I must look to God's Word and meditate upon it to insure that I am not being swayed by just any "wind of doctrine" that comes my way. That's why Draper's comments hit home that day - am I genuinely seeking God for the advancement of His kingdom or am I continually ignoring God's Word and His Call upon my life for the purpose of building my kingdom?

I commend Dr. Frank Page and those who planned our SBC this year for their efforts to call us to prayer. I believe God is calling His church to repent/turn from our wicked ways and genuinely seek Him. If and when we genuinely seek God together, we will begin to genuinely reflect who He is in the way we live our lives/conduct ourselves. That's what the world around us needs to see in us - a reflection of the Living Christ that offers to those in despair the help, hope, fulfillment, deliverance, and salvation that only Christ can bring into their lives. If we are not careful we turn people away and they remain eternally lost while we are engaged in debate over that which is important to us but may not be quite as important to God.

God is inviting us to join Him in His work - to become engaged in evangelism - sharing His message so that people will hear and come unto Him; to become engaged in discipleship - walking alongside new believers and helping them in their daily walk with the Lord and being there for them when they stumble; to become engaged in fellowship - which is far more than our potluck dinners on any given day of the week in Baptist life; to become engaged in ministry - caring for the needs of one another as part of the body and caring for the needs of our neighbors as Christ would have us to be caring for the needs of our neighbors (His definition not ours); and engaged in genuine worship of the one true God - not just playing church like little children or "going through the motions" of doing church.

The question before us is "will we join Him in His Work" and will be commit to genuinely seeking God together so that we can work together to accomplish His purpose? The QBQ (Question Behind The Question) is - are we willing to lay down ourselves for the cause of Christ, pick up His Cross, and FOLLOW Him? I remain convinced - "any two people, genuinely seeking God can work together."