Come to Me and I will give you Rest

One of my favorite words of our Lord is recorded in Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."  The words...."I will give you rest."

Jesus wants us to have rest.  While that can be physical, I want to submit His words are mainly for soulish rest.  Its the kind of internal rest that can not be gotten through a good night's sleep, a week on the beach, or the absence of physical toil.  

Rest...oh, how precious the commodity of grace.

The most important rest Jesus offers is eternal rest.  And He is the only one who can give it.  The secret is found in Hebrews 4:4 "For He has spoken in a certain place on the seventh day in this way: 'And God rested on the seventh day from all His works.'"

The rest is from "works." God rested "from all His works" referring to the six days of labor in creating the world and all we see today, and even what we can't see even through the most powerful telescope.  

The secret is in Hebrew 4:10 "For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His."

We are cease from our works.  Does that mean we no longer have any "work" to do?  We no longer have to serve, work, or labor in good works?  Hardly....other Scriptures clearly declare "we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works..." (Ephesians 2:10)

The rest in regard to our reason we work.  Because of the grace of salvation, we do not work for our approval and right standing (righteousness) before God with our works.  Instead, we "rest" in the person and position of Jesus as our full acceptance and approval for His grace.  We do NOTHING to earn His grace, approval, or Heaven.  It is "the gift of God..."

Has your soul found rest?  Solace? Peace?  

The old hymn "Rock of Ages" says it well:

"Not the labors of my hands can fulfill thy law's demands; could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not atone; thou must save, and thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling; naked, come to thee for dress; helpless, look to thee for grace; foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Savior, or I die."

I have written about rest previously .... check it out here.

July 3, 2023

June 12, 2023 and then June 19

January 21, 2013 and then January 22 

Grace Comes with the Person of Jesus

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled, set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed."  I Peter 1: 13 (NIV)

Our minds play some nasty tricks on us.  In our mind, we are made to believe we are not sufficient for this task given us.  In our mind, we are frightened by an approaching situation.  In our mind, we sense we are losers.  Our mind can cause us to be parylized.

But God says we have a responsibility to prepare our mind, not for sitting, but action.  God is moving us.

So in the midst of us preparing our mind, we are to control our mind by setting our hope, our ability FULLY - not partially, not half us and half God; but FULLY on....the grace.

Grace is not a pansy feeling of compassionate expression given to others to make them feel better.  Grace is action.  Grace is for the purpose of moving on to where God wants us.

This grace will be given us as we see Jesus in the picture.  Whenever Jesus shows up in our situation, grace is on its way to us!!!

In the Greek, this grace "is to be given to you" is an active verb meaning this grace is actively already on its way to you for every situation of life.

When we needed salvation, grace was already on its way.

When we needed power to endure, grace was already on its way.

When we needed provision, grace was already on its way.

When we needed rest, grace was already on its way.

For grace is Jesus. "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."  John 1: 14 (NIV)

To see Jesus in our lives is to see grace on its way.  

A Thankful Heart for Partnerships - Part Two

On Tuesday, I shared my deep gratitude for many of the fellow ministers with whom I have had the privilege of serving with across these forty-six years.  As I retire from full-time pastoring, I am grateful for these partners.

As I finished my full-time ministry at Rainsville First Baptist Church, I want to write more fully about the last three ministerial staff with whom I have had the privilege of serving.  On Tuesday, I shared about our Children's Minister, Whitney Traylor.  Today, I share about the other two.

Max Grizzard

Students Pastor and Families

I don't know when I first met Max but it was sometime in the early 80's.  As I was serving in Glencoe, he was at White's Chapel Baptist Church and then later served other churches in the Gadsden area.  Then in 2022 when we had a vacancy in our Student Pastor position, I was having lunch with Max one day and we were just talking about our needs when I looked across the table and asked, "You wouldn't be interested, would you?"  You see, Max and Sherrie are missionaries who have served at Ponderosa Bible Camp (check it out here) for over twenty years and is the Director of the Release program in DeKalb County, serving school age children by teaching them the Bible during school hours.

I was so excited when a few days later Max gave me his resume and it has been a pure delight to serve with this quality man of God.  His love for our youth has been evident from day one.  Though he has seven children (all now married) and multiple grandchildren, he makes it a priority to be involved in the lives of the students by teaching them well, praying for them, leading a small group discipleship group, and encouraging them by his presence at their games and school events.  He and Sherrie even teach a young adult Sunday School class.  What examples of servants.  Thank you Max for the privilege of serving with you in these last days of pastoral ministry.  There are none better than you.

Isaiah Craig

Missions Pastor

When I was a pastor in the Shoals, Isaiah's mom and dad were members of our church and I heard about their son, Isaiah, who had been in Memphis pastoring and then later moved back to the Loretta, Tennessee area.  I met him and was immediately impressed with his heart for God, the nations, and discipleship.  In fact, he preached for me on August 31, 2014 (I keep good records). I would have loved to have had him on staff with me at that time, but his heart was in church planting and missions.

I lost track of Isaiah when I moved to Rainsville, but you can imagine my shock when a group of us four men went to Massachusetts in March 2023 to explore churches and pastors with whom we could partner, and there was Isaiah.  My immediate response, "Isaiah, what are you doing here?"  Well, we partnered with Isiaah and Pleasant Street Baptist Church in Worcester, MA in the summer of 2023 and then God arranged it for him and his family to move to Rainsville First Baptist Church as our Missions Pastor in January 2024.  What an authentic follower of Jesus Christ and a heart as pure as I've ever witnessed for Jesus and the nations.  And his family (his wife, ShaRhonda, and nine children) are all extensions of his heart for Jesus and the nations.

When you look at the blog on Tuesday and this one, you understand why I am such a blessed man.  Thank you Jesus for allowing my heart and hands to join up with such wonderful servants.  Thanks to all who have given me the privilege of serving with you.

 

A Thankful Heart for Partnerships

As I have now retired from full-time pastoring after 45-and-a-half years, I want to honor the partnerships I have had through these years in some fabulous brothers-and-sisters with whom to serve. Ministry is a partnership, it is not a solo-adventure.  God brings persons with whom you can join your heart, mind, and hands together for a common goal or vision. 

I know I will overlook some and I regret that, but for those whom I remember, I want to honor them.  The order is from the first pastorate at Sardis Baptist Church through here in Rainsville.

Jan Price, Clyde Morris, David Ayers, Jim Taylor, Jr., Aaron Johnson, Carl Cofield (yes, my brother), Brad Bensinger, Virginia Finley, Rodney Gilmore, Will Smith, Neil Stephens, Kathy Lancaster, Terry Gladden, Tim Lett, Steve Lacey, Randy White, J.D. McDuffie, Sean Burns, Craig Robertson, David Denson, Brian Fields, Dorothy Estes, Teresa Word, Bobby Dodd, Edgar Griggs, Zack Fleming, Jessica Thigpen, Shae Walton, Phillip Eady, Dan Arant, Tom Carrigan, Adam Casey, Craig White, Zac Gardner, Keith Beatty, and Virginia Browning.

As I retire, these are the ones who are currently my partners that I wish to honor and say a BIG "Thank you!!"

Lori Culpepper serves as our Administrative Assistant and Jeff Williams is our accountant. The Lord has blessed me and RFBC with an assistant that knows her details and serves with such integrity and sweet spirit. 

Garry Galloway has been the single best Maintenance person I have ever served with.  He serves full-time and knows the building as well as anyone and can do anything.  And is willing to do anything to save the church money.  

Jeff Laney is a pure delight as he serves as our Custodian.  An active member at RFBC, he cares and serves as Custodian with such joy.

And we have just hired an Assistant Custodian in my last week, and I know she will do a good job for RFBC.

Whitney Traylor has been our Children's Minister for my entire tenure at RFBC (nine-and-a-half years).  She has served as a Summer Intern and then when they needed a Children's Minister eleven years ago, they turned to Whitney.  She loves children and her Lord.  She has been such a team player, she was part of the first discipleship group Roxanne led, and she has led groups every year.  The greatest joy to my heart for Whitney is when she begin to serve as a foster parent and was able to adopt a brother-and-sister.  Later we got to dedicate that family and their grandfather got to baptize them after they got saved. 

On Friday, I will honor two other persons with whom I have served at RFBC.

The Pastor's Constant Concerns for the church

Paul talks about the troubles he is going through and then adds, "Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me:  my concern for all the churches."  2 Corinthians 11:28

"I had no rest in my spirit..."  2 Corinthians 2:13

I believe most pastors care more the church they pastor than the people who have been there for years.  This is what your pastor experiences every day of the year no matter who he is or what denomination he is.  Don't dare give him more heartache by not supporting him and doing everything you can to see the church thrive.

Your pastor is a gift to your church from God just like God gives gifts of salvation, healing, finances, relationships and all good things.  Celebrate him, join him, pray for him, encourage him, thank God for him, don't you dare let him suffer more by not providing for his financial needs over and beyond what he needs.  No pastor is perfect but neither are you or your church.

I love and honor all pastors today.  I'm in my 47th year of pastoring and 54th year of preaching.  It gets harder every day because the church is more driven by culture today than spiritual, but every pastor is more vital than President Trump could ever imagine being.

As the late Jerry Falwell said in response to whether he would run for President, "Why would I want to. step down from the highest office in the land to become President."

Be encouraged dear pastor!!  And to every church, thank God for the gift God has given you.

(This post originally was written for Facebook on February 28, 2025).

This Lord's Day (January 19, 2025) at Rainsville First Baptist Church

As a church, we are in the midst of our annual 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting with the theme of "Intercessor Praying:  The Greatest Ministry in Heaven and on Earth."  This type of person who prays as an intercessor is the essence of what a New Testament priest does.  It is what Jesus is currently doing in Heaven (Hebrews 7:25) and to be His follower on earth, we should also be about the intercessory ministry.

This Sunday we will look at an obscure passion in the Old Testament in Zechariah 4 about how the practice of the priest would change in the future.  That future is now for us.  We will look this Lord's Day around the theme of "Praying in the Spirit as an Intercessor."

Join us in person as we gather for Sunday School at 9:00 and worship at 10:15.  Eli Reynolds will be leading our Praise Team and we will worship together through music, prayer, fellowship, and the Word of God.

Giving Brings Greater Blessing Than Receiving by Randy Alcorn

My book The Law of Rewards was first published in 2003, but in 2023, I had the opportunity to update it and also add some new material, especially as it relates to Nanci’s life, death, and relocation to Heaven. I continue to be excited about this small book and its potential for big impact in the lives as believers as they get excited about investing in eternity. (The updated book is available from EPM both in softcover and as a special edition with a leatherlike cover.)

My long-time friend Mart Green, of the Green family that owns Hobby Lobby, is the founder of Mardel Christian Stores. He kindly wrote, “Reading The Law of Rewards impacted me greatly. I have read many books on generosity, but this one fleshed out biblical concepts I had never heard before. I am a book guy, but I have handed out more copies of this book than any other—by far!”

So to answer the question in the title of this blog: how does giving bring greater blessing than receiving? By not giving, we don’t just rob God or rob others of blessing. We rob ourselves of the rewards God wants to give us. How many blessings have we kept from ourselves in the last year by failing to give as we could have? How much spiritual growth and joy have we missed out on by not living by God’s law of rewards?

For Nanci and me, the process of discovering God’s will about money and possessions was exciting and liberating. Our growth in financial stewardship closely paralleled our overall spiritual growth. In fact, it propelled it. We learned more about faith, trust, grace, commitment, and God’s provision in this area than any other. These choices required us to have some challenging giving discussions which ultimately strengthened our marriage, and bonded us around common goals of investing in eternity.

That unforgettable Monday morning in 2022, when I held Nanci’s hand as she exited her body and entered the presence of Jesus, I could picture Christ’s outstretched arms and hear his loving words, “Well done.” I could imagine her broad smile as he hugged her. Home at last! And I thought of all the people from all over the world she would then meet and get to know and love—those we had the privilege of helping through our giving, and who thereby received the gospel, food, clothes, clean water, medicines, Bibles, and good books. Sometimes I feel like part of me went to Heaven with Nanci. That’s not only because of our deep love for each other, but because she and I partnered together to invest in people for eternity. I so look forward not only to seeing old friends but to having Nanci introduce me to these new friends we invested in before we ever met them!

Paul said, “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). I have found that cheerful givers love God, and that love grows deeper each time they give. To me, one of the few experiences comparable to the joy of leading someone to Christ is the joy of making wise and generous eternity-impacting choices with the money and possessions God has entrusted to me. Both are supreme acts of worship. Both are exhilarating. Both are what we were made for.

I believe that the knowledge of what eternity holds for us, and how that relates to our money, is the primary missing ingredient in most Christian books on finances. When we see money only as money, and not in light of its potential impact on eternity for others and for us, we walk away with a shortsighted vision that results in shortsighted financial decisions and lifestyles.

By looking at Jesus’ teachings about finances, I hope you’ll gain a clearer vision of the importance of living for eternity, of the types and extent of eternal rewards, and of the way God created us to be motivated by rewards. When you grasp the concept of delayed gratification in light of eternal rewards, your attitude toward giving will never be the same.

Let’s determine not to be rich fools disguised as disciples. Instead, let’s develop the heart of the poor widow, learning boldly to put all our resources at God’s disposal, as He has put all his resources at ours. I pray you will join a multitude of God’s people, past and present, in not just talking about God’s grace but also experiencing it at your heart’s deepest level.

On the wall of President Lyndon Johnson’s White House office hung a framed letter written by General Sam Houston to Johnson’s great-grandfather George Washington Baines, Sr. more than a hundred years earlier. Baines had led Sam Houston to Christ. Houston was a changed man, no longer coarse and belligerent but peaceful and content.

The day came for Houston to be baptized—an incredible event for those who knew him. After his baptism Houston offered to pay half the local minister’s salary. When someone asked him why, he said, “My pocketbook was baptized too.”

Sam Houston demonstrated the reality of God’s grace to him by reciprocating that grace through giving.

As Sam Houston did, may we learn together the truth that Martin Luther recognized when he said that for each of us there must be not only the conversion of the heart and mind but also the conversion of the purse.