From the Shepherd's Heart....Monday, October 26, 2020

I have long admired John Piper and have read and listened to him often.  While I don't always agree with everything (and I don't even agree with myself sometimes), he often gives me much to think about. He wrote a controversial article recently about the upcoming election that I will not post here so that it does not come across as endorsing everything he says, but in that article, he included the following words to pastors.  What wisdom in these words to pastors.  I have believed for a long time the church in America had better get ready for suffering.  This coming Sunday we will be observing the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Why should American Christians be exempt from what most of the believers are going through in the world? Here are Piper's words:

Word to Pastors

May I suggest to pastors that in the quietness of your study you do this? Imagine that America collapses. First anarchy, then tyranny — from the right or the left. Imagine that religious freedom is gone. What remains for Christians is fines, prison, exile, and martyrdom. Then ask yourself this: Has my preaching been developing real, radical Christians? Christians who can sing on the scaffold,

Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also;
The body they may kill:
God’s truth abideth still;
His kingdom is forever.

Christians who will act like the believers in Hebrews 10:34: “You joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.” Christians who will face hate and reviling and exclusion for Christ’s sake and yet “rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, [their] reward is great in heaven” (Luke 6:22–23).

Have you been cultivating real Christians who see the beauty and the worth of the Son of God? Have you faithfully unfolded and heralded “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8)? Are you raising up generations of those who say with Paul, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8)?

Have you shown them that they are “sojourners and exiles” (1 Peter 2:11), and that their “citizenship is in heaven,” from which they “await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20)? Do they feel in their bones that “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21)?

Or have you neglected these greatest of all realities and repeatedly diverted their attention onto the strategies of politics? Have you inadvertently created the mindset that the greatest issue in life is saving America and its earthly benefits? Or have you shown your people that the greatest issue is exalting Christ with or without America? Have you shown them that the people who do the most good for the greatest number for the longest time (including America!) are people who have the aroma of another world with another King?

From the Shepherd's Heart....Saturday, October 24, 2020

I have been teaching through Job all year seeing God bringing Job to the place in His life where answers were not what Job needed.  He needed a fresh, new, overwhelming revelation of God.  Job would not have understood the answers had God chosen to give them.  Plus, the answers would not have satisfied Job even though he demanded them often from God.  But when God showed up in the whirlwind twice (Job 38:1 and 40:6), discovering new revelation of the might of God was enough for Job.

Then this past Wednesday night I started a teaching on healing that I knew I would do when I started Job.  Since God did not heal Job for many, many years and the questions surrounding that, what is the Biblical understanding of healing.  In the process of teaching Wednesday night, I made this statement:  "What glorifies God is not your sickness but your perseverance and unwavering worship of Him in spite of your sickness."  

Then yesterday morning, I was reading My Utmost for His Highest and Oswald Chambers said, "Have we come to the place where God can withdraw His blessings and it does not affect our trust in Him?  When once we see God at work, we will never bother our heads about things that happen, because we are actually trusting in our Father in Heaven Whom the world cannot see."

Lord, let me find my complete satisfaction in knowing and enjoying You and not just seeing enjoying the blessings from You.

From the Shepherd's Heart...Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Please begin praying for a virtual Pastor's Conference with several countries in Africa on October 30, 31, and November 1. Due to us not being able to travel there this year, we are joining with some of our African partners to do this virtual conference.  I will be speaking on Friday, October 30, Larry Wright on Saturday, October 31, and Ken Galyean on Sunday, November 1. As the Spirit brings this to mind, just pray for God to anoint this time for encouragement for the pastors. Pray for good internet connections and for generators to work where there is no trusted power supply.

From the Shepherd's Heart...Friday, October 16, 2020

Here is a great word from a few years ago by Pastor John Piper:

“Christianity was born in a world of totalitarianism. For 300 years there was no legal legitimacy or protection for Christianity. To convert from one of the pagan religions and say Jesus is Lord was to risk your life. This was not strange. This was the world in which the New Testament was written. It would be a mistake to reel back on our heels as if good old white Protestant America has taken a blow on the chin. Rather, Christians should think that God is designing a situation like the first three centuries in the Roman Empire where Christianity took root and spread so dramatically. There was no Christian consensus and no reigning Judeo-Christian ethic. There was no most-favored religion status. There were, in fact, no guaranteed rights for Christians nor any constitutional freedoms. There were no common categories of monotheism or sin or eternity that Christian witnesses could assume. There was no TV, or radio, or internet.

“Instead there was pervasive pluralism with many gods and philosophies. In this pervasive pluralism, Christians came not primarily with a new idea to think about, but with news of something that had happened. It was relentlessly objective and historical and particular – and therefore absolute and offensive in its claim on people’s lives. God had sent his Son into the world to die for sins. He had lived in Palestine and had taught for a few years, and had been killed like a criminal, though innocent, and had risen from the dead to show that his death was a ran­som for sin, and had ascended into heaven where he rules the world until the time when he will come and establish his king­dom for all those who have put their life in his hands. It was a shocking message. Nothing like it had ever been spoken or heard before.

“In this process they had a lot of explaining to do. There is a God. There is truth. There is sin. There is wrath and judgment. There is love and redemption. There is Jesus and the Holy Spirit. There is faith. There is heaven and hell. Is it any wonder that when Paul evangelized the great pagan center of Ephesus, he spent two years teaching for (possibly) five hours a day (Acts 19:9-10)? There was so much to explain.

“Today God has a great work for us to do. We are his witnesses. Don’t be daunted by the developments of pluralism. Ask for the wisdom and the boldness and the love that drove the early believers and gave them such amazing triumphs. Don’t bemoan the disappearance of a lightly Christianized America. Rejoice that the Word of God has run and triumphed before (2 Thessalonians 3:1) in the very situation we find ourselves today. “`You are my witnesses,’ declares the LORD.” And he does not send his witnesses in vain.” 

From the Shepherd's Heart....Thursday, October 15, 2020

 

The graphic above shares a title that I have used for many years.  There was a time in the life of a church when the church sent out weekly newsletters and the Pastor would write a column.  I choose years ago the title "From the Shepherd's Heart."  I love the idea of the Pastor being a Shepherd.  It is a biblical concept and a very practical one.

As a Shepherd, I love the sheep God has given for care.  What a privilege of serving as an under-shepherd of the Lord to be a shepherd to His sheep.

I will be writing here "thoughts" - stuff I just want to share of what I'm thinking, reading, seeing, or need to communicate mainly to Rainsville First Baptist Church family.  

Love you and thank God for the priviledge of being a Shepherd.

The Lure of Temptation By Craig Etheredge

 Not only will this world resist you, but this world will also tempt you. The culture will oppose you, and if that doesn’t work, it will try to lure you away from following Jesus by enticing you to sin. Jesus experienced both.

Those who opposed Jesus resisted Him outright, but He also was tempted. In both Matthew 4 and Luke 4, we see Jesus facing temptation from Satan himself. We will take a deeper look at these passages tomorrow, but know this… If Jesus faced temptation, you will too. Where do these temptations come from? We know that temptation to do evil does not come from God. “God never tempts us to do what is wrong,”(James 1.13; Luke 11.4 ESV).

Look at how James answered that question: “Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death,”(James 1.14-15 NLT).

Satan tempts by stirring up our own wayward and wicked desires to do wrong. Notice the aggressive language. When you give in to temptation, you are “dragged away.” You are no longer in control, but you are under sin’s control and that one temptation can lead to devastating results. Thoughts lead to actions. Actions become habits. And habits destroy lives.

You probably know people who thought they could play with temptation only later to be consumed and destroyed by it. There are three main areas where temptation strikes. “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world,”(1 John 2.15-16 NLT).

The areas in which we are most vulnerable to temptation are physical pleasure, the constant craving for more things, and pride for what we have and what we’ve done. John is saying, “these longings don’t come from God, but are shaped by the culture around us.” Behind it, all is an intentional plan to destroy you and draw you away from Jesus.

Peter warns, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour,”(1 Peter 5.8 NLT). The struggle is real. The enemy is resolute and determined, but you can stand under temptation because God has provided you a way out.

Notice what Paul says about every temptation you face: “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure,” (1 Corinthians 10.13 NLT).

The temptations you face are common to everyone. Your enemy is not very creative. He uses the same temptations over and over. We all face them, but notice – God is faithful. Faithful means 100 percent. That means that God is faithful 100 percent of the time!

Faithful to do what? God is faithful to ensure that you are never tempted beyond what you can handle in His power. He is faithful to show you a way out every time you are tempted. There will always be an exit sign; you just have to take it.

Eight Reasons to Abstain from Sexual Immorality (in Any Form) by Bill Elliff

 

It’s been a problem since the beginning of time. The rise of Internet availability has made it incredibly more accessible, but lust has always been one of Satan’s most powerful tools to mar the image of God in us.

Paul was intense about this because he understood the nature of the human mind and the deadliness of this particular sin. He always tells us to abstain, flee, run, get away by any and every means. Why?

Here are eight reasons from 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 (NASB).

Reason #1: It’s God’s will.

“This is the will of God” (v. 3).

God’s will is always “good and acceptable and perfect” (see Romans 12:2). In other words, you can trust God. He’s not going to shortchange you. Following Him is better than anything the world offers.

Reason #2: It sanctifies you.

“This is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality” (v. 3).

Purity here will dramatically aid the general process of sanctification (growth in godliness, setting you apart for God’s purposes). To neglect this admonition is to sabotage your sanctification, potentially setting you back for years.

If we fail here, we add to the general ungodliness across our church, communities, and nation. To win here is to help the sanctification process not only in ourselves but in others.

Reason #3: It’s the honorable thing to do with your body.

“… that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor” (v. 4).

God has “fearfully and wonderfully” made your body for distinct purposes (Psalm 139.14). We dishonor Him and our bodies when we misuse them morally. It’s the worst kind of sideways energy.

Reason #4: It’s above what any lost man would do.

“… not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God” (v. 5).

Other people don’t have God in them. We can be better than this, and we must be.

One of the most powerful witnesses of the reality of the gospel is sexual purity that springs from a Spirit-controlled life. The world doesn’t know how to do this (in fact, they cannot). Your victory in this speaks to them loudly of the gospel’s validity. It’s an irresistible evidence of Christ in you.

Reason #5: It loves and protects others.

“… that no man transgress and defraud his brother” (v. 6).

Moral impurity doesn’t just affect you. It destroys others. “I’m just on the Internet, and it’s just me. It doesn’t hurt anybody.”

No, the images you see are someone’s daughter who was used to make the pornography. Your use propagates the pornography industry, and it affects millions. Your lustful thoughts are against someone’s wife.

To defraud means to “promise something you are not intending to deliver.” When we play with immorality, it gives a façade of commitment that you have no intention of fulfilling. It is not about “them” … it is always about “me”; and selfishness always has deadly effects.

Reason #6: It saves you from God’s judgment.

“The Lord is the avenger in all these things” (v. 6).

God never merely overlooks sin, in any form. There are consequences. We may hide it from some, but it cannot escape God’s notice and His response.

It is important and helpful to realize at every moment of temptation that God is right there. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and holiness (Proverbs 9:10).

Reason #7: It fulfills God’s purpose for your life.

“God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification” (v. 7).

God designed plans before the foundation of the world for you to walk in. To give your time, energy, and often money to impurity means taking those resources away from what He has for you. It’s a sorry trade.

Reason #8: To reject this is to reject God.

“He who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you” (v. 8).

If you are embroiled in moral failure, confess it to God, and then find some friends who will help you. There are multiple ministries devoted to helping people overcome moral addictions. There’s no excuse for not humbling yourself and beginning the journey to purity.

If we knew the depth of God’s love for us and how He has pursued us and married us to Himself, we would see how adulterous it is to give our affections to another. It is rejection of the highest order.

All of us fail in various ways, and there is grace to find forgiveness and deliverance. It’s important, when we fail, to run to Christ and the sufficiency of His work on the cross to deliver. He will save and cleanse if we are humbly, genuinely repentant.

But we must realize that moral impurity affects us, everyone around us, and the glory of God through us. We were designed for more.

Father, thank You that Your Spirit inside us is capable of producing the fruit of self-control. We long to be more and more sanctified. We come afresh to join You in this gracious work in us. Help us to aggressively cooperate with You so the world can see Your overwhelming power. Thank You that (Romans 8:2) “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set [us] free from the law of sin and of death”!

Celebrating 40 years of marriage - October 4

 

Happy 40^th anniversary to this most wonderful grandkids loving, tech savvy, football watching, and the greatest Christian woman I have ever known. Roxanne, I love you and how do I say “thank you” for 40 years of your unconditional love, total support as a pastor’s wife, for two wonderful sons and nine grandchildren?  How do I say “thanks?”  First, to God for giving me you since that Monday night in 1979 when I was doing a revival at Mt. Zion and I saw you come in.  Second, by pledging my continual love to you for as long as God gives us both breath.  Love you and will always.  40 years!!  Where has the time gone?