This Lord's Day (April 28, 2024) at Rainsville First Baptist Church

There is nothing more sweeter in our lives than relationships that are full of life, laughter, and love.  But there is no greater grief than when a relationship is broken and hurting.

This Sunday we come again to the life of Jacob as he meets his estranged brother, Esau, whom he has not seen for 20 years and the last time they were together it was not good.  In fact, Rachel, their mother, said Esau was going to kill Jacob.  WOW - talk about a broken relationship.

But as Jacob returns home to receive all the promises of God, he knows he will have to face his brother.  But God has done a great (and hurtful) work in his life and he now limps to meet him as a broken, but changed man.  

Genesis 33 will be our text and we will experience "The Joy of Reconciliation."

My Favorite Title for a Pastor

There are several Biblical names for the office we call Pastor.  There is Elder, Bishop, Pastor, Teacher, and then this one...Shepherd.  That is my favorite.  Nobody ever calls the Pastor that in day-to-day conversation, but the name reveals something very deep about the calling and office of the Pastor.  To this day I title my columns I write "From the Shepherd's Heart."  I love the title.

A true Shepherd (over against a hireling - see John 10: 12-13) cares for his sheep.  He has compassion for them, even as Jesus did.  Matthew 9:36 says of Jesus "He was moved with compassion for them..."

True shepherds care when their flock is hurting and in danger.  Their heart is moved when the heart of a sheep is moved to tears or is being torn apart.  That is why a pastor stays close to those who are hurting, sick, experiencing death, and dying.  

This is burdensome carrying the load of many broken hearts, but since the Chief Shepherd carries even a greater load, then it's not too much to ask the under-shepherd to bear his load.

If men are willing to get their hands dirty and heartbroken, then the pastorate is not for them.  You can't be aloof from the people and be their pastor.  I love the people of God.  I have been hurt many, many times, but there is still a genuine love and care for the people God has called me to.

One of the miracles of being a pastor that I did not expect was how God changes your heart and moves burdens.  At the close of my first pastorate at Sardis Baptist Church in 1981, I never thought I could love another group of people like that. I can still see myself walking beside the church crying like a baby when we left.  How can I ever love a church like this again?  But what I didn't know is, God miraculously removes the deep love for a people and gives it again at the next church.  I never expected that.  No one ever told me that in preparation to be a pastor.  But I sure did praise God when I experienced it.  

It's not that you don't love the people in previous churches, you do.  But you can't love them like you did when you were their pastor or else your human capacity would explode.  And God gives them another pastor to love them.  I have always said, I am the pastor for only one time in my life.

Blessings;

David

Humility by A. W. Tozer

 

I recently came across this written by A.W. Tozer:

"The meek man cares not at all who is greater than he, for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world is not worth the effort. . .They have placed someone else before you.  They have whispered that you are small stuff, after all.  And now you feel hurt because the world is saying about you the very things you have been saying about yourself?  Only yesterday you were telling God that you were nothing, a mere worm of the dust.  Where is your consistency?  Come on.  Humble yourself and cease to care what men think."

Boy, I need that reminder often.  Thank you A. W. Tozer

Blessings;

David

This Lord's Day (April 21, 2024) at Rainsville First Baptist Church

The Lord gave me a "word" for our church about three weeks ago that has been prayed through on almost a daily basis.  This past Monday night He finished that word in just a few minutes causing me to see it from the eyes of Gideon.  

This Lord's Day I sense the leading of the Lord to preach "A Fresh Anointing" based on Judges 6: 12-22.  The book of Judges captures the history of Israel from when Joshua captured Canaan until the reigns of King Saul and King David.  It covers a period of about 300 years when there would be good judges and evil judges.  Judges 6 is about Gideon.  He was a "mighty warrior."  He was an ideal judge.

Take a few minutes and read Judges 6: 12-22 and then come prepared this Lord's Day to see five truths from this passage that God has given me for our church in these days.

The title of the message will make sense (hopefully, lol) as we preach it on Sunday.

We look forward to welcoming Isaiah Craig and Isaac Mays home and we will continue to pray for Jimmy Traylor as he is leaving tomorrow (Saturday morning) for Honduras for a week.  What a joy to hear Hunter Wilson this past Wednesday night share about his trip in March to Honduras.  Do you realize we will have had four individuals from our church in Honduras and Uganda in the past six weeks?  Praise the Lord.

The Main Duty of the Pastor

Paul charged Timothy, "Preach the word!" II Timothy 4:2. 

The Pastor/Teacher (as he is called in Ephesians 4:11) is called to be a preacher/teacher of the Word of God.  Yes, there is more to it than that.  But if he fails at this task, he fails at everything.  This is the sink-or-swim aspect of a pastor's calling.   Why?

First, it is what God said to do.

Second, of all the other things a Pastor can and should do (caring for the sick, seeking the ones who have strayed, leading the church, etc), others can do that if he can't.  But the one who is called to be a pastor/preacher is called to dedicate his life to preaching/teaching the Word of God.

The very purpose of deacons in Acts 6 was to relieve the apostles of the daily distribution of food so the apostles could "give themselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." (Acts 6:4)

Third is a more practical reason.  Say, a pastor preaches a 30-minute message to 150 on Sunday morning and he is not prepared to preach the Word and a message directly from God for that group of people, then he has just wasted 75 hours.  If he preaches on Sunday night to 75 unprepared, he has wasted 37.5 hours.  Then on Wednesday night, he preaches to 50 unprepared, and he has wasted 25 hours.  That is a total of 137.5 hours.  That is the equivalent of almost six full days.  In other words, that pastor could be so lazy as not to even get out of bed for most of the week and he would not have wasted as many hours as going to the pulpit unprepared to preach the Word of God.

Titus 1: 3 Paul assures the church "God has manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God,..."  This speaks to my blog last Wednesday about the sense of calling a pastor/elder has.

But then in Titus 1:5, Paul says the pastor is to "set in order the things that are lacking."  The Greek word is epidiorthoo.  It means to correct, straighten further, set in order, put into order.  It is a medical term to set a bone that has been broken.  An orthodontist sets teeth back in order.  An orthopedic doctor sets bone in place.

A pastor is to take the Word of God and "set things in order" in the church.  Since the church is made up of humans; like our teeth and bones, the church is constantly needing to be set back in order.  

Where does the Pastor get that authority?  From God and the Word of God.  The authority of the Pastor is anchored when he preaches the Word of God.   "Thus says the Lord" whether it is from Jeremiah or John. 

Now that brings me to a pet peeve.  All of the Bible is the Word of God.  Don't ever give the impression to your pastor/preacher that you are more excited to hear a message from John than Numbers.  We are to preach "the whole counsel of God." (Acts 20:27)  "And all Scripture is profitable..." (II Timothy 3:16)

Preaching is hard work.  

Blessings;

David

A Reminder of the Kingdom of God

I am so appreciative of my relationship with Dr. Jack Taylor who taught me so much about the Kingdom of God.  It was the primary focus of the teaching of Jesus and it is that for which Jesus is returning to this earth to reign supreme over.

The term basileia is the Greek word for the kingdom.  It occurs 162 times in the New Testament and 121 of those are in the Synoptic gospels.  The formula "kingdom of God" or the "kingdom of heaven" occurs 104 times in the gospels. 

It was the focal of the first message Jesus preached as recorded in Matthew 4:17 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

It was the focal of his last message as recorded in Acts 1:3 "...to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God."

What is the kingdom of God?  It is the absolute, sovereign rule and reign of God over all that is including humanity and the demonic.  There is nothing outside the reign of God.

In 1989, we had gotten new hymnals at Central Baptist Church, Albertville, AL where I was pastor.  We discovered a song "Our God Reigns" and it quickly became one of our favorites.  Oh the truth of the title.  Our God does reign.

It is not up for vote or debate.  It doesn't matter what I think about it or you.  It is not a Republican or Democratic issue.  God, alone, reigns.

The church (the people, not a building) one day will be raptured away into the presence of God, but the kingdom of God will last forever.  So, our main focus as the church should be the kingdom of God.

It should be our focus individually.  Does God reign supreme in our life?  He has the right.  It is a popular debate today as we hear women say "they have a right to make decisions for their own bodies."  Nothing could be further from the truth.  We belong to God.  He made us. And if we have been converted, then God has purchased us with the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.  We belong to Him.

It should be our focus as a church.  We should witness and work, not just to build our own local church, but the wider kingdom of God.  That is what missions is all about.  The people in Africa or New England will never join our church here in Alabama, but our Lord calls us to work in those fields for the sake of building the kingdom.

I call this blog "A Reminder..." because when I became pastor here at Rainsville First in 2015, one of the first series of messages I preached was on the Kingdom.  But we do need reminding because it is easy to lose focus of what is most important to our King - His reign and rule through the Kingdom of God.

Blessings;

David

This Lord's Day (April 14, 2024) at Rainsville First Baptist Church

Have you heard of the wrestling matches with Tojo Yamamoto, Jerry Lawler, Mr. Wrestling?  They would have Hospital Elimination or No Disqualification matches.  Oh, you are too young for that?  

Ok, what about Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Andrea the Giant?  I can't go much further because I don't watch it now.

But in all of these, there are planned (and sometimes predetermined) winners.  

But have you ever had a REAL wrestling match? Unplanned?  Spontaneous? Somebody just come up behind you and start something?

That is the scene of Genesis 32: 22-32 with Jacob and Jesus.  But it was not a preplanned and predetermined match on Jacob's part.  Jesus started it.

This Sunday we will examine the greatest wrestling match of all time as God uses it to make Jacob the Prince.  What a story!!

The Call of God to Be a Pastor

March 20, 2024 was the last Wednesday I wrote on the subject of Elders and Pastors.  I want to continue the series today and for a few more weeks.  I want to highlight the calling of a Pastor/Elder.

I Timothy 3:1 says "If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work."  To desire is to yearn for, to stretch toward.  It has the picture of a horse reaching with all he has for the race he is in and the finish line ahead.  This word carries passion and purpose.

I don't believe it means that a person just "wants" to become a pastor, for in my experience, the office of a Pastor is one God uniquely calls one into.  I will say without any reservation, the call of God to be a preacher/pastor is one of the strongest certainities in my life.  There was a time early in my life when the call to be a preacher was more certain than me being a Christian (story for another time).

There are many today who suggest there is no "call" to be a pastor.  But that simply is not the case with me and I want to say, without reservation, it has been that call that has sustained me through 46 years of being a pastor and 53 years of being a preacher. 

I know all believers are "called" and "sent out," but I also hold to a definite, defining sense of call to be a pastor/preacher.

The sense God chose you and you didn't choose the position of a preacher/pastor.  I know it can sound arrogant, and for that reason, one must walk in humility and dependence on God.  But if I had "chosen" to be a pastor myself, then I would have walked away many, many times thinking I had made the wrong choice and there was another choice better for me.

The one who is a bishop/pastor/elder needs to have a passion within him to run the race well.  There is no place to coast or slow down.  The passion God placed within you is sufficient to carry you across the finish line.

My anchor in the storms of church life, the self-doubts that flood your mind about your abilities, and the harsh treatment of Satan and his allies is God has called me and He will sustain me.  

Blessings;

David

This Lord's Day and Resurrection Sunday (March 31, 2024) at Rainsville First Baptist Church

There are a few historical events that rise above the rest impacting our current life and world.  The greatest of these is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Or is it?  What is the evidence in our life of the present power of the cross and the resurrection?  Man has many problems that we use all sort of man-made remedies to attempt to fix.  And sometimes we really work hard at them.  Remember, no pain, no gain.  

But it is not our pain that will bring us victory.  Instead, it was the pain Jesus suffered for us and His bodily resurrection that makes this victory possible in our lives.

Join us this Lord's Day and Resurrection Sunday for worship at Rainsville First Baptist Church at 10:15 or you can view online at https://rfbc.sermon.net/.

John Piper on Gambling, the Lottery, and Fantasy Football

Is it sinful to gamble on sports?

Fantasy sports are now a multibillion-dollar gambling industry in the United States thanks to apps like DraftKings and FanDuel, leading a young man to email and ask if a “rather modest” bet of twenty to fifty dollars per week is sinful.

“It is,” Pastor John replied, “but my words don’t make something sinful. God’s words make something sinful.” Six considerations.

1. We get one life to live for Christ’s glory (2 Cor. 5:15).

“Then comes eternity.” We get no do-overs. “Every day is either invested well or lost forever. Every breath you take, every minute of life you have, is a free gift of God and a trust, a stewardship, which God says should be lived for his glory, for the magnifying of his Son.” Innocent games may be a helpful refreshment for the mind and to commune with others, “but in themselves—in a fallen, needy, miserable, tragic, dying, hell-bent world like ours—they have very little significance.”

2. We can get disoriented in a fog of unreality if we’re not careful.

To the degree we get sucked into unreal worlds like fantasy football, we must account for how “living in an unreal world” makes our “real-world impact greater for the good of people and the glory of God.” Sin is fundamentally deceit—a trick to get us to desire what is unreal over what is real (Heb. 3:13). So a nickel bet may be modest, but fifty dollars a week isn’t—because “half the world’s population lives on $2.50 a day, which is $17.50 a week, which is below what he’s gambling. Our friend is throwing to the wind up to fifty dollars a week, calling it modest gambling. So there’s good evidence he has lost touch with reality, and I would plead with him, ‘Wake up, friend. Wake up!’”

3. Beware of loving money.

Gambling may enhance the “emotional buzz” of the Sunday game, but it’s more likely driven by the desire “to get more money by putting other people’s money at risk.” An income made apart from virtuous labor is symptomatic of a love of money that the Bible calls suicidal (1 Tim. 6:9–10).

4. Know that your money is not your money.

“I would say quite bluntly, forthrightly, and confidently that you have no right to risk God’s money this way. Managers don’t gamble with their master’s money—period.” Faithful trustees don’t gamble with the trust fund. We all give account for our stewardship (Matt. 25:14–30). “To gamble with God’s money on trivialities like this is a kind of embezzlement.”

5. See gambling as a widespread “social sickness,” bringing ruin to millions, “especially the poor.”

It preys on the poor more than anyone else. “The people who can least afford it take the biggest hit. Christians should not participate in lotteries, casinos, or online gambling—an entire structure of devastation for millions of people.”

6. Seek better investments, like stocks that will grow over time.

Better, “find gloriously happy, helpful good deeds to do in people’s lives. Creatively seek out how to use all that money in an excellent way. Imagine investing fifty dollars a week, two hundred dollars a month, in the causes of justice and gospel-spreading and the relief of the suffering. Oh, my, how much fun that would be. Believe me, friend, it is more blessed to give than to receive—or to risk. It is more blessed to invest creatively in the eternal joys of other people than to play with God’s money in the dream world of fantasy football.”¹

Speaking of money love, we must free our lives from money fear to live a life of worship. We kill this anxiety by preaching to ourselves regularly. “It ain’t automatic for John Piper to be fearless about money, though I get paid plenty, way plenty. It isn’t automatic for me. It isn’t automatic for you. We are battling fear and anxiety every day, not to mention greed.” We do it by affirming regularly: “He’s shepherd to me. He’s Father to me. He’s King to me” (Luke 12:32–34). And he’s not stingy in his care for us. “Preach these things to yourself and attack fear and anxiety in your life with these truths so that when you overcome fear about money, God gets the glory.”²

Gambling preys on the poor

Later, I asked Piper to elaborate on the effects of gambling on the poor.

Lotteries prey on the poor—especially pull-tabs and scratch tickets whose smaller and more frequent payouts ($10, $100, or $500) “draw in disproportionately more poor people than, say, the $200 million Powerball.” As the poor gamble, they redirect their money to local governments. Gambling is a “regressive tax” on the poor, a way of “luring the poor, who pay almost no taxes for social services, to pay a kind of tax in a way that worsens their situation rather than making it better, which is what taxes are supposed to do.” And gambling preys on the poor because the poor are more financially hopeless,” a feeling that “drives most of the purchases.” Buying a scratch ticket won’t make a bad situation much worse. When you feel financially hopeless already, “arguments against gambling lose most of their force.”

So what’s to be done? (1) Consider the poor. We don’t dismiss the poor or “stand aloof and roll our eyes at the stupidity of millions of dollars that roll into the state coffers from people who can barely pay their bills.” Instead, the Bible calls our minds and hearts to consider them (Pss. 41:1; 113:7; Prov. 14:31; 17:5; 31:9). (2) Refuse to financially feed any institution that preys on the poor. (3) Advocate for the poor. “We should give our thinking, praying, advocating, investing, and planning toward the removal of unnecessary barriers to productive work and gainful employment among the poor, the removal of incentives and allurements toward waste and squandering and irresponsibility, and instead seek to put in place encouragements toward deferred gratification, and, finally, the creation of responsibility and hope in people’s lives, through the gospel.”³

Isn’t the stock market like gambling?

In truth, money is always risky. “You bury it, and it’ll maybe rot. You can hide it in the house, but the house may burn down. You can put it in the bank, and the banks may fail, and the government that insures it may fail. Put it in stocks with differing philosophies of principal protection, and they all may go bankrupt. Yes, there is no escaping risk when it comes to money in this world—or for that matter, doing anything in this world.”

So isn’t stock market investing as risky as gambling? No, for three reasons. (1) “Investing means letting another person use your money for enterprises that you believe contribute to the common good, while gambling means supporting a system that is counterproductive to the common good, and especially destructive for the poor.” (2) Gambling is all or nothing. Stock market investing is rarely a total loss. (3) Gambling rides on high loss-possibility, but the market lets you choose degrees of lesser risk.

The Dow is wiser than gambling, but there’s an investment of greater value than both, although it’s far riskier because “you might have to lose your life in the process.” But this investment is also “foolproof ” with guaranteed dividends “greater than any dividends in the universe.” It’s an investment that cannot be destroyed by bankruptcy, bear markets, rust, age, inflation, robbery, or hackers (Matt. 6:19–21; Luke 2:33; 1 Tim. 6:17–19). In the end, “the main emphasis in the financial life of a Christian should not be how to minimize risk and maximize gain in the stock market, but rather how to maximize eternal gain by maximizing generosity for the sake of causes that glorify God and rescue sinners from suffering, especially eternal suffering.”

As for corporate corruption, how can we be certain we’re not investing in exploitative and evil companies? “As far as I know, you can’t. You can’t know that. But that’s true of every dollar you spend in the marketplace.” A local store may be a front for evil. “Any clothing chain where you get your shirt may exploit foreign workers.” Do your homework. Never invest in evil. But also know that “you’re not responsible for all that somebody might do to misuse your money any more than a salt manufacturer is responsible for high blood pressure.”⁴

Are Christians shrewd investors in this age?

No, often not. Jesus uses the parable of the dishonest manager to spotlight how shrewd the world is with money. In this case a manager, about to be fired, barters with others to score points and store favors and win personal influence that he will cash out later (Luke 16:1–13). It’s a cunning move. In comparison, Christians are often a lot less shrewd in the world of investing. But Jesus says fiscal cleverness is ultimately insignificant.

Christians eye eternal gains, not quick monetary wins. So “maybe you aren’t that shrewd when it comes to the stock market, but guess what? Who cares? You’ve got a billion years to enjoy your investment.” Use your money for eternal gain, because as Jesus says, worldly wealth is destined to “fail” you (Luke 16:9). “Fail” (ἀνέκλειπτος) is a trigger word to remind us that money is temporal and fleeting (Luke 12:33). But “making friends” in the parable translates to using money to meet people’s needs. “That’s the way to lay up treasure in heaven that does not fail.” That’s the shrewdest investment. “Here’s the basic point: don’t worry about being a shrewd investor in this age, where you can provide a future that will only fail.” Instead, “use your resources to do as much good as you can for the glory of God and the eternal good of others.” This is true financial expertise.⁵

Notes:

1. APJ 1269: “Is It Sinful to Gamble on Fantasy Sports?” (October 29, 2018).
2. APJ 1820: “How Money Fears Kill Our Worship” (August 10, 2022).
3. APJ 1732: “How the Lottery Preys on the Poor” (January 17, 2022).
4. APJ 1305: “Is Investing in Stocks Any Better Than Gambling?” (January 21, 2019).
5. APJ 1273: “Does Jesus Commend Dishonesty in Luke 16?” (November 7, 2018).

This article is adapted from Ask Pastor John: 750 Bible Answers to Life's Most Important Questions by Tony Reinke.

This Lord's Day (March 24, 2024) at Rainsville First Baptist Church

Palm Sunday is this Lord's Day.  The day Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey and the week would end with his crucifixion and glorious resurrection.

This Sunday we will take the entire service to celebrate this day and the week that followed as we will sing songs of praise, wave palm branches, glean from some of the teachings Jesus gave to His disciples, pray with one another and for one another as Jesus did this week, hear a message about how Jesus spoke so much about truth doing this last week, and then close the service celebrating the Lord's Supper, just as Jesus did with his disciples.

Just a reminder, there are no Wednesday night services March 27 due to spring break in DeKalb County schools.  

Rest for the Pastor

I have just returned to the office yesterday from a two-week vacation.  I am grateful for a church that gives me adequate vacation time throughout the year so that I can take advantage of two weeks back-to-back.

As a younger pastor, two weeks away seemed to be impractical due to family obligations and, to be frank, my pride.  I didn't think the church could survive well without me.  And to be further honest, there might have been some I did not trust what they would do with a "leadership vacuum" for two weeks. 

But God has granted me a blessed congregation that is led well by a group of Elders whom I trust with all of my heart and a church that respects their ministry.  

So I have enjoyed two weeks of rest.  Why two weeks?  As an older pastor told me years ago, a pastor who carries the load he does daily does not begin to really rest until at least seven days away.  So, the last two weeks are where the real rest comes in.

Further, time away for a pastor is always a blessing to the church he serves.  A pastor is never really "off."  The role of a pastor is a heart occupation. No, pastors do not operate or treat hearts, but instead, every true pastor carries the people and his responsibility to be the preacher constantly in his heart.  He may be on the beach, in the mountains, or with the family, but his heart (and mind) is still with God and his ministry.

Because of that, when a pastor gets away and clears his mind (and ears, lol), then he can hear God speak more clearly about the direction of his life, his family, and the church.  God can give him insight into the Word that he shares with the people whom he loves the most.

So, why am I writing this blog?  To say, never be jealous of the time your pastor is away.  I'm grateful no one at Rainsville First ever fuses about this, but that is not true for most churches.  Your pastor is best when he is rested and connected with the Spirit and the Word.

The Lord's Day (March 17, 2024) at Rainsville First Baptist Church

Max Grizzard, our Student Pastor, will be preaching in the 10:15 Worship Service at Rainsville First Baptist Church.  Also, Chase Johnson will be baptizing his son, Israel.  

The final service of the weekend FCA Youth Led revival will be Sunday night at 6:30.  This revival has been hosted at Rainsville First.

The Role of the Pastor to Elders

The last two Wednesdays I have set the table for these coming weeks in writing about the Pastor/Teacher in the local church.  It seems in the New Testament there was always a "point man" in the church whether it was Paul, Timothy, or another who was seen to be the one who was leading, protecting, feeding, and caring for the local believers in that local church.  

Yet, anyone who knows me knows I also believe in plural leaders in the local church called Elders.  I will not write of why I believe that today (for I have dealt with that sufficiently in previous blogs), but God told them to "appoint elders in every city as I have commanded you -" (Titus 1:5) and Paul greeted "all the saints who are in Philippi, with the bishops (Pastors, elders, overseers) and deacons." (Philippians 1:1).

A leader who does not have accountability is a dictator.  God has never called a pastor to be so full of himself and His God-given authority in his own flesh to rule without accountability.  I am too much of a sinner to trust my decisions totally without the wisdom of other spiritual men.  These men are Biblically called Elders - those who share the responsibility of leading, protecting, feeding, and caring for the flock with the Pastor.

I Peter 5:3 warned about "being lords over those entrusted to you,..."  A person who has a sense of authority can always think more highly of himself than he should, but add that authority comes from God, and without proper boundaries, it can really be dangerous.

It is the Pastor God has called uniquely to a local place to lead that flock but with the guidance of other spiritual men affirming the ways of God.  Two heads are a monster, and so it is in the church.  Elders respect the role of the Pastor, but the Pastor also respects the role of the Elders.

This is why Alexander Strauch uses this term to describe the relation of the Pastor and Elders.  The Pastor is among equals with the Elders, but as unique to his call must also be the one who is more out-front leading.  And the Elders should expect that leadership from him.

I believe there should ultimately always be complete unity among the Elders (and I'm including the Pastor in this term).  If Jesus is the Head of the Church (Ephesians 5:23), then the Head is never divided.  If the Elders will believe that principle, die to their own personal thoughts, plans, and wishes, and pray earnestly - then eventually they should be able to come to unity as revealed by the Spirit and the Word.  

Read this carefully....NO CHURCH will ever split if the leadership is in unity.  

What if a church does not have Elders?  Then they most likely are looking to Deacons to fulfill that role.  For every church has those who provide spiritual leadership.  But here are the problems with Deacons serving in the role of providing spiritual leadership to the church:  1. They are not called to do; 2.  They are called to serve the people;  3. There may be (and most likely will be) men serving as Deacons who are qualified to provide that leadership, but not all Deacons will;  4. If Deacons are doing the role of the Elder then the church is not getting the benefit of the office of a Deacon or deacons are so divided in their roles the church is not benefitting completely from either role; and lastly, 5. The Deacons who are not called to be Elders are frustrated and scared about being asked to do something they are not called and equipped to be.

So, if you are a member of a church with the Biblical structure of Elders, then thank God and earnestly pray for your Elders.  And then obey them (Hebrews 13:17) unless you can show Biblical reasons why their leadership is out of the standard of the Word of God.  If you can, then go to them privately to share your insights with them.  Do not take them on publically until you have met privately and even after a longer time of seeking God's will.  

If you are in a church without Elders and are being led by Deacons, then pray for God to lead them to this.  I believe it would be permissible for you to share with the Deacons your understanding of Elders, but you will never be the person who can force the men to see something.  God alone must show them the Biblical understanding of Elders and church structure.  Trying to force Elders on a church without God leading them will only lead to confusion in the church and frustration in you. 

May the Lord grant wisdom in all His churches and may we wait patiently for Him to carry out His full plans and purposes perfectly in His church.  I am still a work in progress, and so is every church I know.

Blessings;

David

Jesus in the Midst of His Church - The Church at Smyrna

Revelation 2: 8-11 speaks to the church at Smyrna revealing a unique part of the revelation of Jesus from chapter one.   He is "the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:..."

Jesus is the Faithful One, the overcoming One.  He perseves. He will always be faithful because He is at the beginning of your trial and at the end of your trial.  He will not leave you in the midst of your trial, no matter how hard it may get.

Why? He experienced the worst end of a trial anyone could experience - death.  He became dead but came to life.   He once was alive, but experienced death, and came back to where he was...alive.  

So to the dear church in Smyrna who is going through great tribulation (pressure like a heavy rock sitting on your chest), poverty (extreme poverty having been cut off by the Jews), and persecution (from within as a Jew and without in the Roman Empire).  

But Jesus says "I know..." (2:9).  Jesus knows our tribulation, poverty, and persecution.  He knows about our trials because He has been through them.  So he can say in verse 10 - "Do not fear any of these things."

So how do you get through these tough times?  Look to Him who overcame (verse 11) and you will be able to overcome.  He promises (verse 10) that these trials will not last long - maybe just ten days.  He doesn't mean a literal ten days, but He is saying no long. And even if you experience death but are faithful (preserving), like our Lord, you will have eternal life, and "the second death" will not hurt you.

This Lord's Day (March 10, 2024) at Rainsville First Baptist Church

Isaiah Craig will be preaching this Sunday at Rainsville First Baptist Church in the 10:15 service.  We are so delighted to have Isaiah and his family serving here and to join him in his vision of reaching the nations. Max Grizzard will be baptizing this Sunday, as well.  Plus, the great music leadership of our praise band.

Don't forget to "Spring Forward" this weekend as we lose an hour.  Don't be late for Sunday School and worship.  

The Four Gifts of Persons God Gave the Church - Ephesians 4: 7-16

Last Wednesday I wrote about the triumphant entry Jesus made into Heaven with the spoils of victory and the gifts God gave to men in return.  In Ephesians 4: 11, Paul uniquely shares four of the gifts God gave were different in quality than the other gifts given.  These four were not just abilities and talents embedded into a believer in order to carry out the work of God, but these were actual persons given to the church.

Let's recap these four briefly:

Apostle -  the foundation of the church was built on the person of the Apostles and their doctrine (Acts 2:42) and the fourteen (including Matthias in Acts 1:26 and Paul who was "born out of due time" but was an apostle according to I Corinthians 15:8-9).

An apostle is a "sent one on mission."  Some believe there are no more apostles, and I will agree there are no more like the original who actually saw the resurrected Lord Jesus.  But there are those who are "sent on a mission" to carry the Gospel and plant churches. 

A prophet is one who speaks revelation from God and for God.  These were people (men and women) who were filled with boldness and often pointly to issues within the church.  Most in the Old Testament were so inspired that their messages became Scripture, but not as much in the New Testament.  Their messages were still authentic and to the point.  That is why I believe this person still exists - one who can address issues within the church and/or culture and bring God's revelation on the issue.  They speak with boldness and passion because they have seen an abuse in the church or culture that must be addressed and they go for it.  Due to their very nature, most in the church do not like them and cannot tolerate them for long periods of time.  But their message is needed to "stir up" the church, and that is exactly what they will do in God's time.

An evangelist is one who preaches and explains the gospel of Jesus Christ to the unsaved and unconverted so they might come to the knowledge of Christ.  There is a special anointing on this person in order to do this with ease and understanding, often resulting in many coming to saving knowledge.

The Pastor/Teacher I believe is one person and one gift.  The Pastor here is the word for a shepherd.  He is the one who leads, protects, feeds, and cares for the flock as the man of God.  The Teacher is his primary function as a Pastor.

As I have shared in previous blogs, I believe the Pastor (Shepherd), Bishop (Overseer), and Elder (Presbuteros) are all the same person.  All three are used interchangeably in Acts 20 and he is not speaking of three different persons, but one in three roles.  And all of these are linked to the local church, not a denomination or collection of churches.

It is my purpose to share more about the Pastor in the coming weeks.

Blessings;

David

3 Principles of Family Discipleship by Michael Kelley

 As parents, we are the greatest influences in the lives of our children. We are the ones responsible for forming their views on God, humanity, society, culture, and a host of other things. Now while that is true, there are a couple of caveats we should also embrace as parents.

Caveat number one is that we are influential regardless of whether we are intentional about it or not. It’s a frightening thing to recognize that our children’s minds and hearts are being formed – by us – whether we know it or not. Our kids will learn about how to handle money by watching us. They will learn how to treat their peers by watching us. They will learn about how to relate to the opposite sex by watching us. And they will learn and be formed by all those things whether we want them to or not.

The second caveat is that our influence, while profound, decreases the older our children grow. That’s not rocket science because we know from experience that the older our children get the more influences come into their lives. They spend less and less of their time with us, their parents, and more and more time with other people.

Combining those things together help us see that discipleship in our families should be both intentional and urgent. Having said that, we turn to a particular passage in the Old Testament that gives us some helpful principles when considering discipleship in our families:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (Deut. 6:4-9)

These words were spoken first by Moses to the people of Israel as he was trying to prepare them for their new lives in the land God had promised to them. In that land, there would be all kinds of competing influences, and the Lord knew the importance of reinforcement of His ways in the midst of those influences. From these verses, we can still glean today – in a culture of competing influences – at least three principles for discipleship in the home:

1. The Principle of Responsibility

Though obvious, it still needs to be said that the first principle is that of responsibility. Moses was addressing parents and future parents, telling them what to do. To put it simply, the spiritual education and formation of our kids is our job as parents.

It’s our job. Not someone else’s. We cannot, as parents, outsource the discipleship of our kids, even to the church. That’s not to say the church doesn’t play a role here, and it’s not to say that the role of the church is important. Imperative even. It does mean, however, that we must first accept the spiritual responsibility of parenting before we do anything else.

2. The Principle of Repetition

There is a regularity to this passage. Everything that happens in this passage – sitting at home, walking on the road, laying down, getting up – these are all things that happen with regularity. So should it be with the way we approach discipleship in the home. There needs to be steady repetition and regularity with that discipleship.

That means we should establish, reinforce, and embrace spiritual routines in the home, and these can and should take a variety of forms. Reading the Bible and praying at breakfast, praying together before bedtime, a consistent conversation after worship on Sundays – these are all routines that we need to establish and then commit ourselves to, to the degree that when the rare occasion happens when we break the routine, our kids notice and call us out for it.

3. The Principle of Normalization

While there is a regularity to the passage that presses the need for consistent routines, there is also a normality to the passage. All of the activities mentioned are things that happen in the course of every day life. The vision, therefore, is one of normalization – that discipleship becomes the norm for how we do life in our homes.

It means there don’t have to be special, isolated occasions when we pray or talk about the Bible. These things should be part of our every day conversations – on the way to school, sitting around in the evenings, going on a walk – we talk about real things. And we apply the Bible to the real stuff of life. When we do that, we are helping normalize spiritual conversations and also building a way of thinking about all parts of life from the biblical standpoint.

These three principles – responsibility, repetition, and normalization – are the foundation for family discipleship. Once we choose to align ourselves with these, we can, as parents, steward the time and influence we have with our children for the sake of Jesus and His gospel.

----------

By Michael Kelley, Rooted Network Executive Director

Jesus in the Midst of the Church - The Church at Ephesus

The last two Mondays I have written about the book of Revelation.  I'm going to continue as I want to reveal some wonderful truths about the seven churches of Revelation as written about in chapters 2-3.

I want to take seven Mondays to share a truth about Jesus in each of the seven churches.  I want to give credit to Jack Hayford for planting the seed of this in 2001.  I will attempt to show you there is a unique part of the revelation of Jesus as seen in chapter one the angel takes to highlight to each church. And I believe what the angel is saying is had you known Jesus (the head of the church) in this way, your problem would not have existed.  And the answer to your problem is to know Jesus in this way.

Look at Revelation 2: 1-7 and the church at Ephesus.

Jesus is seen as holding and walking in the midst of the church.  This is a present activity.  Jesus is not dead or distant.  He holds meaning to have power over, to grasp, not with a partial grasp, but he has the whole in His hand.  He has complete control over the church.

He walks in the midst of the church.  Wherever the church is, there is Jesus.  He moves freely among His church without barriers or obstacles.  

The church was commended for some great things, but one thing was missing.  In verse 4, they had walked away from their first love.  Unthinkable.  Tragic.

They were still active as a church, just without love.  They were still serving, going, and doing, but in their own energy.  

So what are we to do?  Remember by going back to the place of departure, take personal responsibility for walking away, and start doing again what you once did.  Don't treat Jesus as an absent dignity that you have to please, but rather know Him intimately and closely - He is as close as the grip of your hand.  He walks among us, He knows us, He loves us....

If we don't, He says in verse 5 "He will remove the lampstand."  He will remove His presence from us.  He is the lamp, not us.  And the only reason we have a light to share with a dark world is Him burning through us.  Return to the intimacy with Christ.  That closeness with Him.  If so, He promises (verse 7) that there will be a day when we will be together forever enjoying His presence with no possibility of any distance between us.

The Gift of the Pastor/Teacher - Ephesians 4:7-16

The Pastor/Teacher is one of the four gifted persons God gave in light of the victorious campaign Jesus accomplished on earth in fulfilling the will of the Father. This is the traditional war language in Ephesians 4.  When a conquering king would return from battle with the spoils of victory from the enemy, his subjects would receive gifts in honor of the victory. 

Paul quotes Psalm 68:19 which is a psalm of victory composed by David himself celebrating with the Jewish people the conquest and return of the Ark of the Covenant back to Mount Zion. Paul now uses this Psalm to speak of Jesus when He returned back to Heaven after a successful conquest of Satan, hell, sin, and death.  There is in his triumphant march are those who were once captives to Satan and sin but now are free due to His successful campaign.

That is all of the saved, the elect (Ephesians 1:3-11), those washed in the blood.  We were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world, but our freedom was not possible until Jesus returned to Heaven as the triumphant King.

Then a second aspect of this triumphant (4:8) is "And gave gifts to men."  As previously mentioned, this was common in every parade of victory.  But each previous scene was just pointing to this ultimate scene when God would "give gifts to men" on behalf of His Son.

We know these gifts are the spiritual gifts given to all believers, but for Paul's argument here, he notes specifically four gifts unlike anything else mentioned elsewhere in Scripture and different in style.

All other spiritual gifts are abilities, here the gift is a person.  God gives four persons to the church.  These four are apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors/teachers.  

I will deal with these four next week, but for the moment note...these gifts are persons, not just talents or abilities residing within a person enabling them to do God's work in God's way with God's power.  No, these four are actually the people themselves.  Unique.

An apostle is a gift from God to the church.

A prophet is a gift from God to the church.

An evangelist is a gift from God to the church.

A pastor/teacher is a gift from God to the church.

So when someone gives us a gift, our response should be to open our hands to receive it and our mouth to say, "thank you."

Blessings;

David

6 Ways to Find (and Protect) the Time You Need to Read Books by Tony Reinke

Invest Time Carefully
I read a lot of books. My annual goal is to read seventy-five books, which may sound like a lot. And it is a lot, but not compared to some of my extraordinary friends. 

So how do I read seventy-five books each year? I don’t read a lot of books because I have a ton of free time. My calendar is full, my honey-do list is long, my three kids are hyper, and my boss is active (or is it the other way around?). And my running shoes are neglected, my weight bench is dusty, and my yard is overgrown. I live in the real world, just like you.

The short answer is that I find the time to read because I invest my time carefully. Sometimes I read over my morning plate of scrambled eggs; sometimes I read over my lunchtime can of tuna salad; and sometimes I read over my cup of evening tea. I read at the DMV when I renew my driver’s license. I read in airports and in jets as I travel for work. I read when I’m waiting on my barber. I read books to my kids. Sometimes I read when the kids are climbing all over my back on the living room floor. And on my day off, I retreat for a couple hours to read at a local coffee shop. All of this “found time,” added up, equals books read.

Words Per Minute

But just how much time do we need to read books? Since I took the same college algebra class three times, I can run a few mathematical equations for you.

First, most people can find sixty minutes each day to read. It sounds like a lot, but it really isn’t: fifteen minutes in the morning, fifteen minutes at lunchtime, and another thirty minutes in the evening. No problem. At this pace, you can devote seven hours to reading each week (or 420 minutes).

The average reader moves through a book at a pace of about 250 words per minute. So 420 minutes of reading per week translates into 105,000 words per week. Assuming that you can read for one hour each day, and that you read at around 250 words per minute, you can complete more than one book per week, or about seventy books per year.

Some weeks will provide more, or less, time for reading. But by carving little pockets of time throughout your week and by using your time well, it is not impossible to read a hefty stack of books each year.
So how to find those pockets of reading time in the first place? Here are some tips that have helped me.

1. Expect War
When we set out to read important books, we can expect opposition from our hearts. Reading is a discipline, and all disciplines require self-discipline, and self-discipline is the one thing our sinful flesh will resist.

Our spirit may be eager to read a book, but our flesh is weak. Our flesh would rather self-indulge on passive entertainment. Movies and television can be wonderful gifts from God if we use them wisely, but unchecked they will hijack our schedules and rob us of our reading time. Book reading is not just a matter of time management; it’s a matter of warfare. Wherever sinful self-indulgence dominates our free time, we can be certain that personal idols are at work in our flesh, seeking to divide and conquer the soul (1 Pet. 2:11).
Idols of entertainment and pleasure make the discipline of book reading a battle with our flesh. We’d rather avoid discipline and be occupied with easier tasks like e-mail, Internet browsing, and movies. We neglect books because our hearts reject the discipline required to read them. And that is a spiritual problem, a lack of personal discipline, not a lack of time. 

And until we apply the sin-freeing gospel to our own hearts—and the idols therein—we may never cultivate the self-discipline required to read books. Our flesh wars within us. If we don’t kill the idols of laziness and self-indulgence, these idols will kill our literacy.
So expect a fight from your flesh.

2. Make Time, Not Excuses

In 1964 Robert Lee calculated the leisure time available to Americans. In his research he compared the leisure time available to modern Americans to the leisure time available to an average American worker in the mid-1800s. What did Lee discover?

It is a striking fact to note that the working man of a century ago spent some seventy hours per week on the job and lived about forty years. Today he spends some forty hours per week at work and can expect to live about seventy years. This adds something like twenty-two more years of leisure to his life, about 1,500 free hours each year, and a total of some 33,000 additional free hours that the man born today has to enjoy!¹
That is a stunning amount of free time! So why is this leisure time so elusive when it comes to finding the time we need to read books?

For many of us, reading is more a lack of of desire than of a lack of free time. C. S. Lewis wrote, “The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable. Favorable conditions never come.”² The same is true of reading. Favorable conditions for reading books never come.
There are always interruptions and other things to do. We can all find excuses for why we cannot read: we’re too busy, we’re too tired, we’re too burned out from the day, we’re too                     (you fill in the blank). But we all find time to do what we “want” to do. The problem is not that we don’t have time to read, but that we don’t have the desire to read. So learn to love reading—because it’s easier to find time to do what you love to do.

3. Read Great Books

How do we cultivate that love? Start by researching and finding the very best books available. Ask your friends for recommendations. Great books can be found in every genre, from novels that grab your heart with the twists and turns of a brilliant plot, or history books that open your imagination to experience decisive moments in the world, or Christian living books that bring clarity to your soul and focus to your life. Nothing cultivates a love of reading more than a steady diet of great books.

I think the only books that should be burned—or at least banned— are mediocre ones. Find books that grab you. Read the books that make you lose sleep at night. Perhaps that’s a book that you have already read. Reread it.

Aim to become a reader who sits down late in the evening after a long day and grabs for a book to relax. This is a reader who loves to read! You may not be there yet, reading may be a chore, and television and movies and browsing the Internet might hold more sway over your leisure time. Press on. Keep searching for great books.

4. Set Reading Priorities

Our reading may not be disciplined, efficient, or fruitful until we read with purpose. Before you begin reading a book, determine why you are reading it.
We will often neglect what we don’t prioritize. And book reading is often neglected because it fails to be a priority; and it fails to be a priority because we have not defined our reading goals clearly. Once we define the purpose of our reading, it becomes much easier to see the practical value of books in our lives.
Factor everything you want to read and need to read—even factor in your fun reading. Then choose books that align with those priorities.

5. Stop Something

But for all the extra leisure time available, we each have a limited number of days in our lives (Psalm 90). The brevity of life requires that we limit our priorities. Are you still waiting for the time to read? You may need to stop doing something else. Novelist Alan Bissett understands this. He wrote,

The reader is under assault from hundreds of television channels, 3D cinema, a computer-gaming business so large it dwarfs Hollywood, iPhones, Wii, YouTube, free commuter newspapers, an engorged celebrity culture, instant access to all the music ever recorded, 24-hour sports news, and DVD box-sets of shows such as The Wire, Mad Men and Lost that replicate some of the scope and depth of literature. Unprecedented levels of consumer debt, and now a recession, have seen everyone working longer hours. A leisure time that was already precious has been chewed into by text-messaging, Facebook and emails. Almost everyone I speak to claims that they “love books but just can’t find the time to read.” Well, they probably could—they’re just choosing to spend it differently.³

What competes for your reading time? What is less important than your reading? Nothing squanders time away more than pursuing things without a purpose. And given that the average American adult (18–34) invests only 10 minutes each day reading, yet watches 116 minutes of television, I think many of us have time that we can spend differently.⁴
So what in your life needs to stop happening so that reading can start happening?

6. Read Three Books at a Time

Having trouble finding reading time? It may be that you need to read more books. Seriously. A curious thing happened in my own life. I discovered that when I began reading three books at a time, I found more time to read. Why? It’s pretty simple, actually. I found that different times in my day allowed me to read different types of books.

I enjoy reading historical novels, but I don’t read a historical novel right after I roll out of bed in the morning. I enjoy reading theology, but I rarely read theology at night before I go to bed. I enjoy reading long epics like Lord of the Rings, but I can’t get into an epic novel while traveling.

Different genres are suited for different times, and having three books from different genres gives me greater flexibility in capturing fragments of time throughout the day. On the other hand, reading only one book makes it harder to find time to read, because it restricts the number of contexts.

The Point

The point is that we can find the time necessary to read books. But this requires thought on a number of related topics.

• Expect resistance from your heart.

• Make time to read, not excuses for why you don’t read. We all have good excuses.

• Cultivate a hunger for books by reading (and rereading) great books.

• Set your reading priorities, and let them drive your book selections.

• Stop doing something else in order to make time to read.

• Try reading three (or more) books at a time and take advantage of your environments.

You don’t need to be a professional book reviewer to read a lot of books. And you don’t need to be brilliant either. But you do need to be purposeful and consistent. And if you can discipline yourself, you will find the time you need to read.
Notes:

1. Robert Lee, Religion and Leisure in America: A Study in Four Dimensions (Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1964), 37.

1. C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory (San Francisco: HarperOne, 2001), 60.

1. Alan Bissett, “Who Stole Our Reading Time?” Books Blog, The Guardian, February, 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2010/feb/02 /who-stole-reading-time.

1. National Endowment for the Arts, To Read or Not to Read: A Question of National Consequence, no. 47, November 2007, http://www.nea.gov/news /news07/TRNR.html.

This article is adapted from Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books by Tony Reinke.