The Journey

A Journey to the Better End

This past week I attend the Frontiersmen Camping Fellowship (FCF) National Rendezvous in Eagle Rock, Missouri.  It was a wonderful time of spiritual refreshment, getting reacquainted with friends, and refining the vision for our church.  FCF uses the motif of the Fur Trading Era in America (pre 1840's) to focus on personal discipleship, missions, and spiritual mentoring. 

During this week, I was reading a book about a Frontiersman by the name of Jedidiah Smith--a man of impeccable character who faced insurmountable odds to discover the West.  Although most of his contemporaries lived less that godly lives, Jed was committed to serving God and living out his faith in everything he did.  He possessed the courage to face problems and to fulfill his God-given purpose. 

We need that kind of character and courage today!

As I put the final touches on my message for Sunday morning, I think of all the challenges people are facing just in our church alone.  Marriages, family, jobs, finances, direction, health--you name it, people are going through some very difficult issues.  As I prepare for tomorrow, my prayer is that God will reveal the importance of seeking Him.  It's like a journey--there are a lot of "unknowns"--a lot of things to be afraid of.  But, as a follower of Christ, we are called to make this journey--and make it to the Better end.  Maybe you are one of those people that are going through a difficult time.  Don't give up!  God's Word gives us the ingredients to be over-comers.  God has a Word for you!  Hope to see to Sunday.

Off to FCF

Right after Sunday morning service, an Frontiersmen Camping Fellowship contingent left for Eagle Rock, Missouri, to participate in the National Rendezvous that happens only once every four years.  This will be a great time of fellowship, encouragement, and developing a strong vision for FCF and Royal Rangers.  I have been in FCF since 1998, and enjoy the friendship and passion for ministry that many participants embrace.

Fishing

Last Monday, Paul Serb (Royal Ranger Senior Commander at my church) took me out fishing.  I had a blast.  I caught only two (a large mouth and a small mouth bass), but it was fun. 

The War on Faith

The war on faith continues--and reveals itself as a overt hatred for God and those that follow God.  According to an article in the Times of London, dated July 8, 2008, a discovery of a tablet in the Dead Sea (and its interpretation) calls into question the validity of the death and resurrection of Christ (see article: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4295804.ece)

I desire good scholarship and good investigations on the claims of Christ and the Bible.  I continue to be convinced that the historical record underscores the truth of God's Word, especially as it relates the the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  However, I think those that are unbelievers do a disservice to their cause when they use obviously poor or deceptive practices on archaeological and historical discoveries.  Even in the Times of London's article, it is obvious that the aim is to discredit Christianity rather than to discover the truth.

Instead of discouraging my beliefs, these militant atheist continue to strengthen my faith in the truth of God's Word.  Their attacks reveal something more sinister at work--they are in open rebellion to the obvious truth (see Romans 1:18 and following).  So, in the end, I welcome the investigation--what I want is honest work--not shady, deceptive practices that reveal dishonesty and hatred.

Faith and Politics

Multi-cultural-ism, pluralism, diversity--in general, words that describe our country.  From its' very inception, to the present, we are a people of differing races, creeds, religions, and viewpoints.  This year, for the first time in our history, a major political party has selected as its presidential candidate an African-American.  On one hand, I am thrilled that the American dream is becoming more and more accessible to everyone.  But, there is something deep beneath the surface of the American culture that concerns me.

With the emphasis of "getting along" and "accepting" one another, there is, in our culture, a trend to discourage open freedom of religion and speech--especially religion and speech that is held by those who believe in salvation through Christ alone and the relevancy of God's written Word.  Political statements in this year's presidential race reveals a growing popular demand to quiet those who believe in Christ and practice their faith openly. 

I am careful with politics.  I pastor a church made up of people from many differing political parties.  My ministry emphasizes the proclamation of God's Word rather than proclaiming political ideology.  However, God's Word is clear--there is morality from God's point of view.  And, regardless of the current emphasis that the church should be quiet, we need people today to rise up and proclaim the truth--even when it is unpopular to do so.

If we as a nation reject God, God will reject us and remove His grace and mercy that has sustained us as a country for 232 years.

What do you think?

The Spirit's Fire - Part One

Next Sunday, God willing, I will be preaching on a message about the Spirit's Fire--more specifically, the admonishment from the Apostle Paul that we are not to put out the Spirit's Fire in our lives.  My initial thought about what Paul wrote centers on passion for the cause of Christ.  It is easy to allow the stressing and stuff of life to dampen our enthusiasm for Jesus.  Prayer and Bible study seems to be crowded out of our busy lives.  What should happen--what should we do?

What do you think?

Tornado

Last week I ask someone in church if Manhattan every got tornadoes.  I must admit I am a bit of a chicken when it come to bad weather.  I have been in earthquakes before, but, weather gets my heart racing.  Well, that person said (and I am not kidding) that Manhattan never gets tornadoes.  Last night the "never" happened.  A tornado struck about two miles south of where I live (and where the church is located).  My family and I were huddled under the stair well in the basement until the all clear.  I had a little radio keeping us updated.  Manhattan was hit pretty good.  Although I haven't heard of anyone in the church loosing property or suffering an injury, the church did have their storage unit destroyed (at least we think it was).  I thank God everyone in the church is ok. 

Royal Rangers and MPact Girls

Tonight was promotion night for the Royal Rangers and MPact Girls (formerly Missionettes).  I was invited by Commander Paul Serb to open the evening's event with prayer.  As I saw the boys and girls receive awards and promotions, I was so proud of their efforts and the hard work of our sponsors and commanders.  At First Assembly of God we are truly blessed to have these ministries--teaching boys to become men and girls to become women.  As we face a culture that is down-right dangerous to children, I think God we have resisted the temptation to do away with these effective programs.  I congratulate all our children, their parents and the workers that have given so much.

The True Meaning of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is more about the beginning of summer or the playing of the Indi 500, rather that the remember our military men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country.  So I thought that a review of the origins of Memorial Day is in order (from Wikipedia.com):

Following the end of the Civil War, many communities set aside a day to mark the end of the war or as a memorial to those who had died. Some of the places creating an early memorial day include Charleston, South Carolina; Boalsburg, Pennsylvania; Richmond, Virginia; Carbondale, Illinois; and Columbus, Mississippi, among others. These observances eventually coalesced around Decoration Day, honoring the Union dead, and the several Confederate Memorial Days.
According to Professor David Blight of the Yale University History Department, the first memorial day was observed in 1865 by liberated slaves at the historic race track in Charleston. The site was a former Confederate prison camp as well as a mass grave for Union soldiers who had died while captive. A parade with thousands of freed blacks and Union soldiers was followed by patriotic singing and a picnic.
The official birthplace of Memorial Day is Waterloo, New York. The village was credited with being the birthplace because it observed the day on May 5, 1866, and each year thereafter, and because it is likely that the friendship of General John Murray, a distinguished citizen of Waterloo, and General John A. Logan, who led the call for the day to be observed each year and helped spread the event nationwide, was a key factor in its growth.
General Logan had been impressed by the way the South honored their dead with a special day and decided the Union needed a similar day. Reportedly, Logan said that it was most fitting; that the ancients, especially the Greeks, had honored their dead, particularly their heroes, by chaplets of laurel and flowers, and that he intended to issue an order designating a day for decorating the grave of every soldier in the land, and if he could he would have made it a holiday.
Logan had been the principal speaker in a citywide memorial observation on April 29, 1866, at a cemetery in Carbondale, Illinois, an event that likely gave him the idea to make it a national holiday. On May 5, 1868, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, a veterans' organization, Logan issued a proclamation that "Decoration Day" be observed nationwide. It was observed for the first time on May 30 of the same year; the date was chosen because it was not the anniversary of a battle. The tombs of fallen Union soldiers were decorated in remembrance of this day.
Many of the states of the U.S. South refused to celebrate Decoration Day, due to lingering hostility towards the Union Army and also because there were very few veterans of the Union Army who lived in the South. A notable exception was Columbus, Mississippi, which on April 25, 1866 at its Decoration Day commemorated both the Union and Confederate casualties buried in its cemetery.

Faith Promise

Tomorrow will be an important day for the church.  Tomorrow we will make our Faith Promise.  A Faith Promise is a prayerful commitment to support the Great Commission (Missions) with our finances.  Angela and I are in prayer as to what God wants us to do.  The way I see it is that God wants to work through me in supporting our missionaries.  I give what God wants me to give, knowing that God will supply for the sacrifice.  A Faith Promise is above and beyond my tithe.  The tithe belongs to God already.  The Faith Promise is allowing God to give through me in support of reaching our world with the Gospel Message.

My hope is that everyone in our church makes the sacrifice to reach the lost.  The most difficult issue I face as pastor of First Assembly of God is that there are missionaries that call me for support, and I have to tell them that we can't do it right now.  My prayer is that we be able to meet the need of our missionaries and be able to say "yes" to those ready to go on the mission field.

What do you think?