R & R

A Source of Endurance & Encouragement in Fearful Times

2011-08-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

A week like this (8/7-12/11) may make you wonder what the world is coming to. The horrible drop in the stock market caused many to become anxious and fearful. Various economic doomsday scenarios have been forecast for the United States as a result.

Then there were the riots in England that fostered a sense of instability even in many Americans. It is one thing to see riots and revolt in North Africa or the Middle East, but when it happens in a place like England you begin to wonder if it couldn’t also happen in your country.

Further, there was the saddening loss of those 30 soldiers in Afghanistan. This was the largest single loss of life there by our forces and for those who appreciate these life-risking soldiers it was a grievous blow. Additionally, various sources are informing us about the aggressive and continual advances of Islam on the world stage. Many are finding this to be new, alarming information.

Then there are friends and loved ones around us who are being given a bleak prognosis. Currently, in our church family we have multiple people with cancer; in some cases it is inoperable and terminal. Other church members are dealing with life-altering conditions. Since we love these people we do not want to part with them, we fell anguish over their physical suffering and we enter into the emotions they are experiencing with them.

All of these experiences can be overwhelming! Yet amidst all of this the Lord has directed me to a verse that has ministered to me. Romans 15:4 states:
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us,
so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

This verse reminds me that when life gets tough or I feel fearful that there remains a God-given resource that can produce endurance, courage, and hope within me. For that is what His Holy Scriptures can do within me. God made sure the Scriptures were written long ago so I, and other believers, could be taught. Everything in the Scriptures is in there to teach me. There is none wasted or without teaching value.

And what does it teach me? What is the purpose of its instruction? It is so that I would have hope. As I learn from the Scriptures they produce endurance within me for the hard and oppressive circumstances of life. They put courage within me when I might become fearful, anxious or weary. This God-imparted encouragement and endurance then fill me with hope as I look to the future. I don’t have to bolt the doors and crawl under my bed! Instead, I can drink in the truth of Scripture and have my faith and hope revitalized.

So, my friends, when you feel overwhelmed and fearful I urge you to spend some time in the Scriptures. Read, listen, study, meditate on, and memorize the precious words of God.For through them God can fill you with endurance and encouragement so your hope in Him remains fixed and sure no matter what is happening in the world around you.

Living in & living out His Scriptures!

Pastor Scott

GRATEFUL FOR GODLY LEADERSHIP

2011-07-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (7/28/11) I had my first opportunity to meet with and hear Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. Sheriff Judd was speaking to pastors in our area at a local gathering. I came away impressed with the commitments and viewpoints of this man. He was obviously committed to securing safety and justice for all the citizens of Polk County. He seemed to be sincerely committed to following the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Christian Scriptures in his personal life. Sheriff Judd also impressed me because he knew that the solution to the problem of crime and societal sins go beyond what the government can offer. They are ordained by God to be a part of to solution (Romans 13:1-7), but as Sheriff Judd noted so are churches. I came away grateful for such apparent godly leadership in our Sheriff’s Office during these challenging times.

Yet as I reflected upon this meeting I was reminded of other godly leaders in our Police and Fire Rescue Departments at the county and city levels. Earlier this summer our church had the privilege of hosting a service and luncheon for new Lake Wales Police Chief Chris Velasquez. The service including words of tribute and challenge and then the new chief was sworn in. I had heard from some officers that they appreciated the character and work of Chief Velasquez as he worked his way up the ranks. They were hopeful about the direction of the police force on his respectable leadership. As I have come to know more about Chief Velasquez I understand he also shares a faith commitment to Christ. For his new leadership in Lake Wales we should be grateful.

Then, of course, there are the dear brothers in our church who offer leadership at the highest levels of Fire Rescue in our city and county. Jerry Brown is our Lake Wales Fire Chief and David Cash is the Chief of Fire Rescue for Polk County. Both are godly laymen who actively serve in our church. David has a reputation at the county level for quiet efficiency and selfless leadership. Another county official told me of how David inspires confidence of those under his leadership by his calm demeanor, clear thinking, and attention to detail. They told of how he’s been seen on days off sprucing up flower beds at a county fire station with other volunteers. Now that is servant leadership.

Lake Wales Fire Rescue Chief Brown also has a sterling reputation for his character and leadership. Jerry gladly tells of how he reluctantly ended up as fire chief in Lake Wales. He did not want the position, yet the Lord overruled Jerry years ago and thrust him into his position. As Chief he has earned the respect of his personnel and other city officials by being approachable, wise, and thorough. Perhaps you saw the article in the Lake Wales News this summer that told of a leadership group that Jerry convened. Jerry coordinated with Chief Velasquez to take all their upper leadership through a book on leadership written by Pastor Andy Stanley. Jerry had become familiar with that resource through some mentoring breakfast meetings we had with some of the young men of First Baptist Church. Jerry became convinced by the Spirit of God that the book could inspire the leaders of these departments to better leadership. So after much prayer Jerry shared his plan with the others and all bought into it. They all read and discussed the leadership concepts and supporting Biblical material over five meetings. Of course, seeing such leadership was great source of encouragement to me. For while many of you may have seen Jerry lead in our church as a deacon, you may not know how he also seeks to live out his faith in the workplace. I am so honored that Chief Brown and Chief Cash call First Baptist their church home and that it is evident to those who work around them that their faith in Jesus is real.

So I am filled with gratitude for the leadership God has put in these positions at our city and county levels. We are uniquely blessed! As a small way of recognized the blessing these men and all those that serve beside them in their forces are to our community we will be having a special service at First Baptist Church to acknowledge them on September 11, 2011. Yes, that day also marks the 10 year anniversary of the heroic efforts Fire Rescue, Police officers, and ordinary citizens made in response to the terrorist attacks of that day. We will be calling that day–A Day To Remember. We’ve invited leadership and all personnel from these four forces mentioned to be with us at FBC for that 10:30 AM Worship Service. We will honor them and pray for them. Some of them may address our congregation. Through it all we will express gratitude to God for these public servants who risk their lives for our safety day after day. Plan now to join us that day and invite and police of fire rescue personnel you know of to be our honored guest that day. Of course, you don’t need to wait until then to be grateful to God for them and for the godly leadership He’s uniquely place within their ranks in our community.

Grateful for ALL God’s blessings!

Pastor Scott

ANT OR SLUG?

2011-07-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise.” Proverbs 6:6

I have always loved this verse. I think it is a great one to quote your teenage children when they prefer to stay in an air-conditioned house playing or reading when there is yard-work to be done. Hey, it is a great verse to quote to myself when I feel unmotivated to do that yard-work. However, it is probably not a good one to quote your spouse to stir them toward yard-work or house-work!

The verse is addressed to a sluggard, which is a word to describe a habitually lazy person. Webster’s dictionary would offer as synonyms words like deadbeat, idler, loafer, slouch, lazybones, couch potato, or slug. You get the picture don’t you?

Now that last synonym is interesting because most often a slug refers to long worm-like creature closely related to a snail, without the evident shell. Slugs are technically gastropods and are found in most parts of the world where there is a reasonable supply of moisture. They are certainly slow-moving creatures.

Now I am not entirely sure which term developed first, the sluggard or the slug, but you can see how the terms are closely related. My hunch is the term sluggard was developed after the word slug in order to refer to humans who were slow-moving. These were people who seemed to move nowhere and do nothing. Obviously, it was not a kind comparison.

In contrast to the sluggard, or slug, we find Proverbs 6 offer up the ant as an example of hard-working industriousness. Now some would likely consider the comparison of a human to an ant to also be insulting. After all, ants are so small, they serve as food for other insects, and their lives seem meaningless as they are so easily trampled underfoot.

However, through Proverbs 6:6-11 God wisely reminds us of the great example of hard work ants really are. The verses tell of how the ant plans ahead by storing up food. Ants are also notable for their strength, with an individual ant carrying from up to 5 to 25 times its bodyweight depending on the species. Of course, there are many other amazing attributes ants have that are worth imitating, such as their cooperative efforts. These ways of the ant are worthy of consideration for sluggards and all of us. It is even suggested to the sluggard that wisdom could be the result of considering the hard-working ways of the ant. So in the end it seems that being compared to an ant may not be so bad after all. It certainly would beat being called a slug or a sluggard.

This coming Wednesday, July 20, you can come to First Baptist at 6:00 p.m. and hear some of our high school students share about the mission trip they recently went on to Pawley’s Island, South Carolina. The one thing I have heard the adults who went on that trip say was how hard our students worked. They will share with you on Wednesday all the physical labor they did, how they led a Vacation Bible School there for 40-some children they loved on, and how they cooked all their own meals. Pastor Matt, Pastor Charles, and Cindy Polston have raved on how this was the most unified, well-behaved, loving, and hard-working team of students they have ever seen. Cindy said they even worked through their break times to get projects done, pausing only to get some fluids in them. Clearly, this team was made up of ants, not slugs!

So come on out this Wednesday as some of them and a couple who went to Brazil all share about what God in their lives as they served the Lord with all their might. I think you will be encouraged to hear of the faith and character of these students. Perhaps as we consider their ways all present will be inspired to work like ants for the kingdom of God!

Working toward wisdom!

Pastor Scott

VALUING TRUTH & CHILDREN

2011-07-07T12:10:00.000-07:00

It has been somewhat surprising for me to see how upset and outraged people have been at the Casey Anthony verdict. It surprises me not because I believe that the reaction of the American public is inappropriate. Rather, it surprisingly encourages me because this reaction shows that the American public still seems to value the truth and children.

Before you chastise be for becoming cynical about the state of our nation consider this. First, we have had recent scandals at two of our nation’s premier universities, the University of Southern California and The Ohio State University. Central to these disturbing scandals is that they involved lying and deceit by football players, reputable coaches, school officials, and others. Second, there has been a variety of business scandals involving deception and fraud, as in the case with Bernie Madoff. Current labor disputes in various industries include posturing and misrepresentation designed to dictate the impressions of the public. Third, perjury, in courts of law, is becoming commonplace. There is an increasing back-log of perjury cases that threaten to clog up the legal system. Then in the backdrop there is the deceit involved in political campaigns, the steroid scandal in sports, or even within the religious realm. While preparing for my message this week I have been reading about a lecture given by Dr. James Stewart this spring entitled The Epidemic of Lying in America: From Martha Stewart to Bernie Madoff. Dr. Stewart, who is a Pulitzer Prize winner and professor of Journalism at Columbia University, paints a bleak picture of truth-telling in America.

For this reason I was actually heartened by the American public’s reaction to the Casey Anthony verdict. People were upset because they felt the TRUTH did not come out. They felt all the evidence pointed toward a guilty verdict, though the jury did not find it to do so beyond a reasonable doubt. They were upset with the prosecution and with the judicial process because they felt the truth did not win out in this case. Of course, I think they were most upset because this mother got away with lying and the murder of her own precious child.

Perhaps I am misreading the reaction, but mixed in there I hope I also see compassion toward the victim in this case—two year-old Caylee Anthony. It seems many feel her life was unjustly and violently taken from her by the one who should be caring for her most dearly. It seems this violent perversion of the maternal role is offensive to even the hard-hearted. Yes, Americans still value children. We believe they should be loved and cared for by their parents. Their lives are precious and inviolable. Thus, the murder of a child seems to be as heinous a crime as there is. So though this case that has not had any redeeming features to it at all, I can at least take something positive from America’s reaction to the verdict.

This Sunday I will share from Matthew 5 about Broken Vows and Truthfulness. During this message you will hear how Jesus was emphasizing how much he valued truth. Also on Monday we begin our 2011 Vacation Bible School. VBS is one way we, as a church, show we love and value children. It is also a way some children come to know Jesus by faith nearly every year. Our workers have been going all out preparing the lessons and learning environments for this week the children of our community enjoy so much. If you are serving in it I want to say how I appreciate your labor and that of our directors, Jennifer Simpson and Missy Boyte. If you are not serving, I invite you to pray for VBS every day this week. Further, I hope you will join us on Thursday (no regular Wednesday activities!) for the VBS Musical at 6 pm in our Worship Center. Let’s continue to value the children we do have in our church and community by offering them a wonderful VBS this year!

Striving to value what the Lord values!
Pastor Scott

P.S. June was a very difficult month for our church financially. We barely were able to “make our payroll” and are now behind in some of our financial commitments. We know our seasonal guests are gone and also many of our year-round members vacationed. May I please urge you to continue to give to the Lord your tithes and offerings, as able, even when vacationing this summer. If God has especially blessed you in the financial realm would you prayerfully consider a special gift in July so we can not make our budget and bills in July and possibly even catch-up for what happened in June. If you are unable to give additionally, please pray fervently that God provides for the church during these lean summer months.

FREELY OPEN DOORS

2011-07-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

Brazil, like America, is a land of many freedoms. This thought came to me as I returned from Brazil earlier this week as we approached Independence Day in the USA. We had total freedom to proclaim Christ in Casa Branca, Brazil. There was no fear of police, governmental authorities, spies, or of members of a certain political party, as I have experienced elsewhere in the world. We could freely come and go into homes of people who gladly welcomed us in to share the good news of Jesus Christ. We were able to gather together dozens of youth after one of our sports clinics and openly speak of salvation through Jesus Christ to them. During each half-time of a youth soccer tournament we co-sponsored with a government entity we were invited to share personal testimonies about our faith in Christ. Coaches gathered both teams to listen attentively. Additionally, the mission team members from our church were able to spontaneously engage in evangelistic conversations with Brazilians who were standing alongside the soccer field during the tournament. We found these parents, relatives, friends, and players willing and eager to direct their attention away from the soccer and onto the good news of Jesus, which we presented through a booklet proven to be effective in Brazil.

While in America we share the same legal freedom to proclaim the gospel as we had in Brazil, our mission team commented that evening that very rarely would anyone ever exercise that freedom. We discussed how you could never do what we did among the crowd at the soccer tournament. Factors inhibiting that free expression included our fears and the expectation of indifference or even irritation at what would be perceived as an intrusive interruption. So ironically, while we are as legally free to talk about Jesus here in America as we are in Brazil we find ourselves not sharing as freely of Christ as we could be. I guess partly because people also feel free to tell us to “get lost” or “I’m not interested in hearing that” or “I already know that stuff, so please….” But is that response by some an adequate reason to forfeit our freedom to speak about the difference Christ makes in our lives?

I wonder if we cannot find more culturally appropriate ways to share the gospel here in America with greater freedom than we do currently. I wonder if we could not sponsor a soccer tournament here in Lake Wales where we could then freely share personal testimonies at half-time. I wonder if parents and children in our community might not come out for a free sports clinic where coaches could share of their faith in Jesus. Maybe Americans would not respond with immediate faith in Christ as so many Brazilians do. Maybe Americans won’t invite us into their homes to spend 30 minutes talking about gospel of Jesus Christ. But, maybe there are unexplored avenues of gospel-sowing and sharing than we are not freely pursuing. Maybe we have more freedoms than we walk in by faith.
This 4th of July weekend let us thank God for the freedoms we continue to enjoy in America, and as believers for the freedom that is ours in Christ. This will be a featured theme in our worship at FBCLW this Sunday. But also, let us also prayerfully think about, discuss and act upon ways we may better utilize the freedom we have in our town and nation to share the good news of Jesus.

In Colossians 4:3 Paul asked the believers in Collosae to pray for him. He wrote: “…Pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison….” Ironically, none of us are in prison. We are free men and women! So in a very real sense the doors are open for us to share the Word. We have what Paul prayed for! Therefore, may we freely walk through each open door in Brazil, America, and wherever the Lord sets our feet.

Glad to be wholly free!
Pastor Scott

SPORTS AS A GLOBAL BRIDGE TO THE GOSPEL

2011-06-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

A mission team of ten will leave from Lake Wales, Florida tomorrow, June 17, for the city of Casa Branca, Brazil. This team from First Baptist will lead home Bible studies, do evangelistic home visits by appointment, and conduct multiple sports clinics. The first two activities sound like what mission teams would be expected to do. It is what teams from our church have done there before. But some are wondering why we are now doing sports clinics.

The answer is the sports clinics are an intersection of the vision of the church in Casa Branca for reaching youth and the interests and abilities of the 2011 FBCLW team members. Now that this fledgling mission church is starting to grow they are looking around to their community seeking to know from the Lord how they might meet the needs of the residents of their town. One whole population group they see teeming with potential and yet aimlessly drifting are the youth of Casa Branca. They know these teenagers are the future of their town, yet so many lack purpose and meaning in their lives. It seems this group is primed to hear the good news of Jesus which provides one with an overarching purpose to life. Yet how do you gain a hearing for the gospel with young people? Most are not at all interested in going to church which they see as boring or irrelevant. The answer in many places around the world is sports.

By the Providence of God the team He has assembled to go to Casa Branca has a number of notable athletes and coaches on it. Jim Taubert played football at Michigan State and has coached at the high school and pro levels. Jake Pavy is a new assistant football coach at Lake Wales High School. Jeff Sikes was a collegiate baseball player and is currently a successful veteran baseball coach at Warner University. David Russell won a national championship in volleyball while playing for UCLA not so long ago and has coached the sport. All four of these men are capable teachers of their respective sports and each has a passion for Jesus Christ their Lord. Additionally, the other six members of our mission team (Lynn Hooten, Hayden Hooten, Layne Lightsey, Cassie Pavy, Matt Smith and me) are eager to assist these four and to share what a difference Jesus has made in their lives.
Interestingly, as we began speaking with our Brazilian partners it became evident God was directing us toward a sports emphasis with this 2011 Brazil Team. As Pastor Jose of Casa Branca began to dialogue with government and school officials in his town he saw God open door after door. They were eager to support the clinics Jose was proposing. They have helped with fields, equipment, publicity, and will even let the team use a van free of charge while there. With the city promoting our clinics hundreds of youth have signed up for clinics that will teach American football, volleyball, and baseball. Additionally, our team and the church will “host” a soccer tournament. So now Pastor Jose and the fledgling Baptist church he leads have become known to all the city officials, including the mayor who our team is to meet with. The knowledge of the presence of this little congregation has been spread all over town. Truly, God has orchestrated something beyond what any of us could have envisioned.
Of course, while there are many values to athletics, as Christ-followers we see one of them being that sports can be a bridge to sharing the gospel. Like the Apostle Paul we want to adapt to the values and culture of those we are trying to reach with the good news (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). Sports will enable us to gain a hearing for the gospel among the sports-oriented youth. During each clinic there will be a significant portion of time set aside to share the gospel and for testimonies to be shared. Each of these coaches will have instant credibility among these Brazilian youth who love Americans and sports. I imagine they will listen to them more carefully than they would Pastor Jose or me. During the half-time of every soccer game that is a part of the tournament a testimony will be given. Registration cards will be filled out by every player with the opportunity for them to indicate interest in knowing Jesus. Our Brazilian partners have ordered 5000 copies of a booklet they have found to communicate the gospel well in that culture. These booklets will be share during the clinics and given to each soccer player. All of this is with the full knowledge and support of the government officials. Friends, can you imagine this? While in the past we have had the chance to share with a few hundred people on trips to Brazil this time we could be sharing with a few thousand people—many young people; many because of the bridge of sports.

Sure, sports can become a god. I see how people in our own culture give more time, energy and devotion to sports than they do to Jesus Christ and his church. I see them prioritize their lives around sports as participants or fans. Indeed, in some ways sports is a barrier to the gospel. Yet, also I have seen in China and South Africa sports used as a cross-cultural bridge to the gospel as I assisted with basketball clinics among youth in both of those nations. Now, once more, I am eager to see how God might use four other sports as a global bridge for the gospel—and all on one trip (June 17-27). Oh my Father God, I am so eager to go see the out-working what you have divinely arranged to reach the youth and the total city of Casa Branca with the message of life found in Jesus Christ!
On Mission with Christ!

Scott

Angry Heart Journaling

2011-06-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out. Proverbs 20:5

Do you understand your own heart–the desires, longings and idols that may reside there? Do you understand what is stirring in there that causes you to get angry? This Sunday as I speak about anger I will suggest the practice of “Anger Journaling” or “Heart Journaling.” Actually, both of these forms of journaling are very similar. They are written of in Lou Priolo’s book The Heart of Anger. While the book is particularly written to help prevent and cure anger within children I have found much of the counsel within the book applies to adults as well. The advice to journal is one such example. Journaling enables a person to understand those things that trigger their anger, as well as gain insight to the “deep waters” of their own heart.

Priolo sets before the reader four basic questions in the “Heart Journal”. They are:
1. What happened that provoked me to anger? (What are the circumstances that led to my becoming angry?)
2. What did I say to myself (in my heart) when I became angry? (What did I want, desire or long for when I became angry?)
3. What does the Bible say about what I said to myself when I became angry? (What does the Bible say about what I wanted?)
4. What should I have said to myself when I became angry? (What should I have wanted more than my own selfish and idolatrous desire?)

Yes, it takes courage to ask those hard questions if you are a person who struggles with anger. Oh, and please understand when I speak of anger I do not merely mean explosive anger. The Bible speaks of the brooding, smoldering internal anger as well as the explosive, external anger. The freezing-out anger is not more healthy or honorable than the shouting-out anger. Followers of Jesus are told to rid themselves of both of these forms of anger (Ephesians 4:31; Colossians 3:7).

However, ridding your life of anger is not easy, particularly if you’re developed life-long patterns of expressing anger. It takes the courage to look within your heart. It may require the discipline to journal like Priolo suggests. Above all, it takes continually yielding to the power of the Holy Spirit in all of this. This is why I think it is so difficult for a person who does not have the indwelling Christ to overcome anger. Yet, Jesus came to transform our lives from the inside out. He came to change our hearts so we can think, desire, speak, and act like those who belong to Him. And at the moment of salvation Jesus gives His followers the Spirit of God to empower them for all of life—including overcoming our anger. May you and I take whatever steps are needed to allow Christ to be Lord of our anger and “the purposes of our heart.”

Striving to be “pure of heart,”
Pastor Scott

AMERICA’S CHANGING RELIGIOUS LANDSCAPE

2011-04-29T10:07:00.001-07:00

“Men of Athens! I see that you are religious in every respect.” Acts 17:22

As I looked over a website about the “Things to Do” at New Smyrna Beach I was stunned to see rated number one was “Bikram’s Yoga College of India”. Now I know your immediate thought might be like mine, “Boy, there must not be much to do in New Smyrna!” However, below the number one rated yoga college were charter fishing outfits, golf courses, a marine science center, Smyrna Dunes, and even the Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse, which you can climb up and is the tallest lighthouse in Florida. Yet all of these attractions were rated behind the yoga college on the “Things to Do” list. Wow!

Now I’m not sure how this site gave out their rankings, but the rating system seems a little odd to me. Still it is very intriguing to me that in a small beachfront community in America that there would even be a yoga college, much less that it be considered a top “thing to do”. Yoga in New York City might be expected, but in New Smyrna Beach—not so much!

Now I am not ranting about yoga here. And I know this is simply an anecdotal piece of information. Nevertheless, this oddity served to remind me of the ever-increasing presence of religions like Buddhism on United States soil.

While yoga has long been a practice of Buddhists in Asia, now some form of it is a regular exercise offering at gyms and exercise centers across America. Karma is a specific doctrinal belief within Hinduism that motivates the actions of most Hindu’s throughout the world. Yet now that concept has worked its way into the everyday conversations of many Americans, even if in a joking way. Of course, I don’t need to tell you about the proposed mosque near Ground Zero in New York City or the rapid rate of Islamic mosques appearing in urban areas all over America.

Clearly, the religious make-up of America is changing. Our nation has become more pluralistic in every way than ever before in history. For followers of Jesus this is not a cause for alarm or fear. Yet neitehr is it a time for passivity and ignorance! Sadly, many Americans and many Christ-followers remain uninformed about the basic beliefs of these ever-growing world religions. This makes dialogue with their adherent’s difficult, mutual understanding problematic and redemptive witness toward them near impossible.

However, at FBC, Lake Wales we are working to change that. We want to equip you to dialogue with and lovingly minister to those from these varying belief systems and their worldviews. We want to inform you of their basic beliefs and how they differ from what the Bible teaches is the truth. Therefore, this coming Wednesday, May 4, I will begin a series for the summer months entitled “What’s the Difference?” It will be a study of world religions and a couple major cults. I will present much of the material and utilize various resources including multi-media. Additionally, others will present on some of the religions and cults we will study. I hope whether you are a young adult, a median adult or older adult you will want to learn of these faith systems so you might be better prepared to listen, understand, and maybe eventually share about your faith in the Risen Christ to someone who believes differently than you. Our hope is that you may be as confident and conversant as the Apostle Paul was at Athens!

Friend, the religious landscape of America is changing. And you can either bury your head in the sand or you can be equipped to live for Christ in the new, more pluralistic America. I hope you will choose the latter, even if that means changing your schedule to somehow make it to FBC on a Wednesday night by 6:15 pm. It will be exciting to learn many of these fascinating beliefs and become more strongly anchored to the distinctive beliefs of the Christian faith. I hope you will join me!

Loving & equipping you for Christ,

Pastor Scott

Who Knows What a Day May Bring Forth? (4/21/11)

2011-04-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

By now most all of you know of the terrible attack by a stray pit bull on Monday morning. I was on my way to the office after dropping my youngest son at school when Charles Little called me. He began, “We have an emergency.” Charles then began to relay some of the events of the recent minutes to me. I was stunned. Since Charles insisted he did not need a ride to the hospital in Lakeland I told him I would drive to try to see Tammy and pray with her before the Life Flight arrived.

I made my way to the rescue vehicle where Tammy was being cared for until the helicopter arrived. Obviously, she was still shaken after such a violent attack. I could see the puncture wounds from the teeth of the dog in one leg. After prayer with Tammy I left her. As firefighter Brittany Sweeney said, “She is doing amazingly well after something like that.” Brittany went on to inform me, as Charles had, that her right arm was the area of greatest concern.

Within an hour or two numerable people from First Baptist Church had trekked to Lakeland Regional Medical Center to be with Charles and his three daughters, while Tammy endured three and one-half hours of surgery. Fourteen people from FBC came over that day to show their love and concern. Countless more of our church family rallied around the Little family in prayers given once news of the attack spread via our email, facebook, and phone calls. Hopefully, soon Tammy will rejoin us at FBC (plan is to go home Friday 4/21) and you can express your loving support directly. Also in due time I am sure the Little’s will share their own appreciation for the support we have given them amidst this sudden crisis. However, for now let me say how grateful I am as the pastor to once more see the love you have for one another. I marveled at how many people stayed all day with the Little’s at the hospital. Others were constantly praying while working and keeping an eye out for any update. Such loving concern within the body is part of what it means to live in community with each other as the church. I find it beautiful to behold!

One other thought comes to me about what happened on Monday, April 18. The thought struck me as I arrived home at 5:30 pm from Lakeland. Though I arrived home around the typical time I do, my day was far from typical. It was no ordinary day. The events of that day were absolutely stunning and unexpected! How much more is that true for the Little family. As I arrived home I thought, “Who knows what a day may bring?” I was reminded of the words of James 4: 13-15 which read,

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

The events of Monday reminded me that we have no guarantees about tomorrow. God can interrupt our plans and schedules with unexpected events at any moment. Do we live with that awareness, with that openness to adjust to whatever change he calls for from us on a given day? And do we humbly live knowing that what happens in our future is not ultimately determined by us, but by the will of God?

Of course, at this time of year I also think of those women who went to the tomb of Jesus that Easter morning expecting to anoint his dead body (Mark 16:1). Yet instead something absolutely stunning and unexpected happened. Their agenda and their world were turned upside down with the stunning revelation from the angelic messenger, “Don’t be alarmed, he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here” (Mark 16:6).

The “interruptions” God brings to our lives may be tragic or adverse circumstances. However, sometimes his “interruptions” are miracles and joyous life-changing events. For those ladies on Easter morn the resurrection of Jesus was even more than that. It was an eternity-changing miracle that has altered history and offered life and hope for all who would believe in the Risen Christ. So I hope this Easter the resurrection of Jesus is no surprise to you, but rather is the cornerstone event your personal history has been altered by. Yet I hope the empty tomb and the events of this past Monday remind us that God alone knows what a day may bring forth.

Living TODAY for the Risen Christ!

Pastor Scott

Do You Believe in Easter?

2011-04-14T07:50:00.000-07:00

“Do you believe in Easter?” That question has stuck in my mind. I heard it as part of story being told by the Orlando-area Christian illusionist Don Townsend a few years ago. Don was doing a presentation near the Easter Holiday at Prime-timers, our monthly meeting for senior adults at FBC. Don shared some of his illusions that day and brought his presentation toward a close with the story that contained this question about Easter. As I recall it, he told of a lady who lived in an assisted-living facility. This vivacious Christian lady was always looking for ways to brighten the lives of other residents there. I believe Don said she would wheel around the facility in her wheel-chair attempting to cheer up residents by engaging them in conversations. As a follower of Jesus she also was continuously looking for opportunities to tell others about her Lord Jesus in a non-offensive way.

As the time of year for celebrating the resurrection of Jesus approached one year she found a very simple way to get people to dialogue about this event. She simply asked, “Do you believe in Easter?” She asked it of her fellow residents. She asked it of workers. “Do you believe in Easter?” It was an easy question to ask. It required only a yes or no answer. Yet if the person was willing it could open wide a whole discussion about Jesus, the resurrection, faith, living, dying, and eternity. You can imagine how such a discussion would be relevant and personal in a place occupied by the elderly!

As Don told the story about this woman I recall that he told of a female staff worker at the facility who was initially annoyed by this question. She refused to talk about it with the questioning resident. While the details elude me, I believe Don concluded the story by telling of how this worker eventually became a Christ-follower after the death of the Easter-loving resident. He wrapped up by saying how that worker now went around each year at Easter asking others that very same question that troubled her and eventually directed her toward faith in the Risen Christ. The staff worker now asked, “Do you believe in Easter?”

I have not forgotten that simple question. This time of year I think about that non-offensive, conversational approach that allows followers of the Risen Lord to talk about faith issues with the people all around them. Now this year I need to start asking it! Maybe you could join me in doing so. Will you ask people around you over the next week that question and hear what they say? “Do you believe in Easter?” I think the replies might be fascinating for you to hear. I imagine the conversations that ensue might be life-altering too.

Asking & Conversing about the Risen Son!

Pastor Scott

P.S. An easy follow-up in such a conversation is to invite those you dialogue with to learn more about the biblical meaning of Easter by attending the FBC Easter Musical Presentation coming next Saturday evening or Easter Sunday Morning. Or, for a lighter approach to a young family invite them to the Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday April 23.

BYU & Winning Respect

2011-03-04T11:03:00.001-08:00

The sports world is all abuzz with the stand Brigham Young University took in dismissing a player from the men's basketball team for a violation of the school honor code this Monday. The student-athlete dismissed was the center, Brandon Davies. The team was ranked in the Top-10 nationally with a 27-2 record. This was probably the greatest basketball team in BYU history. Davies was the best big man on the team and the third-leading scorer. He was critical to the realistic aspirations of a national championship for BYU. Now all those dreams seem dashed as Davies has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of the honor code for an undisclosed reason. However, a swarming media has uncovered that the violation of the honor code was that Davies and his girlfriend engaged in premarital sex. Davies is on record admitting to this and accepting his dismissal as appropriate, while apologizing to his coaches and teammates for this transgression. The revelation of Davies specific “wrong” sparked even more debate.

As you may know there is a large segment of society that view the college years as a time to “sow your wild oats”. Thus, they are aghast at the honor code that BYU maintains and that all students commit to when enrolling there. The BYU honor code calls for students to “live a chaste and virtuous life, to use clean language, to abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee, and substance abuse and to observe dress and grooming standards.” Furthermore, the code calls for honesty, respecting others, participation in church services and encouraging others to keep the honor code. Clearly, some of these standards reflect the particular beliefs of the Mormon Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). Now due to Davies’ dismissal the BYU honor code has come under heavy scrutiny by a populace that finds it prudish and restrictive. Many collegians hear of these standards and say that it forbids some of the very things they were looking forward to. The mocking and laughter at the honor code has provided a sad commentary about the moral slide we have experienced in America over the past 60 years.

Yet at the same time others have expressed profound respect for students who would commit to such an honor code and for a school that would enforce that code at great cost. Articles such as the one by Pat Forde on ESPN.com entitled BYU Puts Principle Over Performance express this sentiment. It seems that even when people do not understand why a university or a person would choose to live by such standards the people respect a stand for what they deem to be right. It seems God knows that people of all ages would do that. Therefore, he led the Apostle Paul to write to the Christ-followers in first-century Thessalonica that they should live “so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders... (1 Thessalonians 4:12).” That’s quite a win!

What kind of daily life was talking about? The verses preceding these in Chapter 4 inform us. They include words like these: “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality…. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life (1 Thess. 4:3, 7). Is everything that is in the BYU honor code found in Scripture? Certainly not. The Bible says nothing against facial hair or caffeine, for example. Surely, such codes run the risk of going beyond Scripture and becoming legalistic. Furthermore, keeping an honor code or being moral will not grant one entry into heaven. However, it is a curious thing to see a university trying to have moral standards for students in a culture that appears to be in moral decline.

Let me be clear, I do not agree with the Mormon doctrine that BYU students are exposed to. For example, Mormonism teaches that God the Father is an exalted Man, that Jesus, angels, and human beings were all the literal spirit offspring of our "heavenly Father and Mother," and that the ultimate goal of the Christian life is to become exalted to Godhood ourselves. The Mormon Church has their own "scripture" that includes alleged modern revelations given to Joseph Smith. The Bible teaches that God is not a man (Num. 23:19) but is transcendent, omnipresent Spirit (1 Kings 8:27; Is. 31:3; John 4:24), that there are no other Gods alongside him, and that there will be no Gods formed in the future (Is. 43:10; 44:6-8). In fact, I would ardently disagree with the attempt of the Mormon Church to portray itself as a “Christian” group. In reality, they are a cult and their teachings lead people away from the saving gospel of the Christian Scriptures (see www.4thruth.net).

Nevertheless, that does not limit my respect for the stand BYU has taken in this case involving Brandon Davies. While they may win less basketball games due to their stand, they may win something greater in the long run—respect. I would even pray that the stand BYU has made would awaken believers in Jesus to be encouraged in their own attempts to live a life or purity and holiness. For this incident has shown us that though some may tease or mock a lifestyle of purity, in the end, they respect it.

Respectable only by the grace of Jesus,

Pastor Scott

Persecuted Christians in Egypt

2011-02-24T13:48:00.000-08:00

As events have unfolded in Egypt in recent weeks I have continually prayed for the Lord to bring about that which would most effectively advance His kingdom in that part of the world. Additionally, I have prayed for the safety of believers there, understanding persecution may intensify without the restraining force of a structured government and law enforcement. Concerns over persecution were elevated within me after reading an article posted by Greg Burke of Fox News. His article about the conditions in Egypt was entitled Christians Should Be Worried.

In this article Burke quoted a Christ-following young adult named Maged who regularly tweets on Twitter about the situation in Egypt. Burke quotes Maged expressing fears over the Muslim Brotherhood ascending to power in Egypt. Maged called the Muslim Brotherhood as “the mother of all fears.”

Such a characterization may seem alarmist given recent news reports from our media outlets. However, one simply needs to remember that Al-Qaeda’s number two leader, Egyptian doctor Ayman al-Zawahiri, was a member of this group. This group also birthed Hamas and the Islamic Jihad Movement, groups that have promoted violence toward Israel. These are commonly known truths. “The Muslim Brotherhood has a long-term commitment to establishing an Islamic state under sharia rule in Egypt,” Nina Shea, Director of the Center for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute, told FoxNews.Com.

Tom Doyle, Middle East director for E3 Partners, has said, “With the Muslim Brotherhood rising up, Christians are very nervous about who might be next in line to take over for Mubarak.” Doyle also recently reported the murder of 15 Christians outside Al-Minya, Egypt. Sadly, the U.S. government and media leave these acts of persecution largely unreported.

Egypt does have the largest Christian population of any Middle East nation, with many of these being members of the Coptic Church. Up to 10 percent of the population in Egypt claim to be Christian. Alexandria, Egypt was an early center for Christianity from the first century onward. Yet the Islamic conquest of Egypt in the seventh century reduced the Christian population as many fled or were killed. Nina Shea envisions such a possible exodus of the remaining Christians again if the Muslim Brotherhood has a candidate ascend to power. She has told Foxnews.com “The Copts and other Christians should be worried.”

While perhaps she might say they should worry from a political point of view I will be praying they do not. Rather, I will be praying all true Christ-followers in Egypt will be strengthened in their faith. I will continue to pray for the God’s will to be done in Egypt and throughout the Middle East. I will pray for the advance of the gospel through these events for I believe in a God who is Sovereign. Finally, I will give thanks to God for the perseverance and courage of my brothers and sisters in Christ in Egypt as they endure the political turmoil of these tense times. I think the words of the Apostle Paul express what I feel about the persecuted church in Egypt and elsewhere:

We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4

Praying for the persecuted!

Pastor Scott

Communicating for a Change

2011-02-24T13:44:00.001-08:00

A recent Gallup Poll Report stated, “In an era of increasingly fragile marriages, a couple’s ability to communicate is the single most important contributor to a stable and satisfying marriage.” Wow, did you read that? The “single most important contributor”…is communication?

Wayne Mack, teachers and author, has written in Strengthening Your Marriage, “Deep oneness can be achieved only where good communication exists.” Mack leaves no wiggle room. Good communication is required to deep marital oneness.

Christian Counseling pioneer Jay Adams has written, “A sound husband and wife relationship is impossible without good communication.” Impossible? Again, not very favorable odds being given there for a strong marriage without good communication.

Obviously, I could likely cite a hundred more sources like these. Nearly every person who has written anything on marriage will stress the need for quality communication within marriage. Good communication is needed in the early years of marriage as the two adjust to becoming one through the marriage covenant. It is needed in the child-rearing years as children need to hear the same message from both parents and young parents strain to find time for dialogue together. Communication is indispensible when it comes to the inevitable conflict resolution with each other or with children as the move toward independence. Pursuing meaningful communication allows a couple to re-discover each other in new and fresh ways during the empty nest years when time for each other is more plentiful. Finally, open and honest communication is vital as a married couple ages and enters into retirement, face health issues, endure life-changing limitations, and make big decisions in their golden years. Thus, communication between a husband and wife is crucial for every stage of marriage.

1 Peter 3:10 beckons couple of all ages toward rewarding communication. It read, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.” What is the result of honest and wholesome speech? An enjoyable life and good days are ahead for those who speak to one another as God prescribes. This is the kind of rewarding communication we want to encourage all the couples in FBC toward.

Therefore, the focal teaching element of our Spring MarriageBuilder Event is on the theme of communication. The event is on Saturday, March 5. It will include a Shrimp Boil as your meal, or as an alternative grilled chicken with roasted potatoes and corn. So the meal and evening will be relaxed and informal (guests welcome!). There will be some fun games as we start the evening and a little music too. The teaching time I will lead will include interactive exercises between spouses, fiancés, those dating or friends. Obviously, the communication principles have application beyond marriage. However, that will be the primary relational context we will be focusing on.

So I invite you to join me for this wonderful evening of fellowship and encouragement! I am praying each couple who comes will leave communicating better than when they arrived so our marriages will bring us all the joy and oneness that God desires.

Loving the Bridegroom, my bride, & the Bride of Christ!

Pastor Scott

The Power of a Story

2011-01-28T07:51:00.000-08:00

Those unfamiliar with the Christian Scriptures often think the Bible is full of rules and regulations. They expect to find in it a series of propositions and imperatives. However, the truth is the most common type of literature in the Bible is narrative. As Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart write, "Narratives are stories--purposeful stories retelling the historical events of the past that are intended to give meaning and direction for a given people in the present" (How To Read the Bible for All Its Worth, 90). As stories the narrative type of biblical text can capture the imagination as the plot unfolds. Readers can identify with characters. Indeed, like all stories biblical narratives have the same features of a narrator, scenes, characters, a plot, and dialogue. However as Fee and Stuart note, "A crucial difference between biblical narratives and all others...[is they are] inspired by the Holy Spirit...[and] the story they tell is not so much our story as it is God's story–and it becomes ours as he 'writes' us into it (90)."

Narratives are particularly common in the Old Testament. In fact, over 40 percent of the Old Testament is narrative. Numerous Old Testament books are largely or completely narrative. Among them is the compelling book of Ruth. Ruth is a wonderfully crafted narrative that is full of irony, realistic characters, a dramatic act of redemption, and a surprise ending. I am excited about presenting Ruth as a message series to our church (FBC, Lake Wales) in February. I will present a chapter each week since each chapter is essentially a scene unto itself. I will read it with comments of application along the way to make this ancient story relevant to your life. There are many life-changing truths to highlight as we follow the engaging narrative. I hope you will come eager to learn from the Spirit and Living Word of God. You might even consider inviting someone you know who enjoys a good story. For Ruth is that--and so much more!

Loving the Lord & His written revelation!
Pastor Scott

Rethinking Retirement

2011-01-20T11:20:00.000-08:00

Economics, a longer life span, and the enjoyment of work are keeping more senior adults in the work force than there has been in decades. Earlier this month Laura Vanderkam wrote an article for USA Today discussing the changing views of retirement in America. She reported:
After decades of decline, the labor force participation rate among people older than 65 rose from a low of 10.7% in 1987 to more than 17% now. Nearly a third of those ages 65-69 are working or looking for work, up from less than 20% in the 1980s, and surveys of Baby Boomers find that many don't intend to retire immediately either.

This reality has potential benefits and challenges for the individual senior adult and for American society as a whole. Yet what many of this generation forget is that the concept of retirement is of rather recent origins. Most historians trace it back to Otto von Bismarck’s social changes in Germany during the late 19th Century. When President Franklin Roosevelt introduced Social Security to this country in the 1930s, life expectancy (at birth) was 58 for men and 62 for women. Now more men and women live to age 65 and many live to 85. This means retirement will last for decades for some. While that may sound pleasurable, with continual cost of living increases and increasing medical expenses it can make living 20 years without a paycheck a frightening prospect. At the national level the increased life expectancy of Americans is straining the Social Security System in ways unforeseen by Roosevelt or others.

Of course, another reason more senior adults are delaying retirement is because they simply enjoy their job and are under no pressure to retire. Still others are now re-entering the work force in what some are referring to as ‘encore careers’—work that is less demanding, flexible in hours, and directly adds value to the lives of others. Such careers are said to offer a little needed income and can add purpose to life.

Well, as a pastor I read this and I recognize that this is a scenario that has remarkable redemptive potential for the kingdom of God. What better way to add value to the lives of others than to serve them in Jesus’ Name? I think of all the untapped ministry potential that exists within the current generation of senior adults and of the Baby Boomers right on their heels. Imagine if those able to retire did so only to engage in an ‘encore career’ through the local church. Yes, some might invest their time to keep up the facilities, assist in office work, and staff existing church activities–all as volunteers! Others can organize ministry to church members that are now homebound or in healthcare facilities. Yet others could offer leadership and service in new ministry initiatives that would take the church into the community. They could start tutoring programs, read Christian children’s books in elementary schools, lead food pantries and clothing closets, or lead ministries to internationals who tend to more highly regard older adults than most Americans do. The list of possibilities seems limited only by the vision and passion of the retiree’s. I thank God that quite a few in our church are already investing their retirement years in some of these ministries. I pray that God would continue to give our retiring adults a vision for and commitment to kingdom work during their retirement years.

It all makes sense doesn’t it? Clearly, the Scriptures dignify work as being of the Lord. Since Adam worked before the sinful Fall of humanity we cannot claim work is an accursed result of the Fall. Genesis 2:15 states, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Likewise the Scriptures speak well of being “full of years”. A long life is seen as a blessing from the biblical point of view. Nowhere does Scripture suggest our latter years be used for leisure as the modern American view of retirement does. Rather, useful service to the Lord until we are physically unable or the Lord calls us home seems to be the biblical picture given.

So whether you are in retirement or looking forward to it I urge you to re-think how you might spend those years. As Al Mohler has written on this subject, “There is room in the Christian life for leisure, but not for a life devoted to leisure.” May your view of retirement and mine be more shaped by Scripture than culture! May we not spend those last years on trivialities, but invest them in lasting kingdom work!

Seeking first His Kingdom!

Pastor Scott

Christmas Songs

2010-12-16T13:43:00.000-08:00

This Christmas I have been thinking about Christmas songs more than ever. Largely, this is because at our church I have been preaching through Luke 1 in December. Luke 1 contains two songs—the song of Mary and the song of Zechariah. Some refer to these as the Magnificat and Benedictus based upon the first Latin word used in each song. Though the Scripture merely says Mary and Zechariah “said” these words, the poetic construction of the words have caused people through the ages to refer to them as songs.

Studying these two Christmas songs has caused me to consider how much songs are a part of the Christmas “Season”. Wikipedia states there are over 400 radio stations nationally that play Christmas music 24 hours a day during the month of December. Many stations find a spike in their market share of listeners by playing Christmas music. Obviously, they are seeking to leverage the Christmas music to gain new listeners. Of course, as people walk through malls and stores festive Christmas music is piped in—some stores doing so before Thanksgiving. Surely this is an attempt to get people into a “Christmas mood”, or more accurately a “shopping mood”, as soon as possible.

However, lest I become too cynical I know that God-centered Christmas music also is a tool of instruction about the incarnation and a means of stirring up greater praise to God. In fact, initially all Christmas music was for the purpose of worship to God and the incarnate Son. When Christmas became an official “holy-day” of the church, that is declared such by the Roman Catholic Church, there was music written to add to that celebration. The songs written then were chant, litanies and hymns, done in Latin of course. How curious to think how far we have come now with Christmas songs that are about snowmen, reindeer, Santa Claus and jingling bells. Hey listen, I’m not being a prude here. I enjoy singing about Rudolph or the Grinch like a lot of people. I just think it is stunning to consider the contrast of the lyrics found in many modern Christmas songs on the airwaves compared to the ones spoken by Mary and Zechariah. And I guess I actually feel a sadness in my soul to know that some people know nothing of the latter—they are so overrun with the silly songs about Christmas that they do not know even know the ones that herald the birth of Jesus. Which ones do our children and grandchildren know and sing? Which do we hum as we stroll along merrily in December?

These next two Sundays I am excited to share with First Baptist Church, Lake Wales those first Christmas songs—those expressed by Mary and Zechariah. Their themes are clear and powerful and draw attention to the mercy and salvation from the Lord. I hope if you are nearby you will join me for a look at them. Then also this weekend down by Lake Wales we will share some wonderful Christmas songs that also express wonder and worship over God made flesh! We will host Christmas by the Lake on Saturday and Sunday (12/18-19) evening at 6 PM near the basketball court and gazebo.

I hope this Christmas will continue to be full of wonderful Christ-exalting songs for you and your family. Sing them by the lake. Sing them in the church. Sing them on the city streets. Just sing them with rejoicing like Mary and Zechariah about the merciful God who has sent a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Singing to the Son of God!
Pastor Scott

Great joy for ALL people?

2010-12-03T09:45:00.000-08:00

And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people Luke 2:10 (ESV)

These words spoken by the heavenly messenger to the shepherds on the hillside somewhere near Bethlehem is familiar to many of us. If you’ve been any church for a Christmas or two or watched The Peanuts Christmas Special you have heard these words. But do we believe them?

Do we believe the message of the birth of Christ the Lord is good news? Or is it just more news, other news, some news to recall once a year? Is it really good news to you and if so why?

Good news of great joy…the angel announced. So does this good news fill you with great joy? Does it bring you not just some joy or a decent portion of joy but great joy? How great? Since his coming alters our eternal destiny maybe a joy as great as if your boss said you were getting a raise, your team won the championship, you hit a hole-in-one, he proposed or she said she’d marry you. Yeah, a reverberating, life-altering great joy! Not a whimsical, passing emotion but a deep abiding sense of rejoicing that salvation has come due to the birth of Jesus.

Yet I think the words we believe the least in the angel’s announcement are the last words in Luke 2:10. We may believe it is good news of great joy for us and some other people too, but for ALL people? Do you believe that? It is good news of great joy for people in North Korea, Tibet, Iran, and the Sudan? It is good news of great joy for your co-worker, your neighbor, your classmate, your Uncle Bill and sister Susan?

Christmas is a holiday widely acknowledged in our culture. International missionaries tell us every year that it gives them wonderful opportunities to share about the life and salvation Jesus offers. Those missionaries certainly believe it is good news of great joy for all the people. In fact, they are staking their lives on it (more on that next week.)!

Yet sadly the silence of many of us each Christmas season seems to indicate we really don’t believe it is good news of great joy for ALL people. If we really believed this would we not tell person after person we interact with over this holiday season that Jesus’ coming means they can have great joy in Him? Why do we pull back from telling our unbelieving relatives and friends? This message is for them. It means joy for them, right? So why are we so hesitant to share?

Okay, you say you believe it is good news of great joy, but you are just unsure of how to start a conversation. Gotcha! Then let me just give you a couple Christmas discussion starting questions. Ready? Ask either of these:
Do you think people understand the real meaning of Christmas anymore? Why or why not?
What difference does it make to you that Jesus was born?

Both of these questions allow you to listen to what they think about Christmas and the birth of Jesus? The first is for someone who may not know of Christ’s birth and life, whereas the second assumes they know that central event of the Christmas story. Then, both allow you to share of what Christmas and the birth of Jesus means to you personally. In other words, it allows you to share the testimony of how Jesus has brought you great joy through faith in Him.

Do you really believe the coming of Jesus is good news of great joy for ALL people? Then, will you and I boldly ask these questions this Christmas? Will we share of our great joy in Christ?

I am praying we will. And I am praying we will invite people to come to services at FBC this month and/or to Christmas by the Lake (Dec. 18 & 19 – 6 PM) using the tickets available this Sunday. Let’s use the Christmas season as a chance to tell ALL people the good news of great joy!

Sharing HIS joy!
Pastor Scott

A Bundle of Mercies

2010-11-23T14:04:00.000-08:00

Great are Your mercies, O LORD; Revive me according to Your ordinances. ~ Psalm 119:156 (NASB)

This Thanksgiving Season I am filled with gratitude to God for his abundant mercies in my life. Recently I was reading the writings of Puritan pastor George Swinnock (1627 –November 10, 1673). Though he was really writing on the value of Christian meditation, I thought these words he shared were also instructive to us on how to stir up a spirit of thanks-giving. He wrote:

Mediate upon His mercies to you from birth. Look at the dangers you have been delivered from, the journeys you have been protected in, the seasonable help He has sent you, the suitable support He has afforded you in distress, the counsel He has given you in doubts, and the comforts He has provided you in sorrow and darkness. They are present with you by [thanksgiving]. Do not forget the former favours bestowed on you and your family. Then meditate upon present mercies. How many do you enjoy—your house, family, body, and soul are all full of blessings! Think of them particularly. Spread them out like jewels to your view. Mediate on how freely they are bestowed, on their fullness and greatness. O, your soul’s mercies—the image of God, the blood of Christ, eternal life, and season of grace! Your whole life is a bundle of mercies. These stir us up to bless the GIVER.

I pray that this Thanksgiving you will take time to spread the jewels of his mercy to you out for all your family to behold. Though your year may have been hard, once you honestly reflect upon his blessings as Swinnock instructs I imagine you will see there remains a bundle of mercies for which you also may give thanks. May such reflective thanks center you upon the Lord Christ that you may find warm-hearted joy in Him.

Marveling at His mercies!
Pastor Scott

Happy Thanksgiving from my family and our Church Staff to you!

Generation to Generation Praise

2010-11-18T07:32:00.000-08:00

“One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.” Psalm 145:4

As I read Psalm 145:4 I get excited because I realize God has populated our church in such a way that we can do as the verse instructs. Frankly, some churches can not. You may know of churches that are largely of one generation, either only older folks or only filled with young adults. I am sure God is doing great things among them too, but it is sure a joy to be a part of a multi-generational church where one generation can commend the Lord to the next. There is something beautiful about the dynamics of Psalm 145:4 taking place in a local church setting. I guess it helps me see that our church is truly functioning in a biblical way. As a pastor, that is always my heart’s desire.

Last night (Wednesday 6 pm) I led a study of Psalm 145 at our church that was simply delightful to me. What a wondrous Psalm that praises God for what he has done and who He is. David uses multiple adjectives to describe the works of God that were filling him with praise. Then, on the heels of my recent message series on the attributes of God (hear them at www.fbclw.com “BIG GOD, little me”), it was exciting to hear those present cite the attributes of God stated plainly in this psalm. We also noted that this incredible song of praise begins with David saying “I will exalt you, my God the King” (145:1) and ends with David saying “Let every creature (lit. all flesh) praise His holy name forever and ever.” Yes, praise is not merely to be an individual exercise of faith but we are to urge all creation to join in the mighty chorus of praise to our great God. Verses 11-12 emphasize that we who know God are to tell others of God’s glorious kingdom and “speak of his might so that all men may know” of the wondrous works of God and of His kingdom. Do you hear the missional emphasis in that? It is unmistakable! Thus, our worship is intended to draw others to know and praise the Lord with us. Consequently, worship can and should be a means of witness.

Among those to be influenced by our praise of God and his wondrous works are the succeeding generations. Psalm 145:4 (cited above) makes this very plain. I think that holidays like our upcoming Thanksgiving holiday become an ideal occasion for the older generations to tell their children and grandchildren of God’s mighty acts. Is it too idealistic to envision a grandfather sitting on a sofa with a grandchild or two around him as he tells stories of God’s goodness to him in bygone years? Is it far-fetched to envision grandmothers around the dinner table telling all present of how God answered various prayers throughout her lifetime? Perhaps I am nostalgic or too influenced by Norman Rockwell. But I think that would be one clear way to obey Psalm 145:4 this Thanksgiving.

This Sunday (11/21/10) at First Baptist Church we will give our services over to this kind of generation to generation praise and thanks to God. During our Sunday morning service you will hear from various church members tell of incredible things God did in their lives this year. You will hear of the transforming work of God’s Spirit within those who walk in obedience to Jesus as Lord. We will celebrate the goodness of God through the testimonies of church members in our morning worship service and then Sunday night after our church family dinner we will have “open microphones” for anyone to share their own testimony of praise and thanks to God with all present. So join us this weekend at First Baptist Church, Lake Wales as we flesh out Psalm 145:4 and give testimony to the greatness and goodness of God in our lives. Then, may your homes be filled with praise to our Lord and King, from generation to generation this Thanksgiving and always.

Praising & thanking our Lord with you,
Pastor Scott

Numbering Our Days

2010-11-12T07:35:00.000-08:00

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” ~ Psalm 90:12

Having had two dear friends die in the past couple weeks and a third receive the news he was to “get his house in order” has made me think about the brevity of life lately. After all, one of these men was 45 years old and the other 50 years old and my age is squarely in the middle of theirs. The verse that has been on my mind is Psalm 90:12, written above.
As you may know Psalm 90 expresses both the eternality of God (90:2) and the mortality of man (5-6). When referring to the span of a person’s life in verse 10 Moses writes “they quickly pass, and we fly away.” The longer I live the more I agree with that!
Therefore, verse 12 is so crucial to mediate on and live by. I will share my meditations on it here. First, we are instructed by the Lord to number our days. We are each allotted a given number of days on the earth. Some get more and some less. Some are past already and some are ahead. God alone knows the number of days before and behind us. Ironically, though we cannot know their number Psalm 90:12 tells us to number them aright. How can we? Sure, we cannot. But the Lord is telling us to not overestimate how many there are. Do not live as if we will be on earth forever. Recognize our days are ticking away and then we will be accountable to Him. What is the first phrase saying about our days then? It does not mean to count them out, but to make them count.
Why are we to number our days aright according to Psalm 90:12? The last half of the verse says so that we may gain a heart of wisdom. A heart of wisdom? I realize most in American culture think of the heart figuratively as the seat of emotions, yet in Hebraic thought the heart meant much more. The heart was seen as the center of a person. Given that reality this divinely-given text is calling us to have wisdom in our inner being. So here is what that means to me.

· Wisdom should guide my affections, attitudes and decisions. Wisdom should guide my feelings, my thinking my acting. There is no time to waste on ungodly loves, unhealthy feelings, or unholy attitudes.
· Wisdom in my heart would also affect the priorities, values, and goals of my life.
· Wisdom should dictate my use of resources and the relationships I pursue. If I have numbered days how foolish it is to let my relationships be fractured by unforgiveness or unspoken love. In such situations wisdom would urge immediate and continual reconciliation with all. I should freely and intently love others in God-pleasing ways. I should treasure my daily experiences with family and friends.
· Wisdom in my heart would also drive me to a closer relationship to God. If I recognize that very soon I will be with the Lord I should seek to cultivate a relationship with him. Wisdom, as written of in the Old Testament, always began with a reverence of God (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10; 11:2). So my relationship with him must begin there as I recognize that the Lord will soon be my judge (Hebrews 9:27). Yet it should also lead to an intimacy since after judgment as a true believer in Jesus I will share joyous eternity with Him.
· Wisdom means I use all the days I have left well before God and others. This means living within God’s will and boldly giving witness to him before a world full of temporal people just like me. Each day I must live with an active awareness of God being with me and directing me to use my moments as He intends. Numbering my days aright means there is no time to squander on trivialities. A heart of wisdom would tell me all activities must be filtered by the reality that my time on earth is running out day by day.

These have been challenging thoughts for me. I have been re-evaluating these various areas of my life this week. I hope as you personally meditate on Psalm 90:12 God will guide you also toward a wiser heart. For Psalm 90 is plain: Life is brief. Eternity is forever. So we must wisely choose how we will live each day before the Lord eternal.

Seeking a wise heart!
Pastor Scott

Christians & Yoga

2010-10-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” –Romans 12:2a

In my opinion one of the most biblically-informed, clear-thinking and relevant Christian bloggers out in cyberspace is Dr. Albert Mohler. His blog is found at AlbertMohler.com and there are other resources there too. Dr. Mohler is a seminary president and a frequent guest on talk shows such as Larry King. While I may not agree with the well-read and articulate Mohler on every issue, I do on many, though my tone may be less strident.

Some time ago Mohler posted a blog entry entitled partly titled “Should Christians Practice Yoga?” I found this intriguing because I had been asked that question just some time ago. I found myself caught because I certainly did not want to be a legalist, yet nor did I want to sanction for a believer that which I knew to be spiritual practice associated with a non-Christian worldview. Still I knew as a pastor it was, and is, my responsibility to give counsel on such questions when asked by those in our church family.

As usual, Mohler finds just the right resource to enlighten the believer so they can make wise and godly decisions and give meaningful answers. The resource Mohler cited on this topic was a book by Stefanie Syman entitled The Subtle Body: The Story of Yoga in America. The author actively practices yoga and knows the history of yoga in America quite thoroughly Mohler informs us. In her book Syman tells of an episode when recently during the Easter holiday she had the chance to lead guests in yoga excercises on the White House lawn that she described as “sanitized, sanctioned, and family-friendly,” Commenting on this event further Syman wrote:

There certainly was no better proof that Americans had assimilated this spiritual discipline. We had turned a technique for God realization that had, at various points in time, enjoined its adherents to reduce their diet to rice, milk, and a few vegetables, fix their minds on a set of, to us, incomprehensible syllables, and self-administer daily enemas (without the benefit of equipment), to name just a few of its prerequisites, into an activity suitable for children. Though yoga has no coherent tradition in India, being preserved instead by thousands of gurus and hundreds of lineages, each of which makes a unique claim to authenticity, we had managed to turn it into a singular thing: a way to stay healthy and relaxed.

When you think about it, it is rather stunning that a practice that would have been seen as foreign or even “heathen” fifty years ago is now seen as a normal means of meditation and exercise by many Americans. In her book Syman does explain the spiritual roots of yoga and she actually argues yoga cannot be fully separated from its roots in Hinduism and Buddhism, nor from the role sexuality plays in it. Whether you agree with her or not, her argumentation should not be ignored by Christians who really want to know if it is a good activity for them to be engaged in.

Obviously, one of the fundamental differences between the meditation of yoga and Hinduism is that it calls for an emptying of the mind, whereas Christian meditation is always about filling the mind with Christian truth as made known in the Bible. The recitation, memorization and meditation upon the Christian Scriptures is the means of renewing the mind (Romans 12:1-2) and of motivating believers to offer their bodies as living sacrifices unto the Lord. As followers of Jesus we are not to leave the consciousness of this world, but to look to Christ to rule our conscious, and even unconscious, thoughts. The Christian way is never escape from reality, but the transformation of reality into that which is Christ-honoring.

Listen, I see nothing inherently wrong with the physical posturing of the body in various ways or pursuing new forms of exercise. But the question is what are these positions of the body supposed to teach? What do they represent? What are you seeking to achieve by them? Why are they considered optimal? Further, consider this thought from Mohler: “if you have to meditate intensely in order to achieve or to maintain a physical posture, it is no longer merely a physical posture.”

Friends, I am not here to condemn anyone who is doing yoga for exercise purposes. I am not seeking to be negative or a prude. I am not trying to clamp your liberty in Christ. If your conscience is clear on doing it as a form of excercise, then hear me saying just yoga away. But I wonder if more is not involved than we think when Stefanie Syman writes that the practice of yoga in America “has augured a truly post-Christian, spiritually polyglot country.” Hmm, sounds like she, at least, sees it as more than an exercise.

Striving after Him in all things!
Scott

Inspired to Pray?

2010-10-15T07:03:00.000-07:00

At my private Christian college in Pennsylvania I was once assigned for reading the classic book Power through Prayer by E.M. Bounds. I found the little book a great challenge to my prayer life. Now as I have called our church to prayer I thought I would share some quotes from that book. Power through Prayer is full of strong words particularly directed to preachers, but I have listed quotes below that should challenge every believer in Jesus. Yes, I know some do think Bounds is a little too focused on human effort in his writings, but personally any lack in prayer for me has always been on that end, I assure you.

I hope these quotes will inspire you to pray more fervently and frequently for the needs in your life, our church, our community and our world. Here are some words from E. M. Bounds:

Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still.

Much time spent with God is the secret to all successful praying…He yields to the persistency of a faith that knows Him.

The more true saints, the more praying; the more praying, the more true saints.

Christ knows nothing of prayerless Christians.

To be little with God, is to be little for God.

Prayer is the creator as well as the channel of devotion.

Seeking greater devotion to prayer,
Scott

A CALL TO PRAYER

2010-10-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

“For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds;
and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” – Matthew 7:8

The Scriptures seem clear that God has determined to use the prayers of His people to evoke His power. Surely he does not need our prayers to display His power; nevertheless it is a means He uses. I speculate that one reason He does so is so that our yearnings to see His power would drive us to fellowship with Him in prayer. While we may be focused on having needs met when entering such prayer, God is constantly focused on a relationship with us. He wants our needs and those of His church to compel us to meet with Him in a state of dependency. He wants us to surrender control and acknowledge His. And this is precisely what prayer does.

On Sunday September 26 I urged our local church to enter into an extended “Season of Prayer” for the remainder of 2010. There are many factors that God put upon my heart that caused me to beckon our church body to prayer. Among them is the spiritual, moral and economic state of our nation. Our nation desperately needs a Great Awakening and I am seriously praying for it. This economy should be causing the lost and the redeemed to cry out to God. We should pray it will! A second motivating factor toward prayer at this time is the very critical health of several church members who could gain great encouragement knowing our church body was praying for them constantly—every hour of every day. There are other factors that I listed out in the Prayer Prompt Card you can pick up when you join the church prayer chain. Yet at the top of that list you will see my desire to see revival in this church.

I am convinced we will never be the church we want to be unless we become more fervent in prayer. I believe we should plead with God to give us a spiritual breakthrough in this church and community. We should ask him to awaken the lethargic and lukewarm. We must ask him to put soul cravings within the populace of Lake Wales. These inner workings by God are spiritual and thus, our best means of joining with God in seeing this work done is through prayer. So will you join me in praying for our church, as well as these other needs? Will you give yourself to prayer for our church, community, and nation one hour per week? You need not stay kneeled or positioned physically in prayer that whole hour, but we would ask you remain in a spirit of prayer your full time. If you are willing, I invite you to sign up this Sunday for the prayer chain during this season of prayer.

Bear in mind, author E. M. Bounds has written, “Praying is spiritual work, and human
nature does not like taxing, spiritual work.” And Bounds also warns in his book Power Through Prayer that “A prayerless age will only have scant models of divine power”. May God grant us the humility and desire to be greater in prayer. May He persuade us of the priority of and power available through prayer in the Name of Christ.

Praying for His power to fall!
Pastor Scott

Dumb Christians and Smart Atheists?

2010-10-01T06:51:00.000-07:00

In the last week news outlets began reporting on the findings of a recent survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. The U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey asked 32 questions on tenets, practices, history and leading figures in major world religions. The overall average score was 16 correct. Here is the breakdown of how major religious groups compared as reported by USA today initially on September 29, 2010:

Demographic Group & Number Correct
Atheist/Agnostic 20.9
Jewish 20.5
Mormon 20.3
White Evangelical Protestant 17.6
White Catholic 16.0
White Mainline Protestant 15.8
Black Protestant 13.4
Hispanic Catholic 11.6
By Anne Godlasky, USA TODAY
*Atheists and Agnostics were scored separately but had the same number correct. Source: Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life phone survey of 3,412 U.S. adults in May and June. Margins of error: +/-2.5 percentage points overall, larger for subgroups.

You can actually go to the USA Today website and see how you do on five sample questions from the survey. While the USA Today and other national news outlets found it astounding that atheists knew more about religion I, frankly, did not.
Sociologists studying these matters have long reported that atheists and agnostics are highly educated and very knowledgeable of religious matters (The Denominational Society, Andrew Greely, 1972.). As Greg Lewis, Pew senior researcher, reported in the USA Today article 8 in 10 atheists and agnostics grew up in a religious tradition. So while those who say there is no God may be called foolish by the Christian Scripture (Psalm 14:1), this does not mean they are an uneducated or uninformed fool. On the contrary, perhaps as 1 Corinthians 8:1 indicates it is their great knowledge that has “puffed them up’ to where they could reject a belief in God, or at least assert he is unknowable (agnostic). This should remind followers of Jesus that when they speak to an atheist or agnostic one should not assume they are ignorant or unaware of biblical teachings. Rather, we should seek to uncover what they learned or experienced in life that made them turn away from a belief in God.
A second observation I would make is that the research really revealed more about the knowledge of religion, in general, rather than about biblical beliefs or a knowledge of God. Therefore, I believe the Orlando Sentinel’s headline on the article about the research was very misleading. Their headline read: Believe It: Atheists Know God. Yet when one reads the questions asked by Pew Research you find they really are not measuring if people know God. They are asking questions about world religions, church history, and questions about governmental rulings pertaining to the expression of religion. These were hardly questions about “knowing God”. Even questions pertaining to the knowledge of the Bible were very few. Consequently, the survey is truly more about religion and less about God. Sadly, some news outlets cannot seem unable to make this distinction.
However, it is still alarming that so many religiously-involved Americans know so little about the Bible and general religious matters. It was sad to hear just 55% of all respondents knew the Golden Rule isn’t one of the Ten Commandments or that 45% could not name all four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). It is lamentable that only 11% knew the fiery preach and theologian who participated in the First Great Awakening, an 18th Century revival, was Jonathan Edwards, not Charles Finney or Billy Graham. These responses seem to reveal the “dumbing down” of American evangelicalism and of the professing Christian populace as a whole. The poor showing by evangelicals reminds me of the warnings given by Mark Noll in his 1994 book The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind.
In that book Noll stated, “American evangelicals are not exemplary for their thinking” (3) and in his work he outlines why. In part, he cites our desire to be “pragmatic, populist, charismatic, and technological, more than intellectual” (55). Further, “we have tended to define piety as an inward state opposed to careful thought….” Reminding us that this is no small matter Noll quotes Charles Malik who wrote earlier (The Two Tasks, 1980), “The problem is not only to win souls, but to save minds. If you win the whole world and lose the mind of the world, you will soon discover you have not won the world. Indeed, it may turn out that you have actually lost the world (26).” Noll moves from that point to challenge American evangelicalism to move from an anti-intellectual posture toward activities that promote Christian thinking at every level.
I can only hope that this Pew Research Survey will also awaken Christians in the pulpits and pews of the need to learn more about their faith, their Scriptures, their religious history, and about the beliefs of others in our pluralistic society. May we, the church of Jesus, love the Lord with our minds as well as our heart, soul, and strength (Luke 10:27). Indeed, may we have a zeal that is based on knowledge (Romans 10:2).

Eager to know Him more & make Him known!
Pastor Scott

SHOUTING SUNSETS

2010-09-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.” – Psalm 65:8 (NASB)

I don’t fully know why but I have always loved sunsets. I also know I am not alone in appreciating the beauty of sunsets. Perhaps Psalm 65:8 clues us in as to why so many people find sunsets stunningly beautiful. God has made them to shout with joy as a sign to Him as Creator.

Notice how the psalmist speaks of those who live at the ends of the earth, here in context referring to those who live in the east and west. David is saying no matter which end they live on God has put signs there to cause them to stand in awe of Him. In the east they can see the dawning of the sun and in the west the setting. God uses both regularly to create colorful masterpieces upon the tapestry of the skies. Notice David gives the sunrise and sunset human features as he writes that they “shout for joy.” Well, they sure do to me! Also they cause me to shout to joy with them to the glorious Creator God and Redeemer of my soul!

I am attaching some pictures from the trip. These pictures and more are also on my facebook page. Let me briefly seek to explain the setting of each picture below. The first was taken on just our second day when we saw the sky turn a pale orange as the sun set beyond the Golden Gate Bridge and the hills to the northwest of us. One sunset we really savored was the one at the Grand Canyon as the next three pictures show that setting. The blazing orange ball of fire set beyond the canyon as we sat at the Desert View area. It caused the clouds to become pink and orange. It caused the Lookout Tower and our faces to glow. It was gorgeous. It was some days later in Bozeman, Montana when we were again in a setting where we could enjoy a sunset. The sun lit the upper half of the sky with a solid orange color. I also was able to line the setting sun up with a plant before me. It made the unknown field weed look almost radioactive with its glow. The fifth and final sunset only Daniel and I saw as we raced down from our campsite to catch the sun setting on the west side of Lake Tahoe. Adding the dimension of the water made that sunset unique and enjoyable to us.

Yes, we stood in awe of these sunsets as unmistakable signs that a creative and intelligent God put this earth here for his glory and our joy. It grieves me when so many miss or ignore these signs God has given. Yet I am grateful that we who know Him personally can so easily direct the unknowing and preoccupied to Him and His Son simply by pointing to a sunrise or sunset. May we do so in order that others may hear the sunsets shout for joy to Him!

Joining in the joyful shouts of sunsets!
Scott

God and the Mountains, Part 2

2010-08-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. – Psalm 90:2

Previously, I presented four observations about mountains that simultaneously taught me about God. These thoughts came to me from the Lord as I meditated upon what I saw while looking at the numerous mountains out in the Western United States during our recent vacation. In this article I want to share several other thoughts the Lord brought to me.

A fifth observation I made about mountains is that they appear one way from a distance, but can look entirely different up close. For example, some mountains in Nevada and California lacked trees or rocky outcroppings. They simply look smooth from a distance; like you could easily drive all over them on an ATV or you could simply roll down them for hundreds of yards. However, once closer you see there is dry brush and briers and rock upon them. From this closer viewpoint it becomes clear they would not be very enjoyable to traverse and impossible to roll down. Or, consider also from a distance how a mountain looks and then how suddenly we are humbled by its size the closer we get. From a distance it looks like you could climb it easily. Then as you get closer you realize what a climb it would be. Various times I would try to zoom in on the video camera to give proper perspective on the mountain. As I zoomed out from a hiker until they become a dot on the screen it then became apparent how large that mountain they were climbing really was. So also the closer we get to the Lord the more we realize how great and awesome he is and how small we are. This perspective makes us ask as David did in Psalm 8:4 “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him.”

Now a revelation closely related to the fifth one is that mountains often contain hidden treasures. Obviously, both of these lessons pertain to our limited perception of mountains. From a distance we can only see a mountain. Little do we know that as you hike the trails of that mountain you can find gorgeous mountain lakes, cool streams, scenic waterfalls, meadows of wildflowers, living creatures both large and small and much more. This is what we learned as we hiked to such spots in the Yosemite, Zion National Park, and up behind Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe. New and glorious surprises waited ahead. While others may have discovered these beautiful details of the mountain they remained a mystery to us until we made the effort to get to know that mountain better. Both of these observations reminded me that knowing God is a never-ending discovery process. Because God is infinite and mysterious and because I am finite and prone to misjudgment I must be careful about the definitive conclusions I make about God. I cannot craft Him in my image or seek to know Him from afar. I must anchor my understanding of Him to his own infallible Word. I get closer to seeing Him aright as I draw near Him in the Scriptures. And the glorious wonder is that as I pursue knowing Him more I find that there are delightful aspects of His nature and character that I have yet to fully appreciate. There always seems to be more of Him to know. His ways are higher than my ways and His thoughts are higher than my thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).

A seventh observation about mountains is that they seem to somehow beckon people to hike them, explore them, or strive for their summit. During our trip we heard of how climbers scale the face of El Capitan in Yosemite. While hiking ourselves we saw climbers farther up ascending to the top of a waterfall or to a snow-capped peak. During National Park movies we heard incredible stories of how people tried to summit peaks like those in the Tetons for years before they finally succeeded. I have to admit that as I stood there looking up at those mountain peaks there was some visceral yearning within me to climb. I too wanted to summit those peaks. So also I think that the Lord beckons us to know Him better. He invites us to draw into deeper experiences with Him so we might find greater joy in Him. Paul expresses this quest for greater knowledge of Christ quite powerfully when he writes in Philippians 3:10, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection of the dead.”

I hope that you and I will seek to know the Lord more, whether or not we find ourselves beckoned to climb a mountain. I hope like me you will thank God for the mountains he birthed and you will find them directing your thoughts toward the Creator. They are the perfect habitat for many unique creatures. They provide nourishment to lowlands below with their streams and melting snow. They fill us little humans with wonder and excitement as we view them or traverse them. And may they teach us endless lessons about their Maker and our Lord.

"Some people, in order to discover God, read books. But there is a great book: the very appearance of created things. Look above you! Look below you! Read it. God, whom you want to discover, never wrote that book with ink. Instead, He set before your eyes the things that He had made. Can you ask for a louder voice than that?" - Augustine of Hippo

Hearing His voice in the Mountains!

Scott Markley

Learning of God in the Moutains, Part 1

2010-08-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. – Psalm 36:5-6

As most of you know I just returned from a family vacation out in the western United States. We went to places we had never been before—places we’d only heard of or seen pictures of. It was a delightful family time in many ways and truly a “once-in-a-lifetime” trip. Before going I prayed and asked God to teach me more about Him through our travels. Today I was meditating simply on what I learned of God through the many mountains we saw on our excursion.

One of the first things we noticed upon arriving in California was the mountains. We traveled in seven different states on this trip and every single one of them had mountains. Some were majestic and snow-capped, while some looked barren and dry. Nevertheless, they were there—mountains––holding lessons about the Creator for those willing to observe and learn.

Let me share some of the truths about God that mountains made me contemplate. There are so many I will do so in two parts. In this article, let me simply share four insights.

First, mountains, obviously, communicate the idea of strength, stability, security, and permanence. That was the why Jesus made the astounding statement about having a faith that could move mountains (Matt. 17:20) and why Paul also referred to such an unimaginable feat (1 Cor. 13:2). Mountains seem fixed and immovable. In this, they also remind me of our God who is mighty and strong.

Second, mountains can stun you with their rugged beauty and majestic peaks. One can get mesmerized by their alluring beauty and gaze at them all afternoon from varying angles. This beauty is why they are photographed and painted and sketched generation after generation. Likewise David speaks of gazing upon “the beauty of the Lord” in Psalm 27:4.

Third, it is fascinating to me how mountains beautify all that is around them. Part of what makes Lake Tahoe so spectacular is the mountain range surrounding much of the gorgeous lake. Yes, the lake and forest of pines have beauty in themselves, but their beauty is enhanced. Or consider many of the valleys that look so lush and lovely. Imagine them without mountains around them. They would just be plains or flat terrain. Part of their beauty comes from the fact that they are nestled in between hillsides or mountain peaks. So when the Scriptures speak of the beauty of Zion I think the beauty referred to comes through a belief that this holy city is a unique habitation of the Lord (Ps. 48:1-2). It was His Divine presence there, in the mind of the ancients, which made Jerusalem so glorious. So also as we today associate with God, as we “put our hope in God” are we made more beautiful (1 Peter 3:5).

Fourth, mountains provide us an unparalleled vantage point that puts other things into perspective. As we ascended to the peaks over Sun Valley, Idaho the towns below diminished in our sight. The wealthy estates seemed small and puny from the mountain top. From the top of Morro Rock in Sequoia National Park we could see snowy peaks and peer into the San Joaquin Valley. There is no doubt God’s perspective on the affairs of this world and my own life is different than the perspective I usually live with. The wonder of knowing the Creator God is that as I see life through God’s eyes pride and fears diminish and that which seems all-important is reduced in significance.

Well, there is a taste of what God can teach us through mountains. But there are even more lessons to extract from the God-ward orientation mountains can give us. I will share more of them in my next article. For now, may we live in light of these truths—valuing that which is truly lasting from God’s perspective, enhancing our own beauty through fellowship with the glorious Lord, and fixing our hope in our great God.

We're off!

2010-07-12T05:09:00.000-07:00

Let the begin! We are (mostly) packed and leave in a few hours for the trip-of-a-lifetime. We have saved for it for years. I have envisioned a trip to the National Parks out west since a pastor friend of mine did it in the mid-90's when his son turned 16. We had hoped to do it in 1997. But the Lord has seen fit for now to be the time. This seems wiser (as His Providence always does) since now at age 12 my youngest son, Daniel, will likely remember far more. Of course, the bittersweet reality is that this may also be the last time our oldest son is even with us for this many consecutive days. Whoa, that'll knock you back. Yet as a friend said to me the other day, "When will we realize that these days--today (not yesterday or tomorrow)--is the very best day."

With that thought in mind we are finishing packing and heading out for the very best days the LORD has given us upon His earth. With Psalm 104 in mind we intend to rejoice in Our Creator and all His handiwork!

I will enter posts here when I can. Follow along...and pray for our safety and refreshment in our gracious King Jesus!

Going west as if a young man!

Scott Markley

A Healthy Hatred of Sin

2010-07-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

As I shared with you previously Charles Spurgeon once said, “God does not allow his children to sin successfully.” I contend an example of unsuccessful sin is found in 2 Samuel 11. From David’s sins presented in that chapter I find there are many lessons for Christ-followers to learn. These lessons can aid us in our efforts to avoid sin and become more like Jesus.

Let me list by way of review the first five observations made about sin from 2 Samuel 11, which were presented previously.
1. The Occasion for the Sin (11:1)
2. The Setting for the sin—temptation. (11:2)
3. The Turn into sin & away from God (11:3)
4. The Willfulness of sin (11:4)
5. The Unmanageable Nature of Sin (11:5-13)

Now let me share another five observations about sin from the remainder of the chapter and what the Lord taught me through these verses.

6. The Escalation of sin. (11:2-4, 13, 15, 17)

Once David’s plan for Uriah to enter into marital relations with Bathsheba as a means of covering up the pregnancy resulting from his adulterous liaison failed, David faced a decision. Should he admit his capital crime and come clean or should he have Uriah killed? Sadly, David chose to send Uriah and other soldiers to their grave through the orders he sent to the military commander Joab. Now David’s sin of adultery has escalated to multiple murders. So also in my life one sin can lead to another. Sin easily can escalate unless I quickly repent and renounce that sin.

7. The Disloyalty of sin (11:15)

It is an striking thing to contrast David and Uriah’s actions in these verses. David tried to deceive and manipulate this trusted member of his own bodyguard (2 Sam. 23:39). Yet Uriah showed unwavering devotion to the Lord and a solidarity with his fellow soldiers by refusing to enjoy the comforts of his own home. The irony is Uriah showed more restraint from his own wife when drunk (made drunk by David), than David did toward Uriah’s wife when sober. How could David be so disloyal? Yet sin will do that. It will lead you and me to manipulate and deceive and betray those we profess to love. Sin breeds disloyalty and destroys relationships.

8. The Desensitization of sin (11:25-27)

When you read these verses you cannot help but be saddened for how philosophical David gets when he hears the news of Uriah’s death. There is no sadness or remorse. Sin has desensitized him to the point where Uriah’s death brings no emotional response. He just quotes some proverb about warfare. His repeated, willful sin has made his heart callous. And surely the same dynamic happens in my life when I sin like that. I become desensitized to my transgressions and the harm they bring others as my heart becomes more and more distant from God as well.

9. The Assessment of sin (11:27)

We get little biblical data of what the people of Israel thought of all these acts by their king. He now took Bathsheba as a wife. Did people see that as compassionate or as unlawful? Well, regardless of what the people thought verse 27 makes it plain what God’s assessment of these actions was. God saw it as “evil” in his sight. It was nothing less than outright as sinfully evil. And that is how God assesses every sin of mine too. David’s evil would have to be judged and so was mine. Christ bore the judgment for my evil sin on the cross. Yet that payment should never make me falsely assess or excuse my sin. Rather, every instance of sin should make me rejoice all the more in Christ’s subsitutionary payment for my sin on the cross.

10. The Consequences of sin (11:17; 12:11, 14, 15)

As we move from Chapter 11 into Chapter 12 the consequences of David’s sin will unfold one after another. The child of the illegitimate union will die. His family will be destroyed by rape, murder, and rebellion. Forgiven sin will still have consequences. Therefore, though we may be forgiven in Christ we should want to avoid all sin simply because we do not want to reap the consequences of that sin. Obviously, there should be higher motives than that. But when we read the chapters that come after Chapter 11 it should be like a slap in the face to us. I certainly don’t want consequences like that for sin in my life.

Indeed, all of these ten lessons I learned about sin from 2 Samuel 11 create within me a healthy hatred of sin. I hope they will for you also. And as God reveals to us our sin may we respond with repentance as we read David did in 2 Samuel 12 remembering as Proverbs 28:13 states: He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever renounces them finds mercy.

Loving Christ & hating sin,
Pastor Scott

Rejoicing With the Rejoicing Creator

2010-07-09T12:26:00.000-07:00

REJOICING WITH THE REJOICING CREATOR

As most of you in our church family know by now my family and I are taking an extended vacation in the coming weeks out to the western United States. This is a trip that I have anticipated since the early 90’s when a pastor friend of mine did it with his family. We have planned and prepared for it for years and are grateful the church has allowed and even encouraged this extended time away with our sons before they are grown and gone. So now the time is here for a once-in-a-lifetime journey. We feel so blessed to be going and hope this gives to our sons memories they will cherish their whole lives.

Primarily, we will be visiting national parks and observing the wonders of God’s glorious creation. Thinking of what we will see had me reading Psalm 104 this morning. It is a wonderful poem that speaks of God’s creative work. Some outline the psalm in this way:
· Stanza 1 (vv. 1-4) The Lord Clothed with Splendor & the Celestial Realm
· Stanza 2 (vv. 5-9) The Lord Sets Bounds for the Land & Sea
· Stanza 3 (vv. 10-13) The Lord Provides Water for the Creatures on Land
· Stanza 4 (vv. 14-18) The Lord Provides Food & Homes for Land Creatures
· Stanza 5 (vv. 19-24) The Lord Governs the Rhythm of Day & Night
· Stanza 6 (vv. 25-26) The Lord Delights in the Seas Creatures
· Stanza 7 (vv. 27-30) All Creatures Everywhere Depend on the Lord’s Provision
· Stanza 8 (vv. 31-35) May I Ever Rejoice in the Lord’s Works Like He Does
[Outline from ESV Study Bible]

Well, that last stanza is what I intend to do on this trip. In Psalm 104:30 it reads: “May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works.” Then down in verse 34 it states, “May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.”
I love the dynamic described of the Lord himself rejoicing in the glory and wonder of what He has created and then us rejoicing with through our meditations.

I hope that as we observe the beauty the Lord has displayed through His creative work on land, sky and sea that we will be filled with a grander vision of our Great God. I am praying the Lord will burst the horizons of our imaginations for how glorious He is through this trip. I am trusting Him for jaw-dropping wonder to overcome my sons and Tina and me. I am praying he will forever remove small, simplistic or domesticated thoughts of Him, the Almighty One. As we step into the laboratory of creation my hope is God will instill lessons that will lead us to an ever-expanding view of Him. I am praying that God will allow us to forever rejoice with our creative King in the works of His Hands.

Please pray for our safety, for sweet family fellowship and for the Lord to impart these faith-shaping experiences to us as we seek refreshment and renewal in Him. Thank you for all your well-wishes, encouragement, and prayers. I love you, First Baptist Church!

Rejoicing with Him & in Him!
Pastor Scott

GIve a Call

2010-07-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

The way many of us relate to each other has changed dramatically in the last two years alone. Social media is exploding in it’s usage in our society. Consider just these stats from pingdom.com:
126 million – The number of blogs on the Internet (as tracked by BlogPulse).
350 million – People on Facebook.
50% – Percentage of Facebook users that log in every day.
500,000 – The number of active Facebook applications.
90 trillion – The number of emails sent on the Internet in 2009.
247 billion – Average number of email messages per day.
1.4 billion – The number of email users worldwide.
1.73 billion – Internet users worldwide (September 2009).
27.3 million – Number of tweets on Twitter per day (November, 2009)
4.25 million – People following @aplusk (Ashton Kutcher, Twitter’s most followed user).
2.5 billion – Photos uploaded each month to Facebook.
30 billion – At the current rate, number of photos uploaded to Facebook per year.
1 billion – The total number of videos YouTube serves in one day.
12.2 billion – Videos viewed per month on YouTube in the US (November 2009).

Those are some staggering statistics aren’t they? They don’t even include the billions of texts sent over phones each year. Obviously, the social media presents several opportunities to individual Christians and the church of our Lord Jesus. They can assist in creating community as people share comments, photos and videos about life events. Social media can also aid in communication and extend the reach of a church around the world. Social media allow instant and remote communication. The social media may even provide inspiration and instruction through tools like blogs. So there are many ways the church can leverage social media to their advantage in this new age of communication.

However, at the same time there are some drawbacks to the social media. Ed Stetzer is a researcher, futurist, and extensive blogger (edstetzer.com) who I heard present some comments on social media two weeks ago. The five concerns about the social media he voiced were: 1.) the wrong people may be in the social media (unengaged, social outcasts can find a haven in it), 2.) It can trivialize important things, 3.) It can create a false sense of community. 4.) It can create pride (numbering your fans, followers, readers), 5.) It can promote impertinent speech (by offering communication without accountability).

I would add one more concern I have as a local pastor about social media. I wonder if it is possible that we might insulate ourselves in a social cocoon through the social media. I wonder if social media allows us to feel in touch with others, when in reality we are only in touch with a small portion of people. So while it seems we are sending our messages to more people than ever, the quantity of people you are actually dialoguing with may be fewer than ever.

I write this not to denigrate the usage of social media, but rather to say we cannot allow ourselves in the church to restrict our communication to these forms. While facebooking, tweeting, and texting are great, sometimes we need to simply give a call to someone.

The summer is a time when many of us are traveling. It is easy to assume someone is on vacation, when in truth they may have fallen into discouragement and be drifting from God. If someone like that comes to mind or is absent from your small group why not just give them a call. Hearing your voice of concern may serve as a tonic and be just the kind of invitation needed to get them back in fellowship with the Lord and His people. Then again, maybe you can write them on facebook or twitter.

Regardless of how you communicate with those away or inactive in the life of the church this summer I do hope you will remember how you can get in touch with God. His preferred communication tool seems clear (kidding!) from this verse some refer to as God’s phone number—Jeremiah 33:3: “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

So this summer let’s make sure we don’t forget to “give a call”—to the Lord and others who need to hear from us.

Grateful He answers!
Pastor Scott

Not Sinning Successfully

2010-07-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

Charles Spurgeon once said, “God does not allow his children to sin successfully.”
The other Wednesday we dialogued in our Midweek Bible Study at First Baptist Church, Lake Wales about what Spurgeon meant by that quote. The discussion was worthwhile. That discussion then led into a look into David’s sinful acts in 2 Samuel 11. He certainly did not sin successfully.

As I approached the text for that study I asked the Lord to teach me about sin, in general, from David’s example. In other words, more than re-examining the historical narrative that many in attendance would already be familiar with, I wanted to extract lessons from the text that would help me learn about the nature of sin itself. I desired to grasp these lessons so that I could seek to avoid the absolute mess David found himself in. I know it is easy for us to distance ourselves from David’s sin if we can relegate it to a historical event or if we can put his sin in a category beyond us. Of course, the irony is, I think, there is no category of sin beyond us, or at least beyond me. So rather than despise David for his sin, I wanted to identify with him in it. For as a pastor I felt this was the best way I could help our people to be victorious over sin.

Obviously, I do not have time or space to relay to you all the lessons and verses in full form. Nevertheless, I do want to share them with you as readers in outline fashion in two parts. Here is Part I of the lessons I learned about sin from 2 Samuel 11.

The Occasion for the Sin (11:1) – A straightforward reading of verse 1 will show you the occasion for David’s sin. It appears that by not being where he could have, and likely should have been, David left himself vulnerable to sin. Likewise I set myself up to sin when I am not actively practicing spiritual disciplines or fulfilling my responsibilities from the Lord.

The Setting for the sin—temptation. (11:2) – Every sin has a setting. Every sin comes at us initially as a temptation. That is when we must turn away from it. When David arose from his rest on his palace roof and saw Bathsheba bathing in the nude he needed to turn away—or as Joseph did even RUN away! Instead, the progression of sin God presents to us in James 1:14-15 took place in David’s heart and mind. The temptation was not sin, but the lingering gaze was...and it led him more deeply into sin. Yet thinking on this made me realize that one way I can avoid sin is by avoiding those settings that cause desire to “give birth to sin”.

The Turn into sin & away from God (11:3) – As I reflected on all the Lord had done for David up to this point (read chapters 1-10) I realized how sadly and swiftly David’s turn was from the Lord. God had blessed David in wonderful ways, but that did not make David immune to sin. How grievous to realize that my sin is also a turn away from God’s goodness to me.

The willfulness of sin (11:4) – David’s willfulness in his adulterous relationship is obvious. He saw her, gazed upon her, sent for her, and initiated sexual relations with her. He could not blame the circumstance of seeing her or any force outside of himself. Despite his righteousness manifest in many ways before this occasion he now was fully responsible for his sin. He chose it. And any chance of victory over sin in my life and yours comes only once we acknowledge our responsibility for our sin. If we attempt to blame circumstance or others for our sin we are not only self-deceived, but more than likely perpetuating sin by that attitude.

The Unmanageable Nature of Sin (11:5-13) – Wow, isn’t this so true? Once Bathsheba rocks David’s world with the startling news that she is pregnant David has to get busy. He is into damage-control mode. Cleverly, David concocts the plan to bring her husband Uriah back from the battlefield so that it can appear that the child Bathsheba is now carrying seems to be Uriah’s. Uriah, to his credit, ends up showing more resolve and righteousness drunk than David did sober David is trying to manage his sin. He wants to contain it. But David found that it is like trying to scoop up a gallon of water in one handful–too much seeps through your fingers. You cannot manage sin.

A classic example of the unmanageable nature of wrongdoing and sin is the events of the Watergate break-in. Charles Colson in his writings has often mentioned how stunning it was that a small group of intelligent, tough, and determined men could not even keep their wrong-doing suppressed. Despite their mutual commitment to keeping the deeds done secret, the story still leaked out.

No, God does not want us to seek to manage our sin, but instead confess and renounce it.
As Proverbs 28:13 states, He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever renounces them finds mercy.

I am grateful God does not allow me to sin successfully so that I might see the futility and wickedness of them and therefore renounce all sins. I must tell you that I have similarly prayed that straying Christian friends would find no pleasure in their sin. Yes, one of my abiding prayers for those under my care in First Baptist Church is that they would, indeed, never be able to sin successfully.

Hating sin & loving Christ,

Pastor Scott

Praying for our Oil-leaking Earth

2010-06-04T14:14:00.000-07:00

Like so many of you I have been distressed over the oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico. I have experienced an array of emotions over this disaster including but not limited to dismay, disgust, confusion, frustration, anger, unbelief, sadness, and somberness. Initially, my sadness was for the eleven men who died in the explosion. Yet as time has passed most of my afore-mentioned emotions were directed toward the issue of the leak itself, and our astounding inability to stop it.

Like you I have also heard all of the blame-shifting and political gain-saying. I guess it is to be expected that politicians might use such a disaster as a political opportunity, but that doesn’t prevent my disappointment. Sure this wasteful leak raises valid questions about if, where and when to drill for oil. I understand that and those and other energy-related questions are worth exploring in a solution-centered approach, but I question the justice of criminalizing an accident for the sake of political gain, if that is being done. More so, it disappoints me that some politicians see it more as a political issue, than as profound ruin for many people and much of God’s creation in that area.

Like you I have heard of solutions for the clean-up from farmers, internet bloggers, news reporters, and hopeful citizens. I am for any of them that will work whether it is hay, human hair, or a vacuum cleaner attached to a spaceship. Since I am no expert in this area I can only trust that BP and government officials know about all of these options so I won’t supply you with any links to forward to your congressmen.

Also, like you I have hoped and prayed for every attempt to stop the leak. With my limited knowledge about the technical elements of the leak or of the clean-up or of energy issues I figured this was my best play. So day after day now for weeks on end I have prayed for an end to the devastation caused by this leak. And as those made in the image of God and redeemed by Christ Jesus I think this is our responsibility. Of all the people affected, we should be passionately praying for this because God has made us stewards of this earth.
In Genesis 1:27 we read of God creating humankind. Then in the very next verse (Gen. 1:28) we read, “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Some call this humanity’s cultural mandate. It emphasizes human stewardship over all creation. It positions humanity uniquely above all of the other species God created. It gives humans the rest of creation as both resources and a responsibility. A Christian worldview of creation must always balance out these truths. We are not pantheists or naturalists who worship creation as if God is in it. Yet we are not materialists who would see nothing sacred about creation. Rather, we see all of creation as, in some way, reflecting the wonder and glory of our Creator. Thus, when His creation is defaced or ruined we grieve or are indignant. Yet we do not deify creation and chastise humanity for daring to rob “Mother Nature” of her elements. No, these were given to us by the Creator to care for, manage, and use for our needs. This is what “subduing” the earth means. Yet at the same time the steward of creation knows the earth and its creatures are to be resourcefully used, but not abused or wasted.

So unlike others you and I, as Christ-followers made and re-made by the Author of Life, have a delicate balance to strike in our relationship to our Lord’s earth. We cannot advocate the greedy exploitation of the natural resources our Creator deposited into this earth, regardless of the consequences. Nor should we reduce humanity to just another naturally-evolved species who has no right to pollute the earth with a carbon footprint. Rather, as subduing stewards of God’s creation we must balance wise resourcefulness and responsibility. Practically, I think this does mean recycling and taking measures that show good management of the resources of our Lord’s creation. I also think it means continuing to fervently pray for success in stopping that leak in the Gulf as soon as possible. May none outstrip our zeal in such prayers.

Groaning with creation (Rom. 8:22-23),

Pastor Scott

Investing in Relationships

2010-05-21T12:40:00.001-07:00

I confess to you I know nothing about financial investing. I’ve never been to the E*trade website. I don’t ever read the stock market section of the newspaper. I have visited Wall Street once, but don’t really understand how the whole thing works. I can’t explain to you what “insider-trading” is or how someone determines what a “share” is worth. I never even had a course in economics or business in college or high school. Yes, in terms of financial investing I am as dumb as a stick.

But I think I understand relational investing a little better. I thought of that concept again as I came to the passage of Scripture I will be sharing with you Sunday. The verses we will examine are 2 Timothy 3:10-12. It seems that in these verses Paul is reminding Timothy about how much he had invested in him relationally. Here is what he writes as presented in the New Living Translation:
“But you know what I teach, Timothy, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith an how long I have suffered. You know my love an my patient endurance. You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured.”(2 Timothy 3:10-11a)

You get Paul’s point don’t you? Paul is saying Timothy knows about these things because Paul spent so much time with him. They traveled together on missionary journeys together. They served together, ate together and suffered together. Paul took Timothy along because he was investing in Timothy relationally and spiritually. Consequently, a love and loyalty developed between them and Timothy matured into a valuable servant of the Lord.

However, today in the church it seems we are reluctant to invest in relationships as those in the Early Church did. I am not speaking strictly of mentoring relationships, but just the desire to have meaningful personal relationships within the church. It wasn’t just Paul who invested in other relationally. Acts 2:42-47 seems to depict the Early Church as sharing life together. Now most Christians seem content to share 75 minutes sitting in a large room together. I say that not to denigrate those valuable minutes in corporate worship, but to question if that is enough to replicate the community the Early Church experienced. It certainly does not call for much of a relational investment does it? I wonder, how connected we can be with such a limited relational investment? How can we know about each other’s lives, purpose, faith, character and struggles through that arrangement? Can that limited way of “doing church” produce disciples of Jesus Christ?

Obviously, you can guess I think there needs to be something more. While there is not time or space here for a full response to my own questions, I do want to extend an invitation here and now.
I invite you to try ratcheting up your involvement in the lives of your fellow believers at FBC by plugging into one of our DO SOMETHING GROUPS coming this summer. There will be ten groups meeting on Sunday evenings for 90 minutes in homes all over the Lake Wales area. Maybe you have never been to such a group. Maybe you rarely, if ever, have been to a Life Connection Group (Sundays @ 9:15 AM). Maybe you have never attended any type of Home Bible Study. Let this be the time to give a small group a try. Look, it is only 6 weeks! You can handle such a short-term commitment. If you miss due to a vacation or whatever that is okay, just come the weeks you can. Choose one near where you live or where you know somebody else attending.

Obviously, these small groups will not produce the bond Paul and Timothy shared in six weeks. However, I bet you will come away relationally closer to those in your group. Consider it a minimal relational investment. Yeah, it is just buying a few shares, but who knows what the dividends may be. As you hear of others share about how their faith in Jesus intersects with their everyday living you may find yourself eager to invest a little more. And who knows, with such experiences you and I might end up being as big as (relational) investors as Paul.

Gladly investing my all!

Pastor Scott

On Unemployment & Satisfaction in Work

2010-05-14T10:44:00.000-07:00

My wife, Tina, was re-hired yesterday to teach at Lake Wales High School again next year. Boy, am I glad.

My brother called from Washington, D.C. He was elated that after four months of searching, dozens of applications, and multiple interviews he landed a job. Well, kind of…it is a six-month full-time position. Given employment opportunities in today’s America he should probably be grateful—and he is.

Wednesday I spoke to a friend in our church. He is a certified teacher but positions in his area of certification are few. When stacked against a younger applicant his age does not help him anymore either. He’s applied to dozens of jobs not in his field, yet they have turned up nothing also. His options are limited. His savings have dwindled down. His unemployment could probably be considered near the crisis stage.

Given the economic situation in our nation and in Central Florida how would you like to be a college student trying to find a summer job? I never had a problem finding that work. While at home during the summers of my college years I flipped burgers, stocked shelves and sliced lunchmeat. During my seminary days I sold clothing and did landscaping. Nowadays options to do any of those are severely limited here in Central Florida. Believe me, I know. The old adage of “if you want to work there are jobs out there” may not apply anymore. Scores of people apply for the same positions. Businesses struggling to stay solvent are scraping by with fewer employees. Paid internships are non-existent. Yes, these are different economic times in America.

All of this should make each of us who are working or who were always able to secure employment back in our working days to give thanks to God. Furthermore, we should find satisfaction in our work. Rather, than grumbling about our job or resenting our duties or feeling under-paid by our employers we should be happy in our work. I say this not merely because of the economic realities of today or the high level of unemployment. I say it because that is what God instructs us to do.

No fewer than three times in Ecclesiastes are workers told do find satisfaction or happiness in their work. Work and this attitude about it are seen as a gift of God!

“A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God.” Ecc.2:24

“That everyone may eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God.” Ecc. 3:13

"…to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God.” Ecc. 5:19

So let’s work hard, rejoice in our work positions, and give thanks to God for our employers. Let’s also pray for the unemployed and for the economy of our nation so that those who are missing out on the satisfaction coming from work might also be able to partake of this gift.

Grateful to co-labor with you for the Lord,
Pastor Scott

Honoring Mothers

2010-05-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your god has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” Deuteronomy 5:16

Most all reading this article are familiar with this command among ten given by the Lord to Moses for the people of God to obey. Many of us memorized the command to honor your father and mother. Well, that is certainly what we intend to do this Sunday at FBC. Obviously, the command from the Lord was not a mandate for a holiday in which we would honor our parents. Rather, the honor was to be shown in their everyday living. Their honor was to be shown in how they acted toward and spoke to and of their parents. Submission, respect, obedience, love, and care–these were to be the way in which a child was to honor their parent. I’m pretty sure greeting cards, flowers, and chocolates were not on the mind of the Lord when he gave this command. Still today they remain a cheap substitute for the honor the Lord expects children of all ages to show. I know, I know you’re wondering if I have seen the price of cards and flowers lately. I have. And I certainly I am not opposed to giving them also. Indeed, this coming Sunday at First Baptist Church we will also seek to honor all mothers in the context of worship.

I hope you will join us for this Sunday. There will be a child dedication service included in our worship, several mothers will bring our special music, a mother and son will bring a unique offertory piece, and we will give a little gift to all mothers present. Furthermore, we will view a prayerful tribute to mothers and I will urge all of us, including mothers, to choose to be honorable vessels in the great house of God. So beyond giving honor this Sunday, I will call all of us to be honorable from Scripture. I hope you will join us for all of this on Sunday May, 9, 2010 at FBC, Lake Wales. I now close with a little poem to honor our mother’s in one other way.

A MOTHER'S LOVE
A mother's hands are gentle,

As she wipes away our tears;

A mother's arms bring comfort

As she helps us face our fears.

A mother's heart is loving -

A true reflection of

The peace found in our Savior

And His everlasting love.

Grateful for the love of the Lord & mothers,

Pastor Scott