A Prayerless Prelude to Denial

How often do you pray when you don't feel like it?

Romans 12:2: And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

To neglect our personal prayer lives is sin. The sin of prayerlessness can creep into the life of any believer. Let’s look at a sad chapter in the life of Peter. Three statements summarize this true drama.

1. Peter was overconfident.

Matthew 26:33-35: Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples.

In a non-threatening environment, Peter was certain of his unwavering commitment. You and I have made bold statements about our commitment to Christ in a worship service or at a Christian Retreat. It is easy to brag about what we will do when surrounded by "like minded believers." We must remember that the strength to keep our bold commitments to Christ depends on the time we spend with Him privately.

2. Peter failed to pray.

Matthew 26:36: Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.”

Matthew 26:40-46: Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

While Peter made a bold statement of support for Jesus, when the time came to pray, he went to sleep. Jesus asked them to pray and they didn’t. He tried to stress the importance of prayer to them, but they were too tired. We need to pray even when we do not feel like it.

3. Peter did what he thought was impossible.

Before he knew what had happened, Peter had done what he thought was impossible:

Matthew 26:69-75: Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.” And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!” And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.” Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.

You and I may think “I’ll never do anything to cause harm to the ones I love.” If you don’t stay close to Jesus, you might. We may boast, “I’ll never drop out of church.” If you don’t stay close to Jesus, you probably will. You could say, “I’ll never steal from my employer.” If you neglect spending time with God, you just might. Be careful. Neglect Prayer. Neglect God.

Johnny Hunt, the current president of the Southern Baptist Convention, tells a true story about a prominent minister who was speaking to a group of ministerial students and one of the students asked a difficult question. The student asked, “If Satan was going to tempt you in an area of your life in order to destroy your ministry, what area would he attack?” The minister is reported to have said something on the line of “Well, I can’t really think of an area in which he would attack me, but I’ll tell you a sin that he could not get me to commit…adultery.” Johnny Hunt says it was just a matter of months before the man had been unfaithful in his marriage and he lost his family. Neglect prayer. Neglect God. Prayerlessness is a sin.

Jesus said, "Apart from me you can do nothing." Is there an area of your life in which you feel you are invincible? Be assured, you are not invincible. That sin you think you have kept hidden. Be assured, God knows. The strongest Christian you know can fail, if they fail to spend time with God in prayer.

The Necessity of Prayer

Prayer is required. If I am to have a healthy spiritual life, I must pray.

There are several things I can live without. I could stand to miss a meal or two. I don’t have to watch the news or sports. Following Hurricane Katrina, I lived without electricity for several days. However, if I am going to be spiritually strong, I have to pray.

Paul wrote to the Christians in Ephesus, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:18). Prayer is a requirement for a victorious Christian life.

We discussed the results of neglecting prayer in our last session. As a review, we need to be reminded that shortly before Jesus was arrested and crucified, the Savior predicted Peter would deny him. Peter, confident in his commitment to Jesus, said, “Jesus, you must be crazy. I would never deny you. I would die first.” Later that night Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. In Matthew 26:36, we find Jesus saying to Peter and a couple of other disciples “Sit here, while I go and pray.” He returned and the disciples, including Peter, had fallen asleep. He then said, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” In Matthew 26:43, we find Peter and the others asleep once again.

I don’t believe it is a coincidence that later that night Peter denied even knowing Jesus. He even cursed when he was recognized as a disciple of Christ. He was overconfident in his own spiritual strength. He failed to pray and before he knew what had happened he had done the unthinkable. He acted as if he didn’t even know Jesus.

Prayerlessness is a sin. Hallesby said,

“Neglect Prayer. Neglect God.”

Ole Hallesby, a Norwegian whose work entitled Prayer is considered one of the Christian Classics of the 20th Century, developed a checklist of the dangerous results of prayerlessness:

• We have more “world” in our thoughts.
• We feel farther away from God.
• We have less “God” talk in our conversations with others.
• Slowly an unwilling or rebellious spirit creeps into our personality.
• Sin doesn’t sting as much, because it is less honestly confessed.
• We deal with sin as the world does, by hiding it.

Luis Palau in his book, “Heart After God” wrote:

“Immorality begins with tiny things. Little things. Yet, if you don’t crucify them, if you don’t bring them to judgment, if you don’t face up to them for what they are—sin—they can destroy you. They can blur your moral judgment at a critical, irreversible junction in your life. No one sees the little flaws. But everyone sees the big collapse.”

4 Scriptures that underscore the importance of regular prayer.

1. Proverbs 15:8

The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.

2. Acts 2:42

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

3. Acts 3:1

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.

4. Colossians 4:2

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Application

Is there a major decision in your life that you have not taken to God in prayer?

What does this statement mean to you? "Neglect Prayer. Neglect God."

Should you pause now and ask God to forgive you for prayerlessness?

Up Street is Neat

I attended a presentation at the George-Greene Baptist Association Building tonight.

Mark and Melanie Williams, from Agricola Baptist, shared their approach to ministering to children. They have small groups that meet for about fifteen minutes at the beginning of their "Sunday School," which they call Up Street. Then, they have a large group in which a worship leader leads them in high energy worship music. Next, a volunteer tells a Bible Story. These volunteers follow an eight week rotation schedule.

Once a month in the fall and winter, a special program is offered for the children and parents on Sunday Nights. The parents are required to attend.

They shared some great ideas. They are passionate about their ministry.

Disillusioned by Panther Hoax

Yesterday, I received an email from a friend containing this picture of a 260 pound panther, which was, alledgedly, hit by a vehicle here in Greene County. The email mentioned the name of the individual who supposedly hit the big cat. Also, the email included the name of a man who reported seeing the dead animal at a local taxidermy studio.

This report was incredibly frightening. A wildcat this large could easily kill unsuspecting hunters (and pastors). So, I contacted a game warden and shared the photo with him. He informed me this was a hoax, because he had seen the same photos attached to a claim that the panther was killed in Amite County, Mississippi. He beleives this is a photo of a mountain lion killed in the West.

After hearing from the game warden, I did an image search and found a website that posted the picture, along with claiming the cat was killed in Amite County. The text of the email I received was almost word for word in similarity to the explanation on the website I discovered. However, the names had been changed.

Consequently, I have made a crucial discovery. Not everything on the internet is true. I feel myself plummetting into a sea of depression and despair. My fragile world has been shattered.

Prayer: Casting Your Care on Him

At various times in my life, I have kept a prayer journal. The journal I kept during the first few days of college is comforting to me, because I was very anxious about being away from home and fitting in at school. Many prayers are recorded in a "Dear God" manner. I just poured out my heart. Many of those prayers were answered. Since I recorded them, they continue to be a source of comfort for me.

Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.—I Peter 5:7

Based on the verse above, at times, I follow the following outline to focus my prayers (I posted this originally on June 23, 2006).

4 Elements of Personal Prayer: C.A.S.T.

Confession

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

I am convinced it is important to come to God admitting my need for forgiveness. Once I have repented of sin, I am free to praise Him and receive his guidance in understanding the scriptures I will read.

Adoration

Psalm 35:28 And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness And of Your praise all the day long.

Before reading a scripture, I praise God for his power and love, which is revealed in the Bible.

Then, I read a scripture passage.

Suggestions: If you have never read a lot of scripture, begin by reading the book of John. You may want to just focus on a few verses or paragraphs at a time. Many Daily Bible Reading Plans are available online or in most Study Bibles. Billy Graham mentioned he would always read a chapter of Proverbs each day. Specifically, he would read the chapter that matched the day of the month. For example, on June 26, he would read Proverbs Chapter 26. Before reading, ask God to speak to you through the scripture.

Supplication

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

After reading scripture and meditating on the truths that are evident, pray for the needs and concerns on your prayer list. You may want to have a prayer list that guides you to pray for certain people on a specific day of the week. Sundays-Pray for the pastor, your Sunday School Teacher. Mondays- Pray for Tony and Karen Gray, Missionaries to Brazil. Tuesday- Mike and Selina Smith. Mike leads worship at FBC Leakesville. His wife Selina gives a Children's Sermon every Sunday. EVERYDAY- Your spouse, your children.

Thanksgiving

I Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Don't forget to praise God for answered prayer. Express thanks for the seemingly small blessings of life.

No prayer time should be ritualistic. However, using a guide is helpful. Many bookstores sell Prayer Journals. The method or outline is not as important as spending time with God in a personal and private manner.

Personal Prayer

Prayer is Personal.

The Bible tells us that Abraham was called the “Friend of God (James 2:23).” I would love for someone to say that Philip Price is a friend of God.

Based on your recent prayer life, are you being a friend of God?

Prayer is a personal conversation with God. While people can and should pray on your behalf, asking God to bless you, the prayers of other people cannot create a change in your heart. I believe people can pray that the Holy Spirit of God will work in a person’s life, but ultimately an individual has to decide for themselves whether or not they will do the Lord’s will. In regard to salvation, we often state that a person must a personal relational with God. Your mother cannot make a spiritual commitment for you. No one can practice prayer for you. You have to develop your own prayer life. In Psalm 23, David said, “The LORD is my Shepherd.” Is he your shepherd? Prayer is personal.

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.--Matthew 6:5-7

These verses teach us 5 things about personal prayer:

1.Personal prayer is transparent. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.

The word used in the original language for hypocrite referred to “one who acts,” impersonates another, or wears a mask. The Greek actors would be asked to play more than one part in a play. So, they would wear a mask. Prayer is not a performance for God. He knows who we are.

We all are basically three persons:
1) The person we think we are.
2) The person others think we are.
3) The person that God knows we are.

We have to be honest with God. We have to be honest with ourselves. We must be transparent.

2. Personal prayer is private. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door,

A. T. Robertson said the word for closet in the original language referred to “a storehouse, a separate apartment, one’s private chamber, or ‘den.’” The instruction is to shut out the world. Be alone with God. Don’t bring your false self. The actual place of prayer isn’t as important as the attention of the one praying. I was told of someone that walks in the morning and spends this time praying. Whatever you do, shut out the world. Get away from your cares and schedule. Eliminate distractions.

3. Personal prayer is a conversation with God. ,,,pray to thy Father which is in secret;

We should pray more in private than we do in public. If we don’t we need to check our motives. If we only pray in public, this becomes only a performance.

4. Personal prayer has visible benefits. and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly

Our family and friends should be able to tell that we have been with God. If we spend time with God in prayer, he begins to shape our lives. Noticeable changes will be made.

5. Personal prayer deals in the present. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Vain repetition is the praying of yesterday’s news. We don’t have to educate God. Heathens in the time of Jesus would repeat phrases to their gods because they believed through repetition they would garner the attention of their deity.

Make sure you mean what you say. We should repeat prayer requests. The Bible stresses the importance of persistent prayer, but do not become ritualistic.

If God is your friend, you will not repeat the same ole stories over and over again. You’re not going to try to impress him with what you know or who you know.

Application

What do you need to do to eliminate distractions and "shut out" the world to make prayer a priority?

Where do you go to pray?

Why not pray right now. Be a friend of God.

Prayer Request from Baltimore

I received these requests fro prayer yesterday. Please pray for them.

Dear Friends,

Please pray for the following two events which will be happening this week. These are very important in the life of the church:

(1) The meeting with Troy Bush at the Embrace Baltimore office on Wednesday, June 25, at 3pm to discuss our Request, etc, for a church planter as we move forward to establish a vibrant, viable, vital community church here on Warren Avenue.

(2) Our Community Fun Fair on Wednesday, June 25, from 6:30pm until 8:30pm at the Playground at Federal Hill Prep School next to South Baltimore Recreation Center. This event brings together kids and others who have been participating in our multi-community soccer/sports camps and other ministries in Federal Hill and Sharp Leadenhall.

Please pray that God will continue to provide manpower and resources for the ministries to occur and that God will send us the resources in order to reach the unchurched with the Gospel.

God bless,

Lyn O'Berry,
Pastor

The Church on Warren Avenue
Baltimore, MD

The House of Prayer

In the days before we leave for our Baltimore Mission Trip on July 7, I would like to examine prayer and post these thoughts here on the blog. Most of these studies were shared in our mid-week prayer services about 2 years ago.

In the weekly schedule of most evangelical churches is a midweek service dedicated to a time of corporate prayer. These services vary in length and order. At the Brooklyn Tabernacle, they observe a midweek prayer service that the pastor credits with the phenomenal growth of that church.

So, as in many churches, we gather each Wednesday night to pray. It’s a tradition for many folks. They have been gathering on Wednesday nights for years. However, for many, the Wednesday prayer service is not a tradition and is apparently not a high priority. My desire is that the prayer service at FBC Leakesville would not just be another meeting—not just a time to get together with old friends to find out the latest news on the “sick.” I pray that we would treat this time as a power hour—a time of joining out hearts together in prayer expecting God to change us, our community, and our world.

Shortly after Jesus made his much celebrated entrance into Jerusalem, he entered the temple and found merchants in the temple area selling religious merchandise and sacrificial animals in a manner unpleasing to God. He knocked over the money changers' tables and the tables of those selling doves and shouted, “My house shall be called the house of prayer” (Matthew 21.13). Please notice he never said, “My house is to be a house of wholesome family activities.” He didn’t say. “My house is to be a house of dynamic preaching.” Nor did Jesus say, “My house is to be a house of beautiful music.” He didn’t even say, “My house is to be a house of community service.” Jesus declared, “My house is to be a place for prayer—a place for praying.”

When a church is a praying church, do you know what it becomes? A house of prayer will be filled with inspiring and uplifting music presented by believers that have spent time with God and seek not to entertain people, but to honor Jesus. A house of prayer will be a place of wholesome and honorable activities for families, because the workers will lead activities and Sunday School classes that they have taken to Almighty God in prayer and he will bless their efforts. A house of prayer will have dynamic preaching, not because they have a preacher with a $1000 suit and a million dollar vocabulary. The preaching will be dynamic because a prayerful preacher prepared a sermon under the leadership of God to a praying congregation that spent the days before they gathered lifting up their pastor in prayer and praying that God would do a great work within them.

The popular phrase “Prayer changes things” is true. However, I like to think that it is not the act that changes things, but the God to whom we pray that changes us. Jesus said, “For your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him” (Matthew 6:8). The act of prayer is not to inform God of what we need, but to condition us to humble ourselves in recognition that we need God.

For me, prayer is “talking and listening to God.” To further explain, I would like to offer an acrostic that I have developed that helps me remember some important aspects of prayer:

Personal
Required
Acknowledgment
Yearning
Effective
Responsive

I will examine each point in the next few days.

Letter from Brazil

Tony and Karen Gray, members of our church, are missionaries in Brazil. They sent this recent update:

Bro Phillip and church family,

We pray each of you are well and enjoying the blessings of the Lord.

This evening we conclude the project with Dr. Cecil Taylor of University of Mobile and volunteers from around the Mobile and Fairhope area. We have had a tremendous week.

Over 900 reading glasses were given away, over 250 children were reached through VBS. Last night we dedicated our second of eight chapels we are building this year and we celebrate the 200+ decisions for Christ this week. Certainly our Lord has worked through HIS people.

Thank you for your prayers...keeping them flowing heavenward.

Serving HIM together,

Tony & Karen Gray

The Good Shepherd

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.--Psalm 23:4 (NKJV)

These words from Matthew Henry have always been a great comfort to me as I meditate on Psalm 23.

The valley of the shadow of death may denote the most severe and terrible affliction, or dark dispensation of providence, that the psalmist ever could come under. Between the part of the flock on earth and that which is gone to heaven, death lies like a dark valley that must be passed in going from one to the other. But even in this there are words which lessen the terror. It is but the shadow of death: the shadow of a serpent will not sting, nor the shadow of a sword kill. It is a valley, deep indeed, and dark, and miry; but valleys are often fruitful, and so is death itself fruitful of comforts to God's people. It is a walk through it: they shall not be lost in this valley, but get safe to the mountain on the other side. Death is a king of terrors, but not to the sheep of Christ. When they come to die, God will rebuke the enemy; he will guide them with his rod, and sustain them with his staff. There is enough in the gospel to comfort the saints when dying, and underneath them are the everlasting arms.

Grief, Sadness

Early this afternoon, I was notified that the father of two members of FBC Leakesville died. He was in hospice care and died at home. My heart hurts for the family. He had a long illness and was always gracious to me when I visited him. They are in my prayers.

Later in the afternoon, I went to visit a lady in the hospital who was just diagnosed with cancer a few days ago. She is already in the final stages. The family is in shock.

For me, there is an image that always comes to mind when I am in situations of loss. I see Jesus not far from the tomb of Lazarus. In John 11:35, the shortest verse in the Bible, the Gospel writer recorded that "Jesus cried."

I'm encouraged by the fact that Jesus, the all-powerful Son of God, did not discount his human emotions or those of his friends. He wept. He does that with all who grieve the loss of loved ones.

VBS: Day Four

This morning I went back to the Bible Story area and, two students, expressed a desire to be baptized. I'll contact their parents and set up a time to talk with them. That is why we have VBS.

VBS Parents Night

Last night was Parents Night for our Vacation Bible School. A high percentage of our children were present and many of their parents/grandparents were in attendance. The kids did a great job singing the songs and doing the motions they've learned during the week. After our time in the sanctuary, we gathered in the Activities Building for refreshments. It was a lot of fun talking to some of the parents I had never met.

Selina Smith has done an incredible job in directing our VBS. This is her third year.

VBS: Day Three-Parents Night Tonight

Today, we had a few less students than yesterday, but our attendance continues to be strong.

I spent the entire time sharing the Bible Story, which was based on the crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection. Furthermore, I shared the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus and following his example in baptism.

Tonight is family night. We will have refreshments following the service. I look forward to meeting some of the parents who are prospects for our church.

Didn't have a chance to eat refreshments today, but I heard the cookie flip flops and chicken nuggets were delicious.

VBS: Day Two

Our attendance is up from yesterday and we continue to have several volunteers exceeding all expectations.

Tomorrow, I will be leading the Bible Story Time. I can't wait.

Since I've been so busy this morning, I haven't made it over to sample the refreshments. So, this is a short post. I must go and do my duty as First Class Snack Taster.

Visit With Michael Perry

Yesterday, I traveled to Pascagoula, MS to visit one of our members in the hospital. On the way back from the hospital, I stopped by FBC Moss Point and visited with Pastor Michael Perry.

Bro. Michael was the pastor here at FBC Leakesville from 1985 to 1993. The activities building was building during his ministry here. He and is wife are deeply loved by the people of our church.

Jane, Michael's wife, was diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of the year. In April, they traveled to Houston for several days of treatment. Although she has some sickness, she is home now and doing fairly well. In two weeks, the Perrys will return to Houston for surgery. Please pray for them.

Michael is always so encouraging. I can see why the members of FBC Leakesville continue to love him so much.

Vacation Bible School Begins

We've had a great start to our VBS. 47 children are enrolled and we have 34 volunteers. The number of volunteers is substantially more than last year. I believe God is answering our prayer, which is based on Matthew 9:38, "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

The kids are having a lot of fun and they are learning that God loves them. The church is decorated beautifully.

I just returned from refreshments: Cinnamon Pretzels, Chips, and Cherry Kool-Aid. Yum!

Father's Day at First Baptist

Family Dedication

This morning, we held a time of family dedication. Seven children were dedicated to the LORD. Traditionally, many churches observe Baby Dedications on Mother's Day. However, I wanted to place an emphasis upon the importance of Christian Fatherhood. Compared to past Father's Day, our attendance was much better this year.

Gift to the Men

Each man received a copy of a devotional book by Patrick Morley, Devotions for the Man in the Mirror.

I preached from Romans 8:28. My message was entitled a "Godly Father's Perspective."

Mission Trip Report

In the evening service, Bro. Jimmy Holcomb gave a super presentation on his recent trip to West Africa. He shared some of the funny and unusual happenings on his journey. Also, he shared how challenging such a trip is. When traveling in that part of the world, there are a lot of surprises and few creature comforts. He, along with Brian Henderson, traveled deep into the bush. They were even given a goat.

Bro. Jimmy exudes a joy of serving that is rare. The only thing I could say after his presentation was "Wow!!"

Playground Dedication

At the conclusion of our PM Service, we gathered on our new playground and dedicated it to the Lord. After I made a few comments, we sang "Jesus Loves Me." Then, we held hands, circled the equipment, and prayed. This was a great time in the life of our church.

Our goal was to have the playground equipment in place before Vacation Bible School. VBS starts tomorrow. Praise the Lord!

Home

Well, after traveling 1800 miles, we made it home this afternoon at 4 Pm.

We left Indianapolis on Thursday morning. Then, we traveled to Dayton, Ohio to visit my Aunt Martha. We had a great time seeing her. From there, we traveled through Cincinnati, Louisville, Nashville, Huntsville, and spent the night just south of Birmingham.

On Friday, we traveled to a campground near Atmore, AL, to spend the night with Terri's folks. This morning Jared, Abbey, and I went tubing on a beautiful creek. For lunch, there was a family reunion. For the first time, I met many people related to Terri.

Great trip, but I am glad it's over.

Johnny Hunt is SBC President

Surprisingly, while six men were nominated for SBC President, Johnny Hunt won on the first ballot, receiving 52% of the votes. I thought he would win, but thought there would be a run-off. Frank Cox came in 2nd, capturing, I believe, 16%.

I enjoyed hearing the North American Mission Board report tonight. Many NAMB missionaries were introduced to the convention.

Terri attended the Ministers Wives Conference. Gary Chapman spoke. She really enjoyed it. They gave away a nice purse and over $200 worth of materials to each wife. She paid $12 for the meal I think. This was a great bargain. Also, a sheer coincidence was that she happened to sit with our good friend Tracy Vanlandingham. Her husband, Jeff, worked with me at Central Hill Baptist Retreat back "in the day." Tracy attended William Carey when I was matriculated there. Jeff pastored in Cintronelle, AL a good number of years ago. Presently, he pastors in Birmingham, AL.

Important Election Today

The SBC will elect a new president today. Frank Page has done an excellent job as president for the past two years.

Supposedly, six men will be nominated for the position. My prayer is the man elected will continue to involve many different people from churches of various sizes. Pray for the election today.

Blessed by Pastors Conference

I attended the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists yesterday morning. At the COSBE event I had the first of two Ronnie Cottingham sightings (One at 8:58 AM and the other at 4:28 PM at the Registration Booth.) Tony Nolan preached a great message. Newsong sang a moving arrangement of How Great Thou Art.

At the SBC Pastors Conference, I heard sermons from Johnny Hunt, Daniel Simmons, Tom Eliff, Jimmy Draper, Hayes Wicker, George Harris, Ed Litton, James MacDonald, and Kerry Shook.

Ed Litton's wife was killed in a tragic automobile accident in August 2007. He shared his personal reflections on Psalm 23 in light of his grief. By far, this was the most touching sermon for me.

James MacDonald's message can be summarized in one word--REPENT. Preachers need to repent. This preacher needs to repent.

Tony Dungy made a surprise appearance and gave a brief testimony. He is a member of a Southern Baptist Church in Tampa. His pastor introduced him.

Fireproof Screening

Prior to the Pastors Conference, Abbey and I attended a screening for the movie Fireproof. This movie is produced by the same folks that created Facing the Giants.

The movie focuses on the importance of viewing marriage as a covenant. I really believe this movie can be a great outreach tool, which can springboard many Marriage Enrichment Events for churches.

Fireproof is to be released in September.

In regard to entertainment value Abbey gave the film an 8 of 10. I gave it a 9. Kirk Cameron starred in the movie. The other actors were all amateurs from a church in Georgia.

Heard Great Things About Sunday at FBC

Many folks have told me Boo did a great job preaching yesterday morning. I knew he would.

Dennis, who preached Sunday PM, said that service went well.

Decoration has begun for Vacation Bible School. I'm praying we will reach many families in our community as a result of this outreach.

I'm looking forward to this Sunday, which is Family Dedication Day for us. We have several children that will be dedicated in the AM Service. Traditionally, Mother's Day is chosen by many churches as the day for such an observance. However, I believe Father's Day is just as appropriate. We have a great gift we will give all of the men present.

The scripture passage for the sermon Sunday is Romans 8:28-30. Probably, this is not a common passage for Father's Day, but I feel it is very applicable to the lives of all men.

Detour

Well, we did not leave Cave City, KY until 11:00 AM. We saw a line of severe thunderstorms moving through Indianapolis, IN, which is where we were headed for the Southern Baptist Convention. So, we decided to delay our departure.

As were entered Indiana, we saw signs warning that Interstate 65 was closed. That was hard to believe, but we stopped at the first rest area and this was verified. No one at the visitor center had any advice on how to proceed. Apparently, 6 to 9 inches of rain deluged the area.

We decided to press on, but when we made it to about 70 miles south of Indy, traffic came to a complete halt. We sat for about 10 minutes and decided to turn around.

Terri did a good job of picking an alternate route and we made it safely to our hotel--just 90 minutes later than expected. The strange thing is I never turned on my wipers.

We came in on I74 and saw standing water everywhere. I am glad we didn't not decide to drive in early this morning.

I plan to attend the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists event in the morning (Stay Tuned: There may be another Ronnie Cottingham Sighting.). In the afternoon, we are going to attend the preview of the new movie FIREPROOF. This is produced by the same folks that filmed "Facing the Giants." I am looking forward to seeing this film.

I am praying for Boo White and Dennis Cochran who will preach at FBC Leakesville tomorrow. Tonight, I talked to Min. of Music, Mike Smith, and told him that we made it. We are blessed with a great staff at First Baptist Leakesville.

Seeing Caves and Cave City

Today, we spent the morning in the Mammoth Cave National Park.
We rode on the Green River Ferry, which was a unique and free experience. The drive was beautiful on both sides of the river.

Also, we took the Frozen Niagara Cave Tour. All of the family was able to complete the tour. We moved from 92 degree temp. to 54 degree temp. Jared was scared at times. Charlee walked part of the way. I had to carry her down 48 stairs, which was easy. However, going up was a little challenging, but, we made it.

The "Drapery Room" was amazing and beautiful in its own way. At one point they turned off the lights, which revealed the darkest "dark" I've ever experienced. I could not see my hand in front of my face. Yet, the park ranger flicked a small lighter, which illuminated a large area. There's a sermon illustration there somewhere.

After the tour, we checked into another hotel with a pool. Jared was feeling a lot better today. He had a blast swimming.

After dinner, I took Jared and Abbey to the Jesse James Fun Park for bumper cars. go carts, lifts to the top of a mountain. Also, Jared jumped on a trampoline and climbed a rock climbing wall. This was a lot of fun.

We plan to arrive in Indy tomorrow. Hopefully, we can avoid the severe weather which is further north.

Great Travel Day & A "Ronnie Cottingham" Sighting

Today, we drove 519 miles to Mammoth Cave National Park near Cave City, KY. We made great time--leaving at 5:30 AM and we made it to our destination by 2:00 PM.

Our only problem was that Jared became nauseous and vomited while we we driving through Nashville. After settling into the hotel room, he slept all afternoon and is sleeping now.

Around 7:30 PM, Abbey and I went exploring Cave City. We have decided to spend another night in the area, since bad weather is expected in Indianapolis tomorrow. So, while we were in Cave City, we stopped by a hotel to check out the rate.

When I was walking into the hotel, I saw Ronnie and Beverly Cottingham. What a small world. The Cottinghams are on their way to Indianapolis for the Southern Baptist Convention. They well participate in Crossover, which is an evangelistic outreach this weekend.

The Older Woman

My dad is married to an older woman. She is 8 hours older than he is.

On June 2, 1939, just before midnight, my mother, Joanna Harris was born. Eight hours later, my dad, was born in New Hebron, MS.

So, there has been a running joke in our family for years that dad looks and acts a lot younger than mom, since he is younger.

Today, we met them in Hattiesburg for a meal. I can't believe my parents are 69. Someone is getting old and I don't think it is them.

Terri and I are both blessed to have our parents still living--still spoiling our kids. My parents have supported throughout the 43 years I have lived.

I, too, married an older woman. Terri is 15 months older than me.

Happy Birthday Mom and Dad!!

Late Monday Recall of Sunday

Yesterday and Today have been productive, but busy.

We started with a productive Deacons Meeting at 8:00 AM. Joe Glenn Errington facilitated the meeting in the absence of our Chairman, Woody Rustin, who was returning from Brazil with the rest of the Association's Mission Team.

The team landed in Gulfport, MS, just before Noon. Thanks to Freddy Hight for driving the van to pick them up.

In the Morning Service, a couple who has been attending our church for quite some time, joined. Avery and Pat Champagne are the parents for April Levine, who is the wife of the former FBC Youth Minister, Patrick Levine. They moved to our area approximately 5 months ago. The Champagnes were very active in Lemoyne Boulevard Baptist . This church has been incredibly active, and continues to be, in helping their area recover from Hurricane Katrina.

Significant increase in our attendance from last Sunday, which was Memorial Day Weekend.

At the close of the AM service, we prayed for Malcolm Eubanks who is going on the mission trip to North Dakota later this week.

I preached from Romans 8:18-25 in the AM and Romans 8:26-27 in the PM.

In the afternoon, I met with Roger Gilbert, pastor of New Hope Baptist, to discuss their upcoming Mission Trip to North Dakota. Members of our youth praise band, No Regrets, are going on this trip later this month.

I visited with a family at the funeral home just before 2:00 PM.

Following the Evening Service, our Stewardship Committee met. The meeting was fairly long, but a lot was accomplished. This ministry team is fully supportive of missions. They continue to freely support the mission trips our association is sponsoring.

Report from Brazil Ministry Team

I received the following email from Karen Gray, missionary in Brazil. Karen and her husband, Tony, are members of our church and missionaries through Pioneer Missions. Please pray for the team as they will begin the long flight home today. They are scheduled to arrive in Gulfport, MS just before Noon on Sunday.

FBC was well represented this week. The 1st pic is Mr. Woody sharing the gospel through the interpreter. The 2nd and 3rd pictures are Clarrisa, Tony and Karen giving out reading glasses. The 4th picture is Clarene with part of her VBS team preparing for an impromptu session. Don't know how I missed a picture of Bro. Jimmy. But I'm sure they have several.

It was a great week. The Rustins did a great job!

Remember us in your prayers as we fly to the North tomorrow night to meet FBC Hattiesburg to build a chapel and have a medical clinic.

Blessings on you and yours.

Karen Gray

Plans for Saturday

Well, we went to Bay Minette, AL, this afternoon to visit my in-laws. Then, we ate at the Stage Coach Cafe in Stockton, AL. Our good friend, Joyce Overstreet, runs the restaurant. I had a Shrimp Po Boy.

At the restaurant, we saw Terri's Aunt and Uncle, as well as some cousins there. Also, we saw the young man who was the Ring Bearer in our wedding. He's 26 years old now. He graduated from Georgia Tech about 4 years ago.

Tomorrow, Abbey plans another yard sale. The last one was a success.

Jared and I will be attending his end of the season T-Ball party. They plan to have one of those inflatable water slides. This should be fun.

USM's Spring Break BSU Trip to Baltimore

As I was searching the Embrace Baltimore website, I found the following article on the Baptist Student Union Trip to Baltimore. They assisted the same church we will be working with for a second year, July 7-11. The University of Southern Mississippi is only 50 miles from our church.

University of Southern Mississippi BSU Spring Break to Baltimore

By Theresa Sassard

BALTIMORE — Most college students think of beaches and partying during Spring Break, but the Baptist Student Union of the University of Southern Mississippi had another idea. A group of 25 students and leaders, led by Kris Walters, associate BSU director, decided to partner with The Church on Warren Avenue, a Baltimore Baptist Association church in the Inner Harbor section of downtown Baltimore. During the week of March 8-13, 2008, the team did ministry projects at the church and in the neighborhood.

Warren Avenue had a number of tasks for USM missionaries. One of their jobs for the week was to reorganize and inventory the stuff that had accumulated in their church.

With no job being too big, according to Kris, probably their weirdest task was to take a piano apart the church didn't need anymore. A new sign was built for the front of the church. The team also went into the neighborhood and spent some time with kids at the local rec center.

After finishing their tasks at Warren Avenue, the team was able to assist two other local churches. At Catonsville Baptist Church, they tested out their painting and balancing skills; and at Gethsemane Baptist Church, they cleaned out an old storage area.

Rounding out the week, this terrific group of hard-working students worshipped together at The Vine on Sunday before heading back home to Mississippi. Great job … good and faithful servants!

Playground Equipment Installed

Starting at 7:00 AM and ending at 3:30 PM, we completed the installation of the playground equipment we purchased from Gametime. While it was a hot day, the attitudes of all the folks present help make the day a lot of fun.

Several men and women spent the day at the church. I appreciate all that went into completing this project. This will be a blessing to our children's ministry. Kudos to our Children's Ministry Team and the Properties Committee. Also, all the men who helped did a super job. The women served a great lunch.

Beautiful Day to Install Playground Equipment

Well, looks like we will be able to install the playground equipment. This will be the third scheduled effort. Praise God for a beautiful day.

Debtors to God

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.--Romans 8:12-13, NKJV

The Boy Who Lost His Boat

Tom carried his new boat to the edge of the river. He carefully placed it in the water and slowly let out the string. How smoothly the boat sailed! Tom sat in the warm sunshine, admiring the little boat that he had built. Suddenly a strong current caught the boat. Tom tried to pull it back to shore, but the string broke. The little boat raced downstream.

Tom ran along the sandy shore as fast as he could. But his little boat soon slipped out of sight. All afternoon he searched for the boat. Finally, when it was too dark to look any longer, Tom sadly went home.

A few days later, on the way home from school, Tom spotted a boat just like his in a store window. When he got closer, he could see -- sure enough -- it was his!

Tom hurried to the store manager: "Sir, that's my boat in your window! I made it!"

"Sorry, son, but someone else brought it in this morning. If you want it, you'll have to buy it for one dollar."

Tom ran home and counted all his money. Exactly one dollar! When he reached the store, he rushed to the counter. "Here's the money for my boat." As he left the store, Tom hugged his boat and said, "Now you're twice mine. First, I made you and now I bought you."

Our Responsibility to God

The preceding story is illustrates what God has done for us. He created us, but, due to our sin, we were separated from Him. Then, by sending Jesus to pay the price for our sins, he bought us back. God redeemed us, because he loves us. That makes us special. Because of the price he paid to forgive our sins, we are debtors to Him. We are obligated to respond in faith to His free offer of eternal life.

Today, do something to show God your gratitude for the price He paid for your sins.

Plane Tickets Have Arrived

The plane tickets for our Mission Trip to Baltimore, July 7-11, 2008, have just arrived by Federal Express. I am getting excited.

Yesterday at First Baptist Leakesville

Yesterday was FBC, our Bible Study attendance was much lower than usual. The attendance at our Morning Worship Service was lower than usual. Probably, to folks being out of town for the long Memorial Day Weekend.

Mike Smith, the Minister of Music at FBC, was out of town with his family for the weekend. He deserves to get away. He and his wife are incredibly dependable. We missed them.

David Chatham led our music in the morning service. He played his guitar and Patti Zehner played piano. Also, David sang "Amazing Grace" with his acoustic guitar. He is very talented. David teaches at Greene County High School and has coached baseball. He will be going with us on our mission trip to Baltimore.

Thanks to Ricky Dickson, Malcolm Eubanks, and Dillon Zehner for trouble shooting our technical difficulties before the AM Service. We showed two videos paying tribute to our Veterans and those who died in the line of duty.

I taught the Sunday Bible Study Class at the Greene Rural Nursing Home. I substituted for Woody Rustin who is on the Associational Mission Trip to Brazil. I always enjoyed teaching out there.

Last night, Boo White, the FBC Youth Minister, preached. He did a great job. He has a wonderful way of connecting with the congregation. He uses great eye contact and he always uses humor appropriately. His sermon was based on John 3:16. For me, it amazes me that no matter how many times you have heard a scripture preached, God can still use an individual to bring out a nuance to the passage that sparks renewed inspiration. Boo is doing a super job.

We Tend to Forget

My brother is pastor of First Baptist Charleston, MS. He wrote, what I think, is a great newsletter article on the importance of Memorial Day. I share it here.

Just because something is important doesn't mean that I will remember it. Because I tend to forget, I need reminders. I write myself notes (A short pencil works better than a long memory). I set my cell phone to sound alarms before important events. I tell other people to remind me. I place letters I need to mail in front of the speedometer so that I will see them when I get into my car. I send myself emails and call and leave myself messages on my answering machine. I must do these things because I tend to forget

It is important to remember those who have sacrificed themselves in service to our country. Because we must remember and we might forget, our nation observes Memorial Day each year.

Don't forget to say thank you to those who have served our country. Freedom is never free.

Field Trip with Charlee

Yesterday, our family went with Charlee's class at the Univ. of Southern Mississippi Child Development Center on a field trip. We visited the 3 J Farm, just outside Petal, MS. This was a lot of fun.

In the pictures above and below, the large horses are Percherons, both the black and gray equines.

Cowboy Jared

This is Charlee's first time on a horse.

This is Charlee with her teacher, Deanna.

Team Headed to Brazil

This morning, around 7:15 AM, I prayed with Woody Rustin, Claressa Rustin, and Nell Gray, before they left from our church, headed to meet the rest of the Brazil Mission Team at the George-Greene Baptist Association Office. They were scheduled to fly out of Gulfport, MS this morning. They have a long trip ahead of them. Please pray for them.

Thanks to Fred Hight for driving our church van for the team.

God Does Not Share His Glory

I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.--Isaiah 42:8

For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.--Isaiah 48:11

In reference to God, the Hebrew word for "glory" refers to the reality of his presence as the supreme ruler of his people manifested in power, splendor and holiness. Also, the "Glory of the Lord" is essentially another name for God.

Ed Stetzer, in Comeback Churches, states "Many spiritual problems and barriers exist, hindering a church's growth through evangelism. Then, Stetzer cites thirty growth barriers that he believes cannot be overcome by "accepting statistics or adhering to strategies."

The first barrier is "Churches aren't concerned about God's glory, believing the church is just for them."

When a church's major focus is within the confines of a building, the congregation can morph into a religious country club. While on earth, Jesus was focused on those individuals that the "Religious Elite" considered to be unclean, unholy, profane. However, in truth, the attitude and hearts of the religious leaders were unclean, unholy, profane.

My favorite story that illustrates the importance of staying focused on reaching people for Christ is below. This modern parable was written originally in 1953 by an Episcopal priest named Theodore Wedel.

"A Crude Lifesaving Station"

by Theodore Wedel.

On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur there was once a crude lifesaving station. The building was just a hut, and there was only one boat, but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea, and with no thought for themselves went out day and night tirelessly searching for the lost. Many lives were saved by this wonderful little station, so that it became famous.

Some of those who were saved, and various others in the surrounding area, wanted to become associated with the station and give of their time and their money and their effort for the support of its work. New boats were bought and new crews were trained. The little lifesaving station grew.

Now some of the members of the lifesaving station became unhappy, in time, however, because the building was so crude and so poorly equipped. They felt that a more comfortable, suitable place should be provided as the first refuge of those saved from the sea. And so they replaced the emergency cots with beds, and they put better furniture in the now enlarged building, so that now the lifesaving station actually became a popular gathering place for its members. They took great care in decorating it beautifully and furnishing it exquisitely, for they found new uses for it in the context of a sort of club. But fewer members were now interested in going to sea on lifesaving missions, and so they hired lifesaving crews to do this work on their behalf, and in their stead.

Now, don’t misunderstand, the lifesaving motif still prevailed in the club’s decoration and symbols — there was a liturgical lifeboat (symbolic rather than fully functional) in the room where the club initiations were held, for example — so the changes did not necessarily mean that the original purposes were totally lost.

About this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought in boatloads of cold and wet, half-drowned people. They were dirty people and they were sick people, some of them with black skin, some with yellow skin. The beautiful new club, as you might imagine, was thrown into chaos, so that the property committee immediately had a shower house built outside the club where these recent victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming
inside the main clubhouse.

At the very next meeting, there was a split in the club membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club’s lifesaving activities for being so unpleasant, as well as for being a hindrance to the normal social life of the club. Some members insisted upon lifesaving as their primary purpose, pointing out that, indeed, they were still called a lifesaving station. But these few were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the lives of all the various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own lifesaving station down the coast. And so, they did just that.

Now as the years passed, the new station down the coast came to experience the very same changes that had occurred in the older, initial station. It evolved into a club, and yet another lifesaving station had to be founded to restore the original purpose.

Well, history continued to repeat itself, so that if you visit that seacoast today, you will find a great number of exclusive clubs along that shore. Shipwrecks are frequent in those waters, but most of the people drown!”

Charlee's Cameo

Each week, take our daughter, Charlee, to the University of Southern Mississippi's Child Development Center. Yesterday, a group of students from England were observing her class. A WDAM News Crew filmed their class.So, at the very end of the video (at the 46 second point), you can see Charlee in the blue "Sailor's Dress."

End of School Party

Wow!! Starting at 4:00 this afternoon, our kids and youth had a party to celebrate the beginning of Summer Vacation.

Joe and Allie Sue Errington, members of our church, have started an inflatable business. Their inflatable water slides are awesome. These aren't your average slides. Check out their Kids Zone blog here.

Grilled hamburgers and hot dogs were cooked for the kids. For the more adventurous, Boo White bought 100 lbs of crawfish and they were spicy hot. I had a few of the boiled potatoes and my mouth was burning all during the prayer service. We had a lot of help with the cooking and supervision of the kids. This was a great night. Thanks to everyone who helped. Especially, we need to thank Joe and Allie Sue for use of the inflatables.

Plug In

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing (John 15:5, NKJV).

For approximately six months, our family desktop computer has overheated and shut down after 30 minutes of use. This has caused the family a lot of frustration, because it would always "crash" right in the middle of balancing the checkbook or finishing a especially creative email.

I have a laptop. So, in the evenings Terri (my wife) and Abbey (my teenage daughter) have used my laptop to stay in touch with the world. However, life is a lot easier when the desktop works.

For several weeks, I intended to carry the unit to the Leakesville Computer Center, which is less than a mile from our house. However, I just didn't get around to it. Last week, I was prepared to take it in, but, then, I discovered the Computer Center had closed.

Obviously, one of the fans was not operating correctly. Thus, the overheating continued. I needed to check it out, but...I didn't.

Finally, yesterday, I opened the CPU and discovered that one of the fans was not plugged into the board. While I didn't know where to connect the plug, I discovered the problem. Bruce Walley, the pastor of the Leakesville Assembly of God, is a computer expert. So, I called him and in a matter of seconds he connected the fan. Consequently, the computer ran for several hours yesterday without overheating.

Today, I feel stupid. Why didn't I look "under the hood" sooner? I could have eliminated a lot of tension in the family and fights over equitable use of the laptop.

Jesus said, "Without me you can do nothing." However, we are busy doing a lot of nothing. In our own strength, we "overheat" and "burn out." If we would just make sure we are connected to Jesus through prayer and daily surrender to Him as "living sacrifices," our lives would be more peaceful, more fruitful.

Do you feel yourself overheating? Well, respond to the invitation of Christ, "Come to me all Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28, NKJV)."

He offers relief from feelings of inadequacy, because he is adequate.

It Should Not Surprise Me

To me, one of the most miraculous and amusing passages in the Bible is found in Acts 12: 5-19.

Peter had been placed in prison. His life was in danger. So, a group of believers gathered to have an intensive time of prayer to pray for his release. While they were praying, an angel came to Peter and led him from the prison.

At first, Peter thought he was seeing a vision, but, after being led near the gathering of believers, the angel left him. Next, Peter knocked on the gate of the home in which the believers were praying. A young girl went to the gate and, when she saw it was Peter, she ran and told everyone that he was at the gate.

In response to the young girl's announcement, those present told her she was crazy. When she repeated the news, they said, “It is his angel.” Eventually, they went to the gate and were astonished to discover Peter was really there.

Peter spoke with them briefly and instructed them to "Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” Then, Peter left.

I am amused by the shock of those who were fervently praying for Peter's release. Why were they so surprised?

Well, yesterday, I had an experience that shocked me, but, after I thought about what had happened, I realized I was simply experiencing an answer to my prayers.

Almost two weeks ago, I posted (read it here) my intent to pray Matthew 9:38 for our mission trip to Baltimore and for our church. Since that time, God has answered this prayer by providing for the mission trip and for the ministry of the church. The last two Sundays, I know of at least two instances in which I believe individuals have been led to commit to serve Him. However, none of these were as shocking as yesterday.

I don't feel at liberty to share all the details, but a man who, since I moved to Leakesville, has been a good friend of mine sent word for me to visit him. He has had some health problems and has been unable to attend church. In response to his request, I went to his home. He shared some encouraging words and, then, he said, "I'm coming to church Sunday and I want to serve the Lord. If there's anything I can do, just let me know."

God answers prayer. As recorded in Matthew 9:38, we should pray "the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” What an encouragement it has been to see him answer this prayer. He provide for His harvest.

14 Tons of Oreos Slow Traffic

I thought this was an interesting article from the AP. Can you think of a spiritual application?

By the Associated Press

Monday, May 19, 2008 7:39 AM MDT

MORRIS, Ill. (AP) -- Got milk?

Police say a trailer loaded with 14 tons of double-stuffed Oreos has overturned, spilling the cookies still in their plastic sleeves into the median and roadway.

Illinois State Police Sgt. Brian Mahoney says the truck's driver was traveling from Chicago to Morris on Interstate 80 around 4 a.m. Monday when he fell asleep at the wheel and slammed into the median.

"The boxes came out of the trailer and boxes were ripped open," he said.

The crash about 50 miles southwest of Chicago remains under investigation. Mahoney says no charges have been filed but both lanes of traffic remain closed while authorities remove the cookies.

Prayer Requests from Baltimore

This email came from Rev. O'Berry this morning. Please pray for these requests.

Dear Friends,

Please pray for the following two opportunities where we will be engaging the community and intentionally sharing the gospel:

1. On Tuesday night, beginning at 6:30 PM, our CONCERT IN THE PARK at Robert Baker Park in Federal Hill.

2. On Friday afternoon at 4pm, SHOWING OF THE MOVIE , “CHRONICLES OF NARNIA” with a gospel presentation following. This latter event arose from the request of the Rec Center Director who specifically asked that we do this.

Please pray that God will honor our prayer that souls will come into the kingdom and people brought into the life of the church.

Lyn O'Berry, Pastor
THE CHURCH ON WARREN AVENUE AT
FEDERAL HILL

Yesterday at FBC

Yesterday, in the AM service, I preached a sermon entitled "No Condemnation" from Romans 8:1-11.

When I preached my "Trial Sermon" at FBC Leakesville on November 6, 2005, I preached from Romans 8:31-39. Two members told me they had made a note in their Bibles that I preached from Romans 8 on that day. Well, I plan, if the Lord is willing, to preach the same sermon I preached on that day in a few weeks. I wonder if they have my outline.

At the conclusion of our morning service, we brought one of the couples from our church to the front and said a special prayer for them. The Rustins are going to Brazil on a Mission Trip supported by the George-Greene Baptist Associations, May 23-June 1. At the conclusion of the evening service, we prayed specifically for Clarene Holcomb, our Area Director of Missions' wife. She is going on the trip to Brazil as well.

The Bridge, the Praise Ensemble from the First United Methodist Church of Lucedale, led in worship last evening. Eric Smith, the son of the Minister of Music here at FBC, directs the group. They did an awesome job. Their praise songs were from Hillsong's Mighty to Save CD.

One of the ladies in the group, Amanda Jones, was a member of Wade Baptist Church when I served as Associate Pastor there. Her husband, Lee, is a good friend of ours, as well. He served as a chaperon on some of our student trips. After the service, we invited them to come to our home and visit. Lee completed a tour of duty in Iraq a in 2005. He shared some stories about how God protected him while he was there. It was good to see them.

A Beautiful Day to Ride a Crocodile

Jared and I took a walk to the City Park this morning. He loves the playground there.

They have a "two-seater" rocking crocodile. He insisted that I ride with him. So, I did. Then, He said, "What a beautiful day to ride a crocodile." Now, that's a classic quote.

Today is gorgeous. It's cloudless, with temps in the 70's. The kids are enjoying our blule "globular" pool.

Tonight, I'll be preaching at the South Mississippi Correctional Center. They have a nice chapel. Usually, there will be 150 inmates present. The choir is fabulous. I really enjoy being out there.

Update: Tony and Karen Gray

I received an email this morning from Tony and Karen Gray. They are members of First Baptist Leakesville. Currently, they are serving in Brazil through Pioneer Missions. Please continue to pray for them. I've included their email.

Bro. Philip,

Hope you, your family, and the church family are well. Karen and I are in Rio making further preparations for this years projects and meeting with the leadership of the Brazilian Home Mission Board about plans and strategies. We'll be going to Sao Paulo next week to meet the George/Greene Association team.

Tomorrow we'll be in 3 churches here in Rio following up on chapels that were built last year and visit another church that is a partner with the project that we're doing with Dr. Cecil Taylor of University of Mobile and volunteers from around the Mobile area.

We certainly appreciate the prayers and COUNT on them.

Regards to all,

Tony & Karen Gray

Priceless

By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.--Hebrews 11:24-25 (NKJV)

Moses spent 40 years in the luxury and safety of Pharoah's household. However, he left it for the wilderness of Midian. There he spent another 40 years as a shepherd. This sounds like a unwise vocational choice. He definitely took a pay cut. However, the Bible says he would rather "suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin."

Many times our decisions do not make sense to people who are self-absorbed. However, believers live "by faith" and take a eternal view of their choices.

So, today remember disobedience to God's will may be enjoyable for awhile, but it is only a "passing pleasure."

If a Master Card commercial was made on the life of Moses, this could be its message.

Living in the Palace of Pharoah- $Millions
Living as a Shepherd in the Wilderness of Midian- Poverty
Living in the center of God's Will- Priceless

Game On

This afternoon, I spoke to the Greene County High Football team, including their Junior Varsity, as well as 8th Graders. My subject was last Sunday's sermon, "What's in your hand?" They played their Spring game at Vancleave, MS. The varsity tied 0-0. I understand GCHS had two TDs "called back" due to penalties. Greene County is in 3A. Vancleave is classified as 4A.

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Well, from around 9 AM to 11 AM, we experienced heavy rain. So, cancelling the playground equipment installation was prudent.

I am supposed to speak to the Greene County Football Team at 2:00 PM. They are scheduled to play a spring game tonight at Vancleave High. I haven't heard if it is cancelled or not. I'll go out to the school around 1:00 PM to see if the plans have changed.

The Struggle Within

Baseball is a challenging sport for many reasons. One reason is that an expert batter will only get a hit 30 to 35% of the time. If a player bats .300 in their career, they have a good chance to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Imagine going to bat time, after time, after time, after time, and only getting a hit 1/3 of the time. I know I would be tempted to quit. But, quality ball players are able to put their failures/strike outs behind them. Don't get me wrong. They care. However, they don't quit. They press on.

Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times, but he hit 714 home runs. If he had focused on the strikeouts, he would have never been known as the "Sultan of Swat."

For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice (Rom. 7:19, NKJV).

O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Rom. 7:24-25a, NKJV)

Last Sunday Night I preached a sermon entitled, "The Struggle Within." The sermon was based on Romans 7:13-25.

In this passage, Paul admitted his shortcomings. He was transparent. He admitted that at times, he didn't do all he should. Also, at other times, he didn't do the right thing. Then, Paul expresses his frustration by exclaiming "O wretched man that I am!." In other words, "I am so miserable! Who can get me out of this fatal mess?"

This has always amazed me. Paul was zealous for the cause of Christ. He was a superficial sort of guy. How else can you explain the perseverance he demonstrated after being persecuted ruthlessly for his faith? However, in spite of overwhelming evidence that God was blessing him with a fruitful ministry, he felt sinful...wretched.

I agree with folks that say something like "The more I learn the more I realize I do not know." While I have a "terminal degree" in Christian Education (It is called "terminal" because it almost killed me. Others say Ph.D stands for "Piled High and Deep."), I still feel incredibly uneducated in the scriptures and in the practice of them.

So, I guess that's what Paul was feeling. Even though he was a spiritual giant, he yearned for a deeper relationship with God. The closer he drew to God, the more inadequate he felt spiritually. Then, he reminded himself that he did not need a new deliverance. He had already been delivered. Consequently, he offered thanksgiving to God for the fulfilling redemption Jesus provided through His death, burial, and resurrection.

Yes, you and I sin. We fall short. However, we need to take the sinful acts to the Lord and ask his forgiveness. Then, we just need to get back into the batters box and remember that the "battle belongs to the LORD."

Playground Installation Rescheduled...Again

Well, with the threat of strong storms tonight and most of the day on Thursday, we were advised to cancel the installation of our playground equipment, which was scheduled for tomorrow. On Friday, representatives from the playground company will call and verify that they can come either on May 21 or May 29. My prayer is that we can get this installed in time for Vacation Bible School, June 16-20.

In light of the natural disasters in Chile, Burma, and China, a few "rain outs" are not that big of a deal.

Busy Wednesday

Our NEW projectors had not worked properly since last Wednesday. Last Sunday, we were really disappointed that we were not able to present a slideshow honoring our graduates. This morning a tech came and replaced the "switcher,' which had never worked properly. Tonight, it seemed to work fine.

More benevolence requests are coming into the church. I guess, with the price of gas soaring, folks with limited income are having to choose between gas and food. We've had 2 or 3 requests a week.

After attending Rotary, I visited some folks in a hospital in Mobile.

Our Prayer Service crowd was down, but we had more prayer concerns than usual. However, we did have a major "Praise the Lord." A five year old girl in our community recieved good news today when she was called to travel to Birmingham to complete a liver transplant. This is an answer to many prayers.

We are looking forward to the Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis. We'll take the entire family. Terri has already researched our route. She found a guide that lists the restaurants and sights at each exit along I-65. We plan to stop and explore some caves in Kentucky. Jared is excited about going to see the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Our plans were drastically changed when we learned there were no rooms available at the Wigwam Village Hotel #2 in Cave City, Kentucky. These "Tee pee Style" Rooms seemed to perfect for a family. Well, maybe next year. The convention is in Louisville, KY next year.

The Death of a Prominent SBC Pastor

Forrest Pollock, 44, Senior Pastor of Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon, FL, was killed in a plane crash. The church's website reports that at approximately 11 AM this morning search and rescue teams found the aircraft of Pastor Forrest Pollock in the mountains outside of Asheville, North Carolina. Pastor Pollock and his son Preston, 13, did not survive the crash. His son, Preston, was one of six children.

Pollock gave the nominating speech for Frank Page at the 2006 Southern Baptist Convention in Greensboro, North Carolina. I was present when he gave the speech and was impressed with the zeal in which he spoke. He was an ardent support of the Cooperative Program, which is designed to support the ministries of Southern Baptists.

Watch a video of his sermon The Blessing of Brokenness here.