Because of Grace

Will Never Forget

2011-09-10T21:25:00.000-05:00

Any of us old enough to remember can remember September 11, 2001 like it was yesterday. Where we were when we first heard the news and what followed that day. I was a freshman in college and that Tuesday I was getting ready for my World Civ II class with Dr. Hellert. It was a typical morning, I woke up and slowly started getting ready for class and watched the news as usual. That's when the news broke that there was an explosion in one of the twin towers. As I sat there watching the breaking news from the side of the screen came another plane and crashed into the other tower. It wasn't long before the news media branded this tragedy a deliberate act of terror. Then came the news of the plane crashing into the Pentagon and another going down in a Pennsylvania field. It seemed like it would never end. Then the towers fell.

I went to class that day, but we did not have class. We could not. We sat there looking at each other, sharing what we knew of the events, and expressing what we were thankful for. I was glued to the tv the rest of that day and the days that followed. I went out and bought newspapers covering the attack and an American flag.

I, like many Americans, ran to a god. It hurts to say, however, it was not the one true God that I ran to. It was my thought up god, the one who would not have allowed this to happen. My idea of the truth was skewed. But as I reflect now 10 years later, I view the events of that day in light of realities I didn't believe then. On September 16, 2001 Pastor Tom Ascol and Executive Director of Founders ministry encouraged his congregation to consider nine realities as they processed what had happened to the nation. He posted them to the Founders blog on this anniversary of the attacks and I think they are as fitting to reflect upon now as they were ten years ago.

The worst of human nature is on display
The best of human nature is on display
This is a time to mourn
This is a time to pray
This is a time to acknowledge the reality and power of evil
This is a time to remember the Supremacy of God
This is a time to be humbled
This is a time to be hopeful
This is a time to listen

At Founders.org Pastor Ascol expounds further on each point, I encourage ya'll to check it out.

The Journey Continues

2011-09-08T19:03:00.000-05:00

The following is the support letter I began sending out last month:

A year ago I embarked on a journey as a self-supported missionary. I was still serving in Lakeshore, MS, but I had no further funding options with the North American Mission Board. I was amazed at the outpouring of prayer and financial support sent by friends and family from around the US. I'm am grateful beyond words that the Lord turned the hearts of many to help support my efforts in Lakeshore.

It has been an amazing year. The Lord has been doing great things in the community, in the life of Lakeshore Baptist Church, and in my life.

A Lot to Rejoice Over
1. The Lord really provided for my needs through generous supporters who gave beyond what I was trying to raise, which has allowed me to stay for three additional months without needing to raise support. Thank you to all who supported my ministry in Lakeshore last year.
2. The Lord has added to the number of people attending out church. We've had a few families join and a couple others that have been attending regularly, but have not joined yet.
3. The Lord has brought a man who is gifted musically to lead the singing during the Sunday morning worship services (We've been praying for this for several years)
4. The ladies in the church began meeting once a month to go through 12 Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur. This time has been a great encouragement to me, the Lord has used these women to stretch and encourage me.
5. The Lord has sent nearly 1200 volunteers through Lakeshore since this past January.
6. The Lord has provided more homes to work in and opportunities to the gospel as we work in those homes and ample ways to be a blessing to our community through tearing down and cleaning up homes still left sitting damaged since Hurricane Katrina
7. On June 12 I celebrated 5 years in Lakeshore.
8. I believe the Lord has answered prayer – I've been praying for several months on what to do after my support runs out in August. I believe the Lord has led me to continue to serve in Lakeshore. In this I rejoice.

While we've had a busy summer, I must begin thinking about raising additional support. I have put off sending out support letters up until this point, because I wasn't sure which way the Lord was leading me and I felt it would be dishonest to raise support with a lot of questions about my future in Lakeshore. Over the years I have gone month to month, semester to semester, and year to year. At this point I do not know how long the Lord will keep me serving at Lakeshore Baptist. I am here to serve and will as long as the Lord keeps me here. When people ask I just say indefinitely. I've given dates before and the Lord chose to use His plan over my plan and I am grateful for that!

In order to continue serving in Lakeshore I have determined my need to be about $9,600 for the year, that is $800 per month. (This is the same amount I've received in support each month this past year). This will go toward my living expenses, medical insurance, medical bills, personal
transportation, and other necessary expenses. Would you be willing to support me as I serve at Lakeshore Baptist Church? Would you be willing to give monthly $25, $50, $100 or any other amount or willing to invest in a one time gift of $100, $250, $500, $1000 or any other
denomination larger or smaller to aid in the spread of the gospel and rebuilding of Lakeshore through supporting me?

July Newsletter

2011-07-06T13:49:00.003-05:00

I confess I've been really bad at sending out an update this spring. Rather than try to make excuses, I will try to spend a bit of time rejoicing in what the Lord has done over the last several months in Lakeshore.

We had a great spring break season with about 10 solid weeks of hosting volunteer teams from around the country. The Lord sent 20 different teams and about 400 people to Lakeshore during that time and in that time we were able to work on finishing the Mercy house, make progress on Pastor Don's house, we've done major clean up on at least two different properties, clean up around the church property, helped a sister church in Waveland get their buildings in order, and did other odds and ends in our community. During one week in March, God really made himself evident as protector as we sent 4 people to the hospital during that week. That is a record for us, one we are not proud of, but at the end of the week everyone ended up being okay.

During the months of April and May I was dealing with several personal issues, one of those was wrestling through the idea of leaving Lakeshore and moving back to Wisconsin. This has not been any easy thing to wrestle with as I've not been ready to leave Lakeshore, but I knew the support I had raised was coming closer to an end. I'm still not a 100% sure of the direction the Lord is leading. I am feeling a little leading more one way than the other now, however. (I am really leaning towards continuing service in Lakeshore) I am still praying for the Lord to be clear with me and what steps I need to take next concerning a move or raising support, Lord willing, I will be sending out an update soon.

We've begun a great summer season, we are already into our fifth week of our summer crews. The Lord is sending about 600 people our way this summer! It's been wonderful so far and we are looking forward to a great month of July. So far this month we've laid out the piling plan for the fellowship hall, brought Pastor Don and Courtney's house very close to completion, worked with a local man hanging drywall in his home and encouraging him, building a couple different ramps for the disabled, and many smaller projects in the community. We've also recently begun working with the Hancock County Beautification Department to help get rid of blighted property. To start we began to demo a house left over from the storm. This is still a huge problem in our community. For example, just in 1 out of 6 wards in the city of Bay St. Louis there are still 168 blighted properties that need clean up.

For a quick update in the life of our church: We continue to see new folks coming to church and we've had a couple families join in membership in the past few months. We are working to finish the plans for the Fellowship Hall, Lord willing, we will begin construction in the next few months. We also celebrated the official opening of the Mercy House, which includes our permanent distribution center. We've been able to use the meeting area in the Mercy House for a couponing seminar, dinner on the grounds, and senior adult luncheons and we look forward to an upcoming coffee shop/open mic night, vacation Bible school, and monthly senior adult luncheons.

I really appreciate the continued prayers and the support of everyone. I'm seeing God doing great things every day. I look forward to what the Lord has in store for me in the coming months and in the life of Lakeshore Baptist Church.

Please continue to pray for:

Direction as to whether I should stay in Lakeshore or move.

I just want to follow what the Lord's will is for me.
Unity in the body of Lakeshore Baptist Church
The Lord would draw more people to Himself through the proclamation of the gospel.
Praise for the grace and strength the Lord has provided to keep me going. Though the work makes me weary, I've been able to think much more clearly, be much more patient, and have been able to carry on each day.

Psalm 51 - Issac Watts

2011-07-04T19:53:00.002-05:00

Psalm 51
Issac Watts

Part 1.
penitent pleading for pardon.

Show pity, Lord, O Lord, forgive,

Let a repenting rebel live:
Are not thy mercies large and free?
May not a sinner trust in thee?

My crimes are great, but not surpass
The power and glory of thy grace:
Great God, thy nature hath no bound,
So let thy pard'ning love be found.

O wash my soul from ev'ry sin,
And make my guilty conscience clean;
Here on my heart the burden lies,
And past offenses pain my eyes.

My lips with shame my sins confess
Against thy law, against thy grace:
Lord, should thy judgment grow severe,
I am condemned, but thou art clear.

Should sudden vengeance seize my breath,
must pronounce thee just in death;
And if my soul were sent to hell,
Thy righteous law approves it well.

Yet save a trembling sinner, Lord,
Whose hope, still hov'ring round thy word,
Would light on some sweet promise there,
Some sure support against despair.

PART 2.
Original and actual sin confessed.

Lord, I am vile, conceived in sin;
And born unholy and unclean;
Sprung from the man whose guilty fall
Corrupts the race, and taints us all.

Soon as we draw our infant breath,
The seeds of sin grow up for death;
Thy law demands a perfect heart,
But we're defiled in ev'ry part.

Great God, create my heart anew,
And form my spirit pure and true;
O make me wise betimes to spy
My danger and my remedy.

Behold, I fail before thy face;
My only refuge is thy grace:
No outward forms can make me clean;
The leprosy lies deep within.

No bleeding bird, nor bleeding beast,
Nor hyssop branch, nor sprinkling priest,
Nor running brook, nor flood, nor sea,
Can wash the dismal stain away.

Jesus, my God, thy blood alone
Hath power sufficient to atone;
Thy blood can make me white as snow;
No Jewish types could cleanse me so.

While guilt disturbs and breaks my peace,
Nor flesh nor soul hath rest or ease;
Lord, let me hear thy pard'ning voice,
And make my broken bones rejoice..

Look Lord, My Shell Collection!

2011-06-30T12:30:00.003-05:00

I don't usually like to post a couple videos in a row, but this clip of a sermon by John Piper really caught my attention again today. I had heard previously heard this sermon and it made an impact on me then, but hearing it again today was just a great reminder.

The Wall Comes Down

2011-06-29T20:48:00.002-05:00

We recently partnered with the city of Bay St. Louis to help with the process of getting rid of the blighted property still left over from the storm. There are still hundreds of homes left in the county that need to be torn down. This is just a start for us in the partnership as we help to beautify our community.

Crabbing

2011-06-24T23:02:00.007-05:00

Sometimes I just have to try things because I can. So tonight I decided I was going to go crabbing off the pier in Lakeshore. I've only ever been crabbing once in my life and I wasn't the one even doing anything. But I was feeling a desire to go and knowing if wouldn't be all that expensive to get started I decided to go for it.

I ran to walmart to pick up my supplies:
1. Crab nets
2. Chicken

Since the crab nets were only $2.16 a piece I decided I'd get 4. I ran back to the church to get my bucket and cooler and fill up on ice then I was off.

I had a great time sitting and watching people as I waited to periodically pull up my nets to see if there were any crabs taking the bait. It was one of the most relaxing things I have done in a long time and for about $15 (most of that for the start up cost of the nets) it was well worth it. I am looking
forward to hitting the pier in the morning.

"One day of Bad Weather"

2011-06-23T21:32:00.004-05:00

"It's crazy that one day of bad weather, very bad weather, caused all this"

This was said to me today after spending time driving around checking on different properties in our community. This was in response to the number of sights we saw, including:

Empty slabs where homes once stood, many with tile flooring still in place where kitchens and bathrooms once were. Places where families sat around their kitchen tables and discussed the happenings of their day and shared meals together.

We passed a gas station still boarded up. Though it had been gutted after the storm the business never move back in. I imagine before the storm neighborhood children frequented the store for candy bars and cokes and adults passed through and spoke to familiar faces.

Still many houses line the streets abandoned by the families that once occupied them, for one reason or another, but non the less unoccupied, unfinished, and weathered by the storm and 6 years of neglect.

An entire shopping center sits abandoned, looking worse as each year passes. Next to it a bank sits on the corner of a heavily traveled intersection waiting for something to happen, but will remain an eye sore until then.

Trees stripped bare of all their leaves and branches, some twisted off at the top, some uprooted, and all exposed to salt water, which killed many of the trees from the large magnificent oaks, the tall pines, and the flowering magnolias.

All of this caused by one storm, one day.

I don't believe the enormity of the storm will ever entirely sink in, but some days things hit me a little harder. Today was one of those days.

Four month recap

2011-06-19T04:30:00.001-05:00

Wow, 4 months since my last blog post. Much has happened in that time. It'd take me far too many blog posts to tell everything, but here's a brief update.

In February I took part in a Biblical Counseling Training Seminar offered at our church.
We had eight great weeks of spring break teams, hosting around 400 volunteers in March and April.
My sister came to visit. I had a great time showing her around Lakeshore and New Orleans.
I've been praying for God's leading on whether I should stay in Lakeshore or move back to Wisconsin since my funding is running out.
I made a visit to Wisconsin. Had one interview while I was in Madison, but have not been offered the job.
Most recently I've really been considering raising support for another 6 months in Lakeshore, though I've not made this decision as of now.
This week will be the start of our fourth week of volunteers this summer. It's been great and very productive thus far and I'm look forward each day to see what the Lord will do.
Pastor Don continues to preach through Titus. The Lord has been using these texts and sermons to really speak to me, challenge me, and encourage me to examine myself.
We've had a very helpful young lady, Erin Allison, from Georgia join us for the month of June on our team leading volunteer teams and doing anything else we need done around here.
In the life of our church we've had a couple families join as members, we continue to have great attendance at our senior adult luncheons, our plans for the fellowship hall are well under way, and we've completed the building of the Mercy house and we had our grand opening with a coupon seminar and dinner on the grounds.

The Lord is doing great things here and I'm ready to see what it is the Lord has in store for the coming months, what he does in the life of the church, which direction He leads me, what He does in the lives of the people in our community whose homes we work on and in the lives of each of the volunteers.

God is Still God and God is still good

2011-02-15T21:43:00.004-06:00

About a year ago I shared a video of Zac Smith, a man who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer [God is God, God is Good] and his testimony of life, cancer, the lessons God was teaching him.

Now a year after his death, his wife shares her encouraging testimony of hope through her husband's death and the promises of God

A Story | Tears of Hope from Adam Kring on Vimeo.

"God is not a God of chaos, he doesn't just throw stuff to us in our lives then walk away. He has a plan for us, we might not always understand that plan, but we know it is good."

"I do know that I will praise God because through cancer, and death, and grief, God is still God and God is still good. To God be the Glory"

Edwards' Resolutions - 6,7,8

2011-02-08T06:37:00.002-06:00

The more I read over Edward's resolutions, the more humbled I am. I realize how much more vile I am than what I thought. I know I am a sinner, but these have really helped me to see myself for what really is inside.

Allow these to sink in:

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do any thing which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life. (I am resolved to never to do anything I wouldn't be doing if I knew it were the last hour of my life) How many times have I done something and thought of this afterward?

8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God. How often and how easy is it to look at another individual and say their sins are worse than ours. They might be a murderer, rapist, thief, adulterer, etc and we say I have never done any of those things. But for the grace of God I would have done all those things and worse. Lord, may I be continually drawn to repentance, convict me of sin, and change my selfish heart.

Free Audiobook - Adopted for Life

2011-02-02T04:23:00.000-06:00

Just an FYI: This month at Christianaudio.com the book Adopted for Life by Dr. Russell Moore is available for free download. I haven't read the book yet; I can't wait to listen to it.

Edwards' Resolutions - 3,4,5

2011-02-01T05:43:00.002-06:00

As humbling as it is to examine myself, it's been good. Our God is forgiving and I am grateful. Oh how short I fall of His standards outlined in the Bible. Lord thank you for forgiveness, for your grace, and mercy. Help me to live my life in a manner glorifying.

Jonathan Edwards' Resolutions 3, 4, & 5.

3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.
4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.
5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

Of these three I think it's easiest to see the area covered by resolution 5. How much time do I waste, losing moments of time? How can I make my time more profitable? I fail epically when it comes to resolution number 5. I can't tell you how many moments pass, wasted. Times where I could be doing something profitable. In all honesty this is one area that is a struggle for me.

I have recognized this recently and have begun doing things that are more profitable, though still I struggle with making the most of my free moments. One way I've tried to make the most of some of the quiet time has been by working to memorize the book of Philippians. I've joined the thousands of people around the nation and world who are working to memorizing the book by Easter. (Partnering to Remember) .

Hymns for Sunday - Our God Our Help in Ages Past

2011-01-30T06:36:00.000-06:00

A hymn that is not sung often enough, yet is one of my favorite hymns would have to be Our God Our Help in Ages Past. Written in 1719 by Isaac Watts it is a paraphrase of Psalm 90. Watts was an author who believed Christians should sing about the doctrine of their religion. He definitely did not shy away from that in this particular hymn. This is just one of his over 600 hymns.

One interesting fact about the history of this song is in 1738 Methodist John Wesley published the hymn in his Collection of Psalms and Hymns. However, before publishing Wesley altered some of the text. The most noticeable was changing the "Our" in the opening line to "O". It is said "Wesley felt that “Our” was a possessive adjective referring to the Calvinist doctrine of election. The Wesleyan all-inclusive perspective was satisfied by changing “Our” to the more ambiguous “O.” "1

Our God, Our Help in Ages Past

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.

Thy Word commands our flesh to dust,
“Return, ye sons of men:”
All nations rose from earth at first,
And turn to earth again.

A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.

The busy tribes of flesh and blood,
With all their lives and cares,
Are carried downwards by the flood,
And lost in following years.

Time, like an ever rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly, forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.

Like flowery fields the nations stand
Pleased with the morning light;
The flowers beneath the mower’s hand
Lie withering ere ‘tis night.

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home.

1 http://www.umportal.org/article.asp?id=7576

Learning to Pray.

2011-01-27T22:39:00.002-06:00

Tim Challies post today was quite convicting, simple, yet has really made me consider my time in prayer. He posts a few nuggets resonating in his mind and the Lord is using that to convict me of my lack of prayer, my belief in prayer, and the power of the One whom I am praying to.

Quickly from Challies post:

Pray within your capacity to believe. One pastor said that we often pray beyond our capacity to believe. He used the example of praying for the salvation of his wife’s parents. He and his wife would pray that the Lord would save them, but they were praying without faith; though they knew God could, in theory, do this, they doubted that he actually would. What they decided to do was to pray within their capacity to believe, and so they began to pray smaller, incremental prayers for things they truly could ask in faith. In a similar situation you might pray that the Lord would bring your parents just one Christian friend, or that they would hear the gospel just one time, and so on. And once that prayer is answered, you can then pray for the next, slightly bigger thing. All the while you are ratcheting up your prayers while acknowledging God’s incremental answers to them.

AND

Pray in Jesus’ name. To pray in the name of Jesus is to pray with his authority in a way that claims his power. In prayer I should always be asking, “In whose interest am I praying? What is God’s agenda in this?” In other words, I need to make sure that I have a conscience sense of praying to the Lord, the King, the Sovereign One. I pray not only to this God, but I also pray in his power and with his authority. That merits a “wow!”

Edwards' Resolutions - 1 & 2

2011-01-25T05:30:00.002-06:00

Every year we make resolutions, which we make our best attempt to complete. But how often do these attempts end in failure? Why is this? I think it is primarily because we are working toward goals that are usually aimed at making us happy. But what makes us happy? Would losing weight make us happy? Maybe. But what if we gain that weight back, then what? We see ourselves as failures and are probably sadder than when we made that resolution to lose weight. (Don't get me wrong I think losing weight is great if a person is over weight and would not discourage anyone who needs to lose weight from that fight)

But what makes us happy? Christ makes us happy, not a superficial, short lived happy. But a deep joy and eternal joy that can only come from God, Christ's work on the cross, and his written word. People say we are most happy when we are doing what we were made to do. What was I made to do, what is going to be that thing I strive for that will bring me the greatest joy? I think it is well put in the Westminster Shorter Catechism. What is the chief end of man? To Glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

Ultimately ours "rules" for how we are to glorify God and enjoy him are written in the holy scriptures. They are our ultimate authority. But there have be other things written in line with scripture and still subordinate to the scriptures that guide us and test ourselves to see if we are living a life that is glorifying to God.

One list I like to look at regularly and test myself is the Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards. Written between 1772 and 1773 Edwards penned the 70 resolutions, which he read over each week to examine his life. He was adamant that it was not him keeping these resolutions in his own strength, but with the help of Christ.

"Being sensible that I am unable to do any thing without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him, by his grace, to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake"-Jonathan Edwards

I am going to be looking at these throughout this year and sharing them a couple at a time here. I will examine my life as I read through these. Not to have a check list that I can check off each day or week. I desire to grow in my relationship with Christ and in joy, knowing joy is complete in Christ. I pray Christ will enable me to keep these resolutions - I'm not sure to what degree. But more importantly would He enable me to keep in line with the holy scriptures and all it contains.

Resolutions 1& 2

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad's of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.

2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote the aforementioned things.

Oh, how I fail dreadfully when I try to do these things on my own. Lord, enable me. Lord, guide my desires, crush those things within me that are self-serving, prideful, and contrary to your word and are not glorifying.

Hymns for Sunday - A Mighty Fortress is Our God

2011-01-23T05:23:00.000-06:00

"A Mighty Fortress is Our God" is probably one of the most familiar hymns regularly sung in worship services, written around 1529 by one of the greatest reformers, Martin Luther. It also happens to be one of my favorite hymns.

I don't know the specific history of this song, but we do know it was based on Psalm 46. I love this hymn for the deep, thoughtful truth it contains.

Take a close look at the words of this hymn:

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

Look now at Psalm 46:

1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

End of the year recap

2011-01-21T20:05:00.000-06:00

After another semi brief hiatus from blogging I'm back. I had a great time back in Wisconsin for Christmas and now we're off to a great start this year. I was a little late sending out my end of the year newsletter and now even later posting it here. But here's a quick overview of the past year. What a year it was. God did great things in Lakeshore, at Lakeshore Baptist Church, and in my life. To God be the glory.

Click the picture below to read the entire newsletter.

Hymns for Sunday - Let Us Love and Sing And Wonder

2010-12-05T05:36:00.001-06:00

Not having grown up in the church I was familiar with just a few hymns. When the Lord saved me I took on a new appreciation for hymns, the old, theologically rich hymns from the 1800's and before (yes I realize there are great hymns written in the last century and I'm not saying I'm not a fan). One hymn originally written by the great hymn writer John Newton, brought back into Christian mainstream popularity by Jars of Clay, has definitely become one of my favorite hymns.

"Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder" is a call to worship, to respond to what God has revealed about Himself, His Word, and His Works. Newton shares in this hymn great truths about what the Lord attributes and what He has done.

Let us love and sing and wonder,
Let us praise the Savior’s Name!
He has hushed the law’s loud thunder,
He has quenched Mount Sinai’s flame.
He has washed us with His blood,
He has brought us nigh to God.

Let us love the Lord Who bought us,
Pitied us when enemies,
Called us by His grace, and taught us,
Gave us ears and gave us eyes:
He has washed us with His blood,
He presents our souls to God.

Let us sing, though fierce temptation
Threaten hard to bear us down!
For the Lord, our strong Salvation,
Holds in view the conqueror’s crown:
He Who washed us with His blood
Soon will bring us home to God.

Let us wonder; grace and justice
Join and point to mercy’s store;
When through grace in Christ our trust is,
Justice smiles and asks no more:
He Who washed us with His blood
Has secured our way to God.

Let us praise, and join the chorus
Of the saints enthroned on high;
Here they trusted Him before us,
Now their praises fill the sky:
“Thou hast washed us with Your blood;
Thou art worthy, Lamb of God!”

Hark! the Name of Jesus, sounded
Loud, from golden harps above!
Lord, we blush, and are confounded,
Faint our praises, cold our love!
Wash our souls and songs with blood,
For by Thee we come to God.

Below is a video put together with the Jars of Clay version of "Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder" as the background music.

Understanding depression - A few resources

2010-11-29T05:53:00.001-06:00

It is technically called depression, but it can’t be captured by a word. You feel numb, yet your head hurts; empty, yet inside there are screams; fatigue, yet fears abound. Things that were once pleasures now barely hold your attention. Your brain feels like it is in a fog. You feel weighted down.

Do you remember when you had goals? Things that you looked forward to? They could have been as small as going to a movie on Friday night or a job you wanted
to accomplish. Now you have very few goals. Making it through the day seems like
enough.

Do you notice what life feels like without goals? Every day is the same. There is no rhythm of rising anticipation, satisfaction, then rest. Each day brings a dreadful monotony, and you fear that tomorrow will be the same as today. The flatness of life feels like it is killing you.

Sleep? It’s a mess. You can’t get enough. You don’t even remember what it feels like
to wake up refreshed.

Have you ever seen Pablo Picasso’s paintings from his blue period? If you find a book on Picasso you might want to take a look. The pictures are not encouraging but
you would, at least, find that you are not alone. Triggered by a difficult relationship,
he did a series of paintings where people looked lifeless and everything was in shades
of blue and gray. Was he putting his feelings into his art, or was he faithfully presenting the world as he actually saw it? Either way, there are no sun splashed days with depression, just dreary overcast skies and a dull colorless world.

Picasso wasn’t the only one who struggled with what has come to be known as
depression. Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, the great English preacher
Charles Spurgeon, missionary David Brainard, and Bible translator J. B. Phillips were
some of the more well-known and accomplished people who talked and wrote about
their struggles. So although you may feel alone, many have walked the path before,
and many are walking it now.

Except from Words of Hope For Those Who Struggle with Depression

There is a lot of stuff out there on depression and even a little from a Christian perspective. But the folks at Counseling Solutions have posted a few great free resources written on understanding depression and how to a counsel a depressed person. I've read through a couple of them and skimmed another and found them quite helpful. Links to those documents are below

Words of Hope Those Who Struggle With Depression
The River of Life Flows Through the Slough of Despond
Counseling Those Who are Depressed

Hymns for Sunday - Reformed Praise

2010-11-28T05:32:00.003-06:00

ReformedPraise.org is a website I enjoy and is a great collection of theologically rich songs centered on the gospel of grace. The contributors to this site have updated some hymns, written new tunes to hymns, and written new songs to promote singing old and new hymns in corporate worship and provide hymns that are theologically rich and centered around the gospel.

I have a few favorite songs from the site, click the name of the song to go to the lyrics and listen to them.

The Fury of the Wind
The Lord Is King
Merciful to Me

Recognizing your idols

2010-11-26T08:50:00.001-06:00

On Wednesday night I heard a sermon by Pastor Mark Driscoll that really struck me, like hit me between the eyes and gave me a swift kick in the butt. He was preaching on idolatry and religion. He has a lot of great things to say by he gave a list of questions to ask yourself to see what some of your idols might be. It hurt and made me physically sick to go back and answer those questions. When I took a serious look at myself I realized the dreadful sin that I was committing against a Holy God, replacing the one, true, eternal God with temporary, futile idols.

Here's that list of questions that the Holy Spirit has used to prod me to more passionately pursue the true God and not the fleeting idols.

What am I most afraid of?
What do you long for most passionately?
Where do you run for comfort?
What do you complain about most?
What makes you happiest?
How do you explain yourself to others?
What has caused you to be angry at God?
What do you brag about?
What do you want more than anything?
What do you sacrifice most for?
If you could change one thing, what would it be?
Whose approval are you seeking?
What do you want to control or master?
What comfort do you treasure most?

Here's the link again to Mars Hill Church Seattle to find the sermon

Hymns on Sunday - Rock of Ages

2010-11-14T07:04:00.000-06:00

Over the years the hymn Rock of Ages has become one of my favorite hymns. Honestly, I never knew much about Augustus Toplady, the author of the hymn. I definitely had no idea he and John Wesley spatted back and forth like they did. Well spat may be an understatement...

Toplady decided that Wesley and his preachers were the greatest danger to the church of Jesus Christ since, well, Satan.

I came across a great blog post from The Scriptorium highlighting the Wesley and Toplady relationship and the story behind the hymn Rock of Ages.

“Rock of Ages” is a great hymn, one of the best.
Here is the bad news: It was written out of spite, by a bitter and narrow-minded young man who couldn’t keep his personal hatred from over-flowing into his prayers and songs.

Here is the good news: God rescued the hymn from the defects of its author and his worst intentions, and Rock of Ages is every bit as good as you think it is. If you skip the rest of this blog post, remember that

Dog Eared Pages - multiple thoughts

2010-11-12T21:28:00.006-06:00

October was a good month for reading. Instead of highlighting each book in its own post I'll mention a few briefly. Let me start by saying I recommend each of these books, but I'll begin with the one that was my favorite of the three.

Today's Gospel: authentic or synthetic? by Walter Chantry really focuses on a problem in much preaching and evangelism today. That being many messages are man centered and not gospel centered. Mr Chantry explains in greater detail some of the essential elements in evangelism, which include:
1. Preaching the Character of God
2. Preaching the Law of God
3. Preaching Repentance Toward God
4. Preaching Faith Toward God's Son
5. Preaching Assurance of Acceptance with God
6. Preaching with Dependence upon God

God's High Calling for Women by John MacArthur is a basic outline of 1 Timothy 2:9-15 and the role of women in the church. I know that in our liberal feminist society today this is a bit of a touchy subject, but not one that can be ignored.

Found: God's Will by John MacArthur is a short booklet. I'd be my guess that most believers want to know God's will for their life. This booklet is not exhaustive, but affirms God has revealed His will in the scriptures. In a nut shell, MacArthur says that your desires are inline with the will of God if you make sure you are saved, saturated in the scriptures, living a holy life, submitted to authority, and prepared to suffer for doing right.

Why doesn't church feel like a family?

2010-11-09T15:21:00.002-06:00

I found this excerpt from a sermon quite practical

Hymns on Sunday - How Sweet the Sound

2010-11-07T06:23:00.003-06:00

Another album available for free download on noisetrade.com is a series of hymns, How Sweet the Sound, put together by Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD. The church did this project a couple years ago not just for listening but for memorizing these ten hymns. This is their explanation of the project:

In 2008 and 2009, our church family spent 10 months devoted to learning great hymns of the faith. Memorizing hymns is one of the ways we can obey Scripture’s command to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” Colossians 3:16.

We did this project because we want to benefit not only from the songs written in our lifetime, but also from hymns that have served the people of God for generations and will endure long after we’re gone. They are time-tested and true. They speak to every circumstance of life and point us to the wisdom, love and power of our gracious God and Savior.

Don't Waste Your Life Audiobook

2010-11-02T09:43:00.002-05:00

Each month christianaudio.com offers a free downloadable audiobook. This month they have made available Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper. I read this book a few years ago and it changed my way of thinking about who I was living this life for and what I was created for. I recommend checking this book out.

Hymns on Sunday - Red Mountain Church and Indelible Grace

2010-10-31T07:00:00.002-05:00

This week I want to make you aware, if you are not already, of noisetrade.com This is a website that is any artist can put up and freely distribute their music online. Noisetrade.com has a variety of music genres including Christian music and hymns. To get the music you must provide a little info (email address and zip code) - your download link/code will be emailed to you, but that's it. Oh an it provides a way to share what you are downloading on facebook and twitter to share with your friends.

Anyway, now that I have plugged noisetrade, I want to commend to you a couple of albums available. The first is a group from Red Mountain Church in Birmingham, AL. I became familiar with them a few years ago and totally got into the music they were putting out. I bought this album a while back but now it is available in it's entirety

It is "Help my Unbelief" by Red Mountain Church

Another album that I'd like to commend to you is Arise my Soul by Indelible Grace. What is offered on noisetrade is just a sampler, but it has several great songs that I hope wet your appetite for other Indelible Grace albums. Indelible Grace have put out several cds over the last few years that take many old hymns and put them to a new tune or bring a not so familiar hymn back into light.

Why I appreciate my pastor and his wife

2010-10-29T14:21:00.002-05:00

Before I was a Christian I thought being a pastor would be a cush job...Sit around, go visit people, preach a few minutes on Sunday morning, do funerals and weddings. I know much better now that that is not the case, at least for my pastors. I realize that the work/service they do is much more than that. I know that I do not know all they deal with, the joys and the struggles. But I do know that it's not just a job that you check in at 8 and out at 5 and don't really have to think about when you go home.

There are a lot of things I could say about my pastor, but these are a few specifics reasons I appreciate him and thank God for placing him in Lakeshore and giving him a heart to proclaim the gospel and reach the community.

He is dedicated to glorifying and exalting Christ.
He decided to stay at Lakeshore Baptist Church when there was nothing here but the Lord, His Word, and the members of Lakeshore Baptist Church
He sincerely loves the local body of believers and the gulf coast community.
He loves the Word of God, committed to the doctrines of grace, preaches the Word expositionally, and proclaims the gospel in every sermon.
He loves his wife and his children,
He's a great leader and takes seriously the shepherding of the flock and caring for our souls.
He's led this small congregation to have a heart for mercy ministry married with the gospel.
He's not only pastor, but also contractor, architect, counselor, friend, father, husband, mentor...the list could go on.
He stands firm to the Truth in the hard times and doesn't break to meet the complaints just to make people happy, but he listens to the concerns and questions of the congergation and addresses what does arise.
He has a heart to see all in Hancock County come to Christ.

I could not go without mentioning Courtney, Pastor Don's wife. I've learn a pastors wife's 'job' is not always easy. She see her husband and her pastor in his highest and lowest moments. I could go on an on about Courtney as well, so this is no where near an exhaustive list but a few reasons I appreciate her.

She's taught me a lot in many areas of life
She's a great wife and mother.
She's loves God's word.
She stands firm in truth and doesn't beat around the bush to make sure truth is known.
She's been there for me in tough times.

Thank you both, Don and Courtney for your service to God and Lakeshore Baptist Church. Love you guys.

Why should you appreciate your pastor?

2010-10-28T20:50:00.000-05:00

I ran across the blog Created to Give God the Glory earlier this month when I remembered October was Pastor Appreciation Month. I wish I did not need a month to help me to remember to appreciate my pastor, but I feel we and especially me, all too often forget to express my appreciation to him and to the Lord for him.

I thought this blog did a great job of explaining why we ought to appreciate our Pastor's. Here's a bit of what this blogger had to say.

Pastoring a local church is the hardest job in the world...Why?
1. The pastor carries the burdens of the people and is responsible for their souls before the Lord.
2. He does his best to help these people. Most of the time they completely ignore everything he tells them to do.
3. Church members tell the pastor how the church ought to be run. They have taken the point of view: "I have been in church, therefore, I know how to run the church."
4. Members take the church's highest peaks and try to say that was the standard
5. There are some members who always hide in the shadows. They will be quiet until they see something go wrong.
6. Pastors are not psychic.
7. Pastors cannot be at two places at one time.
8. People are sometimes incredibly unreasonable and the pastor has to let it roll off his back.
9. The pastor is expected to present a dynamic sermon each week.
10. Your pastor does all of this for the Lord. I promise you; he doesn't do it for the money!

I think these reasons and his examples are reminders for us to appreciate and encourage our pastors more frequently. Before the month is out, Lord willing tomorrow, I want to share publicly the reasons I appreciate my pastor, Don, and his wife Courtney.

Why Memorize Scripture?

2010-10-26T21:45:00.000-05:00

I spent a lot of time in my first few years as a Christian memorizing scripture. I'm not claiming to be any sort of super Christian. All I knew right off was Christians need to memorize scriptures for many different reasons. The one reason I quoted most often from ps 119 - I've hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

I've gone through periods of time in the past couple years that I have been on the ball, memorizing scripture, hiding those words in my heart. Unfortunately there has been a lot of time I've neglected memorization. I saw this sermon clip today and was convicted about my lack of time and effort put into memorizing the most important thing I possess. Be encouraged by the words spoken by Pastor John Piper and may it prod you to memorize the words given us by our Holy God.

Hymns on Sunday - Page CXVI Hymns I & II

2010-10-24T07:00:00.004-05:00

There are so many great hymns and I am thinking about beginning a new idea for blog posts on Sundays that will highlight hymns, share the stories behind the hymns, or put resources in your hands to hear, learn, and enjoy hymns of old and the not so old. We'll see if I stick with it, but I have some ideas to get me started.

So to kick off this blog idea I want to share with you hymns from Page CXVI. I've enjoyed listening to Page CXVI hymns put to and they have just made them available for streaming on blogs and I would like to share them to you.

From Page CXVI Hymns I

Chord charts for Hymns I can be found on the Page CXVI blog

From Page CXVI Hymns II

Chord Charts for Hymns II can also be found on the Page CXVI blog

Bringing Christ to those who have never heard pt 2

2010-10-23T07:30:00.002-05:00

I wrote just the other day about the Wild's ministry to a people group across the world who previously have never heard the gospel message, seen the scriptures in their language, and were as sinners bound for hell.

In an update from the Wilds they write that after years of preparation and 3 months of daily teaching on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday this week the gospel was presented for the first time to the people group. They added, "We did not use any gimmicks, flashy technology or big props - only the written Word of God spoken in the power of the Holy Spirit."

God was gracious and merciful opening blind eyes and darkened hearts of all types of people, young, old, murders, the polygamous, loners, warriors, and widows to respond in faith and repentance to the glorious gospel message of Christ's completed work on the cross.

The missionaries have spent the last few days talking to individuals and groups, some of whom are still confused and unsure. But we rejoice with the Wild's and others who are confident that we now have about 30 new brothers and sisters in Christ!!!

Here are a few testimonies from the new believers:

I - "Today I have heard the great thing that Jesus did by dying and shedding his blood. I am an evil man, but Jesus, in his death, has paid for my whole sin debt. when Yahweh ripped the temple curtain from the top down to the bottom, he showed me that I now have a way to join back with Yahweh and it is through the work that Jesus did to pay my full sin debt. i am now a child of Yahweh and that is all I have to say"

T - "Back before you guys came here we were always being told that having two wives, or having killed someone, smoking and chewing betelnut that we were Satan's children but the religious people who didn't do these were God's children. We were in complete darkness by you guys came and brough the light. You guys told us God's true talk and we now understand that there is no way for us to join up with God because we are all sinners. Only God can save us and Jesus paid the punishment for our sins with his blood when he died on the cross"

N - "I believe this talk, I understand it now. As you have been teaching, I have been confused about how I could be born again and joined with Yahweh. I know I have done many bad thing. But now I am understanding this talk. Jesus, has paid my sin debt in full. He has paid for my sin debt fully, and now because I believe on what Jesus did, and because I am leaning on him I am a child of Yahweh. I am very happy. Not just a little happy, but very happy. That is what is on my heart, and that is all I have to say.

L - clearly understood and gave a crystal clear testimony of Christ's blodd making the complete payment for his sin debt. He did have one question though, and that was that they have been told many times that people who have killed other people can never join up with God. He said that a long time ago he and three guys killed one guy and later, he was involved in killing three ladies thinking they were witches. He said that they whole time he has been listening to the teaching his heart has felt like crying because he didn't think he could ever join up with God. However, he now realizes that Jesus paid his complete sin debt, even that of killing other people. he said that Jesus blood made the way for us to join up with God and that he believes the talk.

The Wilds know this is just a beginning as they take on the task of discipling the new believers, who are already asking if there is more to Yahweh's talk and when they are going to hear it. It's an amazing work the Lord is doing in the hearts of his children and in the tribe. I praise God for saving these brothers and sisters, praying they would be encouraged, grow in relationship with Christ, and peresevere.

Dog Eared Pages - Evangelism & The Sovereignty of God

2010-10-22T20:00:00.001-05:00

In the book Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God author J.I. Packer dives into the discussion of the apparent antinomy between the Christian's evangelistic task, man's responsibility, and the sovereignty of God in salvation.

In other words, Packer states, that we Christians have a responsibility to share the gospel with the world, those who hear the gospel have a responsibility to respond to the gospel in faith and repentance, and know that God is in control of all things including saving men (He has elected those who are going to believe).

I highly recommend this book if you've struggled with the question 'If God elects people why do we have to share the gospel' or any similar question. Packer explains how God's sovereignty prevents evangelism from being pointless, because it creates the possibility and certainty that evangelism will be fruitful.

I could say much about this small but powerful book, but reading the book would be much more beneficial to you than just reading some quick review. The book is short and and easy read, but packed with truth. I recommend it for all.

Bringing Christ to those who have never heard

2010-10-21T19:35:00.001-05:00

In 2003 I have the great privilege to meet the Wild Family. At that time they were training with a missions organization preparing to be sent to a hard place.

Since then the Wilds along with the another family have moved across the world where they minister to a remote people group who have yet to hear the gospel. This unreached people group are a group that had been overlooked by the government and church groups. They did not have a written language, therefore no Bible in their language.

The missionaries have been working on becoming fluent in the language, transcribing the alphabet and words, and translating the scriptures. Last November they began the first literacy classes to teach the locals how to read and write their own language. Now they have literacy classes being taught by local men.

In addition to the Literacy classes, the missionaries began teaching chronologically through the Bible to the local men and women.

They write - The locals are sitting on the edge of their leaves each day waiting to hear how they can truly be made right with Yahweh!

"I was in Satan's hands, but because you have come, I am hearing God's true talk." -W

"What can I really say? Since the time I was born, I have been in Satan's hand, and I am his child. Is there any way that I can join with Yahweh? I am scared." - I

"We know we must believe on the Coming Redeemer, but what must we believe about him? Our insides are eating us!" -L

I just couldn't help but share of some of the great news being reported by fellow believers serving in from here what is a distant land. I give thanks to God for the safety of the missionaries, for the ability to learn the local language and begin translating the scriptures, and for the work that the Lord is already doing in the lives of the people as they go through the scriptures leading up to the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

I received an update email telling of their experience and the Lord's working as they recently shared the gospel with the local people. It's very exciting and I hope to share more soon.

Things I Wont Be

2010-10-05T22:20:00.002-05:00

Over the years I have been encouraged by articles found on the Boundless website. For those who are unfamiliar Boundless is a Webzine that has many articles on being a Christian young adult, singleness, going into marriage, and deals with many hard issues that are very real in lives of believers.

One recent article, "Things I Wont Be", really caught my attention:

"During my twenties and early thirties I was hit with the many things I wouldn't be: married at 22 like my mom, the first of my siblings to wed, a young mother, a youthful grandmother, a couple married for 70 years. Life just wasn't going to work out the way I had anticipated.

And I had a choice. Choice No. 1: I could dwell on the deep sense of loss I felt at the death of those dreams, question God's goodness and become bitter. Choice No. 2: I could grieve the things I would not be and ask my loving Father to show me new dreams — the things “No eye has seen” (1 Cor. 2:9)."

I can't tell you how many times thoughts likes these have crossed my mind. Especially, for whatever reason lately, the part about being a couple married for 70 years. But I as I continued on through the story of Ruth and the remainder of the article, I was encouraged and challenge (once again).

"At some point in my single years, I decided it was futile, and even sinful, to cling to the things I would not be. I could only seek to know better the things I would be: a loving daughter, a loyal friend, an encouraging sister, a devoted follower of Jesus."

Marriage is a great thing and something that can be desired, but coveting marriage like coveting anything else is sin. Instead of focusing on the things I wont be, I need to be focus now on being faithful, making the most of the opportunities that I am given, being a better friend/sister/daughter, and diligently following Christ.

Who knows, what the Lord has in store. His plans may include marriage, they might not. They might mean years and years with a spouse or just hours hours. They may include kids, they might not. Whatever the Lord has planned is perfect and I need not covet the life that I don't have. I will try to embrace everything that He's given me and pursue godliness. And I will pray letting the Lord know the desires of my heart which include marriage and children, but also praying that the Lord would lead me from the temptation to covet the things I am and have not.

Dog Eared Pages - Rising From Katrina

2010-09-30T07:00:00.001-05:00

Rising From Katrina - How My Mississippi Hometown Lost It All and Found What Mattered by Kathleen Koch was a tough read. It wasn't the reading level, nor the way it was written. The book flowed very easily and chronologically it told of the days leading up to the storm and the days, weeks, and months that followed. It wasn't just some story book, it was the real stories of real people on the coast, some of whom I've met, some are public figures you hear about on a daily basis, and others, who like thousands on the coast, have a story of survival and loss.

I've seen picture book after picture book of what remained in Bay St. Louis, Waveland, Lakeshore and the gulf coast. All which contain pictures that each speak a thousand words and are awe striking and heart aching. But this book wasn't just pictures of seemingly nameless and unrecognizable properties. It shared the lives and stories of those who stayed and rode out the storm, those who left and returned to find everything in disarray - It shared those stories of those properties that used to be just another picture in another book and the lives that once dwelled in those homes.

I began reading this book just a couple days after the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. I can tell you in the four years I have been on the coast after the storm I've heard heart wrenching stories, things I thought I couldn't forget. But as time went on stories began to slip my mind. This book brought back a lot of the things I was told in my first year I was in Lakeshore. Things that reminded me and showed me how far things have come, how lives have changed, and the resolve of the people on the coast who pulled up their boot straps hours after the storm passed to help their neighbors, help themselves, and not wait or expect others to come in and pick up the pieces despite the lack the basics of food, water, and shelter. As well as stories of the believers I know who clung to the only solid thing there was, Christ and His Word.

I can say without a doubt, of the books about Hurricane Katrina I have read, this is one of the best and I highly recommend it.

Dog Eared Pages - Book Recommendations to Come

2010-09-29T06:47:00.001-05:00

I told myself at the beginning of September that I wanted to set a goal for me to read through 4 books in the course of the month, in addition to my daily time in the Word. Well, I fell short by one and a half books. I will just have to set it up next month.

I set this goal for myself because it hit me a few weeks back while I was talking with a couple of women that I need to make the most of the time that I am given now. If I do marry one day and have children I will probably not have the time like I do now as a single that I can just sit down in the evening and read.

As I read I hope to be able to post a few book recommendations, as well as an occasional sermon recommendation as I seek to grow in knowledge and fill some of my spare time with good things and not just mindless tv shows (which trust me I have my favorites).

Lord willing I will post my first book recommendation tomorrow.

Comfort in affliction

2010-09-28T10:20:00.002-05:00

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

2 Corinthians 1:3-11

Happy Storm, O Blessed Hurricane

2010-09-22T08:10:00.004-05:00

I have been reading a lot lately, the majority of it has not been on suffering and theology, though it probably seems like I have because the last two posts mention quotes related to suffering. Truth is I came across this quote as I was reading through the blogs I frequent and it was too good to pass up.

“On My arm, they shall trust.” Isaiah 51:5
In seasons of severe trial, the Christian has nothing on earth that he can trust to, and is therefore compelled to cast himself on his God alone. When his vessel is quickly sinking, and no human deliverance can avail—he must simply and entirely trust himself to the providence and care of God.

Happy storm—that wrecks a man on such a rock as this!

O blessed hurricane—that drives the soul to God and God alone!

When a man is so burdened with troubles, so poor, so friendless, so helpless that he has nowhere else to turn—he flies into his Father’s arms, and is blessedly clasped therein! Oh, tempest-tossed believer—it is a happy trouble which drives you to your Father! –Charles Spurgeon

(HT: Erik Raymond)

Where is God amid so much suffering?

2010-09-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

"So where is God amid so much suffering? Hanging on the cross, bearing in his own body the curse of his own law, drinking the cup of wrath and the venom of our sin and death. Even though we cannot see God's sovereignty and goodness reconciled in holocausts, tsunamis, hurricanes, and fires, here the harmony is empirically verifiable! God is neither aloof to our suffering nor powerless to intervene.

No one has ever suffered more unjustly at our hands than this sinless God-Man, and yet he was 'delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God' (Acts 2:23). We can be assured that in the crises we face, large and small, God works all things together for good (see Romans 8:28) because God's strength has once and for all been made perfect in weakness. The unity of God's sovereignty and goodness that will be fully disclosed on that last day has already dawned decisively in the work of Christ. God has triumphed over the serpent, sin, death, evil, and tragedy. 'It is finished!' Jesus cried. Our victory is assured, thought we walk through the valley of death's shadow (Psalm 23:4). In fact, in this famous psalm of comfort in distress, we can say 'i will fear no evil, for you are with me your rod and your staff, they comfort me.'"

-A quote from A Place for Weakness by Michael Horton

Building Homes and the Gospel Proclamation

2010-09-20T08:39:00.003-05:00

I'm currently sitting at my desk catching up on weekend emails, the sounds of weed eaters buzzing outside the window, and sitting here amazed that over 5 years after the storm the Lord is still sending people to the gulf coast and specifically Lakeshore Baptist Church.

It sometimes just hits me that what the Lord is doing here is bigger than I could have ever imagined being possible by a church of around 30 members. Thousands upon thousands of volunteers have filtered through, 38 homes from the ground up have been built, over 100 homes rehabbed, hundreds of sheds built in the early days after the storm, countless cans of food and articles of clothing have been given out in the distribution center, and tons and tons of storm debris gutted from homes and pulled from yards. This is all amazing and we can't help but point to God and give Him the glory.

Yet, while that is all great, we do not want to pull away from the gospel itself. If we just build someone a home and neglect the gospel we just give them a comfortable place to go to hell from. I can say without hesitation that Lakeshore Baptist Church, while we desire to physically help people, sees the immense need for the gospel in our community and our hearts are burdened to see that the gospel message goes out.

I am blessed to be apart of this church, where you can count on hearing the gospel proclaimed from the pulpit and from behind a shovel or while hanging a piece of sheetrock, or while framing a home. The gospel can be heard while sitting in the distribution center and people talk and encourage one another or while a couple of men sit on the tailgate of a pick up truck. The Lord has used His children at LBC and volunteers who have partnered with us to spread that good news and the He has used that to draw people to himself. I rejoice at the lives that have turned to Christ and repented of their sin as the Lord has worked in their hearts. I look forward to seeing what the Lord has in store as believers committed to sharing the gospel are faithful to do so.

Singleness a blessing or a curse?

2010-08-28T21:55:00.001-05:00

Singleness for some it's the plague others it's the best thing to ever to have happened to them. In all honestly many days I don't struggle with being single, knowing singleness is a gift. But there are days sometimes weeks the loneliness, the rejection, the shame, the lack of physical intimacy are all too real and it hurts.

It is rare, I think and at least in my personal experience, for singles to think of their singleness as a blessing. But just yesterday I stumbled across a blog, thoughts from Fabs, looking at the struggles or blessings of singleness. Fabs makes a great case that loneliness, freedom, control, pain of rejection, lack of physical intimacy, and shame are blessings. Fabs points to the cross and the grace of God, not dwelling on the hurt or wallowing in the self-pity, jealousy, or bitterness.

Below I've linked to each individual post in Fab's series on the blessings of singleness, I hope you find these as helpful as they were to me.

Some Talks on Singleness
Blessings of Singleness #1: Loneliness
Blessings of Singleness #2: The Pain of Freedom
Blessings of Singleness #3: Losing Control
Blessings of Singleness #4: The Pain of Rejection
Blessings of Singleness #5: Lack of Physical Intimacy
Blessings of Singleness #6: The Pain of Misplaced Shame

By This We Know Love

2010-08-27T22:35:00.000-05:00

Summer has come and gone since the last blog post and I'm not really feeling too bad about that. It was a great and busy summer in Lakeshore and we are looking forward to the fall. My support I have been trying to raise for my time in Lakeshore has gone pretty well so far. Lord willing I will be updating everyone on that soon.

For the time being I want to share with you one of my new favorite songs. It's not really new, but new to me. This video is from the 2009 NEXT conference

By This We Know Love
Judah Groveman

God of all Creation, Lord of heaven's light
Descended into evil's darkest night
Infinitely Holy, Your perfections know no end
Selflessly You died my rightful death

By this we know love that He laid down His life
God's very own Son, came from Heaven to die
Suspended He hung, as he shed His own blood
What grace in His pardon, by this We know love

Forsaken man of sorrows, hated by all men
You willingly surrendered for my sin
Scornfully derided, yet in silence stumbling on
Bearing wrath for all that I've done wrong.

By this we know love that He laid down His life
God's very own Son, came from Heaven to die
Suspended He hung, as he shed His own blood
What grace in His pardon, by this We know love

Priorities, knees, and raising support

2010-03-30T06:00:00.001-05:00

Besides the random blog post it's obviously been awhile since I put any thought into blogging. There are multiple reasons, but primarily it hasn't been a high priority for me. The last few months have been a bit of a ride for me, but God has been faithful and gracious in my hurt, happiness, confusion, delight, and even my sin. Lord willing and if I am able to keep my priorities straight I will be blogging more frequently again.

Though I will be trying to blog more frequently, over then next few months I will be going through some changes, so we'll see how the blogging goes. But as for me....

I'm not sure yet when it will be, but my fourth knee surgery will be sometime in the next couple weeks. My doctor will go in, take a look around and be prepared to fix anything that is needing fixing. My recovery time will depend on what needs to be fixed. I am hoping it is not my acl that needs replacing, which I have had replaced twice before. Though it is my fear that it is the acl.

The biggest change for me will come this May when I wrap my 2 years as a US/C2 missionary with the North American Mission Board. With that I will lose the stipend NAMB and the Mississippi Baptist Convention have so graciously blessed me with as well as the medical insurance offered through NAMB as a US/C2. I am unable to serve another appointment as a US/C2, the only other option I've been given with NAMB is as a self-supported missionary.

I've prayerfully considered my options as it is my desire to stay in Lakeshore, serving the Lord and the Lakeshore community. I've decided to stay in Lakeshore and try to raise the support apart from NAMB to stay. I am looking at needing to raise about $800 a month to take care of my expenses. I've begun sending out support letters, praying the Lord would see fit to provide for my needs to stay in Lakeshore. It is my goal by July to have at least 70% of the funds raised or pledged. Below is a copy of my newsletter and support form:

Support Letter

Support Form

If I have not sent you a letter and you feel led to support me through prayer or financially and receive emailed updates and newsletters please fill out one of the support forms and mail it to:
Lakeshore Baptist Church
PO Box 293
Lakeshore, MS 39558

God is God and God is good

2010-03-25T15:25:00.000-05:00

"This I do know; If God chooses to heal me then God is God and God is good. If God chooses not to heal me and allows me to die; God is still God and God is still good. To God be the glory." Zac Smith

Hear him tell his testimony:

The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

To God be the glory!

So Why do You Smile? Where is Your Joy?

2010-01-26T16:15:00.000-06:00

I think Haiti and the earthquake that crushed businesses, cars, homes, and lives and has claimed over 150,000 lives in the capital city alone thus far. Images and stories stream from the the news nightly, but none doing justice to the reality of life now in Haiti. I cannot fathom what the scene is like, what people are going through.

People have traveled from Canada, Israel, Iceland, Germany, France, the US, China, Colombia, as well as many other countries to Haiti in recent weeks as reporters, doctors, rescue workers, nurses all doing what they can to meet the physical needs of the Haitian people.

Not only are people hurting physically and emotionally, I'm sure people are struggling spiritually trying to grapple everything that has just happened. I have not personally heard of many pastors or missionaries that have been able to travel there in recent days. Two pastors that have been able to go, Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hills Church in Seattle and James MacDonald of Harvest Bible Church in Chicago, are now heading up Churches helping Churches - A ministry "created to address the immediate and long-term needs of churches when disaster befalls a country, region, city, or people in the spirit of Galatians 6:10- 'Let us do good to everyone, and especially those who are in the household of faith'"

On their trip to Haiti they met a pastor with a big smile and spoke with him on camera. (you can view the video below)

Pastor Mark says "You love Jesus, you teach the Bible, you marry a woman, you have four children, you're serving the Lord in ministry. And now your wife is gone, your church is gone, your home is gone, your Bible college is gone.....So why do you smile? Where is your Joy?"

The man replied "It's from the Lord."

Praise God for sustaining this man! I pray that believers in Haiti would be strengthened, that they would know, despite watching the world around them crumble, that God has not crumbled, He's not left them, He is sovereign and in control over all things - including the events and devastation that surround them. To Gob be the glory.

The Bible is not Boring

2010-01-19T11:29:00.001-06:00

2010 Bible Reading Plan

2009-12-31T23:10:00.000-06:00

Another year has come and gone and yet another year I make no resolutions. This past year I challenged myself I read through the Bible in a year, tonight I will finish the reading it through. I really enjoyed this plan, given out by Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, FL last year as a challenge to their church. I read this year through the ESV Reformation Study Bible.

This coming year I intend to start the plan over starting at the beginning. This time reading through my ESV Study Bible and looking for a couple specific things as I read, which helps me to pay much more attention to detail.

I benefited tons and learned so much more as I looked at all the scriptures...I'm left with many more questions as I ponder the text. I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to study, freely, the word of the Lord. I look forward to other studies I will be beginning in addition to the read through the Bible plan. My prayer from here on is that the Lord would give me more desire and a deep hunger to study, ponder, meditate, read the scriptures, that He'd reveal new things to me in each verse, and that he'd transform my life.

Sermon prep for the Congregation - Consider how you listen

2009-12-12T14:47:00.003-06:00

I was catching up on some blog reading this afternoon and was convicted by a couple of blogs posts written by Tim Challies on the topic of considering how we listen to sermons. I recommend giving both posts a read.

The first of the posts is excerpted from a George Whitfield sermon...These pearls of wisdom will help you listen to sermons in a way that will bring great blessing to your soul. Or as Whitefield said, “Here are some cautions and directions, in order to help you hear sermons with profit and advantage.”

The second post is a great list of ways we who do not preach can prepare for the Sunday sermon..."What we consider less often, I think, is that while a pastor bears great responsibility in preparing for and delivering the Word of God each Sunday, the listener shares in the responsibility. The church has no place for an audience. We are all to be involved in the preaching, even as listeners." - Tim Challies

Jake and USC football

2009-12-04T19:39:00.003-06:00

I came across this video on a couple blogs I read, it's worth taking the 7 minutes to watch. It'll make you cry, least it did me.

My list...part 1

2009-11-30T18:00:00.000-06:00

A few years ago now I made a list, a list of what I would look for in a man that I would want to marry. Not the type of list I would have made in my early teen years...tall, dark, handsome....yeah you know what I am talking about. And a list that is more than just the obvious (at least obvious for me)...that he's man and a Christian. But a list coming mostly from scripture...I don't have the list any more, but to recall a few...

He loves his wife as Christ loves the church – Eph 5:25
He should love their wife as their own bodies – Eph 5:28
He'd live with his wife in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel 1 Peter 3:7

Then there were other qualities – not necessarily given in scripture as addressed to husbands but more general...
A man of prayer
self-controlled
be in accordance with sound doctrine
sound in faith, in love, and steadfastness
sober-minded

And the list went on...But when I was thinking back on the list this week I was convicted. Convicted that I need not be focused on searching for this man who fits the description or try to make a man fit that description and trust that the Lord would bring him if the Lord wills.

Rather, I need to focus on becoming a godly woman and wife. What are those things that I should be learning or reinforcing in my life that that will lead to that? So I began to prayerfully think on this and journaling my thoughts, some of which Lord willing I will be posting in the coming days.

But here me say, I am not erasing from my mind that list that I had written out about what type of man I want to marry. I still will use that as I do want to get just caught up in a relationship for the sake of being in a relationship but because I am interested in getting to the man God had placed in my life and see if he may be that one who embodies these biblical characteristics.

Music new to me...JJ Heller

2009-11-29T20:35:00.004-06:00

In the last week or so I have discovered the music of JJ Heller and she has quickly become one of my favorite musicians/vocalists. Her music can be found on itunes, jjheller.com, or amazon. One album, Wake Up The World, is available for free on noisetrade.com for a limited time. I highly recommend checking it out!

The Pipers - Molly Piper

2009-11-08T17:00:00.000-06:00

John Piper is a well known pastor and speaker, his son Abraham Piper has become a well known blogger. While I am grateful for John Piper's ministry and enjoy reading Abraham Piper's blog 22 Words I really appreciate the blog The Pipers written by Abraham's wife, Molly Piper.

Molly Piper blogs on many topics ranging from family, life's issues, crafts, books, home renovations, and possibly the saddest but most helpful - especially to those in a similar situation - is the still birth of her daughter Felicity and the grief that follows. I can't say enough about the blog, how much I appreciate her honesty in happiness and grief, her practicality of many of the posts (I've even learned how to fold a fitted sheet!)

I recommend The Pipers blog to anyone, especially women, those seeking godly wisdom from other Christian women, those grieving the loss of a child, those looking for practical ideas, mothers, young ladies hoping to be mothers...basically any woman.

Lakeshore Baptist Children's Choir

2009-11-04T18:00:00.001-06:00

The last Sunday of this month Lakeshore Baptist Church will be having the children's choir sing at the Sunday morning service. I am really looking forward to this, as are most of the children.

Pastor Don asked me about a year ago if I would be interested in leading a children's choir, I was a little hesitant at first but finally said I would. We began last winter, singing at the Easter service earlier this year. There was not a huge turn out in kids, though we had several that came very faithfully and we had a good time.

This semester I have been joined by Emily Elbourne, who is helping on piano, and a woman who recently began attending the church - Mrs. Joni. She is a school bus driver and has been very helpful in picking up children and just knowing many children and asking them to come. This semester has been very good so far. We have a many children join us in the choir, most of whom have never been to church here or anywhere.

I have had a great time with the kids this semester, as well as constantly learning. I have been streched in ways I wouldn't have thought. But it's been good.

When I was thinking about songs to sing I wanted the focus to be evident - Christ and the gospel. I was greatly encouraged by the music from Sovereign Grace Ministries and chose to use a couple of their songs this semester. One song that we've been singing and I think has become the favorite of the group is To Be Like Jesus.

To Be Like Jesus

VERSE 1
Love, joy, peace, and patience too
Grow in those who trust in You
All who put their hope in Christ
Kindness, goodness, faithfulness
Self-control and gentleness
Live in those who have new life

CHORUS
I want to be like Jesus
To walk and talk like Jesus
I want to live like one who follows Him
I want to love like Jesus
To give my all like Jesus
I want to live like one who follows Him

VERSE 2
I don’t always do what’s right
Jesus lived a perfect life
And for sins like mine He died
Teach me to obey Your Word
Help me to put others first
Holy Spirit, change my life

© 2009 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP)/Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)

Broken Silence - Ms. Lisa

2009-11-01T17:00:00.000-06:00

I've never met Ms. Lisa, author of the Broken Silence blog, but I've been very encouraged by this wife and homeschooling mother of two. I check almost everyday to see if she has a new post up. I love reading her posts. She mixes hymns, theology, family, laughs, and helpful and encouraging snippets from books, scripture, blogs, and sermons.

I came across Broken Silence after Pastor Don had reconnected with his friend Tim, whom he went to high school with - Tim happens to be the husband of Ms. Lisa. I am sure glad to have gotten connected with this blog and can gain wisdom, insight, and sometimes just get a good laugh.

Currently Reading 10-31-09

2009-10-31T06:00:00.001-05:00

Another week a few books read. This week I read through a couple of quick reads.

Compassion, Justice, and the Christian Life: Rethinking Ministry to the Poor by Robert D. Lupton
This was a great book that I think if very fitting for our ministry here in Lakeshore. The author focused on several situations but all in the realm of development and not just betterment. He emphasized the importance of development, as the old proverb goes "give a man a fish he eats for a day, teach a man to fish he eats for a lifetime"

The Milk of the Word: An Introduction to the Christian Faith by Peter Barnes. The was a great, short systematic theology book. It focused on the Word of God, The Triune God, Jesus Christ, The Atonement, and The Person and work of the Holy Spirit. The book was as thorough as one can be on these topics in 80 pages. Nearly everything said on these had attached scripture references, as well as, helpful quotations from past authors and theologians. Overall a great book, I'd recommend it to unbelievers, new believers, and Christians who've been walking with the Lord a long time.

Joyfully Home - Jasmine Baucham

2009-10-25T17:00:00.001-05:00

I follow a lot of blogs, but some of my favorite blogs are written by Christian women. Most of whom are reformed in theology, but also share a lot of very practical ideas, stories, encouragement, and wisdom. Over the next several weeks I want to share some of them in hope of encouraging other women.

The first blog I want to direct you to is Joyfully Home written by Jasmine Baucham - daughter of Pastor and author Voddie Baucham. I met Ms. Baucham a little over 2 years ago at Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, FL. I was impressed and encouraged by this young woman, who at the time was 17, with the way she cared for her younger brothers and was always happy to help her parents. It wasn't until August this year that I came across her blog. Ms. Baucham is a very captiving author who does not waste one single word and is wise years beyond her age. I've been very encouraged by her posts and I hope it does the same for you.

Currently Reading 10-23-09

2009-10-23T17:00:00.002-05:00

Okay, I know it seems like all I've been blogging about is the books that I've been reading. So I have. But I've missed reading books like I used to and since I have time to read when I am running at the gym and some evenings when I go home, I am trying to make the most of every semi-quiet opportunity.

From Religion to Christ by Peter Jeffery
This was a great little book, very solid. The author looked at the book of John chapter 3, Nicodemus's conversation with Jesus and lays out the gospel very clearly. I think this would be a great book for both believers and unbelievers.

Heirs with Christ - The Puritans on Adoption by Joel Beeke...the following is from back of the book...
The Puritans have gotten bad press for their supposed lack of teaching on the doctrine of spiritual adoption. In Heirs with Christ, Joel R. Beeke dispels this caricature and shows that the Puritan era did more to adovcate the idea that every Christian is God's adopted child than any other age of church history. This little book lets the Puritans speak for themselves, showing how they recognized adoption's far-reaching, transforming power and comfort for the children of God.

Restorers of Hope: Reaching the poor in your community with church-based ministries that work by Amy Sherman

In this book Amy Sherman challenges churches to get involved with mercy ministry she makes clear that a church that thinks it should not be involved in mercy ministry should really take a good look at society and more importantly the gospel. The book is very practical for leaders who may be wanting to get more involved with mercy minisrty or for ministries already ministering to their communities.

Evangelism: Doing Justice While Preaching Grace by Harvie Conn

This too was a great little book, only around 110 pages, but full of good stuff. It really focused on holistic evangelism - showing mercy and preaching the gospel together.

Sex, Sushi, and Salvation: thoughts on intimacy, community, & eternity by Christian George

I really liked this book. It is very solid theologically and very practical. He was right on when explaining the gospel and straight up with the reader on many issues focusing mostly on intimacy, community, and eternal issues. The theme of God's sovereignty over all things ran through the entire book as well as the urging for Christians to grow up and grow in their gospel-centeredness.

At times Christian George is a bit Driscollesque in his examples, so I am sure there are some folks out there that might not appreciate that. The one thing I was not crazy about was the place where some of the scripture references came from. Many came from the NIV which I had no problem with, but some came from The Message - a paraphrase of the Bible or I would say even more like a commentary. It is not a translation.

Currently Reading 10-4-09

2009-10-04T18:00:00.002-05:00

This week has been a semi-productive reading week for me. I've finished a couple of books and still working on another.

The books for the week are:

Growing up in Grace by Murray G. Brett. I highly recommend this book. While reading I could help but tell myself...if you can't say amen, say ouch. Said a lot of amens, with an ouch!

This short book looks at the Christian life and the process of sanctification in a believers life. The challenge of this book as stated by Geoff Thomas in the foreward is this :

"This book addresses our consciences about the character ot our Christian way. Is there credible godliness? Is there a deepening, growing relationship with our Lord? Is the loce of Jesus Christ constraining our behavior - love so amazing, so divine demanding our souls, our lives, and our all - and are we giving the Lord affectionate obedience in return?"

Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce by John Piper. This is a short biography of the evangelical member of Parliament who strove nearly his entire life to abolish slave trade and slavery in England

Girl Talk: Mother-Daughter Conversations on Biblical Womanhood by Carolyn Mahaney & Nicole Mahaney Whitacre.

These two ladies have written a book for both mothers and daughter on the issue of what it means to become a godly woman. The look at the mother/daughter bond and then in short chapters give many examples of godly living. Encouraging all the way the daughters to learn from their mothers, obey them and follow their example.

Glory to God Forever

2009-10-01T06:25:00.000-05:00

Yes so this might be the week for videos, oh well.

I have really been enjoying the music from the band Fee. The video I posted earlier this week was one of their songs from their previous album, "We Shine"

I am looking forward to their upcoming album, "Hope Rising", which will be released October 6. The following song/video, Glory to God Forever, is song a from that album that I've enjoyed singing in worship to the Lord.

Glory To God Forever

Before the world was made
before you spoke it to be
You were the King of Kings
yeah you were, yeah you were

And now you’re reigning still
enthroned above all things
Angels and saints cry out
we join them as we sing

Glory to God, Glory to God
Glory to God, Forever

Creator God you gave
me breath so I could praise
Your great and matchless name
all my days, all my days

So let my whole life be
a blazing offering
A life that shouts and sings
the greatness of the King

Glory to God, Glory to God
Glory to God, Forever

Take my life and let it be
All for you and for your glory
Take my life and let it be yours

Glory to God, Glory to God
Glory to God, Forever

Shocking Abortion Video

2009-09-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

I came across the following video on Voddie Baucham's blog.

The following is what Mr. Baucham said to introduce the video:

Those of us involved in the pro-life movement probably won’t find this video all that shocking. However, pro-choice advocates (and those who voted for president Obama) will probably find this video offensive... and that’s okay. Those who support abortion must be challenged; they must be forced to answer the question posed by this video.

Take just a couple minutes to watch this video and share it with others.
(This is not the video that shows the abortion procedure, though this is still heartbreaking and thought provoking)

Running, 5ks, and my thoughts

2009-09-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

I've never been one for running, in fact I used to hate it. I hated running the mile in school, I never ran just for fun, and when I went to the gym I would choose to do anything else but run. With a little encouragement this past spring I began jogging at a community walking track here in Bay St. Louis. A few weeks after that I decided to run in a 5k race during the Bay Bridge Fest. I finished. It was not a great time. Though I wasn't last, which made me happy.

This past weekend I gave myself a chance at another 5k. This run was for Waiting for a Cure a benefit for those who are battling or have battled breast cancer on the Mississippi Gulf coast and sponsored by the Gulf Coast Running Club. Again, not a spectacular finish, but I took 2 1/2 minutes off my previous 5k time and it was fun meeting new people.

I hope to continue running, though its still not my favorite thing to do, I feel good after I am finished. And that out weighs how I feel when I am actually running. I am thinking about running another 5k later this year, we'll see if that happens.

All Because of Jesus

2009-09-26T21:35:00.003-05:00

All Because of Jesus
-Steve Fee

Giver of every breath I breathe
Author of all eternity
Giver of every perfect thing
To You be the glory

Maker of heaven and of earth
No one can comprehend your worth
King over all the universe
To You be the glory

I'm alive
Because I'm alive in You

And it's all because of Jesus I'm alive
And it's all because the blood of Jesus Christ
That covers me and raised this dead man's life
It's all because of Jesus I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive

Every sunrise sings Your grace
The universe cries out your praise
I'm singing freedom all my days
Now that I'm alive

It's all because of Jesus I'm alive
It's all because the blood of Jesus Christ
Covers me and raised this dead man's life
Yeah, it's all because of Jesus
It's all because of Jesus I'm alive
It's all because of the blood of Jesus Christ
Covers me and raised this dead man's life
It's all because of Jesus I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive
I'm alive, I'm alive

God's glory and depression

2009-09-24T16:45:00.000-05:00

We're told you are not supposed to struggle
that Christ is in sovereign over all things.
I know that's true and believe it full
but from time to time I struggle still

Depression is that with which I battle
some days it gets me more than others.
some say it's all caused by sin
never can it be else than that.

I do sin and it does contribute
but must I rule out there must be more?
I wish there was a way to fix change it all
but it must be God's sovereign plan

I often fail to see why depression exists
but I know its for a reason
that God would be glorified above all things
in all life and emotions

I mustn't fall into woe is me
though often tempted to do so
Need to recognize the bigger picture
God's glory and sovereign rule.

I'm grateful for all life's struggles
as hard as they seem.
They ultimately sanctify the believer
and let God's glory be seen

Currently Reading 9-22-09

2009-09-22T12:35:00.000-05:00

I am always interested in what others are reading. I am always looking for a new book. But I thought I would share the books that I am currently reading. I am trying to limit myself to the number of books I read at one time, because I have a bad habit of starting several books and then forgetting to finish many of them.

When Helping Hurts (How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself) by Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert

The two reasons the authors give for writing this book are thought provoking:
1. "North American Christians are simply not doing enough. We are the richest people to walk the face of the earth. Yet, most of us live as though there is nothing terribly wrong in the world."
2. "Many observers...believe that when North American Christians do attempt to alleviate poverty, the methods used often do considerable more harm to both the materially and materially non-poor. Our concern is not just that these methods are wasting human, spiritual, financial, and organizational resources but that these methods are actually exacerbating the very problems they are trying to solve." pg 28

Is God Really in control (Trusting God in a World of Hurt) by Jerry Bridges

This voice in My Heart (A Runner's Memoir of Genocide, Faith and Forgiveness) by Gilbert Tuhbonye

This is the story of a Brundi Tutsi that survived brutal attacks in his home country when a Hutu mob invaded his high school. He was the only Tutsi survivor of that attack, but suffered severe injuries. He went on to become a world-class athlete.

You Never get Beyond the Gospel

2009-09-18T06:01:00.000-05:00

In Tim Keller's article The Centrality of the Gospel he claims that most Christians have not used the gospel in all areas of life. Many think the gospel is mainly for unbelievers. I couldn't agree more with what Keller has to say. We need to continually re-discover the gospel...

Paul is showing that we never “get beyond the gospel” in our Christian life to something more “advanced”. The gospel is not the first “step” in a “stairway” of truths, rather, it is more like the “hub” in a “wheel” of truth. The gospel is not just the A-B-C’s but the A to Z of Christianity. The gospel is not just the minimum required doctrine necessary to enter the kingdom, but the way we make all progress in the kingdom.

We are not justified by the gospel and then sanctified by obedience, but the gospel is the way we grow (Gal.3:1-3) and are renewed (Col.1:6). It is the solution to each problem, the key to each closed door, the power through every barrier (Rom.1:16-17). It is very common in the church to think as follows. "The gospel is for non-Christians. One needs it to be saved. But once saved, you grow through hard work and obedience." But Col.1:6 shows that this is a mistake. Both confession and "hard work" that is not arising from and "in line" with the gospel will not sanctify you--it will strangle you. All our problems come from a failure to apply the gospel. Thus when Paul left the Ephesians he committed them "to the word of his grace, which can build you up" (Acts 20:32)

The main problem, then, in the Christian life is that we have not thought out the deep implications of the gospel, we have not “used” the gospel in and on all parts of our life. Richard Lovelace says that most people’s problems are just a failure to be oriented to the gospel--a failure to grasp and believe it through and through. Luther says, "The truth of the Gospel is the principle article of all Christian doctrine....Most necessary is it that we know this article well, teach it to others, and beat it into their heads continually." (on Gal.2:14f) The gospel is not easily comprehended. Paul says that the gospel only does its renewing work in us as we understand it in all its truth. All of us, to some degree live around the truth of the gospel but do not "get" it. So the key to continual and deeper spiritual renewal and revival is the continual re-discovery of the gospel. A stage of renewal is always the discovery of a new implication or application of the gospel--seeing more of its truth. This is true for either an individual or a church.

The privilege of hearing the gospel

2009-09-16T05:36:00.001-05:00

It is a great privilege to hear the gospel. You may smile and think there is nothing very great in it. The damned in hell know. Oh, what would they give if they could hear the gospel now? If they could come back and entertain but the shadow of a hope that they might escape from the wrath to come? The saved in heaven estimate this privilege at a high rate, for, having obtained salvation through the preaching of this gospel, they can never cease to bless their God for calling them by his word of truth. O that knew it! On your dying beds the listening to a gospel sermon will seem another thing than it seems now.” (C.H. Spurgeon)

Literacy and the Gospel (part 6)

2009-09-13T06:32:00.000-05:00

I could write much more on Literacy and the Gospel as I continue to think about the topic. But I think I will make this my last post. I have read many articles online, I think this one written in Baptist Press briefly sums up some of my thoughts.

Christianity is a book-religion. That is, all of its revelation about God's redemptive work in Christ is mediated to us in letters on a page. We don't have photographs, telephone lines through time, or a living oral tradition. We have the Scriptures. Apart from them, we have no saving knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Because Christianity is a religion of the book, where it spreads so too does a concern for literacy. That is why when Christianity expands it borders, it is often accompanied by the building of schools and other institutions of learning. Where literacy dies, so does a knowledge of and a love for the Bible. Does it not make sense to interpret a decline in reading as a trend that works against the Gospel?

I believe the pervasive and invasive entertainment culture (TV, Internet, movies, etc.) smothers serious thinking and the reading of entire books. Americans by and large don't read serious books because they are entertaining themselves to death. There simply isn't time to read the Bible, much less books on theology or doctrine. Besides that, when you are conditioned to be in a constant state of being entertained, reading non-fiction becomes a chore and a bore.

Our hearts tend to fixate on vanity. It will be that way until the great day of our Lord's return. If we would be faithful to Christ, we would be conscientiously doing everything we can to work against these currents in the culture and within our own hearts. It may mean throwing our televisions away. It may mean spending less time on the Internet -- perhaps even reading less blogs. Whatever it takes, it's worth it to redeem the time and to discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness (Ephesians 5:16; 1 Timothy 4:7-8).

With all that has been said, I still believe we must go to those who cannot read and share the gospel with them. We need not wait until they are literate to share Christ with them. We can use teaching literacy as both a means of sharing Christ with them and helping them to grow in their relationship with Christ by reading the scriptures.

It is my prayer that we in America would turn off the tv's, the computers, the music and pick up our Bibles. I pray that as the Lord leads people would begin literacy programs, ESL classes, and come up with other ideas on how to increase literacy. I also pray people would go on mission to other countries to promote literacy and to translate Bibles for those who have none. Let us consider literacy as a gospel issue.

Literacy and the Gospel (part 5)

2009-09-12T06:00:00.001-05:00

Some have said sharing the gospel is the most important thing and should not focus on literacy. I agree that sharing the gospel is of utmost importance. Some argue that the majority of first century persons were illiterate, but Christians took the gospel to them and spread it orally. Praise God for those believers.

I understand that first century Christians and unbelievers were mostly illiterate and even today it is possible to be a Christian to be illiterate and grow in a relationship with Christ. But I believe literacy is very important in the process of sanctification and think it should not be ignored. I believe scripture is clear that we should be reading his word.

We are told in scripture to meditate on the word and to do what is written in it...how are we to do that if one can't read?

Joshua 1:8
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

We know that scripture reveals to us that knowing the scriptures helps us to understand Christ. How can we deepen our knowledge of Christ and who he is without being able to read and comprehend the words of scripture?

2 Timothy 3:15-17
and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

The mysteries of Christ are revealed in the scriptures...

Eph 3:3-4
How the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ,

I believe literacy ministries can serve people in different ways. I do believe that bringing the gospel to someone is more important than just teaching a person to read. But literacy ministries can bring people to a place where they might not have come before and hear the word spoken to them there. Becoming literate will enable them to read scriptures on their own. If an illiterate unbelievers becomes a Christian being able to read will allow them to grow in their relationship with Christ. We should not neglect the gospel, but should promote literacy among believers and unbelievers that they may not only heard but read the sweet gospel message written to us in the scriptures.

Literacy and the Gospel (part 4)

2009-09-11T06:00:00.001-05:00

The following are excerpts from an interesting article written by Dr. Philip Ryken, pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philidelphia, PA. The full article can be found on Tenth Presbyterian's website

The reason for all this literary illiteracy is not hard to guess. We are living in an accelerated culture of perpetual distraction, the multimedia age of the sound bite and the instant message. Our unprecedented global connectivity gives us an immediate interchange of massive amounts of information. However, most of this information comes in small packages. Everything seems to be getting shorter—articles, paragraphs, sentences, even words. For a reader who is used to rapidly scanning short emails or clicking through news headlines on the Internet, a long text that demands sustained thought can quickly become a source of boredom, impatience, or frustration......

In some respects, a decline in literary reading poses little threat to the church, where literacy has never been a prerequisite for understanding the gospel. In fact, most of the early Christians were unable to read the Bible for themselves. Literacy was a social benefit that only the educated elite were privileged to enjoy. In those days communication generally took place through the spoken rather than the written word. Nevertheless, people could still hear the Bible read in the public worship of the church. They could also understand the Bible. Although the Old and New Testaments contain many deep truths about God, the basic plan of salvation is something even the simplest person can understand. Christianity is not intellectually elitist.

Nevertheless, it still needs to be said that reading the Bible for full comprehension requires a higher level of proficiency than bare literacy. To begin with, the Bible is a long book, and people need to have the confidence to read it in full. Furthermore, nearly all of the literature in the Bible has a rich depth of complexity. The biblical writers are rarely ever content to say only one thing at a time; more typically they invest their stories, poems, histories, epistles, and other literary forms with layers of meaning that require careful scrutiny and quiet reflection for full understanding. The Bible both demands and rewards our best reading and thinking.

Literacy and the Gospel (part 3)

2009-09-10T06:30:00.004-05:00

I am on to day three in my look at literacy and the gospel. I do not know how much longer I will continue to look at this issue. But my heart has been pricked. Today I want to ask whose responsibility it is to teach the children to read.

Whose responsibility is it to teach kids and adults to read? Many have said it is the schools systems and the government's responsibility. My question is why is it their responsibility?

Shouldn't it be the parents responsibility? I believe it is their responsibility. But what then about parents who are functionally illiterate themselves. Should they just allow themselves to remain illiterate and not be able to teach their children? Well, I have no easy answer. I am still thinking about all this and struggling through it all myself.

I know I am speaking as one who was blessed to have parents and grandparent who taught me to read from an early age. I did have decent schools that aided my parents in helping me learn. I do not have children of my own, so who I am to say that it is a parents responsibility to teach their child? I know life is busy and parents have to work to support their families, leaving what seems like little time to sit to read. It's nice to just sit and relax in the evenings and not have to work on kids homework or read to them.

It has been my prayer that the Lord would reveal to me ways I can help this problem facing our county. I have no answer yet, and I know one person cannot begin a ministry for everything that they see as important. I know what I would like to do if I have children one day, but what about until then. How can I use what the Lord has gifted me with to make His name be known and His word read in Hancock county.

Literacy and the Gospel (part 2)

2009-09-09T05:30:00.002-05:00

I've been reading a lot of the statistics on literacy in the United States. Some of the statistics greatly surprise me, but further my concern for those who are functionally illiterate in the US and Hancock County.

Statistics from Begin to Read

Two-thirds of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of the 4th grade will end up in jail or on welfare. The fourth grade is the watershed year.
85 percent of all juveniles who interface with the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate.

Statistics from National Right to Read Foundation

The number of functionally illiterate adults is increasing by approximately two and one quarter million persons each year. This number includes nearly 1 million young people who drop out of school before graduation, 400,000 legal immigrants, 100,000 refugees, and 800,000 illegal immigrants, and 20 % of all high school graduates.

Statistics from Education Portal

44 million adults are now unable to read a simple story to their child
20 percent of Americans are functionally illiterate and read below a 5th grade level.

3 out of 4 people on welfare can't read.
Approximately 50 percent of Americans read so poorly that they are unable to perform simple tasks such as balancing a checkbook and reading prescription drug labels.

One statistic that really hit close to home with the number of drug and abuse problems in our county...

To determine how many prison beds will be needed in future years, some states actually base part of their projection on how well current elementary students are performing on reading tests.

Literacy and the Gospel

2009-09-08T13:10:00.001-05:00

This past weekend's sermon at Lakeshore Baptist has really stirred me to prayer. My mind has constantly wandered back to what Pastor Don said Sunday while preaching from 1 John 2:12-16. He reminded us that God has revealed Himself in the written word, therefore literacy is a gospel issue. Being able to read allows us to know God through reading His word. There are a lot of thoughts I have on the topic of illiteracy. It breaks my heart to read the literacy statistics in the united states. I know Literacy is often thought of in third world countries especially when we think of taking the scriptures, translating, or translating a Bible for a group of people who have no written language.

Surprisingly illiteracy is a problem in the United States, but especially to where my heart is drawn, Mississippi. I knew there was a literacy problem, it's not been a sceret. But I was shocked when Pastor Don mentioned statisics (sea coast echo article & MS Department of Education ) from recent tests for elementary students. In our county almost 70% of the elementary students passed the profiency test in language arts. That means over 30% failed.

That number is alarming to me. There are a lot of other statistics linking literacy to crime, work, etc. Maybe I'll post some later.

This leaves me wondering and praying. What can do I to help? I see the importance of being able to read and growing in Christ through reading his word. Join me in prayer, pray that the Lord would reveal to me what it is that I can do. I want to see Hancock county come to faith in Christ and see each of them grow in their relationship with Him through reading His Word.

I've been lied to!!

2009-09-05T19:54:00.006-05:00

All these years I have been told there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow... Not true. All I found today at the end of the rainbow was the silver slipper casino and at the other end wal-mart! See for yourself! ......... or maybe I did find two big pots of gold ;)

Choosing Thomas

2009-09-01T21:25:00.000-05:00

I can't help but post this. Praise God for this couple who did not abort their son Thomas because "he was their son" knowing that after his birth he would soon die. This video moved me to tears for this couple, for Thomas, and that God choose to take a lowly thing in the eyes of the world and show truth.

Psalm 139:13-16
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

Take the next 10 minutes and watch this video.

What is the Glory of God?

2009-08-30T20:18:00.000-05:00

As Pastor Don preached from 1 John this morning I was reminded of an article I read just yesterday on the glory of God.

The article I read was from the Desiring God website. On the glory of God, John Piper states...

The reason it is so important is because in the Bible I don't know of any truth that is more fundamentally pervasive than God's zeal to be glorified, which means his zeal for us so to think, so to feel, and so to act as to make him look as glorious as he is. We don't add to his glory...

What is it? I believe the glory of God is the going public of his infinite worth. I define the holiness of God as the infinite value of God, the infinite intrinsic worth of God. And when that goes public in creation, the heavens are telling the glory of God, and human beings are manifesting his glory, because we're created in his image, and we're trusting his promises so that we make him look gloriously trustworthy...
Read the rest of the article from Desiring God

Katrina...four years later

2009-08-29T21:57:00.000-05:00

I've been reflecting a lot today on the anniversary of when Hurricane Katrina slammed into the gulf coast affecting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. People were displaced by the storm, lives were lost, and thousands of homes and businesses destroyed. I was in Wisconsin when Katrina made landfall beginning my last year of college. And never in a million years did I think I would find myself on the gulf coast of Mississippi four years later.

I shared my journey to Lakeshore back in January this year in 5 blog posts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

I've seen God do amazing things here and in my life in the past four years. I could talk all day on things I've learned and experienced while in Lakeshore, but I want to highlight just a few things....

Cajun cooking is much better than northern food
God is Sovereign over all things, even over storms that bring destruction.
God works in the most mysterious ways.
When you think you have it all together and everything planned out, God's will will be made evident, often with plans you never thought of.
God uses the most unlikely of people to do huge tasks. Bringing glory to Himself.
Though the storm affected everyone on the gulf coast, Katrina also has impacted and changed the lives of many who've come to the coast to help in relief, recovery, and rebuilding efforts - including mine. I never though something so far away from me at the time could have any impact on me.
God's given me friends, some who are as close to me as family could be. Thanks guys.

Exposed before God

2009-08-27T08:18:00.002-05:00

It is great to be back in Lakeshore and hearing the word preached. It had been two weeks since I was under anyone's preaching.

Last night as I listened to the sermon from Luke 6 I was extremely convicted. There were several things that got to me, but one thing in particular was being poor (in spirit as the gospel of Matthew records). This being recognizing that I am spiritually bankrupt, that I've got nothing and there is nothing I can do to earn favor before God.

Had that been the only thing preached, I would have said, sure I think I have come to that point. But then as Pastor Don continued to speak, he said in just a quick sentence that this is like being naked before God. That got me thinking.

What if I was naked in public, how humbling that would be to bare it all to the world. Thinking about things in that way, I would say that I have not totally come to realize that I am spiritually bankrupt. Yes I admit that I am a sinner and know that God has saved me, but daily do I bare those things to him? I think there is sometimes that I try to do things on my own, attempting to hide my weaknesses and sins from God...the only one who can conquer those things.

Another statement from the sermon related to baring it all was “Deep seeded happiness comes from a full admission of our sinfulness”....In other words the only way that I can truly be happy is by baring it all before God, coming clean of my sinfulness and confessing them before God.

A Series on Social Justice and the Poor

2009-08-24T05:30:00.000-05:00

Kevin DeYoung, the author of the blog DeYoung, Restless and Reformed, has begun a series on Social Justice and the poor. I've read the first post in his series and am very interested to see where he is going to go from here with the series.

His reasons for this series are:

1. I want to learn. I’d like to take some time looking at the major texts that talk about the poor and social justice and see what they say. I’m sure I need to be convicted and corrected (and you may too). A blog provides a good medium for serial exploration.

2. I think there are some exegetical mistakes, overstatements, and sloppy thinking being promoted in an effort to arouse our passions for social justice and the poor. Perhaps a careful, slow look at a number of different passages can help put our concern for the poor on more solid footing.

3. When we see poor exegesis in a lot of Christian thinking about the poor and social justice some of us can tend to write the whole thing off as misguided do-goodism or liberal social gospel. This is a mistake. The Bible does say a lot of justice and the poor, but if we are to be convicted and motivated by truth, we must pay more careful attention to what the Bible actually does and does not say.

(From DeYoung, Restless, and Reformed)

More for Scripture Memorization

2009-08-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

I just came across Forever Grateful Music. These are cd's by Mark Altrogge that are scripture memory songs. I do not have any of the cd's yet, but I am looking at buying the pack of 8. For me singing scripture has been the easiest way for me to memorize scripture.

The newest cd is "Through the Waters" which features 20 scripture passages from the ESV all set to music. You can here the songs on the webiste as well.

Relying on God

2009-08-22T09:30:00.002-05:00

As I have been speaking at churches this week the one passage that I've shared at every church is 2 Corinthians 1:3-11. I've heard pastor Don preach this passage before and I have read it before. But as I've been reading it over and over I am made more grateful that we have a God who we can rely on in all circumstances and that we do not have to rely on ourselves!

2 Corinthians 1:3-11

New York OMC

2009-08-21T09:07:00.005-05:00

I am over half done with the On Mission Celebration here in upstate New York. It has been a great week. The Lord has been magnified and I pray glorified this week. I will write a bit more when I return but here's a few pics from the first half of the week.

My idol worship

2009-08-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

The dearest idol I have known
Whate'er that idol be
Help me tear it from Thy throne
And worship only Thee

William Cowper 
from "O for A Closer Walk with Thee"

Method for Prayer - Matthew Henry

2009-08-13T06:36:00.001-05:00

I was browsing articles online and came across this great link. It is Matthew Henry's Method for Prayer (Online Edition).

The following are 13 reasons (listed on the website) it would be good to read this booklet as we learn to pray to our Holy God.

Praying scripturally will teach us what prayer is, even while we do it.
It will correct "shopping list" views of prayer which abound in the Christian community.
It will begin to solve in our own minds the question of "unanswered prayer."
It will remind us of just how much there is to pray about day to day.
It will teach us of the extreme urgency of prayer
It will return proportion to prayers long on petition, but short on adoration, confession, and thanksgiving
It will instruct us how best to pray for ministers, missionaries, and one another.
It will show us the proper way to approach God in prayer.
It will remind us of the good things that God does for us (which we, more often than not, take for granted)
It will remind us to always give thanks to God (which, paradoxically, is so important for our own assurance of His faithfulness in answering prayer).
It will begin to engrave in our minds biblical patterns of thought which can help immunize us from the enticing folly of the world's view of life.
It will force us to rehearse the solemn warning and precious promises of God (which will do eternal good to our souls).
It will move us from our inherent man-centeredness in prayer to a biblical, God-centered way of praying.

Abortions in China

2009-08-12T05:45:00.000-05:00

My heart has been aching as I ponder the topic of abortion and the number of lives lost each year. We know since the Roe vs. Wade court case there has been nearly 50,000,000 (that's 50 million). 50 million since 1973.

While that is shocking and makes me angry and sad. I recently read an article about the number of abortions in China. the official China Daily newspaper reported that each year in China 13 million surgical abortions. In addition to the surgical abortions, 10 million abortion pills are sold. That is 23 million abortions in one year and that only is the registered abortions. The report states there are many abortions done in unregistered rural clinics.

In less than 3 years Chinese women have more abortions that American women have had in 36 years.

I believe we need to stand against abortion in the US and fight for the lives of the unborn. But my heart yearns for answers and aches for the murdered unborn in China. Is there anything we can do as believers to stop abortions in other countries?

For now I'm praying for the country of China, for Chinese women who have lacked sex education, and praying for more education and that the value of human life, which begins at conception, will be valued among the Chinese.

Rebuild Lakeshore T-Shirts

2009-08-11T10:13:00.004-05:00

Many people have suggested and asked if we would make up a Rebuild Lakeshore T-shirt. Well that time has come. We have t-shirts available for purchase $15 plus shipping. Please fill out the t-shirt form below and mail it to Lakeshore Baptist Church.

Shirts are chocolate brown and available in small, medium, large, x-large, and xx-large.

The funds from the t-shirt will go to Lakeshore Baptist Building fund.

T-shirt form

Mail forms and checks to:
Lakeshore Baptist Church
PO Box 293
Lakeshore, MS 39558

Going to New York!

2009-08-10T20:17:00.013-05:00

Next week I have the privilege of traveling to New York to speak to 10 different churches in the Central New York Baptist Association. I will be speak Sunday Aug 16 in the morning and evening, then Monday - Saturday nights, and again on Sunday Aug 23 morning and evening.

I will be sharing my conversion, my call to the ministry, my experience and what the Lord has been doing in Lakeshore, what the Lord has been doing in my life, and future plans.

It is going to be a busy week, but I am looking forward to the opportunity.

Highlights from this summer

2009-08-08T06:30:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share some of the highlights from my summer here in Lakeshore, I will try to be brief.

The last couple of weeks with Allison. (though her leaving wasn't a highlight, the time we got to spend together was.) BTW Al, you need to come back I am going through snow ball withdrawal...it's pretty serious.
Setting up the event tent in June. That was the most dirty I've ever been in Lakeshore.
Learning/Directing/helping put up a fence on the church property.
Learning to tile floors
Watching the baptism of Tiffany, one of our church members.
Having my best friend from college come with a group from her church.
Meeting the hundreds of volunteers that had never been to Lakeshore before.
Reconnecting with the volunteers that returned to Lakeshore.
Watching people stretch themselves beyond what they thought they were capable of and succeeding.
Listening to Pastor Don preach the word. He wrapped up Ephesians, went through a series on the distinctions of a healthy church, and began preaching through the book of 1 John, in addition to the sermons in Luke we've been going through on Wednesday nights.
Seeing old friends whom I wish I could see a lot more.

I'm back!!

2009-08-07T08:04:00.003-05:00

Well...I never really went anywhere. But apparently totally slacked on the blogging.

Nearly a third of the year has past by since I blogged last...and now that I say that to myself it hits me it has been a long time. Therefore I will be brief and highlight some things in the coming days.

Much has happened in the last four months. Literally hundreds of volunteers have flowed through Lakeshore Baptist, several homes were completed, others started, and progress moved forward a great deal on the others.

We are moving forward on the new bunk house, Lord willing that will be near completion soon. We've also started on the Mercy House and we are looking forward to the great things God is going to use both of the buildings for.

I am certainly blessed to be a part of this ministry and the things that God is doing through us. The Lord did great things this summer, one being, He put together a great summer team in addition to the amazing team I already serve with. I am grateful for the long term summer volunteers He brought this way - Emily, Josh, Betsy, Sonja, Kristen, Jayme, Liz.

Loving what we don't love

2009-04-22T16:17:00.001-05:00

PVC wins

2009-04-10T20:24:00.002-05:00

This is Sonja last summer entertaining herself and others by shooting pvc into the air. This time isn't so successful and the PVC wins.

failure to pray

2009-03-24T05:34:00.001-05:00

The following quote hit me hard Sunday morning...

"When you fail to pray you are saying, 'God I do not need you'." - Pastor Don Elbourne Jr.

Tricks to memorizing scripture

2009-03-23T09:59:00.001-05:00

I came across this post Sunday and it could not have come at a better time. In this post Demian Farnworth gives a list of 18 tricks to help with the memorization of scripture. There are a few in this list that I have never tried, but may give a whirl in the coming months.

Here are just a few examples. Check out Fallen and Flawed for the complete list and explanations on each technique.

Visualize while you are reading.
Create anchor Words
Recognize Patterns
Stagger

My niece, Kailey

2009-03-22T14:50:00.002-05:00

I must post a few pictures of my little niece. She will make one in May. I've only seen her 2 times since she was born. I wish it could be a whole lot more! For Christmas I gave her an LSU outfit. It took her a little while to grow into the suit but now that she's a bit bigger, my sister just shared the pictures with me. Unfortunately LSU has the same colors as the Minnesota Vikings so she has some explaining to do in Packer country, but that's all good. I will try to make this little Wisconsinite into a die hard LSU fan.

She's learning to sit up on her own, falling over is funny.

All Moved in!

2009-03-21T13:32:00.004-05:00

I moved into my little home a couple weeks ago. I failed to post about the move for multiple reasons...but I will say that I am completely thrilled! I finally got everything moved out of the camper and into my new place. I will post a few pictures of the completed inside once I get everything put away. But here's a few pictures of the working in progress

This is some of my favorite girls, Jayme and Liz, working on the tile in the loft. Another favorite, Allison also did a great deal of work with Liz laying and grouting tile. Thanks ladies!

Painting and hook up electrical
A look up into the loft

Big thanks to all the volunteers that helped with every step of the way. And an even bigger thanks to Lakeshore Baptist Church for building this great place for me to stay while I am serving in Lakeshore.

supremacy of man vs. supremacy of Christ

2009-03-14T14:58:00.003-05:00

spiritual depression and Psalm 4

2009-03-10T19:54:00.003-05:00

John Piper speaking from Psalm 42 on Spiritual depression and the gospel. He's got good things to say on speaking to yourself in this short sermon clip.

Lord willing, soon I will have a few original posts, but until then be encouraged by this.

Gospel in 6 minutes

2009-03-07T19:46:00.004-06:00

I know most of my posts lately have not been original as of late, but I've set out to focus on the gospel for many reasons. This particular posts I found very helpful from the Desiring God website

What's the Gospel?

What’s the gospel? I’ll put it in a sentence.

The Gospel is the news that Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, died for our sins and rose again, eternally triumphant over all his enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe, but only everlasting joy.

That’s the gospel.

You Can't Outgrow the Gospel

You never, never, never outgrow your need for it. Don’t ever think of the gospel as, “That’s the way you get saved, and then you get strong by leaving it and doing something else.”

No! We are strengthened by God through the gospel every day, till the day we drop.

You never outgrow the need to preach to yourself the gospel.

How the Gospel Strengthens

Here’s an illustration, and I use it not because it’s any big deal to speak from my life, but because it’s what I walked through and where I most pointedly in the last year experienced the power of the gospel to make me strong. (Many of you are walking through things much heavier than prostate cancer—much heavier.)

Do you remember the verses that I shared with you back in February that were almighty for me? It was that moment right after the doctor says, “I think we need to do a biopsy,” when this stab of fear comes. It didn’t last long, mercifully.

And then came—what? 1Thessalonians 5:9-10. It’s just as pure gospel as you can get.

God has not destined you for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,who died for you so that whether you wake or sleep you will live with him.

Settled. Peace like a river.

The Gospel Is Perfect for Your Needs

That’s just gospel—perfectly timed, perfectly applied, perfectly suited to my need. That’s why the Bible is so thick—because there are so many different needs that you have. And there are suitable places where the gospel is unfolded for you, so that if you immerse yourself in the whole book, always with an eye for what Christ has wrought for you and purchased for you in this thick, glorious history of God’s interaction with people, he will give you what you need.

Therefore, everything in me says, and I hope to say until the day I die, “Now, to him who is able to strengthen me, according to Paul’s gospel, to him—to that God—be glory forever and ever.”

God came into history in Jesus Christ; he died in order to destroy the power of hell and death and Satan and sin; and he did it through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

A Plea to Believe

I know that there are people reading this who are not trusting Jesus Christ, and therefore can only expect condemnation. So I’m just going to plead with you here at the end, lay down that rebellion. Lay it down. And simply embrace the gospel that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Righteous One, died for your sins. He was raised on the third day, triumphant over all his enemies. He reigns until he puts all of his enemies under his feet. Forgiveness of sins and a right standing with God comes freely through him alone, by faith alone.

I plead with you, don’t try to be strong in your own strength; it will not be there when you need it. Only one strength will be there—the strength that God gives according to the gospel.

Don’t put it off.

The Gospel and Mercy Ministry

2009-03-05T13:00:00.000-06:00

Pastor Don brought the word from 1 Peter last night and touched on a topic he's preached a lot over the past couple years, that being mercy ministry. The following little clip is Don explaining mercy ministry and the gospel.