STORMS AND OPPORTUNITY

     Tornadoes rolled through the South last night causing significant destruction and death. Over 240 confirmed deaths so far, including several in Tennessee. With the storms comes a great opportunity for the people of God to respond in the love of Christ. 
      We've been emphasizing giving at Magna View this year. I've shared with our church that I'm praying we become a church that gives more than we keep. I want to share with you a couple of opportunities to give in response to the needs left by the storms: 
        A friend and co-worker of Anjanette Large at Walters State, Susie Harrison and her family were victims of a tornado in Greeneville last night and lost everything. The modular home in which they lived was destroyed.  Susie's daughter and family lived with them.  The family is in need of clothing and personal items.  

Women's clothing needed:  size X-large (16-18), size 9 shoes

Men's clothing needed: size Large

Toddler boys clothing needed:  Size 3T

Baby girl clothes needed:  Size 6-9 month

We'll be collecting these items this Sunday morning, May 1. 

      Also, the Tennessee Baptist Convention has set up a fund for those affected by the tornadoes. Money given will go to help with disaster relief and rebuild of homes. We'll receive a special offering this coming Sunday to help. You can make your check out to Magna View Baptist Church and put "Spring 2011 Tornadoes and Storms Fund". 

      Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.    Luke 6:38 (NKJV)

SOMETIMES THEY GET IT!

Do you want to know what stirs a pastor's heart more than almost anything; that thing that causes us to say "Yes, this is why I'm still in ministry." It's when someone in the pew comes to you and says, "I get it, God's moving in my life and I'm going to do something about it." I had that experience today and my heart is overflowing with joy. I was asked to fill out a missions recommendation form so that one of our members could be on mission with God in a medical missions ministry. It's a person who said they are tired of setting in a pew, and they just can't do it anymore. They have to get busy for God!
Praise the Lord. This is the message God has been burning in our church for the past three months. Sunday we had a guest speaker, Dr. Phil Young from the TBC who challenged our church to be a missional church, that is, a church that is a biblical community of Christ followers sent to live out the mission of God. Preaching from John 9, Phil showed that the biblical ministry of Jesus was incarnational, intentional, indigenous, and made a strong impact on the local community. The church is called to do the same. It was a powerful and challenging message.
Sometimes even the best messages elicit very little response, but I knew the message had struck a never when our member came to me after the service and said, "I need to talk to you this week." Sometimes that's not something I like to hear, but in this case, I knew God was behind it. And he was.
I'm thankful for what God is doing in Magna View. We've gone through a lot of changes and transitions over the last several years. It's not been easy, but it's been good. And I know God isn't through changing us. I pray and I believe He is shaping us into a church that has a local and world-wide impact for Him. I believe we're just beginning to see a great work of God.

GOD IS ABLE

Have you ever had those times when you wonder what in the world you are doing in life. Today is my day off and I've enjoyed the down time. I took my oldest daughter to get two wisdom teeth out this morning and everything went well. Came home and mowed the front yard before realizing it's still winter time. Worked on some laundry and then watched some baseball. I've really gotten away from baseball the last couple of years; I'm a Cubs fan so there's not been much reason to keep up with baseball (Cubs lost their opener today too).

I've also been reading a book by Pastor Stephen Furtick of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. I'm enjoying the book, it is very inspiring. It's wonderful how God has blessed Furtick's ministry and the exponential growth of Elevation. Furtick seems to be a pretty ordinary guy with great faith in a great God. The book is titled "Sun Stand Still" and it is based on Joshua's prayer in Josh. 10:12, where he prays for the sun to "stand still" in the sky so he and the Israelites can finish off the enemy. It's an impossibility that God grants him. Furtick attributes the success of his ministry and his church to the power of God that is activated by audacious faith and radical obedience; praying "sun stand still" kind of prayers, and acting in faith.

I love reading these kinds of books - I'm both encouraged and challenged. Encouraged because I love to read about great moves of God that transforms lives and grows His Church. Several of the stories have brought me to tears. But challenged because I have in my heart the desire to be involved in a great move of God. I've sensed it for years, I've prayed for it, and at times I thought I would experience it, and while I have seen the hand of the Lord at work in my life and in our church, it's nothing on the scale of what I feel in my heart.

I turn 46 next week (which maybe the reason I'm a little reflective and moody), and I'm wondering what I have done in my life that has brought glory to God and impacted this world for my King. I struggle with the fact that what I feel that God has put in my heart hasn't become a reality, and I'm wondering if it ever will. I know the answers that I would give to others in my situation - "it's God's job to do the work, your job is to be faithful no matter what; God's in the little things; every small act done in Christ's name brings reward in heaven." I know all the answers, but none of them seem to satisfy.

I'm thankful for all that God has let me be a part of in my life. There's no doubt I have been blessed time and time again; I don't want to come across as ungrateful, but I yearn for more. I long for an ability to lead people to a life-changing encounter with God. I yearn for a genuine revival in my life and the church where lives are changed, souls are saved, relationships are restored, ministries are started and worked, and each week or day we see the mighty hand of God moving on His people. I long to be a part of a great move of God that brings Him glory and brings me the sense of "this is it, this is what I've created you for, this is what I put in your heart."

The Lord is stirring something in me, I don't know where it will lead, but I'm ready for God to do something great, I'm ready for the sun to stand still for the glory of God. I pray He moves soon.

MONDAY THANKFULNESS

I've found that it is always best to start the week with an attitude of thankfulness. Monday's are often difficult times for ministers - we're typically exhausted from the weekend, we're discouraged because attendance was low, or no one responded to the message (basic "pity-party" stuff), and we have a long list of things to accomplish before next Sunday. Think about Monday's too much and you'll climb back into bed and hide under the covers (which is sometimes the best thing to do).
But I've found that taking a few minutes to count my blessings sets a positive tone for the day and even the week. So here's what I'm thanking the Lord for today:
1. The amazing grace of God that abounds in my life! I'm overwhelmed by the fact that God loves me even though I screw-up most of the time. My past is covered under the blood of Christ and my day is in His hands, therefore I can relax and rejoice in His amazing grace!
2. An incredible family of faith that I am blessed to be a part of. The Lord says that whoever leaves anything for the cause of the Kingdom will receive 100-fold back in return. I don't know that I've left very much behind for the Kingdom, but I've gained an incredible amount through the family of faith that God let's me be a part of. Magna View BC is an awesome group of people to share life with.
3. The challenge to be more proactive in sharing my faith with others and inviting others to join me in this journey of following Christ. Jesus says I WILL be His witness (Acts 1:8), therefore I am challenged to live out that verse today.
4. My wonderful wife and daughters - everyday I am thankful for the incredible relationship I have with the people closest to me. God has blessed our family with a wonderful (and weird) sense of humor. We laugh together more than any family I know of. I'm not only enjoying my family in this life, but I rejoice in knowing that I'll enjoy them forever in Christ.
5. Electronic connections - I know its not the same as "face-to-face" fellowship, but I'm thankful for the ability to connect with people who are significant to me through electronic media. I'm blessed to learn about what God is doing in people's lives all over the world.
6. Challenging readings - Reading the "Cost of Discipleship" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer and he is stretching my understanding of the church.
7. The opportunities to impact others for Christ. It's hard for me to fathom that Jesus chooses to partner with me to impact people's lives, but He has put His treasure in this earthen vessel, and I want to use it for His glory!

  Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,  in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thess 5:16-18 (NKJV)

reFresh Ministry Conference

I had a great day! I attended the reFresh Pastors Conference in Knoxville with my friend Phil Young, and I  was truly "refreshed" by Pastor Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, and Daniel Henderson, president of Strategic Renewal. It was one of those challenging, convicting, and yet encouraging conferences. Here are some of my favorite quotes and sayings:

Jim Cymbala
Commenting on "Christians" who on't like coming to worship: "If people don't want to be in God's presence on earth, why would He punish them by sending them to heaven?"

"God will help you see people as He sees them."

On communication - "When you love, you get through."

"Our culture is killing us. Culture is stronger than the Bible and the Holy Spirit in most of our churches."

Daniel Henderson
"The devil doesn't have to destroy us, he just has to distract us."

"Leadership can't point the way to prayer, we have to lead the way to prayer."

"We've replaced the leadership of the Holy Spirit with 'having a vision.' Don't do vision by imitation, do it by inspiration."

"The only enduring motive for praying is that He is worthy to be sought."

"If I were the devil, I would concentrate on keeping Christians from praying."


These are just a few snippets from an overall great conference.

Seven Things for Magna View

Seven things I want our church to know this week:

1. So thankful for the Spirit's powerful presence yesterday! Each week it seems like God "ramps-up" our passion a little bit more.
2. Loving God with all of our heart, soul, and strength is a life-long journey. I feel like in some ways I'm just getting started, but it gets better and better each day. Making the effort to "keep your spiritual fervor" is worth it!
3. God is at work all over the place - it was amazing to see again how God is at work in an orphanage in Honduras last Sunday night! God is using His people to give hope and life to over 400 kids who would be living and dying on the streets of Honduras without Orphanage Emmanuel.
4. Next Sunday is so important in our review of our Mission Statement. LOVING OTHERS is the natural outflow of loving God.
5. Small Groups has changed my life. I'm so encouraged every time we do our Family2Family Small Groups. I get to know my family of faith so much better and I see God literally building His church using small groups. Next Sunday night is going to be a blast!
6. I think Magna View is the most "ministry-minded" church I've ever been a part of. Each week I hear about how ministry is taking place within the Body as members minister to one another. Nobody is drawing attention to themselves, but a lot of ministry is taking place each week and it is bringing glory to the Father.
7. God loves His church (you) so much and He has blessings for you if you'll put yourself in a place where you can receive them.

"Delight yourself also in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

Monday Thankfulness

Just a few things I'm thankful for this Monday evening. They're not in any particular order -

1. I'm thankful for a great Sunday at Magna View. The powerful presence of God's Holy Spirit has been obvious in our worship services and I am thankful to be there and experience it.
2. For a wonderful family - I had a great week/weekend with my family. My oldest daughter got her official drivers license, and we learned she made a good grade on her ACT. We spent Saturday in Corbin, KY for my youngest daughter's 12th birthday. Her choice was to go to the Original Kentucky Fried Chicken Sanders Cafe. It was a neat experience. We spent the afternoon walking around an indoor flea market looking for "treasures" we couldn't live without. On Sunday my middle daughter was called upon to lead a worship song in the worship service - she did awesome. I'm so proud to see how God is using her. I have a great group of girls.
3. Small Group was incredible Sunday night. I attended the "seniors" group and I was blown away again at how God is building His Body @ Magna View. We have some great Seniors who have a heart for the Lord and the desire to share their experiences with others. I learn something new about our church family every time we get together in small group. Our time of sharing about what our parents "handed-down" to us was powerful!
4. For the opportunity to teach college students the word of God. I have a great group of students in my Religion 101 Old Testament class at Carson-Newman College. They stayed with me through Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy tonight.
5. For getting preached to today at the Nolachucky Baptist Association Pastor's Conference this morning. Don Pierson, prayer specialist from the TBC preached the pure word of God to us pastors today - it was both encouraging and challenging (and a little painful as well).
6. For the opportunity to start my day in prayer and in the presence of my Savior and in the word of God.
7. For Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor executed by the Nazi's at the end of WWII - for the writing he left behind, The Cost of Discipleship - grace is free, but it is not cheap. It cost Jesus His life, but I cheapen it when I fail to live completely committed to Jesus.

Never stop cultivating a heart of thankfulness.

Book Review: If God is Good...

Randy Alcorn's "If God is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil" is a thorough, helpful, and inspiring treatise on the problem of evil and suffering in light of the belief in a benevolent and all-powerful God. The book is exceptionally written with both supporting information and enlightening illustrations. Throughout the book, Alcorn makes the case for a belief in the all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-good God of the Bible, in-spite of, or perhaps even because of, suffering and evil in the world.

Alcorn acknowledges that evil and suffering are real and are real problems when it comes to believing in the God of the Bible. He presents the arguments offered by atheists and agnostics, that the existence of evil and suffering in our world is evidence against the reality of the God of the Bible. If God is all-good and all-powerful, he certainly would not allow such evil and suffering to exist as rape, child-abuse, cancer and natural disasters. Alcorn then masterfully responds to those arguments from Scripture, philosophy and human experiences and insights. He provides substantial support for his position that God not only exists, but he is actively at work in and through the lives of those who suffer.

This book is a remarkable work. Though Alcorn deals with the very difficult subject of pain and suffering, he does so with a unique compassion in his writing. While offering opposing view points from his own, he does not come across as being arrogant or of being condemning of those who hold different opinions. He also deals with some very technical issues, such as predestination verses freewill, but does so in a very understandable way.

"If God is Good" is an exceptional work that will help provide encouragement, comfort and understanding to those going through times of suffering. It will also be a helpful resource for those who are looking for a better understanding of how and why God allows suffering and evil to exist. I personally have a better understanding of how God has been working in my own life through personal suffering and difficulties. I highly recommend this book.

This book was provided by Waterbrook Multnomah for review.

Thanksgiving

One of my favorite holidays. I have so much to be thankful for - first and foremost, my salvation in Christ. Without Him I would be hopeless. I'm also thankful for my wife, with whom I recently celebrated 26 years of marriage. I'm thankful for my beautiful daughters who are the joy of my life. I'm thankful for my mom who has been modeling faith for me from the day I was born. And I'm thankful for my family of faith who mean more to me than they will ever know in this life - thank you Magna View.

Thanksgiving Week

This week is one of my favorite weeks of the year. Just working Monday and Tuesday this week. Taking Wednesday off to be with Cecelia and the girls. We're going to Dollywood and to look at Christmas lights. We're doing Thanksgiving at home, starting our own family traditions. I'm looking forward to cooking and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade with the girls. I have fond memories from my childhood of cracking pecans for Waldorf Salad while watching the parade with my family. And, of course, I'll be watching a lot of football this weekend.

40 Days of Praise

Our church has been doing 40 Days of Praise leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday and it has been wonderful to hear the praises of God's people and see some of the wonderful results of putting a priority on praising the Lord. Each week we have had different people share their testimonies of how God is at work in their lives. The result has been that others are becoming more encouraged to share their testimonies and praises.

For me personally, this has been one of the best Fall seasons I can remember. Typically the time leading up to Thanksgiving is stressful - lots of church activities, lots of sickness in the church, and trying to get all of the family stuff done in preparation of the holiday. This year has been different because I'm more focused on the Lord. I've made praising Him a priority in my life and the result has been a wonderful peace in my heart. There are still a lot of church activities, there is still a lot of people sick, and there is plenty of family stuff to get done, but this year there is no stress, just peace and joy. God is good like that!

This week in our 40 Days of Praise devotionals we are focusing on the names of God in the Old Testament. The Hebrew people often named places or gave God characteristic names after some significant event. These refer to God's acts or His character. Today we praise Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord our Healer. In Exodus 15, after crossing the Red Sea, the Hebrews came to a place called Marah where they found water that was bitter. Unable to drink the water, the people whined to Moses who cried out to God, who showed Moses a tree that he could put in the water and it would take away the bitterness. At Marah, God made a covenant that if they obeyed His voice, they would not suffer the diseases that had plagued the Egyptians, for He Himself would heal them. He is Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord who heals. 

A Blessed Man!

Today was one of those special days when I realize how blessed I really am. This morning started out with our traditional Sunday ritual, breakfast at McDonald's. We started doing this on Sunday mornings as a way to motivate our kids to get up and ready for church. It has been such a blessing because we have an opportunity to talk and enjoy each other and not have to worry about cooking or cleaning up. We also have a good time cutting up with one another and it just puts us in a good mood as we prepare for worship. 

Today was different because I was invited to preach at Bulls Gap Baptist for their Homecoming service. I pastored Bulls Gap from 1994-1998 and we had not been back there for a long time. It was wonderful to see some familiar faces and to remember some wonderful times of ministry. I remembered a lot of things about our time there: ministering to people in crisis, fellowship times, worship times, baptisms, weddings and funerals. The years at BG were years of growth for me, and God brought some wonderful people into my life to help me grow. 

After the service we had a wonderful lunch and fellowship time. Then we came home and cleaned-up and got ready for our small group, we call it Family2Family. Normally our girls do childcare, but we didn't have any little ones tonight so the girls got to participate in the Bible study, and it was real blessing to have them in on the discussion.  I'm amazed at how they are growing in the Lord. I remember when I was their age and I had virtually no relationship with the Lord. I was saved, but I was not growing in the Lord. My girls are much farther along spiritually than I was at their age. It blesses me to see how God is at work through them. 

I'm thankful for our small group. We're usually not a very small group but tonight was different and it gave us a chance to really share our hearts. We discussed the story of David and Goliath, which Bill preached on this morning. There are so many lessons in that story; it was great to hear different perspectives from different people. Each time we meet I learn something new about the people I worship and serve with. God is doing some great things in my life through the small group. 

I am a blessed man. 

Security in God

In Sunday School the last several weeks we have been studying a wonderful section of Scripture called the "Psalms of Ascent", Psalms 120-134. This week we are studying Psalms 125 and 126. A big part of the lesson that I've studied so far has been on 125:1-2, "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people, from this time forth and forevermore." The psalmist describes the security that God is to His people. Just as Jerusalem was secured by the surrounding mountains, so God's people are secure in Him. Our security, spiritually and in all other ways, lies in our close relationship with God. But a problem can occur when we begin to trust more in the blessings of God or in the manifestations of God's presence, than in God Himself.

The writer of the lesson puts it this way:

"We often know enough not to ascribe our security to carnal, worldly things. Our greater, slyer temptation is to place our security in the blessings we readily credit to the Lord.

"Even if our security is in something God has given us -- our gifts, talents, loved ones, church family, consitent victory, passion for His Word -- our seemingly secure mountain ultimately will fall into the sea. We can grow secure in the favor God has shown us, but God's favor and His person are not synonymous. If our trust is in the manifestations of God's favor rather than God Himself, we will crumble like dry clay when He calls us to walk a distance of our journey entirely by faith and not by sight.

"To build on our previous psalm of ascent [124], God is with us and for us even when His face and His favor seem hidden. Mountain-like security only comes from trusting God, not what He's done for us or given us, however glorious and eternal those things may be." (Masterwork, p.45)

Amen.