Pastor's Page

Nicaragua Trip Wrap-up

2011-11-21T19:46:00.001-06:00

On Thursday we finished our last full day of missions in Nicaragua. The medical team went to a remote village and saw well over a hundred patients. I am always thankful for the doctors and nurses who provide medical care and medicine to people who otherwise would not receive it.
Most of us had a couple of hours of free time on Thursday. We decided to travel by mototito (three-wheel taxis) to the volcanic lagoon at Caterina where there are restaurants and shops. The lagoon is one of the most beautiful spots in Nicaragua.

Our "caravan" of Mototitos on the way to Caterina

The Caterina Lagoon

Brenton, Ezekiel, Sarah & Kaelyn at the Lagoon

Sarah, Kaelyn & Brenton preparing to take a horse-back ride at Caterina

We traveled to Nandasmo for the graduation of the Pastor's Institute at the First Baptist Church of Nandasmo. Forty-seven men received their certificates and a leather-bound study Bible which was a gift from our church. I was told that these pastors would most likely never be able to afford a leather study Bible so they were very appreciative of what our church had done for them.

The graduates came into the church accompanied by their wives or mothers.

I brought the invocation at the graduation ceremony.

We concluded the mission trip with the last night of the tri-city crusade in Masatepe. Once again the rain threatened to ruin the meeting. Thankfully Ron was able to preach and nearly a hundred people responded to the invitation.

The Nicaraguans go all out for Christmas. Decorations were going up everywhere. You could even see Christmas trees decorated in many of the homes. The pavilion in the city park in Masatepe was lit up with a tree and decorations.

We are always thankful for the many translators who work very hard during the week to help make the mission trip a success.

We will look forward to going back again possibly next year.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

2011-11-16T21:45:00.001-06:00

This was the last full day of teaching at the RHEMA Pastor's Institute in the city of Nandasmo. It was a special joy for me to spend the day there teaching the pastors as they completed their studies. I was their first instructor back in May and then had the privilege of being their last instructor today. We are all looking forward to their graduation on Thursday afternoon.

Pastor Dennis teaching a morning class.

The picture below is of construction to double the size of the facility

where the Institute was held.

After finishing at the Institute we drove to pick up the medical team at another site in Nandasmo. This was my first opportunity to see them in action this year. They were able to see over a hundred patients today and provide them with much needed medicines. The patients we see could never afford to buy the medicines that the medical team is able to provide them. Blessing!

Carlos (Translator) and Ann & Kaelyn filling prescriptions.

Today was Dr. Herrod's birthday as well as Bob Smith's. Bob is a music evangelist who works part-time with RHEMA coordinating the mission trips. Sarah (Ron's grand daughter) brought out a birthday cake to honor her grandfather and Bob at the evening meal. This has become a tradition for Ron to celebrate his birthday in Nicaragua.

Once again the crusade was plagued by rain. We had an absolute downpour at around four and then it rained for the rest of the evening. It rained so hard that many of the streets were flooded. Below is a picture of the crowd (all six of them) at the time the crusade was to start. The rain did slacken some and we eventually had about 250 at the crusade. Virtually all of them were church members so there were not a lot of decisions.

Thursday will be our last full day of ministry, the graduation at the Pastor's Institute and the last night of the crusade. Rain, rain, go away.

Delights and Disappointments

2011-11-16T07:30:00.001-06:00

We had another wonderful day of ministry on Tuesday although it had its share of disappointments. We have been working towards the beginning of the nightly crusade that is to be held in three different communities. Tuesday night the crusade was to be held in the town of Niquinohomo. While the medical team went to another community to minister many of us walked the streets witnessing and handing out invitations to the crusade.
I love having the opportunity just to walk around, soak up the culture, and meed the people that live here. They are all so kind and friendly.

Catholic church on the square. Built in 1585

Sharing Christ with a store owner.

Not something you see everyday - drying clothes in the street.

There is poor, and then there is very poor

Potter at his wheel.

I mentioned that we had some disappointments and the major one was that we had monsoon rains all afternoon. Consequently the crusade in the town square was rained at. At the last minute it was switched to a community building that could only hold about 500 people. Thankfully it was full and we still managed to have a great evangelistic service. Most of the crowd were church people but there were about thirty decisions for Christ.

Dr. Herrod preaching.

Looking forward to another day of ministry on Wednesday.

School Days. . .

2011-11-15T06:25:00.001-06:00

Mondays are always exciting days on the mission field. Our medical team left for their site for the day and didn't return to the hotel until after nine in the evening. They were able to see over ninety patients and had nine professions of faith at the clinic. Monday night the team went to a church where Bill preached and I understand he did a great job.

The other half of our group went to the town of Nicinohomo and went into two schools. The puppet team went to the senior/junior high and the other half went to the elementary school. I would estimate that well over 200 students made professions of faith in the high school and 125 made decisions in the elementary school.

Ron's 14 year-old grand daughter made the trip. She sang the David Crowder song "He is jealous for me" in Spanish to the students. She did a fantastic job and the students really like it.

Many of us spent the afternoon in door-to-door witnessing. As you can see, some of the homes we went to didn't have doors. We were able to lead many people to the Lord. Brenton Butcher led fourteen people to the Lord - not bad for another 14 year old!

We finished our day with a worship service in the Lighthouse Church in Masatepe. It was a long day, but another great day in the Lord.

Nicaragua Day One

2011-11-14T07:43:00.001-06:00

We beganour journey to Nicaragua at 2 am on Saturday. A 6:30 flight from Little Rocknecessitated the early beginning of our day.

Our flights all went smoothly andwe arrived in Managua at 12:30, We joined up with the rest of our 23 member team and made the hour and ahalf journey to Granada where we will be staying for the rest of the week.

Sundaymorning we began our first day of ministry. Our team traveled to the city ofMasatepe where we split up into six teams. The medical team (Bill, Carrie,& Ann) set up a clinic and were able to see 75 patients. The rest of usministered in five different churches.

The picture below is of the church we ministered in on Sunday morning. The plastic bucket at the altar is for offerings of food and necessities (notice the roll of TP) for the pastor. Very humbling.

A church out in the countryside

Kaelyn shared her testimony for the very first time on Sunday night. She did an incredible job and I can't begin to tell you how proud of her I was. I've been Kaelyn's pastor all of her life and to see her mature into such a godly young woman is one of the most rewarding things I know.

Kaelyn and Sarah (Ron Herrod's grand daughter sharing the gospel.

Sunday night our church service was held out in the street under a light bulb hanging from a tree. It was truly a special time for us. This is a church start with one of the pastor's that we have been training. They have bought property and are looking forward to the time when they can have a roof over their heads for worship.

Mission Nicaragua

2011-11-11T19:09:00.001-06:00

Early in the morning (2 AM Saturday) seven members of our church will be leaving for a week of mission work in Nicaragua. We will be joining sixteen others for an exciting week of serving the Lord. I am particularly excited that three of our team members are making their first trips out of the country. There is nothing quite like that very first time of leaving your comfort zone in the U.S. and experiencing the thrill of serving the Lord in this kind of venture.

We have a three hour drive to Little Rock. Then a 6:30 am flight to Houston. From Houston it is a little over three hours until we arrive in Managua, Nicaragua. As we fly to Managua, my daughter Kelly will be coming back to the U.S. from a mission trip to Ecuador.

We have a tremendous week of ministry ahead of us and I will be posting here each day about what the Lord is doing in and through us.

Almost Heaven

2011-08-31T16:00:00.005-05:00

I've learned from my many trips out of the US that time doesn't mean much in most countries. One of my many faults is an obsession with being punctual. Consequently, I have trouble dealing with people who seem to have no regard for time. This morning my ride was an hour late picking me up. I was getting pretty upset until I found out that through no fault of the driver, there was a massive traffic jam on the highway coming in and out of Mumbai. I discovered how bad it was on our way to the ministry site.
We started out in the left hand lanes. (They drive on the left in India.) But when traffic came to a standstill many of the vehicles just crossed the road and started driving in the face of oncoming traffic. The result was a massive traffic jam that lasted for about an hour. My driver looked at me and said, "Welcome to India."

The ministry site is under the direction of pastor Chacko Thomas and his Lighthouse Ministries. He is blessed with a beautiful facility that like most Christian ministries in India, has an orphanage. There are over sixty children here in what is called the "Almost Heaven Children's Home."

The students, the children and the staff have all treated me like I am some kind of celebrity. They think that I am a very important person who has come from the US. Everyday I am greeted by the children all wanting to shake my hand and say "God bless you." When I walk into the classroom the students stand and applaud. They almost fight over who is going to carry my bag and get me coffee. For some reason they all want my autograph. (I hope it is not to forge my signature on a loan.) I have never seen such gracious people. If they only knew that I am just a red-neck, hillbilly preacher, they might treat me differently. It all makes for a very humbling experience.

Here I am answering questions from some of the students during a break session.

They have so many questions not related to the course that I am teaching that I will have trouble finishing all of the material. The way that I look at it, anything that I can do to help them understand the Bible in a better way is worth the effort.

Some of the children - what beautiful faces!

Tuesday before I came back to the hotel, the cook and his wife asked if I would pray for them. Sabu and Nancy were just two precious people who are going out of their way to make sure that I am fed properly. It was a privilege to hold their hands and ask God to bless them in the difficult circumstances they are facing in life.

"And we know that all things work together for good

to those who love God, to those who are called

according to His purpose."

Romans 8:28

Rain, Rain, Go Away!!!!

2011-08-30T16:00:00.001-05:00

While I have been in Mumbai they have had record rainfall. (Why couldn't some of this fall on Texas and Oklahoma?) On Monday the streets were flooded and washed out in many places. The subways were closed due to flooding and train service (the most common means of transportation) came to a halt because of mud slides and flooded tracks.
The site of the Pastor's Institute is about 13 miles from my hotel (At least, that is what I am told). It took an hour and a half to travel that distance on Monday. Today (Tuesday) we were able to make the trip in a little over an hour. One thing they don't have to worry about here is speeders. Speeding is an impossibility. You can't speed when you are constantly dodging people walking in the road, cows lying in the road, dogs running in the road, vehicles that have died in the road and oh yes, the incredible stream of assorted bicycles, motorbikes, three-wheeled taxis, trucks, vans, and cars that are actually driving on the road.
I've posted some pictures that may give you an idea of what it is like to drive from where I am staying to the ministry site.

A view out the windshield of the flooded, potholed roads.

Closer look at the condition of the roads.

Oncoming traffic.

The next few photos are what it's like driving through a town. (Not Mumbai)

The ministry site is outside of the city proper. So there are places where there is more of a countryside. It is even more remote looking once you get to the Lighthouse Ministries.

Makes me very thankful for where I live.

Tourist Time

2011-08-28T16:00:00.001-05:00

Jaison has a multi-faceted ministry that involves pastoring a church an orphanage and overseeing the pastor training schools. He also has a three-year Bible college for men who are preparing for the ministry. Saturday morning Jason took me out to see his Bible college as well as the land we had bought for the future home of his ministry.

Home of the Bible College

There are ten men who are currently enrolled as students in the Bible college. They live here full-time as they make preparations for the ministry.

After visiting the Bible college Jaison took me to see the new property. In order to get to the property site we had to first cross a river on a ferry. I was reminded of the ferry that used to be the only way across Norfork lake near where I live.

Goa is in the closing weeks of the monsoon season so the property was overgrown with vegetation. But it is still a beautiful piece of land that will have lots of room to house the Pastor's Institutes and Jason's ministry.

After viewing the property we had to take another ferry to Panaji the capitol of Goa where we ate lunch at of all places - KFC. It seemed odd eating at KFC in India. They had two kinds of chicken to choose from - spicy and extra spicy. After lunch I went to the airport and left for Mumbai where I will spend the next week.

Mumbai is the sixth largest city in the world with a population of well over 20 million. I can't even begin to describe how busy this city is, especially the traffic. It took over two hours to make the drive from the airport to the southern part of the city where I will be staying this week.

I am now looking forward to another week of pastor training. This week I will be with pastor Chako Thomas and his Lighthouse Ministries.

May God Be With You

2011-08-27T16:00:00.002-05:00

This has been a special week for me. I have had the opportunity to share a little of what I know with these fifty men who are preparing for the ministry. Some of them are already pastoring churches and are now receiving some much needed training. Others are just starting out in the ministry having responded to God's call and are eager to start a life-long journey of service to the Lord.
I jokingly called one of the men "Billy Graham." He has a voice to die for and an enthusiasm and flair for sharing God's word that was evident to all of the students. He told me at the end of the day that He was certainly not Billy Graham. But then he said, "But I pray I might become the Billy Graham of India." I loved his attitude and I pray his prayers are fulfilled.
At the end of the day one of them was sharing how much the week meant to them. He said that the one thing they really needed was some teaching I gave on relationships during our study of the Song of Solomon.
I am so thankful for Pastor Jaison and all that he did for me this week. He puts in a lot of time and effort making sure that the students and teachers are taken care of during the ten weeks of training.

Pastor Jaison at the closing ceremony.

I was humbled once again this afternoon as the men presented me with a parting gift and then they sang "May the Lord God Be With You." It was a great way to end the week.

Now on Saturday its off to Mumbai for yet another week.

Here I Am to Worship

2011-08-26T16:00:00.003-05:00

One of the special joys that I often get on these trips is the opportunity to be a part of worship with a local family of faith. Jaison asked me if I would come to their house meeting on Wednesday evening and then speak to them. I was of course, delighted to do so.

Here we are walking to the house meeting.

The home where we worshiped belonged to this woman. She was a young widow who had recently come to know Christ.

We met in a room that was about 10 by 12 which doubled as her living room and bedroom. She had a small metal framed bed with pieces of card board that served as her mattress.

That evening we squeezed twenty-two men women and children into the room to have a time of praise and worship. It was truly a glorious experience as we sang together, prayed together and as I had the opportunity to open the Bible and share a message from God.

It is times like this that I truly treasure and will always remember.

Thursdays

2011-08-25T16:00:00.001-05:00

As I write this post it is Thursday evening and I am completing my day while everyone at home is just beginning their day. It is still difficult to get used to the time difference when you are half way around the world from home. The week has gone by very fast although the days sometimes seem very long. I have been involved in this ministry long enough that I pretty well know what to expect as the week goes by.
The first part of the week is full of freshness and vitality as we meet together as a teacher and class for the first time. There is an anxiousness to learn on the part of the students and a desire to provide the students with a blessing on the part of the teacher.

The "Holiday Hotel" where the Institute is located.

Thursday is usually the most difficult day of the week. By Thursday everyone is getting worn out. Sitting in a plastic chair in sweltering heat for eight or nine hours a day has taken its toll on the students. Standing in front of a podium in the sweltering heat and speaking for eight or nine hours has certainly taken its toll on the teacher - especially this teacher. I know that is the way that Thursdays are going to be, but this one was particularly difficult.

The building where the students are housed.

The "bathroom facilities" outside the classroom

It is the monsoon season in Goa. It rains every day. The rain has not been too bad - mostly at night - until today. It poured and poured down rain this morning. Several times I had to just stop and wait for the rain to subside because the students simply could not hear me. Then this afternoon the sun came out and we had the hottest afternoon of the week. I think at one point that we had all fallen asleep. But now tomorrow is Friday, we will finish the course and can all get ready for a new week. They will be looking forward to the last two weeks of their training and I will be looking forward to a new experience as I go to the city of Mumbai.

Just Another Day

2011-08-24T21:42:00.001-05:00

I have been so busy since I arrived in Goa that I have not had much time to access the internet, much less write about my visit here. My day usually begins at 6 in the morning and ends sometime around midnight.
The time is passing very quickly for me, I can't believe it is already Thursday morning. I was given a schedule that the students at the institute follow which is pictured below:

When I arrive in the morning they are usually just finishing their time of worship. Yesterday, they were singing "How Great Is Our God" as I entered the building. It was such a wonderful sound to be greeted by.

Right before lunch the students all posed for a class picture:

In the afternoon they always have to take a break for hot tea. I am a coffee drinker, but I have learned to appreciate tea a little more during my trips to India. Yesterday afternoon at tea break it also included a snack of fried peppers. They are actually quite delicious.

Pictured below is a typical street scene. You not only have to dodge pedestrians, bike riders, motorcycle riders and a host of other vehicles, but the streets are also often filled with cattle.

I'm looking forward to my last couple of days in Goa and then to the next part of my journey.

Goa 2011

2011-08-22T08:47:00.000-05:00

I am spending the next two weeks in India teaching Old Testament Survey. This is my fifth opportunity to be a part of pastor training for the RHEMA Pastor's Institutes in India. I will be teaching English speaking pastors in Goa this first week and then go to Mumbai for another week of training for Hindi speaking pastors. I am so thankful that God allows me to share some of what I've learned in twenty-six years of ministry with these men who are just starting out on the journey. Most of them would never be able to afford the kind of training they receive for free through the ministry of RHEMA.

I've just completed the first day of training with a class of fifty. They have already proven to be one of the best groups of men that I've had the opportunity to teach. Many of these men traveled four days on a train just to get here. They have already spent seven weeks away from their homes and families. Their typical day begins at sunrise and ends after dark. They are in class from 8:30 to 5:30, they have supper and then they have study time long into the evening. What time they have to sleep is on mats lined up next to each other on the floor. They have every right to be tired, cranky, and not too attentive as their anticipation of graduation and going home exceeds their expectation of learning from yet another teacher.

And yet, they were all amazing in their class participation and their desire to learn more about God's word. These men are my heroes and I look forward to spending the week together with them.

Milestones

2011-08-18T21:10:00.000-05:00

Over the next several days I will be observing several significant events in my life and ministry. It was twenty-six years ago today that I preached my first sermon as pastor at the First Baptist Church in Flippin, Arkansas. I was fresh out of seminary beginning my first and as it turned out only pastorate. A comparatively few in the ministry have the privilege of spending their entire ministry in one church. It has been an incredible blessing from God to be able to spend my ministry focusing on shepherding one "flock" through the journey that our Lord has laid out for us as a church. I've had the joy of marrying couples that were mere children when I became their pastor. I could go on and on, but let me just say that God has been very good to me.
Tomorrow I will be traveling to India where I will be engaged in teaching pastors for the next two weeks. This will be my fifth time to be a part of this ministry where men are trained to plant churches and seek to bring the gospel to this country of 1.2 billion people.
On Monday I will observe the 29th anniversary of when I surrendered to God's call to the ministry. I will be eternally grateful to the three pastor's who had a great influence in my life. It was Dennis Hochgraber who was pastoring a little church in Arlington, Texas who led me to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. It was Ron Herrod who was my pastor in Kenner, Louisiana where I grew to have an incredible love for the word of God, and who became my model of how to faithfully preach that inspired word. It was Oscar Golden in Benton, Arkansas who demonstrated to me how a pastor loves his people. To the extent that I have had any success in the ministry, I owe it to these men who showed what ministry truly is all about.

Shadow Walk

2011-08-06T09:26:00.000-05:00

This has been one of those weeks when nearly every day I have been dealing with death and dying. The harsh reality of the brevity of life and the certainty of death has reared its ugly head much too often. This would be very depressing if it were not for the fact that as Christian's face the prospect of death, they alone have real hope. Perhaps the one question that has always entered into the minds of men is the one voiced by Job thousands of years ago when he asked, "If a man die, will he live again?" In effect, he was asking - Is this world all there is to human existence, or is there life beyond what we know and see? The answer to that question is of course the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We have been promised by the Lord God that we can have eternal life if we will turn from our sin and our selves and turn to Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior. Jesus answered the question Himself when He was giving his farewell address to His disciples in John chapter 14. He first told them that where was a realm of existence beyond these earthly boundaries, a place the Bible calls heaven. “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:1-3) Jesus then assured the disciples that it was possible for them to be in heaven in verse 6: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Then in verse 19 He gave the answer to Job's question: "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live you will live also."
King David of Israel wrote a Psalm many years before the time of Jesus under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit which alluded to this hope that we have in Christ. He made this statement in the 23rd Psalm that has been a source of comfort and hope for generations: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil."

Note that David speaks of the "shadow of death." There is great significance for the Christian in that statement. You see, the shadow of a dog cannot bite, the shadow of a gun cannot kill, and the shadow of death cannot harm the child of God. That’s because where we have a shadow we have two other things – a substance and a light. The substance of death is to be forsaken by God. It is to die without the Shepherd, to die without knowing Christ. And for there to be a shadow, there must also be a light. It is the light shining on the substance that casts the shadow. This is what makes the difference between the death of a believer and the death of an unbeliever. The unbeliever goes out in the dark. Jesus spoke of that one time and said, “How great is that darkness.”

The believer goes out into the light. When a believer goes through the valley of the shadow of death he passes on into the unbelievable light of the glory of God in all of His splendor where he will spend all eternity. That is why Paul the Apostle could make this statement about the believer’s death in 1 Cor. 15:54 – “Death is swallowed up in victory!”

Just a few thoughts on a Saturday morning as I prepare to officiate a service where I pray that I can provide some comfort and hope to a grieving family.

The Joshua Principle

2011-07-30T21:38:00.001-05:00

O.S. Hawkins, the president of the Annuity Board of the Southern Baptist Convention wrote a little book called The Joshua Principle: 52 Bible Verses Every Christian Should Know. The book challenges Christians to not only know these verses, but to memorize them. I felt like this was such an important challenge that I am going to base my preaching ministry for a year on the verses contained in this book. I am also going to challenge the church I pastor as well as those who read this blog to memorize these verses.

Beginning on September 4th and continuing for the next year I will post a verse and some thoughts about the verse on a weekly basis.

"Special Ears"

2011-07-16T20:40:00.002-05:00

(Sorry about the video being "private." I have corrected that.)
Thursday was a special day for our family. Our grand-daughter Harper went to Children's Hospital in Little Rock to be fitted with hearing aids. She has hearing loss stemming from her stay in the NICU when she was born. Harper's mom prepared her for the day by telling her that she was going to be getting some "special ears." I can't say enough about Harper's audiologist. I'm aware that she spends everyday working with children and has no doubt treated thousands of similar patients. But you would have thought that Harper was the only patient she ever had. So thankful for her care and compassion - and expertise!
I made this video of Harper and her doctor singing right after she got her "special ears." I think Harper was overwhelmed by all the sounds she was hearing. (Especially all of us making so much noise.)

Pray for our daughter Kelly and son-in-law Scott as they seek to help Harper adjust to her "special ears."
By the way, this little one didn't know what to think of the whole deal:

SBC - Phoenix

2011-06-14T09:26:00.000-05:00

This week I am attending the Southern Baptist annual Convention in Phoenix, Arizona. Leave it to Southern Baptists to have their convention in the summer in one of the hottest cities in the country. Even though the temperatures have been above 100, there really is a difference between the high humidity in Arkansas and the dry heat here in Arizona. At home I would be wringing wet in these temperatures, but I have not even broken a sweat while I've been here.
Phoenix has a beautiful and thriving downtown. The convention center is one of the best that I've seen in all the years that I've been attending the Southern Baptist annual meeting.

Exterior of the Convention Center

View of the stadium where the Fiesta Bowl is played.

The Pastor's Conference is held on Monday before the beginning of the actual convention. It is a day full of worship and preaching. It is a great opportunity for pastors to hear a word from God directed at just them. For most it always proves to be a time of great spiritual refreshment. I was greatly blessed this year by the great number of young pastors who are attending the convention. It's hard to believe that I was once considered one of those "young pastors" when I attended my first convention twenty-six years ago.

One huge hall of the convention center is filled with exhibits from the various agencies of the SBC as well as a Lifeway book store. This year the book store was selling all of its merchandise at a 40% discount which made it very hard to not purchase some books.

The convention proper begins on Tuesday morning. I will be working on the committee that oversees all of the elections and ballot measures. Looking forward to a very busy day.

The Week that Was. . .

2011-06-11T21:20:00.000-05:00

Many years ago there was a television news show titled "That Was the Week That Was." This show would highlight the newsworthy events of the week in a one hour time frame. This show obviously preceded the era of 24 hour cable news.
I admire those who can find something of note to post each and every day on their blogs. My life is so ordinary that I struggle to find a few things a month noteworthy enough to write about. Even then, what is noteworthy to me, is usually of no concern to anyone else.
When I was in Nicaragua the students overwhelmed me with questions. Most of them had nothing to do with the course that I was teaching that week (Old Testament Survey). In order to save time and not get too far off track, I told some of the students I would email them the answers to their questions after I got back home. I spent part of this week doing just that. (Thankful for Google translate.)

Students hard at work.

Class photo on last day.

The White River which runs adjacent to our town has been at flood stage for several weeks. A few years ago I did a wedding in the pavilion that is nearly covered with water in the picture below.

This week was typical in that I spent a lot of time at the hospital visiting patients, spent time providing some spiritual counseling, and a lot of time preparing to teach and preach God's Word. I also spent several days building wooden frames to hold the stage back drop for our upcoming vacation Bible school.

Since our Lord was a carpenter, pastor's ought to at least follow suit.

It's now Saturday night. I have studied my Sunday School lesson, gone over my sermon for in the morning. And I have packed my bag in preparation for leaving for the Southern Baptist Convention which will be held in Phoenix next week. Don't tell anyone but I need to preach a short message in the morning in order to drive three hours to the airport and be on time to catch the plane to Phoenix.

Nandasmo and Granada

2011-05-25T21:43:00.000-05:00

When I travel to places like Nicaragua and India I am never quite sure what conditions I will have to do my teaching under. I can usually count on the fact that electricity will not be working all of the time. I used to have a running joke that every time I preached at night in a foreign country that the electricity would go off and I would have to preach in the dark. That has happened to me more times than I can count. I can always count on the fact that the climate will be a lot hotter than I am used to and that it will usually rain so hard that I won't be able to hear myself talk - much less the students.
I am teaching this week in a camp ground outside the town of Nandasmo. Things have actually been going along fairly smoothly. Yesterday we lost electricity for about 2 hours during a rain storm. The sound of the heavy rain was quite a distraction but not near the distraction that the mangoes created falling on the roof and sounding like bombs going off. Then late this morning a group of men drove in to the camp and came over to the pavilion where the class is being held. They were apparently there to take measurements for some kind of construction that is being planned for the building. At one point they walked up on the platform behind me and were taking measurements of the platform and talking loudly to one another. The whole time I just kept on teaching and the students kept listening despite the distractions.
The students are so hungry to learn that during our break times and lunch period I am usually surrounded by students who want to have me answer their questions. That is really one of my favorite parts of the day - just hanging out with the men and talking one-on-one with them.

I am thankful the building had a back wall where I could use a video projector to show a Power Point of my teaching material. I had spent a lot of time putting together a Spanish version of my material on a PP presentation and I brought a projector with me, not sure whether I would be able to use it or not. It is very helpful for bridging the language barrier between my Arkansas hillbilly and their Nicaraguan Spanish.
The picture below is the buildings across the square from my hotel at night. A little known fact is that Granada is the oldest city in the Western Hemisphere. It was founded in 1527 and has a lot of very old Spanish style architecture. It's very scenic which makes it a great place to visit.

Un Buen Dia

2011-05-23T21:18:00.000-05:00

The Pastor's Institute got off to a good start today. We had nearly fifty students in attendance and the rest of them will be here in the morning. My assignment this week is to teach Old Testament Survey. It is my task to cover in a brief summary fashion all 39 books of the Old Testament so that the students have a good working knowledge of the big picture of how God worked in Old Testament times. They should also have a clearer picture of how God always intended to reach this world through the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
One of the great needs that I have recognized in the men that I have taught over the years is a better understanding on how to correctly interpret the word of God. As a consequence, I spent almost the entire day teaching a course on biblical interpretation. I would normally take a full week to teach the principles and rules of interpretation, but I managed to teach most of the material today. Whether or not learning took place still remains to be seen.
I am now a full day behind in my schedule, but I will still try to complete the Old Testament course by Friday evening.

"Church" where the class is being held. - It's a mission camp.

Definitely a church without walls.

Students lining up for lunch.

"Lunch Ladies" and lunch.

Pastor's Manuel, Donald and Oscar

These men (and others like them) are why I devote my time to training pastors in other countries. The man on the right is Oscar. He pastors a church that Manuel started about a year ago. (This is the church that we bought plastic chairs for when it started last year.) The man in the middle is Donald. He traveled 300 kilometers from one of the poorest areas of Nicaragua in order to be here this week. They have such a deep hunger to be trained so that they can effectively minister God's word to their churches. I pray that somehow I might be used this week to further them along in the journey.

No Hablo Español

2011-05-20T15:11:00.000-05:00

I am making my final preparations to leave for Nicaragua in the morning. This will be my ninth time to visit this beautiful country. I will be starting a Pastor's Training Institute for fifty pastors and church planters. As a pastor who feels very strongly that the principle function of the church is to be engaged in fulfilling the Great Commission, I count it a great privilege and awesome responsibility to help prepare men for the pastorate in other countries.
This week I will be teaching Survey of the Old Testament as well as Principles of Biblical Interpretation. It is a daunting task to try to teach that much material in about 60 hours of class time. Teaching all 39 books of the Old Testament in a weeks time is just totally against my nature. I have been known to take over two years to preach through just one book of the Bible.
I have spent most of this week preparing a study guide on the Old Testament in Spanish for the students. Once the guide was done, it took me several days just to collate all the material and then bind it into manuals.

Collating the study manuals.

Two down, fifty to go.

One of the things that I tell myself I will do before I go to Nicaragua is brush up on my Spanish (such as it is.) It usually takes me about three days before I remember enough to make myself understood. It would be my dream to be fluent in the language and to be able to preach and teach without a translator. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to a wonderful trip and am praying that the Lord will help me accomplish the task He has set before me.

2 Timothy 2:2 is the verse I am praying for this ministry: "And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."

Calvary's Cross

2011-04-13T20:56:00.000-05:00

The Cross

"And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him. . ."

Luke 23:33

The focal point of all of human history is the cross on which the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. A little over two-thousand years ago outside the city of Jerusalem, on a skull shaped hill, men murdered their maker. It is through looking at the cross and discovering its significance that each individual has the opportunity to come to grips with who God is and what He has done through His Son Jesus Christ. It is through looking at the cross that each individual has the opportunity to come to grips with who he is and what he must do in response to who Jesus is.

During this Easter season I am encouraging our church to take a look at the cross of Calvary. Last Sunday we took a prophetic look at the cross through the eyes of Isaiah the prophet. In Isaiah 53 the prophet peers some 750 years into the future and sees the Suffering Savior "bearing our griefs and carrying our sorrows" on the cross. Isaiah proclaims the meaning of the cross in verse 5:

"But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed."

This next Sunday my message will be a passionate look at the cross as we see the event unfold through the eyes of the gospel writers. The events of that day left such an impression on the minds of the Lord's disciples that they would never be the same. The fact that they witnessed the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus provided them with the courage and conviction to literally change the world. May the cross have that kind of affect on you and me.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T09:05:00.000-06:00

The Bible has a wonderful word of admonition to followers of Christ in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Have you ever considered that being thankful is not just a nice thing to occupy our thoughts at this time of the year, but that it is the settled will of God for the believer to always be thankful?
For most, our dispositions are purely a reflection of circumstances. The events of the day and hour are what drive our attitudes. If things are going well for us we are happy. Someone has put it rightly that happiness depends upon what happens. One of the wonderful gifts the Lord Jesus Christ bestows upon His followers is joy. The Bible describes joy as what I would describe as a settled disposition of contentment - no matter what the circumstance. Consequently, even in the midst of tragedy a Christian can experience joy. The knowledge that God "works all things together for the good for those who love Him" (Ro. 8:28), provides us with the faith and hope to understand that our God is there to fulfill His purposes for our good and His glory.
One of the most difficult exercises a Christian should have to undertake is "counting his blessings." Each and every breath we take is a blessing from God. Just the fact that He loved us so much that He gave His Son for us that we might have eternal life is enough to give continual thanks and praise to our God.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Last Day in Nicaragua

2010-11-20T17:09:00.000-06:00

Thursday was our last full day in Nicaragua. We began the day with a little free time for some of the team to go shopping in the shops near our hotel. At 10:30 we attended the graduation of 122 students from the RHEMA Institute in Jinotepe. The graduates were completing the course that they began eight months ago. A medical clinic was conducted during the afternoon while most of the rest of our team went through the streets of Jinotepe sharing the gospel.

Dr. Herrod handing out diplomas

Four of the eight people I led to Christ during the afternoon.

Our team from Flippin

The wonderful interpreters who spoke for us during the week.

Stacie, Jaclyn, and Michelle

Dr. Herrod preaching at the crusade in Jinotepe.

The crusade in Jinotepe was held in the town baseball stadium. Several thousand people attended the crusade that night. Our team had to get up at three in order to leave for the airport. After a long day of travel we arrived home at around 10 Friday evening. We left with the knowledge that 1588 people had come to Christ during the week. We had made many new friends and had a wonderful opportunity to serve our Lord in a wonderful way.

Nicaragua 2010 - Wednesday

2010-11-18T09:03:00.000-06:00

Wednesday was a wonderful day for our mission team here in Nicaragua. The medical team divided up and set up clinics in two different towns. Bill Butcher served as the doctor in one of the clinics along with his wife Carrie. Nothing like getting treatment at the "Butcher Clinic." Another team went to the women's prison and saw 42 of the inmates come to Christ. The rest of us were engaged in street evangelism in the town of Ticuantepe. I had the opportunity to lead eight people to the Lord in the morning.

After lunch I had the opportunity to go to the local high school and share the gospel in four classrooms. Sixty young people gave their lives to Christ after hearing the gospel. In one classroom of about 30, 27 prayed to receive Christ. You won't see the picture below in any American classrooms of students rejoicing in the salvation they received from Christ at their school:

One of the highlights of the crusade was not just the nearly 150 people who prayed to receive Christ, but one of the first ones to come forward during the invitation was our bus driver.

Mission trips are not just about evangelism and ministry. They are also about the members of the team having the opportunity to grow in their faith and see God at work in a powerful way. I am so thankful for this 16-year-old young lady named Kaelyn who has been such a joy to have on this trip. She has demonstrated maturity well beyond her years. The only problem with her is that all the boys here want to kiss her.

We would be unable to do the ministry we are engaged in without the wonderful translators who work side-by-side with us.

As of yesterday we have had nearly 1200 salvations. The crusade moves to the town of Jinotepe tonight and we have high expectations of another spiritual harvest. Sadly, we will be leaving at four in the morning to begin our trip home.

Tuesday in Nicaragua

2010-11-17T07:09:00.002-06:00

The main focus of ministry today was the town of La Conception. The medical clinic was set up here this morning and the crusade was held there this evening. I was stuck without an interpreter for a while, but I still had the opportunity to lead several children to the Lord. I had them read a tract to me in Spanish and then I asked them if they understood what they read. Four of them then prayed to receive Jesus as their Savior.

Jewel Morris at the clinic sharing the gospel.

Little girl reading the gospel tract to me.

My "amigos."

After lunch several of us went to one of the churches in the town of Ticuantepe and conducted a leadership conference for about a hundred pastors and church leaders.

The crusade officially started this evening. There were about a thousand people in attendance in the outdoor basketball court where we set up the crusade. Brother Ron preached a powerful message and several hundred people came forward to receive Christ when the invitation was given.

Some of the people who came forward.

We have seen over 800 people come to Christ so far. Glory to God!

Monday in Nicaragua

2010-11-16T07:14:00.000-06:00

Monday was a great day to be in Nicaragua. The weather was just perfect - warm and sunny, and our multi-faceted ministries all got of to a great start. We set up a medical clinic in the town of Ticuantepe which had the opportunity to treat a number of people through our doctor and four nurses. Many of our people were involved in street evangelism. My roommate on the trip is Jewel Morris an 87 year young man from Little Rock. He led 22 people to the Lord today!

I began my day by teaching at the Pastor's Institute in Jinotepe. I taught from 8:30 to 1:00 pm. It was good to be back with these students that I had taught for a week in June.

I think these critters are getting ready to be lunch.

Stacie & Kaelyn our medical receptionists:

Monday evening we held city-wide church rallies in two different cities. I preached at the one held in La Conception. There were hundreds of people in attendance and it proved to be quite a challenge. The rally was held in an outdoor pavilion. I noticed when we got there that the area in front of the speaker was covered with huge flowering bushes which blocked the view of the speaker.

The rally was scheduled to start at 6:00. As is typical for here it was nearly seven before the Nicaraguan praise team actually began to sing. It was nearly 8:30 before I got up to preach. Needless to say it made for a difficult situation to share the gospel. Several people made decisions, despite the lateness of the hour, and even one drunk staggered forward for some unknown reason. Nevertheless, God was exceedingly good to us today.

Nicaragua Mission Trip

2010-11-14T22:03:00.000-06:00

This was our first full day in Nicaragua. We arrived at our hotel at around eleven last night. We were up at six and ready to begin our day after only a few hours of sleep. Our mission team led worship in six different churches this morning in a town up in the mountains called La Concepcion. It was an incredibly beautiful area that is known for all of the fruit and produce that are raised there. I preached in a small church where we had great worship and a young man was saved. After the service the church had "dinner on the grounds" and presented us with a huge amount of fresh fruit.
For the evening services we went to seven more churches. The church that I went to began its service at 4 pm. I knew I was in trouble when I found out they were having a birthday party for a three-year-old girl. There were about 60 children in attendance under the age of seven. Not exactly the crowd that I normally preach to. When I gave the invitation at the end of my message, the whole church cleared out to go into the courtyard next door for the real festivities complete with pinata.
All in all we had a great day and are looking forward to all of the ministry opportunities we will be engaged in tomorrow.

The crew at breakfast.

Kaelyn and Stacie in hotel lobby.

Gift of fruit from the church in La Concepcion

Me and pastor Felix in La Concepcion

Kaelyn and I in our taxi on our way to evening service.

Evening service/birthday party

Birthday girl and pinata

Supper being prepared.

ABCHomes Retreat

2010-11-12T21:24:00.000-06:00

I have had the privilege of serving on the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas Baptist Children's Homes and Family Ministries for the past six years. I can't think of anything that has been a greater blessing in ministry than to be able to be involved in one of the most vital and effective ministries of Arkansas Baptists. Last weekend, all of the children and staff had a retreat at the Shepherd of the Ozarks (SOTO) retreat center near Harriet.
SOTO has a number of large lodges that can each sleep over fifty people. It was an ideal setting for the several hundred who were a part of the retreat. I can't say enough about the staff of SOTO and all they did to make an extraordinary weekend especially for all the young people who were there.

Pictured below are the children and staff lining up in front of the main lodge for their group picture.

I had the privilege of leading a Bible study for the house parents from the various residence homes that make up the ABCHomes ministry. It was such a joy to share to get to be with these choice servants of God and to be able to share words of encouragement from the scriptures.

Tomorrow, a group of us will be traveling to Nicaragua for a mission trip. I will be posting a daily update of the trip. Can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for us. It will be amazing I know.

Mission Accomplished

2010-08-27T11:56:00.000-05:00

This week I have been teaching Old Testament Survey at the Pastor's Institute here in Goa. This course is so comprehensive that whenever I start I worry about completing the course in the time allotted. This week we had such an outstanding class of students that I was able to complete the course by noon today. The students held a little parting ceremony when we finished. It is truly a humbling experience to see how much they appreciate the training that they are receiving. Pictured below are a group of men from Manipur, a state in far eastern India, singing a song with the words "may God bless you and keep you till we meet again." It was such a blessing to hear them singing.

They also presented me with a small gift to remember them by. The man making the presentation is one who I noticed during the week had to hold his Bible and book within a few inches of his face to read. I thought he might need glasses and told Jaison I would pay to have him fitted. It turned out he has a congenital eye disease that can only be corrected with surgery. It broke my heart to hear that because I really wanted to help him.

Here's our class photo:

I went to Jaison's house tonight for dinner. It was a joy to be able to spend some time with Jaison and his family. He has two beautiful children, a son - Aswan, and a daughter - Rachel.

Here's all of us together, Jaison and his wife Meluna and the children.

I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep and then beginning the journey home tomorrow. Can't wait to see my Nonny!

While You Were Sleeping

2010-08-25T11:45:00.002-05:00

There is an eleven and a half hour time difference between here and home. So while you were sleeping I was engaged in another busy day. I had another good day of teaching at the Pastor's Institute. When the long day was done I was ready to go back to the hotel and turn in early. However, Jaison asked me if I would go to his church home group meeting tonight. I am really glad that I went. It was about an hour drive to the home where the meeting was being held. In actual miles it wasn't all that far, it just takes a while to get anywhere here in India.

I wouldn't have missed the meeting just for the sake of the ride there. Let me put it this way, Jason Bourne doesn't have anything on Jaison Job when it comes to driving. If you saw the movie "The Bourne Supremacy" which was filled here in Goa, then you probably remember the scene where Jason Bourne is being chased as he drives through the busy streets. Well tonight was like Jason Bourne on steroids. The ride would have made exciting fare for a video. But it was already dark which only added another dimension to the ride. If there is a straight stretch of road in India, I haven't seen it. We were careening around curves passing cars, buses, motorbikes, pedestrians while negotiating the barely two-lane roads. Jason also had to avoid hitting all of the people, dogs, and cows that populate the roads. By the way, there must be as many cows as there are dogs in India. Interestingly, I have yet to see a cat in this place which is a huge plus.

Anyway we actually made it to our destination unscathed and had a wonderful time of worship with about 35 members of Jaison's church who had gathered in this home. The service began with the singing of Michael W. Smith's "Above All." We sang a few other songs, prayed and I brought a message. It was just an awesome experience to be able to worship with these wonderful believers.

Here are a few pictures I took with my phone. Not the best quality, but I hope you get the flavor of our time of worship:

An old Bill Gaither song comes to mind as I reflect on our night of worship together:

I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God.

I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood.

Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod.

I'm a part of the family, the family of God.

Dreary Day

2010-08-24T09:41:00.000-05:00

I'm always concerned when I go off on a trip like this that something will happen at home. This morning when I called Judy I learned that my mother had been put in the hospital with a mild heart attack and a possible stroke. Since the hotel I'm staying at has internet service we have been able to talk to each other every day through Skype. Skype is truly a God-send. We are able to have a video conversation with each other just as if we were in the same room together.
Judy was just starting to tell me about mother being in the hospital when her phone rang and it was my sister calling her to give a report on mother's condition. If that wasn't in God's timing, I don't know what is. We learned from my sister that mother was in stable condition and seemed to be improving. That information made it a lot easier for me to continue my teaching here today. It's a very helpless feeling to be so far away and to not know what's going on and to not be able to just drop everything and go be with my mother.
I don't think there was much teaching going on today because my heart just wasn't in it. And then the fact that it has been pouring down rain for the past 24 hours has just added up to this being one dreary day.
Since I'm teaching Old Testament this week, an OT verse seems appropriate:

This I recall to my mind,

Therefore I have hope.

Through the Lord's mercies

we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

(Lamentations 3:21-23)

Unlikely Student

2010-08-23T10:18:00.000-05:00

This morning I began my week of teaching the Old Testament at the RHEMA Bible Institute in Goa, India. The class was originally scheduled to have sixty-five students. However, torrential rains in much of India damaged parts of the rail system that the students travel on. Consequently, only about forty students were able to make it to the institute. Surprisingly, almost half of the students who made it to Goa are from two of the most eastern states which require a four day journey on a train just to get here.

I am always interested in the kinds of men that the Lord puts together in these classes. For instance, notice the student in the second row, second from the right. He is not quite four feet tall and looks to be about twelve years old - he's thirty-six. Another of the students is a man about forty years old who up until two years ago was a Roman Catholic priest. He had been challenged by someone who witnessed to him to read the scriptures for himself and have an open mind to what God was saying in His word. Through his own personal study he came to the conclusion that what he had been taught and teaching all those years was wrong and that he needed to give his life to Christ. He's now a Baptist working in a Christian ministry in Goa. He came to the institute in order to learn true biblical doctrine. Amazing!

Here are a couple of random photos. The first is of the building where the students are housed during the ten weeks that they are here in Goa. The second is a picture of the class as I was teaching this morning.

I mentioned in my previous post how even in a simple house church they availed themselves of technology as a part of the services. Well this pastor was not about to be left behind in the matter of high tech:

If you can't make out the greatest teaching tool I have ever encountered from this picture, take a closer look:

Right before I left for Goa, I purchased an iPad. It has proven to be one of the most helpful and useful gadgets I've ever possessed. And believe me, I've owned them all. I have a very sophisticated Bible program on the iPad which allows me to have access to all kinds of resources while I am teaching. Good job Apple. (Judy, I hope I've convinced you that the purchase was totally worth it.)

Unexpected Blessings

2010-08-22T05:13:00.000-05:00

While most everyone at home was sleeping I was already in a wonderful worship service. I had the opportunity to attend worship at the church which meets in Jaison Job's home. When Jaison and I arrived at a little past nine-thirty the service had already started. I tried to discreetly take some pictures which is why the ones I did take did not turn out to well. The "church" is about a 10 by 20 foot room on the second floor of Jaison's home. The bottom floor houses the twelve orphan boys who live with Jaison and his family. The room was completely full when I arrived with the boys all sitting on the floor up close to the pulpit.
Worship was being led by Raj who is also a graduate of the 2008 Pastor's Institute. In a place where electricity is often an issue, Raj was playing an electric guitar, accompanied by a man playing electric drums all while looking at the lyrics to the hymns on a laptop which was hooked up to a projector displaying the songs on the back wall of the church. And we think we are high-tech.

One of the things that I am always concerned about as a teacher of the word of God is if there is any learning taking place. That is of course, a great concern I have for the church I pastor, but is a great concern of mine for the students I have the opportunity to teach in places like Nicaragua and India. You never know had badly the language barrier is affecting the learning process. Raj was one of the students I had two years ago in Goa. As part of the service he brought a message from the 116th Psalm on thanksgiving. He just did an incredible job of bringing out the truths in that passage of scripture. As I sat there listening to him preach I was overwhelmed by the joy of knowing that through the RHEMA Institute this young man had been provided a foundation that will carry him far in his ministry for the Lord. After Raj's message it was testimony time. In the picture below some of the boys from the orphanage stood to share how God had blessed them during the week and they each related a verse of scripture expressing their thanksgiving to God.

It is customary in India to take off your shoes when you enter someone's house. It is especially true for the house of God. I included the picture below just so you could look at the feet of Raj and Jaison. I am reminded of what the Lord said to Moses from the burning bush: "Take off your sandals for the place where you are standing is holy ground." I fortunately don't have a picture of it, but this preacher got up and brought a message in my bare feet.

By the way, Raj is here interpreting for Jaison as he speaks. Because there are so many languages spoken in India it is customary to speak in English and have someone translate into Hindi, or vice-versa in their services.
Let me give you an illustration of just how God works. For the sake of brevity I am going to summarize a long and incredible story into one sentence: God sent an American Baptist preacher to India to reach a German Catholic woman who needed to hear a message about the difference between knowing about Jesus and knowing Him personally as Lord and Savior.

Uneventful Trip

2010-08-21T10:12:00.000-05:00

I landed at the Goa airport this morning at 6:00. It was the conclusion to a long but uneventful trip that began Thursday morning when I left Little Rock at six-thirty. In order to fly as economically as possible it meant that I had to build in some long layovers in my route. I spent nearly ten hours in the Newark airport. It actually wasn't too bad because I spent a lot of time reading and working on a few of my lessons for this week. The fourteen hour plane ride from Newark to Mumbai seemed to be more tolerable than it has been in the past. I actually slept for a few hours and for the first time I wasn't praying for a spinal block.

I arrived in Mumbai at 9:00 pm on Friday. It took a little over two hours to grab my luggage, go through customs and immigration, get ticketed for my trip to Goa, and take the bus to the domestic terminal. I finally settled into a chair at 11:30. Most international flights come in late at night so arriving passengers either have the choice of getting their luggage, and a cab, and going into the city and spending a couple of hours in an over-priced hotel or just going on to the domestic terminal and spending the rest of the night in a chair or laying on the floor until the connecting flights begin to go out in the morning. I chose the latter since my flight boarded at 4:30 Saturday morning.

Jaison, my host pastor, met me and the airport and took me to the hotel. I ate breakfast, came back to the room and took a shower and then decided to take a short nap. Five and a half hours later I woke up. It has been raining all day which is not surprising since this is the monsoon season.

Tomorrow morning I will be going to Jaison's church. I am looking forward to worshiping with him and sharing the word of God.

Long Trip Begins

2010-08-18T20:39:00.000-05:00

Early Thursday morning I will board a plane for Goa, India and after a couple of long flights I will arrive in Goa on Saturday morning. This will be my fourth trip to India for the purpose of training men who are preparing for the ministry. I will be teaching a course on the Old Testament and Biblical Foundations to a class of seventy.

I love the few times that I am able to get out into the cities and experience some of the unique culture that is India. I took this video while riding in one of the three-wheeled "taxis" through the streets of Mumbai last September.

During the week I will be eating a lot of very hot and spicy food that is such a large part of the diet of the people. I'm not always sure what I'm dining on but it's always good to eat.

There is a lot of persecution against Christians in many parts of India. Many of the men who come to be trained are literally putting their lives on the line for the cause of Christ. Some of the attendees will travel four days on a crowded train just to get to the institute. These guys are my heroes:

(Last year's graduates)

"And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." 2 Timothy 2:2

My Friend Buddy

2010-08-14T19:23:00.000-05:00

They say that a man's best friend is his dog. I have been blessed to have a number of "best friends" over the years. For many years I have had two West Highland White terriers, Kramer and Buddy, also known as "the boys." We had to put Kramer to sleep last Thanksgiving after he had a long battle with congestive heart failure. That left me with Buddy and a cocker, Skippy, a stray who came to live with us about seven years ago. Buddy has always been special to me. He has always greeted me with what looks like a great big smile on his face.

Here he is with Kramer two years ago at Christmas on one of the rare occasions when both of them were actually clean.

As Kramer and Buddy got older they spent most of their time napping. Here they are along with Skippy at their favorite place - sleeping in front of the wood stove in my shop.

Our whole family loves dogs. One of the recent additions has been Coco, a Pug, that our son Chris and his wife Carrie have. Buddy has always been friendly to anything that is possessed of legs. Here he is giving Coco a welcome to the shop.

For the past six years it has been my habit to take the dogs on a walk first thing in the morning. The boys seemed like that was the highlight of their day when I would come to the shop and take them out on our half-mile walk. It was after one of those walks last November when Kramer got so out of breath because of his congestive heart failure that he never recovered. For the past year it has just been Buddy and Skippy on those much look forwarded to excursions.

Buddy has now developed congestive heart failure just like his brother Kramer did. It has gotten to the point that I now have to give him seven pills a day just to keep him going. He is on lasix and several heart and lung medications. In recent days it seems that he has quit responding to the medications.
The morning walks with Buddy have been such a favorite part of my day. But, sometime this next week, Buddy will have one more walk and then he will come to the end of the road. I will miss him terribly.

This is why I do what I do

2010-08-11T15:33:00.000-05:00

The following was written by a young man named Bryan as a tribute to his pastor:

I am only a child, innocent and wild

And my mind does not understand

Of the love you share, standing up there

Preaching about the Son of Man

I am a teenage boy, all full of joy

I slouch when I set in the pew

But on a revival night, I saw the light

When I sat there listening to you

I am the homegrown daughter, standing here at the altar

Smiling on my wedding day

Fighting back the tears, thinking back on the years

As you have my father give me away

I am the banker and the farmer, the doctor and the lawyer

The waitress where you love to eat

I am the student, the teacher, the Wal-Mart greeter

I am the neighbor just down the street

I am the addict, the poor, the good ‘ol boy

Who works the factory down the road

The single mother, the beaten brother

All the lost you were there to hold

I am the boy and the girl, who lived around the world

Where most will never see

You gave money, you prayed, and God bless the day

When he led you straight to me

I am the sweet old lady, who brings the gravy

When we eat on Sunday night

And you were there at the bed, holding my hand

When my husband gave up the fight

I am the unseen one, I have passed on

My body on the hill in a grave

But if not for you, doing what you do

I doubt I’d ever been saved

We are the believers, the members, the saints and the sinners

All the ones God put by your way

So from where eternity starts, with all of our hearts

We just want to say

“Thank you and we love you”

Steve and Judy

Overwhelmed!

2010-08-09T18:09:00.000-05:00

Overwhelmed is the word I would use to describe the way in which our church celebrated my 25th anniversary as Pastor. I was called to the First Baptist Church in Flippin to be its pastor in August of 1985. I had just graduated from seminary and was eager to fulfill the calling that God had placed upon my life to preach His word, to evangelize the lost, to encourage believers and to be engaged in a world-wide ministry of establishing the kingdom of God in this world.
That Monday morning when I walked into my office for the very first time the thought never entered my mind as to how long I would stay at the church. I only knew that I was going to do my best to be faithful as long as God would have me to be there. This Thursday I will "officially" pass the twenty-five year mark. I still have no idea how long I will serve this church - only God knows. All I know is that my goal is still the same: to do my best to be faithful as long as God would have me to be here.
In my travels I am often asked about the secret to serving so long with one congregation. I have frequently heard this statement: "You must be a wonderful pastor to have served so long in one place." My very honest and heart-felt reply is always: "No, I serve a wonderful and gracious church." That was no more evident than at our morning service yesterday as our church had a glorious time of celebration of what the Lord has done among us throughout the past twenty-five years. I can't begin to thank enough all of those who had a hand in the planning and carrying out of the worship service. Every person who attended was a special blessing to me and Judy. I just wish that we would have had the time to personally thank each one for being a part of our lives. Some we have known and pastored for all of these years, some for only a few days, yet all are special to us. Pictured below are a few photos from our worship service.

Hopper's singing "What a Savior"

Kiley, Michael & Kaelyn leading worship

Dan, singing "Untitled Hymn" (Give Me Jesus)

Bryan read an incredible poem he composed for the occasion

Sharon came back to sing "Holy Ground"

Brother Terry my dear pastor friend from Georgia, brought the message

"We give thanks to God always for all of you all, making mention of you in our prayer, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father."

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

Blessed are those who persevere to the end. . .

2010-06-25T20:23:00.000-05:00

When I started the day at the Pastor's Institute I still had 14 books of the Old Testament to cover before I was finished. I amazed even myself as after covering Ezekiel and Daniel, I literally ran through the Minor Prophets and managed to finish with an hour to spare.
I was incredibly humbled when the students presented me with three gifts to take home. They gave me a wooden clock in the shape of Nicaragua, a scroll and a purse for Judy. Understanding just how poor these men and women are, it meant a lot to receive anything from them.

Maynor Curtis (my translator) and the president of the Pastor's Association in Jinotepe

A mutual embrace of two Christian brothers thankful for serving the Lord.

Maynor Curtis and your's truly.

Right before noon today I started feeling the symptoms of dehydration. I was so weak and hurt so much I wasn't sure if I was going to make it the rest of the day. The only thing they had been giving me to drink all week was Diet Coke. I told them politely several times that I preferred water. But they still only brought me Diet Coke to drink. I was like over dosing on the Cokes and I finally started getting real dehydrated today. I asked them to bring me several bottles of water and I even texted Judy asking her to pray for me. After lunch it was non-stop teaching in unbearable heat. By two I started to feel the effects of low blood sugar. Fortunately, I had glucose to take which helped bring my levels up before I passed out in front of the students. (How embarrassing would that have been?)
After we had left the church and on our way out of town I began to crash again. But the Lord provided and I had what proved to be the best cure ever for low blood sugar.

A loaf of cheese bread did the trick. These two loaves cost 10 cents. What a bargain!

Another trip is now in the books. I have to get up a little after three in the morning so I can leave for the airport in Managua by four am. This tired old man is going to bed!

Wonderful Jesus

2010-06-24T21:54:00.001-05:00

Another day of the Pastor's Institute has been concluded. It was very hot today with no rain and not a breath of air. I can tell that the many hours of teaching coupled with the heat are beginning to wear on my body. Despite the heat the students are very attentive - for the most part - and full of questions. They really had a lot of questions when we covered the Song of Solomon this afternoon. I told them they would have to ask Dr. Phil the answers to most of their questions. (Just kidding.)
After school today I was scheduled to preach in a church tonight near the town of Masaya. Actually it was a church located in a Mennonite Campground near a beautiful lagoon that was formed by a volcano. Those from our church who have been there remember eating in the restaurant overlooking the lagoon. The campground is located on the other side of the lagoon from the restaurant. We only had an hour to get to the church and it was going to be an hour's drive so we stopped at a bakery to get some bread to eat.
The bakery had a wood-burning stone oven that looked like it was from medieval times. But the bread was incredibly good!

I ate some cheese bread that I have already decided it will be my dinner for tomorrow night when I go back for more. Pictured below is the church I preached in.

This church was filled with about a hundred young adults and teenagers. The children were in another building have their own time of worship. I was very tired when we got there, but after a time of worship I could tell that I was already being renewed. I felt revitalized as I preached and the whole service turned out to be just an awesome time of worship. The congregation stood and gave me a standing ovation when I was finished. I think they were just incredible glad that I did finish. Anyway, I think I may just stay and move my membership.

Random Day in Nicaragua

2010-06-23T21:06:00.001-05:00

Because of the type of ministry that I am engaged in this week, I get to thinking that the days are pretty much all the same. It's not like I am on a sight-seeing trip. I get up early, eat breakfast at the hotel, leave for Jinotepe at around seven, teach till five, return to the hotel, eat dinner, prepare for the next day, go to bed, and start all over the next day. However, I've discovered that if I look hard enough I can see different and interesting things even in the sameness of the daily routine.
I've always known that winter in Nicaragua was from the months of May to October. I never could figure out how anyone could tell the difference because it's always hot here. It does rain more in the winter, which qualifies for a differentiating factor. Today I found out what really sets winter apart from summer - it is also fly season. And judging from today we are definitely in the middle of winter. As I was eating breakfast on the patio - a huge mistake - flies were everywhere. I had to literally keep my food covered with a napkin until I would sneak a fork under the napkin and get a bite to eat.
While I was eating I noticed a man in the plaza across from the hotel starting to chop down a tree that had died. He managed to fell the tree before I finished breakfast and was joined by several others with machetes who helped trim the limbs. No such thing as chain saws in Nicaragua.

I can't imagine having to listen to me teach each day for eight hours. It must be especially toilsome for the students in this over ninety degree heat. It helped wake everyone up when we broke a couple of times just to sing and praise God. I wish everyone could have heard the students sing.

I took a few pictures of Jinotepe and the ride home today. The Catholic church pictured here is in the central plaza. That is typical of all the cities - a central plaza with a Catholic church. (In Granada there are five huge Catholic churches in a seven block span of the city.)

The Nicaraguans are way ahead of the game in finding green solutions to the energy problem.

They also have been very inventive with combining hauling freight and public transportation into one mode of travel.

No such thing as a seat belt law in Nicaragua.

Tuesday in Nicaragua

2010-06-22T21:12:00.000-05:00

Plaza across the street from the hotel in Granada

It was another good day of teaching at the Pastor’s Institute in Jinotepe. The heat was starting to get unbearable this afternoon when the Lord provided a downpour of rain. The rain managed to really cool things off for a while. But by the end of the afternoon I was soaking wet and I wasn’t standing in the rain.

One of the things that I have been mildly surprised at is the food I have been getting for lunch. They have been bringing me filleted breast of chicken that is grilled at a local restaurant. They must marinate in something because the flavor is out of this world. The last two days they have brought me heaping portions of rice and French fries along with the chicken. Not a good combination for a diabetic.

Last week our church had Vacation Bible School. The pictures below of the students lining up to get what looks like Kool-Aide made me think that what we are having this week is adult VBS.

I decided to eat dinner at the hotel tonight after skipping it last night. The restaurant here leaves a lot to be desired. But the only alternative that I’ve seen is a local street vendor selling hot dogs. I ordered the Tortellini with cheese and tomato sauce that was on the menu. I discovered that you can make anything taste good if you cover it with enough pepper, parmesan cheese, and of all things – olive oil.

Despite eating a high-carb dinner, for some reason I got very hypoglycemic just as I was finishing dinner. By the time I got back to the room I was on the verge of blacking out. A couple of glucose tablets and a package of M&M’s solved the problem.

Pictured below are some photos of the streets outside the church.

The picture above is of the "education building" of First Baptist Jinotepe with a second story under construction. I think they are already using it for classes. A good example of doing the Lord's work the Nicaraguan way.

Monday in Nicaragua

2010-06-21T20:56:00.000-05:00

I had my first full day of teaching at the Pastor’s Institute. It turned out to be as I expected – a long, hard day. I’m teaching the Old Testament Survey course to the students this week. I’ll have about 45 hours of teaching time to try and accomplish this task. Those who know me well understand what a huge undertaking that will be. I find it difficult to summarize anything in the Bible without going off on a verbal tangent. By a quarter to five this afternoon I had only covered an introduction to the Old Testament and a summary of the books of Genesis and Exodus. But then I managed to cover the whole book of Leviticus in fifteen minutes. That was not a hard thing to do, after all, it is Leviticus.

One of the obstacles that I am having to overcome is the fact that the students do not have their copies of the Old Testament survey manual. Some of the logistics involved in having such a large class (200+) have been obtaining that many manuals (Wouldn’t you know – the printing has been outsourced to India), and then shipping them to Nicaragua. That problem should be resolved in the near future, but it does not help my situation this week.

Fortunately, I have the PDF files of the manual in Spanish on my laptop. I brought a projector with me and am able to show much of the material on the back wall of the church. Not a perfect situation, but it seems to be working pretty well.

I didn’t want the students to walk away from the class without having any material, so I am having copies made for them of the most important material in the book. It worked out to 50 pages for each student. A total of 10,000 copies. That little brain storm of mine only cost me a little over $500 dollars. But the way I look at it, it’s just a small investment in the kingdom of God.

A few hours of preparation tonight and I’ll be ready for another day at Bible School. Lots of Bible, no cookies or Kool-Aide. (Actually there is Kool-Aide, but I’m afraid to drink it.)

Sunday Worship in Nicaragua

2010-06-20T21:27:00.000-05:00

I left Managua this morning and traveled to Granada where I will be staying for the rest of the week. Granada is a city of about a 130,000 people located on a very large lake. My hotel is right across the street from the town “square.” They were having some kind of celebration today with a very noisy band. Most of the afternoon there was a driving rainstorm which dampened a few of the spirits – but not enough to stop whatever it was they were celebrating.

I preached this morning in the Mennonite Church of Granada. There were about 150 people in attendance with about half of them being children. At the end of the service each of the children’s Sunday School classes got up and sang. I almost expected to hear “Don’t want to be a Tumbleweed” from our week of VBS at home.

This evening my translator picked me up at 4:15 and we headed out to Jinotepe. There’s no telling how far that is from Granada, but its about 45 minutes and 37,000 potholes away. We had only been gone about 10 minutes when the car ran out of gas. I have yet to see a vehicle in Nicaragua that had a gas gauge that registered over ¼ of a tank. None of the gauges in this car worked so it’s no wonder it ran out of gas. The fact that there was an empty gas can in the trunk told me that running out of gas is not an uncommon experience. After flagging down a taxi, and a trip to the “On the Run” gas station, we made our way to the First Baptist Church of Jinotepe.

As with most churches that I have experienced here, the people were absolutely wonderful and we had another great time of worship. I got up to preach at exactly the same moment that someone decided to set off several hundred rather large firecrackers. I suspect some favorite soccer team had just won their game which occasioned all the noise.

I’m looking forward to returning to Jinotepe in the morning and beginning the RHEMA Institute.

Thank's Dad

2010-06-20T12:01:00.001-05:00

Today is Father's Day. I realize that in the day in which we live not everyone can celebrate the joy of having a wonderful dad in their lives. For many, just the mention of the word "dad" or "father" brings up painful memories, or the realization of a harsh present reality. Thankfully, both Judy and I had the privilege of growing up in families where "dad" always had a special place in our hearts.
For as long as I can remember, dad was my hero. He always seemed to loom larger than life in his son's eyes. He was a career army officer who served his country above and beyond - spending 32 years in devotion to "Duty, Honor, Country." Beginning his career before the advent of World War II, he served in that "war to end all wars," as well as in Korea, Vietnam, Cuba and a host of other places. Four times he was awarded the Legion of Merit for excellence in service to his country.
But all that pales in comparison to the fact that he was to me, dad. The dad who spent hours throwing a baseball or football in the backyard. The dad who took me to major league ball games. The dad who encouraged me to be the best that I could be in life. The dad who taught me what it means to be a person of integrity. The dad who taught me to value family. He was "the Colonel" to everyone else, but to me, he was and always will be, "dad."

Not only did I have one dad in my life, I had two. I had the greatest father-in-law a man could ever expect to have. Judy's dad - J.W. - loved me like a son and I loved him like my own father. I will always remember him for the way in which he devoted himself to his family. J.W. also served his country during WWII. He paid a high price by being captured in North Africa by the Germans and spending nearly three years in a POW camp. I could say a lot of things about J.W. but the one thing I will always remember him for is his smile:

Our families rarely got together, so we don't have many pictures of Judy and I with both our dads. I believe this one was taken at Kelly's college graduation. I am thankful that we have this memory of our dads.

Saturday in Managua

2010-06-19T20:47:00.000-05:00

I titled this blog "Saturday in Managua," but that is somewhat of a misnomer. I have actually spent the day at my hotel located across from the airport. As with most airports, it is located some 10 miles from the city. I have been able to spend the day resting and doing a lot of studying in preparation for the class that I will be teaching beginning on Monday.
It has been a couple of years since I've been to Nicaragua. The hotel that I am staying at this weekend has been undergoing a major remodeling since I was here last. The rooms have all been redone, but the exterior still looks the same.

The grounds are filled with lush tropical vegetation.

Even Nicaragua is geared up for the world cup. The restaurant area has been decorated in a soccer theme.

I met with my host/translator this afternoon. I will be moving to a hotel in the town of Grenada in the morning. I will also be preaching in two different churches tomorrow, so it will be a busy day. Looking forward to what the Lord has prepared.

Vacation Bible School

2010-06-17T20:30:00.000-05:00

Our church has been conducting VBS all this week. It is always one of the highlights of the year. There is nothing like having scores of little children in the church learning about our Lord Jesus. Our worship center and classrooms were decorated to resemble a western ranch.

I am very thankful for all of our workers who give a lot of time and effort to make VBS a success. We are blessed to have a number of ministry minded youth who also lend us a big hand. The two young ladies pictured below were just awesome in leading our worship time.

We have one more day to go before our VBS is over again for this year. Unfortunately, I will have to miss the final day traveling to Nicaragua.
Thanks to all who made this year's VBS another great success!

Summer Begins

2010-06-11T20:05:00.001-05:00

Summer seems to be the busiest time of the year at our church. Next week we will kick the summer off with Vacation Bible School. What would summer be without VBS along with cookies and Kool-Aide. Our theme this year is "Saddle Ridge Ranch." It all takes place next week - June 14-18 from 8:30am to 12:00 pm. I can't wait for the kids to start showing up on Monday morning to sign up for the week.

At the end of the week, I will be making my eighth mission trip to Nicaragua. I will spend a week teaching a class of 217 pastors and church planters. The ministry I work with takes these men through ten weeks of intensive theological education which provides them with the tools necessary to pastor in their native countries. I will be teaching Old Testament Survey during about 60 hours of instruction.

One of the graduates from our first pastor's institute in Nicaragua has a thriving ministry which is having an incredible impact for the kingdom of God. His church has recently birthed another in a neighboring town that also has a school. Several months ago our church bought chairs and school supplies for the new church. Pastor Manuel just sent me several pictures of the chairs arriving at the church and the students sporting their school supplies.

Nostalgia Tour

2010-05-24T21:30:00.000-05:00

I recently made a trip to Denton, Texas to attend a training workshop for a ministry that I am involved in. The route that I took to get to Denton passed through several of the places that have had a significant role in my life. My first stop was in Fayetteville, Arkansas, home of the University of Arkansas. It was there that I earned my undergraduate degree after graduating from high school in Hawaii. It was at the UofA that I met my wife of nearly forty years. And it was at the UofA where I developed a life long love for the Arkansas Razorbacks. My daughter recently made a comment that she couldn't believe that she graduated from college 15 years ago. Wait until you realize it's been 40 years since that momentous occasion, dear daughter.

Old Main at the U of A

One of the great traditions at the U of A is the senior walk in which the names of each year's graduates are etched into the concrete walks that surround the university. A must on the nostalgia tour was this look at the graduating class of 1970. Interestingly, it contains not only my name, but second from the top is my older brother. He loved the university so much he managed to cram four years of college into eight making it possible for us both to graduate the same year.

Senior walk from 1974 when I received an M.A. degree.

Razorback Stadium. My favorite place to be for the past 44 years.

Before going to my workshop in Denton, I managed to make the short drive to Fort Worth and visit Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where I earned my Masters of Divinity degree twenty-five years ago in 1985. Pictured below is Scarborough Hall, the main building on campus which houses the school of theology.

Student housing at SWBTS. Third door from the right was our home for the 2 and a half years that we attended SWBTS.

Revival

2010-04-30T13:54:00.002-05:00

Our church spent a lot of time in prayer in the days preceding our recently concluded revival. We knew that one of our greatest needs was to experience a God sent, Holy Spirit empowered revival. You might be asking: "What is revival?" There are many definitions, but I have recently come across a definition that perhaps says it best: "Revival is the church returning to Pentecost." According to the Bible the period of time when the church was most alive, when the power of God was at work in awesome power was during the days immediately following Pentecost. Peter, the powerful preacher of Pentecost said this in Acts 3:19, "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."
When our services concluded this past Wednesday night, there was no doubt that we had truly experienced those "times of refreshing." Our evangelist, Doug Compton, was right on target with his messages. Our worship leader, Eddie King and his trio - New Day, brought us to the throne of grace in each of our services. People were excited about being in the Lord's house as was evident by the large crowds we had each night. In a day when most churches never reach a single teenager for Christ, we had eleven make professions of faith. I believe we are all praying that the spirit of revival we all experienced this week will continue in the days ahead.

Evangelist Doug Compton

New Day

Two young ladies who were baptized on Wednesday night.

(They give a whole new meaning to the words "towel head.")

The Luck of the Irish

2010-03-17T00:01:00.003-05:00

Today is Saint Patrick's Day. This is a holiday that originated in Ireland and began as a celebration of the patron saint of that land. As a means of celebrating their heritage, those of Irish descent are to sport green on this day. It is amazing to me that on March 17th when you look at who is wearing green, everyone seems to be of Irish ancestry. I am told that there is Irish blood running through my veins, but most of it is English, German, and French. In reality, I'm totally and proudly American.
The symbol of Ireland is the shamrock. Shamrocks are supposed to bring good luck. And who hasn't heard of "the luck of the Irish." Oddly enough the Irish have been consistently connected with bad luck rather than good. Which brings me to the point of this exercise.
Saint Patrick's day is one of the most significant days in my life. And the meaning of this day for me has absolutely nothing to do with being Irish. It was on this day, 40 years ago, that I proposed to the love of my life the former Judy LaDon Lipscomb.

Judy and I met while we were students at the University of Arkansas. We started dating when we were seniors and it didn't take long for me to discover that this was the person that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. On March 16th of 1970 we had over two feet of snow that fell during the day. For the first time in it's history, the University dismissed classes on the 17th.
It was on St. Patrick's Day that Judy and I trudged through the snow and walked to Underwood's Jewelry where we picked out a ring. We then went back to my apartment and I got down on my knees and asked her to marry me. We got married in January of the following year. We have shared an incredibly wonderful journey of life together and Lord willing, in January of 2011 we will celebrate 40 years of marriage together.

We've had the good fortune of raising two wonderful children. We have a son-in-law and daughter-in-law that we love with all of our hearts. We have the most precious granddaughter in all of the world. We have been able to serve the Lord together in our church for nearly 25 years. And we have been able to travel to many places we would never have dreamed of while on mission for our Savior. After 40 years we are still best friends. I don't know if it's the "luck of the Irish," but I have been most incredibly blessed.

My most prized gift.

2010-02-13T20:52:00.000-06:00

I only have two pieces of jewelry, two rings that never leave my fingers. One is of course, my wedding ring. That ring has been on the wedding finger of my left hand for over 39 years. This ring symbolizes the life that Judy and I began together in 1971 as husband and wife and that continues to this day. As you can imagine it shows the years of wear and is quite misshapen after all that it has been through while circling my finger these many years. When I think about it, I guess that the same could be said of me. But this ring is a constant reminder of the life and love that I have shared with Judy.
The other ring that I wear is no less significant than my wedding ring. It has been on the ring finger of my right hand for some twenty-five years. I received this ring as a gift. I consider it to be one of my most prized possessions. Judy gave it to me when I graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1985. This ring symbolizes the new life that our family embarked on when God called me into the ministry. It is also showing the signs of wear after nearly 25 years of pastoral ministry. I consider this ring my most prized gift.
Judy made a lot of sacrifices while I was in seminary in order for me to concentrate on my studies and complete my Masters in Theology. For over a year she went to work early and washed dishes in the law office where she worked in order to earn a few extra dollars each week. She saved the money she earned to buy this ring. It was an act of sacrificial love that I will never forget. I never have to ask Judy if she loves me. This ring is a constant reminder of how she demonstrated that love twenty five years ago and of the constant acts of love she has expressed to me over all these years.

The truth is, my greatest gift is the salvation of my soul through the Lord Jesus Christ. And then the knowledge that every gift, every blessing, in this life is because of Him. All I have to do is look at the picture below to be reminded that I have been truly blessed!

Grand Finale

2010-02-03T18:52:00.001-06:00

On the last night of the pastor's conference at FBC Jacksonville, the concluding service is known as the "Grand Finale." It is usually a spectacular musical presentation the contents of which are a closely guarded secret known only to the participants until the event actually unfolds. Some of the finales in years past have featured angels suspended from the ceiling and a risen Christ who ascends up into the ceiling of the sanctuary. I actually felt like this year's finale was one of the most worshipful. That perhaps was attributed to the message brought by Pastor Jim Cymbala prior to the finale. His sermon centered on our need for corporate and meaningful prayer. It ended with a call for pastors to come to the front to pray with and for one another. It was an incredible sight to see several thousand pastors and their wives praying before the Lord.
I had the opportunity to pray with a young man who is an associate pastor in South Carolina. He shared the pain in his heart from a very difficult ministry situation that was even taking a great toll on his health. It meant so much to me just to be able to encourage him and go before the Lord on his behalf. Unfortunately, his story was just one among hundreds represented in that room.
The finale itself centered around a patriotic theme. The thought came to mind that it is often people of faith who have the greatest love for their country. Christians hold dual citizenship in this great nation. We are citizens of the United States and more importantly we are citizens of the kingdom of God.

Veterans and members of all our Armed Forces were honored during the finale.

Representatives of all service organizations were honored.

Our good friends from seminary days who serve in Georgia.

Nothing like being able to have a picnic in January.

Judy and I have had a wonderful trip with times of relaxation, times of refreshing, times of fellowship and times to draw closer to the Lord. We are so looking forward to being in our home church this Sunday.

FBC Jacksonville - Pastor's Conference

2010-02-01T08:19:00.000-06:00

We have been at the Pastor's Conference at FBC Jacksonville since Friday. It has already been a time of spiritual renewal for both of us. We have had great fellowship with friends that we went to seminary with and have been spiritually nurtured by the worship. Saturday we got to hear two of my favorite preachers - Tony Evans and Junior Hill. Junior Hill is an evangelist from Alabama who has a gift of preaching to preachers. He always has a word from God that is encouraging to all.
Sunday morning and evening we experienced incredible worship and heard four wonderful messages from O.S. Hawkins, Jerry Vines, David Platt and Ergun Caner. I wish that everyone could experience the spiritual worship that we already have been a part of. We are looking forward to the next two days of the conference.

FBC Jacksonville Youth Choir

Tony Evans

Sunday Morning Worship

Charleston

2010-01-28T20:21:00.000-06:00

Judy and I made the two hour trip from Savannah to Charleston, SC today. It would have only taken 90 minutes if there hadn't been miles of reduced speed limits due to road construction. Anyway, it was well worth the trip. In fact, we decided that Charleston was much more interesting to us. We spent most of our time touring homes.

The first house was built in the 1800's as a winter home by a wealthy plantation owner. His plantation was fifty miles from Charleston so he also had a home half-way between the two. The second home was built in the 1700's and hosted President George Washington when he toured the south after his election as President.

Pictured below are a few samples of the beautiful furniture that decorates the homes.

Charleston is also home to a number of magnificent churches that date back to the 1700's. Pictured below is the Huguenot church and then the Episcopal church.

Inside the sanctuary of the Episcopal church:

This gives a whole new meaning to "this is my pew."

Note that they all have doors on them.

A pulpit for patriotic occasions?

I'm glad I don't have to climb into this one every time I preach.

We had a wonderful day experiencing the history and wonder that is Charleston. It was hard to believe what with the 65 degree temperatures that it is the end of January. Our hearts go out to our church family at home that is about to experience a major snow storm. Praying that the ice storm will not materialize and that the snow will not be too bad for the folks at home.

Savannah

2010-01-27T18:15:00.000-06:00

The historic district of Savannah is full of old homes and something I'm particularly interested in - old churches. I was of course interested in going in to the First Baptist Church which is one of the original congregations in Savannah. However, the building is undergoing a complete renovation so we were not able to take a look at the premises. In fact, the congregation is currently meeting in the Jewish Temple which doesn't use their facility on Sundays. I often think of how God took two testaments - the Old and the New - and combined them together into one book which Christians know as their Bible. How awesome that an Old Testament congregation and a New Testament one can come together to in one place for both to worship God.

We did manage to go into a historic Lutheran church. The sanctuary that is pictured below is actually on the second floor of the church. As a preacher I am always interested pulpits. This church had two pulpits. One on the left hand side and one on the right. Although they were both ornate, I don't think I would be comfortable preaching from behind either one.

We also toured the Owens-Thomas house which was built in the early 1800's and once housed the Marquis de Lafayette when he came to the United States for his reality tour.

The highlight of our morning was going to Paula Deen's restaurant - "The Lady & Sons." We had an incredible meal of good old Southern cooking.

This afternoon we drove out to Tybee Island. What would a trip to the east coast be without a look at the Atlantic Ocean. We walked out on the ocean pier and took a few pictures. 50 degrees is not exactly beach weather, so we only stayed a few minutes.

Pier bird - only thing on the pier today.

Old birds - only things missing are "do rags" and a Harley.

Times of Refreshing

2010-01-26T18:31:00.001-06:00

At the end of the week I will be attending the pastor's conference at the First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida. This conference has always served as a great way for me to get my spiritual "batteries" recharged. It begins Friday evening and runs through Tuesday night. Each day will be filled with great preaching and soul-stirring worship.
Judy and I are taking a few days ahead of the conference for some rest and relaxation. After two days of driving, we arrived in Savannah, Georgia late this afternoon. We were able to take a walk down by the river front where we started taking in the unique ambiance of this city.

Pictured below: Boat we might take a ride on.

Pictured below: Boat we would love to take a ride on.

Rear of buildings on the river front. Notice the cobble stone streets.

My wonderful companion of 39 years:

We're looking forward to visiting the old homes and museums that populate the historic district. We may also pay a visit to Paula Dean's restaurant - after all, you've got to eat.

A Disaster of Biblical Proportions

2010-01-14T09:33:00.006-06:00

Earthquake in Haiti

Most of us cannot begin to imagine the devastation that has taken place in the island nation of Haiti. As I write this post it is presumed that as many as half a million people have lost their lives in this incredible natural disaster. A major relief effort is underway to assist the people of Haiti. Many countries and relief organizations are involved in the herculean effort to provide for the needs of the people struggling to exist in the aftermath of the earthquake.

Southern Baptists have always had a major presence wherever there is a natural disaster. This will certainly be the case with the relief effort in Haiti. Southern Baptist Disaster Relief will be supplying volunteers, food, water, and basic necessities in the weeks and months to come. There are a number of ways in which you can give to this cause through the Southern Baptist Convention. You can give to this cause by donating through your local Southern Baptist church and designating your gift “Haiti.” Or you can go online and give by credit card to Baptist Global Response at “gobgr.org” When you give through the Southern Baptist Convention to disaster relief, none of the money that is donated goes to administrative costs. There are of course many different organizations that will be helping in the relief effort, but this is one way you can give and be assured that every dollar that you give will go directly to the needs of the people of Haiti. Give what you can and above all else pray for the people of Haiti.

Snowy Sunday

2010-01-03T10:49:00.003-06:00

What does a preacher do when snow causes church to be cancelled on Sunday? Well, this one finally updates his blog after a three month hiatus.

Last night the TV weatherman was predicting that our part of the state would only get a light dusting of snow. I got up a little before six this morning to discover that we already had about four inches on the ground and more was on the way. In this part of the country that means that everything pretty much comes to a halt. So after canceling church, and waiting for daylight to arrive, I went out and took some pictures of our first snow.

I am very thankful that we are having snow and not the ice storm that hit us last January. As you can see, I still have a lot of fallen limbs to clean up from that storm. This picture was taken from my shop (picture below) which is about 300 yards from the house.

The picture of my shop reminds me of "Where's Waldo." Can you find Buddy, my Westie in this picture?

Pictured below are my "boys" - Skippy and Buddy out for a romp in the snow. They actually were not doing a lot of romping, Buddy is too old to "romp" and both of them hate the snow.

This is what old dogs do on a snowy Sunday. They lay in front of a warm wood stove after being out in the cold. I can't begin to tell you how tempted I was to join them.

Last Day in Goa

2009-09-10T20:21:00.002-05:00

On Thursday we wrapped up the Pastor's Conference and had the graduation for the men who had been in residence for the last ten weeks at the Pastor's Training Institute. India is a country of many languages with several thousand tribal dialects. Each state has their own language and then the national languages are Hindi and English. Most Indians speak two to five languages. On the last day of the conference we had groups of pastors from different parts of the country sing "special" music in their native tongues. Although the words were unrecognizable (to me) the tunes were often very familiar. Pictured below are the men from Karala singing their special.

The young man pictured below was at the conference each day with his father who is a pastor. He sat on the front row and was always attentive and taking notes. (Parenthetically, his little five year old sister was there also and she was just as attentive.) This boy closed out the conference by singing "Here I Am to Worship" in Hindi.

This is a picture of one of the city streets in Panaji, Goa. This is the city we stayed in while in Goa. It is actually quite beautiful. This was taken outside the restaurant where we ate lunch on Thursday.

I left my camera at the hotel when we returned for graduation, so all I had to take pictures was my phone. The seventy graduates were incredibly excited. This was the biggest day of their lives for most of them. A good number of the graduates will be returning to Orissa where persecution against Christians has been the worst.

Below is a picture of the children from the Gilgal children's home singing at the graduation. It seems that pom-poms are an essential part of worship for the children. They are obviously not Baptists.

The young man below is one of the boys at the children's home playing for the choir. Notice he is wearing the "Ranger" T-shirt I gave the boys this week.

P.S. - I'm sitting in the Newark airport finishing this blog at 7am on Saturday. I'm glad to be almost home, but grateful for the opportunity to minister in such a meaningful way for the Lord.

2009-09-10T11:11:00.003-05:00

Trips like this soon fall into a routine of their own. I feel compelled to share what is going on and yet at the same time there is not a whole lot to report about. We preach and teach from 9:00 am until five-thirty in the evening. We have a worship service at 7:00 and then get something to eat before getting back to the hotel in time to go to bed.

One of the things that is always a blessing is seeing how the Lord puts our team together. There is always a variety of men with different personalities and gifts. A business man from Atlanta has been the greatest blessing to me. His name is Mark. He is one of the most gracious and humble men I have ever met. He is on his first mission trip and is having the time of his life. You would never guess by the way he conducts himself, but Mark is the treasurer of a multi-billion dollar company. I labeled Mark "King of the Conference" because his humble attitude and graciousness endeared himself to the students like no one else. Mark is pictured below teaching a class on leadership.

Bro. Ron preaching to the pastors.

We had dinner at Jaison Job's house (our host pastor in Goa) on Wednesday night. His wife had a whole kitchen crew helping put together our meal. It was wonderful!

Notice that Jaison is standing while we eat. It is customary for hosts to wait until all the guests have eaten before they dine. This is a practice that I won't be bringing to America.

Jason, his wife Melona, son Answan, and daugther Rachel

The twelve orphan boys that live in Jaison's home.

Monday in Goa

2009-09-07T11:40:00.003-05:00

Here are a few pictures from Sunday night and Monday at the Pastor's Conference in Goa:

Pictured below is Dr. Ron Herrod the founder of RHEMA - Ron Herrod Evangelism Ministries Associaton. His son Joseph and Pastor Jaison Job are to his right. Jaison is the pastor in Goa who is responsible for doing all the groundwork for the Pastor's Institutes and for the conference we are having right now. Dr. Herrod is conversing with three of the attendees who are sporting the tee-shirts commemorating the event that all of the men were given.

Monday Morning Worship

Pictured below is Dr. Herrod speaking with a pastor and his wife from the state of Orissa. Their church and home were both burned to the ground by Hindu radicals. The Christians in Orissa are under incredible persecution and need our constant prayers.

This is a group providing special music at the Sunday evening worship service. All of them are from the state of Manipur in far east India. I had the privilege of going to Manipur and starting the Pastor's Institute in 2005. Manipur is so far away that it took this group 4 days to travel to Goa by train.

We have had an absolutely wonderful couple of days here! These servants of God are so appreciative of the instruction and encouragement that we are trying to bring to them this week. Despite the fact that so many of them are under persecution, they all have hearts that are filled with joy.

Of Swine Flu, Security and Sunday

2009-09-06T03:17:00.007-05:00

There has been so much overkill on the reporting of swine flu in the US that I have thought it to be in many ways a case of Chicken Little crying "the sky is falling." But it is obvious that they are taking it quite seriously here in India and for good reason. The swine flu has reached epidemic proportions in many parts of this country. In fact, when our plane landed in Mumbai all passengers were put through a swine flu "screening." We also had to fill out a form swearing on the penalty of death or imprisonment that we did not have nor had we been exposed to anyone who has symptoms of the flu. I'm not sure what they would have really done if we had said yes to their health questions, but the word "quarantine" does come to mind.

The situation is serious enough that it will affect the attendance at the pastor's conference. A number of the states in India are restricting travel from one area to another. Consequently, many of the pastors were not able to get tickets (train) to come to the conference. Others are staying home because of fear of getting the flu. Can you see that Satan is at work trying to hinder what we are doing here?

When we arrived at our hotel in Goa on Friday we had to go through a number of security checkpoints just to get into the hotel. Our car was stopped outside the hotel and they ran a bomb-sniffing dog around it checking for explosives. Then our bags had to go through an x-ray machine and we had to all go through a metal detector like at the airport. This is the price you pay for being in an area where the threat of terrorist activity is very real and present.

This morning (Sunday) we had worship at the conference center. Most of those present were men who have been attending the pastor's school. I was given a one hour time slot to preach. To those of you who call me their pastor, you know that was like throwing a bone at a hungry dog. After the service, I met two men who pastor in the province of Orissa. Both of them have had their churches and homes burned by Hindu mobs. They are undergoing incredible persecution and yet are determined to remain faithful. If you think that you have anything to whine and complain about - especially as a Christian - think again.

I'm writing this at two in the afternoon, which means that most of you are still asleep. With that in mind, I want to wish you a blessed day of worship. I already have!

Saturday Morning in Mumbai

2009-09-05T06:57:00.006-05:00

If you saw the movie "Slum Dog Millionaire," then you have already seen some of what we saw today. Our flight to Goa didn't leave until one this afternoon so we had the opportunity this morning to visit with one of the local pastors, which afforded us the opportunity to get out onto the streets of Mumbai. I woke up this morning to the sound of a turkey gobbling. For a moment I thought I was back home. This turkey was in the yard on the grounds of our hotel. It's a good think there is a high fence around the place or he would have been on someone's dinner table long ago.

I've wanted to take a ride in one of these 3 wheeled taxis since I first saw one. This is what we took to ride over to Pastor James Thomas house this morning.

Here's Joseph Herrod getting out of the taxi in the middle of a pouring rain.

Pastor James Thomas and his brother-in-law.

Breakfast at Pastor James house.

Pastor James' church is located on the first floor of the building that serves as the church, office and his home. When James first started the church it was only one story and the rear wall ended where the curtain is now. A few years later he added the upstairs which served as living quarters for his family. Shorty after the addition was build the city came unannounced one evening and demolished the upstairs. (They were succumbing to political pressure being exerted by those who oppose Christianity in the area.) The city made a lame apology two weeks later and said they shouldn't have done that. Of course the damage was already done. However, God is good and after much prayer money was donated to the ministry to build the living quarters back. James' ministry has purchased property out of town and there were 32 orphaned boys housed and schooled there. I continue to be amazed at how these faithful men like James are able to do so much with so little.

The Journey Begins. . .

2009-09-03T15:54:00.002-05:00

This is the third trip that I have made to India. Both times, it has proven to be quite an adventure. My first two trips I had major difficulty with securing the my visa into the country. The first time that I went, the Post Office lost my passport. (And we expect the government to run healthcare? I digress) The post office found it the afternoon before I was scheduled to leave for India. I had to drive a 150 miles to get it so that I could leave on time. Fortunately, it was in the city where I was scheduled to fly out of. The second time I went, after submitting my application for a visa some 2 months ahead of time, I had to fly to Houston and retrieve it from the "lost and found" at the consulate a few days before I was scheduled to leave.

I had no problems with my passport or visa this time - thank the Lord! But when we were getting in the car to go to the airport this morning, we discovered a flat tire on the car. Judy got me to the airport in my daughter's vehicle and then she had to go back and get the tire fixed (which she did) before she could get back home. The most difficult part of this trip so far is having to leave these two behind:

I'm sitting in the Newark, New Jersey airport with a six hour layover before I start the 15 and a half hour flight to Mumbai. I will be meeting up with two other people here in Newark before we continue on. We should arrive in Mumbai at 9:00 on Friday evening. We will spend the night in a hotel before we journey on to Goa on Saturday afternoon.

Please keep us in your prayers. And pray for the hundreds of pastors who are coming to Goa from all over India for this time of spiritual renewal.

There Is a God in Heaven

2009-08-26T00:01:00.004-05:00

In a little over a week I will be traveling to India. The ministry I am involved with is going to bring 800 to 1,000 pastors from all over India to a retreat where they will receive a week of pastoral training and spiritual renewal. Many of these men are serving in places where there is great persecution of Christians. As a consequence a number of these men are suffering greatly for no other reason than that they have committed their lives to serve the cause of Christ.

If you have been reading these posts you should realize by now that no one is exempt from trials, heartache, and suffering. But you should also realize by now that there is One who brings hope in the midst of seemingly hopeless situations. One of God’s choicest servants was a man by the name of Daniel. The guiding principle of his life is found in this declaration in Daniel 2:28 as he stood before the pagan king Nebuchadnezzar, “But there is a God in heaven.” Understand also that God is the God of the Bible, manifested in the person of Jesus Christ His Son. I love the apostle Paul’s description of the relationship a Christian has with the God of heaven, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col. 1:27) There it is - the only real source of hope in the midst of suffering – “Christ in you.”

The late Ron Dunn was an evangelist and Bible teacher who wrote the book When Heaven Is Silent which details the journey Ron went through when his teenage son committed suicide. I pray that the following excerpt from the book will serve as a source of encouragement for those who are in the midst of suffering:

One of my best friends, Manley Beasley, died in 1990. I guess the only thing that surprised his many friends is that he lived as long as he did. Stricken in 1970 by five serious diseases, three of which were terminal, Manley spent the next twenty years on life-support systems—not the medical kind, but the spiritual kind. Jesus literally became his life. In Manley's words, he was alive by His life. There must have been a dozen or more times in those twenty years when Manley came to the brink of death only to come back, stronger than before. I remember going to hospitals at least six times to say good-bye to him because the doctors said he wouldn't make it through the night. I said to him once, "You're the hardest man to say good-bye to I've ever known." Yet, in spite of his physical condition, he carried on a worldwide ministry and taught thousands what it means to walk by faith.

The next to the last time Manley was hospitalized he was confined for several months to the intensive care unit. When Kaye and I visited him in the hospital we were certain it was the last time we would see him. You can imagine our surprise, therefore, while we were away in Georgia, to learn that Manley had once again astonished everyone, including his doctors, by living.

I called him at his home, and we talked for a long time. After our conversation, I wrote him this letter. It's dated November 4, 1988.

Dear Manley:

Our phone conversation a few minutes ago spoke to my heart in several ways. God has been so good to grant us the desires of our hearts—namely, to keep you here. I believe your greatest ministry lies before you, and few people will ever realize what it cost.

I have been for some time immersing myself in that great passage in Romans 8:31-39, and I am being forced to rethink my idea of "victory." Paul enumerates all the evils and the not-so-evils that threaten us, and he says that in all these things we are more than conquerors—supra-conquerors is the word. It means to go beyond and above mere conquest. In the midst of these things we do more than conquer; we go beyond that to something greater and better. It is not necessarily deliverance from famine and slaughter that demonstrates divine victory. The Marines could save us from slaughter, and the Red Cross could save us from famine. In verse 35 Paul lists things that are evil, catastrophic: “tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword. . . .”

And then in verse 38 he names things that are good, natural, or neutral: “death, life, angels (not fallen angels), nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing”—these things are forces of everyday life, neither good nor necessarily bad, but neutral.

Now what do both categories of powers try to do to us? They try to separate us from the love of God. This is surprising. I would speak of the pain, the suffering they inflict, the danger of death, the fear, the terror they bring

to our hearts. But Paul does not say that the conquest consists in escaping these things, nor in their removal. To Paul, the conquest is that even the most horrible of powers and events “cannot separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.”

What is the greatest exhibition of the power of God? Not to remove the pain or take away the slaughter, but to keep us in the love of God through it all.

Now my point: The despair of the sufferer is not caused by the depth of the suffering but by the depth of his sense of separation from God.

You said that when you were finally able to get hold of God, the peace came. The suffering didn't diminish, it was as deep as ever, but the sense of separation had vanished. You no longer felt separated from God.

On the cross Jesus never cried out about the pain of the nails or the agony of the sword or the shame of the nakedness. This was His despair “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”

I believe it is true that the fear and despair I feel lying on a hospital bed, not knowing if I will live or die, is caused, not by the pain or the fear of dying, but by the fact that I seem to have lost contact with God. I can't sense His presence, I can't get hold of Him. But when I do, the sense of separation from God is dispelled; the despair, the fear is relieved. The pain may remain, but the despair does not. It is not the suffering but the separation that undermines our confidence in God.

What do you think?

In the Best of Bonds, Ron

Well, what do you think?

I think Teilhard de Chardin was right Joy is not the absence of pain but the presence of God.

Let me just agree with Daniel, “There is a God in heaven!” – Pastor Steve

Reason eight for God allowing suffering

2009-08-24T14:54:00.003-05:00

Finally, the Lord uses trials to enable us to better help others in trials.

Jesus told Peter, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32) Peter’s sufferings were given not only to strengthen him for greater usefulness but also to prepare him to strengthen others. That is true of every believer’s sufferings and testings, and was true of our Lord in His humanity. “For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.” (Heb. 2:18)

Paul sums up this principle in his words to the church at Corinth:

“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 just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer.” (2 Cor. 1:3-6)

I have suggested eight reasons why the Lord allows suffering to come into the lives of His children. It is important to understand that the suffering we often are called upon to endure is not punitive, but it is purposeful. This then is perhaps the greatest purpose – that we who endure suffering and through it experience the grace and the comfort of God, might be given a ministry to others who find themselves in similar circumstances. This world is full of hurting, suffering people. What greater ministry can you have than to be one who can offer a word of hope to the hopeless! This is why Paul was inspired to write to the church at Rome and say, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Ro. 8:28) That of course, means the sweet things work together for the good, but it also means the sorrowful things work together for the good.

The Problem of Suffering - 8 Purposes for Trials #6&7

2009-08-17T15:26:00.002-05:00

We are continuing to look at why the Lord would allow trials to come into the lives of His children:

Sixth, trials are given to teach us to value God’s blessings.

Our reason tells us to value the world and the things of the world, and our senses tell us to value pleasure and ease. But through trials, faith tells us to value the spiritual things of God with which He has blessed us abundantly – including His Word, His care, His provision, His strength, and, of course, His salvation.

David said:

“Because Your lovingkindness is better than live, my lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, for You have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.” (Psalm 63:3-7)

All the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 rejected the world for the goodness of God’s gifts, and so must we by “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb. 12:2)

Seventh, the Lord uses trials to develop in His saints enduring strength for greater usefulness.

One man observed that “while all things are quiet and comfortable, we live by sense rather than faith. But the worth of a soldier is never known in times of peace.” Paul confessed, “Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor. 12:10) The writer of Hebrews speaks of the godly men and women “who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong.” (Heb. 11:33-34)

The Problem of Suffering - 8 Purposes for Trials #4&5

2009-08-13T11:53:00.001-05:00

4. A fourth purpose of trials is to call us to eternal and heavenly hope.

The harder our trials become and the longer they last, the more we look forward to being with the Lord. Although Paul knew that his ministry was not finished, and that it was important for him to continue his work on earth for Christ's sake and the sake of the church, his personal longing, nevertheless, was "to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better" (Phil. 1:23-24). In his letter to the church at Rome, he testified:

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. (Rom. 8:18-25; cf. 5:3-4)

After reminding the immature believers in Corinth of the many afflictions, persecutions, dangers, and betrayals he had experienced, Paul wrote the encouraging words, "He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you .... Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor.4:14,16-18; cf. vv. 8-12).

5. A fifth purpose of trials is to reveal what we really love.

Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac not only proved his faith, but also his supreme love for the Lord. Nothing and no one else should be dearer to us than the Lord.

In Deuteronomy, the Lord told His people, “Now Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (10:12; cf. 13:3). That, Jesus said, is the first and greatest commandment (Matt. 22:38). He also said, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). He was not, of course, commanding hatred of others, which would clearly contradict countless other Scriptures, including the second greatest commandment, to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:39). He used a figurative expression to teach that our love of God should exceed all other loves, including love of our families.

The Problem of Suffering - 8 Purposes for Trials #3

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3. God allows us to suffer trials in order to wean us from our dependence on worldly things.

The more we accumulate material possessions and worldly knowledge, experience, and recognition, the more we are tempted to rely on them instead of the Lord. These things can include education, work success, important people we know, honors we may have been given, and many other types of worldly benefits that often are not wrong in themselves but can easily become the focus of our concern and the basis of our trust.

On one occasion when a large crowd followed Jesus and the disciples to a mountain, Jesus asked Philip,"Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?" This He was saying to test him; for He Himself knew what He was intending to do" (John 6:5-6). Philip failed the test, replying, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little" (v. 7). Instead of trusting the Lord to provide, Philip looked only at their material resources, which obviously were far short of being able to meet the need. Philip's short-sightedness nearly cost him the opportunity to witness the miracle working power of God to supply what was needed in an impossible situation.

Moses had been raised in Pharaoh's house, brought up as a prince of Egypt, trained in the highest Egyptian learning, and had reached the apex of Egyptian society and personal success. Then, after forty years in Midian as a shepherd (Ex. 2:11-25), the Lord called him to take his people out of Egypt. And, although he resisted and argued at first, obedience to the Lord and concern for the plight of the Lord's chosen people eventually became his devotion. The writer of Hebrews tells us that "by faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward" (Heb. 11:24-26).

The day in which we live is so governed by the material that it is no wonder that God would use trials (and specifically economic ones) to wean us from our dependence on earthly things and to teach us to depend solely on the One who is the "giver of every good and perfect gift." (James 1:17)

The Problem of Suffering - 8 Purposes for Trials #2

2009-08-10T10:10:00.002-05:00

We are looking at eight purposes that the Lord has for allowing trials to come into the lives of His people.

2. To Humble Us.

Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." James 4:6 adds this insight: "But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." It is evident that at the core of the fallen nature of mankind is this matter of pride. Pride is what made the devil the devil. Pride wells up in the human heart and keeps us from having that sense of inadequacy and dependency that is so necessary to a vital relationship with the Lord.

Therefore, trials are often allowed to come into our lives to humble us, to remind us not to let our trust in the Lord turn into presumption and self-satisfaction. The greater our blessings, the more Satan will tempt us to look on them as our own accomplishments rather than the Lord's, or as our rightful due, and to become proud rather than humble.

Perhaps no one person has been used in a greater way in the kingdom of God than the apostle Paul. God used him in incredible ways to expand the early church and to speak to it throughout the ages. Yet, he was a man who suffered greatly. In fact, God specifically brought suffering into his life to keep him humble. He relates in 2 Cor. 12:7, "And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure." Whatever it was that the Lord used as a "thorn in the flesh," it was both hurtful and humiliating. It was some kind of bodily ailment, and an excruciatingly painful one at that. "Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me." (2 Cor. 12:8) Paul prayed and the attack was renewed. He prayed again and the attack was renewed. He prayed yet again and the attack was renewed. The thing, as terrible as it was, was of God. So much for those who teach that we only have to "name it and claim it" and what we desire is ours. This false teaching is contrary to Scripture and to experience. We can well imagine how Paul agonized in prayer over this assault upon him, especially when his prayers went unanswered. His petitions were overruled by God who knows best, makes no mistakes, and loves us with love beyond degree.

Paul well understood what has happening to him as he received a wonderful word from the Lord, "And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." (9) Paul was given a revelation of God's sufficiency and of God's strength.

It was God's matchless grace that came along with the affliction, all-sufficient grace, grace which moment-by-moment enabled Paul not only to bear the pain and torment of it all but to accept it as a fact of life. It was to be accepted as part of that "good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:2)

Paul learned that while he did not have the power to overcome the incredible handicap of his thorn, God did. In fact, his very weakness and yieldedness enabled God to work as never before. Paul so overcame his affliction that it is virtually ignored in the Bible. It did not hinder him from undertaking three missionary journeys. In fact, it would have been ignored by him altogether had not the Holy Spirit told him to write about it here. What victory!

The Problem of Suffering - 8 Purposes for Trials #1

2009-08-07T13:00:00.000-05:00

Everyone who lives in this world endures some measure of trouble. That is the consequence of the fall of man. It is the natural result of sinful human nature and of a world and society corrupted by sin. Isaiah the prophet declared, "Look to the earth, and behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish." (Is. 8:22)

God's own people are not exempt from trouble, and there will be trouble related even to the best of things that He gives us. In marriage and family life (the best gift He has given us for earthly happiness), trouble is inevitable. Jesus assured us that "in this world you will have tribulation." (John 16:33) The Lord Himself was deeply troubled and grieved because of Judas' betrayal. Paul testified that he was "afflicted in every way" (2 Cor. 4:8); and to varying degrees and for various reasons, that is the experience of everyone. We expect occasional trouble in our job, in school, in society, even in our family and in our church. We know that we cannot escape criticism, frustration, disappointment, physical pain, emotional pain, disease, injury, and eventually death.

Scripture mentions at least eight purposes for the Lord's allowing trials to come into the lives of His people.

1. To Test the Strength of Our Faith.

In many ways the Lord assists us in taking spiritual inventory by bringing trials into our lives to demonstrate to us the strength or weakness of our faith. A person who becomes resentful, bitter, and self-pitying when troubles come plainly exposes weak faith. On the other hand, a person who turns more and more to the Lord as trouble get worse and asks His help in carrying the burden just as plainly demonstrates a faith that is strong.

Think of Job. He is God's exhibit "A" of a man who endured a test of faith. Job was a godly man of whom the Lord God Himself said, "There is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil." (Job 1:8) He is then put to a test of faith in which he loses everything that he has in this world: his family, his wealth, and his health. And the question is, Will he lose his faith? The whole time Job is undergoing a test of the strength of his faith.

After questioning God's wisdom and justice in allowing him to experience such unbelievable afflictions, Job confessed to his Lord, "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You; therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:5-6)

It was only by going through the personal experience of the testing of his faith that Job was able to move from being a man who had a head full of knowledge about God, to becoming a man who had a heart full of an intimate experience with God.

The Problem of Suffering - Part 2

2009-08-06T13:00:00.002-05:00

Our Sunday morning adult Bible study in the church I pastor is currently focused on the book of James. You have to read almost to the end of the New Testament to find this letter. And yet, this is considered to be the very first document chronologically which has found its way into the record of the Christian faith. James was written somewhere between 44 and 49 AD by the half-brother of our Lord Jesus Christ.

James was then written before any of the letters of Paul. It was written before any of the letters of Peter or of the apostle John. It was written even before the gospels. Since James is the very first word given by the Holy Spirit to the early church, its content should be of great interest to us. We should anticipate with great excitement what the very word was that the Lord inspired its human author to record for posterity. What would be the first thing in the heart of our Savior that He would have believers to know as they sought to follow Him in their new-found faith?

Interestingly, his letter contains hardly any distinctively Christian expressions and no “Christian” doctrine. That in itself is somewhat of a shock. After all, in the Lord’s very first word to His church we would have every reason to expect to find the “A to Z” of the fundamentals of the faith. Why, how can we have right belief without right doctrine? Thus we find that all of the great truths of the faith, so common in Paul’s letters, are missing from the epistle of James. The Lord’s name occurs only twice (1:1; 2:1). When we read this letter we discover that James had no conception of the universal church. If the Lord did not deem it necessary to inspire James to write great doctrinal truths or to provide us with an organizational chart for the church, what then was the first thing that the Lord would have us to know as we seek to live our Christian lives in this world?

I’m glad you asked! The Lord simply said this through His man James: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.” (James 1:2)

What? Say that again? Lord, this is number one on your list of revelatory decrees? Yes it is, and it shouldn’t surprise us at all. It has been well said that you are either coming out of a trial, in the midst of a trial, or about to head into a trial. We then read on and discover that not only are trials inevitable, (A sure sign that the question is not “why” am I in the midst of a trial, but “why not?”) but that as we shall see, trials are purposeful. And did you notice the admonition to "consider it all joy." What is that all about?

It was with all of this in mind that last Sunday evening I shared eight purposes for the Lord allowing trials to come into the lives of His people. We will be taking a journey through the word of God and when all is said and done, I'm praying that you will be able to look at your "trial" and be able to "consider it all joy."

The Problem of Suffering - Part 1

2009-08-05T12:01:00.001-05:00

In his bestselling book When Bad Things Happen to Good People, Rabbi Harold Kushner raises the following questions regarding the God of the Bible and the Holocaust:

Where was God while all this was going on? Why did He not intervene to stop it? Why didn't He strike Hitler dead in 1939 and spare millions of lives and untold suffering, or why didn't He send an earthquake to demolish the gas chambers? Where was God?

Those of us who believe that it is possible to come to know the heart and mind of God through the Bible - His revelation of Himself to us, must admit that there are many questions about God and His ways that we just don't know and we just don't have all the answers. Yet we also believe that because God is a good and loving God that there must be good purposes for pain and suffering.

Here is an important point to consider: Our not knowing all of the good purposes God has for pain and suffering doesn't mean that there are no good purposes. Our not knowing doesn't mean that God doesn't know. The only logical conclusion one can reach is that if God is all-good and all-knowing, then He must know good purposes for all pain and suffering in this world.

When it comes to evil and suffering, we may not know about all of God's purposes, but we do know some of them.

Some pain (physical, emotional, spiritual) is necessary to develop character. For example, sympathy is not achievable without misery, or patience without tribulation. Courage is unobtainable without fear, and endurance is occasioned only by hardship. The truth is, some virtues would be totally absent without pain and suffering.

Some pain is necessary to teach individuals that certain types of behavior are wrong and have physical or moral consequences. The decision to habitually choose vices like pride, anger, envy, greed, gluttony and lust are manifestations of a person's refusal to master his or her physical and psychological impulses. Punishments are often necessary to teach individuals that they are stepping onto morally dangerous grounds. Only through the pain of discipline can a child learn self-control.

Some pain is necessary to warn us of an impending greater danger. Pain is used as a warning system to help us stay alive.

Some pain is necessary to help us avoid greater suffering. The pain of enduring sitting in the dentist's chair is often needed to keep a person from suffering even greater pain. When someone ignores his or her health needs, it is good that the body reacts in a painful manner to let that individual know before the situation gets worse that something is wrong.

Finally, some pain is used by God to get our moral attention. Just as a parent who loves her child disciplines him in order to get his attention, God does the same. Some people have to be stretched out on their backs before they will ever look up to God. Most people turn to God in times of suffering, not when everything is going along just fine. C.S. Lewis in his book The Problem of Pain wrote this:

God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts to us in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a [morally] deaf world. . . No doubt pain as God's megaphone is a terrible instrument; it may lead to final and unrepented rebellion. But it gives the only opportunity the bad man can have for amendment. It removes the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of a rebel soul.

Next post: 8 purposes of God in the suffering of His people.

Why Bad Things Happen to Good People

2009-08-04T10:11:00.002-05:00

For some time now I have been considering writing a series of posts on one of the most asked questions of life. Namely, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" This is, of course, the question of human pain and suffering. The question of suffering becomes especially pertinent to us when we are in the midst of it. How many times have we voiced in the midst of a desperate situation, "Why is this happening to me?" And when you think about it, we could just as well be asking, "Why not?"

For those of us who are steeped in the teachings of the Bible the tendency is to give a rather simplistic, and yet mostly accurate answer. Suffering is a result of original sin. The first man and woman ushered in pain and suffering and evil when they sinned against God and fell from grace. As a result this world is not now what it was designed to be.

Putting the simple answer aside for a moment, let me just say here at the outset that when you begin to examine the full breadth and depth of the existence of evil and suffering the obvious conclusion is that the answer is more of a mystery than a problem. If there was an easy explanation the question would not be occupying the time and minds of so many philosophers today.

With that in mind, I will say at the outset that I don't presume to have all the answers or even most of the answers. However, I do have some insight from the word of God that may prove to be of benefit to those who read these posts in the days to come. All I can say is that even though we don't know all of God's purposes for suffering, we do know some of them. Perhaps along the way we can all get a better handle on why bad things happen to good people.

Siloam, Siloam!

2009-07-21T16:36:00.004-05:00

Here we are for another week at camp. Two weeks ago we took 14 of our students on a mission trip to Mobile, Alabama. This week we have 36 of our youth at the Arkansas Baptist Assembly in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Judy and I have been bringing our young people to camp here for 24 straight years. I absolutely love this place! Here are a number of things that I love about Siloam:

The Worship Center

Our young People at worship

The band leading worship

Students waiting in line for thirty minutes to eat food they say is awful

Happy plates and faces after eating the awful food

The pavilions where we meet together for church devotions in the evenings

The dorms that are now air-conditioned

Playing ball

And what I love most: being with the youth for a week

All work and no play. . .

2009-07-10T08:37:00.002-05:00

We had another good day at our ministry sites. One of the highlights for our "social ministry" team was when a little old lady at a nursing home decided to serenade Austin. He took it in stride and made her day. My team spent another long hot day on the roof. So we were ready to head for the beach at 3:30. It was an hour and a half drive to Gulf Shores. We were only able to spend an hour at the beach, but the youth all thought that it was worth it. Here are a few random photos of our beach time:

The bird is not a member of the youth group - although he tried to join us. Looking forward to Friday and our last full day at camp.

Hot!!!!!!! Wednesday in Mobile

2009-07-08T22:19:00.002-05:00

The weather cooperated today making it possible for my ministry team to begin the roofing project. The house is the home of a handicapped couple who are in desperate need of a new roof. The materials were provided by a local social agency and the labor by the MFugers. We began the morning by tearing off the old shingles and existing tar paper.

It's amazing how God shows up in the most unusual places. The man in the yellow shirt in the next picture is a walking miracle. His name is Jon. Several months ago he was riding his motorcycle home from work when he was hit by a teenager driving a pick-up truck. Jon had multiple surgeries and spent 42 days in the hospital. He was told that he would probably never walk again. As you can see he proved the doctors wrong. He walks with a limp and has trouble with his balance. Despite that, he stayed on the roof most of the day. He said, "I've been so blessed by God, every moment that I can stand and work is a gift from Him."

This looks like a highway department photo. I'm on the ladder on the left starting to lay down the felt paper. The youth on the roof all had hammers and were eagerly waiting to drive nails. They actually did a great job today. I am so proud of how most of them worked very hard through an incredibly hot day to get the job done. We will be working here for the next several days - if it doesn't rain.

Lizzy and Katherine doing what they do best - smiling and eating.

Austin doing what he does best - eating and eating and eating. . .

Only two more full days of camp. We plan on taking our group to the beach for an hour or two after we get back from our ministry sites tomorrow. Should be a great day for all of us.

Tuesday - MFuge

2009-07-07T21:57:00.003-05:00

This was to be our first full day at camp and first day at our mission sites. I was assigned to a group that will be putting a new roof on a house. However, since we had thunderstorms all day, our group ended up going to a community center in Mobile. This community center was really a nice place and drew a lot of neighborhood kids for basketball. I played nonstop 4 on 4 games for about three hours. Surprisingly, my 60-year-old knees held up the whole time. And even more amazing, I didn't hurt or break anything.

The highlight of the day for me was when one of the young men from the neighborhood looked at me and said, "Grandpa, you got game!" Ah, sweet music to the ears!

While we were waiting to go to dinner our guys tried to see which one could lick their elbow. Unfortunately, none of them were successful.

What a great looking group!

Monday, Monday

2009-07-07T07:44:00.003-05:00

Our mission team spent the night in Grenada, Ms. before traveling on Monday morning to Mobile. We arrived at Mobile University around 2:30 in the afternoon. We were greeted at the entrance by two not too bright young men who were holding this banner, which I of course, had to immediately drive through.

Unpacking the U-Haul

One of the dorms we are staying in this week.

Waiting for evening worship to begin.

Everyone else waiting for worship to begin.

Today (Tuesday) begins our first full day of camp. We have Bible study and worship this morning beginning at 8:00. At 10:00 everyone will head out to their place of service for the day. The students will be involved in all kinds of ministry ranging from working in a food bank, visiting nursing homes, and doing light construction. I get to do my favorite thing and will be roofing a house this week. Pray with me that all of us will learn more about God and more about ourselves this week.

Mission Mobile

2009-07-05T21:13:00.005-05:00

This afternoon 14 of our students and 4 adults left for a mission trip to Mobile, Alabama. We will be joining up with several hundred other students for a week of missions in the inner city of Mobile. We have a wonderful group of young people going on the trip - and one old "geezer." It should prove to be an exciting week for all of us.

Here we are preparing to leave the church.

The girls are all smiles at the beginning of today's six-hour van ride.

It isn't a youth mission trip if you don't stop at Micky D's.

I hope to have the opportunity to make updates to the blog as the week goes along. As usual it will depend upon accessibility to the internet.

I love the country!

2009-07-02T14:41:00.006-05:00

I have posted on this blog on many occasions about how much I love living in the country. Here are a few more reasons:

Wildlife

I absolutely love the multitude of animals, birds, and various other critters that we share a habitat with. We have so many deer now that they can be seen at any time of the day. In fact it is rare to look out my front door without seeing a scene like this:

"The Boys"

For over thirteen years I have been blessed to be "the boys" best friend. Buddy (laying in the grass below) and Kramer (on the porch) came to us about eight months apart, although they are brothers from the same litter. They are West Highland White Terriers. Sadly, age is beginning to take its toll on each of them. Kramer has been on medicine to remove fluid from around his heart for about a year. This week we had to put him on heart medicine. This dog has cost me thousands of dollars over the years for numerous surgeries and medicines. But I wouldn't trade him for a million dollars. Buddy is perhaps the best natured dog you could ever hope to have. Even though Buddy is not on any medicine, there are times when I take him out for a walk in the morning that I have to pick him up and carry him back because he doesn't have enough energy to walk home himself. (Knowing Buddy, he's probably just playing me for a sucker!)

The Pits of Hell

The picture below brings to mind what the "pits of hell" must be like only on an incredibly smaller scale. I had a small sink-hole open up behind my house several years ago. It is actually one of my favorite things on our place. It has proven invaluable after the terrible ice storm we had back in January. We had so many limbs break on our trees that I will be cleaning up the debris from the storm for a long time in the foreseeable future. It is a great place to pile the limbs and then burn them - without having to fear that the fire will get away and burn down the woods.

(P.S. I don't need any comments from environmentalist wacko's who think I'm a major contributer to carbon emissions and so-called global warming. If you want to see real carbon emissions that you can complain about - spend a day in Calcutta or Mumbai, India.)

Boomerang Express

2009-06-22T13:43:00.003-05:00

You can't have summer as a Baptist without having Vacation Bible School. If you love children, you can't help but love the opportunity to minister to them through VBS. And if you are an adult, you probably can't drink Kool-Aide and eat cookies without immediately summoning up visions of Bible school and sweaty, smily faced kids. We started our Bible school today. Unlike many churches today, we still are able to conduct Bible school during the mornings when the kids are still awake.

Registering children before VBS begins.

Playing a memory game that eliminates anyone over the age of 50 from participating.

Notice the incredible train engine made by one of our church members. It made the "Boomerang Express" come alive to our children.

I can't wait for day two to begin!!!!