Seeing the Lostness of People

The following is a version of a devotional I have written for next years Bike Week Ministry at Daytona.  May God use it to open our eyes.

 

 

In 2009 I had the privilege of attending my first Bike Week in Sturgis.  The following March I joined several friends in Daytona to visit, pray, and explore the options of a Daytona Bike Giveaway similar to Sturgis’ ministry.  Needless to say I was in for culture shock!  This Southern Baptist Preacher had never been anywhere like this in his adult life!  I had been to New Orleans many years before and seen that culture but never so broadly spread and with this many people.  My first reaction was a sense of being overwhelmed at a wide-open lifestyle of party heaven.  Everywhere I turned I saw people with one thing on their mind, party until you drop. 

 

This reminded me of a time years ago as I attended a movie in Tampa along with some good friends and my wife.  As we waited for the movie time to arrive we stepped next door to a coffee shop.  After getting my coffee I stood outside and began to notice the groups of people.  There were some similar to my crew and then there were some dressed completely opposite.  They were of the “Goth” lifestyle complete with black and white make-up, chains, and funny colored hair.  They were rather rowdy and loud using language and having discussions completely foreign to me.  At first I was angered at what I saw.  I thought to myself they were complete derelicts, an abhorrence to society.  Then God spoke to me very clearly that night.  While His voice was not audible, it was very clear.  He reminded me of several facts:  I created them in my image, I love them, and I died for them just like I died for you.  Those words cut to the very core of my arrogant and self-centered heart.  While these students were different than me, they were just like me.  While they looked differently, they acted in many ways just as I have many times before.  Their actions while foreign to me were not any different to God than my actions often times. 

 

He went on to remind me of a passage of scripture in Matthew 9 where He had just completed the Sermon on the Mount and gone about healing many people.  As a result, many people clung to Him out of desperation.  They followed Him wherever He went seeking to gain from Him what they so desperately needed and wanted, love and affection.  They had looked for this in the religion of the day but could not find it.  The religious leaders of the day were ineffective in serving the people because they did not see, nor care to see, the need of the people.  Therefore Matthew writes this incredible statement about the disposition and compassion of Jesus when He looked on the mass of people.  Matthew said, “When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd.” (The Message)  Jesus said very clearly to me that night in Tampa, as well as reminded me in Sturgis and Daytona, that the mass of people are no different than what Jesus saw that day as He moved among the people.  I now must ask myself, “Does my heart break for these people as Jesus does?”  Am I completely moved with compassion to share with them the Good News of Jesus Christ? 

 

Carl F. H. Henry is quoted as saying, "The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time."  We have the commission to carry the Good News to all mankind regardless of how different they may or may not be from each of us.  In the following verse of Matthew 9 Jesus reminds each of us that “The harvest is abundant; but the workers are few.”  We see the harvest before us each day.  What type of heart will we have when we see the people before us?  Will we be broken hearted at their lostness?  Will we be compelled to share the God-saving Good News of Jesus Christ with them?  May we offer the same reply as Isaiah when God called him to go forth as the voice of the Lord.  May our reply be, “Here am I.  Send Me.”

 

Seeking an Opportunity to Share,

 

Pastor Ric  

Living a Holy Life in the Fast Lane

Last Saturday I was able to finally redeem a birthday present my family gave me last February.  The gift was the experience of driving a NASCAR at Talladega Super Speedway.  When we arrived at the track there were the normal formalities of forms to sign, briefings, and the fitting for the flame-retardant race suit and helmet.  After going through all of the initial boring things, then we had to wait.  Since there were approximately 45 to 50 individuals to drive during our session we were put into groups for each of the eight cars which would be on the track at one time.  Somehow I got confused (This is not a good thing to do when you are about to drive upward of 170 MPH on a track with seven other cars) and thought I had a lot of time before they called my name. As I sat keeping up with the football games on my phone waiting my turn I suddenly heard my name.  Immediately I went into overdrive trying to get myself ready by handing off my phone, zipping up the jumpsuit, and grabbing my helmet to head to the #47 car which was to be my ride for the next several laps.  Within a matter of minutes I was photographed, strapped into the seat, told to depress the clutch pedal, and then my instructor said, “Let’s go!”  All along I am thinking to myself that this can’t be happening.  Everything did not go by in slow motion.  Instead, it seemed as though time moved at warp speed and we hadn’t even moved the racecar one inch.

 

After taking a deep breath we began and the car glided out onto the track.  As we got up to speed the laps went by faster each time.  Some asked if I was nervous, but the truth of the matter is I was concentrating too intensely on doing what my instructor told me to do.  Before I realized what was going on I had completed my allotted laps and saw the checkered flag waving from the perch high atop the safety fencing at the start/finish line.  When we arrived back at the pits I began to reflect on how quickly everything went by during my experience.  Now please don’t mistake that last statement for meaning how fast I drove but how short the time was from when they called my name until the time I returned to the pits.  The time went by extremely quick.  I hardly had time to get nervous or even relish in the moments.  It all happened so fast.  (I suppose that’s why it is a racecar!)

 

When I take time to process this experience there are several verses of scripture which captivated me several years ago that come to mind.  In Ephesians 5:15-17 Paul gives a great piece of advice to the early church in Ephesus.  Listen to his words.  “Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil.  So don't be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.”  In the context of this passage we find Paul admonishing the early Christians to realize that their time on earth is limited.  In addition, there are dangers looming ever so close to distract us and devour us, just like at any moment I could have made a mistake and put the racecar into the wall.  As I listened to my race instructor we should listen closely to our Heavenly Instructor, the Holy Spirit, who will guide us in the proper way.  We should make the most of the time we have been given for we will have to give an account to our Heavenly Father for how we used it.  We must not waste the time we have been given with trivial matters that will not matter in eternity.  Instead we must concentrate on doing the work to which Jesus commissioned us before ascending into heaven.  The essence of that work is to love God and love people by making disciples for His kingdom.

 

Throughout the previous chapter and this one Paul is trying to share with the church the importance of living this life by the standards of our new nature in Christ.  I have to remind myself that just as the time in that racecar went by quickly this life will also go by quickly.  I must be cautious of how I use my time, how I live my life, how I serve the Father, and how I treat other people.  I have to remind myself that life is about more than what Ric wants.  It is about serving a holy God by living a holy life.  This only comes when we are willing to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus daily.  (Mt. 16:24)  This is the will of our Father as Paul alluded to it in the later part of Eph. 5:17.

 

Praying God’s blessings on you today,

 

Pastor Ric

 

 

Loving When I Don't Want to Love

One of the most prominent preachers and missionaries of the 20^th Century was a man by the name of Stephen Olford.  In one of his books, The Grace of Giving, Olford tells of a Baptist pastor during the American Revolution by the name of Peter Miller who lived in Ephrata, Pennsylvania.  Also in the same city was a man by the name of Michael Wittman who sought at every viable opportunity to belittle, oppose, and humiliate Pastor Miller.  Michael Wittman was arrested for treason and sentenced to die for his crimes but Pastor Miller could not stand by idle.  Since Miller had a special friendship with President George Washington, he decided to travel by foot the seventy miles to Philadelphia to plead for the life of the Wittman.  Upon hearing Miller’s plea for the life of Wittman, Pres. Washington replied, "I cannot grant you the life of your friend."  Immediately the minister proclaimed "My friend?  He's the bitterest enemy I have."  This response so shocked Washington that he granted the pardon based on Miller walking seventy miles to save the life of an enemy. Afterwards Peter Miller and Michael Wittman returned to Ephrata--no longer enemies but now a friends.

This is the epitome of what Jesus was describing in the Sermon on the Mount.  We read in Matthew 5:43-47,

"You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don't even the tax collectors do the same?   And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing out of the ordinary?  Don't even the Gentiles do the same?”

Jesus is impressing on those listening as He teaches this introductory series that our outward actions must be preempted by an inward change.  He was not listing a set of regulations, but giving a rendering of how one’s heart should appear.  In talking about the passage Warren Wiersbe says that when we follow this model we exhibit three things in our lives.  First, we display spiritual maturity.  We show we have moved from the old nature, which would seek vengeance and restitution to forgiveness and love.  Secondly, we show that we are modeling our life after Jesus Christ, who displayed love toward His enemies, you and me, to win us back into a right relationship with Him.  (Ro. 5:10)  Then third, we will bear witness to a lost world that we are children of God.  In following this command of Jesus, He tells us to love them and pray for them.  This added element, to pray for them, is the avenue to loving them.  When we begin praying for our enemies then God will begin to transform our vengeful hearts to one of love.

In closing let me ask you to take a challenge for the next seven days.  Think of three people who you might consider an enemy or someone who has/is hurt/hurting you or someone close to you.  Instead of fuming over their actions why not take time to pray God’s richest blessings on them.  Don’t pray superficially or vaguely instead pray specifically.  Ask God to pour His greatest blessings on them as if you were asking Him to do it unto you.  While some may think this practice to be antiquated the truth is it is still needed greatly in our world.  The practice I am referring to is the Golden Rule which states, “…Whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them…” (Mt. 7:12)  John said in 1 John 4:8 “… let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

Church Family, I do love you!

 

Pastor Ric

 

Doubts and Despair

Last week while I was reading during my devotional time a passage which I had read many times before came to life in a new way.  In fact, there was one phrase in this passage which leapt off of the page as I read it.  The story comes from Mark 9 and follows the time when Jesus and three of the disciples came down from the mountain where they had experienced the transfiguration of Jesus and the appearance of Elijah and Moses.  Several translations state that immediately Jesus and the three disciples were met with a crowd of people along with the remainder of the disciples.  Jesus realized there was an argument taking place between the religious leaders of the day and the disciples.  After inquiring about the reason for the argument Jesus is met by the father of a young boy who had been experiencing seizures.  The father pleads, actually begs with tears, for Jesus to heal his son.  At that point the father chooses an interesting phrase to ask Jesus for help.    He said, “If you can do anything have compassion on us and help us.”  What we see is a father’s desperation for help in a situation beyond his control.  Apparently, the father had exhausted all measures to find a cure for his son.  The father was willing to do anything for his son’s life to be preserved.

Something of great interest takes place in the next few sentences.  The father realizes this is not an ordinary man to whom he is speaking when Jesus replies to him, “If you (Jesus) can?  Everything is possible to the one who believes.”  At that moment we see a change begin to take place in the father.  There is a glimmer of hope being held out to him.  The father recognizes that Jesus not only has the desire but the ability to help his son.  The next phrase is the one which I find so astonishing, “I do believe! help my unbelief.”  I find that this simple statement sums up the life of so many of us.  We do believe!  But we need Jesus to cast out the unbelief in our hearts and minds.  We believe in Jesus but we doubt because of our weakness.  We doubt because of the enemies deception which is so ever-present around us.  We doubt because we don’t see how God would care about someone as insignificant as us. 

When one does a word study of the word help in verse 24 he would find that the verb is an active one that implies a continual action.  In other words the father is asking Jesus to not just help him this one time but keep on helping me so he will not lose his belief/faith.  How many times have I needed this same type of help?  Each day I continue to need Jesus to boost my faith.  Each day I am attacked by the enemy’s arrows of doubt and defeat.  However, I do not have to stay in that position.  Oh Satan would love for me to remain mired in my self-doubt and pity, but God has called us to experience much more than a self-defeated life cast down in despair.  God has called us to a life of victory in Him.  What we must do is respond as this father.  We must come to Jesus with an honest approach saying, “I do believe!  But please help me, and continue helping me, in my times of weakness, my times of unbelief.” 

Maybe you are facing a mountainous obstacle at this time in your life which causes your faith to waiver.  Remember the cry of the father “Help my unbelief.”  Maybe you have exhausted all of your resources trying to deal with a difficult or trying situation.  Remember the words of the father “Help my unbelief.”  Maybe you are mired in the muck of self-doubt, self-defeat, and self-destruction thinking no one, not even Jesus, cares.  Remember the words of the father “Help my unbelief.”  While the enemy has many weapons to assault the children of God, his power is limited and he will not succeed in defeating a child of God who summons the assistance of the victorious Jesus Christ.  Cry out today “Help me in the times of my unbelief.” 

Claiming the Promises of God,

 

Pastor Ric

“Immediately the father of the boy cried out, "I do believe! Help my unbelief." Mark 9:24

My Heart's Desire

Several years ago I had the opportunity for the trip of a lifetime.  Lisa graciously allowed me to do something I have never done—go on a football trip with some of my best friends.  We flew to Green Bay, WI to watch the Packers play the Dolphins on Monday Night Football at Lambeau Field.  There are several things about this trip that were exciting; first, I had never been to a Monday Night Football game.  Second, I had never been to Green Bay.  Third, to get tickets to a Packers’ Game at Lambeau Field are next to impossible.  The reason for this is there are people who have grown up in Green Bay and never gotten a ticket.  The stadium seats around 65,000 in a town of 95,000 with another 105,000 in the surrounding communities.  People keep their season ticket options in their family and will them to the next generation.  The woman seated in front of us was the daughter of a former player for the Packers.  Her father played in the old stadium back in the 1920’s and their tickets had been in their family ever since then.  Green Bay treats their team more like a college setting.  Everywhere you look, you see green and gold.  They live, eat, and breathe Packer football.  They have an insatiable appetite for football, but even greater appetite for this team. 

Another thing I noticed after the game was the amount of empty beer bottles throughout the stadium.  In all my times at sporting events, professional and college, I have never seen so many empty beer bottles in my life.  It literally was a sea of empties.  One would have thought they were at a beer festival.  It was quite evident; they had an insatiable appetite for beer.  In fact, I determined after attending that game that many of the fans had an insatiable appetite for their Packers, their Bratwurst, and their beer. 

This experience made me start thinking about that for which I had an appetite.  What is there that I truly love and long for?  What is the thing which I, as many people put it, “live for?”  Moses addressed this issue in the book of Deuteronomy when he said, “Remember that the Lord your God led you on the entire journey these 40 years in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you to know what was in your heart…” (Deut. 8:2)  This is another way of saying God wanted to test the children of Israel to see what the most important thing in their lives was, in who did they put their confidence, trust, and devotion, and what they lived for.  He wanted to know if they would be faithful to obey His every command.

In the next verse of chapter eight Moses continues by saying, “He (God) humbled you by letting you go hungry; then He gave you manna to eat, which you and your fathers had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deut. 8:3)  God wanted the children of Israel to know that the very thing which they must live for is God’s Word, His commands, His directives, and His instructions. 

Often this is a question which people ask me; how do I know God’s will for my life?  How do I know what God is telling me to do?  In order to answer these questions we must consider a tremendous message which I heard Chuck Swindoll offer several years ago.  Swindoll said that as followers of Jesus Christ, in order to know God’s directives, we must do five things in regards to His Words.  We must HEAR it (sermons, Bible lessons, etc…), READ it (taking the Word in for ourselves), STUDY it (analyzing the meaning and application), MEMORIZE it (retaining it in our minds for quick recall), and MEDITATE on it (think it over in our minds on a continual basis). 

When we come to the point where we are practicing these five things effectively in our lives then we are more prone to allow God to be that for which we have an insatiable appetite.  The Word of God is not like a favorite food item which we may tire of if we eat it too much.  In fact, the Word of God is more likely to become something we desire more of the more we consume.  If we desire to have God and His commands as that for which we live then we must continually ingest His Word into our lives.  Why not try to go against the trend in America of the 81% who do not read their Bibles on a daily basis?  This next week set a goal to read His Word every day. 

 

Read It, Live It, Love It---God’s Word,

 

Pastor Ric

Ps. 119:11

Recently I went out early one morning to walk our puppy.  While this is a morning ritual which our family does something unusual happened on this particular day which is a great lesson for each of us.  Let me set the scene.  If you are not familiar with our yard, our house sits on a lot which in places is quite hilly.  Our lawn is quite plush in most places and is very attractive to me but that morning the beauty of the rolling hills coupled with the plush carpet of grass and heavy morning dew created a slippery slope.  As I exited the house in a hurry I grab an old pair of flip flops which had virtually no tread on the bottom.  Since our little Bella likes to cover the entire yard sniffing where the deer have roamed before taking care of her morning necessity we traversed flatland and hills.  As we started down a particular hill in my front yard, I suddenly found myself lying on the ground.  This was never my intent, my desire, or my aspirations that morning.  Yet the wet grass and the lack of tread on my flip flops created a dangerous combination.  The very thing I did not want to do, I did.  In fact, I am certain that if my humiliation were seen by any of my neighbors that morning, they enjoyed seeing a grown man take a tumble down the hill sliding along the wet grass.  (By the way, I jumped up quickly and acted like I planned it the whole time!)

Paul shares some very personal information in Romans 7 about some things in his life that he did not want to do but in the end did.  Within the latter part of this chapter Paul talks about the conflict/battle that takes place in his heart.  The crutch of the chapter falls in verse 15 where Paul states, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”  Can you relate with Paul?  I can.  How many times have I said why did I do that?  Why did I say that?  Why did I act that way?  Those words, actions, and deeds were not what I wanted to do!   

These actions are a slippery slope on which we tread created by a conflict within each us.  I recently read some statistical data which I found quite interesting.  It said, “A group of academics and historians has compiled this startling information: Since 3600 B.C., the world has known only 292 years of peace!”  Now from this bit of trivia we might assess that whenever there are at least two people there is the possibility of conflict.  However, the scripture gives us a different view.  In fact, according to the Word of God all that has to take place for conflict to exist is “one” person.  That is what Paul is describing in the previously mentioned passage.  We are at conflict with a force within us.  For the believer in Christ, we find that the new creation is in conflict with the old nature.  Why is this?  Paul aptly phrases the answer in Romans 7:24, “Wretched man that I am!”  The implication is that we are all deprived by our flesh and human nature but we do not have to stay that way.  He goes on to ask in the next sentence, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?”  He is asking the very question to which we all want to know the answer.  He is asking, “How can I win this battle?” The great part is that he does not leave us hanging very long for in the next verse Paul gives the answer, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” 

Our answer is Jesus Christ.  Unfortunately we are too closely akin to what happened to an elderly lady who became a victim to a scam artist taking nearly all her life savings.  When she called the Better Business Bureau afterwards to complain the organization asked why she did not call before giving her life savings to the individual.  Her response was, “I did not call you first because I was afraid you would tell me not to do it.”  Therein are too many Christians who fall victim to the allurement of the old nature.  We do not seek God’s advice or aid because we are afraid he will tell us not to follow the old nature. 

Jesus admonished us in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”  Before we give in to the old nature seek God.  Before we lose the battle of wills seek God.  Before we do that thing we really do not want to do seek God. 

 Have a blessed day,

 

Pastor Ric

Gal 5:16 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

 

 

My God Is Bigger

One of the movies which ranks as a classic with me is Hoosiers which features a high school basketball team from Hickory, Indiana.  The story follows a coach who takes a group of boys from this small town in Indiana to the state finals in basketball.  After a stellar, but tumultuous season the boys arrive at the state finals hosted at a university arena in Indianapolis.  The setting and scene were something the boys of Hickory had never experienced before but through the encouragement of their coach were able to overcome their inhibitions and rise to victory on a last second shot to win the state title.  What makes this story so incredible is that, true to real life until 1997 in Indiana, there was only one state basketball playoff regardless of a schools size.  In other words, regardless of a school’s size or number of students all competed for the same title. 

This was the classic story of David versus Goliath where the underdog came forth as the victor defeating the heavy favorite.  Many might even look at this and say it is a great Hollywood story but is unlikely to happen in real life.  The truth is that this movie’s storyline is loosely based on the real to life story of Milan High School from the rural portion of southern Indiana.  While many of the characters and incidents were embellished and/or even fabricated, Milan High School won the state championship in 1954 against a formidable foe.  They overcame the odds by working together in great teamwork for a common purpose.  They were successful because they did not let the size of their school nor the way they saw their abilities handicap them.  They played with great determinism and passion.

As I think of this real life story of a team who did not allow their resources to limit their success, I ask myself whether we follow this example in what God wants to do through us.  I have often contended that the size of one’s vision is not limited to one’s estimation of their resources or themselves but rather their understanding of how big their God is.  Often there is a saying on Sirius/XM radio station The Message which says, “Don’t tell God how big your mountain is; tell the mountain how big your God is.”  Rick Warren is quoted as saying, “How big do you think God is?  The issue is not who do you think you are, but who do you think God is?  In your dreams for your ministry, don’t limit yourself by saying, “What can I do?”  Instead ask, “What can God do in this place?” 

When I think of First Baptist Florence I see so many things which God desires to accomplish through us.  I see a mission field next door in the University of North Alabama.  I see a potential ministry at UNA with the international students which God has brought to us.  I see a building waiting for us to develop it for use with the Initiative 305 ministry.  I see a community with only 50% who admit to attending church.  I see a great need for personal evangelism through relationship development.  I see an opportunity to reach a growing population of Senior Adults.  I see young families who need the stability of Jesus Christ in their homes. 

What can we do as one church in downtown Florence?  We can begin working one of these ministries at a time.  We can each step forward to work in an area of which we are passionate.  We can each take time to build relationships with people who are not involved in church or have a personal relationship with Jesus.  We can realize that God has gifted each of us with abilities and talents to function in the body of Christ.  We can step up and volunteer to be a part of these ministries.  We can say, “I will be willing to head up this ministry or that initiative.”  When we begin coming together for the common purpose to achieve these tasks then we will begin to see God work in our hearts and through our abilities to bring home the championship trophy for His glory and honor.  Let’s win this battle for our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Keep Bragging on Our Jesus,

 

Pastor Ric

Matthew 19:26 "…With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."