“By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:9-10)

A gardener took great pride in caring for his lawn. But one year it grew full of dandelions. He tried everything to get rid of them, but nothing worked. Exasperated, he wrote the Department of Agriculture explaining all he had done. “What shall I try next?” he wrote. “Try getting used to them,” came the reply. Times of trial will not go away.

Vance Havner said, “God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to produce rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume . . . it is Peter, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever.”

In A.D. 64, Nero burned Rome and guess who he blamed? Christians. Christians were being severely persecuted. They were being fed to lions, beheaded, crucified, burned, etc. Christians had to go underground, leave their homes and jobs. Christians were scattered all over the world. They did not fit comfortably into this dark world. They were strangers in this world.

One of the most severe problems the Church faces today is that we do not seem to be strangers in this world. As the famous question goes, “If they were gathering all people that were believers to kill them, would you be chosen?”

Peter reminds us that we are scattered strangers. We are temporary residents in a foreign land. Our citizenship is in heaven. We anxiously await the city “whose architect and builder is God.” So, live your earthly life in light of the heavenly one to come. Remember that we are strangers in the world. This world is not our home. We will not spend eternity here.

John Piper says, “Our primary citizenship is in heaven, not the United States. Our primary Commander in Chief is Jesus Christ, not President Obama. Our primary craving is kingdom work, not earthly treasures.” Here are some questions to help you measure where your heart is right now?

Of which kingdom are you most conscious?
In which kingdom do you take the greatest delight?
To which kingdom are you most strongly attached?
For which kingdom do you make the most diligent preparation?

Derek

Comedian Jerry Clower once told about a country woman who lived near a construction site. Workers were putting in a tar roof on a building near her house. This woman had 16 children and one day her youngest wandered away and she couldn’t find him. She discovered he had fallen into a 50 gallon drum of roofing tar.

She reached in and pulled him out and took a long look at him. She said, “Boy, it would be a lot easier to have another one than to clean you up!” God was willing to purchase us with the blood of his son, in spite of the filth of our sin. Jesus knew what redemption would take, He willingly laid down His life, and He loved us “to the end.”

Galatians 1:4 “...who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.”

Col. 1:12-14 “...giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

I Thess. 1:10 “...and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

In our minds this week we will travel back some two thousand years ago to the location of our living hope. With spiritual eyes, we will glimpse upon the crowd that shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!” We can almost hear Him turn over the money tables set up in the temple and cry out: “My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you are making it a robber’s den.” We listen to Him tell of the new covenant in His blood, we watch Him wash feet, and we cry out like Peter as well, because we fail to grasp the significance of the basin and the towel.

He hear Him speak of heaven; we peek into his garden prayer as He sweats drops of blood while crying out, “Nevertheless, Thy will be done.” We feel the disappointment in His voice as He asks His disciples [and us]: “Could you not even pray with me for one hour.” We lash out like Peter when He is arrested, because we too miss the “divine appointment” in His arrest and trial. We watch in horror as He endures the searing pain of the whip, the crown, and worst of all, the brokenness of the crowd shouting, “Crucify him!”

We weep as He carries the cross through the streets to the place of His ultimate pain: the wrath of God as He bears our sins. We are amazed that He could lay aside His pain in order to offer forgiveness to one of His crucified companions. We see the sky darken at midday and hear the thunder roll as He cries out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” We see Him, with shallow breath, knowing the sacrifice was sufficient, simply say, “It is finished!”

We know the unspeakable horrors of that Friday. We know the cost of our forgiveness. But we dare not open our eyes until we have beheld resurrection morning when Jesus walked out of the tomb! We dare not miss the glory of the exalted One who alone is worthy of our worship. We see His scars and know He will carry them throughout eternity as a constant reminder of the cost of our redemption.

We see the bodily resurrection and we shout: Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! The King has risen! He has risen indeed! He is alive! And He is coming for ME!

THE KING IS COMING

The market place is empty, No more traffic in the streets, All the builders' tools are silent, no more time to harvest wheat; Busy housewives cease their labors, In the court room no debate, Work on earth is all suspended, As the King comes thru the gate.

O the King is coming, the King is coming! I just heard the trumpets sounding, And now His face I see; O the King is coming, The King is coming! Praise God, He's coming for me.

Dr. Derek

It is hard for me to grasp that we are already in the midst of Passion Week. It just seems like yesterday that I checked into UAB Hospital for surgery, felt like the little girl in the movie “The Exorcist” as my head kept spinning from all the morphine and relieved myself of an ugly green-like substance that spewed from my life. Now, here we are almost three months later, celebrating the sacrifice of Christ for our sin and our salvation. I am always blown away by the events of Passion Week as Christ triumphantly enters Jerusalem as King, is treated as a criminal, and ultimately displays His power over death, hell, and the grave.

It is truly amazing to think that God, out of love for us, would send His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Now there’s a word we don’t hear often. Propitiation comes from the Greek word “hilasmos”, meaning “to placate”, “to appease”, or “to satisfy”. A related word was used in Romans 3:24- 28 to refer to the Mercy Seat in the Old Testament. On the Day of Atonement the high priest went in to the Holy of Holies and poured the blood of the sacrifice on the Mercy Seat and appeased God, satisfied God. To propitiate means to satisfy or appease God’s just requirement for sin.

When the high priest poured out the blood on the Mercy Seat, the Mercy Seat became the place of propitiation, the place of satisfaction. John says Jesus became the final, complete and full propitiation; in essence appeasing God’s holy wrath against us for our sins.

Jesus is called "the propitiation for our sins", which means He is the Mercy Seat for our sins. He has made atonement for our sins, so that you and I can come with boldness into the presence and the throne of God's grace. So you see, amazing love is not sentimental, sexual, or social – it is supernatural! Where do you find the love of God? At Calvary!

You Are My King (Amazing Love)

I'm forgiven, because you were forsaken.
I accepted, You were condemned.
I'm alive and well, Your Spirit is within me,
Because You died and rose again.

Amazing Love, how can it be,
That You my King would die for me?
Amazing Love, I know it's true,
It's my joy to honor You, in all I do.

You are my King.
You are my King.
Jesus, You are my King.
Jesus, You are my King.

Dr. Derek

(I Timothy 4:8, ESV)

Phillips Brooks says, “The great purpose of life is the shaping of character by truth.” Godliness is indeed a virtue worth more than silver or gold, houses and land. Promotions at work and honors bestowed through personal achievements in academics cannot compare with the gain of godliness. Sports achievements cannot compete with the prize of godliness. Paul’s challenge to young Timothy was to be as devoted to godliness as an athlete is to a sport.

Godliness is simply the display of a God-like character. John MacArthur says godliness is “the proper attitude and response to God and is the prerequisite from which all effective ministry flows.” In essence, effectiveness in ministry is the direct result of a family of believers who corporately determine to pursue the path of spiritual self-discipline.

J. Oswald Sanders describes the essential quality of the disciplined life. He states, “Before we can conquer the world, we must first conquer the self. Many who drop out of ministry are sufficiently gifted, but have large areas of life floating free from the Holy Spirit’s control.” (Spiritual Leadership, p. 52)

We are called to pursue spiritual self-discipline with a greater passion than ever before. Why? Because physical exercise will hold a promise for the present life, but godliness holds a promise for the present as well as the future. God is reminding me afresh and anew that we are living and laboring for eternity.

Are you in shape physically? Are you in shape spiritually? Are you developing your spiritual muscles? Are you making preparation for the life to come? I read about a great statesman who made a speech that turned the tide of national affairs. “May I ask how long you spent preparing that speech?” asked an admirer. “All my life,” he replied.

We must be passionate and persistent when it comes to the pursuit of godliness. We must never find ourselves grazing in the fields of apathy concerning the things of God, the things that are measured today, tomorrow, and throughout eternity. Yes, some days will be more strenuous than others but, with the end in proper view, who could ever mind the journey when you know it leads home. Let’s make this our prayer:

“Eternal Father, God of all wisdom, grant us to seek you with all our hearts. Please forgive all our sins of omission and commission. Oh that we might seek you in the early morning hour, and in the night watches. Direct and shape us as we develop spiritual self-control. Guide us through your Word; speak to us through your Spirit, and may we always be mindful of those things that are profitable for this life and for the life to come. These things we ask in the precious name of our Savior. Amen.”

Dr. Derek Staples

Recently I read Russell Moore’s “Let's Have More Worship Wars!” I love the way he brings to light how much of our thinking regarding what we sing arises out of our “cultural and nostalgic setting.” Please read the article in full and then I will add a few comments of my own:

I have the worship music tastes of a seventy-five-year-old woman. There I admitted it. That's because a seventy-five-year-old woman was picking out the hymns and gospel songs i n the church where I grew up. My iPod playlist is really eclectic-ranging from George Jones to Andrew Peterson to Taio Cruz. But when it comes to worship, nothing gets to me like Fanny Crosby. And if "Just As I Am" is played, I'm going to want to cry and probably walk the nearest aisle (even if it's on an airplane).

I'm left cold by what people call the "majestic old hymns." I tried to like them, to fit in with the theological tribe into which I was adopted, but I just can't do it. They sound like what watercress-sandwich-eating Episcopalians from Connecticut might sing (not that there's anything wrong with that). And though I like a lot of contemporary music, much of it sounds to me like many of these songs were written by underemployed commercial jingle writers, trying to find words to rhyme with "Jesus" ("Sees us?" "Never leave us?" "Diseases?")

But the more I reflect on what I like, and why, the more I'm convinced that my preferences are almost entirely cultural and nostalgic. I'm not saying aesthetics don't matter in worship. The Spirit equips God's people to sing and to play and to write music. So when music is not good, this is often evidence of, at worst,

disobedience, and at best, misappropriation of talents. And the Scripture commands us to worship in "reverence and awe." (Heb. 12:28)

Worship is directed toward God, yes, but worship arises out of a specific community. The psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs are teaching (Col. 3:16). They build up the rest of the Body. That's why we've got to care about what, and how, others hear when we are "addressing one another" (Eph. 5:17) musically.

What I am saying is that most of our varying critiques of musical forms are often just narcissism disguised as concern about theological and liturgical downgrade. That's why I think we need more, and better, worship wars.

Thankfully, we don't hear as much about "worship wars" these days, but I wonder if that's because of growing maturity or if it's simply because we've so segregated ourselves into services and congregations that reflect generational and ethnic and class-oriented musical commonalities.

Maybe we need to reignite the wars, but in a Christian sort of way. What if the war looked like this in your congregation? What if the young singles complained that the drums are too loud, that they're distracting the senior adults? What if the elderly people complained that the church wasn't paying attention to the new movements in songwriting or musical style?

When we seek the well-being of others in worship, it's not just that we cringe through music we hate. As an act of love, this often causes us to appreciate, empathize, and even start to resonate with worship through musical forms we previously never considered. This would signal a counting of others as more significant than ourselves (Phil. 2:3), which comes from the Spirit of the humiliated, exalted King Jesus (Phil. 2:5-11).

It would mean an outdoing of one another, in order to serve and show honor to the other parts of the Body of Christ. And however it turned out musically, it would rock.

Okay, so I exaggerated a little about my old woman tastes. In the time I've been writing this article, the background music has included both Conway Twitty and Christian Hip-Hop artist FLAME. But I know myself; you turn on "To God Be the Glory," and I'll get misty-eyed. When I insist that the rest of the congregation serve as back-up singers in my own little nostalgic hit parade of back-home Mississippi hymns, I am worshipping in the spirit all right. It's just not the Holy Spirit. I'm worshipping myself, in the spirit of self-exaltation. And it's easy to be a Satanist when you can get your way in worship planning.

Let's declare war on that, in ourselves and in our churches. Which reminds me: "Onward Christian Soldiers," what a song.

Russell Moore is Dean of the School of Theology and Senior Vice-President for Academic Administration at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also serves as a preaching pastor at Highview Baptist Church, where he ministers weekly at the congregation’s Fegenbush campus. He is the author of several books, including The Kingdom of Christ, Adopted for Life, and Tempted and Tried. You can follow his blog at www.russellmoore.com.

I resonated with his comments about our “segregated congregations that reflect generational and ethnic and class-oriented musical commonalities.” My concern as pastor of a congregation with three “totally different” worship experiences is that we are adding to our own cultural divide.

Can I lay aside my “preferences” for the sake of others? Can my worship be an act of love for Christ and for others – irrespective of the music genre of my upbringing? Can I find myself asking of each and every song, “Are the words biblical?” Can I resonate with various musical forms because I consider others more important than myself, my wants, and my desires?

Let me go a step further: Do I view the preferences and styles that are opposite of my own as unbiblical? Do I speak of those services with a bit of disdain that they don’t look and sound the same as me?

So, I want to examine my own heart? Do I seek only my personal preference, or do I seek to celebrate the glory of God in each of our three services? I pray that each of us can be as comfortable at 8:30, 9:30, or 11:00 AM. When our entire church family can celebrate in any service, then these words by Russell Moore will ring true: “This would signal a counting of others as more significant than ourselves (Phil. 2:3), which comes from the Spirit of the humiliated, exalted King Jesus (Phil. 2:5-11).”

Derek

Oh the joy of a timely word. They are worth more than any of us can truly understand. I especially love timely words when they acknowledge the work of our staff and our congregation. Recently I received a letter from a mother in Jackson, NJ, who brought her child to attend JSU. They visited our church while she was here for the weekend. I received her “timely word” last week. Listen to her heart as she describes their visit to our church:

Your church servants are such a blessing. My son is at JSU. Feb. 26, he and I came to your Sunday services. What a blessing. People were serving others. We were met by Eloise Crossley. She didn’t just say hello, hand us a piece of paper, and let us walk in. She truly welcomed us. She talked with us and felt our need as a visitor. She personally walked us into the church – introducing us to people along the way.

People all around us spoke to us and were genuinely welcoming. Eloise introduced my son to Pastor Will and other college students. Pastor Will and his wife came over to us at the end of the service and engaged in conversation with my son until we were the last ones in the church. Pastor Will has called my son and wants to take him to lunch. Wow!!!

I didn’t get to meet you personally. Your staff was truly ministering to us. Your sermon was also a blessing to us. My son and I were discussing many of the points you brought to light from the Bible. I just wanted to say “thank you” and from this outsider, we have both been blessed by God through you and your staff.

I will be down again and will make sure we connect. I am praying Hunter has found his church family. He is at a very critical juncture right now. I am handing him over to the Lord .... The best a mother can. Be blessed. You are doing our Lord Jesus’ work well.

I am thankful for a staff and a church family who serve well. To those of us who attend regularly our facility seems small. We know every nook and every spot in the building. However, to a first time guest our facility is massive. The thought of walking in alone, knowing no one, is a daunting task. At every service we must continue to “recognize” the faces of those who look a little fearful and overwhelmed as they get out of their car. We must take those “first steps” with them. You never know where they will lead. Great job Eloise and Will! Great job church family! Keep it up!

Matt Blount’s funeral arrangements:

Funeral services for 2nd Lieutenant Matthew Alexander Blount, 30, will be Tuesday, March 13, 2012 at 10 a.m. at Bonny Brook Baptist Church with Rev. Jerry Pike officiating. The family will receive friends at the church, Monday evening, from 5-8 p.m. Burial will be in the Alabama National Cemetery, Montevallo, following the service. Following burial, a memorial service will be held at the 1st Baptist Church of Pelham from 4-6 p.m., with Dr. Mike Shaw officiating. 2Lt. Blount went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Saturday, March 10, 2012.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Amschwand Sarcoma Cancer Foundation, 2260 West Holcombe, Suite 174, Houston, Texas 77030 or to Children, Inc., www.childrenincorporated.org

In our “Disciple” message series a few weeks ago, I preached on the security that we have as Christ’s disciples. We just finished our study of David’s hymn (Psalm 96) that he wrote when the ark of God was brought to Jerusalem. David expressed his intimacy with God and Psalm 96 taught us to convey the same in our walk with the Father. Oh that we would “sing a new song” as God stirred the heart. I suspect much of what we sing in our hymnals and our praise choruses were in fact inspired by the power of God as men and women have stood in His presence, simply overwhelmed by the sheer majesty and splendor or God.

One such piece is one of my favorite hymns — I Know Whom I Have Believed. Daniel Whittle wrote this over 100 years ago and he tells us 7 things that he doesn’t know. You remember the song from the 50’s or 60’s Don’t Know Much About (Geography, History, etc)? Well, this is a Christian version of that song! He says, “I don’t know much about this, I don’t know much about that, but this I do know.” Study the words, or just start singing from the heart:

I know not why God’s wondrous grace
To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.

I know not how this saving faith
To me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His Word
Wrought peace within my heart.

I know not how the Spirit moves,
Convincing us of sin,
Revealing Jesus through the Word,
Creating faith in Him.

I know not what of good or ill
May be reserved for me,
Of weary ways or golden days,
Before His face I see.

I know not when my Lord may come,
At night or noonday fair,
Nor if I walk the vale with Him,
Or meet Him in the air.

But I know Whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.

“I know not why God’s wondrous grace to me He hath made known...” I don’t know why God has set His love upon me. There’s nothing in me to deserve that. I don’t know why He, in His mercy, has saved me.

He continues: “...nor why, unworthy, Christ in love redeemed me for His own.” I don’t know why, though I am unworthy, the priceless, gift of Jesus Christ was given in order to buy me back, in order to redeem me, in order to restore me to God’s family.

“I know not how this saving faith to me He did impart....” I don’t know how it was that God brought me to faith in Christ. I don’t know how He did that.

“...nor how believing in His word wrought peace within my heart.” I don’t know how it is that believing what God says in His gospel and His word gives you assurance and peace. I don’t know how that works. It does. I’ve experienced it. He’s given me peace in my heart, because I believe in His word, but I don’t understand how that works.

“I know not how the Spirit moves, convincing men of sin; revealing Jesus through the word, creating faith in Him.” How the Holy Spirit works in our hearts—it’s a mystery to me. I don’t know how He does that.

“I know not what of good or ill may be reserved for me, of weary ways or golden days before His face I see.” I don’t know what’s coming. Tomorrow may have blessings or sorrows galore. I don’t know the future.

And then, finally he says: “I know not when my Lord may come, at night or noonday fair; nor if I’ll walk the vale with Him or meet Him in the air.” I don’t know when the Second Coming of Christ is. I don’t know when that’s going to be. I don’t know whether I’m going to be alive or whether I’ll have already gone home to be with Him before He comes to bring all His people home to glory. I don’t know whether my Lord will walk with me through the valley of the shadow of death until in my soul I’m with Him in heaven; or whether I’ll be alive and the Lord will come, and the shout of the trumpet will be there, and I’ll be caught up in the air with His people to reign forever.

But this I do know. “I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed to Him against this day.” And that is exactly what Paul is saying to Timothy: “I don’t know a lot of that other. I don’t know what the future holds. I don’t know what struggles or trials or hardships I’m going to face. I don’t know what sufferings I’m going to have to endure. But this I do know: I know Jesus, and I know that He is able to keep His promise to me. I know He is able to deliver on the commitment He has made to me. I don’t know a lot of things, but these things I know: I know Jesus, and I know He’s able to deliver on His promises.”

Derek

The institutions of Israelite worship were designed so that the people could sense God’s presence in their midst, confess their sins, and renew their covenant relationship with God. They were to participate in these feasts in a heartfelt celebration of the Father’s past acts of grace.

But the nation of Israel had grown careless, their worship had grown shallow, their sacrifices were void of confession, their prayers were nothing more than meaningless repetition. In essence, they were worshipping, giving, praying, and sacrificing, all without any real devotion to the One who had singled them out as His own. It is no small wonder that the Lord found their offerings useless and abominable. The Lord said, “I am weary of bearing them. Call out to me all who will; I will not listen.”

What an indictment to the people of God. I wonder if a similar indictment could be leveled against the church today. In his January 5 devotion, Henry Blackaby says we may be just as guilty today of offering to the Lord our worship, our offerings, and our prayers, and that without truly seeking a powerful manifestation of God in our midst. He says:

God designed worship for us to see Him in His glory and to respond appropriately; for many it has degenerated into “religion,” one more meeting to attend out of habit. God established the sacrificial system so that we, His people, could express our love to Him; but we often diminish our gifts to our Lord into futile attempts to appease Him and to pacify our guilty conscience.

God gave us prayer so we could have conversation with Him, but we often distort this by “saying prayers” and hurrying off without ever listening to what is on our Father’s heart. God instituted His commandments as a protection for those He loves, but the commandments can become a pathway to legalism rather than an avenue for a relationship with our Father in which He protects us from harm. Religious activity apart from fellowship with God is empty ritual.

The people of Jeremiah’s day were satisfied to have the ritual without the manifest presence of God. They became so comfortable with their “religion” that they didn’t even notice God’s absence. Is it possible to pray, to attend a worship service, or to give an offering yet not to experience the presence of God? It certainly is possible! And that has been the sad commentary on many a Christian experience. Don’t settle for a religious life that lacks a vital relationship to Jesus Christ. When God is present, the difference will be obvious.

Have we been worshippers for so long that we no longer truly worship? Have we said prayer after prayer without seeking His voice and His will? Have we given our offering out of some legalistic sense of duty instead of the sheer delight we find when Christ is honored by our joyous stewardship? Have we settled for religious activity instead of passionately pursuing our Savior? We need a fresh sense of His presence among us. Like Paul, we need to take hold of Christ the way he has taken hold of us. This Sunday you will be faced with two options: religious activity or inward fellowship with the living God. Henry Blackaby is spot on. The difference is obvious.

Derek

The schemes of the devil never end this side of eternity. He will never stop in his efforts to disrupt and derail any work for Christ. He never takes time off to rest. He never enjoys a holiday. He never honors Sunday as a day of worship. In fact, he will walk right through the doors of the local church, seek out any heart that is not entirely sold out to the cause of Jesus Christ, and fire away with his full arsenal in an all-out effort to destroy.

Yesterday before our first worship service Bob Slay (El Heffe), the leader of our Honduras Mission efforts, shared an email with me from Dr. Eddie Gibson, one of the key directors who oversees all work at the “Baptist Medical Dental Mission” in Honduras. It seems the Honduran government is “trying to hit the mission with thousands of dollars of back taxes and fees.” The mission has always done everything they have been required to do to remain in compliance. They have worked hard to meet all necessary requirements.

Now it seems the government is not satisfied with compliance. They now want the mission to pay thousands more that they do not owe. Dr. Gibson stated in his email that the government has become more and more difficult to deal with “in spite of the fact that we are pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars of donated goods into Honduras each year to help poor people. They continue to make it more and more difficult for us to operate there.”

The one sentence in the email that stood out to me in his correspondence to all the board members and team leaders stated:

If it were not for hurting those who need the help the most, it would be tempting to just quit shipping anything into Honduras, but I know we all want to do everything we can to meet the physical needs of the poor as we help them recognize their spiritual needs.

One of Satan’s primary schemes is cause Christians to grow weary and discouraged in hopes that we will quit trying to accomplish anything for the cause of Christ, whether that be right here in Jacksonville or to the poor of Honduras. I believe the Honduran government’s request for “thousands and thousands of dollars” is a demonic request and we must remember that our enemy is flesh and blood. Our enemy is not the Honduran government. Our enemies are the demons of hell that are pulling their strings. This is nothing more than a satanic attack!

Therefore, we must put on the full armor. We must pray hard at all times. We must be strong in the Lord. We must stand firm. So, pray hard for the mission in Honduras today. Pray hard for Michael and Alba Anderson. Pray hard for Sr. Eddie Gibson and the Board of Directors for the Baptist Medical Dental Mission of Honduras. Pray for all the teams, like ours, that are making spiritual preparation for their mission to proclaim the true gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in Honduras.

Remember, our adversary is seeking to devour all who give in, give out, give up. STAND STRONG! The devil can have no victory in our lives and in our ministries unless we allow it! He is already a defeated foe. His end is already mapped out by the Sovereign God of the universe. Let’s give him no short-term victories in either Jacksonville or Honduras!

Derek

Throughout the months of February and March we will be doing a message series on what it means to be a “disciple of Jesus Christ.” We will be focusing on these themes: adoption, covenant, confidence, process, intimacy, community, mission, and power. The goal of the message series is for us to better understand what it means for Christ to live His life through His saints.

This morning in my devotional reading I was reading Henry Blackaby and his insights on “Discipleship Is Christ in You”. It was exactly what I had been dwelling on, and I am convinced that his ruminations will help prepare us for the “Disciple” message series. Hear his wisdom this morning:

The heavenly Father’s plan from the beginning of time was to place His eternal Son in every believer. If you are a Christian, all the fullness of God dwells in you. Christ’s life becomes your life. When Christ lives in you, He brings every divine resource with Him. Every time you face a need, you meet it with the presence of the crucified, risen, and triumphant Lord of the universe inhabiting you. When God invites you to become involved in His work, He has already placed His Son in you so that He can carry out His assignment through your life.

This has significant implications for your Christian life. Discipleship is more than acquiring head knowledge and memorizing Scripture verses. It is learning to give Jesus Christ total access to your life so He will live His life through you. Your greatest difficulty will be believing that your relationship with Christ is at the heart of your Christian life. When others watch you face a crisis, do they see the risen Lord responding? Does your family see the difference Christ makes when you face a need? What difference does the presence of Jesus Christ make in your life?

God wants to reveal Himself to those around you by working mightily through you. He wants your family to see Christ in you each day. God wants to express His love through your life. There is a great difference between “living the Christian life” and allowing Christ to live His life through you. (Daily Devotional for Thursday, January 19th, 2012)

Dwell on these questions as you begin your week:

 Am I living my life in a way that makes Christ known to the watching world?
 Do I study His Word for information or transformation?
 How will I seek to be “conformed to the image of Christ this week?
 When others watch me respond in difficulty, do they see the risen Lord?
 Does my family see the difference Christ makes in a believer’s life?
 What difference does the presence of Jesus Christ make in your life?

Derek

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” – Jeremiah 1:5

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” – Colossians 1:10

God knew us before we were ever formed in our mother’s womb. He placed eternity in our heart; a God-shaped vacuum that only He can fill. The key to humility in our pursuit of a deeper knowledge and love of God is the constant reminder that He knew us and loved us when we did not care for Him at all. We must be very careful in communicating our relationship with God. If the emphasis becomes “I know Him” the danger will be to minimize God’s work in salvation and elevate our response to His grace.

Salvation is a work of God. He stirs the heart. He produces conviction through the work of the Holy Spirit. He moves us to the place where we repent of our sin and place our faith in His resurrected Son. As Paul declared, “He makes everything work out according to His plan” (Eph. 1: 11). I don’t mind saying that these truths are way beyond my finite ability to fully comprehend. This is what we know: God exists; we are His creatures, and He is our Creator. However, the majority “know God” while not honoring God with their lives (Romans 1:21).

He knows you. How are you honoring Him today? How are you showing Him to your family, to your church, to your community? What mental picture of the character, nature, and essence of God are people drafting in their minds as the result of your life? What changes do you need to make in life and in speech as a result of these things?

Derek

What do you want people to admire most about you as you begin a new year? In our carnal flesh, we tend to admire certain things about others: wisdom, power, and riches. Yet, the Lord tells Jeremiah that a spiritual knowledge of Him is the greatest need of every human being. God puts a higher emphasis and priority on knowing Him above all else. God desires that we live a life that reflects His righteousness, His justice, and His steadfast love.

To know the Father is to be the greatest passion and pursuit of our lives. My prayer is that we pursue God at all cost in 2012; that we lay aside all things fleshly and petty, that our year-long pursuit will lead us to a deeper know of Him and, as a result, greater devotion to Him.

Our desire in seeking a greater knowledge of God is not simply knowledge for knowledge sake. Remember, Paul said, “While knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church” (I Cor. 8: 1). Knowledge can make us feel good and look good, but the end result may be spiritual arrogance. And we know that spiritually arrogant people are not fun to be around.

James said, “If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom” (James 3:13). Our desire must be to grow in an understanding of the One who loved us when we did not love Him at all! So, let’s take a journey of discovery together. Let’s be reminded of the greatness, majesty,

sovereignty and glory of our Heavenly Father. And let’s pray that the journey will lead us to grow in grace, to love the saints, and to reflect Him to the world in 2012.

Derek

On January 8, seven men were set aside by our church as men “of good report, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom” (Acts 6:3). These men were placed through the filter of “the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). They were questioned at length by our deacon body as to their personal salvation in Jesus Christ alone, their understanding of the authority of Scripture and the Godhead as is revealed within, and their future role as a servant leader in our church.

These men will join a band of brothers whose calling is to wait tables, wash feet, serve others, care for widows, to consider the needs of others as more important as their own. Who is sufficient for such a task? Who feels worthy to take on this kind of role? Certainly the men ordained yesterday understand their own unworthiness in these things. This is why they were set aside. They understand that God is made strong in human weakness. God is glorified when men and women serve in the strength that God supplies. It is only in denial of the flesh and the absolute reliance upon the power of the Holy Spirit that anything right and good can be done.

The Book of Acts tells us the result of godly servant leaders is that “the word of God increases, the disciples multiply in number, and the rest of the Body is inspired to be obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7). What an incredible vision for the local church. When godly men are set aside to serve so that the pastors can focus on prayer and the teaching ministry of the Word, the result is increase and inspiration.

Your role in this: look and listen; watch and pray. Look for others in the church possessed by the Holy Spirit. Listen to their heart when they speak. Watch what their lives say day in and day out. Pray earnestly for the Father to set aside more servant leaders to care for the flock, to wait tables, to wash feet, to humbly serve others on behalf of Jesus Christ. The future growth and health of the church is your motivation to be diligent in such things. Pray hard for these seven and for the rest of our deacon body. Pray for Greg Bonds as he serves as chairman of our deacons. Finally, pray that our local fellowship of believers will resemble the early church in Acts throughout 2012.

Derek

PRAYER:

January 23rd is the day that I will be donating a kidney to Jennifer Borders. It is mind blowing to think that God the Father would call me to Himself as a young man, place me in ministry in 1980, and then bring me to Jacksonville to serve the precious congregation called FBC, all the while knowing that January 23 would come. Julie and I are convinced that God alone has led this entire process. No man could orchestrate these things. Julie and I count it a privilege to minister to Jason and his family in this way.

Please begin praying now that the transplant will be a success for Jennifer. Pray that she will enjoy many more years with her family. Pray that both our recovery times would be swift. Pray that doors of opportunity will be opened for us to share Christ with the doctors, nurses, and hospital staff at UAB. Pray that the Father would watch over our families. Pray for our church staff as they lead in my absence. And ultimately, pray that our Heavenly Father would be glorified in all things.

Jacob had not had many of his prayers recorded. Apparently, he wasn’t the same kind of a praying man that Abraham was. But here Jacob provides us with a picture of his relationship with God. Jacob believed in the promises of God.

He acknowledges his own unworthiness; his unworthiness of all the blessings of God. The loving-kindness of God, the mercies of God and the faithfulness of God. All his prosperity is due to his sovereign God. He has not merited any of God’s faithfulness to him. I haven’t even earned any of this, Jacob is saying.

Jacob recognizes that everything he has been given is not due to what he has done, but merely due to God’s grace and mercy. All his prosperity is of grace and not of his own energy. All his prosperity is due to God’s unfailing love and faithfulness. Anything good that has come to Jacob was inextricably connected to God’s mighty hand.

For several years this part of Jacob’s prayer has been my life verse. This life verse has never been truer for me than it was yesterday. I am extremely thankful for the card and for the monetary gift that my church family presented to me yesterday in celebration of our five years of ministry together. However, the last gift you presented just blows me away.

Thanks to your graciousness, I will be watching the BCS national championship game between LSU and UA (Alabama is my wife’s alma mater) with my Samsung, HD, LED, 1080p, 240 Hz, HDMI x4, 55 inch, SMART TV. I don’t know what all those things mean, but I can tell you that the first time I plugged the TV in and the picture came on – only word could summarize my reaction: SPELLBOUND!

And if that were not enough, the Samsung SMART Blu-Ray DVD Home Entertainment System actually enhances the sound and picture quality in a way that not only holds you SPELLBOUND, but SPELLBOUND for hours. Incredible! I can only imagine what it will be like the next time I watch Kentucky Basketball. I am sure it will seem as if I am sitting in Rupp Arena, so close to the floor that the players’ sweat will be splattered across my face.

Apart and above the dynamic picture quality and theatre sound is the fact that I will never turn on the system without remembering the generosity and love of my church family; that alone humbles me. It will be a constant reminder that I am so unworthy of the Lord’s unfailing love and faithfulness, and that of the church I am privileged to serve as pastor.

I don’t know why I get the honor of standing each week behind the sacred desk to proclaim the timeless truth of God’s holy Word. I know and feel the responsibility and the seriousness of rightly dividing the Word of Truth. And that humbles me more than any material thing I could ever receive from you. God has granted me the extreme honor of teaching you His message in hopes that we might be “conformed to the image of His Son.” To that end, we press on to the next five years together and all that the Father has for us as we seek to bring Him glory.

So, with that, let me say “THANK YOU” on behalf of my family for the way you have blessed our lives these five years together. I want all that the Father has for us, and I look forward to the ministry opportunities that we will face together as we march forward. I look forward to the journey.

Derek

PRAYER:

Please pray for Matt and Melinda Blount. They will be traveling to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston this week as Matt will be evaluated for extended treatment starting January 17. Pray that God would grant wisdom to the doctors there as they review Matt’s battle with cancer. Pray for Melinda and Audrey as they cope with Matt’s illness.

Pray for Jennifer and me concerning the kidney transplant on Jan 23. Pray for God’s hand of healing through this surgery. Pray for Jennifer that her body will respond favorably to a new kidney. After all, she is getting a KY blue kidney?

Christmas is a wonderful expression of God’s grace to man. Yet, so many treat this time of year with a kind of passion that borders on idolatry. How can this be? Last year alone over 460 billion was spent on Christmas. 460 Billion! Unbelievable! Are we overlooking Christ’s birth only to celebrate the meaningless each year? Do we prefer:

- Mall over manger?
- Plastic over purpose?
- Stuff over sacrifice?
- Toys over truth?

Do we go through the motions of the Christmas season year after year routinely placing our wants over the needs of others? Are we on a collision course of forgetfulness, allowing the celebration to hide Christ once again? I read yesterday (12/16/11) of a recent poll that suggests nearly 4 out of 10 churches will cancel Sunday-morning services on Christmas Day. That is just astounding that so many of our church leaders are silently saying, “If we can’t beat them; let’s join them.” Incredible! However, it is not surprising to me as Christmas Day will probably not be a high attendance day for any church in America. Personally, I cannot imagine a “church on mission” not gathering to celebrate a “Savior with a mission.”

Let me remind you as we approach the last week before Christmas that stuff never satisfies! What will satisfy us now and throughout eternity? The knowledge that every single thing 460 billion can purchase, pales in comparison to the Lord seated on His Throne! The Lord of glory! The Lord of creation! The Lord of regeneration and sanctification! And yes, the Lord of glorification! As Christians we will one day stand in His presence, clothed in righteousness, prepared for eternity by the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please keep that in mind as you approach your celebration of the birth of our King.

Derek

P.S. This is my last Monday Morning Manna for the year. I don’t know if these weekly ruminations speak to your heart. I may be just putting words on paper that do not add to anyone’s walk with Christ. I would like to ask that you let me know if you would like to continue receiving these devotional thoughts. I have been writing them for about seven years now. Sometimes it is hard to know if it is beneficial or not. Please let me know your thoughts in the days ahead. Thank you. Merry Christmas!

When you hear someone call themselves a Christian what comes to your mind? What beliefs, convictions, or lifestyles become visible to you? How do you define what a Christian is? We have a lot of people today calling themselves Christians, but their life is or has become suspect. Is it because they have a false definition of what it means to be a Christian?

“A mother was telling her little boy what manner of person a Christian should be. When the lesson was finished, the mother got a stab she never forgot, when her boy asked seriously, “Mother, have I ever seen a Christian?”

What happened in that early movement of God that brought about the name “Christian?” Here is a quick review of what the Spirit of God was doing in the early church. They were preaching Jesus (v.20); the powerful hand of God was upon them (v. 21); and, as a result, many believed and turned to the Lord (v. 21). Then they were encouraged to remain true to the Lord (v. 23).Paul and Barnabas, a powerful ministry team, took to discipling the large numbers of new believers. These new believers were in a hostile, pagan environment. Their solution – apply truth to life. I suspect this was information that led to transformation. Their example is an important one for the contemporary church to follow. Teaching the Word of God is at the heart of the church‟s ministry. Acts 6 made clear that teaching the Word is the highest priority of church leaders. The result – they were called Christians – “Belonging to Christ.” “Christianoi” is from the Greek Christos with the Latin ending ianus, meaning “belonging to,” or “identified by.”

Barnabas probably ran into the church office one day and said to Paul, “Paul, do you know what they‟re calling us now?" Paul replies, "No, Barney. What is it?" Barnabas says, "They‟re calling us Christians." "Christians?" says Paul. "That‟s right," says Barney, "Christians." Paul leans back in his lambskin Lazy-boy and says, "You know, I think I like that. Christian.” Barnabas speaks up and says, "Yeah, I think I like it better than the „First Judeo-Apostolic Church of God in Christ International.‟"

I‟ll settle for Christian! That‟s our calling! Dr. Derek

A little girl from China. A little boy from Ethiopia. Their stories so different and yet remarkably similar. Perhaps they were accidental and therefore, unwanted and unloved. And yet, to two young couples in our church, their adoption is a precious gift from God! Yes, Brad and Abby Fleetwood are the proud parents of a precious little girl. Will and Rebekah McGee are the proud parents of a little boy. And I believe these two children are blessed by God to grace their home.

I swell with incredible joy when I think of these two couples and the great sacrifices they are making to bring these little ones into their home. By the way, this is no cheap venture for them. If you have been blessed by adoption and by their story why not consider giving them a love gift to help with the huge financial cost both these young couples are undertaking in order to bring such godly love to two small lives in great need. You can give a love gift through our church office. Simply label your gift “Adoption” and we will make sure it gets to the Fleetwoods and the McGees.

In light of this, I was thinking of this text in Galatians. My family just read Gal. 4:4 the other day as part of our Advent devotions. When the “fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son...” Why did the Father send Christ to purchase us from the slave market of sin? Why did God sacrifice so much for souls as unworthy as you and I? Verse 5 tells us "that we might receive the adoption as sons." By believing in His Son, we become His spiritual sons. Paul uses The Greek word "adoption" which refers to a man giving the status of sonship to someone who is not his natural child.

Sometimes we forget where we have come from. Spiritual birth comes to us when we are divinely adopted by God through His Son, Jesus Christ. When we become a son of God, the Father provides the Holy Spirit for us (Gal. 4:6). We are never commanded to ask for the Spirit's indwelling presence, rather we are given it at the moment we place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.If we are saved, the Spirit comes to work in our lives giving us the power we need to live the Christian life, and His presence within us seals and signifies our new family relationship to God. We are now so close to the Lord that we can call Him "Abba, Father, Daddy", the most intimate expression that children use of their fathers.

The Holy Spirit brings us into a personal, intimate relationship with our heavenly Father whom we may approach at any time and under any circumstance, knowing He always hears us and lovingly cares for us because we are truly His own. The fact that a believer has an intimate relationship with God and can confidently cry out to Him as Father is a beautiful and magnificent proof of sonship.

The consummation of divine sonship is given in the promise of joint inheritance with Christ. The ultimate outcome of our relationship is inheritance of the Father's estate. Because believers are God's children, they are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. Romans 8:17 says, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” What an incomprehensible truth that by giving ourselves to Jesus Christ in faith, God gives us everything His Son possesses.

So, a little girl in China and a little boy will soon be headed to Jacksonville. They will never be viewed as second class, a subset of the family, or a partial member. They will be adopted into the family. They will be loved. They will be blessed! And God will be glorified through their adoption.

Dr. Derek

All weekend I have been distressed by the violence that broke out around our nation during “Black Friday.” Here is just a sampling of the news stories that MSN carried this weekend:

Update at 5:45 a.m.: Gunfire erupted at a N.C. mall as holiday shoppers gathered. The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office said detectives were looking for two suspects after gunfire rang out at Cross Creek Mall in Fayetteville early Friday.

Updated at 7.30 a.m.: Late Thursday, an angry woman used pepper spray when bargain-hunters tried to cut in line at a crowded Wal-Mart store in LA., leaving 15 injuried.

Updated at 9:40 a.m.: A shopper was shot and critically injured during a robbery outside a Wal-Mart in San Leandro, Calif. Police said the victims were walking to their car with their purchases and were approached by multiple suspects who demanded the merchandise. A fight ensued and one suspect pulled out a gun and shot one of the victims. The man who was shot is in critical, but stable condition.

Updated 9:50 a.m.: A 55-year-old shopper was shot and wounded during a robbery near a Wal-Mart in Myrtle Beach, S.C. after two men demanded her purse shortly after 1 a.m. Friday as she stood by the trunk of her car with friends.

Updated 10:39 a.m.: Police said they were investigating a shooting in the parking lot of Valley West Mall in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Updated 10:55 a.m.: A Rome, N.Y. man was charged with disorderly conduct after a fight broke out the moment Black Friday shopping began at midnight. Several shoppers at the electronics department at a Wal-Mart store were pushed to the ground, and several fights broke out. Two shoppers were taken to a hospital for minor injuries.

Update 11:57 a.m.: An off-duty police officer hired to help with security used pepper spray on shoppers at a Wal-Mart in Kinston, N.C. while trying to make an arrest during a disturbance. Unconfirmed reports said as many as 20 people were affected.

Update 12:17 p.m.: A robot removed a suspicious device that led to the evacuation of a Wal-Mart store in Cave Creek, Ariz. Deputies thought the device might be an explosive.

It seems as though the Occupy Wall Street movement now has moved to the parking lots and malls around the nation as many feel entitled to take by force what others have purchased for themselves. And it also struck me that Black Friday no longer starts at 4:00 AM like it used to in years past. Now, Black Friday begins about 4:00 PM Thanksgiving Day. Next year it will begin on Halloween.We make preparation for this life like it is never going to end; all the while making preparation for the life to come like it is never going to begin. I wonder how our Heavenly Father feels about the way our nation responds to our celebration of the incarnation? Does He grieve our carnality?

This morning I started in I Peter as my devotional study for December. The first verse gripped my heart. I had read Peter many times and yet his address to the first century believers held me captive this morning. Peter calls his audience “scattered aliens (NAS).” The KJV renders them “scattered strangers” and the Holman Christian Standard Bible calls them “temporary residents.” The inference for them and for us is clear: WE ARE CITIZENS OF HEAVEN? THIS IS NOT OUR HOME!

As we approach Christmas and our celebration of the incarnation – the day God became a man, took on flesh, was made like us in every way – so that one day we might be made like Him – let us be ever mindful of our temporary status on this earth. Let us never forget that Jesus was crucified for our sins – not so we could lust for materialism – but so we could enjoy the riches of His mercy and grace in eternal glory.

Dr. Derek

PRAISE:

Thanks to your faithfulness our church is experiencing incredible blessing through your faithfulness to our Great Commission Budget. November 2011 budget giving has exceeded the past 3 years of November budget giving. Thank you. Also, through your faithfulness to REACH THE NATIONS we are one step closer to being debt free. Thus far we have pledged over $350,000. To all of you who are sacrificing for the nations, I want say a special “THANKS.” My family considers it pure joy to sacrifice financially with you for the spread of the gospel.

As we approach the holiday season I will gather this Thursday with my out-laws. Did I really say that out loud? What I mean is I will gather with my sweet wife’s parents (that’s much better) for Turkey Day. We will load up throughout the afternoon and evening. I am totally rejecting any thoughts of dieting until the New Year. It will make the next 5 weeks a greater joy!

As I reflect back on 2011 and the gifts of grace throughout the year, I am reminded of God’s abundant grace to my family. Julie and I have watched our oldest son turn 18, our middle son will turn 17 (Nov. 23), and our youngest son started driving. May the Lord grant us patience as we try to pay our insurance bills. Oh, it’s really not that bad!

I am amazed that this is our fifth holiday season in Jacksonville. Julie and I feel humbled and blessed to serve each of you. We pray that your Thanksgiving will bring an abundance of turkey and especially an abundance of joy! Recently our “Master’s Men” (Jay, Will, Zack, Jeremy, Derek) group walked through Colossians 1 and Paul outlines for us how to pray for each other. So, here is my prayer for you this Thanksgiving:

 That you will be thankful for your faith and your changed lives. (1:3)

 That God help you know His will. (1:9)

 That God give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. (1:9)

 That God help you live to honor and please Him. (1:10)

 That God give you more knowledge of Himself. (1:10)

 That God grant you strength, endurance, and patience. (1:11)

 That God fill you with joy and thankfulness. (1:11, 12)

Happy Thanksgiving,

Pastor Derek

Marion Mill was born in a fairy tale royal palace in Hungary. Her first spoon was solid gold. She went to school in Vienna, became an actress, and there she met and fell in love with a young medical student named Otto. Otto and Marion married and went to live in Hollywood, CA.

As they "set up house," he began to dabble in movies. He became so interested in movies that he gave up his medical practice and went on to become the internationally famed movie director Otto Preminger. Marion’s beauty, wit, and irresistible charm brought her everything a woman desires. Otto’s princess could not handle the fast life of Hollywood. She went into alcohol, drugs and numerous affairs. Her life and lifestyle became so sordid, even for Hollywood, that Otto Preminger divorced her.

Marion tried to take her own life 3 times and finally moved back to Vienna. There at a party she met another doctor, Albert Schweitzer, the well-known medical doctor, musician, philosopher, theologian and missionary. Schweitzer was home on leave from his hospital in Africa. She was fascinated by Dr. Schweitzer and for 6 months she met with him every week. When he was going to go back to Africa, she begged him to let her go. He surprised everyone by agreeing. Marion, the young princess born in a palace, went to a little village in Africa and spent the rest of her life emptying bed pans and tearing up sheets to make bandages for sores on the poverty-stricken nationals.

She wrote her autobiography, All I Want is Everything. When she died, Time Magazine quoted her: "Dr. Schweitzer says there are two kinds of people: helpers and non-helpers. God allowed me to become a helper, and in helping, I found everything."

Marion Mill discovered a truth: When you spend your life seeking to satisfy self the result is misery. But, if you give yourself away and trust God you gain more than you ever imagined. And that’s the message of “Reach The Nations.” So, ask yourself:What are the things that matter most to me? What inspires and motivates me the most? What is Jesus worth to me? Is there anything I possess that I would not lay on the altar for my King?

Maybe we too can discover what Marion Mill discovered: that God can be trusted with everything. I can give myself away and trust Him. He has promised to meet all my needs as I allow all things to be used for His glory. That’s the beauty of being a servant. That’s the beauty of trust. That’s the beauty of faith. So, let’s give our all for Jacksonville, for NY, for Honduras, for the SN people of East Asia, for the glory of God.

Derek

I needed tonight. It’s 9:00 PM and I just got home from what has turned out to be a day I will not forget for some time. I went to bed late Saturday night and found myself up early Sunday morning. It is not uncommon for me to rise early on Sunday mornings, but today I rose to distraction and my focus was on church matters totally unrelated to the preaching of the Word. So, today’s message was made possible compliments of the Spirit’s presence through the faithfulness of so many people who pray for their pastor daily. I am eternally grateful for the “watchmen on the wall” (Isaiah 62:6) in our church.

The Lord has reminded me throughout the day of His plans and His purpose behind our call as servants. He blessed me with believer’s baptism this morning as a reminder of why we stepped out in faith three years ago to purchase “The Barn” as a second campus. Then, this afternoon I had the privilege of sharing The Lord’s Table as a part of a training session with our “Celebrate Recovery” leadership. Then, Andy Carden picked me up from the church at 5:00 and we were off to three appointments. We had incredible ministry visits with two young couples who have been visiting our church.

The first couple has been visiting our north campus for over a year, are plugged in to our young couples Bible study class, and more faithful to worship than many of our members. They drive 35 minutes each way to worship with what they are calling their “new church family.” The second young couple has been visiting our south campus for about three weeks. They prepared homemade soup for us, and we felt extremely blessed to be in their home. We had some precious prayer time with them as they were burdened for a family member in extreme pain.

By the time we got to our third appointment, it was already 7:50 PM. I called Heather to make sure it was alright to come by and she said, “Please.” I could tell from her tone that she was really looking forward to our visit. She has battled with a number of things over the years and even quoted a date (Jan. 11, 1996) as the day that things changed for her, and not in a good way. Andy played a game with her little girl while I shared the gospel with Heather. She responded to the gospel message the same way the Ethiopian eunuch did, by declaring, “I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” She repented of her sin and placed her life in the hands of Christ’sLordship now and forever. We all rejoiced that she now has a new date. October 23, 2011 is now the day that everything changed for her, and this time with an eternal, life- impacting way. I look forward to baptizing her in the days ahead.

Andy dropped me off at 9:00 PM and I walked into the house rejoicing over the day the Lord has made for me, preaching on treasuring Christ above all else, baptism, communion, ministry visits, prayer, sharing the gospel, and seeing the power of the gospel change a life forever. I am thankful for an incredible day with the Lord and His church!

Derek

PRAYER:

This week, I will be planning my preaching schedule over the next 12–18 months. Please pray that the Lord will direct these days and that the Holy Spirit will guide my thoughts as I examine what we have studied in our time together over the last five years, and where the Lord may be taking us in the months ahead.

Please pray for our “Reach The Nations” capitol stewardship campaign and for the message series. Together we must learn to treasure Christ above all else, and everything else will flow from there.

Pray for the SN of East Asia, and for our missionaries who serve them.

Pray for our students who are coming to The Loft on Wednesday nights, and for the students who have recently been saved. I am thankful for a student pastor who teaches the Word and faithfully shares the gospel each week.

Pray for the children that attend AWANA each week, and for our precious volunteers who love on them each week.

Yesterday afternoon I took my wife on a date to see the movie “Courageous.” Our Connection Group wanted to see this film together. The best word I can choose to describe the film: IMPACTING. We were all impacted by the message of courageous, faithful fathers impacting their families. We were impacted by the message of the gospel woven throughout the film’s storyline. We were impacted by the sheer volume of tissue required to watch the film. In fact, I stood at the door as couples left and reminded all the men, “It is ok to cry!” Maybe I was just trying to justify the fact that I had not had that many tears since Kentucky lost to Connecticut in last year’s Final Four.

The message of the film had the greatest impact of all. As the film progressed from grief to resolution, I felt compelled to pray for my wife, for my three sons, and especially for the resolve that I made in my own heart to be “Dad, the Family Shepherd.” I would strongly urge every couple to see this film and to feel the impact of a godly father loving and leading his family. You will not regret it!

Joshua began his final sermon to the Israelites by reminding them of what God had done for them in bringing them to this point in their history. And the emphasis is on what God did for them. Joshua reminds them of how God had blessed in the conquest. He brought them out of Ur of the Chaldees, out of Egypt, and into Canaan. Any greatness Israel achieved was not by her own effort, but through God's grace and enablement. From first to last, Israel's conquests, deliverances, and prosperity were because of God's good mercies, and were not of their own making.

Then Joshua challenged the people to choose to serve God and affirmed that this was his settled choice as well. The tense he used implies more than a once for all choosing, as if one can make a choice and be done with it thereafter. The tense involves what grammarians call continuous action.It involves the past, but it also involves the present and the future. It is as if Joshua were saying "I have chosen to serve the Lord. I am choosing that same path of service now, and I will go on choosing to serve God until the very end." That was the character of Joshua. He chose, and he chose, and he chose, and he kept right on choosing.

Today I resolve to never stop shepherding my family. Tomorrow I resolve to shepherd my family. Like Joshua, I resolve to keep on shepherding my family. I can think of no higher calling. As a husband and father, I can think of no greater responsibility. As a dad, I can think of no greater joy! This day I choose to serve my family. Tomorrow I will again resolve to serve my family. I pray the Lord will raise up courageous fathers who will impact their families!

Until Next Week,

Derek

One of the best diagrams I have come across is one offered by Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Community Church. He illustrates the five levels of commitment seen below. Each circle represents a different level of commitment, ranging from very little commitment to a very mature commitment. It is a very useful tool in understanding where people are at and how to reach them effectively with the Gospel.

Do you build from the outside-in, rather than from the inside-out? It’s far easier to turn a crowd into a core, than it is to turn a core group into a crowd. In his book The Purpose Driven Church Rick says, “Churches build a healthy multi-dimensional ministry by focusing on one level of commitment at a time.” His Purpose Driven strategy is from the outside in, “bringing people to Christ and into membership in His family, building them up to maturity, equipping them for ministry in the church, and then sending them out on a life mission in the world in order to bring glory to God.”

Now, when it comes to Rick Warren’s outside-in picture of commitment, I could not agree more. It’s far easier to turn a crowd into a core, than it is to turn a core group into a crowd. So, as we approach a new week of ministry, these are the questions I ask you to ponder with me:

 Who resides in the community (unchurched) sphere that I am fervently praying for? Am I asking the Lord to open a door that I may speak boldly of the gospel of Jesus Christ?

 Who resides in our weekly crowd that I need to spend time with? Each week who are the regular attendees that have not taken that step in terms of their relationship with Christ and their commitment to Him.

 Who do I see among our congregation with leadership potential? Am I investing in all those that possess a clear heart for our church’s vision and mission?

 Who do I see among our committed membership that sets the mark for others in terms of their passion for the gospel, their desire for growth and maturity, and their love for Christ’s church?

 Who among our core leadership do I need to encourage this week through a card, a phone call or an email? We cannot say “thank you” enough for our core leaders and the service they provide to our church.

Please pray for us as we develop our leadership pipeline. Each week we need to be asking God for souls among our community. Together let’s evangelize the community, gather the crowd for worship, fellowship in the congregation, disciple the committed, and equip the core for ministry.

Derek

“The Gathering”
November 6, 2011
10 AM

Last week on a “700 Club” broadcast Pat Robertson was asked,

“I have a friend whose wife suffers from Alzheimer's. She doesn't even recognize him anymore, and, as you can imagine, the marriage has been rough. My friend has gotten bitter at God for allowing his wife to be in that condition, and now he's started seeing another woman. He says that he should be allowed to see other people because his wife as he knows her is gone ... I'm not quite sure what to tell him.”The caller’s friend had begun dating other women while his wife lies seriously ill with Alzheimer's, and justifies it by saying that "his wife, as he knows her, is gone."

Robertson said, "What he says basically is correct. I know it sounds cruel, but if he's going to do something, he should divorce her and start all over again, but make sure she has custodial care and somebody looking after her." His co-host pressed Robertson about whether that violates the marriage vows. Robertson responded that Alzheimer's "is a kind of death" and added, "I certainly wouldn't put a guilt trip on you" for choosing divorce in such a scenario.

Recently I read Russell Moore’s excellent post on this subject, quoted a portion of it yesterday in worship, and now will re-post it for you to understand how seriously flawed Pat Robertson’s theology has become. Here is a response to Robertson by Russell Moore, Dean of the School of Theology at Southern Seminary.

Thinking Biblically, Derek

Christ, the Church, and Pat Robertson By Russell Moore

This week on his television show Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson said a man would be morally justified to divorce his wife with Alzheimer’s disease in order to marry another woman. The dementia-riddled wife is, Robertson said, “not there” anymore. This is more than an embarrassment. This is more than cruelty. This is a repudiation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Few Christians take Robertson all that seriously anymore. Most roll their eyes, and shake their heads when he makes another outlandish comment (for instance, defending China’s brutal one-child abortion policy to identifying God’s judgment on specific actions in the September 11 attacks,

Hurricane Katrina, or the Haiti earthquake). This is serious, though, because it points to an issue that is much bigger than Robertson.

Marriage, the Scripture tells us, is an icon of something deeper, more ancient, more mysterious. The marriage union is a sign, the Apostle Paul announces, of the mystery of Christ and his church (Eph. 5). The husband, then, is to love his wife “as Christ loved the church” (Eph. 5:25). This love is defined not as the hormonal surge of romance but as a self-sacrificial crucifixion of self. The husband pictures Christ when he loves his wife by giving himself up for her.

At the arrest of Christ, his Bride, the church, forgot who she was, and denied who he was. He didn’t divorce her. He didn’t leave. The Bride of Christ fled his side, and went back to their old ways of life. When Jesus came to them after the resurrection, the church was about the very thing they were doing when Jesus found them in the first place: out on the boats with their nets. Jesus didn’t leave. He stood by his words, stood by his Bride, even to the Place of the Skull, and beyond.

A woman or a man with Alzheimer’s can’t do anything for you. There’s no romance, no sex, no partnership, not even companionship. That’s just the point. Because marriage is a Christ/church icon, a man loves his wife as his own flesh. He cannot sever her off from him simply because she isn’t “useful” anymore.

Pat Robertson’s cruel marriage statement is no anomaly. He and his cohorts have given us for years a prosperity gospel with more in common with an Asherah pole than a cross. They have given us a politicized Christianity that uses churches to “mobilize” voters rather than to stand prophetically outside the power structures as a witness for the gospel.

But Jesus didn’t die for a Christian Coalition; he died for a church. And the church, across the ages, isn’t significant because of her size or influence. She is weak, helpless, and spattered in blood. He is faithful to us anyway. If our churches are to survive, we must repudiate this Canaanite mammonocracy that so often speaks for us. But, beyond that, we must train up a new generation to see the gospel embedded in fidelity, a fidelity that is cruciform.

It’s easy to teach couples to put the “spark” back in their marriages, to put the “sizzle” back in their sex lives, but that’s not what love is. Love is fidelity with a cross on your back. Love is drowning in your own blood. Love is screaming, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.”

Sadly, many of our neighbors assume that when they hear the parade of cartoon characters we allow to speak for us, that they are hearing the gospel. They assume that when they see the giggling evangelist on the television screen, that they see Jesus. They assume that when they see the stadium political rallies to “take back America for Christ,” that they see Jesus. But Jesus isn’t there.

Jesus tells us he is present in the weak, the vulnerable, the useless. He is there in the least of these (Matt. 25:31-46). Somewhere out there right now, a man is wiping the drool from an 85 year-old woman who flinches because she think he’s a stranger. No television cameras are around. No politicians are seeking a meeting with them.

But the gospel is there. Jesus is there.

PRAYER:

Mission Jacksonville – October 1. We have about 15 projects around our city. We will work from 8:00 AM to 12:00. We will be trimming and mulching at Jacksonville High School, painting and cleaning at Kitty Stone elementary School, trimming and mulching at Jacksonville Community Center, etc. It will be an incredible opportunity for us to love on our city. I am amped up about unleashing 100 – 150 missionaries on our city.

New Deacons – The following men were elected as deacons yesterday. Please pray for them as they model servant leadership for our church family.

James Cole(NC)
Steve Godwin(NC)
Tom Kochan(NC)
Mark Lumpkin (NC)
Nelson Mahaffey(NC)
Bryan Parris(NC)
Wallace Simpson(NC)
Tim Smith(NC) 
Rodney Sprayberry(NC) 
Craig Parris(SC) 
Steve Sherman(SC) 
Stephen Westerfield(SC)

Paul was a missionary. He was a frontier missionary. He said in Romans 15 that his ambition was “to preach the gospel not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation” (Romans 15:20). He was called to go where no missionary had gone before, where the church was not yet established. We call this frontier missions, or pioneer missions, or missions to unreached people groups. Paul was the first and probably the greatest. And when I think about our friends serving the SN in East Asia, I well up with joy over those who are following in his steps.

Paul always pictured his life and ministry as that of spreading a fragrance of the knowledge of Christ. Many of our small groups are currently in a series called “Going Public With Your Faith” and last night we rallied together to prepare in hopes of seeing the gospel transform our city. My desire is that we would spread the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ.

One commentator described a Roman triumphal procession, where the Roman general would display his treasures and captives for all to see, amidst a cloud of incense burned to the gods. To the victors, the aroma was sweet; to the captives in the parade, it was the smell of slavery and death. A few weeks ago as I stood in the midst of incense burning to the Buddist and Hindu gods I recall Tom Crosby’s reaction. He said, “From this point on incense will always be a stench to me.”

When Christians go public with their faith it will be good news to some and a stench to others. To those who believe the fragrance of the life-giving message of Jesus Christ, it will be the sweetest message they have ever heard. To those who reject the gospel however, it will smell repulsive to them, much like the foul stench of a dead carcass lying beside the road for several days.

Paul asks, “Who is sufficient for these things?” Who is adequate for such a task as this? We are never adequate for such a task left to ourselves. Yet, the Holy Spirit atthe moment of conversion makes every believer “equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:17). The Holy Spirit makes us competent for the task of reaching the unreached, of boldly marching into the final frontiers with the Gospel, of simply going public with our faith in Jacksonville, AL.

As that great theologian Buzz Lightyear once proclaimed, “To infinity and beyond!” Let’s go public with the sweet fragrance of the gospel.

Derek

PRAISE:

Welcome these to the church family:

Gena Thornburg Larry Hughes and Laura Hughes Keith and Amie Knight Emily Knight Jacob Knight Katie Knight

Last week we had 102 students at The Loft and have seen 8 students saved in the last month. The Loft is a sweet aroma. Our first 5th Quarter event after Friday night’s football game at JHS was amazing. I’m not sure we’ve ever had that many students at an event before!

PRAYER:

Ms. Inell Stamps passed away this weekend; therefore, please pray for her family. The visitation for Ms. Inell is Tuesday, Sept. 13, at K.L. Brown funeral home, Jacksonville, AL. The funeral is Wednesday, Sept. 14, at the Rain Water West Funeral Home in Bowden , Ga. @ 2PM.

Last week one of the young men in our church was called to his first pastorate. Jeremy Williams, with his lovely wife Jennifer at his side, is now the pastor of Brierwood Hills Baptist Church in Hokes Bluff, AL. I know Jeremy will faithfully serve the congregation God has entrusted to his care. Hokes Bluff is about to be blown away by a young man with a word in his mouth and a weapon in his hand.

I recall several years ago, as a young pastor myself, an elderly man in our church who had lost his vision and was led into worship each week by his daughter. Each week as he left the service, Brother Wayne would repeat the same phrase to me. He would say, “Keep preaching the Word; that’s where the power is!” I have never forgotten his counsel.

The Israelites were to possess the praises of God and a sharp sword. As pastors, we are called to possess both a word and a weapon. Our word: the high praises of God. Our weapon: the living and active – sharper than any two-edged sword – Word of the living God.

Jeremy: As you prepare to walk through life with your flock, I offer you these wonderful words of counsel given to me over the years: walk humbly, preach boldly, love tenderly, lead confidently, study consistently, pray constantly, and serve faithfully. May God fill you with all wisdom and discernment as you serve His flock.

Derek

Blessing is a wonderful word. To be blessed is to have the favor of God upon your life. In Psalm 128 “blessed” or “bless” is the key word, occurring four times. The psalmist says a God-fearing man leads to a God-fearing family, which leads to a God-fearing city or nation. And it begins with a holy “fear” of God, a truth hammered home in this psalm as well.

What does it mean to fear the Lord? The intent of the word is reverence or respect. It pictures a person filled with reverential awe in relation to God. This “fear” is the proper God-directed attitude we are to possess as Christians. It means that we take God seriously, that He is the center of everything we think or aspire to do. As James Boice says, “He must be our starting point for every project, the strength we seek for every valuable endeavor, the one we earnestly desire to please and honor as our goal.”

The psalmist says the God-fearing person will experience God’s blessing upon our work, upon our family, and upon our city and nation. The psalmist has reminded us throughout much of the psalms of this truth: Everything we do will be in vain unless the Lord is in it. This psalm declares that if we fear and obey God, nothing we do will be in vain. Our work will experience the hand of God; our family will express the favor of God, and our city or nation will expose the glory of God to the surrounding world.

You might ask these questions today:

Am I finding favor at my workplace today? Am I seeing God’s blessed hand upon my family? Am I rejoicing in God’s glory displayed throughout my city and nation?

Until Next Week,

Derek

“And it came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in his hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him.” (Exodus 34:29)

Can you imagine what it must have been like to have an intimate conversation with the sovereign God of the universe? Moses heard God speak. He listened as God burned His truth, His commands, His Decalogue on stone. Later we read that such conversations were a regular part of the covenant God made with Moses and the children of Israel.

God and Moses talked face to face in the Tent of Meeting like old friends. Why did Moses find such favor with God? One commentary suggests, “It certainly wasn’t because he was perfect, gifted, or powerful. It was because God chose Moses.” Friendship with God was a true privilege for Moses, out of reach for the other Hebrews. But aren’t you thankful that friendship with God is not out of reach for us today. God has called you to be His friend. As such, He has called you to open communication with Him. He desires this kind of relationship with you.

The Scripture recounts that Moses’ face was radiant after he spent time with God. The people could clearly see God’s presence in him. People looked at Moses and saw the power of God. I wonder if people look at the church today and see the power of God? Do they see the Bride of Christ exit after time spent in Bible study and observe the visible impact of applied truth? Do they see the Bride of Christ exit after worship and observe the impact of a life spent in the presence of God? Do they see the Church reveal their dependence upon God?

David Jeremiah put it rightly: “Prayer is my declaration of dependence!” Our intimacy with God is inextricably connected to our prayer life, whereby we fall on our face and come boldly before the Throne so that God may burn His agenda on our hearts!

How often do you spend time alone with God? Although your face might not light up a room, time spent in prayer, reading the Word, and personal meditation on the things ofGod should have an effect on your life such that people will know you have been with God. You see, prayer brings God glory as His people understand their need for His guidance, direction, and control. You give God glory when you come into his presence as His child. You give Him glory when you listen. You give Him glory when you understand. You give Him glory when you obey...

Until Next Week,

Derek