Gospel Meeting 2007 -- Bulletin Article 05.27.07

One week from Sunday will be our annual Homecoming and decoration at Midway and will begin our annual Gospel Meeting (June 3-6). We are looking forward to having Brother Willie Hamblen with us to share messages from God’s word. Let’s think about some of the most important aspects of a Gospel Meeting:

G - “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8. “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you...that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures…” 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. Because God has done so much for us through the gospel of Christ, we need to give our lives to Him.

O - A Gospel Meeting is a time of many opportunities. One of the most mentioned—but most underused—is the opportunity for community outreach. Have your friends and family been invited to this year’s meeting? If we are truly concerned about their souls, we must take full advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

S - The focus of the meeting will be studying the sacred scriptures through the wisdom and preparation of Brother Hamblen. The theme for his lessons is related to our yearly theme of “Rise Up & Build Our Spirituality.” His narrower focus is “Spiritual Lives In Times Like These.” Attending the week’s services may involve sacrifices, but we all will be rewarded with this special week.

P - People are at the heart of the elders’ decision to hold a Gospel Meeting. In meeting the needs of church-members, our shepherds purpose in their hearts to provide these wonderful opportunities for growth. It is our privilege to participate in following their guidance.

E - All of us as Midway members should be excited about the opportunities presented by a Gospel Meeting. If we do not express excitement, we will have little luck bringing others with us.

L - We will never be able to learn everything about our Lord, but opportunities like this help us to improve our lives in His service. May we love Him will all our heart and be present (and not late).

M - Many souls have been saved and revived through Gospel Meetings. We get to reflect upon our lives through messages from the Master’s word. What urgency we should have to make our lives right!

E - This is a prime opportunity for encouragement of others. Many members may be discouraged; we can use our meeting to lift their spirits.

E - Above all, we should have an eternal focus. Thinking on spiritual things forces us to envision our eternal destiny. If our hearts are committed to working toward heaven, we’ll be present for this opportunity.

T - We should be forever thankful for the time we get to spend together with fellow Christians. It helps us in trials and temptations.

I - We should seek opportunities to increase our spiritual intelligence through study. Our young people are at impressionable ages; therefore a Gospel Meeting is important for them as well.

N - Gospel Meetings have been set up so that we might spread the good news about Jesus Christ. May we never focus on numbers alone, but may we seek constant spiritual nourishment.

G - “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.” Matthew 28:19-20.

Blog Announcement

One week from Friday (June 1st), a new Christian/Personal Finance blog will launch itself into existence. "Where Your Treasure Is" will feature Biblical, inspirational, and practical offerings from the world of personal finance.

If anyone expects us to use our blessings responsibly, it is the Lord (it's all His anyway). Hopefully, this effort will serve as a reminder of how important faith-based financial decision-making is in our daily lives.

I am honored to be among the four authors of "Where Your Treasure Is." Adam Faughn (Haleyville, AL), Wes Hazel (Manchester, TN), and James Dalton (Blytheville, AR) will be official authors as well.

Mark the date on your calendars, bookmark the link, set up a RSS feed, and even mention it on your own blog (or your preferred web 2.0 application).

Stay tuned for more information...

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:21

The Value of a Godly Mentor -- Bulletin Article 05.20.07

As today is Kerry, Natalie, and Sawyer’s final Sunday with us, it’s only fitting to express some things for which I am thankful. Kerry has served as a valuable influence in my personal spiritual and ministerial development. Additionally, I also know Natalie has encouraged Amanda in countless ways for good. We will certainly miss working alongside them in the Kingdom (as will the rest of you), but we look forward to our continuing friendship in Christ.

In the book of Acts, we see Paul’s interactions with men like Barnabas, Mark, Luke, Silas, and Timothy. His ultimate goal was to spread the gospel of Christ. In so doing, he knew that training other men was a necessity.

For the rest of our time together, let’s narrow the scope to three of Paul’s letters (1 & 2 Timothy and Titus) that are written to two younger preachers (Timothy and Titus). It’s interesting to note that much of Paul’s advice relates to Timothy and Titus as individuals; he understood personal development was the key to public ministry development. Thus, the following truths are important in our everyday lives as well as to those of us in public ministry.

Don’t compromise Truth. One of the most repeated themes in these three letters of Paul is to stay true to Truth. He knew these younger men could be vulnerable to older teachers with selfish agendas (1 Tim. 1:3-7). He knew false teachers would try anything to infiltrate the churches at Ephesus and Crete. I find it interesting that the clearest passage about the inspiration of the scriptures is found in Paul’s second letter to Timothy. Paul knew the source of strength for Timothy and Titus in their battles against false doctrine was the true word of God. Notice Paul’s words: “All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus…preach the word…reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Tim. 3:16-4:2). Godly mentors encourage others to depend on the unchanging word of God for guidance. I thank Kerry for his constant encouragement to seek the Truth and teach it unashamedly.

Instill confidence. The more I work with young people (and all people I suppose), the more I realize that we are our own biggest enemies to progress. I have to battle myself more than anyone else in order to do the things I know I should. You may have esteem issues to overcome to be a faithful follower of Christ. I think Paul acknowledged this idea by directly building confidence in Timothy and Titus. We’re familiar with his statement to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example…” He also makes a similar one to Titus, “Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.” Paul was reminding these young men of their importance in the Kingdom. Paul built their confidence when others might have torn it down. I am thankful to Kerry for instilling personal confidence in me, my abilities, and my decisions.

Build independence. The greatest value of a mentor can be seen once he or she is no longer actively mentoring an individual. Likewise, the true test of parenthood is the decisions our children make once adults. Paul left both Timothy and Titus to preach in churches while he was absent. He was turning the public role of teaching over to them in Ephesus and Crete. The first letter to Timothy begins with “remain at Ephesus…” and the letter to Titus starts with “This is why I left you in Crete…” Paul had trained them in order to put them into situations where they would be of the best service in the church. As much as I am able to learn in the presence of Kerry, I am forced to learn more when I have to do things all by myself. I am grateful for the times he has let me learn by letting me (and sometimes encouraging me to) be independent.

We are saddened to see Kerry, Natalie, and Sawyer leave us. However, we are excited for their new work in Northport. We are also excited for the plans the Lord has in store for us here at Midway. We know we will all be more prepared to do His work because of the time the Richardson’s have shared with us.

The Importance of a Christian Home -- Bulletin Article 05.13.07

Happy Mother’s Day! We are truly thankful for all of the work mothers do. Although we are appreciative year-round, this day allows us to recognize their sacrifices and accomplishments.

Earlier this month, Salary.com released the average figure for what a typical stay-at-home mom should have earned: $138,095. Notice the excerpt from the FoxNews.com article:

“The 10 jobs listed as comprising a mother's work were housekeeper, cook, day care center, teacher, laundry machine operator, van driver, facilities manager, janitor, computer operator, chief executive officer and psychologist, it said. The typical mother puts in a 92-hour work week, it said, working 40 hours at base pay and 52 hours overtime. A mother who holds full-time job outside the home would earn an additional $85,939 for the work she does at home, Salary.com reported.”

This further proves the Lord knew what He was doing when he placed our capable mothers as the “keepers of the home” (Titus 2:10). May we always be thankful for their tireless efforts.

In another story from the newswire, a Mississippi State University professor released a study about the impact of “religious parents.” The article, dated April 24, releases the professor’s findings that children who are raised in homes where both parents (1) regularly attend worship services and (2) openly discuss religion within the home have more self-control, better social skills, and improved learning attitudes than children with “non-religious” families. Again, this proves consistent with scripture since our homes are responsible for the spiritual training and instruction of our young people (Eph. 6:4).

That same story contains an interesting two sentences: “But when parents argued frequently about religion, the children were more likely to have problems. ‘Religion can hurt if faith is a source of conflict or tension in the family,’ Bartkowski noted.”

Catch that? If mom and dad are on the same page spiritually, their children are typically better behaved and more successful. If mom and dad disagree about spiritual matters, the impact upon children is negative.

This part of the study should cause us all to think seriously about the spiritual example and instruction we provide in our homes. The most obvious source of spiritual disagreement is probably between parents with different religious backgrounds. If the wife is a Christian, but the husband isn’t, there will certainly be times of tension. Think about it in another way. What if both husband and wife are Christians, but their commitment to Christ is completely different? That very easily could be a source of religious conflict. Parents, we all realize we are accountable for our own choices. We often forget that our children are affected by our every choice also.

Both Amanda and myself are thankful to have been raised in homes that were in complete harmony and devotion to leading faithful Christian lives. We will be eternally grateful. Lord willing, one day so will our children.

In closing, notice how many times the “virtuous woman” in Proverbs 31:10-31 is described as a faithful and capable mother (at least 5):

An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
She dresses herself with strength
and makes her arms strong.
She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
"Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all."
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.

Thanks again to all of our wonderful mothers! Happy Mother’s Day!

Appearance Update

I've changed some things about the appearance of things 'round here. You'll notice a title graphic instead of text. Additionally, I've shifted the blog info to the right-hand side of the page. I noticed that the blogs I enjoy reading most start on the left-hand edge. Included now in blog info is a Flickr stream of random photos. Hope you enjoy :). Finally, the subtitle is more concise. "Relaying Spiritual Inspiration" describes more accurately the aim of this space. I am merely a messenger; I only pass on (hence "relaying") thoughts of spiritual significance. To God be the glory...

2007 Connect Retreat -- Waiting to Change the World

Amanda and I just returned from Lake Guntersville State Park in Guntersville, Alabama from our 2007 Connect (7th-12th grades) Retreat. Retreats are one of the most--if not the most--inspiring times spent with young people.

We focused on not "Waiting to Change the World" as a take-off of John Mayer's "Waiting on the World to Change." Our lessons focused on the actions of the Samaritan woman in John 4 who changed her world after her encounter with Jesus.

After a wonderful weekend of reflection, one of "those moments" happened on the way home. I was scanning the radio for stations with a signal and "Waiting on the World to Change" started playing. I turned up the volume since it was part of our focus for the weekend. When it got to the chorus, the kids on the bus starting singing "waiting to change the world" instead of the original lyrics. Pretty cool moment. There are good young people out there--and most of them aren't waiting around to change the world for good.

Audio Lesson Recommendation -- "Preserving a Godly Trust" Dan Winkler

Even though the 2007 Freed-Hardeman University Lectureships took place several months ago, now is an excellent time to listen to one of the landmark lessons from this year's lineup.

The murder of Matthew Winkler is a news story familiar to us all. We share heartache for the Winkler girls left without a father, Dan and Diane left without a son, the Fourth Street church left without a minister, and Mary Winkler left without a husband by her own hands. As tragic as the situation is, we must be reminded of the hope God offers through His presence.

There may be no greater reminder of this than through the words of Dan Winkler himself. In one of his first--if not his first--public appearances since his son's death, Brother Winkler closed the PM lecture series with the lesson entitled, "Preserving a Godly Trust (Deut. 6:1-6)." Brother Winkler clearly addresses his personal feelings of helplessness without drawing undue attention to the tragedy. He relays God's words of comfort with clarity. The audio and video for the lesson can be downloaded at the FHU Lectures Online. A high-quality CD may be purchased from FHU Recording Services.

May God bless the Winkler family and everyone else affected. Our prayers are continually with them.

Waiting to Change the World -- Bulletin Article 05.06.07

The world needs a change. It almost always has. Controversy abounds about how to change it. Christians know that Jesus is the source of successful change. A handful of first-century Christians changed their world by teaching Jesus was the Christ (Acts 17:6). Paul made remarkable changes in the highest places of the world by teaching the truth about Jesus (Phil. 4:22). A scandalous Samaritan woman changed the world around her by introducing them to the Messiah (John 4:1-42).

Modern change-theorists call for understanding, tolerance, and equality. Jesus called for these same things—philosophically. However, He never intended for us tolerate and promote selfish and sinful choices. Jesus also never intended for his followers to wait until they thought conditions were perfect to start changes. A popular song claims the current youthful generation is “Waiting on the World to Change” before deciding to change the world themselves.

I am not satisfied with the direction of our nation or world. Nor am I satisfied with waiting until others are motivated to change. I am glad first-century Christians did not wait until Rome fell before preaching the truth on her streets. I am thankful Paul did not wait for Roman officials to grow a conscience before telling them his life-changing account. I am grateful the woman did not wait on the stubborn Samaritans before telling them the Messiah was giving water at the well.

Therefore we must ask, “Why am I waiting to change the world?” Luckily, the Samaritan woman in John 4 serves as a wonderful model for how to stop waiting to change the world:

A changed life changes the world. Jesus convinced the woman that He was the Messiah by revealing the knowledge of her personal life and explaining the truth about worship. This revelation motivated her to go tell others about Jesus. Part of her testimony was, “He told me all that I ever did” (John 4:29, 39). The logical implication is that she was remorseful about her sinful choices. When Paul was making the defense of his ministry in 2 Corinthians, he included, “We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry…” (2 Cor. 6:3). We cannot afford to put obstacles in the way of introducing the world to Christ. May our selfish and sinful choices cease as we submit our lives to Christ. Only then can we change the world.

Changed steps change the world. The woman’s reaction to Jesus is astounding. She leaves her water jar behind, showing a change of mission. She then goes to town to proclaim Christ instead of going to hide in shame. We would see more fruit of the Lord’s work if we would just go into the world and tell people about Jesus just as He has commanded (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:15). May we change our steps so that we go to those who need Jesus.

A changed thirst changes the world. The inner change within this woman was her focus on the spiritual over the physical. She replaced physical water for eternal living water (John 4:14). This fueled her as she changed the world around her. Our thirst must be spiritual if Christ is to change the world through us. Jesus says later in John 4, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me.” Our desire for the spiritual work of the Lord should boost our world-changing endeavors.

If we are going to follow in the steps of this humble woman, we must change the world today! She immediately left the well to tell others about Jesus. Back in 2 Corinthians 6, we see that Paul says, “Behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). Today is the day of salvation for us if we do not know Christ as our Savior. It is also the day of salvation for the world that so urgently needs a change. May we stop waiting to change the world.

Why I'm a Fan of Lads-to-Leaders/Leaderettes -- Bulletin Article 04.29.07

Since we are honoring our 2007 Lads-to-Leaders/Leaderettes participants and kicking off our 2008 efforts this evening, we are presented with a wonderful opportunity to notice some of the benefits of participating in this program.

This is not an attempt to prove the scriptural soundness of Lads-to-Leaders. Lads-to-Leaders is a tool through which the church (Titus 2:4, 6) and the home (Eph. 6:4) train and raise children in the sight of the Lord. Those who quibble over Lads-to-Leaders from a Biblical standpoint must also take the same stand against any organization that carries out various aspects of the Lord’s work.

Our elders have decided to support the work that is done in the lives of our young people through Lads-to-Leaders. Therefore, we follow their lead in supporting this effort.

Both Amanda and I are Lads-to-Leaders Alumni. We have been instilled with irreplaceable attitudes, skills, and knowledge because our home church and our parents encouraged us in its spiritual involvement. We know first-hand about the doors that Lads-to-Leaders opens. If you will, notice some specific reasons why I’m a fan of Lads-to-Leaders:

Lads-to-Leaders allows for diverse spiritual growth. Over the past three decades, Lads-to-Leaders has grown in countless ways. One of the ways this benefits our young people is by offering them many different opportunities for growth. Lads-to-Leaders encourages young people by giving them an opportunity to display their strengths and build experience in new areas. Each young person is important; therefore, there is something for each of them.

Lads-to-Leaders allows for growth in the home. While the program is organized on the congregational level, the bulk of the work is intended to be done within each child’s home. The best place to practice speeches and song leading is at home. Parents can assist their children with their puppet lines each night at home. Parents who read the Bible and memorize scripture along with their children set a powerful example of spiritual maturity.

Young people spend time together. This is the most important aspect of the “youth group” in any church. Our children need to spend time together. Granted, what they’re doing when they’re together is important, but being together is the first step. Lads-to-Leaders provides a framework for different relationships to be built within our church family. This opportunity is priceless.

Young people acquire the single-most important attribute for spiritual growth: confidence. Of all the possible attributes to build through Lads-to-Leaders, I think spiritual confidence is the greatest. We must make sure we are not prideful and haughty (1 Cor. 10:12). However, many of today’s young people are going through life without any confidence in either themselves or the ones they love. Most importantly, Lads-to-Leaders helps young people get to know their Lord better. Having confidence and trust in Him is at the core of our spiritual existence (Heb. 11:6). Additionally, we should have personal confidence and security in ourselves as God’s creation (Ps. 139:13-16). Lads-to-Leaders can open our children’s eyes to the wonderful purpose they serve in the Kingdom.

For those households who do not participate in Lads-to-Leaders in some way, how confident are you about the spiritual growth and maturation of your children? Are you able to give them the opportunities they need (and deserve) to grow in the sight of the Lord? We all know that is a difficult task. That is why Lads-to-Leaders exists: to help train young people toward spiritual growth. As parents, they want to help you! If you have any interest in participating whatsoever, we would love to have you stay after the PM Service so that we can answer any questions you have. We love our young people; we know you do too. Let’s make sure we’re doing all we can to help them.

Testing Our TV Dependence -- Bulletin Article 04.22.07

Last year, we highlighted an event sponsored by the TV Turnoff Network: National TV-Turnoff Week. This year, that national week of awareness begins tomorrow (Monday, April 23rd). I was greatly encouraged by those of you who went the entire week last year without turning on your TV; that is a remarkable feat!

As we think about this year’s TV Turnoff week, use this as an opportunity to talk about your TV dependence with your family. As a family, talk about how much to watch, when to watch, what to watch. Brainstorm about activities you can do as a family to replace TV watching. Determine the best plan of action for your family and commit to following it the next week; it may even be helpful to have your children draw up a pledge or contract and have the whole family sign it agreeing to the terms. We all could benefit from a purposeful examination of the role TV plays in our lives.

I often check a financial blog called The Simple Dollar. It offers advice and links to a variety of personal-finance related issues. Back on April 9th, they ran a post titled, “Ten Financial Reasons To Turn Off Your Television - And Ten Things To Replace It With.” The author makes several interesting points about how our TV habits affect our pocketbooks and our personal lives. I’ve consolidated and omitted some of the points, and have added some spiritual reflections to each below:

· Bill & electricity costs. The author’s monthly cable costs ($60) plus electricity for two TVs cost his family a little under $800 a year. I’m not necessarily calling for all of us to ditch our service and sell our TVs, but ponder this thought: what could we do with an additional $800 a year? Could we: Pay down some debts? Give more to the Lord? Invest for our futures? Seeing the big picture of how much our habit costs us may help us make wiser financial and spiritual decisions.

· The commercial factor. The third reason on the original list is the guilt that often results from seeing perceived “perfect” situations and people as portrayed by the media. The fourth reason is directly related: commercials give us the opportunity (by buying certain products, services, etc.) to make our lives more like the ones we see on TV. Occasional viewing may not lend itself to these vulnerabilities, but continual (and addictive) viewing could cause negative reactions. We are all special and beautiful in the eyes of God. He should be the source of our healthy self-esteem (Ps. 139:13-16). We need to be careful not to allow worldly influences diminish what is otherwise wonderful.

· Poorer dining and health habits. Imagine the differences if we ate healthier and cheaper home-prepared food instead of grabbing fast food and chowing down in front of the TV. Dependence upon TV makes us more likely to make adverse choices. We all would do well to make thoughtful choices about what is best for our families instead of what our entertainment-driven instincts lead us to do.

· Less quality family time. There are many factors leading to the decay of the home in America. One of these is arguably the family’s dependence on TV. Husbands and wives could be more intimate; parents and children could communicate more openly; all could benefit from being emotionally present more often. Even though we may view TV programming together, we are emotionally invested in what we are watching instead of the presence of one another. Reassessing our TV dependence could go a long way in fixing our families.

Again, I am not calling for extremist actions like cutting cable altogether or destroying our TV sets. However, I think we owe it to the Lord, to ourselves, and to our families to honestly evaluate what’s most important in our lives. If the answer is not what it should be, there is no better time to begin fixing things than this week.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33

Matthew 28.18-20: The Great Consolation

This is the final week of our six-part series from some of Jesus’ final words before leaving the earth. His words were meant to teach, motivate, and encourage His disciples as He turned the work of saving the world over to them. As His followers today, we are responsible to these words of our Savior.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The final phrase of this familiar passage is the one we need to carry with us most closely. As we are doing His work, Jesus gives us the ultimate security: His presence.

We all understand the helplessness associated with feeling alone. Jesus no doubt had experienced that loneliness himself while on earth. Many people followed Him around because of His powers. Yet few followed to the end. Jesus was faced with the loneliness that came from knowing the salvation of the world depended on Him alone. Jesus felt humiliation and loneliness on the cross of Calvary when He bore our sins on His shoulders (Matt. 27:46). Because Jesus knew the heartache of loneliness, He also knows the comfort of presence and intimacy. That’s exactly why He offers it so freely to His followers: we need it!

When Joshua was leading the Israelites into the Promised Land after the death of Moses—a parallel situation to the disciples in Matthew 28—the Lord spoke the following words: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9). God knew taking the Promised Land would be a difficult and daunting task. God knew it would take great courage on the part of the Israelites. He told them that He was the source of their strength and courage. The Lord’s message centuries later to fearful followers of the new covenant was the same: do your mission and stay strong because I am with you.

We need the presence of our Lord because of several reasons. (1) There are plenty of people around us that don’t live godly lives. If we depend on them for companionship, we’re doomed to fall into sin ourselves. (2) We need to continually remember His example each day as we serve Him. We need to see with His compassionate eyes, touch with His understanding hands, and speak with His confident words. (3) We need to constantly remember the price He paid for us to have a relationship with Him. As we hold to His nail-scarred hand, we remember our work was first His work. Knowing He gave so much should motivate us to give Him our whole lives in obedience.

Not only do we long to feel His presence as we do His will, we literally cannot do His will without Him. As the Hebrew writer was closing his letter to first century Christians, he had many things of which to remind them. He had spent the majority of his previous words convincing them to not give up on their new-found faith in Christ. Here’s the author’s words to those struggling Christians many centuries ago:

“For He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Heb. 13:5-6).

Have a good week...alongside Him.

Matthew 28.18-20: The Great Instruction

This week, we focus on the fifth portion of our six-part series from some of Jesus’ final words before leaving the earth. His words were meant to teach, motivate, and encourage His disciples as He turned the work of saving the world over to them. As His followers today, we are responsible to these words of our Savior.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Now we’ll notice Jesus’ clause, “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” After bringing people to Christ and baptizing them for the remission of their sins, we have the responsibility (and opportunity) to teach them more about the love of God and how to please Him. The disciples had been trained and taught about the new covenant God was issuing through Christ; it’s those things Christ had relayed to them that they were to relay to new disciples. Today, we are to teach what Christ taught; we are also to teach what those apostles and disciples relayed to first century Christians.

When we view this command to continually teach about Jesus and His commands, we must ask ourselves “how are we doing in our teaching?” As we pose that question together this morning, let’s ask and answer that question in two specific areas:

How is the teaching in our homes? The context of our passage shows that whoever “makes a disciple” is generally responsible for “teaching them.” This makes pretty common sense from the church perspective. However, do we ever read this portion of the passage and think about our homes? If parents have been responsible for bringing their children to Christ (or are preparing for and praying for that decision), wouldn’t it be in keeping with Christ’s command that they should be teaching them as well? That’s the idea that is emphasized continually in scripture. Back in Deuteronomy, Moses said, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house…” (6:6-9). Paul echoes those words in Ephesians 6:4, “Fathers...bring [your children] up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” The main source for teaching children the ways of the Lord is the home. If we were to compare the amount of time spent in the home on schoolwork and studying the Bible, which would have greater emphasis? Are grades important? Absolutely. But so is learning the Bible throughout one’s childhood. May our homes not skirt that responsibility.

How is the teaching in our Bible classes? Many elders throughout the church have set aside periods of time for their congregations to meet for the specific purpose of studying the Bible. We should take this seriously as it is a response to our elders’ authority and because we are studying the holy words of God. Paul told Titus in Titus 2 that the older men and older women of the church were responsible for teaching and encouraging the younger men and younger women of the church. Doesn’t that sound a lot like the purpose of our Bible classes today? How seriously do we take our Bible classes, though?

We show how much we value Bible class by our simple attendance. We show how much we value Bible class by our timeliness. What does it say about our devotion if we’re consistently late? Adults, we show how much we value Bible class by our examples. It’s no wonder that some young people don’t respect their Bible class teachers and classmates (and God) when their parents either (1) don’t come to Bible class at all, or (2) are at the building but don’t actually attend a class. As adults, we are helping to form the current generation of young people’s perceptions of the Bible and Bible class. How are we doing?

Nothing is more important to the lives of those who come to know Christ than to continue to know and learn more about Him. May we never wilt under the pressure to teach them the Truth.

Matthew 28.18-20: The Great Remission

This week, we continue observing the words of our Savior as found in Matthew 28:18-20. Shortly before ascending back into heaven, Jesus gives His followers a mission statement of sorts.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Over the past several weeks, we’ve noticed the importance of Jesus’ authority over heaven and earth and that we should carry the gospel into the world and offer the invitation to follow Him in response to that authority.

There are countless sources of discussion and controversy in the religious community. Among those who profess to follow Christ, there may not be a more sensitive—and important—issue than baptism. When we consider the evidence, we can’t help but see the seriousness of the matter as it involves the salvation of man’s soul.

We could spend hours discussing scripture that shows the necessity of baptism. We can use Biblical arguments from many different angles that show it’s essential. This morning, however, it would serve us well to remember one of the scriptural purposes of baptism: remission of sins. Understanding this purpose should help us see baptism’s necessity.

Baptism is for the remission of sins. Throughout God’s quest of allowing man to have a relationship with him (and man continuing to come up short), He has constantly pointed to the cross of Christ as the eternity-shattering climax (Gen. 3:15). The cross of Christ serves as the final and supreme sacrifice in a long line of imperfect and inferior sacrifices. Hebrews 9 makes it clear that, though important, the Old Testament sacrifices were incapable of forgiving man’s sin. Christ, while serving as the perfect High Priest, gave Himself as the perfect spotless sacrifice so that all who had obeyed and all who would obey could be forgiven of their sins. That amazing piece of scripture in Hebrews 9:11-22 closes with the following words: “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Since perfect blood has been shed, forgiveness is possible. Thankfully, the Bible shows us how to contact that blood and be forgiven of our sins.

In Acts 2, a multitude of Jews were assembled when Peter and the other apostles began teaching them the truth about the man they knew as Jesus. When they were convicted by the truth that they had literally killed their Messiah, they asked, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Peter’s response was “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…” They acknowledged a sin problem; Peter told them the solution: the blood of Christ that would forgive them. How great is the irony of their situation (and ours today also)! They had Jesus killed and it was that death that provided the opportunity for that very sin to be forgiven. Truly God enacted His amazing grace to save our souls. We can’t receive that grace any other way than through baptism.

When Paul stood before the Jews in Jerusalem in Acts 22, he gave the testimony of what happened that led him to Christ. At the climax of his conversion, he was told by Ananias, “And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.” Paul was instructed to be baptized to wash his sins away. While necessary, his new faith in Christ hadn’t saved him from sin. While essential, his repentance from his wicked deeds hadn’t secured his home in heaven. While convincing, his confession of Jesus as the Son of God on the road to Damascus didn’t cleanse his sins. His baptism washed away his sins. In order to experience that same washing and forgiveness, we must contact the blood of Christ through baptism as well.

There’s another interesting phrase in that passage as well. Romans 10:13 is often cited as proof that baptism is not essential for salvation, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” It’s interesting that Paul is citing Joel 2:32 and it uses the same wording as Ananias when he told Paul to be baptized (“calling on the name of the Lord”). From the New Testament’s perspective, being baptized for the forgiveness of sins is inseparable from “calling on the name of the Lord.”

Clearly, having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the ticket to our heavenly home (Matt. 10:32-33; John 14:6). The Bible teaches us how to have that intimate relationship with Him. Among other things, baptism is required to accept the gift of salvation offered by the grace of God through Jesus Christ. May He bless us as we teach and practice this truth to a lost world.

Matthew 28.18-20: The Great Invitation

A couple of weeks ago, we began observing the words of our Savior as found in Matthew 28:18-20. Shortly before ascending back into heaven, Jesus gives His followers a mission statement of sorts.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Thus far, we’ve noticed that Jesus makes it clear that He has all authority, both in heaven and on earth. Because of that authority, we should give Him our lives in complete submission. We’ve also noticed that we are commanded to “go” into all nations and teach them the good news of Christ and make disciples of them. We often try to skirt our responsibility to actually go into places that need the gospel, but Jesus reminds us of our task.

This morning, we are going to look at the phrase “make disciples” from a slightly different perspective. W e are only disciples ourselves because Jesus had given us the opportunity to be His followers. We should always be reminded of His love and graciousness in allowing us to be Christians through His blood. That we can be disciples and make disciples of Christ is one of the most profound blessings known to man. May we not spurn the greatest invitation; may we not keep it from other men and women that need Christ.

The invitation has a connection with authority. Although we could make a connection between the invitation to come to Christ and His authority in Matthew 28, there is another place where Jesus Himself connects the two ideas. Matthew 11:25-30 is one of the most comforting passages from Jesus’ life. Here we find our Savior telling all who would come to Him that He “will give [them] rest…[they] will find rest for [their] souls. For [His] yoke is easy, and [His] burden is light.” Prior to telling us these great words of encouragement, He says, “All things have been handed over to me by my Father…” Who better to “come” to than the one who has been given all things by God the Father? We have an incredible opportunity to come be a follower and disciple of Jesus Christ. One thing that makes that amazing is the authority, power, and faithfulness of our would-be Master and Lord.

Accepting the invitation comes at a cost. As lucrative as Christ’s invitation to come to Him is, we must all be reminded of the cost of being a disciple. In Luke 14, Jesus says, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple...so therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” One of the things that makes Christianity unattractive to many in the world is the list of things that they would “have to give up.” From passages like Luke 14, we see that it’s not just about the things we give up, but it’s about being fully devoted to Christ and His cause. Being a disciple can’t be just in word only; it must be seen in our lives. Being a true disciple of Jesus Christ is one of the greatest opportunities we have been given on earth; may we accept it ourselves; may we convince others of the great opportunity that exists for them as well.

Have a great week in His service.

Matthew 28.18-20: The Great Commission

Last week, we began observing the words of our Savior as found in Matthew 28:18-20. As some of Jesus’ final words before leaving this earth, He told all followers to carry out His will by bringing others to Him.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Last week, we noticed Jesus’ authority over heaven and earth and our responsibility to give our lives to Him in full submission. This morning, we will turn our attention to the most familiar portion of Jesus’ statement: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”

Go with a purpose. Some have proposed in the past that the verb that is translated “Go” in this verse could just as easily mean “as you are going.” While that could be a possibility, it is unlikely that is what Jesus specifically meant to that audience. The verb used there is actually a type of participle that is predominantly used by Matthew that—for lack of an easier way to explain it—gets it’s “mood” from the following verb to which it is attached. “Make disciples” is in the imperative, therefore “go” is imperative as well. Jesus specifically commands us to go with the purpose of making disciples of His will. This idea also makes the most sense when you consider His original audience. If He told Jewish Christians to convert people “as they are going,” how long would it have taken before they branched out to reach Gentiles? He makes His mission clear from the beginning: the gospel of His resurrection is for all nations, therefore we should “go” into them to teach Jesus.

Today, we must be going—whether to places far away or down the road—with the purpose to leading souls to Christ.

Going and making disciples is a process. Although Jesus is firm regarding His mission of teaching the lost, He understands the hearts of men. He knows it is difficult to touch everyone with the good news of salvation. When He was in the beginning of His earthly ministry, He said, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven” (Matt. 5:16). This statement gives us a rallying cry for our everyday actions: no matter what you’re doing, let your light shine. Notice the desired response of those around us: “that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Jesus understands you might not baptize everyone you come in contact with, but He tells us everyone should see our good works enough to know to Whom we belong. Although evangelism can be discouraging, we need to remember that relationships, trust, patience, dedication, and prayer are all important to bringing souls to Christ. These things often are built up over time. Evangelism should be urgent to us, but not to a fault of being scared and unsuccessful.

Go in the present. As Jesus was leaving the earth, He gave these hallowed words to His followers. From that moment forward, this was their mission statement. There should have been no confusion over who needed to know about Jesus’ life: all nations. There should have been no question about what to do: create disciples through baptism and teaching. There should have been no fear: Jesus would be with them. When the imperative is used, it is used to show command and force. The time during which it is to be carried out refers back to verse 18 (because of the “therefore”). Because Jesus now has all authority in heaven and earth, we must go now! They were to go then; we are to go now. Although going for the purpose of teaching others can be difficult, we will be doing His will if we do something for Him.

May God bless us all as we “go” and bring others to Him—even this week.

Matt. 28.18-20: The Great Submission

One of the most familiar passages to Christians is located in Matthew 28:18-20. Most of the time we give those 3 verses the title of “The Great Commission.” As some of Jesus’ final words before leaving this earth, He commissioned all followers to carry out His will by bringing others to Him.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

There is much for us to learn from our Master’s mission. We’ll begin this week a 6-part series studying the greatness of our Lord’s mission. This week, we’ll notice Jesus’ words in verse 18, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

Before telling the disciples present that day what to do, He tells them why to do it. Christ is given all authority in both heaven and earth. His disciples needed to be reminded that they weren’t following a young carpenter from Galilee any longer; they were following the Son of God and the Savior of the world. He was talking to them on the other side of His death, burial, and resurrection. If there ever was a time for them to obey His teachings, it was now.

The idea of “submission” is inseparable from “authority.” Most forms of authority in some way depend on those who submit to it (i.e. legal, parental). However, with Christ’s authority, it is absolute. It is our choice to submit to it or rebel against it. Let’s notice a couple of things about submission to Christ:

Submission isn’t a dirty word. It’s not a very popular thing to preach submission today. We have been trained to think that what we think and what we do is perfectly fine as long as it’s perfectly fine with us. For those of us who know Christ as our savior, submission is a beautiful thing. We submit to Christ’s authority because it’s absolute, complete, and universal. Come Judgment Day, there will not be those who are found faithful to the cause of Christ who weren’t also found fully submissive to Him. The New Testament is clear that we are to be in full service and submission to Him as our Lord and Redeemer (e.g. John 10:27; 14:15; Eph. 2:10).

Christ is the only one truly worthy of our submission. We also submit to Christ because He is committed to us. In Ephesians 5:22-33, we find an oft-controversial passage about the relationship between husbands and wives. True, Paul tells wives to submit to their husbands. However, he also tells husbands to be the man that is submit-able. Notice Paul’s words in verses 25-29, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her...in the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies...For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church.” Christ sets the example as being the ultimate master: he died for us and takes care of us.

The “Great Commission” won’t happen without the “Great Submission.” Where this hits us the hardest is when we try to carry out God’s will for our lives. Many of us struggle with God’s directives for evangelism, personal purity, clean speech, and so on. Have we stopped to ask ourselves if we’re fully submitted to Christ? He wants us fully committed. However, we can’t be committed until we’re submitted. To follow Paul’s illustration from Ephesians 5, the wife who’s not fully submitted to her husband won’t be fully committed to serving him. A child who’s not in full submission to his or her parents won’t be in full obedience to them. Citizens who aren’t fully submitted to the laws of the land are the ones who chronically disobey them.

When we think about our task to go and make disciples for Him, we must first remember that we must be in full submission to Him. It may lead us to places we didn’t expect; it may carry us through burdens we don’t feel like we can bear; it may alter our personal plans forever. Nevertheless, we will have peace, comfort, and success.

May God bless us as we submit fully to His will through Christ.

90 & Counting

One of the unavoidable last names at Midway is "Blanton." There are several main families, all of which are connected somehow. The "senior" Blanton is Brother Lynn Blanton, a former deacon. his son Edward currently serves as an elder.

This Sunday (02/18), Brother Lynn will turn 90 years old. Not only is it a tremendous achievement from a numerical perspective, it's amazing to see how active he still is. He still gets outside every day, takes his walks, makes repairs around the house, and even helps with the family's farming efforts (only recently did he stop driving the tractor).

In today's Daily Mountain Eagle, they ran a nice piece on Brother Blanton's birthday and his tremendous love for his family. We are blessed to be part of his life by working with the church at Midway.

As younger folks, we are thankful to have such good examples as Brother Blanton and we know we will be better off because of his influence in the church and the community.

Bulletin Article 02.11.07 -- Tackling Temptation (Matt. 4:1-11)

We all like to see ourselves in things, right? When you (or myself) see a group picture, you immediately look for yourself. It’s a natural impulse we have as human beings. It’s an important principle to “look for ourselves” in the Bible as well.

When we read of Jesus’ temptations found in Matthew 4 (also Mk. 1; Lk. 4), we see ourselves. We see our specific temptations in this life and we can relate to our Lord’s temptations. Hopefully, we should see ourselves in Jesus’ responses and resistance of those temptations. There is an abundance of fruit to be born from this account. We could have a series of articles that last for months if we discussed a majority of what can be discussed in this brilliant account. For this week, however, let’s spend our time learning some lessons about the story as a whole.

Temptation is unpredictable. I find it interesting to notice Jesus’ situation—it proves in part that temptations can be unpredictable. In an obvious way, Jesus was weak. He had been fasting for 40 days. He was in need of physical nourishment. That’s why Satan tempted him to make bread from the stones around Him. We are often tempted when we are weak. It is then that we must lean on Him who is strong.

On the other hand, notice that Jesus was strong at this point as well. It’s not as obvious as his weakness, but I think it’s there. He had been fasting for 40 days. Fasting is typically understood to be the removal of something important to emphasize something that’s even more important. I would guess that Jesus spent those 40 days away from food by focusing on His calling as the Son of God. He was getting prepared to do the work of His Father. He was about to depart the wilderness to “seek and save the lost.” That’s why I think Satan preceded his temptations twice with “If you are the Son of God…” He was calling out Jesus’ very Deity on the biggest stage: before all eternity.

We need to be aware of the temptations that lurk when we’re at our strongest. That was part of Paul’s admonition in 1 Corinthians 10 regarding the Israelites, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (10:12). Satan wants us at anytime, but he wants us when we’re strong to keep us from getting stronger.

There is always more at stake than it seems at the moment. There was certainly more on the line with Jesus’ temptations than some loaves of bread, than jumping from the pinnacle of the temple, or casually bowing before Satan. The eternal destiny of all of mankind hung on Jesus’ decisions that fateful day. More than a simple piece of fruit from an otherwise ordinary tree was on the line in the Garden of Eden. With us today, more is on the line than a few dollars when we report our taxes. More is at stake than cheating on a test that we failed to study for. More hangs in the balance than a seemingly simple insult of a brother or sister in Christ.

We could easily formulate a long and scary list of things we risk when we face temptation to sin. We could list our futures, families, finances, friendships, security, peace, and so on. However, the thing that hangs in the balance the most is our trust in God. Jesus’ temptation to turn stones into bread put His trust in God to provide food later on the line. Satan’s temptations for Jesus to prove He was the Son of God put His Father’s ability to prove that fact in a different way in limbo. In order to resist Satan’s temptations, Jesus had to possess an unfailing trust in God to provide. Do we trust God enough to resist Satan’s offers?

There is always a way out. Jesus’ reaction to each of Satan’s temptations is well-documented. He used the holy scriptures to refute and resist Satan’s attempts. The specific principle is obvious: the Bible holds the key to us standing firm. The more we know about sin (and by association, temptation), the more equipped we are for standing up against it. The response by Jesus showed He was fully submitted to the will of God. His purpose in living was to carry out the Father’s will. Therefore, He know to whom to submit when in the face of danger. If the author of the book of James is indeed the brother of Jesus—as many conclude—it is truly interesting to see many principles that were lived in the life of Jesus explained and encouraged in the epistle from James. Notice what James says in 4:7, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Jesus submitted to God and Satan fled. We should do the same.

Have a great week in service to Him!