...too small a thing...

Excitement About Worship

Do you get excited thinking about going to Worship? As the preacher I should be if anyone is going to be. But I believe everyone can be and should be.  Well I am very excited this morning. We have a great service planned for today at Piney Grove. Chris Miligan will be baptized to open the service.

Then just moments later a "Baby Dedication" of little Carter Fauscett. This event we call Baby Dedication is really all about the parents committing themselves to raise a child to serve the Lord. The family is recognized and ask to commit themselves to serve the child by teaching the child about Jesus.  Of course we pray for the parents and the child and it marks a special moment for a church. 

Then I have a message that the Lord has given to me. What Do We Do Now?, is the title. The men who served with Jesus were so excited about serving God. They had seen Jesus do miracles and they were ready to die for him or so they thought. But when the time came that they could have stood with him they ran away and Peter even denied he even knew Jesus. 

But then miracle of miracles Jesus was alive. He kept appearing to them, talking to them and restoring them. But then all of a sudden He just ascended into heaven and was gone. NOW WHAT? 

The rest of the book of Acts turns right at this moment. They dedicated themselves to serve God. The rest of your life can hinge on today. Now what? Might be a question you have ask yourself and you need an answer to. I believe that Scripture always has answers for us. This is what we are going to preach today. The answer to Now What? 

An Invitation to you to join us this morning for exciting worship at Piney Grove Baptist Church.

Sometimes we may think we know what we want and after we pursue it, we get it, and then we still ask, Is there more? Fulfillment in life comes as we CONTINUE to serve God. Church services and worship are times of adoration and praise for the One true God we serve.   If there is little excitement in your life about going to church today's message is for you. 

This fellow below thought he knew what he wanted and it took him a while but when he got it he is asking NOW WHAT? 

A Blog About Me / Or Maybe Us

I guess in a way all my blog post are my opinions and my thoughts, but this morning after some reflection I am setting out to write a blog to you, about me. Some people think I am a bit crazy, over the top, or too wide open. I reveal a lot about myself and even my family sometimes. I am honest with thoughts, and past experiences, and opinions.

Being a pastor and Police Chaplain I interact with a lot of people. I hear lots of stories about people and the troubles they have and the difficulties they experience in life. It can be a temptation to share their stories, but I never share without permission or without complete anonymity.

But when it comes to me I often reveal lots about what I do, or have done. I certainly write a lot about my faith and the need for everyone to have faith. I write about the church, and about work with law enforcement. But there is a deeper side of me however that I do not reveal.  I do not often go into this part of life. 

Being in the ministry you are very vulnerable to criticism from others. People may not like my sermons, my leadership, and of course thy may not like my theology. I have had my share of criticism over the years, and it always hurts when you think you are doing the right things, but it is taken or perceived wrong. But this is not  normally part of this blog, nor should it be.

You see the Lord's work is so much bigger than my personal hurts, inconveniences, or problems. To focus on me or more specific my problems is  not what people want to hear about. So this is the reason I do not unload here items of this type. 

But having said all this, I do realize how valuable criticism can be. If we can realize that when critical comments come we should listen to others. This is to help us understand more about who we are, and it can be good. Reactions with hurt, anger and bitterness will not be productive. Realizing that I am fallible, and sinful, I need to listen well when others level criticism at me. 

Now I am not fishing for any additional criticism, nor is this a back door way to try to get some compliments. This is just an honest and deep refection on who I am.  But the truth is you are not that different than me. We are all Children of God. We sometimes level criticism toward others too. This thought is very powerful if we reflect on it a bit. Especially as the pastor I must be very careful if I level any criticism toward some one or something, It hurts others and can hurt them badly. 

The big thing about criticism is to examine it and see if there is truth in it. If there is learn from it. Change more into the image of Christ. 

What Do We Do Now?

Life is unfolding before you each day. Moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day. Days turn into weeks, week to months, and months to years. Time is moving at the same pace and while there are always things that are happening what really matters? Some things that happen are wonderful and other things not so good, and so many of the things that happen really are insignificant and so they do not really matter. 

I have written on this blog several times about the choices we make, and how significant they or may not be. The most important decision of course is what, or more importantly who, we trust and believe. Believing in Jesus Christ is the most important and most significant of all the things that happen in life. 

I am really excited about this Sunday morning's message and I have entitled it "What Do We Do Now?" The Text is from Acts Chapter 1, when the disciples of Jesus find the one they have placed their faith in, has left them. They surely looked at each other and said this, "What do we do now?" The rest of the book of Acts is about what they did. 

How about you? So many who read this blog are people who would say, "I believe in God, and I have placed my faith in Jesus Christ." And in fact this is true. You do believe, and the rest of your life is unfolding moment by moment. Are you making an impact on others? If you cannot say a resounding "YES" to that question then Sunday's sermon is for you. As a matter of fact the Book of Acts is for you. 

I have captured this thought in the title of this preaching series on ACTS with the acrostic  A - All, C - Continue, T - To, S - Serve. So I want to ask you to kick this thought around, what do we do now? 

I keep thinking this thought that every believer is part of the ongoing work of the church. It is my task as a pastor, chaplain, counselor, friend, dad, husband, brother, son, and living walking human being to help others to do the task of continuing to serve the Lord. My hope is that everyone will find their way to serve God in the way that God has created and equipped them to do. 

Things are going to happen. Some things I like and some I do not like. I know people I like, and some people's personalities and mannerisms drive me crazy. But ALL should continue to serve the Lord. And if they are not serving then they are someone that I should be praying for, and sharing Jesus. 

Give this question a little thought today. What do we do now? You are invited to be with us this Sunday to maybe get a clue. 

Builders For Christ

Well today is Thursday so a TBT photo might be a good thing. So the picture is Kent Brummeler setting the roof trusses at First Baptist Church in Monroe Ohio six years ago on the first team that I led for BFC.

And today is also our final meeting for the Builders for Christ Team for the Noonday Baptist Association. We are meeting tonight to make the final plans for a trip to Wyoming June 20-27. We have a great team 62 people strong and ready and excited to be going. We will be doing some demolition, laying rock, moving downed timber, and general repairs at the Snowy Mountain Lodge a facility owned by the Laramie Valley Chapel one of the largest Southern Baptist Churches in Wyoming. 

There is still a bit of room on the team if anyone is interested come to the meeting tonight at Piney Grove Baptist 1605 Mars Hill Road Acworth GA 30101. 

The photo below is from 2013 at the Snowy Mountain Lodge Chapel on the mountain that the team Built in 2013. We will likely worship there again this year. 

Are You Worried?

Someone may ask you this when times are tough. "Are you worried?" 

We all have concerns and cares that we must busy ourself with in order to do what we are obligated to do. Common courtesy bids us certain things we must do to give people a moment of our time or to open a door, to wait in a line, even to sit at a red light. There may be other things people want us to do that take more effort. Listening to their story, helping with a task or maybe even giving someone a ride in your car. We seek to get along with others in all things and to live a peaceful yet productive life.

But, so often there are things that happen beyond our control and we must apply energy and use our resources to try to correct or remedy situations and problems we have, or others may have. Some of this may be in the form of physical sickness or emotional problems. This world is a tough place and getting through it from day to day is not always real easy. All things do not always go our way. 

So I ask a question, Are you prone to worry about these sort of things you cannot control? 

It is natural to feel sympathy for those who fall on bad times or have problems or experience a tragedy. But do we need to worry? The Scripture is very plain in the teaching that Jesus does that while we should have concern for others we should not worry about others or even ourselves. 

There is a line between concern and prayerfulness about situations and people we know and worrying. Realize that worry when you get down to it is rooted in a lack of faith and trust in God to take care of the situation no matter what it is. 

Matthew 6:25-34 NASB

25“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27“And who of you by being worried can add a singlehour to his life? 28“And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clotheyou? You of little faith! 31“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32“For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The Problem With Self-esteem

Now days you hear the words "self esteem" used a lot. Sometimes when people are depressed or down a bit the diagnosis given by many will be their "self esteem" is very low. The self help books will all tell you need to think of your own value and own worth as a person. The dictionary defines self-esteem as 1. a confidence and satisfaction in one's self: self-respect or 2. Self-conceit. 

The ideas of value and confidence are good ideas. We like to have confidence and trust in others and we like to have it in ourselves. We like to know that others have value and values that they live by. We like to be able to trust others. But can we? 

The Word of God really does not teach the idea of healthy self-esteem. The Bible does teach the Ideas of value and confidence. But we are to have the confidence in God. We are to have this confidence in God because of who He is. In other words in HIs values.

If we are to have a confidence it is in God. If we are to find value it is in Jesus Christ and His word. Using a word like self-esteem is a bit tricky because it always must be kept in a context. The context of your own self value is why we have such a word.

Satan has such a heyday with the thought of you giving value to your own ability and your own wisdom. What do you have except what has been given you by God? What wisdom do you produce that is not from His hand? 

Now, on the other hand I do not want to walk around with no self-s esteem, and trash talking myself. But it is important to keep the context that John the Baptist had when he was talking about Jesus. "He must increase and I must decrease." This the the only healthy position on self-esteem. 

The reality is I know myself and if I have any value it is by the hand of God. He created me, I am corrupted by my own choice. But He redeemed me and and gives me power to do anything and everything I do. So why should I worry? Why should I be fearful? Why should I look strength and value in my flesh and my own ideas when God tells me plainly several things: 

Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB

 5Trust in the LORD with all your heart
            And do not lean on your own understanding.

      6In all your ways acknowledge Him,
            And He will make your paths straight.

I do not see anything about self value or self worth in this passage. 

1 Peter 5:6-7 NASB

 6Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

If I am going to have any confidence and find any value. It will we in the God who blesses me every day. Be careful with this idea of Self-esteem. 

   

What Are You Doing Today?

A common question for sure, "What are you doing today?" We might ask this to someone on the phone or even in person. Since today is a holiday and many are not working at your regular job there will likely be some out off the normal plans, and you may find yourself posing this question to a friend or family member this morning. I am up early and have some plans to saw logs later this morning before the rain comes later today. 

But on this holiday how will you start? How will you spend your first few hours of a day that you have a bit of freedom from the routines of life? How about John Chapter 21 verse 12. 

John 21:12 ESV

12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.

A very simple thing, having breakfast. A very common moment in every person's day, but so often it is hurried and on the run. The disciples of Jesus were on the sea fishing and Jesus showed up on the beach. Verse 14 tells us this was the third time since he was raised from the dead. They knew it was Him. But it must have been somewhat different because of the way fact John makes note that they would think about asking. "Who are you?" 

Jesus had great plans for the disciples. He needed to talk with Peter. He wanted so badly for Peter to be back on track serving and being the man that Jesus was calling Peter to be. So Jesus simply said, "Come and have some breakfast."

I am not sure what you are doing today. I know I want to run the saw mill. But I think I will have some breakfast with Jesus first. Just me and Him. I will talk a little, but I really want to listen to Him this morning. If he tells me something else to do today then I want to go do it. If He asks me what He said to Peter on that beach what will I say?

It seems that often when we talk to Him He will ask us the same question he ask Peter. When I start looking at Him He says, "Do you love me?" I answer lIke Peter so often. "Yes Lord, I love you." But then I think about what I am doing and what I am planning to do and I wonder sometimes if He sees right through my stumbling to say "Yes Lord, I love you." 

So here on Memorial day with a different sort of schedule I think I will have breakfast with Jesus. You might want to do the same. 

Respect

The respect that I have for my father grows. He has had a rough week, but is doing better. Nine days ago we had a procedure done because of blood in his urine. Dad had to come home with a Foley Catheter. To manage that for a week was tedious and very difficult for both my mother, and no doubt Daddy was uncomfortable. He was able to have it removed on Friday and seems to be doing fine. We got an official prognosis on Friday also. Badder cancer. Slow growing, low grade, cancer, but the report also said they got it all. The bleeding has stopped. It will come back, but when is the issue. It might be a few years. 

I posted a picture of my father's shadow box that my brother made for him a few years ago. It has two photos of dad in it. One is his Navy photo and one is his Army photo. He served two different times in two branches of the military.

My Dad is a survivor of the great depression, and WWII. Dad finished boot camp from the Navy in December 1944 and was on an LST going to the pacific fight when the war ended. He survived the great war. 

 You can see the medals in the photo and please notice the bronze star metal that my father was awarded as a part of the military units involved in the Chosin Reservoir Battle in December 1950. Dad spoke of the Chinese soldiers lining the hill tops as they drove up the valley and how they would stand up and blow bugles as the US troops passed. He has told me of many who froze to death in the extreme cold. My father has told me of being an MP on the beach at Hungnam as the shells went over his head. He was one of the last ones off the beach on Christmas Eve 1950. But he survived.

On Okinawa dad survived a typhoon that nearly blew away the island. Dad told me the story of how he stayed on his guard post until his relief came to get him and took him back to the base even though the little guard shack was about to blow away. Dad survived being in the fight of his life with a drunk who had a 45 caliber hand gun pointed into dad's face and dad said all he could see was the man's finger on the trigger, repeatedly pulling it. The gun did not fire, but dad did with a billy club. He saw some tough times, but he survived. 

My now 89 year old father, is in my book a hero. He is my hero for sure, and the medals hanging on the wall at the Assisted Living apartment always serve as a reminder. As we celebrate memorial day this opportunity to honor dad is very special  both to honor him and the many who have served in our military. We are a free people thanks to them. We are survivors. 

As I think about what dad went through last week and the prognosis of bladder cancer I am once again reminded what a tough man he really is. You see he has already survived prostate cancer and cancer behind his right eye, not to mention the skin cancers he has had taken off. Dad is an amazing man and I am so proud to be his son. Happy memorial day Dad. 

My father gave me a yoke for young oxen he got when he was about 8 years old.

Feeling a Bit Like Nehemiah

I have been working on a wall for a few days now. The side of our house has always been a place that we sort of neglected and it was more or less a washed out place in the yard. A few loads of dirt, a trailer load of blocks and a whole lot of sweat equity have changed this and I am pleased with the work. 

Nehemiah built a wall fairly quickly too but he had to keep a weapon in one hand as he was working. I am glad I did not have to do that. Nehemiah also had some pretty strong critics too. Tobiah the Ammonite said "If a fox jumped up on the wall it would fall." I have not faced that type criticism. But I do know that until you get is set by backfill, if a clumsy preacher steps on it wrong you can knock out a block out of place. I did have preacher Mike Stephens and Betty his wife over to look it over a couple of times and they were encouraging.

God is good to me. To get out and do something constructive like building a wall has been good for me to clear my mind out of the many troubles in the world. I know it will not last for eternity but I do hope it will last for a good many at least till the Lord comes or I leave this world. 

The work of the Kingdom of God is always far more important than a wall or a house, or anything physical but the work to build is important if we keep the right attitude about the Lord as we build it. Anything we accomplish is by His strength He gives us, His providing, and His wisdom. Thank you Lord for a wall with steps. I pray I can enjoy it as long as you choose to bless me and my family. 

Always

Psalm 34:1-3

1 I will praise the LORD at all times.

I will constantly speak his praises.

2 I will boast only in the LORD;

let all who are helpless take heart.

3 Come, let us tell of the LORD’s greatness;

let us exalt his name together.

Having praise for God in your heart no matter what is happening, no matter what you are doing, no matter where you find yourself is a secret to a fulfilled life. Yesterday and this week has been a time of good times and sometimes difficult moments. Perspective must be kept in mind at all times. What is God doing? What will the Lord use this moment for in my life? These are two good questions to ask yourself no matter what or where you find yourself. 

Dealing with my fathers age and problems, church issues, sermon preparation, and deadlines are all stressors in my life. But then I have blessings like being able to work at my home and accomplish some good things. I have great opportunity to be fulfilled in ministry by serving as a police chaplain and pastor. God is so good to me always. I must praise His name No matter the circumstances of life. 

This was a thought in my mind last night as we honored fallen officers from Cobb County. This was a thought in my mind yesterday as I shoveled dirt at the house. This will be the thought  today in my mind as I take my father to the doctor to get news about his health. I will praise the Lord always. 

What a great privilege to serve Law Enforcement as a chaplain and to be a part of an event like last night's Memorial Service on the Marietta Square.