What will you leave behind?

John Piper in his book “Don’t Waste Your Life” gives an illustration of a couple who had retired early from their jobs in the northeast and retired to Punta Gorda, FL.  They were living the good life.  Cruising out in their 30 foot boat and collecting sea shells.  Piper says he wonders what Jesus would say when they showed him how their life had been spent.  What will you leave behind?  What will your legacy be?  What will you say to Christ when you stand before Him?  As people pass by your coffin how will they assess your life’s work and accomplishments?

Some work their entire lives to leave behind a monetary inheritance, a healthy bank account to be divided up among their heirs.  Some will leave behind buildings, houses, lands and material properties.  What will you leave behind?  It was said about John Wesley after he died that he left little behind.  He had given away 30,000 pounds.  He had ridden over 250,000 miles on horseback.  He had preached 40,000 sermons.  What did he leave behind?  A few books, a worn out clergyman’s gown and the Methodist Church.   Churches and chapels with 135,000 members and 541 itinerant preachers.

What will you leave behind?

Poor Copies

Many are wondering how can we reach people in these post modern times.   The masses seem to be completely disinterested and put off by churches.  They seem too far away for us to reach them.  Many are attempting unbelievable things in the name of Christ and His church to try and have a relevant appeal.  I believe that in this attempt to be relevant that they have and continue to merely COPY a myriad of things from building styles, clothing, deportment, music and more.   And sadly, these are all poor copies. 

As an example of our poor copies many began to copy the cathedral builders.  The great world and state religions which built their buildings on the most prominent location.  Their architectural shrines were indeed awesome, but none of that could save a single soul.  From the humble beginnings of the upper rooms and houses we bought into the crazed idea that a building was the only way to have a church.  This has continued until no one even remembers what the church really is and that whether in the open air, in a home, a storefront, a rented office, it is just as much a church as if it were surrounded by the four walls underand impressive ceilings of a cathedral.  Millions are spent on these copies that have little impact in order to reach souls around the world.

Some began to copy the Pentecostals with their wild fire. They saw that with their music and their star quality guests that greater crowds would come.  We felt as long as we could hold to our biblical doctrine it would not be a problem to copy their methods.  But we should have been better students of history to know that it doesn’t take long for our methodology to effect our theology. 

Some began to copy the Liberals with their political correctness.  They began to neutralize their message.  They were afraid they might offend if they were not always positive.  They didn’t want to turn anyone off by preaching agains sin, evil and perversion.  Taking a new PC stance they soon lost their power.

Some kept their eyes on the world and seeing the effectiveness of Hollywood, Nashville and New York’s ability to make a splash, draw a crowd and influence people they began to copy their ways.  They threw out the hymns and hymnals.  They took off their ties and put on blue jeans and sneakers.  They visited the tatoo parlors.  They spiced up their pulpit language.  They put on a show.  They entertained.  All the lights, all the smoke, all the glitz.  The problem is now no one  can really tell where the world’s show ends and the church’s show begins. 

So we have copied and copied until no one remembers what the original looked like.  Can we wonder why so many are confused and disenfranchised?  Is it any wonder people don’t trust the church?  Is it any wonder that our message has become diluted, that we are powerless and we are loosing more with each passing generation?  We must get back to the ORIGINAL!  Stop copying!  Get it straight from the book!  God gave us the plan to reach people and it will work in every generation and in every culture.  Do we believe the Bible?  Then we must put away all the modern textbooks from all the church growth and marketing gurus and preach and teach the Gospel publicly and from house to house.  We must take the risk and suffer persecution if necessary.  Take criticism!  We must be a bit old fashioned.  Dust off the old Bible.  Use it!  The Gospel is still the power of God unto salvation.  The Holy Spirit still convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment!   The preaching the cross will always be foolishness to those who are perishing but it is still the power of God to the saved!  I believe if we spent even a fraction of the time giving the Gospel publicly and privately as we do copying everything that comes down the pike we could see a difference.  Let’s take a new look at  the original plan that God gave.  It will work!  It is backed by His promise!

Rebuked

No one ever likes to be rebuked!  And today people seem to be even more sensitive and resistive to being rebuked than ever before.  That sensitivity begins when we are very young and as we get older it seems our resentment to rebuke grows with us.  But “rebuke” is an important part of the development of our lives both morally, socially and spiritually. 

For preachers God’s Word says we are to preach the word, reprove and REBUKE.   Some of today’s “preachers” argue that they do not want to offend anyone by rebuking them about their sin.  “Your Best Life Now” seems to be only reachable by plastic smiles and pleasant platitudes.  But sometimes to have the best life God intends for us we need to be rebuked.  I trust God’s word on this and I trust the examples of Jesus Christ.  He taught and led his disciples to be men who turned the world upside down and preached the Gospel to every creature under the sun.  For these men to develop into the calibre of men who could do the work of the Great Commission they at times needed to be rebuked.  And we do too! 

When Peter got his eyes off the plan of God and tried to insert his own will into things he was strongly rebuked by the Lord.  When Peter or any of us cannot discern God’s plan and try to push our own way, a rebuke is needed.  We must  pay attention to God’s plan. 

On another occasion when the disciples wanted to call fire down from heaven Jesus rebuked them.  Perhaps all of us at times have felt like we wanted to do the same.  But when we forget about the grace that is needed to work in a sinful, wicked world we need to be rebuked. 

I know if we are not careful we can major on the negatives.  All of us prefer not to be rebuked.  But when needed I hope I will be sensitive to be rebuked through God’s Word, by the Holy Spirit and through the faithful preaching by a man of God who is still preaching the word, reproving, rebuking and exhorting with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Lessons In Leaven

In Matthew 16:1-13 we read of the Pharisees and Saducees coming to Jesus to tempt him.  He calls them hypocrites!  He knew their thoughts and intentions and that they only hoped to discredit him - it wasn’t happening. 

But all of that grew into a great teaching lesson.  In the midst of this the disciples had a startling discovery.  They had forgotten bread.  Have you ever done something like this?  Forgotten something important?  Something necessary?  But the worst part and I think the truly notable point was – not that they had forgotten the bread – their food, but that they had forgotten earlier, vital and life changing lessons that they had been taught.  These lessons (the feeding of the multitudes) should have been at the forefront of their thinking and it should have been something that had changed them forever! 

But alas, the disciples both them then and us today, seem to have difficulty discerning what are the most important things.  Case in point:  Remember in John 4 when the disciples had entered the Samaritan village to buy food.  When they returned they found Jesus had been busy dealing with the woman by the well.  He had served up living water that gave life changing and eternal blessing.  But the disciples couldn’t get past their own issues.  They wanted him to eat.  He stated that he had meat to eat that they knew nothing about.  Ok!  They asked “who gave him something to eat?”  They didn’t get it. 

Do you see how we sometimes can’t seem to get off the earth track?  His ways truly are higher than our ways.  Thank goodness he is patient with his disciples, but he does rebuke us.  He calls us down for our faithlessness, forgetfulness and foolishness.  He wants us to grow!  He wants us to learn! 

This discourse was about learning.  We need to learn.  If we don’t learn we will fall for bad doctrine (teaching).  So what are some of the lessons we can learn with these disciples in Matthew 16:

• Don’t forget the great things the Lord has already done for you in your life.
• Don’t get sidetracked from the main, and eternal issues in life.
• The spiritual matters are more important (eternal) than the fleshly needs (temporal).
• The Lord often uses simple examples to teach us vital spiritual lessons.   
• Don’t miss good things from the Lord by jumping to wrong conclusions.   

There was a lesson in the leaven.  Let’s learn and grow!

Looking Is Never Enough

In the last post I told you about what I was seeing as I am visiting Haiti.  These are no new sights for me.  I have been here many times.  I have seen it in other countries too.  But one thing I have found is that it is never enough to just look.  In Luke 10 we see the man who had fallen among thieves, was robbed, wounded and left half dead by the side of the road.  The priest passed by and the Scripture says “he saw him” but passed by on the other side.  Then the Levite passed by and it says “he looked on him” and passed by on the other side.  Looking is never enough. 

Many see the poverty.  Poverty is never just physical, it is also spiritual.  It is the result of sin.  The devil, described as a thief in John 10 comes to steal, kill and destroy.  Just as the thieves in Luke 10, he steals the raimnent, taking away his dignity.  He wounds him and leaves him half dead.  The result of sin and the ravages of the devil are not difficult to see.  But looking at the problem, passing by the problem, ignoring the problem is never enough.  Something more is needed.

WWJD.  What would Jesus do?  What did he do?  He of course is the Good Samaritan.  What do we see him doing?  He didn’t just look.  He never just looked.  When he saw this sin ravaged world what did he do?  Look!  No, that was not enough.  He came!  So the Good Samaritan looked, but didn’t pass by as the others, he came to where he was. 

What was it that caused him to look, to come and to minister?  If we look at the text in Luke 10 we see that this entire story was told to illustrate the command that says we are to love God and love our neighbor.  The problem is of course, many today, even some reading this post are like the lawyer who was willing to justify himself.  Many WILL NOT LOVE as they should.  They say, “who is my neighbor?” 

So it seems evident that to love them is key.  And of course this means that if we do like the Good Samaritan it is more than words.  And sometimes love is costly.  To be a Good Samaritan meansthat you are willing to pay:

• the cost for his mission - “as he journeyed”
• the cost for supplies – “bind up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine”
• the cost for transportation - ”set him on his own beast”
• the cost for lodging – “brought him to an inn”
• the cost for miscellaneous needs – “whatsoever thou spendest more”

Yes, it is costly to love like Christ.  Sad, but most try to justify their selfishness, their inactivity, their lack of love.  They don’t want to leave their comfort zone.  They don’t want to exert any energy.  They want to keep all for themselves.  More for leisure.  More for entertainment.  More for pleasures.  Save it for retirement security, for a rainy day.  But looking is never enough!  We must LOVE!   Looking can be free.  Loving COSTS!  (John 3:16)

Looking At Poverty

As we rode from the airport in Port au Prince toward the orphanage in the ravine area of Girardo and then onto Gressier for our Pastor’s family camp I could not shut out the poverty all around me. I struggled with my thoughts. What a poor nation! Poorest in our hemisphere. A sadness closes over me as I think of the great needs here. I want to help. Where can one even begin.

We stop by “My Father’s House” orphanage in Girardo. Most of the 89 children crowd around us and look up to us with their sad, sallow eyes. They are living in inadequate, close conditions. They get only enough food to stay alive, but hardly thrive. We are able to deliver underclothing for all the children, a gift from Word of Life Baptist Church in PA brought by Rick and Mary Kay Paquette. We also deliver and place on the wrists some Gospel bracelets made by the children of Cornerstone Independent Baptist Church in Enola, PA in their VBS. We explain the story of the Gospel that it represents. This church also gave $2000 to help with the home. We and they are so thankful for every gift. It all helps.

Then I look at the budget. We need $2637.00 for school uniforms so the kids can start school next month. We need money for 89 pairs of shoes. We need $2198.00 for the school and kindergarten tuition for the children. We need $2004.00 for books and school supplies. The total is close to $10,000.00. Oh yes, we can’t forget that we also need enough money each month to feed the children and pay for the 13 workers and staff.

We love on the children for awhile. We give out some rare treats. They are having fun, Frances and Mary have especially enjoyed holding the youngest children on their laps, but it is time for us to leave for now. We continue on our trip to Gressier. Bad roads, filth, broken down hovels. We pass a couple of homes where the people have gathered a few sticks to roast themselves an ear of corn. That is their supper. We finally arrive at the camp. By Haitian standards it is wonderful. At least those who join with us this week know they have better prospects of finding something to eat here at the camp. They may sleep on the floor, but that is no different from their home. They will have little or no electricity, normal for them. They are still poor. When I leave they will go home. They will try to eat. They will try to survive.

Looking at poverty.   What can I say to these poor people? How can I help? Will I be able to say anything that will make any difference in their lives? Will I leave them better or worse for my visit? I want you to put yourself in my place and think of what you would say or do. I will leave you to consider your response until my next post.

…to yet another town.

 For all of our years in ministry our mission has been simple:  getting the Gospel into the next towns.  Mark 1:38 has not only been our motto, it has been our life – going into the next towns.  We are all about evangelism, discipleship, training, and church planting.  I hope we can continue for as many years as the good Lord gives us.  We live for this.  We get up everyday to see how we can get the Gospel a bit further into the regions beyond us. 

 

Today I talked to several of our pastors to check on the work that is going on in their areas.  What a blessing to hear of their faithful evangelism and the plans they have and how the Lord is blessing.  Keep praying for these men as they serve the Lord.  Keep praying for us as we personally go out to open new works, as we help the pastors we have already trained in their work and as we train and prepare others to go on to yet other fields.  I spoke with one of our pastors in Cuba today about the burden he has to open a new work in Ecuador.  My heart was filled with joy and emotion as I realized how they are living for the Great Commission.  These are pastors in a communist country, working in harsh conditions, with much persecution, but they are thinking about how to get the Gospel out to other places far and near. 

 

Today I get to – notice I didn’t say I have to – I get to go and train some of our men and mentor and help them become what God has called them to do!  Praise the Lord!  Yes, this is what we live for … to go … to preach … to yet another town.  www.baptistevangelism.org

What To Do When Your King Dies

All the news medias, the social networks and it seems everything has been buzzing with the news of the death of Michael Jackson, King of Pop.  Jackson died on June 27th.  His death is still being investigated.  The memorial is today in Los Angelos.  The news reports hundreds of thousands will come out for this memorial where “the King” will be laid to rest.  As I have witnessed all the outpouring of interest surrounding “the kings” death a question came to mind.  What happens when “the king” dies?

First, I must confess, Michael Jackson was not my king.  I am sure to his many fans he was truly their king, idolized and adored.  Some, it was reported, were so distraught that they killed themselves.  Sad to think that their lives had no more meaning than to end with the death of their king.  Many in the music world, in Hollywood and elsewhere have been eulogizing MJ non stop.  Sadly, all that is left to say is goodbye.

Second, I also confess that I have a different king and my king lives!  I serve One King, His name is Jesus Christ.  According to Scripture He died.  His fans had forsaken Him at the time of His death.  His enemies thought they had an end to Him.  But King Jesus arose from the dead after three days.  He appeared to hundreds.  His followers went forth proclaiming His resurrection and spreading His message into all the world.  My King is still living!  Michael Jackson is dead!

Third, if your king has died, find a king that death cannot hold, that does not stay in the grave.  Find a king who is worthy of our following, adoring, honoring, living and dying.  Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ!  Make Him King of your life!  Open your heart to Him!   Other kings have come and gone.  Kings Jesus lives!

Holding Fast The Faithful Word

We had a great time teaching this week in our Seminaire Baptiste Evangelique d’Haite.  I was joined by Pastor George Warren of New Hope Baptist in Pascoag, RI  andRick Paquette, from Pennsylvania.  Both of them were a wonderful asset to the module.  George taught Bibliology all week, teaching all the importance of the Word of God.  Rick Paquette did a great job teaching a wonderful session on Christ in the Psalms.  I taught all week from 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus chapter 1 on the qualifications of a pastor.  I taught on the personal, public, paternal and pastoral qualifications necessary for pastors.  Our students were faithful, prompt, attentive and very responsive.  Many had interesting questions and all seemed to soak up the teaching like sponges.  We praise the Lord for the opportunity to teach 30 plus pastoral students that will have an impact on many churches and the work of the Lord in Haiti and beyond. 

Please pray for us as we train leaders for the churches in the Caribbean basin and beyond.   More than 60 students are enrolled and attending training in Florida, Cuba, Guatemala and Haiti.  This coming month we will be working with our churches in Cuba.  For the next couple of months we have camps planned for several locations as well as our training.  We appreciate your prayers as we serve the Lord to reach souls, plant churches and train their leaders.

To The Heart – Great Words For Great Works

EVANGELISM is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. –D. T. Niles

If your Gospel isn’t touching others, it hasn’t touched you! –Curry R. Blake

We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God. — John Stott

The greatest hindrances to the evangelization of the world are those within the church. –John R. Mott 

The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed. –Hudson Taylor

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. –Jim Elliot

People who don’t believe in missions have not read the New Testament. Right from the beginning Jesus said the field is the world. The early church took Him at His word and went East, West, North and South. – J. Howard Edington

The Holy Spirit can’t save saints or seats. If we don’t know any non-Christians, how can we introduce them to the Savior? –Paul Little 

Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. — John Piper

Evangelization is a process of bringing the gospel to people where they are, not where you would like them to be. When the gospel reaches a people where they are, their response to the gospel is the church in a new place… –Vincent Donovan

The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become. – Henry Martyn

How you believe God perceives people will determine how you respond to them. –Jacquelyn K. Heasley

Life is too short and hell is too hot to just play church. –Larry Osborne

Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell. — C.T. Studd

It is possible to do evangelism without planting churches, but it is not possible to plant churches without doing evangelism. –unknown

God’s plan in these last days is revival in His worldwide church and through the revived church the reaping of a final great harvest of souls. –N. Grubb

The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became Man for no other purpose. –C. S. Lewis

We talk of the Second Coming; half the world has never heard of the first. – Oswald J. Smith

We Christians are debtors to all men at all times in all places, but we are so smug to the lostness of men. We’ve been “living in Laodicea “, lax, loose, lustful, and lazy. Why is there this criminal indifference to the lostness of men? Our condemnation is that we know how to live better than we are living. –Leonard Ravenhill

Being an extrovert isn’t essential to EVANGELISM–obedience and love are. –Rebecca M. Pippert

It is now possible to live a “christian life” without doing the things that Jesus commanded us to do. We have hired people to go into all the world, to visit those in prison, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to care for widows and orphans. The average Christian doesn’t have to do it. –Cal Thomas

Missionary zeal does not grow out of intellectual beliefs, nor out of theological arguments, but out of love. – Roland Allen

Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth. –John Wesley

“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for.” Spurgeon

Some that concern the life we need to live for the world that needs a witness:

“Live simply so that others can simply live.” unknown

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Jim Elliot

Trust and obey not think and decide.

Never doubt in the dark what God has revealed in the light.

Thanks to Guy Muse Missionary to Ecuador for the compilation of the above quotes on his blog.