On this wet Saturday morning I will be traveling to the Beckley area. This will be two Saturday's in a row that I have been in Beckley. I was there last week to officiate a wedding ceremony. This week I will be there to participate on the ordination council of the Youth Pastor at Daniels Bible Church. Mike Manney was one of the teens at Limerick Chapel when I worked as an assistant pastor there.
Mike and his wife Melissa are both from Limerick and I had the privilege of providing them with premarital counseling when they were finishing up as students at Appalachian Bible College. They both love the Lord and are eager to reach this generation for Jesus. It will be a joy to be a part of this special day in their lives.
For Melissa, the day should be rather smooth. She will be asked to share her testimony and whether or not she stands with her husband in vocational Christian service. Mike on the other hand will probably have a longer day. He will be asked to relate his theological and biblical knowledge to practical ministry in today's world. He will be asked by the council (which is made up of several pastors and the elders of his church) questions which will require more than a pat Bible answer. The question and answer time of the council will last for about 5 to 6 hours in total.
It is not the job of the council to "call" Mike into ministry--God does that. It is our job to recognize that call and to evaluate whether or not he is properly equipped with the biblical understanding needed to serve the Lord in today's world. We will not be seeking the answers to theological questions we have not been able to answer. This is not the time to play "stump the young guy." We want to prayerfully be used of God to help Daniels Bible Church evaluate his preparedness for ministry and encourage Mike to be the best servant for Christ he can be.
Usually, ordination councils remind me of my own ordination and how incredible it is that God uses me in ministry for His glory. What a joy it is to serve Christ!
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Monday, April 04, 2005
Have You Heard?
Have you heard the news? Pope John Paul II died Saturday. The 24 hour news channels have covered little else in the world. The eyes of not only Roman Catholics but people everywhere are fixed on what is taking place in Rome. Why has all of this attention gone to the death of one man?
For Catholics everywhere their earthly shepherd of the last quarter of a century is gone. For others a powerful voice in the world is gone. Billy Graham referred to John Paul II as "a great moral voice of a generation." Even for those that are not Catholic, there is an admiration of his ability to take strong stands for morality, while at the same time doing it with a tone of graciousness. He is the one who coined the phrase "a culture of life" when addressing the issue of the sanctity of human life. He has been the voice that has transcended cultures and crossed national borders in support of a biblical perspective on the family. He added greatly to the moral and philosophical discourse of our modern times. The world has suffered the loss of a leader who often repeated a view of morality from a biblical point of view.
His passing gives God's people a great opportunity to point to the one true mediator between God and man—Christ Jesus. With the deaths of Pope John Paul II and the Terry Schiavo, people all around us are asking life and death questions in light of eternity. Folks are wondering what exactly provides the bridge from a life marred by sin to eternal life with God. They are wondering what it takes to know that they are at peace with God. They question how they can experience the complete and total forgiveness of God. Jesus is the answer. He is the mediator and has finalized the mediation in His death, burial, and resurrection. God's grace saves a person as he or she express faith in Who Christ is and what He has done. Each person must choose to accept Jesus as the mediator between himself or herself and God.
Now, as the world faces life and death issues, is a wonderful time for us to share the incredible hope found in Jesus Christ and in Him alone. People are pondering the basic questions of eternity. Are you ready to answer their questions with the Good News of Jesus Christ?
For Catholics everywhere their earthly shepherd of the last quarter of a century is gone. For others a powerful voice in the world is gone. Billy Graham referred to John Paul II as "a great moral voice of a generation." Even for those that are not Catholic, there is an admiration of his ability to take strong stands for morality, while at the same time doing it with a tone of graciousness. He is the one who coined the phrase "a culture of life" when addressing the issue of the sanctity of human life. He has been the voice that has transcended cultures and crossed national borders in support of a biblical perspective on the family. He added greatly to the moral and philosophical discourse of our modern times. The world has suffered the loss of a leader who often repeated a view of morality from a biblical point of view.
His passing gives God's people a great opportunity to point to the one true mediator between God and man—Christ Jesus. With the deaths of Pope John Paul II and the Terry Schiavo, people all around us are asking life and death questions in light of eternity. Folks are wondering what exactly provides the bridge from a life marred by sin to eternal life with God. They are wondering what it takes to know that they are at peace with God. They question how they can experience the complete and total forgiveness of God. Jesus is the answer. He is the mediator and has finalized the mediation in His death, burial, and resurrection. God's grace saves a person as he or she express faith in Who Christ is and what He has done. Each person must choose to accept Jesus as the mediator between himself or herself and God.
Now, as the world faces life and death issues, is a wonderful time for us to share the incredible hope found in Jesus Christ and in Him alone. People are pondering the basic questions of eternity. Are you ready to answer their questions with the Good News of Jesus Christ?
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Disoriented by Time
I grew up near South Bend, Indiana. We did not change our clocks according to Daylight Savings Time (DST). We never sprung ahead or fell back at all. We never lost an hour of sleep or gained an hour of sleep. We did notice that Primetime on the TV changed an hour twice a year. That was the only disruption to our lives regarding DST.
I will never forget the first time I adjusted my clock back an hour. It was in the fall of 1985 as a freshman at Appalachian Bible College. The Head Resident of the dormitory posted a sign telling us to fall back an hour that night; how weird it was to actually "lose an hour" by adjusting my clock. It seemed like we were messing with what God had built into creation. We were playing with the universe itself.
Since that time, I have changed my clocks twice a year. I don't suppose I will ever get over this awkward and disorienting process. Today, I have struggled to figure out if I am on time or if I am late. My body feels the loss of an hour and longs for the fall when I will gain it back. Changing the clock for DST may give us longer summer days, but it sure confuses me each time we do it.
I have been reminded by today's change of the clock, that God is the one who has set the entire universe in motion. He is the one who keeps it running on schedule. He is the sustainer of all that He has made. Even when we must move our clocks, God is still aware of all that is happening and is still in control. While I get a little disoriented in life with simple things like DST, God never gets disoriented. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
I will never forget the first time I adjusted my clock back an hour. It was in the fall of 1985 as a freshman at Appalachian Bible College. The Head Resident of the dormitory posted a sign telling us to fall back an hour that night; how weird it was to actually "lose an hour" by adjusting my clock. It seemed like we were messing with what God had built into creation. We were playing with the universe itself.
Since that time, I have changed my clocks twice a year. I don't suppose I will ever get over this awkward and disorienting process. Today, I have struggled to figure out if I am on time or if I am late. My body feels the loss of an hour and longs for the fall when I will gain it back. Changing the clock for DST may give us longer summer days, but it sure confuses me each time we do it.
I have been reminded by today's change of the clock, that God is the one who has set the entire universe in motion. He is the one who keeps it running on schedule. He is the sustainer of all that He has made. Even when we must move our clocks, God is still aware of all that is happening and is still in control. While I get a little disoriented in life with simple things like DST, God never gets disoriented. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Saturday, April 02, 2005
Terri Schiavo - Death and Life
Over the past several weeks, I have been asked many questions regarding the Terri Schiavo situation. The whole thing has been an unpleasant mess for us as a nation. Some have concluded that the husband wanted her to die so that he could selfishly continue life as he wants it—free from any responsibility for her. Some have concluded that the parents have been selfishly delusional about her recovery and that their attempts to keep her alive are all about them rather than about her.
Through our media resources, it is hard to get an accurate picture of people on the surface let alone try to determine at a distance what their motivations are. I have made it clear in my conversations with folks inside and outside the Bible Center family as well as in interviews with the local media that I believe in difficult life and death issues we must always as a culture and in our laws err on the side of life. Providing food and water to a living being is basic to decent humanity. My purpose in this blog today is not to address the biblical foundations for this perspective, but to point out that all of the life and death issues we face (including the Schiavo case) are the result of man's sin.
It was in the paradise of the Garden of Eden that it all started. When Adam and Eve believed a lie from Satan and then acted on that lie by disobeying God, part of the curse was death. Death began its ugly and dark reign in humanity. From the point sin entered the human race, death has lingered like a thick dark, damp cloud chilling and shrouding lives ever since. God said it would be this way, but God also has provided Christ as the way in which the curse was lifted. His passion for us in His death, burial and resurrection has conquered the grip of death. Through faith in Christ the sting of death is removed for the individual and the hope of eternal life with Christ is granted.
The Schiavo situation has raised practical and philosophical issues that must be addressed, but the issues are even more complex than we see on the surface. While our nation grapples with the societal and scientific implications of the life and death issues, as God's children we must proclaim that this is all linked to the curse of sin, but that Jesus Christ came to remove its sting. We must be faithful in not just standing for the sanctity of physical life, but we must be the promoters of the deepest need--spiritual life through Jesus Christ. Whenever you discuss the crucial questions of life and death with others, always share the vital hope you have in Jesus Christ as the giver of real and lasting life!
Through our media resources, it is hard to get an accurate picture of people on the surface let alone try to determine at a distance what their motivations are. I have made it clear in my conversations with folks inside and outside the Bible Center family as well as in interviews with the local media that I believe in difficult life and death issues we must always as a culture and in our laws err on the side of life. Providing food and water to a living being is basic to decent humanity. My purpose in this blog today is not to address the biblical foundations for this perspective, but to point out that all of the life and death issues we face (including the Schiavo case) are the result of man's sin.
It was in the paradise of the Garden of Eden that it all started. When Adam and Eve believed a lie from Satan and then acted on that lie by disobeying God, part of the curse was death. Death began its ugly and dark reign in humanity. From the point sin entered the human race, death has lingered like a thick dark, damp cloud chilling and shrouding lives ever since. God said it would be this way, but God also has provided Christ as the way in which the curse was lifted. His passion for us in His death, burial and resurrection has conquered the grip of death. Through faith in Christ the sting of death is removed for the individual and the hope of eternal life with Christ is granted.
The Schiavo situation has raised practical and philosophical issues that must be addressed, but the issues are even more complex than we see on the surface. While our nation grapples with the societal and scientific implications of the life and death issues, as God's children we must proclaim that this is all linked to the curse of sin, but that Jesus Christ came to remove its sting. We must be faithful in not just standing for the sanctity of physical life, but we must be the promoters of the deepest need--spiritual life through Jesus Christ. Whenever you discuss the crucial questions of life and death with others, always share the vital hope you have in Jesus Christ as the giver of real and lasting life!
Friday, April 01, 2005
Destination without Direction
As a family, we traveled to Charlotte to get away for a few days this week. Our kids are out of school for Spring Break and it is hard for us to get quality time as a family in the Charleston area. We got away to a hotel with an indoor pool.
I made the arrangements online before we left home. We got in the car and headed down I-77 toward Charlotte. Then, I realized that I knew what hotel for which I had made the reservation, but I had not looked at how to get there once we arrived in the greater Charlotte area. We had a problem. We had a destination, but we lacked direction. I had to call and get directions.
Churches can do the same thing. It is easy to know the new programs, expanded ministries, additional staff members, and relocation site, but not know how to get there. Knowing our Christ-given mission is critical, having a shared vision of the future is vital, but without direction, execution of the plan is futile.
Praise the Lord that as a church family we are working on master planning for the new site. We are seeking God's guidance in laying out a plan for the land. To help us do the best job possible, we have hired a local architectural firm and they have partnered with an architectural firm out of Atlanta that specializes in building churches.
We don't want to have a sign out on the new property for years that says "Future Home of Bible Center Church." Without clear direction that is what will happen.
We not only have a destination that God has provided us for the relocation of this ministry, but we are seeking God's direction in how and what to build on the land to best represent Jesus Christ in the Kanawha Valley.
I made the arrangements online before we left home. We got in the car and headed down I-77 toward Charlotte. Then, I realized that I knew what hotel for which I had made the reservation, but I had not looked at how to get there once we arrived in the greater Charlotte area. We had a problem. We had a destination, but we lacked direction. I had to call and get directions.
Churches can do the same thing. It is easy to know the new programs, expanded ministries, additional staff members, and relocation site, but not know how to get there. Knowing our Christ-given mission is critical, having a shared vision of the future is vital, but without direction, execution of the plan is futile.
Praise the Lord that as a church family we are working on master planning for the new site. We are seeking God's guidance in laying out a plan for the land. To help us do the best job possible, we have hired a local architectural firm and they have partnered with an architectural firm out of Atlanta that specializes in building churches.
We don't want to have a sign out on the new property for years that says "Future Home of Bible Center Church." Without clear direction that is what will happen.
We not only have a destination that God has provided us for the relocation of this ministry, but we are seeking God's direction in how and what to build on the land to best represent Jesus Christ in the Kanawha Valley.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Disappointed I Didn't Get There
With yesterday being such a beautiful day, I had every intention of getting out on our new church property at Southridge. Spring days like the one we experienced yesterday are great days to roam around the land and pray. Two years ago, we were beginning to look at the possibility of this land as the place for us to relocate our facilities. Last spring, we were in the process of buying it. Each year, I have thoroughly enjoyed walking around the land and observing the creative beauty of it while talking with God.
From the very start of the day yesterday, I planned to take an hour or so to go out to the property and pray, but it didn't work out. I, like most people who were working yesterday, did not get out of the office to bask in the sunny glow of such a gorgeous spring day. The tyranny of the urgent robbed me of the opportunity. Such is life! But, I am disappointed I didn't get there. God has used those times of fellowship with Him as sweet and stirring moments in my life personally and professionally.
Next time it is nice out, I am there. Let me suggest that you take the time to get out and pray on the land in the coming days. If you are not sure where it is or how to best access it, call the church and ask the receptionist for help.
Please go out to the land and pray. Prayer is what will provide us the right plans for the use of the land. Prayer is the means by which God will provide the finances for our relocation. Prayer is what will most dramatically impact the timing of our move.
Prayer is what will ultimately get us all out there!
From the very start of the day yesterday, I planned to take an hour or so to go out to the property and pray, but it didn't work out. I, like most people who were working yesterday, did not get out of the office to bask in the sunny glow of such a gorgeous spring day. The tyranny of the urgent robbed me of the opportunity. Such is life! But, I am disappointed I didn't get there. God has used those times of fellowship with Him as sweet and stirring moments in my life personally and professionally.
Next time it is nice out, I am there. Let me suggest that you take the time to get out and pray on the land in the coming days. If you are not sure where it is or how to best access it, call the church and ask the receptionist for help.
Please go out to the land and pray. Prayer is what will provide us the right plans for the use of the land. Prayer is the means by which God will provide the finances for our relocation. Prayer is what will most dramatically impact the timing of our move.
Prayer is what will ultimately get us all out there!
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
God is the Author of Change
Today is such a beautiful day in Charleston. Spring has sprung! Yes!
By the latter part of August, I will probably be rejoicing that the warm sunny weather is giving way to the cool refreshing air of the fall, but today I am basking in the sun of late March. I am so glad our seasons change. God has provided us a tremendous blessing in the seasonal changes that we experience. Each new season communicates a fresh start—none more so than the spring.
God is the author of change. He has built it into His creation. Seasons change. A caterpillar becomes a butterfly. Clouds give way to sunshine after a storm. The rain washes away the dust that has built up over time.
God is the author of change. He has provided it through His salvation. A person whose sin once condemned him to eternal judgment can live forever with God because of God’s love gift of His Son. The guilt is removed by God’s life changing grace. The soul is set free due to the forgiveness of God. The person who has experienced all of this change because of faith in Christ now begins to see the new life of Christ change him. He experiences what Christ called the abundant life. As he surrenders to God’s plan and purpose for his life, God changes his attitudes, outlook, and behaviors.
As today’s awesome change in weather has captivated my thinking and reminded me of the author of change, I am reminded that He expects me to yield, trust, and obey so that He can change me. Don’t just rejoice in how God is changing the weather; let Him bring you joy as He changes you today!
By the latter part of August, I will probably be rejoicing that the warm sunny weather is giving way to the cool refreshing air of the fall, but today I am basking in the sun of late March. I am so glad our seasons change. God has provided us a tremendous blessing in the seasonal changes that we experience. Each new season communicates a fresh start—none more so than the spring.
God is the author of change. He has built it into His creation. Seasons change. A caterpillar becomes a butterfly. Clouds give way to sunshine after a storm. The rain washes away the dust that has built up over time.
God is the author of change. He has provided it through His salvation. A person whose sin once condemned him to eternal judgment can live forever with God because of God’s love gift of His Son. The guilt is removed by God’s life changing grace. The soul is set free due to the forgiveness of God. The person who has experienced all of this change because of faith in Christ now begins to see the new life of Christ change him. He experiences what Christ called the abundant life. As he surrenders to God’s plan and purpose for his life, God changes his attitudes, outlook, and behaviors.
As today’s awesome change in weather has captivated my thinking and reminded me of the author of change, I am reminded that He expects me to yield, trust, and obey so that He can change me. Don’t just rejoice in how God is changing the weather; let Him bring you joy as He changes you today!
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Yesterday's Solution, Today's Problem
While reading an article in a business journal last night, a statement jumped off the page and grabbed my attention: “Yesterday’s solutions are today’s problems.” How very true that statement is! The building located on Oakhurst Drive where the church known as Bible Center meets was once a great solution to the problem of the church’s continued growth.
Those who were here in the mid-seventies during the relocation from the downtown site to our current location have shared with me what a blessing it was for the congregation to move into this wonderful facility. This building was a solution to the space problem Bible Center Church faced back then. This site with all of its various expansions, additions, and enhancements has served as a wonderful tool of ministry to the glory of God for almost three decades.
The great solution has become a huge problem. God has continued to bless Bible Center with growth as a result of the church staying focused on the life-changing Good News of Jesus Christ. The pattern this church has faced over the years is a difficult one, but a good one: outgrowing various sites. Over the sixty plus years of ministry, this group of believers has moved from meeting in homes, to gathering in the shoe department of a downtown department store, to renting a store front, to buying a large home on the old Broad Street, to building a place to meet on the Kanawha boulevard, and finally to relocating to its current site on Corridor G. As the church has grown spiritually and numerically over the years, at each stage of that amazing growth the leadership has recognized that the past solution has become a current problem. We are now in that same situation again.
This wonderful site has become a hindrance and a hurdle to sharing Christ with the lost and teaching the relevant message of God’s Word for Christian living today. Praise the Lord He has opened a door for us in the new property at Southridge. He has provided us a 96 acre solution for the next phase of this church family’s ministry in the Kanawha Valley. We believe this is His solution for many, many decades to come.
Pray today that God would move us there more quickly than we would anticipate. Pray that God would bless some of our families financially in surprising ways and that He would burden them to give graciously and generously so that we might move into His new solution for us as we seek to preach Christ free from site restrictions! Pray that God would once again provide for us as we seek to remain faithful to Him and His Word.
Those who were here in the mid-seventies during the relocation from the downtown site to our current location have shared with me what a blessing it was for the congregation to move into this wonderful facility. This building was a solution to the space problem Bible Center Church faced back then. This site with all of its various expansions, additions, and enhancements has served as a wonderful tool of ministry to the glory of God for almost three decades.
The great solution has become a huge problem. God has continued to bless Bible Center with growth as a result of the church staying focused on the life-changing Good News of Jesus Christ. The pattern this church has faced over the years is a difficult one, but a good one: outgrowing various sites. Over the sixty plus years of ministry, this group of believers has moved from meeting in homes, to gathering in the shoe department of a downtown department store, to renting a store front, to buying a large home on the old Broad Street, to building a place to meet on the Kanawha boulevard, and finally to relocating to its current site on Corridor G. As the church has grown spiritually and numerically over the years, at each stage of that amazing growth the leadership has recognized that the past solution has become a current problem. We are now in that same situation again.
This wonderful site has become a hindrance and a hurdle to sharing Christ with the lost and teaching the relevant message of God’s Word for Christian living today. Praise the Lord He has opened a door for us in the new property at Southridge. He has provided us a 96 acre solution for the next phase of this church family’s ministry in the Kanawha Valley. We believe this is His solution for many, many decades to come.
Pray today that God would move us there more quickly than we would anticipate. Pray that God would bless some of our families financially in surprising ways and that He would burden them to give graciously and generously so that we might move into His new solution for us as we seek to preach Christ free from site restrictions! Pray that God would once again provide for us as we seek to remain faithful to Him and His Word.
Monday, March 28, 2005
To God Be The Glory!
Yesterday was a great day of worship here at Bible Center Church. Easter is such an incredible day to exalt who our Savior is and to celebrate what He has done for us in His death, burial, and resurrection. Through the Scripture reading, music, fellowship, and preaching, each of the morning services did lift up our risen Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. As a pastor, it is my favorite preaching day of the year. My theory is that if you can’t preach a biblically based, passionate message on Easter Sunday you might as well quit preaching.
God gave us a tremendous opportunity to share the hope of Christ’s resurrection with many guests yesterday. Many of our church family members introduced me to friends or loved ones with whom they have been sharing the gospel. It was exciting to meet folks that we have been praying would come to Christ. I have already received a couple of emails from individuals telling me that the guest they had with them yesterday has been asking probing questions about the message of hope they heard in our worship services. Praise the Lord! Let us continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will work in hearts, and that individuals who were with us yesterday will yet come to Christ as Savior.
One of our goals yesterday was to make all of the logistics of the morning (parking, nurseries, seating, etc.) run so smoothly that nothing would become a distraction from the message of the morning. I thank God for using so many people to accomplish this—from nursery workers and parking lot attendants to those who rearranged their morning schedule to worship with us at eight or who parked at one of the offsite parking lots and shuttled over to the church. We had over 475 people at the 8:00 service and we parked more than 100 cars off-site during the peak of our morning. Thanks to all of you who helped facilitate the logistics and to all of you who adjusted your Sunday morning routine. God used us, as we worked together as a body of believers, to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Overall, compared to last year’s number of 1,914 people in attendance in all three morning services, we had 2,075 people in all three services. Praise the Lord! What a joy and a privilege it is for me as God’s messenger to communicate the message of hope found in Jesus Christ to so many people. I am truly humbled that God can use us as a church in this way, and I am even more deeply humbled that He chooses in His sovereignty and grace to use me. To God be the glory!
God gave us a tremendous opportunity to share the hope of Christ’s resurrection with many guests yesterday. Many of our church family members introduced me to friends or loved ones with whom they have been sharing the gospel. It was exciting to meet folks that we have been praying would come to Christ. I have already received a couple of emails from individuals telling me that the guest they had with them yesterday has been asking probing questions about the message of hope they heard in our worship services. Praise the Lord! Let us continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will work in hearts, and that individuals who were with us yesterday will yet come to Christ as Savior.
One of our goals yesterday was to make all of the logistics of the morning (parking, nurseries, seating, etc.) run so smoothly that nothing would become a distraction from the message of the morning. I thank God for using so many people to accomplish this—from nursery workers and parking lot attendants to those who rearranged their morning schedule to worship with us at eight or who parked at one of the offsite parking lots and shuttled over to the church. We had over 475 people at the 8:00 service and we parked more than 100 cars off-site during the peak of our morning. Thanks to all of you who helped facilitate the logistics and to all of you who adjusted your Sunday morning routine. God used us, as we worked together as a body of believers, to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Overall, compared to last year’s number of 1,914 people in attendance in all three morning services, we had 2,075 people in all three services. Praise the Lord! What a joy and a privilege it is for me as God’s messenger to communicate the message of hope found in Jesus Christ to so many people. I am truly humbled that God can use us as a church in this way, and I am even more deeply humbled that He chooses in His sovereignty and grace to use me. To God be the glory!
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