What a Great Day!

As we’ve wrestled the storms that last few days, yesterday was a rough one! After a meeting last night at church I was beginning to wonder if my car was going to make it home. After several detours and finally forging water that had to be at least a foot deep (as evidenced by my wet floorboards) I made it home. This morning there was little evidence of the nights flooding as the sun was shining and for the first time in several days it wasn’t raining. That was just the beginning of a great day. McKayla’s hearing was held today in Jefferson County and many, many prayers were answered. As you may or may not know, her mom surrendered to us in January, and today her dad’s parental rights were terminated, and while he has the right to appeal, his attorney and others advised him it would do no good because he is still incarcerated. I must say I felt compassion for him as he continues to suffer the consequences of his actions from years gone by. Well, with that being said, we are praising God for bringing this joyful child into our lives and pray that we might be able to offer her a brighter future as we train her in the ways of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Today we praise God for the judge’s ruling and thank everyone who had lifted this process in prayer. Now, as the adoption process moves forward, please continue to pray.

Where's the Passion?

I’ve just re-read a great little book…for about the fourth or fifth time. How Great a Flame by James Logan is subtitled Contemporary Lessons from the Wesleyan Revival and Logan is in the church’s face! He dissects the Wesleyan Revival of the early to mid eighteenth century in England which spilled over to America by the early nineteenth century. He does a good job of painting the historical picture for us, but really gets down to what I see as the meat of the issue when he asks the questions, “Where is the passion for Jesus Christ in our local congregations?" "Is our failure to name the name of Jesus in the public marketplace due to a demotion in rank of Him in our own lives and the life of our congregations?" Wow…right between the eyes! We, the clergy and laity, will reap exactly what we sow. There are too many people sitting in pews and standing in pulpits who lack any type of relationship with Jesus Christ. Many attend church out of habit and some because it is the expedient thing to do. Worried about political correctness, too many churches have become private country clubs with membership limited to those who we like and those who are like us. Unless and until we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ and become fully focused on pointing others to Him, churches will continue to fail. Problem is most of these churches don’t realize they are failing until it is much too late to be revived. Yes, I know you think nothing is impossible for God, but that is not exactly true. It is impossible for God to turn around a failing church who will not be turned…because God has chosen to limit His power and not force us all to become faithful disciples of Jesus Christ…we (clergy and laity alike) must desire that relationship.

Grace

Since we've just celebrated the Resurrection, this video seems appropriate...I love these guys!

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday and I cannot think of a proper way to observe this most holy day. Don't get me wrong, there are many things we might do...but everything I think of falls way short of giving God the praise and glory due him for the tremendous sacrifice and wonderful gift He gave us on the cross. Here at Beulah, tradition is on Good Friday morning to carry a cross through the local communities. Now, I had feared this could be "something we've always done" and I am sure it could be if we approach it with the wrong heart. But, to carry a cross silently in remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice, all the while bathing the act in prayer so that others might also be reminded of Jesus' sacrifice, seems like the very least we might do, regardless of the weather. Here's a short clip as we carried a cross through the local communities of Sumner, Bridgeport, and Lawrenceville. It's nothing more than our meager act of praise...to God be the glory!

Who Do You Worship?

If this offends you...watch it again, carefully!

He's In The Midst

Ooops!…forgot to post this Wednesday…

Quite a harrowing experience for some of us in southern Illinois last night…many fared much worse than the Quick’s, thought it was a mighty display of nature’s power. Yet, with all the wind and rain, lightning and thunder, Anna & Bella woke up this morning with no clue of what went on. When I mentioned it, Anna just shrugged it off saying; God was protecting us…and this coming from a girl who is mostly afraid of the dark! After I thought about it for a moment, I agreed. How many times are we totally oblivious to the storms around us, only to emerge from the tempest totally in tact and ready for the next moment or day? Do you think that is just coincidence? I do not. I see God’s hand at work so many times when we are unaware. I see God protecting, guiding, helping, and opening doors…sometimes God even shuts doors. And when someone tells me “It feels as if God is nowhere to be found,” it is then God is often the closest (if we will just look rather than simply trust our feelings). So, let the storms come, as the hymn says, He’s in the midst!

He's In The Midst
He's in the midst of our storm.
He's in the valley we walk through.
Where two or three are gathered in His name
...He'll be there too.
When you feel so all alone,
He is standing next to you.
He's with us now
...our Lord, He's in the midst.

What's Happened?

As we find ourselves in Holy Week, I am haunted by the question, “What causes a church to abandon its mission and turn inward?” Is it that folks lack a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ? Perhaps they have been misinformed to believe all that matters is a “salvation moment” and there is nothing else to do. How does someone who has come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ not know the importance of reaching others and growing in their faith? How can a church justify turning their focus inward, abandoning the great commission? When I think of the price paid by Jesus Christ for the human race, I cannot understand the mentality of preserving “my” church at any cost rather than being about Kingdom work. I have seen so many churches become more worried about preserving their own church and/or traditions instead of furthering the Church of Jesus Christ. It is no wonder so many churches (of every tribe) are failing. It is no wonder the church has lost credibility with people in our day. When we take our eyes off the prize…or worse yet, we decide we need to redefine the prize…we are no longer disciples of Jesus Christ, we have become disciples of the enemy.