Priceless Pearls

Jesus tells the story, in Matthew 13:45-46, about a merchant who was searching for fine pearls. When he found one of exceptional quality, a priceless pearl, he sold everything else to buy that one. The interesting part of the story is that he was looking for so special, not to see how many pearls he could accumulate. He knew that hidden among valuable items there was something beyond value, worth everything he had.

Sometimes the treasure we go looking for is the most valuable to us. Sometimes it is the hidden treasure that we find along the way that means the most to us. The pearl merchant’s story may appear to have been an accidental discovery, one pearl among millions, but it was a discovery he was prepared to make. He committed his life to keep his eyes open to see the priceless among the average in a world surrounded by value.

The parable is about the kingdom of God. Finding Jesus and having a relationship with God through Him is not another pearl. He is a priceless pearl worth giving up everything to have. He considered us each to be a priceless pearl as well.

The discovery of priceless pearls brings about life changing experiences. Our relationship with God is a priceless pearl. Finding a spouse, a life-long friend, is a priceless pearl. Some words of wisdom are called pearls. Learning a life changing lesson and making an important decision can be priceless pearls too.

How many of us see the world around us filled with valuable treasure? And then, how many of us have our eyes tuned to see the exceptional among the valuable? Maybe I have become a cynic, but I do not know many pearl merchants. I think this story challenges us to raise our standards, open our eyes, and see the pearls that are all around us. There are valuable people, valuable moments, and valuable opportunities that pass before our eyes every day. We have to be able to see the pearls before we will ever be able to find a priceless pearl among them.

This month of thanksgiving I thank God for the pearls He has placed around me. I am especially thankful for the priceless pearls that change my life for the better, and the ability He has given me to recognize many of them.
Bro. Robin

Change

As we drove from western Arkansas through eastern Oklahoma we were taken by the beauty of the tree covered hills. One wonders how God could combine so many shades of red, yellow, orange, and brown with an occasional splash of green leftover from the summer to create such a panorama. The view was breath taking beautiful. Our conversation was constantly interrupted by, “Look at that one.”

We look forward to fall and the spectacular views of the changing colors. The colors are not the only changes that fall brings. The temperature changes, the sports we watch change, time even changes, and for some our jobs may also change.

Change comes to us all. So why do we all have so much trouble adjusting to change in so many areas of our lives? Change is a regular part of our society and culture. Yet anytime we make changes to our personal routine it takes an effort to make the change.

Perhaps that is the pattern I am looking for. We celebrate change that affects us all. We deliberately drive through the country to watch the changing seasons. But our discomfort with change seems to grow as the change becomes more personal. Changes in our routine in our life, our job, and even in our church takes us longer to appreciate.

I read a quote recently that the only person who likes change is a wet baby. I can’t seem to find the source but it sure makes sense. Sometimes we may even agree that the change is necessary but just do not get in there and help make it happen. If we could get as excited about changes we need to make as we do about the changing seasons we might see good things happen more quickly.

Change is an important part of the Christian life. There is no salvation without repentance, which means change. Paul said, “We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed,” (1 Cor. 15:51) One day we will be called to the ultimate change. We will change from mortal to immortal. I don’t think any of us will drag our feet when that trumpet sounds.

Bro. Robin

Appreciation

There are some expressions that are so common that when we use them we all know what we mean. For example, when I say, “my better half,” everyone knows that I am talking about my wife. When we say, “our pride and joy,” we all know that we are talking about a child, usually a baby. We know this because the feelings we have about our children are as universal as the expression. As our children get older we may stop using such expressions to describe them. But the feelings of pride and joy never go away and never diminish.

We share in the experiences of our children. We may be disappointed from time to time. When they hurt we hurt with them. When they are happy we are happy with them. When they are appreciated for something they have done, we feel appreciated right along with them.

This month you showed your appreciation for my son, Eric, for his service to our country and his sacrifice. The crowd that came for the dinner was overwhelming as you honored Eric and Andria. Congressman John Boozman’s appearance was also a special honor, arranged by some of our members. Eric well deserved your attention that day. My heart was full of pride and joy for my son and for all of you who were there to show your appreciation.

This was also Clergy Appreciation month. I thank you for the way you showed your appreciation when you also honored the staff with many kind words and a dinner. You pulled out all the stops and blessed us more than I can say. Personally, I felt honored two weeks in a row. You showed your appreciation for my family, my co-workers (who are like family), and me. Thank you.

This is a great church and this is what makes this church great. My prayer is that our love and appreciation for each other will grow and spread. This is the heart of the Gospel that we are taking across the street and around the world.

God Bless you for your love for Him and for us.
Bro. Robin

Reminders

As we were moving the seasonal decorations from the doorway to our home Joyce noticed little things hidden among the decorations that she had not put there. There among the summer decorations were toy soldiers and cars. It was obvious the grandchildren had been there. They had played some game of their own invention and when they were called away for supper or something else of importance, they left behind little reminders of their presence.

Last week we attended a meeting that included a lot of old friends from our past. It was really good to renew old friendships. We also saw how the experiences of our lives together affect us all. When we allow people to touch our lives we touch each other. They leave an impression that affects us in ways that we may not even realize for years. We leave reminders of ourselves in the lives of others.

I thought about the many places we had lived and the people we have known. Scattered along the way are little reminders of our presence. Most of those experiences were good, some of them regrettable. I remember a bit of advice I often give to people: As time passes we tend to remember best the good things in life and remember less the bad things.

Everything we touch is changed by us in some small way. Everything God touches is changed in a significant way.

Paul said, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” Love God and keep the goal of God’s purpose in sight. When we seek God’s touch, the reminders of ourselves we leave along the way will point to God.
Bro. Robin

Keeping Score

“This is not a competition,” I said, as the teams were reporting on their day.

We were on a mission trip and had divided up into teams to share the gospel in different areas. It was not supposed to be a competition for a number of reasons. We were sharing the gospel to lead people to a relationship with Jesus Christ. To do it right takes time. Doing it wrong does not take as much time. So numbers may not be a good indicator of success. It may only reveal speed and a need to do more follow up.

“Okay, so how many did you get?” a team member asked.

It is human nature to be competitive. Some people are naturally more competitive than others. We keep score in order to know who wins. There are winners and losers. Sometimes we have the attitude that if somebody is going to win it might as well be me. I find that annoying mainly because I know I have that attitude at times, and am praying to change it in my own life.

There is a problem when we feel the need to keep score at everything. There are a lot of times when keeping score is more than annoying; it is the wrong thing to do. We should keep score at friendly games, but not with friendships. We should keep track of debts we owe, but not of wrongs committed against us. Marriage, family, Church, and work are all places where keeping score is wrong.

We can sometimes make a game out of an activity and make it fun and easier to do. Friendly score keeping as part of such a game can bring out the best in us. Unkind score keeping to prove a point of one-up-man-ship can destroy a relationship.

In speaking about love in the classic chapter, 1 Corinthians 13:5b, Paul said, Love, “does not keep a record of wrongs.” (HCSB) Love does not keep score and does not have to win.

When people in a relationship feel that they have to win and someone has to lose they both lose. On the other hand, when we want someone else to win and we set aside our needs for someone else, we all win. That is love, and that is the Gospel truth.
Bro. Robin

Change with a Purpose

“I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25) Jesus said this on the way to the cemetery. His friend Lazarus had died and Jesus was on His way to see him. He was not going to a funeral. The funeral had already taken place. He comforted Lazarus’ sisters with talk of resurrection. But they did not know what Jesus had in mind until it was all over. Jesus saw His friend’s death as an opportunity for a new beginning.

New beginnings are not as rare as you might think. Children are born, we start school, and we get new jobs, take on new tasks, and start new things all the time. Some see every day as a fresh new start to something in our lives. Most of the time, in order to start something new, we had to bring something else to an end. We learn as we move through the changes in life that change is good and even small changes can bring great results.

If I can paraphrase Jesus, I believe He is saying to us, “I am a fresh start, a new beginning, and the continuation of this new direction.” Paul said, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17). When God brings new things He brings blessings with Him.

As I look at the start of the new church year I can see many changes coming. An old building needs to come down and a new one will need to be built. Some old programs will need to be traded for new ones. If we are going to be ready to reach people in a changing culture we will need to change some old ideas for some new ones. We have done it before. We can do it now.

Some things will not change. It will always be the same Gospel, the same Great Commission, and the same Great Commandment. God’s Word remains the same even when the ways we communicate change. This Church will continue to be a loving fellowship of God’s people, perhaps even more so. We keep our eyes and ears open to see where God is calling us to His work and our hands and feet ready to go.

Are you ready? Let’s go together and see what God can do with a people united in love for His purpose.
Bro. Robin

Worship

Worship is at the heart of our relationship with Christ. It is our expression of God’s worth to us, worth-ship. I have seen it defined as our response to God’s revelation of Himself. To understand worship it is something to experience, rather than define.

There are many examples and descriptions of worship in scripture. I find it helpful to focus on a few things that are meaningful and seek to grow in those areas of worship. I have made an acrostic to help me remember some of the most meaningful ways of worship that I have discovered in scripture and experience.

WORSHIP:

Wait on the lord, as a waiter waits on customers. (Acts 13:2)

Organize my thoughts. God brings order out of chaos. (Philippians 2:5)

Remember what I learn. Take notes and bring something home from each worship experience. (2 Timothy 2:15)

Sing. Singing includes praise and like praise it requires participation. (Ephesians 5:19)

Help. A worship service must include service in order to be worship. (Romans 12:1-2)

Intercede for others in prayer. (Philippians 1:4)

Prevail. The message will prevail, (Acts 19:20)

I hope these simple words will encourage you to experience God today. You can find God anywhere if you take the time to look. Take time to experience worship today.

Look to the Future

This year, in addition to my usual garden fare, I planted some grape vines. I found the plants at nearby Tontitown where they grow many varieties of grapes. I have bought grapes there in the summer to make my own grape jam.

My favorite jam is made from Concord grapes. I make it with the whole skins. That is where the flavor is. It is a slow, painstaking, process to slice each grape by hand to remove the seeds and keep the grapes as whole as possible. There are shorter, easier ways to make jam. But the flavor and consistency is just not the same. There are also many varieties of grapes and some of them are seedless and have a better flavor for eating or making other things. I prefer Concord for my jam because that is the flavor I have always enjoyed the most.

Growing grapes is not easy. My dad had grapes when I was growing up and I remember the work that went into them. They had to be watered, pruned, and sometimes treated with chemicals or fertilizers. The end result could be a good harvest. Sometimes the result was simply a hope for a better harvest next year. Besides the time and work there was always the weather and seasonal elements that only God can control.

One thing is for certain. If you do not plant you cannot harvest. You have to look to the future.

Many of Jesus’ parables are taken from the field. He saw the cycle of growing things as perfect examples to explain our role in the kingdom, and in building His Church. It is his Church, His Kingdom, His vineyard, and we are the workers. He gives us everything we need but we still have to plant the seeds, till the soil, take care of the plants, and bring in the harvest. We have to look to the future.

We live and work in the present. Many times our focus is so caught by the present that we have a hard time seeing how the future is ever going to come out good. We forget how many elements are in God’s hands. Our faith needs to be in Him. While we may plant and water it is God who brings the growth. (1 Corinthians 3:6)

“Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, CSV) We have many challenges before us and we may not be able to see how we can accomplish them. Our hope is in God as we look to the future.

Bro. Robin

Dizzy or Drowsy

My ears are ringing and I am dizzy. I finally gave in to the symptoms of my discomfort and went to see the doctor. What triggered the doctor’s visit was really just a few annoying symptoms. This makes it difficult to do several normal everyday things like walk and drive. I need to be able to move around and function normally.

The doctor was very helpful. He said I needed an antibiotic and prescribed something for the dizziness. I was all excited about feeling normal again until I looked at the message on the side of the bottle. It read, “May cause drowsiness.” So now I have a choice: I can drive dizzy or drowsy. No, that is not really a choice. While it may make me feel better it did not solve what I perceived to be the problem. I still need to be able to move around.

Why am I so impatient? The antibiotics will start working now and I will be over this in a few days. I just need to give the medicine time to work, its complete work, and no shortcuts. So I have to adjust my schedule for a few days. In time I will be well, and all will be well.

This got me thinking about how we often treat our spiritual health. We treat our spiritual health much like our physical health. We take it for granted as long as we pray before meals, come to church, and take our bibles with us. We pop a spiritual pill and think it is all good, until it all turns bad.

James said, “Consider it all joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4

Good Spiritual health takes time. We have to give God time to work in us so that when a time of trials come they will build us up instead of tear us down. When you are down you can be drowsy or dizzy, or let the medicine of God’s promise do His work. He promises great benefits for letting Him work in our lives.

Bro. Robin

Life Changing

Until this week I did not know that it was possible to have my heart so broken and so filled with pride at the same time. I spent this past week at the Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas. I was there with my son who had been injured in Iraq the week before. I, along with his mother and his wife, sat with him, talked with him and prayed with him through the difficult decision of having his foot amputated, and the recovery from surgery that followed.

Along the way we saw and heard many stories both inspiring and depressing, but far more were inspiring. I was amazed at the flow of young men and women coming in daily from Iraq and Afghanistan. I noticed that they were no longer being referred to as “soldiers” but were now being called “warriors,” and “heroes.” These are the stories too small for the evening news but nevertheless life changing for the warriors and their families. I saw people with a new appreciation for life and motivation to celebrate things that most of us would have difficulty celebrating.

I met a young man who celebrated only losing some fingers instead of his whole hand. We met a mother and son who celebrated life even though he was covered from head to toe with gauze because of the burns he received when he was the lone survivor of an explosion. Joyce and his mother praised God as they quoted Jeremiah 29:11 together:

“For I know the plans I have for you…plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (CSB)

The phrase, “life-changing experience,” holds new meaning for me today. I have used it many times for sharing the gospel, but have never had to apply it to my life in such a drastic way as now. Our lives can change in an instant, a flash, a phone call, a decision. Yes, Eric’s situation is life-changing, but isn’t that how it should be in our walk with the Lord. Each and every day with the Lord is to be celebrated. When we accept Him as Savior, we have only begun a journey that is filled with life-changing experiences. We have the option to go forward or “wallow” in things that come our way.

Our son has chosen to go forward, to embrace the future in such a way that He can still make a difference in this life. To us, he is truly a hero, a man that has sacrificed a lot for our freedom. These past two weeks have touched us in a deep way, and our lives will never be the same. We are thankful for the gift of life – we intend to celebrate each day in our walk with the Lord. How about you?

Bro. Robin

A Pond Project Parable

This weekend I finally got started on a project I have wanted to do for a long time. I started on the waterfall in the backyard. It is more like a mini-waterfall, not very big, and the pond it will fall into will only hold fifty gallons of water. It will be just off the back porch, which is close enough to enjoy while I sit and read or talk to Joyce in the evening.

My daughter and son-in-law are staying with us for a few weeks so it seemed like a good time to do an outdoor project while he can help. On Saturday we dug the hole, covered the area with plastic, and set the plastic tub for the pond. A few days later we filled in the spaces with sand and started laying the rock around it. We carefully leveled the pond as we supported it with sand and put a few heavy rocks in the pond to keep it anchored. Then last night it rained, big.

This morning we looked outside and to our surprise the pond had floated, rocks and all. It looked like some kind of barge that was sunk at a crazy angle. The plastic lined hole had apparently filled with water at a faster rate than the pond and as it rose the sand around it filled in under it. There was nothing we could do but pull it out, bail it out, dry it out, and try again.

We laughed when we saw it. What else could we do? Life is filled with unexpected events. But, most of the unexpected happenings in life are not funny, just the opposite. We all live in fear of that phone call or bad decision that changes the course of our life.

Job was a man in the Bible whose life is associated with trouble. Actually the events of the book of Job were only a small part of a life that was otherwise nearly perfect. When trouble came on him it nearly destroyed him to the point that all he had left was his faith in God. At the beginning of his troubles he said, “For the thing I feared has overtaken me, and what I dreaded has happened to me.” (Job 3:25, CSV)

Job endured his troubles because of his relationship with God. Later in his story he said, “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth.” (Job 19:25, NAS) God will rescue us. God has rescued us. Our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, lives. His presence is with us now and always.

As Jesus said to us, “And remember, I am with you always…” (Matthew 28:20 CSV)

Bro. Robin

Sharing Tomatoes

I finally got a small garden planted. It is just a few tomato plants, some cucumber plants and some yellow squash. I do not plant very much and therefore do not expect a lot. I hope to go through a season of getting enough to share with our children and enjoy some fresh fruit of our labors. We enjoy sharing the vegetables with loved ones. We do not enjoy sharing with the squirrels.

I like squirrels. They are cute and fun to watch. I especially like them in season, well seasoned that is, with mashed potatoes and gravy, although I have not had them that way in a few years. Besides, these are town squirrels and I seem to be stuck with them. I just don’t like them eating my tomatoes.

I talked to one person who was trapping her squirrels and taking them out of town. I hope it works. I tried getting rid of the squirrels years ago, not here. My efforts did not seem to matter. Squirrels seem to sense a vacuum and rush to fill the space with more squirrels. I have thought about building a cage around the garden to protect it from the squirrels. It seems like a lot of effort for a few tomatoes.

Another person I talked to said that my problem was that I feed the birds and the bird feed keeps the squirrels around. That makes sense. When you do something good it will attract all kinds of responses. I put out the feed for the cardinals, finches, and an occasional bluebird. Of course, in addition to the “pretty” birds I also get the rest of the birds in the neighborhood. I just put out the feed. I don’t get to pick out the birds, or the squirrels, which eat at my feeder.

Should we not also be this way about the word of God? We cannot protect God’s Word or pick His people to suit ourselves. Jesus gave us the parable of The Sower, in which the seed of the word was thrown out in all directions, (Matthew 13). The result depended on where the seed landed. But He made it clear that the result is ultimately in God’s hands. The responsibility for sowing, and sowing everywhere, is ours. Even if the squirrels get some.
Bro. Robin

More

Last night at the senior banquet I overheard a senior make a very wise observation. She was talking about graduating and heading for college and observed that she finally got to the top and now she will be starting at the bottom again. Now that she is a senior she will soon be a freshman again! Others at the table added that this will not be the last time but she will start over at the bottom many times in her life to come. They cited graduate school, jobs, marriage, and family among the experience in life that each requires us to start over at the bottom and work our way to the top. No matter how far we have come there is more.

Life is about new beginnings. Every stage and step of life we start something new. We are always learning and growing. It never stops. Even the end of this physical life is not the end. There is more.

As I read about eternity in the Bible I wonder how far do we really progress in this life? I know this is not the end but is this the middle, or just the beginning? I am convinced that on a scale of eternity our short span of life is just the beginning. We go from here to the presence of God, then Heaven. The scriptures tell us that in Heaven we go from under the altar to Jesus’ Banquet Hall, then the Millennium, followed by a season of rebellion, victory, and the New Jerusalem. The scriptures close with a mysterious reference to gate of the city that are never closed, indicating that even then there is more.

I am thankful today that we will never reach the end. We may not know what is coming. We do know who will get us there safely. By grace through faith in Jesus Christ there will always be more. He has also promised that it will always work together for good.

Bro. Robin

Hope

I have been hearing a lot of talk lately about hope. We seem to talk about hope when we would all like to have more hope. Last night I participated in a town hall meeting with Dave Ramsey and at the end of the meeting he gave what I thought were three great observations on the subject of restoring hope. It also occurred to me that these same points that build up hope could also apply to trust, confidence, optimism, and a host of good character qualities. As I thought about these points I wanted to respond to them and apply them to my own situation.

First we need to take action. We need to be proactive instead of reactive. We need to look around us and see what needs to be done and them start doing something about it. This is what vision is all about. Blackaby says that God is always at work around us and we need to see what He is doing and join Him in His work. We all have to participate if this church is going to fulfill God’s mission. But, we cannot wait on someone else to start or tell us what to do. There are things we can do now.

Second we need to stop participating in loser talk. Ramsey suggested that we should fill our minds with good information, such as good books, and surround ourselves with better people. That will help us change our conversation. Our conversation is a reflection of who we are and can lead to a downward spiral in our attitude. We recently did a study on Godly Attitudes and looked at the attitudes of the Israelites in the desert. We discovered that complaining is a sin and they stayed in the wilderness because they could not stop complaining. Complaining is also a habit. We can stop complaining but only if we reinforce a decision to stop with also filling our minds with Godly information and surrounding ourselves with encouraging and hopeful people. Let’s be the first to change the subject of conversation to hope.

Third we need give. The practice of giving needs to be a lifestyle so that we do not think of it as one thing. We need to give our ears to listen. We need to give our mouth to encourage. We need to give our hands to help those who need help. We need to give our resources, time, and talents. As I heard last night, service is worship.

Paul said, “Now in this hope we were saved, yet hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:24-25) Whatever may be going on around us God is still God, and He is still in control.

I love you, Church. Thank you for allowing me to be your pastor. Thank you for serving with me to fulfill God’s mission.
Bro. Robin

How do we know?

How do we know that we are a Christian? We believe that we are saved by God’s power to save us, called grace, through our faith in Him to save us. There are no special works or magic words. You make a decision and God keeps His promise. You believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and make Him the owner, Lord, of your life and He will save you. It sounds simple, yet I hear from people all the time who pray but doubt their salvation. How do we know for sure?

When someone comes to me with doubts I direct them to the book of 1 John. This short letter from the apostle John, only five chapters, tells us what we need to know to know that we know Jesus. The stated purpose of the book is, “So that you may know that you have eternal life.” (5:13)

The first mark of salvation is that we, “walk in the light,” (1:7). When we know His truth He gives us more insight into His nature, our new nature, and our neighbor’s needs. In fact, a person who is not a Christian does not have this insight.

Paul put it this way, “But the natural man does not welcome what comes from God’s Spirit because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to know it since it is evaluated spiritually.” (1 Cor. 2:14) This is not the only mark of salvation. There are others, but this is a good place to start.

What do you understand that you could not understand before? Understanding is the key to overcoming. With understanding comes the power to say no to those things that seemed to control you before, and say yes to the one you did not seem to be able to obey before.

Jesus does not just save your soul. He saves your understanding also. On the day of Pentecost Peter declared to the crowd, “Be saved from this corrupt generation!” (Acts 2:40). Salvation begins now with God giving you the power to do His will. That is the power of grace that assures us that we are one of His children. That is how we know. In the light of salvation, we see the change in our own life.
Bro. Robin

Distracted

During my prayer time I am often amazed at how many things can so easily distract me. Sometimes the thoughts are good thoughts, like things I need to do today, but they are still a distraction from my prayer time. Prayer is so important that I have learned to focus and deal with the distractions quickly. But nothing seems to keep them from coming.

Many years ago a wise preacher by the name of Preacher Hallock, in the little book Meditation and Prayer, described four main hindrances to effective praying. He said these hindrances were: Wandering thoughts, impure thoughts, sleepiness, and doubts that prayer can do anything. As I have studied prayer over the years I have come to appreciate this list of distractions that certainly hinder prayer.

In Matthew 6 Jesus talked about prayer and gave another list of hindrances. His list also included distractions. Jesus said, “But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret.” (Matt. 6:6) Rather than list everything that distracts us, Jesus gave us a cure for them.

Where do you go when you pray? Where is your focus? What is getting the attention of your senses? Where are your thoughts? You cannot pray in a busy place. Jesus did not restrict that to physical, mental, or spiritual. He included them all. When we pray we need to be in a place that is free from distractions. We need a place where we can hear God speaking.

God is always speaking. Our ears are always listening. But distractions can keep us from hearing, and from understanding what we hear. If our thoughts are wandering we may hear only part of what is said and misunderstand what others say, including God.

Other religions wonder how to get God’s attention. Some ring bells, sing songs, or make some other kind of noise. Some in the Bible were known to cut themselves or do something strange to get God’s attention. Others pay attention to the wording of their prayers as if the formula of the words can turn God’s ear.

The Word of our God says, “God so loved…” (John 3:16). We have His attention. The challenge for us now is to give all our attention to God. There is the power of prayer.
Bro. Robin

Smalltalk

This is that time of the year when we wish the weather would make up its mind. It occurred to me recently that if it were not for the weather, politics, and religion most of us would have nothing to talk about. We all like to talk about things that are important to us with people who agree with us. Smalltalk is the art of talking about nothing. Much is said, but nothing is changed.

Conversation can be our most important activity of the day. Even Smalltalk can tell us about more about each other and help grow our relationships. As you have heard me say many times before, there is no substitute for time spent in a relationship, even if that time is spent doing Smalltalk.

Conversation can also change things. Conversation can repair a broken relationship if the right things are said from an open and forgiving heart. If fact, it is impossible to repair a broken relationship without the right kind of communication. Conversation that has substance is also conversation that has heart, feelings, and honesty said with the right amount of sensitivity. It is the most difficult and potentially risky conversation you will have with another person. But it can also become the most valuable and treasured time you will ever spend with the great long term benefit of a restored relationship.

A restored relationship is a revived relationship. This is what Revival is all about. We sing the old song, “Have a little talk with Jesus,” but do we think about those words? The right conversation with another person can restore a friendship with lasting benefits. The right conversation with God can restore a relationship with eternal benefits.

When was the last time you sat down and had a heart to heart with a friend you have not seen in a while? When was the last time you had a similar heart to heart with God. The Bible says, “There is a friend who stays closer than a brother.” (Pr. 18:24)

Cut the small talk. Take the time today to have not just a little talk but a real conversation with Jesus. Revive the most important relationship in your life. You will be amazed at the difference His amazing grace can make in your life.
Bro. Robin

Our purpose is HIS Mission

As I begin my seventh year as your pastor I have been thinking lately about our Church, our mission, and our vision for this New Year. Our recent business meeting pointed out that we are beginning a new chapter. We have known for some time that we need to make some changes. We are faced with some challenges that we can no longer put off until later. But my experience so far with the people of this church has shown me that we are up to the challenges we face. We are a Church made of people who sincerely desire to follow God’s leadership and I am excited to serve the Lord with people who share such a common purpose.

We point to our mission statement: “Our mission is to reach across the street and around the world with the good news of Jesus Christ.”

Our mission is only a reflection of the Great Commission:
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 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, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20, HCSB)

Our purpose is HIS mission. Everything we do is to teach us and prepare us to go and to send others into the world to teach and preach Jesus. At the end of the day it is all about HIS mission.

We need to replace one of our buildings. We voted to tear down the old building and we need to raise some money to do it. We have never had a problem raising large sums of money to send groups of people on mission trips. We have gone in recent years to Africa, Chile, Bahamas, Alaska, Iowa, and Nebraska. Now we need to go to Gentry. We need a building to train people for the mission. But, we are not just building a building. We are building a kingdom, the kingdom of God, the cause of Christ, the Mission.

When I welcome new members to this church I pray with them. My prayer is always for God’s help as we work together serving Him in this Church. That is my prayer today.

Bro. Robin

Surviving the Wilderness

The study of Exodus has raised some thoughts about how we all handle the wilderness we are in. The children of Israel certainly had their struggles. Their experiences are lessons from which we can all learn. Several key lessons can give us an “ABC” outline for surviving our wilderness experiences.

An Attitude of Gratitude is important for surviving the wilderness. Attitude changes our outlook and can determine if we are on top of our circumstances or if our circumstances are on top of us. The Israelites had much to be thankful for and reasons to look up. They had the pillar of cloud and fire and the promises of God in the distance. But when they looked at the desert around them they got discouraged and complained. Complaining led to division and rebellion which always brought discipline from God.

The Behavior of a Believer is also important for surviving the wilderness. We need to act like we believe in the promises to which we are going. The Israelites often gave up and behaved badly. Our faith should lead us to follow God and to enjoy both His fellowship and the fellowship of others who are also following Him in the way. We are on this road together. We have a happy destination to reach. Our behavior on the road should reflect the destination and the direction of the One we follow.

The Cup of Contentment important for surviving the wilderness. We supply the cup and God supplies the contentment. He gave the Israelites everything they needed for the journey including manna, water, and clothes that never wore out. But, if our cup is already full of complaints, expectations, or anything else we put in it, there will be no room for the contentment God is waiting to pour into our cup, no matter how much He pours out. If we empty our cup of all the things we put there and hold it up to God He will fill it. Then we will understand why He called us to this place. He calls us to the place where He is. He calls us to follow Him to the other side of the wilderness where we will find the Promised Land.
Let’s all go there together.
Bro. Robin

Getting Ready for the Storm

When I left the house Monday morning I grabbed the list off the counter in the kitchen. It was not a very long list but the items were things Joyce and I had agreed were the most important that we might need if we could not get back to the store for a few days. Since ice was predicted, and we have been through an ice storm before, I also had to do a few things around the house when I got home. I had just put the generator away last week, so I got it back out again and put it on the porch, just in case. I checked the fuel, firewood and flashlights. I felt good about being ready for the storm.

Then it came. Tuesday morning, as we were getting around, the power went off. I went outside to crank up the generator. I ran a cord through a window and powered the fireplace blower and a lamp. I could read and stay warm. What more did I need?

“What is the weather supposed to do?” Joyce said. Then it occurred to me. I had every gadget known to mankind, except a battery powered radio. I was cut off from the outside world. No, wait; I still had my cell phone. I pulled up the weather channel and looked at the radar. We were good to go.

What does it take to be prepared for the storms of life? Do we really need all the extras we so often surround ourselves with? Or, do we already have the things we need the most?

During the icy days Joyce and I got to spend some time together. We found plenty to do right here. We had all we needed. We had a warm fire, a light, the love of the Lord in our hearts, and each other. What more did we need?

Bro. Robin

Resolutions for a New Year

Most of us make New Year’s resolutions, whether we admit it or not. I will lose weight, (again). I will read the Bible through this year. I will spend more time with my family. Losing weight seems so obvious after the eating binge we just went on during the holidays. I could probably lose weight just by getting back to pre-holiday eating.

I am wondering, however, what is really new about them, besides the year? They seem to be mostly the same old resolutions every new year. You would think that if we were really serious about them that we would accomplish one once in a while and come up with something new.

I went to the internet and searched for New Years Resolution and confirmed my suspicions. Every list I found had a few of the same things on them. At the top of the lists were Relationships, such as spending more time with family and friends. I was glad to see that. You have heard me say often that there is no substitute for time in a relationship. Also on the lists were health resolutions, such as getting in shape, eating healthier and losing weight. In the top ten were habits that needed changing, such as quitting smoking, and drinking, (which obviously don’t apply to those of us who never started), and changes in our finances, such as getting out of debt. Some things on these lists were even more positive like enjoy life more, learn something new, help others, and get organized.

As a pastor, I would like to see resolutions made that focus on the really important things in life that are specific and doable. Here are a few of my suggestions.

1. Renew your wedding vows. Resolve to be a better husband/wife, and if you are not married, resolve to be a better friend to someone close to you.
2. Find a special place in your house that is your place of prayer and go there at a set time everyday. Pray with someone and by yourself.
3. Read the bible through this year. (Good for every year!)
4. Go on a mission trip and see something that only God can do.
5. Make a new friend, and invite him/her to church.
6. Call a relative you have not heard from in a while.
7. Volunteer. Go ahead, make someone’s day.
8. Exchange a bad habit for a good one. (you pick one of each)
9. Learn a new healthy recipe you can cook yourself.
10. Do something fun that makes you laugh.

Happy New Year. Let me know what your resolutions are for this year.
Bro. Robin

Looking Back, Looking Forward, Starting Fresh

As we arrive at a new year, 2009, it is always interesting to see how different people approach a new year. I have noticed that the news is filled with “year in review” video articles. We look back at the good news, bad news, regretful news, and even some funny news. It is all very entertaining.

Some of us feel a need to examine the past before we are ready to take on the future. We cannot change the mistakes of the past. But, we can learn from the past. We cannot live on the victories of the past. But, we can use the past as a guide for new goals for a better future.

God gave His people an interesting way to begin a new year. On the Jewish calendar the New Year begins in the fall, (Rosh Hashanah), and is followed ten days later by the Day of Atonement, (Yom Kippur). These ten days are called the Days of Repentance. These were days when they remember sins and ask forgiveness of anyone they have wronged the previous year. Then on the last day, the Day of Atonement, all is forgiven. In the days of the Temple the High priest would enter the Holy of Holies, the only time he would enter during the year, and sprinkle blood on the mercy seat for forgiveness of all sins, remembered and forgotten. Everyone began the New Year with a clean slate with God, and with each other.

What an awesome thought? We can start the New Year fresh with a whole new perspective, a new plan, and with nothing from the past holding us back. The world may have other ideas. God encourages new starts and gives us a way to make it happen.

Paul put it this way: “…forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14

Happy New Year
Bro. Robin Cowin

“For God so loved the world…”

Christmas is expensive. But, do we ever stop to think how expensive? We think about our own expenses. Gifts for everyone, trips to the store, company coming who need to be fed and accommodated, decorations, Christmas parties, and so on, and it all costs money. We are all too familiar with the cost of Christmas to ourselves.

Christmas is more expensive than we can imagine. Christmas is not just about our gifts. Christmas is about one gift, the one gift that began it all. Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son. Christmas is the promise of salvation in a baby that was born to die for our sins. Christmas demonstrates how valuable God considers us. We are worth the life of God’s Son.

When you give gifts do you base your gift on how important that person is to you? Do the people who are more important to you get better presents? Do we measure value by expense? If so, then God has us all beat when it comes to giving. When God considered what to give us all as a gift from Himself He brought out the most valuable gift God Himself could offer. We think of it as the gift of eternal life, and so it is. God thinks of it as the gift of His Son.

Christmas truly is a time of giving and receiving gifts. Have you received the gift God has for you, the gift of Christmas itself, the gift of Jesus?

Merry Christmas

Robin and Joyce Cowin
And the Cowin Family

Thanksgiving

“Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:3 (HCSB, Holman Bible Publishers, 2003)

Thanksgiving comes around at the same time every year and makes no allowance for our particular circumstances. We read in the scriptures that it is God’s will for us to give thanks. But many of us are looking at this time of year with a greater or lesser degree of anxiety. It is just not a good time to be thankful.

I do not know what is going on in every life, but as a pastor, I have been listening to what seems to me to be an unusual surge of bad tidings, instead of glad tidings. It is not just the economy. There seems to be an epidemic of misfortune happening in the lives of people around me. I am seeing this also in the ministries of other pastors and staff I know.

The scripture does not say to be thankful for everything. Many things that happen are not good. The Scripture says to be thankful in everything, that is, in the middle of every circumstance, it is God’s desire for us to be thankful. I heard a preacher call this the, “attitude of gratitude.”

The attitude of gratitude may require an attitude adjustment for many of us. Or, it may just require an adjustment in our sight. I do not mean that we should always be able to see the good in bad situations. Rather, I think if we can see around our situation there are good things happening around us.

On this bus we call life we are one of many passengers. Someone around us is having a better day than we are. If we could see them better we could celebrate with them. Someone around us is having a worse day than we are. If we could see them better it would make us both feel better to be an encourager. Look around. There are reasons to be thankful around each of us.

In everything, let us be thankful.

Bro. Robin

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee

(I do not usually forward emails and if I do I always try to verify the author. But, this one is too good to keep and try as I might I have not been able to discover the author. If you know who wrote it please let me know-RC)

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable (supple) heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

May we all be COFFEE!!!!!!!

Praying for the President-elect

My prayer for President-elect Barack Obama is that he will become more like the Jesus I know. Obama professes to be a Christian. We may not agree with his politics, his church, or his pastor, but if he claims the name of Christ as his own we can agree with his choice of a Savior. I believe that Jesus can take care of His own. His own know His voice and follows Him.

I do not have to agree with him in order to pray for him. In fact, it is because of those disagreements that I should pray for him that much more. I will never have the President’s ear to tell him how strongly I believe abortion and homosexuality are wrong. He will never hear me try to persuade him that policies on stem cell research should be strongly regulated so as to not benefit the abortion industry. He will not ask me to advise him on marriage and family and the destructive influence of a society that has no rules or morals. I will have no choice in the judges he appoints. I will never have the President’s ear but I will always have the ear of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I can pray that his decisions will be affected by the Christ he professes.

The President has a unique opportunity to make things better for all of us. He can protect religious freedom, human rights, and the dignity of all. He can take care of the poor. He can appoint judges who are just and judge according to the law. He can ignore the special interests of a few and do what is right in God’s eyes, instead of the world’s view.

We elect our leaders by a democratic process. However, morality is not up for a vote. Some principles are too important to ignore regardless of popularity or the desire of many to change the rules for all. He was elected by the people but he does not have to consult public opinion for his decisions. We must pray that he will consult God. Pray that he will be led by God’s Word. Pray that he will be surrounded by God’s protection. Pray that he will spend time in God’s presence before every decision.

I want a President who does not just say that he is a Christian. I want a President who follows Christ. That is out of my hands. Every person is responsible for his own relationship with Christ. But it is not out of God’s hands. That is why I pray. And, I urge you also to pray for President elect Obama, President Bush, their families, and the people who surround them. Pray, and keep the faith.

Bro. Robin

Halloween

When I am asked what I think about Christians observing Halloween, (the Devil’s day), I have a simple answer. The Devil does not get a day.

Nearly every culture has an observance to mark the beginning of winter that is associated with death. Many of these observances also have some hint of the resurrection to come in the spring.

As Christianity spread, Christians have historically related these observances to the more hopeful promises of scripture. Thus began Halloween. Christians set up November 1 as a day of celebration called “All Saints Day,” to remember the contribution of great Christians of the past and our belief that they still live in heaven with Christ. The day before All Saints Day came to be known as All Hallows Eve, which was shortened in time to Halloween.

Over a period of time, Halloween has attracted practices that are reminders of the pagan observances it was supposed to replace. The dramatic affect of all of this has made Halloween of such importance that it now completely overshadows All Saints Day. We have all but forgotten what was intended to be a very important Christian holiday, (Holy-day).

Many Christians today point to the history of Halloween that is associated with paganism and say that Christians should have nothing to do with this day. Some will even go so far as to point to those cultures that use Halloween to focus on death, Satan, and witchcraft, and say that it is the Devil’s day. But, I have some questions for those people. Why does the Devil get a day? Is not every day the Lord’s?

When I was a kid growing up we did our trick or treating all in good fun. We dressed up as hobos, pirates, and firemen, and raided the neighbors for candy. There are many who dress up in costumes associated with the Devil and witchcraft and such. Some may even have a point about how the world views Halloween and we should never associate our observance with anything that actually promotes the enemy. However, having said that, I do not believe the Devil enjoys good clean fun. It does not support the enemy to hand out candy, especially when we include tracts and invitations to our church.

This is the day that the Lord has made, (even October 31). I will rejoice and be glad in it. So, Happy All Saints Day, and the day before it.

Bro. Robin

Homecoming

It is interesting how a word can bring to mind such different images when it is used in different contexts. As I write this the town is getting ready for a parade, a team is getting ready for a football game, and our High School is getting ready to crown a Queen, all in honor of our High School football Homecoming. It is an exciting time for the town, students and alumni of the High School.

We have just completed a study on Wednesday nights of the book of Revelation. As I think about Homecoming my thoughts are drawn to a very different set of images. Revelation tells us of a Homecoming that we will all someday experience. There are some similarities. Instead of a Queen there will be a Bride. There will be a King and we will all be watching for the coming of the King, (of Kings). Instead of a parade there will be a great banquet. Instead of a game there will be a war, complete with a winning side and a losing side. The winners get invited to the wedding feast while the losers get thrown into a lake of fire.

Fortunately, the football game will not end like this, no matter what kind of thoughts we might have during the game.

When the players come to a football game they do not get to choose which side they are on when they get to the field. They make their choice long before the homecoming game. They have to choose before the first practice. They have to be a part of the team before they are allowed to play in the game.

Football Homecomings come and go. We look forward to them as much as we enjoy remembering them. It is fun but the pleasures, and the consequences, are only temporary. This is not true about the Homecoming in Heaven. Heaven’s Homecoming is eternal. We already know which side is going to win. But, we have to choose now which side we will represent.

Will I see you at the Banquet?

Bro. Robin

How do we make choices?

The coming election has me thinking about how we make choices. Actually, the question is more complicated than is seems. All choices are not equal. The consequences of those choices are also not equal. Therefore, the ways we go about making those choices are not equal. In fact, we can get into trouble when we make more important choices the same way we make less important choices.

We elect our leaders by popular vote. Hopefully, we all examine the candidates and vote for the person we think will do the best job. However, we do not all have the same criteria for leadership, the same convictions about the issues, or even the same information about the candidates themselves. There is always the possibility that your vote will be negated by some knucklehead who forgot his glasses and checks the boxes at random. That is why you need to vote. That is also why you need to pray. You can only vote once but you can pray early and often.

Popular vote may be how we elect leaders but it is not a good way to make personal decisions. I mentioned some factors for voting being criteria, convictions, and candidates. Some people seem to choose their criteria based on popular opinion. Some issues are not up for popular vote. God’s Word has not changed, and if you base your opinions on God’s word you should be careful about listening to polls. Many polls are taken not to inform your vote but to influence your vote in a particular direction. God also wants to influence you in a particular direction. He can be trusted.

Your morals are not up for a vote. It may make you feel better for a time if what you are doing is supported by everyone around you. God’s Word is not only the only rule for our lives but God is also the final judge. We can count the votes and please everyone around us, and miss the point of life entirely. The only vote that counts eternally is the one God cast for you, not at a poll, but on a Cross.

There is a teaching in Christianity called the doctrine of Election. The most important election of all comes down to this, “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

Bro. Robin

Cleaning Out to be More Useful

I finally got the car in the garage after four years. There has always been room for it. But, up until now, we have needed the space for storage. First we needed it for the lawn mowers and tools. Then it was one child’s furniture or another’s. Most recently we used the space for the materials for the fence until it was finished.

Last week we looked at the garage and decided to get organized. We divided the stuff into “keep,” “give away,” and “throw away” piles. Then we bought some new shelving that would go along the wall. We were both amazed to see that once the piles were dispersed, and the “keep” pile was shelved, we could pull the car in the garage with room to spare. The biggest surprise was how much we kept. Our problem was not space, it was organization.

I find that time works like my garage. Sometimes I just have to take an inventory and divide my activities into “piles.” Then I have to organize the “keep” pile. But when I get done it is amazing how much better everything looks. I may even have time for something I want to do, and not just the things I need to do.

In Psalm 45:1, the psalmist declares, “My tongue in the pen of a ready writer.” In those days writing was a complicated activity that made Scribes and educated profession. To say that a writer was ready meant that he was seated before a table with his scroll unrolled to the right place and all his writing tools and inks were laid out and organized for his immediate use. This is how we are to be before God. We should be organized and ready to be useful for Him.

As the psalmist said, “My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King.” It is another way for us to say, “I am ready to be useful, Lord.”

Bro. Robin

Pray for Rain

I am still trying to figure out if a 40% chance of rain means that the odds are 40% that it might rain, or does it mean that it will definitely rain 40% of the day. The day of the ballgame we had a 40% chance of rain and the game ended up getting rained out in the fifth inning. On the other hand, yesterday there was a 60% chance of rain and I do not recall seeing much, if any, rain at all. Joyce and I were talking about it and decided we would like to know the weather forecasters percentage of accuracy.

In the Old Testament they did not have weather forecasters with fancy equipment and statistical analysis. They had Prophets. When Elijah said it would not rain, it did not rain. When He said it was going to rain you better run for cover. It did not matter that there was only one little cloud in the sky. God is not hindered by relative humidity. (1 Kings 18:44)

Prayer made all the difference. James sites Elijah’s example when he says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much, (James 5:16). The difference is Prayer and the fact that the prophets tied everything they did to the spiritual condition they were trying to change. Elijah was not interested in just getting things wet. He wanted to see the country change directions. He wanted to see an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Do you want to see a change in your life? Pray for rain. I am not talking about the wet stuff. I am talking about the Spiritual stuff. God told Solomon, “If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seed my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14 nkjv)

Put your trust in God’s Word. He has the highest percentage of accuracy. He predicts 100% chance of good weather – in Heaven!!

Dr. Robin

Funny Things Heard on the Chile Mission Trip

Now that we are back from Chile I thought you might enjoy The List’s Top Ten from Chile:

1. “I thought these places were all closed, but they just weren’t open.”
2. “This road would be a booger in the winter time” (in Chile, it was winter)
3. “Someone with a good camera could get a good picture from here”
4. “Sometimes it seems like we’re the mature ones of the bunch” (said by a youth)
5. “Jose Christo” referring to Jesus in a testimony.
6. “Escupe me” (trying to say excuse me in Spanish but saying “spit on me” instead)
7. “That’s one even Tarzan would not understand” (our missionary)
8. “I made us rush on accident, but it wasn’t on purpose” (also our missionary)
9. “I am amazed that there are so many Americans on this flight” (as we boarded for the US)
10. “Take all the time you want, just do it quickly.” (TSA agent at DFW)

Honorable mention goes to Cathy Rozas, one of our translators. When talking about Christmas being in summer in Chile I asked if Santa wore a bathing suit. She said, “No, he looks just like you.” I then replied, "Ho, Ho, Ho, thank you very much."

Dr. Robin

Thats Easy for You to Say

As a person whose career is using words I have heard people say a lot of funny things without thinking, sometimes from my own mouth. I began to notice several years ago that they seem to happen often on mission trips. Perhaps it is the combination of stress, fatigue, and wonder that is experienced on these trips. There is a level of comfort attached to spending so much time with the same small group that it is easy to speak without thinking. Or maybe I just attract funny people. I began writing them down a few years ago and now it has become a running joke to make “The List.”

I have made my own list on a number of occasions. Things that make the list always make us laugh and laughter is good. Most often they are sayings that just do not make sense, the kind that make you say, “Huh, what did you say?” Like the time I could not find my luggage and walked up to an airport help desk and heard myself saying, “All I want to know is where do I need to go to be where I need to be?” (Don’t we all want the answer to that question?) Sometimes they are language mistakes that turn out funny. I once tried to order fish in Malawi, to the amusement of several church leaders, who told me afterward that my pronunciation was only slightly off. Because of one little vowel they heard me order marijuana instead of the national delicacy, in a fancy restaurant.

At least my mistake was repeatable. We won’t discuss the private list.

I think God has a good sense of humor. Psalm 2:4 says, “He who sits in the heavens laughs.” (nasb) Proverbs 17:22 says, “A joyful heart is good medicine.” I read the newspaper and wonder if we have lost our collective sense of humor? Then I read the Bible, Psalm 16:11, “In your presence is fullness of joy.” And, John 15:11, which says, “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” Being a Christian is more fun when it is funny.

We count up the statistics from a summer of mission trips and evaluate with much satisfaction our successes. We remember the souls saved, ministries started, new friends made, lives touched and changed. With tired bodies and a few tears let us also remember that there is rejoicing in heaven, (Luke 15:7). At the end of the day we can say, smiling, it was fun. After all, we are not saved by our works, but by God’s amazing Grace. That should make us happy.

Dr. Robin

Preparing to Preach (or Teach)

I have been asked to teach a group of lay preachers how to prepare a sermon. I thought this would be useful for anyone who teaches.

When I was a fresh young preacher I thought the only verse of scripture that applied to preaching was Mark 13:11, “Do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit.” I struggled with that for a while until I realized that while the Holy Spirit was a dependable speaker, I was not a dependable listener. I then took Paul’s advice to Timothy, another young preacher, as though it were to me, in 2 Timothy 2:15. He said that I should study to show myself approved unto God.

The first step is prayer. And every step thereafter must be bathed in prayer. Without prayer you cannot hear God. And without a word from God you have nothing to say. Prayer is the key to discovering what to say, how to say it, and the power that makes what you say understandable to the listeners. Prayer takes you to the text, through the text, and empowers the Word of God.

The second step is preparation. It begins with daily reading the Bible. Familiarity with God’s Word allows God to speak to you with a fuller voice. Study the passages that stand out to you. When a passage catches your attention it may be God trying to get your attention. Memorize scriptures that speak to you the most. Meditate on passages to get the meaning from your head to your heart.

Third, Pick a passage to preach on. Every sermon should have at least one point. Outline and organize the points to point to one point, the conclusion.

Finally, Preach out of the fullness of prayer and the word that is in your own heart. A passion about your own relationship with God will be contagious.

Anyone can listen to God and what we hear must be shared.

Bro. Robin

Praying for Mission Teams

Thank you, Church Family, for sending mission teams across the street and around the world. You are sending us to La Serena, Chile, South America, while others go to Alaska, Nebraska, and the far ends of the earth. You go with us in heart as you also hold the ropes for us in prayer.

Pray for us each night before you go to bed and again each morning when you get up. Keep in mind that circumstances often change schedules. Read the scriptures with us, also. We will be reading these same verses and praying with you.

Thank you for praying. Pray for our safety, harmony, and Spiritual preparation. Pray that we will have enough energy for each task, get enough rest, and that we will all stay healthy on the food that is set before us. Pray for the anointing of the Spirit on God’s Word, us His messengers, and that those who hear us will hear gladly and receive Jesus into their hearts. Pray for our families at home, and for our church family, that those who sent us will also receive a blessing and that all of us will have a heart for the Great Commission that reaches across the street and around world with the Gospel.

We need special prayer for our families at home. I cannot stress that enough. We will be out of touch with them much of the time and it is difficult to minister when you are worried about things back home. Pray as much for them as you do for us. Pray that no emergencies arise on either front. Everything you pray for us pray also for our families.

King David once left some tired troops to watch the supplies while the rest fought and won a battle. When he returned to them from the battle he said, “…as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike,” 1 Samuel 30:24. Those who pray share the reward with those who preach. Those who send also share with those who go. Thank you for praying and sending.

Five Basic Practices of the Christian Life

I have been thinking a lot about the way Christians should behave. Our behavior is affected by our Christ-like practices. I have been trying to state these practices in non religious language. This is what I have come up with so far: Talk to God, Listen to God, Do Good things for others, Go to Church, and Invite others. Let me explain.

Talk to God. Prayer is the beginning and substance of our relationship with God. You cannot have a relationship without communication. Being a Christian means having a relationship with God through Jesus. There is no substitute for time spent in a relationship which means being together and communicating with each other.

Listen to God. The Bible is the primary way God speaks to us. He also speaks to us in many other ways but the Bible is still the measure that we use to determine if what we are hearing is from God. That makes knowing what is in the Bible so important. (If fact, to know more about these basic practices read Matthew 5, 6, & 7).

Do good things for others. Yes, doing good deeds is important. Jesus did them and we should do them. The important thing to remember is that as Christians we do not do good deeds to get into heaven. Rather, we do good things to get closer to Jesus. Righteousness is the word the Bible uses to describe God’s nature to do good that He puts in us at salvation. Jesus wants us to take on His nature to practice Mercy, which simply means to do good even when people don’t deserve it.

Go to Church. Fellowship with other Christians is a source of strength along with many other benefits. Worship is a result of communicating with God and is even better in a group at Church. We are a community of faith.

Invite others. Both missions and evangelism are summed up in the invitation of Jesus to, “Follow me.”(Matt. 4:19) If our good news of the Gospel is really that good should we not want everyone to know Him? We can all invest in the lives of people and invite them to Church, and to Jesus.

That’s it. I know it sounds too simple. If you do these things you will be amazed at how your walk with God will take off.

Bro. Robin

Teachers

One of the rewards of a long ministry is to see people grow spiritually. I have had opportunities over the years to mentor several young people who have gone on to serve the Lord in ways great and small. Some of them were youth that I taught and gave opportunities to practice ministry. Some were brought on as staff. Some were in classes I taught through the association. We touched each other’s lives in positive ways.

I had my teachers too. I look back on them and realize how they molded my ministry today. I cannot list them all, but in light of the recent Revival I was thinking about a few of them in particular.

I and another Baptist student had it in our hearts to start a coffee house ministry to reach fellow college students. Herb, on staff with Teen Challenge, spent several weeks taking us through CS Lovett’s book, Soul-Winning Made Easy. We memorized a handful of scriptures and a plan. Soon we were blanketing the campus and surrounding area with the gospel. I already knew God had called me to preach. I had been in Sunday School all my life. But this was different. Herb taught me to preach on street corners. Dr. Messer, the Baptist Student Union director, was another teacher who gave me the opportunity to preach in Churches.

I have continued to learn about soul-winning, preaching, and much more. I find teachers in friends, associates, books, conferences, and unexpected divine encounters. I could go on about other teachers such as Ralph, Jerry, Jack, Mike, Dan, etc. We should never stop listening to others.

The word disciple simply means student, or one who follows the teachings of another. Jesus had twelve disciples. In that day, if you wanted to learn more than basic education you would go to someone who knew what you wanted to know and attach yourself to him as a disciple. It was a relationship in which the student and the teacher both had to choose each other.

There are times in our life we need to be the student and times when we need to be the teacher. Both experiences are important. You cannot be a teacher unless you have first been a student. You cannot be a great teacher unless you continue to be a great student.

When Jesus sent out His Disciples He did not tell them to go start a Teachers College. He told them to go make disciples. (Matthew 28:18-20)

What have you learned today? Who have you influenced?

Bro. Robin

Pulling Together

This month we saw a tremendous Revival. The touch of God’s Spirit was seen in many areas of our Church. The messages from Ken Freeman were anointed by God. People came and were moved by God. Our Church pitched in and helped in every way that was needed from setting up to follow-up.

As I thought about what makes a Revival great one thing that kept coming to mind was how great the attendance was. Not only did our people support the Revival, we also had groups from at least four other churches, and each of them also reported many decision. Attendance is a major factor in the freedom of God Spirit at work among us. It matters if we come to church, not only for us, but for everyone who is there with us. A big group that is focusing on God experiences God in a big way.

This reminds me of a story.

He was a math teacher in my High School and I took geometry from him my sophomore year. He drove a brand new Volkswagen Beetle. He was so proud of it that he did not want to take any chances with it in the parking lot. That was the reason he parked everyday between two trees overlooking the football field. He thought it was safe there from bumps, dings, and scratches. That was true until a bunch of football players figured out that the length of his Beetle was exactly the distance between the trees. A group of them surrounded his car, picked it up, and turned it with each bumper touching a tree.

When the prank was discovered he was initially upset but then had to admire their accomplishment. He also had to offer pardons in exchange for their help. The only way he could get his car out was to get the same group of young men to lift up his car and set it right.

It was a lesson in what can be done when everyone shows up for a common purpose. Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name I am there in the midst of them.” Jesus fed thousands with one lunch in the presence of great crowds. He also was kept from doing miracles in His home town because of their unbelief, (Matt. 13:58)

You have heard me say often that there is no substitute for time spent in a relationship with God or with others. In Revival, there is no substitute for time with God and others. When we stay away we rob others, and ourselves, of a blessing from God. God is here. He is just waiting for us to get here to get the meeting started.

Bro. Robin

Can you hear me?

I grew up in a house that sat on an acre of land at the edge of a forest. I knew how far away I could go and still hear Mom call. If it was close to supper I stayed in the yard. If I did not want to hear her call then anywhere in the woods would give me the freedom to play as I wanted. Of course, I might get in trouble when I came home. And, if I needed help, she could not hear me either. Temptation comes when we get out of earshot.

We are all tempted and the Bible tells us we all sin, (Romans 3:23). If we search the scriptures we can discover the character and content of sin and how to find forgiveness through Jesus Christ. We can also find teaching in the Bible that will help us avoid temptation in the first place.

First and foremost is the need to stay in God’s Word, the Bible. In Genesis 3 we see that when sin entered the world the serpent lied to Eve, and Adam, to get sin started. His first lie begins with, “Has God said…?” When we doubt God’s Word we open the door to temptation. We tend to doubt the word of someone we do not know well. The closeness of our relationship with God and our faith in His Word go hand in hand.

When Jesus was being tempted by the devil He was tempted first to turn stones into bread. He answered that temptation by remembering that man does not live by bread only but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. “Every Word,” keeps rolling around in my mind. All of the Bible is important as food for our spirit. It is the food we need not only to grow spiritually but our very survival depends on the spiritual nourishment of daily taking in His Word.

David said, “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against God,” (Psalm 119). Read, study, memorize, and meditate on God’s Word. Make a commitment now to read through the Bible in 2008. Stay in earshot of God. The life you safe might be your own.
Bro. Robin

The Power of Touch

Remember the telephone commercials that invited you to, “Reach out and touch someone?” I enjoy my phone but it is never the same to talk on the phone as it is to sit down with someone in person and have a conversation. This week we saw some of our kids in person and some we saw on webcam. We went to the zoo with the ones who came to visit in person. The webcam is a wonderful invention but it cannot replace a day at the zoo with your family.

We read of the many times Jesus touched someone and healed them. He was personal. He did not send letter or call on the phone. Even when He healed at a distance He was personal with the person who came to Him and requested the healing. Even when a woman touched Him for healing His power was there available for her as He responded to her touch.

One of my favorite stories of Jesus was the story of the blind man who needed to be touched twice. (Mark 8:22-25) With the first touch Jesus restored his sight but not his focus. With the second touch he saw all things clearly. I think this miracle is a parable about the way God touches many of us. We see Jesus, we have been touched by Him and know we have eternally life, but we have no focus. We see men as trees walking. The people around us might as well be trees because to us they are just objects in our world. We need to see people. We need to see them clearly. We need to see the world as Jesus sees them, a world of people for whom Christ died. We need to reach out and touch someone with the touch of Jesus.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could phone in all your responsibilities? You could take care of your spouse and children with a phone call. Some people work over the phone, or internet, so, why not? If you need glasses can you get your eyes checked over the phone? You can make the appointment over the phone. But if you want to see clearly you will have to see the doctor in person.

Some things have to be done in person. Jesus did not command us to sit down and write a letter. He commanded us to, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to everyone.” (Mark 16:15)

A Revival is an opportunity for us to get a second touch from Jesus. We have Sight. But we still need Focus. You can only get that in person. I will see you there.

Bro. Robin

Check Your Messages

What did we do before cell phones? It is hard to remember. I remember when I got my first one. I was taking my oldest daughter out to lunch, from school, and got a call about a person who had just gone to the hospital. My daughter was concerned that we would never again be able to have our special time with just her and me and no interruptions. I tried to do this with each of the kids at least once a month. The phone was a threat to that special time. Her immediate reaction was, “I hate that thing already.”

Fast forward a few years and the same daughter has children, a great life, and her own cell phone. I check my messages on my cell phone in the morning. This morning there were two, both of them from this daughter. The first was an excited call about the youngest grandson and the emergency room. In her message she says she has tried my phone and mom’s phone and “I can’t find you.” The second message was that he was ok. We also got an email, complete with pictures.

How have we come to depend on something so unreliable? I check my land line messages and my email more often than my cell phone yet pride myself on being “accessible.” Or, perhaps it is more about me and my habits than it is the phone system. But isn’t that the way it is with our spiritual communication as well?

There is nothing wrong with the system of prayer. The message never fails to go through. There is always someone on the other end who can do something about your request. Prayer only fails when we fail to pray. They used to say the same thing about letters. You have to send some to get them. If you send messages to God, He will send messages back to you.

Effective prayer is a habit. Just like checking your messages. The difference is that the benefits, of prayer are eternal. When was the last time you messaged God? When was the last time you checked your messages from God. His messages come in many forms, just like ours. Wouldn’t now be a good time to check your messages from God?

Dr. Robin

Bible Thoughts

Bible Drill

It was a pleasure to watch out Bible Drill Team in action on Sunday night. I think some adults were a little intimidated by the Bible knowledge of these bright young students. They have gotten excited and worked hard to learn their way around the Bible. Their enthusiasm is contagious and I am hoping it will spread through the Church.

The Bible is our source of life and hope, the very Word of God. The great heroes of faith took comfort in not only hearing the words of God but also in reading and reflecting on the written Word of God. The Ten Commandments were first written by the finger of God. Moses gave them God’s blessing if they would not only keep those commandments in their hearts but also talk about them, and write them down, and hang them up on themselves and their houses, (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). Joshua began his campaign to take the Promised Land with a promise to meditate daily on the Bible, (Joshua 1:8). The longest chapter in the Bible is about meditating on God’s Word, (Psalm 119). In the New Testament, Peter called on the Church to read Paul’s writings comparing them to the other scriptures, (2 Peter 3:15-16). Paul’s great comfort in the end was a cloak, his books, and parchments, his collection of Bibles and letters.

Jesus quoted from Scripture so often that even great scholars called him Rabbi. He was recognized as a teacher of the Word by his contemporaries, even many who were his enemies. Paul told Timothy, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Stay in the Word. God will guide you.

Bro. Robin


A Warm Fire

Cold weather means a fire in the wood stove. When I was growing up we had a fireplace in the house but I do not remember it producing a lot of heat, unless you were standing right in front of it. Our main source of heat was a gas furnace. My parents were very frugal and did not think we needed heat while we slept. So, every night they would turn down the furnace and pile on the blankets.

As we raised our own children our thinking was different. We tried to find a temperature that was suitable for us all the time. We like being comfortable, not too hot, not too cold. In the evening when we all settled in for after supper relaxing we added throws, and for the last twenty years, a wood stove or wood burning fireplace. Heat is comforting.

After the cross the disciples went fishing, not knowing at the time what else to do. They fished all night and caught nothing. As they were coming back to shore they saw Jesus who called to them and asked about the fishing. Then he suggested that they try again, on the other side of the boat. When they listened to Jesus they caught an over flowing net full. Then, at the highlight of the story for me, Jesus invited them to bring some fish to a fire he already had going.

He started the fire when there were no fish, when they had been out all night and were tired, and cold, and discouraged. He called them to the fish. Then, he called them to the fire. He still does that today. He calls to us when we are cold, tired, and discouraged. He knows what we need. He invites us to His fire, the comfort of His life, and warmth of His love.

Bro. Robin

Can you hear me?

I grew up in a house that sat on an acre of land at the edge of a forest. I knew how far away I could go and still hear Mom call. If it was close to supper I stayed in the yard. If I did not want to hear her call then anywhere in the woods would give me the freedom to play as I wanted. Of course, I might get in trouble when I came home. And, if I needed help, she could not hear me either. Temptation comes when we get out of earshot.

We are all tempted and the Bible tells us we all sin, (Romans 3:23). If we search the scriptures we can discover the character and content of sin and how to find forgiveness through Jesus Christ. We can also find teaching in the Bible that will help us avoid temptation in the first place.

First and foremost is the need to stay in God’s Word, the Bible. In Genesis 3 we see that when sin entered the world the serpent lied to Eve, and Adam, to get sin started. His first lie begins with, “Has God said…?” When we doubt God’s Word we open the door to temptation. We tend to doubt the word of someone we do not know well. The closeness of our relationship with God and our faith in His Word go hand in hand.

When Jesus was being tempted by the devil He was tempted first to turn stones into bread. He answered that temptation by remembering that man does not live by bread only but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. “Every Word,” keeps rolling around in my mind. All of the Bible is important as food for our spirit. It is the food we need not only to grow spiritually but our very survival depends on the spiritual nourishment of daily taking in His Word.

David said, “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against God,” (Psalm 119). Read, study, memorize, and meditate on God’s Word. Make a commitment now to read through the Bible in 2008. Stay in earshot of God. The life you safe might be your own.

Bro. Robin

Wholly, holy, holey

This weekend I finally got started on a project that began just after Christmas. I was putting away Christmas ornaments when I saw a piece of Formica in the attic that did not belong where it was. This chain of events led to me forgetting where I was standing and I suddenly found my self stepping off the attic floor into a space between rafters that was covered by insulation. I heard a popping sound as I quickly, but not quick enough, pulled my foot back up on the floor. I hurried downstairs to sounds of “what happened?” and explanations of, “I’m okay, but I need to see what the damage is.” I found the spot in the utility room, fortunately, where my foot pushed almost through the ceiling.

A few weeks later the power went out all over town and I needed to run the heater off of a generator. I considered how to get an extension cord up the stairs through the house; my heater is in the attic. Then suddenly as if by inspiration it hit me. I already had a hole in the ceiling close enough to an outside door to run a cord almost directly to the heater. Now my accident seemed almost providential, to me at least.

Time went on. Joyce wanted it fixed before Jamie’s wedding but things got too busy. Then summer came and it got too hot to work in the attic. I thought it was beyond my abilities to do by myself, even though I sheet rocked my shop by myself. Besides, it was in the utility room where no one ever sees it. Okay, Joyce saw it every time she went into the utility room. And, I could see it from my office. But it was easy to ignore.

Then, last week, I overheard Joyce talking about it on the phone with a daughter. The words that caught my attention were, “Things like that are just not as important to men as they are to us.” Hmmm. I suddenly realized that my hole was more than a simple misstep by me. It was a flaw in the home of the one I treasured most in this world. Furthermore, it was a flaw I caused and should have fixed a long time ago.

Saturday, after she left for the morning, and without telling her what I was doing, I fixed the hole. It took me less time than I thought. I still have some finish work to do but the hole is fixed. When she came home I showed her what I had done, she smiled and gave me a big hug and a “thank you.” Then she took me out to buy me a birthday present at Sportsman’s Warehouse.

The Bible says, “Husbands, love your wives.” (Eph. 5:25) When was the last time you expressed it in a way she appreciates? Maintaining a relationship is more important than maintaining a house. But it can also be just as simple.

Bro. Robin

PS. I submitted this to Joyce for her review, since it is also about her. This was her response: “I like the article, but MAN, you are SLOW!!!! love ya.”

Spiritual Priorities

How do we prioritize our spiritual life and bring it into focus? How can we relate that to our ministries as a church?

Proverbs 29:18a, King James Version, says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish. But he that keepeth the law, happy is he” The New Living Translation says, “When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.” This verse describes the need for focus with the word of God as our priority.

I would say that our first concerns should be the things that define us as Christians. What is our relationship to Jesus Christ? Do we read and obey His Word? Do we pray? Do we fellowship with believers? Do we tell others about Him as a witness?

My second group of concerns would be the things that define me as a member of this church. Do I attend? Do I contribute? What is my ministry? Am I doing my part in making the vision of this church a reality? With what group, or Sunday school class, do I fellowship?

My third group of concerns would be very simple. What else can we do to lift up Jesus and make worship a more meaningful experience for everyone?

I am sure many of us would have different lists, or word them differently. I would like to know what you think. How would you prioritize the ministries of your church? How would you prioritize your spiritual life? Email me at dr_robin@fbcgentry.org, or drop off your thoughts at the office.

At the Southern Baptist Convention a question was asked about a kind of theological triage to sort out issues under discussion. (search “triage” at almohler.com). The idea was suggested that primary issues identify us as Christians, secondary issues identify us as Baptists, and tertiary issues can be discussed and disagreed on without disrupting the fellowship. This rating scale for issues got me thinking about how we prioritize our Church ministries, and our own spiritual lives.

In keeping with the above rambling thoughts, how would you perform spiritual triage on your church? How would you perform spiritual triage on yourself?

Bro. Robin

Unity and Agreement

The Southern Baptist Convention is wrapping up its work in San Antonio. While many people who call themselves Baptist have little or no awareness of the Convention or how our denomination works, there are others who are totally absorbed and obsessed with it. I like to think I am somewhere in the middle of the extremes. I think it is important to know what is going on. Some aspects of our denomination affect us here.

The most important decision so far has been a strong affirmation of the Baptist Faith and Message, our doctrinal statement of faith. This statement on the BF&M was adopted earlier this year by our executive committee and reads as follows:

"The Baptist Faith and Message is neither a creed, nor a complete statement of our faith, nor final and infallible; nevertheless, we further acknowledge that it is the only consensus statement of doctrinal beliefs approved by the Southern Baptist Convention and such is sufficient in its current form to guide trustees in their establishment of policies and practices of entities of the Convention."

This statement does several things. First it says the BF&M is good enough as it is and we don’t need to add to it to please every little group that comes along. The statement also says something about who we are as a Convention. We are a collection of autonomous churches who have agreed to cooperate for the sake of missions and for the gospel. An important part of our cooperation is our agreement on the most important doctrines. That is the purpose of the BF&M. Beyond that we realize that there will never be an end to what we can disagree on. But we all agree that the Gospel is the main thing, and we need to keep it that way.

Unity and agreement are not the same things. Jesus calls us to unity. Together we will be victorious, but division is defeat. Agreement, total agreement anyway, is an impossible dream. I once heard that for every two people there are at least three opinions. With the love of Jesus comes respect and with respect comes unity. We can work together without having to be carbon copies of each other.

Besides, if we were all alike, wouldn’t that be boring? Read Psalm 2:4

Bro. Robin