Pray for Missions

We will be sending ten of our members on Mission Trips this summer. We also have our local mission reaching children with Terrific Tuesdays and Tremendous Thursdays. Missions include camps such as Youth Camp and Children’s Camp. All of our summer activities need to be wrapped up in prayer. Here are some thought on how to pray for Missions.

M – Pray for the members of each team. Pray for them individually by name.

I – Include their families who stay and support them. Intercede for them as you pray for their safety and blessings.

S – Pray for the Spirit of God to Surround them with protection as they travel and Share the Gospel. Pray that we will have strength in God’s Spirit and stay strong each day. Pray that we will carry that strength with us with we return and share what great things God has done.

S – Pray to see the needs and see the vision God has for meeting those needs with the Gospel. Pray for the souls of those who will hear the gospel that they will see the need to turn from sin and receive Jesus as Savior.

I – Pray for the Interpreters who help us cross language and cultural barriers. Interpreters are needed not only for different languages but also we need guides who can lead us to relate to different cultures. This is important for every team we send.

O – Pray for one Spirit of obedience and unity among the team members. Pray that we will be encouragers to each other and that we will all be filled with the joy of the Lord.

N – Pray for all news to be Good News. Pray for a good report. Pray that nothing will stand against us and nothing will hinder the Gospel of God’s Love through Jesus Christ that we are sent to tell.

S – Pray for God to send us all where He wants us to serve. He may send you across the street or around the world. When we go in God’s strength we know that nothing is impossible.

When we put on the full armor of God the last part of preparation is to stand guard in that armor. That is the place of prayer. Paul said, “With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador…” Ephesians 6:18-20a nas

Thank you for your prayers.

Bro. Robin

What I Learned in Vacation Bible School

I was thinking this morning about Vacation Bible School beginning soon. I have been going to VBS as long as I can remember. It was where I learned many lessons that left an enduring mark upon my life.

 Several years ago there was a book written, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, by Robert Fulghum. His book spawned a bunch of similar books taking lessons from everything from cats and dogs to Star Trek. There were even similar books about lessons from Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. This got me wondering what I would put in a book of lessons from VBS.

I learned the importance of making new friends. There were always kids in VBS that were new to the community.

I learned the value of the golden rule. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is a Bible verse, Matthew 7:12, not a bumper sticker. Jesus said, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (NIV)

I learned to memorize important scriptures. John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10, 1 John 1:9, just to name a few, still comfort me at times.

I learned to sing songs and pay attention to the words. We sang and learned from, “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, red and yellow black and white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.”

I learned that cookies dunked in red Kool-Aid were a delicious treat on a hot day.

I learned to be creative in decorating my VBS folder with doodles that meant something only to me.

I learned the pledges to the US flag, Christian Flag, and the Bible, and what the symbolism of the flags mean.

I learned that when you get stuck trying to learn something new there are people around you who can help, and sometimes I can help someone else too.

Most importantly I learned, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

These are just a few of the lesson I learned from VBS. Perhaps you could add some from your own experience. You could also volunteer for VBS and add a few more lessons. There is room for everybody in Vacation Bible School!

Bro. Robin

A Mission Vision

It was on a mission trip to Mexico City in the early 1980s that I had a revelation. Joyce and I were visiting a neighborhood for a local church. We were going door to door sharing our testimony, talking to them about Jesus, and inviting them to the local church. Our translator was a high school teacher who was also a member of the church we were representing. The area was steep in places as we climbed the hillsides. The houses were built next to each other in a tight mass that was densely populated, up to 80,000 people per square mile. At that time Mexico City was said to hold over10 million people, and it was on the rise.

At one point we stopped to look back at the valley below us. The scene was breath-taking as we saw a valley stretched out to a distant mountain. As far as the eye could see there were no patches of green, only city.

“Mexico City is really big!” I said to our guide.

“This is not Mexico City,” he said, “Mexico City is through that pass,” he pointed to our right. “This is the suburbs.”

Suddenly I had a sick feeling in my stomach. I already knew that with the Baptist Seminary in Mexico City and other missionaries assigned for evangelism we had around fifty SBC missionaries assigned to this area at that time. That was considered a large contingent for a major city. Fifty missionaries were supposed to reach ten million. That is an impossible task. Then I realized it was not just their responsibility. It is the responsibility of ever Christian to reach the world for Christ. They need our help.

I have been asked why I take mission trips to other countries when there are needs here at home? I tell this story. If we take two weeks out of a year to do groundwork to assist our missionaries we still have fifty weeks to reach our local community.

When Jesus gave His Great Commission He said, “but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Jesus did not say go here first then there. He said go both here and there.

Perhaps we cannot all go. Indeed, we should only go if God calls us to go. But we can all send with our prayers and our resources. Our summer missions include trips to The Dominican Republic, Vancouver B.C., Alaska, and our Summer Children’s Program. Pray for all of the teams. Ask about ways you can help. Volunteers are needed for the summer outreach. This is us being the Church Reaching Across the Street and Around the World with the Love of God.

Bro. Robin

Front Porch Missionary

Mrs. H. was a sweet elderly lady with a heart for missions. She was involved in Sunday School, church, and the women’s mission organizations for as long as her health permitted. When we announced that we would be taking a mission trip to Africa she wanted to be involved. By this time her age and health kept her homebound except for coming to church on Sunday morning. She told me that all she could do was pray and that she would pray for us every day.

Mrs. H. had a habit of sitting in the same chair every day with her Bible and prayer list and spend much of the morning praying and reading her Bible. When spring brought warm weather she began to sit outside on her porch for her early morning devotions. It was a special time for her to talk to her Lord about people including many missionaries who were on her prayer list.

One morning she noticed the children walking by her house on the way to school and she began to pray for them. She did not know any of them. As she prayed she wondered if these same children came by her house on their way home. That afternoon she watched and spoke to some of them as they passed by. Two middle school girls stopped and visited with her on their way home. After that the girls would stop by everyday for a friendly visit.

As the days got warmer she made some lemonade and brought some glasses with her to the porch. When they stopped by she shared her lemonade. The girls acted like they enjoyed their daily visits with Mrs. H. They began asking questions about her life and she was happy to share her stories and the kind of wisdom that an older woman can share with young girls. The conversations quickly included the Bible beside her chair. As she told stories of her long life and handed out wisdom born from experience she also shared about Jesus and the difference He made.

One day she asked them if they would like to pray and receive Jesus and they both said yes. She listened to them pray and told them to go home and tell their parents. With their parents permission she would be happy to teach them more about Jesus and the Bible that meant so much to her. Mrs. H. continued to mentor those girls for many months after that.

Her story inspires me. When she was not able to go on a mission trip she prayed and God brought the mission field to her. She stayed on her front porch and led two young girls to salvation. Jesus calls us all to go and preach the Gospel, (Mark 16:15). It is not about where or how far you go. It may be to the ends of the earth. It might be no farther than your front porch. God can use you in His mission.

This summer we have a mission program for children here at home. We are also sending mission teams to the Dominican Republic, Alaska, and Vancouver. Pray for us. Pray for God to use you where you are.

Bro. Robin

WWJ Drive

A few weeks ago we were driving home from western Oklahoma. It had been a stressful week and a stressful day, having driven four hours to Kingfisher, Oklahoma, and now we were beginning the four-hour drive home.

Our trip took us through a small town with a large Catholic Church and school. As we drove through town I observed the signs and traffic. I noticed the sign for the Trinity Catholic Church. I saw the buildings and the driveways. As we passed a gated driveway that led to the campus I casually glanced up the entrance and saw that it ended at a garage and my mind quickly noted its three garage doors.

Trinity Catholic Church has a three-car garage! What began as a simple observation suddenly took hold of my attention. Then I thought what would Jesus drive? Apparently the answer is behind door number two. I began to laugh. It was not just any laugh. I laughed so hard that Joyce and Carra began to laugh too. They were laughing at me because I was laughing so hard I could barely tell them why.

The relief of that moment was like a cool drink of ice-cold lemonade after mowing the lawn or a nap in the middle of a hard day. It was a release that brought us relief from the stress of the day. There would still be more stress to handle throughout that week but for the moment there was this reminder of God’s love and His supreme sense of humor.

Proverbs 17:22 says, “A joyful heart is good medicine.” Sometimes it is the best medicine.

I have tried to share this story several times since then and most people smile politely. It will never be as funny, even to me, as it was at the time. That’s ok. God gave me a good laugh at a time when I really needed one. He loves us like that.

Bro. Robin

The Cheering Cloud

When our children were in school we often attended sporting events. The boys wrestled and played summer baseball and the girls were in the marching band and played softball. Now we watch our grandchildren. The older we get the more pictures we take.

As spectators we get to enjoy the action on the field from a distance. We try to feel what they feel. We get excited for their successes and yell encouragement when things don’t go their way. We do not score any points and we really do not have as much influence over the game as we think. What happens on the field is still up to the players, not the spectators.

The influence of a hometown crowd is not to be overlooked. An excited crowd can make a difference in the excitement on the field. A cheering crowd can cause runners to put out that ounce of extra effort that gives them an edge and takes them across the finish line to victory.

This is the picture we see in Hebrews 12:1. “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…” Paul is describing runners on the field of a race. Track and field was common sporting events in his day, as they are today. A cloud of cheering fans surrounds the runners. These fans are called witnesses using the same word that is used for martyrs. The language tells us that this cloud is made of the people in heaven who see us and are cheering for our success.

Think about it. What greater fans do we have than our parents and ancestors, our loved ones who have gone before us? Like spectators at a race they cannot run the race for us but they can cheer us on. Knowing that they are cheering for us can make the difference in that extra ounce of effort whether it is a race or a critical decision we have to make. We have their support as they wait for us to join them in that cloud.

Easter is a reminder of resurrection. It reminds us not only of the resurrection of Jesus Christ but also the resurrection we will all experience when He calls us to himself. By faith in Jesus we will one day see all those who cheered us on the victory in this life. Then the celebration will begin.

Happy Easter, Happy Resurrection! The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed!

Bro. Robin

Trash

I watched as my almost two year old granddaughter toddled through my study. In her curiosity she looked at everything she passed. She came to a large box with a lid that once held reams of paper and now was labeled "Taxes 2012." She lifted the lid and saw the jumble of receipts and bills.

"Trash," she declared as she dropped the lid and moved on to something else.

I smiled as she left the room and reached over to adjust the lid on the box she had just identified as trash. I thought about how valuable the contents were to me. I had collected those papers throughout the year and was getting ready to use them in preparing my income tax return. They were of vital importance to me but meaningless trash to her.

Whether something is valuable or trash can often depend on the individual. It can depend on how important it is to us. It may not matter if it is important because it is useful or because it has some other meaning.

Sometimes trash can be turned into treasure. We have a cabinet that came from the farm. It had been used in the barn to store tools. We brought it home, cleaned it up, made some repairs, and put a coat of stain on it. It still does not look new but to us it is a prized possession. Not only is it useful but it also has a special meaning.

Occasionally we go through the house and remove things that have no use and have lost their meaning. We need to do that in our personal lives as well. We can accumulate stuff that take up space and have no meaning, or may even be harmful to us. Bad habits can start out as a good idea at the time and soon become a barrier to our spiritual growth. We need to look at the things we treasure and determine if they are good or trash.

Jesus said, "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven... for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:20-21) He even gave us a test to apply to our treasure. "...where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal." (Matthew 6:20).

Years ago I realized that the only treasure we have here on earth that we will take with us into heaven are people who share our faith in Jesus. About the only thing I know that fits those conditions are the relationships I have with people, and with Jesus. I am glad that when Jesus looks at us He always says "treasure," He never says, "trash." I'm glad He, "...so love the world."

Bro. Robin

Ice Cream Voice

It was a warm summer day, three of my grandsons were actively playing in the backyard, and I had just finished a batch of my homemade ice cream. I went to the back door to invite them to enjoy the ice cream with me.

As I stepped to the door I noticed that they were all the way to the back of the yard by the fence, about thirty yards away. Ordinarily, at that distance, I would have to yell to get their attention. But the thought crossed my mind that this might be a good time to try an experiment in selective hearing. So I quietly opened the door and in a normal speaking voice said:

“Anyone ready for ice cream?”

Suddenly three heads turned in my direction as all three boys began running for the door yelling, “Ice Cream!”

We sometimes teach our children to control the volume of their voices. We refer to “inside voice” and “outside voice” to distinguish the volumes needed to communicate in different settings. Perhaps there also needs to be a designation of “Ice Cream Voice” for those things we like to hear.

There are those words that make our ears perk up when we hear them even when they are whispered. There are even many phrases that may rank more important than, “Ice Cream,” or “Have more pie.” Phrases like, “I love you,” can be heard when whispered across a busy airport. “Good job,” “Well done,” and “Thank you,” also come to mind. Our ears become tuned to words and our eyes to wordless expressions that become a special language for friends and couples over time.

Paul said, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) Our ears and our senses can also become tuned to hear the word of Christ. As our relationship with Him grows over time we learn to recognize His voice in His word and in the daily occurrences of our lives. If we are listening God has an “Ice Cream” voice. When we are sensitive to His Spirit it is as though we are children and He has said “Ice Cream.” We can come to the sound of His voice and enjoy the blessings He has prepared for us.

Bro. Robin

Praying for friends

When I went to pastor my first church it was out in western Oklahoma wheat country. One of the men of the church came to me with a burden for two of his friends. He picked a day he knew they would both be available and we went out to visit them in their homes.

We went to visit the first one and he made it clear that although he knew about Jesus and his family went to church he did not want to become a Christian.

The second man we visited was a young man in his twenties. He was not home but we were told that he was out on the tractor spraying for greenbugs. We drove around his farm and when we found him we waved to get his attention. He pulled up and stopped his tractor and we shared the gospel with him. We talked about how Jesus died on the cross for his sins and that he could have His forgiveness and start a new life if he would believe in Jesus, turn away from his sin, and pray and invite Jesus to come into his heart. Compared to me he was a giant in size and that made it an even more awesome sight to see tears roll down that dusty face as he prayed and asked Jesus to forgive his sins and give him a new life. I told him he got rid of his greenbugs and his sins on the same day.

Nearly ten years later that same man, who took me to visit his two friends, asked me if I could make another visit. We went to see the first friend we visited years earlier. We sat in his living room and saw the answer to years of prayer as he said yes to Jesus.

When you pray for a friend God hears your prayer. His work is on His time. We see only a friend in need. God sees everything and knows all the pieces that need to be in place. His timing is always perfect. We do not make things happen. We pray and God makes things happen. Whether it takes a day or ten years His hand is at work while we pray bringing all the pieces together for an answer.

What are the pieces in your life that need to come together? You only know a few of them. Only God knows them all.

Bro Robin

The Ruler

When my parents moved into the Baptist Home we had an auction to sell all the stuff they had accumulated over a lifetime. Our family was allowed to go through and pick out a few personal items. I picked up a mirror that had hung in my bedroom as I grew up.

My oldest brother walked through the tables and joked about all the junk. Suddenly he reached down and picked up an old folding ruler. It was the kind carpenters used before tape measures. A smile spread across my brother’s face. “This is the ruler Dad used to build the house. This means something.”

I understood. My brother was a teen-ager when Dad built the house and he and my other brothers helped with the construction. This ruler was the standard every piece of wood in the house was measured against. The house stood strong against the elements as a shelter for a growing family because of that ruler and the man who knew how to use it.

The family bible was the standard against which everything that went on inside the house was measured. When my parents were married, at sixteen, they accepted Jesus and were baptized together. They made a commitment to Christ to keep their family in Church and raise them by the principles of God’s word.

The prophet Amos saw a vision of The Lord holding a plumb line in His hand, (Amos 7). A plumb line is simply a weighted string that gives a true vertical line for building a wall. If a wall is not built according to plumb it is destined to fall. God told Amos that He had put a plumb line in the middle of His people and he would “…never again pass by them.” (Amos 7:8-9) As a result, everything was about to be “made desolate” and “laid waste.”

It was not the plumb line that was about to destroy Israel. It was their failure to build their lives according to God’s plumb line that would result in their own destruction. They chose their own standard over God’s and were about to pay the price. The word of the prophet, God’s Word, is the perfect standard by which we stand or fall. It does not matter how we measure up to each other. What really matters is how God sees us.

Bro. Robin

The Choice is Yours

I don’t remember his name exactly but I think it was Alex. I was a junior in High School and it was 1969. He was a new student. The rumor was that he recently moved here from California. He had long hair and stayed to himself most of the time. He had a rough attitude that kept most other people away including teachers and the bus driver. He rode the bus to school with me but he always sat alone.

One morning Alex pulled the window down and lit up. A few people asked him to put the window up but he said he couldn’t and kept on smoking. I sat behind him and had grown up with smokers in the family. But this did not smell like any cigarette I had been around. It had a sickening sweet smell that I learned later was marijuana. It was the first time I had ever been around it.

I did not see Alex much after that. He was kicked off the bus and I think he dropped out of school. Then one summer day, over a year later, a car drove up my driveway. When the door open two guys got out, one of them was Alex. He was grinning from ear to ear. I knew who it was but I could see right away that he was a very different person than the Alex I had known from the school bus.

Alex had become a Christian and I was one of the first people he wanted to tell. I did not think he even knew who I was. Apparently he had been listening when I sat behind him and talked about Jesus and Church and the Lord’s call on my life to preach. He knew all about me and that was the reason he wanted me to know about his decision. He had joined a group of Christian youth in Edwardsville, Illinois, who had a similar background to his own and now they were going back to old friends and telling them how Jesus was better than the drugs and everything else in their life and that He had set them free in His salvation!

Alex is one of many people I have known over the years who have gone from drugs to Jesus. All of them, even the ones who had to go through a difficult rehab, knew that they could not serve Christ and drugs including marijuana, alcohol, and tobacco. Clean is clean, one of them used to say to me.

Every election is important and that makes our participation important. This year there are some local issues that are especially important. We need to stand against drug use of any kind whether it is alcohol, marijuana, or anything else. These are moral issues and not just political. As Christians we need to pray about how we vote and stand on Biblical principles.

Solomon said, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.” (Prov. 16:33 esv). We participate in the process and God controls the outcome. I am convinced that sometimes the outcome is for blessing and sometimes it is for judgment. We pray it is for blessing. Pray about your vote and pray for our country. We need Revival, not by vote, but by God’s Spirit.

Bro. Robin

The Danger of Indecision

Early Monday morning I drove to Centerton to attend a Pastor’s Conference and recharge my spiritual batteries after Sunday. I like to take the back roads because it is so peaceful and it takes about the same amount of time. As I watched the road ahead I saw a squirrel run across the road from my right. As he got to the other side of the pavement he apparently changed his mind, turned around, and darted back across in from of me. I felt a sickening thump thump and thought to myself, “That squirrel should not have changed his mind!”

He was safe on the other side of danger when he suddenly changed his mind. Over the years driving country roads I have had a lot of squirrels run across in front of me. I can only remember one other time that the squirrel did not make it. They are usually faster than that. This squirrel was fast enough but his indecision is what cost him.

The incident with the squirrel reminded me of times when I second-guessed myself on a decision only to realize later that the first decision was the right one. Most of the time I stay with my first decision unless I have compelling evidence to the contrary. I learned this in school taking multiple-choice questions. Your first answer is most likely to be the right one. But there is still occasionally that nagging feeling in the back of my thoughts. What if I had chosen the other option? I have found that it is usually safer to stay with your convictions and take the risk than to waver and actually increase the chance of failure.

Jesus said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62 esv) Jesus wants us to be committed to following Him. We should not be distracted by second-guessing all the options that are around us. If we choose His direction changing our mind now has consequences.

Jesus also taught us to pray, “And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:13 esv) Following His leadership and being delivered from evil are tied together for a reason. If we follow His leadership away from temptation He will lead us in a path that avoids evil. If we want His protection we must stay on the path and not turn back.

Bro. Robin

Delivered

I remember my first “Haunted House” experience. I was in first grade and the eighth graders put it on for the lower grades at school. We were to be guided through an obstacle course in the dark that was supposed to be scary. My brother Mike wanted to make it a memorable experience so he guided my group through personally and attempted to make it as scary as possible.

The other kids with us were indeed scared. I, however, was comforted by the fact that my brother was leading my group and I knew he would never let anything bad happen to me. His attempt to scare me backfired because I trusted him. When it was over I was the only one who wanted to go again!

Jesus taught us to pray, “…deliver us from evil.” (Mt. 6:13b). He came to save us not only from death but also from the evil that is around us. He can deliver us because He never leaves us. His promise is secure because of the relationship we have with Him.

When I was very young, eight years old, life was simple; I thought I had all of the answers. I went to church every Sunday and I learned what I was supposed to do to become a Christian.

Later, as I heard my Pastor preach about Jesus, I had a strange feeling inside that I didn't understand. I knew then that there was more to being a Christian than knowing what I was supposed to do.  I realized that thinking I had all of the answers was a sin, a rebellion against God.   One Sunday after church, I went outside to sit down in my father’s car and prayed very simply, "Lord Jesus, whatever You want me to do, I'll do it."

When I called on Jesus and gave my life to him, He forgave me of my sins, came into my heart, and gave me a new life that will never end.   As Romans 10:9 says, "If you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord (in control) and believe in your heart God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

Jesus continues to teach me new things everyday as I talk with Him in prayer, listen to His Word, the Bible, tell people about Jesus, and care for others through my church.  You can receive this new life and know Jesus just as I do if you also will call on Jesus, confess your sins, and ask Him to be in control of your life.

Jesus also said, “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16esv) Jesus wants to deliver us from evil from the inside out. Before we can ask for anything else we need to ask for a relationship with him. He is God’s only Son and when we pray to Him He becomes like our older brother guiding us through the evil that threatens us every day. 

Bro. Robin

Godly Leadership

We were playing on the parallel ladder when it happened. I was in the fourth grade and enjoyed swinging on the bars, seeing how fast I could travel the length. An eighth grader who was small for his age came by. Suddenly he started pulling kids off the bars. At first, we all thought it was funny. Then one girl started to cry. So, I told him to stop.

He shoved me. I shoved him back. He took a swing at me. I punched him in the shoulder and told him to stop, again. But, it was too late. We were surrounded by kids yelling, “fight!” His friends were giving him advice on how and where to hit me. My friends were stunned that I was in a fight with an eighth grader. He took another swing at me, which I dodged, and I punched him in the forehead. He was ready to quit but his friends kept urging him on.

Suddenly I felt someone grab me from behind. A man, a teacher, had me by the arm, and another teacher had him by the arm. We were both dragged to the superintendent’s office.

The Superintendent was Mr. Larkin. I knew him from church as well as school. He was a Sunday School teacher and the chairman of Deacons at our church. I respected him because my parents, and everyone I knew, respected him. The other boy was terrified to go to his office. I knew he was a fair man who would listen to my side of the story. The only thing I was afraid of was that I knew he would tell my dad and if I got a swat here I would get another one at home.

We were separated and Mr. Larkin listened to both of us tell our stories. He talked to the teachers and brought in some other students including some of the boys who urged on the fight. He concluded that we had both been pushed into the fight and gave the older boy a swat because he was older and should have known better. Then he gave me a calm explanation why fighting is not a good way to settle differences and if it happened again there would be more punishment. I knew what he meant and promised that it would never happen again.

The lesson I learned that day was not about fighting. It was about leadership. The other boy was led by the mob and made poor decisions. I was led by Mr. Larkin and other godly men at church who taught me by example and by lessons from God’s Word that there were better ways to solve problems.

Jesus taught us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “And lead us not into temptation…” Godly leadership is positive leadership. It is leadership that points us away from the temptations of popular opinions of the crowd. Godly leadership points us to the truth of God’s Word that will work in our lives. Who are the Godly leaders in your life? Are you a Godly leader?

Bro. Robin

Encouraging Leadership

I once had a dog that enjoyed taking me on walks. At least, that’s how it seemed to me. As soon as she saw the leash she got excited. When I snapped on the leash she would drag me to the door and around the block. I derived the most exercise from holding her back. Things got especially exciting whenever she saw a squirrel.

No matter how hard she pulled I still had control of the leash. Sometimes I had to pull up and shorten it to remind her of my control, when she wanted to go the wrong way. Other times I could give her more freedom as long as she was going the right way.

God leads us like that. He gives us freedom but makes the limitations clear. Sometimes, when we get too far from Him we get ourselves in trouble. At other times we feel Him pull us back just in time to save us from something bad. We can choose to go our own way but we have to understand that means we remove ourselves from His wisdom and protection.

Jesus taught us to pray, “And lead us not into temptation…” (Matthew 6:13). We desire and need God to lead us. We also need to understand that we choose to submit to his leadership. We have to ask God to lead us. He does not force Himself or His direction on us.

The Lord’s Prayer reminds us that we are not doing this alone. Jesus did not teach us to pray, “Lead me,” rather we are to pray, “Lead us.” We are in this together as fellow travelers on the road. We face the same difficulties and need each other’s prayer and encouragement. We therefore need to pray for God to lead us together.

In the Lord’s Prayer is also a reminder of the consequences of ignoring His direction. Temptation is always there to snare the careless traveler. Everywhere we turn there are spiritual squirrels to catch our attention and lead us away from the things of God. We can get lost in temptation if we are not careful.

Our relationship with God is an active relationship that requires us to take an active role. God will lead us and He has a perfect plan for us. We must ask for His leadership and continue to follow His direction. Sometimes it is easy and sometimes it is hard. But it is always worth it.

Bro. Robin

Yes!

I was waiting in the lobby of a church I had pastored many years ago. A former deacon walked up to me. We were the only two people in the room at the time. He seemed a little nervous as we spoke and then said to me, "I owe you an apology, I said and did a lot of things against you when you were our pastor and I want you to know I'm sorry."

I was caught a little off guard, at first. To be honest, I could not remember specifically what he had done. I had forgiven him a long time ago. I stumbled a little over my words.

"Thank you," I said, "I appreciate you saying that. I forgave you already. I know it took a lot for you to say that. Thank you."

"I just felt like I needed to say it," he said. We continued to talk, more freely now, it seemed. It was like an invisible wall had been lifted between us.

There was another side to that story that I did not go into with him. He was a part of a group that had made life difficult for me over a period of years. In spite of their efforts we saw many successes in that church. Much later, I found myself needing to talk about it with a close friend who was not associated with that church. I tried to not be too critical and to focus on the lessons I had learned. I did not realize how much I continued to talk about it until one day he turned to me and said, “They must have really hurt you.” I had not admitted it before, but yes, they had. Admitting the pain that caused me to want to talk about it seemed to lift the burden. I was finally able to truly forgive them and felt a huge burden lift from my shoulders. When I finally faced the pain I felt such a difference that I knew something had truly changed in my heart.

When my children were small I got tired of listening to tattling and made a new house rule. “If what you want to tell me begins with someone else’s name I don’t want to hear it.” That did not apply to emergencies, of course. But, it did slow down the tattling.

God has a similar rule but words it a little differently. In the Lord’s Prayer he taught us to pray, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12) Or, to rephrase it, “Forgive what we owe you as we forgive all those who owe us something.” Forgiveness was so important to Jesus that he repeated it at the end of the Prayer, (Matthew 6:14-15). His forgiveness is conditioned on our forgiveness.

What was it that kept me from forgiving them before? In a word my problem was pride. Pride is a sin that attaches itself to other problems and makes them worse. I was unable to truly forgive because of pride, even though I said the words before and thought at the time I was sincere. Pride can keep us from forgiving and accepting the forgiveness of others. Pride can cause us to keep making the same mistakes over and over. After all, we always think the problem is them not us! That is the essence of pride. In my situation I would not allow myself to admit that they hurt me. Admitting the pain seemed like a defeat. However, when I turned loose of my pride and finally admitted it, it turned into a victory. Forgiveness is the prayer God always answers, “Yes!”

Bro. Robin

Asking for the Bread of Knowledge

When Joyce began baking bread she tried several different recipes until she found one we all liked. Then, over time, she refined both the recipe and the technique. A funny moment occurred when she was discussing bread making with some of the ladies from our church. One of them said that she wished she could bake bread like Joyce. Joyce replied, “Well you should, it’s your recipe.” The lady replied that might be so but hers never turned out like Joyce’s.

Baking bread requires a specific knowledge. I can put together the ingredients but who would eat it? When Joyce makes bread everyone asks for more. One of our daughters wanted to learn how to make bread like her mother. She followed her around the kitchen with a notepad and wrote down everything she did. She quickly realized that she needed to stop and hand her mother a measuring cup or her recipe would be meaningless. After time she learned how to make bread but it was more from following her mother than is was from following the recipe.

When Jesus was tempted by Satan to turn stones into bread, Jesus responded, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4 ESV) Later when Jesus taught us to pray he included the phrase, “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11 ESV) In previous newsletters I told you that when we ASK for bread we are praying for God to A – Act, and S – Save us from sin. We are also asking him to give us K – Knowledge. This bread is both the written word of God and the living word of God. (Jesus refers to himself as the Bread of Life in John 6:35).

Knowing God requires a specific knowledge. It comes more from following Jesus than any program. The written directions for bread may not always tell you about how much flour to add until the dough reaches the right consistency but following the baker will teach you how to know. A program of discipleship may not tell you God’s specific will for your life. But Jesus knows God’s perfect will and following him will lead you to know it too. He can feed you the bread of life because he is the Bread of Life.

When we pray for daily bread we are praying for knowledge that is not just information about his word or his will. We are praying to know him, as Paul said: “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11 ESV)

Bro. Robin

Asking for Bread of Salvation

One of my favorite smells is the smell of bread baking in the oven. Whether it is made from whole grain, cracked wheat, or bread flour, rolls or loaves, my mouth waters when I think of how it will melt in my mouth when it comes out of the oven. There is nothing better that a roll or slice of bread fresh out of the oven. I like it covered in butter, honey, jam, or all by itself. Yum.

Some kind of bread made from grain is the staple food in every culture. Some countries make their bread flat such as tortillas in Latin America, or pita bread, in the Middle East. In Jesus’ day bread was flat like a tortilla. In Malawi the word for bread, nsema, literally means “food.” Their bread is made from finely ground cornmeal and boiled to a play-doh consistency. It is used like a spoon to eat the rest of the meal, and it is not considered a meal without nsema.

When I think of bread I think of the shape of loaves that my wife makes from yeast dough, or that we buy from the store. My mother made corn bread and biscuits and on special occasions she would make “light bread” rolls with yeast dough. When I smell fresh bread cooking in the oven the first thing I ask for is a slice.

Yeast is one kind of leavening that is used to make the bread dough rise. When the dough rises tiny organisms in the yeast makes the dough fill with air bubbles that makes the bread soft and light. (It’s alive!) Baking powder is another kind of leavening used in biscuits. Sour dough is made from leavening that is grown in a jar and kept for years, shared with friends, and even passed down through generations.

Not all bread is made with leavening. In the bible, leavening is a symbol of sin and as such the children of Israel were required to make the bread for Passover without leavening. Unleavened bread is also used in our Lord’s Supper services. Jesus told his disciples to beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Mt. 16:6) He was talking about their false teachings that hide in the truth and puff up with pride. Like yeast, sin can take on a life of its own. But Jesus also compared the Kingdom of God to leaven that a women hid in flour until it was all leavened. (Luke 13:21) He used the character of leaven to describe both sin and the Kingdom. Both change the character of the person it is inside.

When Jesus taught us to pray he included the phrase, “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11 esv) The “daily bread” that Jesus was talking about literally means, “bread for tomorrow.” This not only applies to asking for our needs but also for asking for salvation from sin for each day.

Praying for daily bread reminds us that we need God for our nurturing and our nature. We need him to remove our sin and fill us with his nature to do his will. He taught us to pray like this because this is how he wants to work his life in us.

Bro. Robin

Asking God to Act

When my son was about three years old my parents came for a visit. One of my Dad’s favorite things to do with the grandkids was to take them to the “dime store,” or dollar store as we call them today, and let them pick out a toy. My daughter picked out something quickly but my son kept looking and it became apparent that he had something specific in mind.

   “Son, what are you looking for,” I asked?

   “A zooer,” he said. “I want a zooer.”

   “What’s a zooer,” I was almost afraid to ask?

   “You know, a zooer,” he said more emphatically, and with a bit of frustration in his voice added, “like yours. Zzzzzzzzzz, a zooer.”

Now I’m completely mystified. My Dad started to laugh and my son started to get upset. Then a light came on. I tried to look at it from a three year olds perspective and suddenly it occurred to me. He wanted a toy weed trimmer. He did not know what is was called but he correctly identified the sound that it made. To my surprise we found one but when it did not actually trim weeds or make the right sound he tired of it quickly. What he got was not exactly what he wanted.

As a child I rarely asked for anything. It just seemed liked everything I needed was already provided. We were neither rich nor poor by most people’s standards. But, we did not lack for necessities and my parents taught me to be happy with what we had. My parents had both grown up poor and had learned to make the most of what they had. That was a gift that has served me well and I am grateful that they passed it on to their children.

When I moved away to college I discovered a whole new meaning to asking and receiving. When I asked for money to spend on myself I received slow responses and small amounts, if any. But, when I wrote home that I needed a new pair of jeans because of the weather and a new pair of shoes to sing in the chorale I got a quick reply and enough money to purchase the necessary items. They responded to my need but not always to my want.

As a father I now know how difficult that was for my parents. We cannot give children everything they want because we cannot afford it and it would not be good for them. We sometimes wish we could give them more. We do well to give them what they need.

When Jesus taught us to pray he included the phrase, “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11 esv) The “daily bread” that Jesus was talking about literally means, “bread for tomorrow.” He taught us to ask for our needs for just one more day. He wants to give us what we need and everything we want that fits his plan for our lives. He wants us to ask so he can give.

Bro. Robin

Daughters Bake Cookies

I don’t remember when I started giving this sage advice. I know it was some time when my children were growing up. A friend told me they were having a baby and it was going to be a girl. I congratulated him and told him, “One of the great things about having a girl is that daughters bake cookies!”

There is a special bond between a daughter and a daddy. My daughters spend time with me and I enjoy every moment. They come to me to talk about books we read and things we do. They let me drive them around town while they shop with their mother. I especially like it when they bake me cookies. I like the cookies not only for the flavor and pleasure. I like them for the love that I know went into them. I like them because they taste just like the cookies their mother makes.

Baking cookies is not a skill they were given at birth. They learned to bake cookies from their mother. And she learned to bake cookies from her mother. Baking cookies is not the only skill passed down from mother to daughter. It is not even the only one dads get to appreciate. It is inherently one of the greatest gifts of motherhood that they pass on valuable traits to their daughters and sons. It is the character even more than the cooking that we inherit from our mothers. It is faith more than food that becomes a lasting legacy.

In Titus 2:3-4, Paul reminds Titus that older women should, “…teach what is good, and so train the young women…” When I think of mother’s day I have so much to be thankful for. I remember my mother and how she taught me to pray. I think of my mother in law who, in addition to being an awesome cook, taught her daughter generosity and hospitality that she has passed on to our children.

These are just a few of the things that Joyce and I have learned from our mothers that we see in our children and will continue to see in our grandchildren. Happy Mother’s Day. Thank you, Moms, for all you do, all you are, and the legacy of faith that you pass on to all of us. And, thanks for teaching your daughters how to bake cookies.
 Bro. Robin