A Hymn Dilemma - Keep Thou My Way, O Lord

Any of you who knows me, knows how I enjoy my old hymnals. This afternoon I was asked by my lovely wife, Laura, about finding a hymn text to include in her mother's birthday card.

Oddly enough, the very first hymn I turned to in my 1890 Reformed Church Hymnal was wonderfully inspirational and very fitting for what my wife was looking for. However, because it was a bit long, too long to easily write out, I told her we should be able to find it at one of my favorite hymn sites on the web - www.cyberhymnal.org.

So, I jumped on the site and quickly found the first line of the text as in my hymnal only to find that the only thing in common between my hymnal hymn and the online hymn was the first line - everything else was different.

So, I thought, well, I will look for the text on the web at large. So I typed in the first line and exactly what I found at cyberhymnal was what came up in the search. I then started to type in various lines of my hymnal text only to find that there is not a trace of this text to be found. Very, very interesting.

So, (this is the third paragraph that begins with so) - I am going to make this a challenge. I know that I have very little following so it may not yield much by way of results, but I am going to post this hymn here and if anyone can find any information about it, it would be appreciated. I will say that my hymnal does state who wrote it, but even as I looked at a few lists of this person's hymn works, this hymn did not show up apart from the first line. Anyone who does look this hymn up by first line will quickly know who it is attributed to. But what I am looking for is the full text as noted below. The date of the variant (online) text is 1894, but my hymnal was published in 1890, which means my text is older. Let me know if you find anything. In the meantime, be blessed by the text:

Keep Thou my way, O Lord;
Myself I cannot guide;
Nor dare I trust my erring steps
One moment from Thy side:
I cannot think aright,
Unless imprisoned by Thee;
My heart would fail without Thy aid;
Choose Thou my thoughts for me.

For every act of faith,
And every pure design,
For all of good my soul can know,
The glory, Lord, be Thine;
Free grace my pardon seals,
Through Thy atoning blood;
Free grace the full assurance brings,
Of peace with Thee, my God.

Oh, speak and I will hear;
Command, and I obey;
My willing feet with joy shall haste
To run the heavenly way;
Keep Thou my wandering heart,
And bid it cease to roam;
Oh, bear me safe o'er death's cold wave
To heaven my blissful home.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Ed

Well I'm back - at least for now.

I know that it has been entirely too long since my last post. Some times I miss being regular with the blog and other times I have not missed it at all.

I will let you know that I make no promises here, but I do intend to be more regular at posting - at least posting something. By and large I simply intend to post things of interest to me and if by chance they interest you, so be it - - - and I would love to hear what you have to say about whatever it is that has interested you.

So, we will see how this goes - I'm back - at least for now.

Hope CBC and Acts 2:42

In and effort to promote meaningful and biblical fellowship, the Elders have used Acts 2:42 as a templete of sorts to guide our fellowship hour at church. After the main service (9:30 am to 11:00 am) and a breif recess, we have a fellowship hour (which is only about 45 minutes). For several years this time was used exclusively to have an open discussion and interaction with the sermon, asking questions, sharing insights, seeking a more thorough application of principles. But sometimes change is good, keeping us "on our toes" and causing us to stretch spiritually as well as creatively.

So, in an effort to promote this "change" for the spiritual good of the body at Hope CBC, the Elder have assigned an aspect of Acts 2:42 to the fellowship hour each week. Here is the text itself:

Acts 2:42
"They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."

There are obviouly four key elements here and for a standard four week month this is how we determined to promote each of these ideas:

On the first Sunday of the month we have appropriated the fellowship hour to the "breaking of bread" or the Lord's Table (communion). Here we have asked the men to be prepared to bring an exhortation from the Word, a Scripture reading, a prayer, or the requesting of a particular hymn that would focus the congregation on the sacrifice and blessing of our Lord's death and resurrection. We have done this a couple of time now and it is "different" for us, having a 45 minute communion service, but it has also been a blessing.

On the second Sunday of the month we devote ourselves to corporate prayer, praying for one another and for the needs of the ministry both at Hope CBC as well as abroad.

On the third Sunday of the month we enjoy a time of interactive teaching (apostles' teaching). The "teaching" is done by one of the Elders or Pastoral staff (including interns) and is not meant to be another sermon, but a time to work through a particular subject biblically. We have had two of these interactive times thus far looking in June and July at biblical fatherhood. In August and September we will be considering together evangelism and outreach.

The fourth Sunday is more "traditional" (if you can say there is anything traditional at Hope CBC) focusing our time on sermon interaction. On this Sunday, we consider the morning message (and the previous weeks' messages) seeking corporate insights as well as practical applications.

And what do we do if there are five Sundays in a month? On five Sunday months we have an extended main service, utilizing the last 20-25 minutes (11:00 am - 11:25 am) for a "hymn sing" - offering up praise to our Lord in song. This is followed by a church-wide "pot-providence" (not a pot-luck as God is in control).

The desire in all of this is to promote godly interaction and fellowship among the congregation to such an extend that it will continue beyond the walls of the church facility.

May God be glorified and Jesus Christ exalted through it all!

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Hello Again!

It has been a long time since I have posted anything of much substance. This is not because of a lack of desire or thought - life has simply been "life" - always moving, always something going on. And in the midst of all this - somethings got to give.

My intentions are to blog and journal my thoughts, perceptions and post any insights that strike me in some way or another, but as time allows - not for the sake of doing it.

This next week I will be at youth camp and so there will be another gap in the posting - but after that - we'll see.

In the meantime, please take a look at these "weeds" that I photographed on a walk behind our church. They look like some kind of artichoke, but they are only about the size of a quarter. It shows the total creativity of God.

Have a blessed week!

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Sermon Manuscript

Sermon Manuscript
Originally uploaded by LOvED88

Still in the book of Hebrews!
Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Consider Yourself Warned!

Consider Yourself Warned!
Originally uploaded by LOvED88

Proverbs 4:14
Do not enter the path of the wicked and do not proceed in the way of evil men.
Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Happy Memorial Day 07

Happy Memorial Day 07
Originally uploaded by LOvED88

I know I have been away for some time. I will be back and posting soon.
Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

A Few Good Men

So - - - I could not sleep and thought it would be best to spend some time in prayer and then catch up on some blog reading that I have been a bit negligent of recently. As I was reading through Al Mohler's blog, I came across a most intriguing entry, one that I post here for your consideration. What most especially challenged me was the end of this post, a call to the church to train up young men in the discipline and fear of the Lord.

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"The Army We Have" -- Young Men, Responsibility, and Leadership for the Twenty-First Century
Posted: Thursday, May 10, 2007 at 3:14 am ET

by Al Mohler

Inevitably, the armed services are a mirror held up to the nation. When we look at our soldiers, we see the profile of a generation. This was true of the rag-tag army that coalesced under the leadership of General George Washington, of the massive American forces that fought in two cataclysmic world wars, and of the Vietnam generation. Now, it is true of the current generation as well.

Writing in the June 2007 issue of The Atlantic, Brian Mockenhaupt -- himself a recent soldier -- provides the nation with a compelling analysis of today's Army and its recruits. The article, "The Army We Have," should be required reading for all who work with young men, and all who care about the future of the nation.

Today's Army is all-volunteer, of course. The end of the draft meant the rise of the volunteer army and massive changes in the way the Army operates. But, as Mockenhaupt makes clear, the current generation of young men presents the Army with some new challenges.

As Mockenhaupt reports:
Since the end of the draft, more than 30 years ago, this is the first time the all-volunteer military has faced sustained combat, and the demands on its human and material resources have been heavy and relentless. At the same time, a relatively prosperous economy and certain larger societal changes have made it harder for the Army to meet its recruiting goals. As Lieutenant General Michael Rochelle, the Army's deputy chief of staff, testified to Congress in February, the confluence of challenges in recruiting, training, and retaining soldiers is "unparalleled in the history of the volunteer force."

The challenge:
[T]he Army doesn't have the luxury of selectivity in filling its expanded rolls. It needs 80,000 new soldiers this year and must find them in a populace that is in many ways less willing and less able to serve than earlier generations were. Young people are fatter and weaker. They eat more junk food, watch more television, play more video games, and exercise less. They are more individualistic and less inclined to join the military. And with the unemployment rate hovering near historic lows, they have other choices.

Today's soldier must be an information-processing machine, a diplomat, and a lethal instrument of national power. As Mockenhaupt explains, these soldiers face a complex combat environment where, as in Iraq, the soldier must be able to know "when to shake a hand and when to shoot someone dead."

But the Army has to recruit from the generation of young Americans it faces, not the recruiting pool it might dream to have. In order to meet recruiting goals (80,000 new recruits each year for the Army alone), standards have been lowered, expectations have been altered, and basic training has been transformed.

Consider that in age group 17-24, 7 of 10 young men are ineligible for military service -- that's 70 percent. As Mockenhaupt explains, "More than half the members of this youth cohort are disqualified for moral, mental, or medical reasons." These range from run-ins with the law, psychiatric diagnosis, drug problems, and medical issues to gang-related or extremist tattoos.

Mockenhaupt then introduces his readers to Colonel Kevin Shwedo, the director of operations for the Army's Accessions Command within the Training and Doctrine Command, or TRADOC. This sets up the most fascinating single paragraph in the article:
At the same time, Shwedo sees today's recruits as the product of a society that can't quite figure out how to raise its children. "Most kids coming into the Army today have never worn leather shoes in their life unless it said Nike, Adidas, or Timberland. They've never run two miles consecutively in their life, and for the most part they hadn't had an adult tell them 'no' and mean it. That's bizarre," he says. "Our society says you can't count in a soccer match, because you might hurt somebody's feelings. Every kid is going to get a trophy, whether or not you ever went to practice or ever won a game." But these societal shortcomings can be leveraged in the training environment, Shwedo says. "If you go up and do something as simple as slap a soldier on the back and tell them they are doing a good job, you are giving them the recognition that society hasn't given them besides those cheap trophies."

In that single paragraph, Mockenhaupt gives us a portrait of a generation in trouble -- a generation of young men who were largely unparented. Consider this one telling sentence: "They've never run two miles consecutively in their life, and for the most part they hadn't had an adult tell them 'no' and mean it." They haven't had an adult tell them 'no' and mean it. That goes a long way toward explaining the culture around us.

The Army's goal:
For all the evolution in military tactics, weaponry, and organizational structure, the basic aim of military training--producing strong, disciplined soldiers, skilled with their weapons--remains constant, and the core methods are simple. You must look like everyone else. You must act like everyone else. You must perform like everyone else. If you don't, you will be punished. Or worse, the group will suffer for your mistakes. To instill this obedience, the Army taps into young people's basic desire for acceptance, and their abhorrence at being singled out for punishment or critique.

Finally:
The Army's problem, however, is really just the nation's problem writ small. The number of Americans serving in the military has steadily shrunk from more than 1 in 10 during World War II to fewer than 1 in 100 today. The all-volunteer military has allowed most Americans to distance themselves from national service, forcing the Army in particular to work harder and spend more to get the people it needs. As former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said in another context, "You go to war with the Army you have. They're not the Army you might want or wish to have at a later time."

Until more Americans are more willing, more able, or perhaps more compelled to serve, the Army must maintain an effective all-volunteer force with the people it has and the limited number of additional people it can recruit. And that larger conundrum is beyond the power of any generals, captains, or drill sergeants to solve.

The focus of Mockenhaupt's article is young men and what they represent as a new challenge to the Army. The article is an incredible piece of cultural insight and analysis, and it should spark thousands of worthy conversations among parents, pastors, youth ministers, and others concerned with today's boys and young men.

The emergence of a generation of boys and young men who have never been told 'no' by an adult who meant it, who include a large percentage who had no father in the home, who were put on Ritalin instead of taught and disciplined, tells us a great deal about ourselves as a society.

The Army's challenge is to transform several thousand young men from this generation each year, turning them into soldiers. The future of the nation, to a significant degree, rides on those young men. The Army faces new and daunting challenges in the recruitment and training of these young men. As Mockenhaupt makes clear, thousands of these young recruits and soldiers go on to make their nation proud. Clearly, the Army is doing something right.

How about the church? How is the Church faring in its own challenge to reach this generation of young men -- the same generation described by Colonel Shwedo above? Are we reaching the boys and young men in our own churches? Are we seeing them transformed from boys into men, from followers into leaders, from undisciplined young males into faithful disciples of Jesus?

If anything, our challenge is greater than that faced by the Army. Beyond that, the stakes are even higher for the church than for the military. The church needs more than a few good men. What are we waiting for?

- - - - - - -

We need godly fathers to train up their sons in the discipline of the Lord. We need such fathers and sons to faithfully participate in ministries that reach out to other young men, encouraging, exhorting, challenging such young men to be faithful disciples of Jesus. How are we doing?

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Hearing the Word of God!

The first evening of our time with Michael Ginn was of great encouragement and challenge. Michael (From the Word Ministries) began the evening with a question – “How often do you focus on the kingdom of God outside of Church or personal devotion times?” This was a reminder of how easy it is to get sidetracked by the things of this world.

Then Michael proceeded to lay out his direction for our time in the Word, explaining that he was going to begin with the first public message of Christ, the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and follow that with the last public message of Christ before the cross, the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24-25). What a blessing to hear and listen to these messages of Christ in their entirety much as those first readers heard such things. I am reminded that “faith comes by hearing” (Romans 10:17) – that there is something special and unique to simply hearing the Word of God. Consider as well that throughout most of the history of the Church, large numbers of people were illiterate and yet how did they come to faith – by hearing the Word of God read.

After hearing Michael quote the texts, he challenged the congregation with several thought, the first of which was a question of passion. We all have a passion, be it for work, or for sports, or for people or for God and our passion is generally revealed in what we participate. If we have a passion for God, then we will participate in those things in which we draw near to God, through prayer, the Word, and fellowship with the saints. If we have a passion for other things, these things will occupy a place of prominence in our lives. So again, “How often do you focus on the kingdom of God outside of things like Church or personal devotion times?” Are you passionate for God or have other things slow and systematically crept in to have first place in your life.

I am looking forward to tonight as we continue to hear the Word of God – may we really hear it with spiritual ears and be changed to a greater likeness of Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Home From Texas

It is good to be home. We arrived back in Rogers at about 5 pm, after a 300 plus mile, 6 ½ hours, accident dodging journey home. Just about 5 miles from home there was a terrible accident on 540 that left one person dead and three others severely injured. All we could do was pray.

We got home just in time to participate in the Home Bible Fellowship. We were somewhat exhausted (funny how traveling does that) but very glad we made the effort to get home, particularly because our brother, Michael Ginn (From the Word Ministries), who will be speaking at the church Friday, Saturday and Sunday, decided to come a day early to enjoy the fellowship! We had a blessed time of fellowship around our discussion of A.W. Tozer’s “The Knowledge of the Holy” – chapter 2 asking the question, “What is God Like?” To which Tozer initially responds, “He is not like anything” explaining that we have to understand the incomprehensible, invisible and infinite God in human terms. This is what makes God so glorious. Yet, while being infinite, God has disclosed Himself to us, allowing us to probe, be it ever so shallow, into the depths of His being. We had a lively discussion and brother Ginn brought an added dimension of insight.

With the Texas trip complete, I am now focusing my attention on the events of the weekend as well as looking to the future, both near and far. In July Hope will bring on a second intern (Jake Wyatt) and the men of the church will be participating in a Sunday evening teaching series entitled, “The One Anothers.” As our little church grows, we are faced with all kinds of new challenges from just how to do some things, to expanding areas of ministry.

The Elders of Hope will be meeting on Friday, May 25, devoting the day to seeking vision and direction from the Lord, discussing where we are as a church and where we should be according to God’s Word.

These are blessed days and let us never neglect or take our eyes off of Jesus, the head of the Church and Lord of our lives.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Texas - Day Three - Six Flags

All I can say is that I am sooo tired. It is about 11 pm and we have made memories for yet another other. Not only was Six Flags filled with all the excitement we had anticipated, riding every ride we wanted to and some even a couple of times, but we ended the day with a Wyatt dinner that included Rocky, Sue, Curtis, Annie (and their two babies), Jake and Candace (along with baby Caleb).




After dinner we reminisced about past times and experiences, played some pool with the guys while the ladies enjoyed an evening chat. When you don’t know how many opportunities you will ever have to again do such a thing, it makes the opportunity all the more precious. I am thankful for the Wyatt boys (or I should say - "young men") and their wives coming over.





Getting back to Six Flags, there is not too much to report except that we had a good time (see the pictures below). Just as we were disembarking the last ride we had intended to ride, we got a good ol’ fashioned, springtime Texas thunderstorm the shut everything down. But we were already wet and tired so it really didn’t matter. We headed up toward the front gate, did a little window-shopping and then headed back up to Southlake.

I am relaxing and enjoying this time with my family, but Hope is still on my mind and in my prayers. Please pray that I come back with more joy and more fervor to serve the Lord and the congregation. Good night!

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Texas - Day Two

Day two of our little get away has come to an end. It is about 10:30 and we are getting cleaned up after a wonderfully busy day – but busy in ways uncommon to us. Everyone was up and visiting by about 8:15 am. We had breakfast and a nice time of visiting with the Wyatts in the morning. Then, about 10:30 am, we were prepared for our adventure – the Baseball game.

We loaded ourselves into the van, with the intention of hitting a grocery store to pick up some peanuts in the shell. What kind of ballgame would be complete without peanuts in the shell? But about five minutes on the freeway, I asked the question, “Do we have the tickets?” There was only a brief silence, but it was enough to know that we had left the tickets at the Wyatts. So, we turned around (so to speak with a freeway involved) and returned to base to retrieve the tickets.

Now we were ready – still with enough time to pick up the peanuts, which we did in record fashion and then headed south to Arlington and the ballpark. What a beautiful place is the ballpark at Arlington. We found our parking lot and enjoyed the walk to our gate. We bought some hotdogs ($18 for four supposedly “jumbo” dogs) and found our seats, which were nearly identical to the seats we sat in a couple years back when we came – right next to the Angels’ bullpen. We got to watch Jered Weaver, the starting pitcher, do his warm ups and then the game began.




There are a few things in life that make you feel strange. I am sure you can think of a few. But one of the strangest (only because I am not used to being in such a situation) is when you are fervently rooting for a team that happens to be the “visiting” team. The opening inning was thrilling as the three of the first four batter reached base and then Casey Kotchman, the Angel 1B man, hit a grand slam homerun putting our team up 4 to nothing from the get go. The only thing is, while my family and I are screaming and cheering, no one else was. It is not the same as when 40,000 fans are all screaming with you. Oh well, these runs would be more than enough to win the game and yet the Angels added three more to win 7-2.




Of course, the game was not without its quirks. About the third inning a cloud decided to dump its contents in the form of rain on the field for about 25 minutes delaying the game about 45 minutes. The rain certainly brought a refreshing reprieve from the 90-degree temp, but it was only temporary, for after we were soaked, then the sun came back out and baked us, but oh well.

After the game we returned to the Wyatts, had a bite of dinner and then headed to some other dear friends home, the Ryans. The Ryan children were headed to play “Ultimate Frisbee” with the church and so they and our kids left leaving Bryan, Carla, Laura and myself about 2 and ½ uninterrupted hours of visiting. Talking with the Ryans makes us miss them and appreciate their friendship. The kids returned hot and sweaty about 9:45 pm and so we headed back to the Wyatts for showers and preparations for tomorrow – Six Flags.

Anyway, that’s the update. Hope everyone’s Monday was as eventful as ours.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Off to Texas

Obviously by the pictures below we made it to Texas – at least to the visitor’s center! Our trip was smooth and relaxing. We actually listened to an audio book of Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea” – and then we talked about the old man’s persistence. O that I would be as devoted and persistent to Christ, who is my inheritance, as that old man was to catching a great fish that he would not be able to keep.




We made it to Countryside Bible about 20 minutes before evening service, which was wonderful as it gave us a bit of time to greet some friend we have not seen for some time. The service itself was a children’s choir program, which was well done – “Roamin’ through Romans” and was essentially a walk through the gospel presentation of the book of Romans. Admittedly however, we were a bit distracted as this was our first contact with a Wyatt baby. Laura had not seen baby Caleb (Jake’s and Candace’s new arrival) before she was holding him and did so through about half of the service before I finally got to do so. What a good baby – at least for us through the service – sleeping away, waking up only ever so slightly to give us a peek of his eyes only to see them roll back up and then close again. Such tiny little hands and feet. I can hardly believe that mine were once that small!






On top of this, I had a revelation, one that brought both joy and showed me my age. As I held baby Caleb, I was remembering many years back now when I once held baby Jake. Not any bigger than Caleb with nothing but a future ahead of him. And now, in a few months, that baby I held so many years ago will be partnering with me in ministry, as an intern, as a man of God, at Hope Community Bible Church along with his family. Where does the time go?

After service we made some arrangements with the Ryans (Bryan and Carla) to meet up with them after our Baseball game (Rangers vs. Angels) for dinner. After dinner Luke and Beth will go with the Ryan children (the oldest of which I once held in my arms and is now driving!) to play “Ultimate Frisbee” (also known more simply as Frisbee Football). I think that the “senior Wyatts” will come over for dessert.



Laura and Carla Ryan

Speaking of the senior Wyatts (it seems hard to say that, particularly due to the fact that when I first saw Sue last night at the church, she was standing amid a sea of children who made up the choir for the service and she appeared to fit right in – don’t know that I could say the same of Rocky!) – anyway, Rocky and Sue are doing well and set us up nicely in their wonderful new home. We ordered pizza and visited with them as well as with Jake, Candace and Caleb. At about 11 pm we called it quits and settled in for a good night’s rest.





I can’t believe how blessed I am – the Lord’s granting me such wonderful friends, so warm and hospitable, such wonderful memories and along with such wonderful hope for the future. I am certainly unworthy of it all – and yet, in Christ, I am to enjoy it all to His glory.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Sorry for the Hiatus

I must apologize for the "hiatus" (is that how that is spelled - and does it mean what I think it does?) [I was graciously offered the correct spelling of "hiatus" not "hiadas" as I previsouly had it] – there have been a number of issues and projects that have so occupied my time that I simply haven’t been able to make a post in – well – too long. And even as I make this post, I must confess that I do not know when the next will be as my family and I will be taking a few days off, going to Texas to visit some friends. We are looking forward to our trip as on Monday we will take in a Texas Rangers vs. Anaheim Angels (life long Angels fan) ball game and then on Tuesday we are taking Luke and Beth to Six Flags (their first time ever).

Now the strangest thing happened this past week. It all began last Sunday evening when one of my friends pointed out that I had a screw in the back right tire on my van. The tire was low, but I was going to try to drive it home. I didn’t make it a few feet through the church parking lot before it was apparent that the tire needed to be changed. The exciting thing was, there were three men from the church that changed it for me.

I took the tire to Wal-mart only to be informed that the screw was too close to the sidewall and therefore was unable to be fixed. This coupled with the fact that the front two tires were getting dangerously low on tread and that we were planning to take this trip to Texas prompted me to bite the bullet and purchase four new tires (at Sam’s Club – better deal; better tires) – Ouch to the pocket book. But in the end, I felt good, knowing that we would be treading well on our upcoming trip.

Now the strange part. Yesterday as the men were gathering for our month Men’s prayer, the same friend who informed me of the screw in the back right tire of my van, walks in, and with the straightest of faces says, “You have a screw in the back right tire of your car.” I replied, “Yeah, right!” To which he said, “No, you really have a screw in the back right tire of your car.” So, he followed me out to my car (not my van) and sure enough, in the same exact location as the screw in my van tire was a screw in my car tire.

Now, is that just coincidence or should I be paranoid? I am not aware of any construction through which I have been driving. My wife and I managed to get the car home without incident and will just let it sit while we go off on vacation. But I still can’t believe the odds of getting two screws in the same exact location on two different tires. But I guess as they say somewhere, “Them the berries!”

I would like to remind or encourage everyone to visit the recently revamped website for the church (www.HopeCBC.org). Not only is there a new look, but we also have updated Sermon texts along with - MP3’s of the messages. Additionally we have our current Home Bible Fellowship series, “The Knowledge of the Holy” by A.W. Tozer along with study questions on the site. Take a look around and prayerfully you will be blessed.

Well – it is Sunday morning and while I have been up for a while and think I have everything ready, I’d better turn my attention to the more pressing matters of heart preparation for preaching and worship. If I am able to connect, I will post summaries of our days in Texas. If not, then check back in a few days. Have a blessed week and live heartily as unto the Lord!

Colossians 3:23-24
23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

From the Protestant Church of Smyrna

I would recommend that you follow this link (click here) to read about the persecuted Church. It is graphic in some places so be aware. Beloved, the persecution is now. Meanwhile, we here in the States sit feeling immune, feeling invincible, worried and arguing over such meaningless and petty things.

The American Church needs to be awakened – our faith will be tested – will we be ready for the test? Here the words again of Whitefield who said –

"I love those that thunder out the word! The Christian world is in a deep sleep. Nothing but a loud voice can waken them out of it!"

One of the most provocative statements from the link above was this - “Don’t pray against persecution, pray for perseverence…”

Are we willing to pray in this way? Oh for the grace to faithfully represent Christ in peace or persecution to the glory of God.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Whitefield on Listening to a Sermon

A great challenge to consider carefully how we “listen” to a sermon. I have included some “comments” in brackets – take them for what they are worth.

- - - - - - -

How to Listen to a Sermon

by George Whitefield

Keys for getting the most out of what the preacher says

Jesus said, 'Therefore consider carefully how you listen' (Luke 8:18). Here are some cautions and directions, in order to help you hear sermons with profit and advantage.

1. Come to hear them, not out of curiosity, but from a sincere desire to know and do your duty. To enter His house merely to have our ears entertained, and not our hearts reformed, must certainly be highly displeasing to the Most High God, as well as unprofitable to ourselves.

[Do we expect to be changed at the hearing of the proclamation and teaching of the Word of God – Romans 1:16?]

2. Give diligent heed to the things that are spoken from the Word of God. If an earthly king were to issue a royal proclamation, and the life or death of his subjects entirely depended on performing or not performing its conditions, how eager would they be to hear what those conditions were! And shall we not pay the same respect to the King of kings, and Lord of lords, and lend an attentive ear to His ministers, when they are declaring, in His name, how our pardon, peace, and happiness may be secured?

[If we were given such an opportunity to hear from such a dignitary, would we not be well prepared, giving attention to getting appropriate rest, to proper attire and attitude?]

3. Do not entertain even the least prejudice against the minister. That was the reason Jesus Christ Himself could not do many mighty works, nor preach to any great effect among those of His own country; for they were offended at Him. Take heed therefore, and beware of entertaining any dislike against those whom the Holy Ghost has made overseers over you.

[I had never considered this point before, that the power of preaching in any given setting could be negatively affected by the prejudice or misplaced offense toward a preacher. This calls Matthew 5:23-24 into mind].

Consider that the clergy are men of like passions with yourselves. And though we should even hear a person teaching others to do what he has not learned himself, yet that is no reason for rejecting his doctrine. For ministers speak not in their own, but in Christ’s name. And we know who commanded the people to do whatever the scribes and Pharisees should say unto them, even though they did not do themselves what they said (see Matt. 23:1-3).

4. Be careful not to depend too much on a preacher, or think more highly of him than you ought to think. Preferring one teacher over another has often been of ill consequence to the church of God. It was a fault which the great Apostle of the Gentiles condemned in the Corinthians: 'For whereas one said, I am of Paul; another, I am of Apollos: are you not carnal, says he? For who is Paul, and who is Apollos, but instruments in God’s hands by whom you believed?' (1 Cor. 1:12; 2:3-5).

Are not all ministers sent forth to be ministering ambassadors to those who shall be heirs of salvation? And are they not all therefore greatly to be esteemed for their work’s sake?

[I have always believed that no matter how “bad” the delivery of a preacher, if he speaks the Word of God, there is something to be learned. I just pray that I am not plagued with giving “bad” deliveries.]

5. Make particular application to your own hearts of everything that is delivered. When our Savior was discoursing at the last supper with His beloved disciples and foretold that one of them should betray Him, each of them immediately applied it to his own heart and said, 'Lord, is it I?' (Matt. 26:22).

[Sometimes we want the preacher to make the application for us. While the preacher must seek to encourage the congregation to a specific response, I have often found that the Spirit of God moved the hearts of people in ways I never considered or imagined].

Oh, that persons, in like manner, when preachers are dissuading from any sin or persuading to any duty, instead of crying, 'This was intended for such and such a one!' instead would turn their thoughts inwardly, and say, 'Lord, is it I?' How far more beneficial should we find discourses to be than now they generally are!

6. Pray to the Lord, before, during, and after every sermon, to endue the minister with power to speak, and to grant you a will and ability to put into practice what he shall show from the Book of God to be your duty.

No doubt it was this consideration that made St. Paul so earnestly entreat his beloved Ephesians to intercede with God for him: 'Praying always, with all manner of prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and for me also, that I may open my mouth with boldness, to make known the mysteries of the gospel' (Eph. 6:19-20). And if so great an apostle as St. Paul needed the prayers of his people, much more do those ministers who have only the ordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit.

If only all who hear me this day would seriously apply their hearts to practice what has now been told them! How ministers would see Satan, like lightning, fall from heaven, and people find the Word preached sharper than a two-edged sword and mighty, through God, to the pulling down of the devil’s strongholds!

[Never stop praying for your Pastor as the Word goes forth. Never stop praying for others as well as for yourself as you hear the Word go forth].

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

William Cowper on George Whitefield

William Cowper made the following comment about George Whitefield -

He loved the world that hated him: the tear that dropped upon his Bible was sincere; assailed by scandal and the tongue of strife, his only answer was a blameless life, and he that forged and he that threw the dart, had each a brother’s interest in his heart.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

What are you willing to live for?

At some time or another, there is a question that inevitably gets asked of most people, particularly Christians. It is a question that we might like to suppose is easy to answer and yet requires great reflection. It is a question that after thinking on it, may have a relatively short list of answers. Would you like to know what that question is? “What is it that you would die for?” For what would you be willing to lay down you very life? Now don’t let the simple Sunday School answer keep you from thinking about this. For what people or principles would you be ready to die for? I well imagine that some of us would say, “the gospel – I am willing to die for the message and hope of Jesus Christ.” Perhaps included in your list would be some people – that you would be willing to die for your spouse, your children, or some close friends. I would also suppose that most of you here would say that you would be willing to die for Jesus Christ – at least that is the hope – right? We try to imagine what it would be like if called before a hostile crowd to renounce Jesus or die. Would we there, in that setting, die for Christ?

Would it be hard to die for Christ? That is an interesting question. But may I say to you that dying for Christ may not be the hardest thing that faces you this morning. It has been said that dying for something or someone is easy because such a death is associated with glory, honor and recognition. It is noble to die for someone or something. It would be glorious to die for Christ. I say to you that even harder than the question of “what am I willing to die for” is this, “what I am willing to live for?” To connect this with the previous thought, “Am I willing to live for Christ, just as much, and with as much intensity, as I am willing to die for Him.” I do believe that dying for Christ would be relatively easy – but living for Christ, day by day – moment by moment - isn’t that a bit tougher?

We speak often of what we believe – we believe in Jesus; we believe He died for our sins; we believe that He sent His Spirit to empower us for His service; we believe we are His witnesses, His ambassadors; we believe we are crucified with Christ and it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us; we believe we have been bought with a price and are to therefore glorify God in our bodies. This is what we say we believe. But may I warn you that what you say you believe is not the same as what you do believe. Rather, what you do, how you live your life - be it in public or private, at church or at home, in front of others or in front of a computer – that truly reveals what you believe. So, if you believe it is important to tell others about the saving grace found only in Jesus, then what will you do? You will be telling others of Jesus. Sadly, many of our lives testify that the most important person in our lives is ourselves; our own happiness, our own well-being, even our own spirituality.

Living for Jesus – that is what can be hard. Truly dying to self and being alive in Christ. So, what are you willing to live for?

Luke 9:23
And He [Jesus] was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Lord, Awaken Us!

"I love those that thunder out the word! The Christian world is in a deep sleep. Nothing but a loud voice can waken them out of it!"

Do you know who said the above and when it was said?

Lord, forgive me for the timidity with which I speak forth Your word. May I be the alarm by which you awaken Your people to love and good deeds. May I never stand in the way and so prevent that which brings delight and glory to Your Name.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Happy Tax Day

Just in case you were wondering, I came across this that explains a bit about how our taxes really work:

Sometimes politicians, journalists and others exclaim; "It's just a tax cut for the rich!" and it is just accepted to be fact.

But what does that really mean? Just in case you are not completely clear on this issue, let's put tax cuts in terms everyone can understand.

Imagine a group of ten men who went out for dinner together and the bill for all ten came to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.

The fifth would pay $1.

The sixth would pay $3.

The seventh would pay $7.

The eighth would pay $12.

The ninth would pay $18.

The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do.

The ten men ate dinner in the restaurant every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. "Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily meal by $20." Dinner for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes, so the first four men were unaffected. They still ate for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20
windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?'

They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to eat their meal.

So, the restaurant owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so:

The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).

The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings).

The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (29% savings).

The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).

The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).

The tenth now paid $50 instead of $59 (15% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to eat for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

"I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man," but he got $9!"

"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got nine times more than I!"

"That's true!!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $9 back when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!"

"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!"

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for dinner, so the nine sat down and ate without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start eating overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Off and Running

Maybe it just makes me feel better to have something posted - so here goes. After my 24 hour Solo Pastor's conference, I hit the ground running. Sometimes I am amazed at where the time goes, particularly just keeping up with emails and returning phone calls.

On an exciting note (for the Godfrey's) - our house is being resided. For many years the siding has just gotten worse and worse, but in a couple of days, it will be new and the house will look fantastic. I did take some before pics and when I can take the after pics, I will post a couple.

I know there are things to report, but they will have to wait for a more opportune time. The Lord's blessings be upon His people.

Soli Deo Gloria

Pastor Ed

Day One of EFCA Solo Pastor's Conference

The first half of the EFCA Central District Solo Pastor’s Conference has come to and end. I must say that it was an interesting and insightful day. The discussion began with an evaluation of the following two statements:

“We are committed to a proclamation of God’s Word that is clear, theologically sound and communicated in a relevant and practical way.”

“The end result of our proclamation is people who are eager to please God by applying His Word to every area of life.”

It would be interesting to critique this statement with our men. I had to ask for some defining of terms such as “clear”; “theologically sound” (what standard); “relevant”; “practical” and “to please God.”

I might have preferred something along the lines of “to glorify God” but the other terms can be defined as broadly or narrowly as one might like. In the end however, the discussion proved to be revealing. One of emphasis made was on preaching to bring about this effect of pleasing God by applying His word to every areas of life. It was noted that there is often a disconnect between theologically sound preaching and the actually living out of such principles in the lives of some in any given congregation. It made me ask, however, if such a disconnect might be result of the pastor not living out such principles as he preaches. In other words, am I doing everything I can, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to not simply communicate dead orthodoxy, true statements and exhortations but without real life.

The main crux of the day was seeking to identify and address some of the issues the solo pastors face in their ministries, seeking to then draw on the corporate wisdom of the group to answer such matters. I have included a list of the issues that were brought up:

• Eschatology and leadership (in light of the EFCA and its considering the removal of the word “premillennialism from its Statement of Faith).
• Starting a Friday/Saturday service to reach out to late teens/20 somethings
• How to avoid burnout
• Mentoring leaders/elders/deacons
• How to stay fresh/abreast of theological and national issues.
• Punctuality of the congregation
• Trickle down cultural and theological issues
• Relating to world views and religions, pluralism
• Balancing leadership – not “lording it over” while still leading
• Finding valid/practical resources
• Creating healthy small groups
• Generational gaps (Titus 2)
• How to move from survival to growth

Not all these issues were of concern to me, but of these issues, three were prioritized as needing to be discussed through the day; “how to avoid burnout; how to stay fresh and abreast of theological and national issues; and balancing leadership.” In these discussions, we did flesh out several points worthy of further consideration. As I have the opportunity to organize these thought, I may post those that would be most profitable.

This morning we will continue to look at some of the issues above. There is no way we could discuss them all, but such points give you an idea of what is going on in the minds of some solo pastors in the EFCA.

Have a blessed day.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Mini Pastor's Conference

After just preaching on how many conferences there are in our day and age, I have hauled off to Springfield, MO for an overnight, "Solo" Pastor's Conference, meeting with fellow Evangelical Free Church "Solo" Pastors of the Central District (Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas) to discuss ministry.

This should be an interesting time for me as over the past few years the relationship with the EFCA has been "strained." If there is anything to report, I will do so. I arrived here in Springfield about 11 am and everything is to start at 12 noon. It is a twenty-four hour conference (yes, they will let us sleep).

God's blessings!

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Poll: Biblical Eschatology

Here were the final results of last week's poll questions, "What do you think is the most Biblical eschatology?" Out of 20 people who voted:

1. Premillennialism (Christ reigns for 1000 years on the earth) 16 (votes) 80%
2. Amillennialsim (Christ reigns now and will not reign physically on the earth) 4 (votes) 20%
3. Postmillennialism (Christ will come when the Church has "Christianized" the world?) 0 (votes) 0%
4. Panmillennialism (don't know which is right but know it will all "pan" out in the end) 0 (votes) 0%

On a lighter side, this week's poll question is simply, "What is your favorite morning drink?" I don't know if I can make something spiritual out of that, but there it is - deal with it.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Shakespeare on Time

Better three hours too soon than one minute late.

William Shakespeare

Do you agree?

Regeneration, Repentance, the Love of God and a Local Church

No matter how much we try to resist His love, try to ignore it, run from it, or hide from it ... we can't. God's love will never exhaust in the pursuit of chasing you. The moment you embrace it God's love becomes irresistible. He proves to you it has no limits, no conditions nor does it account for how much we have failed or misrepresented Him.

This is a statement made by a local, technologically savvy church on a web page designated as their campaign to reach Northwest Arkansas with the truth and love of God. It is interesting to note above that “God’s love will never exhaust in the pursuit of chasing you…He [God] proves to you that it has no limits…” No limits save one. Did you catch it? Man is sovereign – “The moment you embrace it God’s love becomes irresistible.” Man must first embrace the love of God before this love becomes irresistible. Sounds like a limit to me.

And just in case you think am making a mountain out of a molehill, consider this statement made by this church’s “Beliefs” –

Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, through repentance we receive forgiveness of sins and appropriate salvation (Acts 2:21, 3:19; I John 1:9).

Repentance “allows us to receive His redemption and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit.” Again, salvation is about what man does with something God provided. God is now passive while man is active. In this view, repentance (clearly a necessary spiritual work of man) precedes regeneration (clearly the necessary work of God making us alive in Christ). The only problem with this is that it is not what Scripture teaches. The Scripture teaches that regeneration precedes faith.

Let me quote from Steve Lawson who wrote:

One of the distinguishing features of the biblical view of the new birth is what theologians refer to as monergism. The prefix "mono" means “one.” The Greek word "erg" refers to “a unit of work”; it is from this root that we get the English word energy, which describes a powerful working. Monergism, then, refers to one agent doing a work, and monergistic regeneration communicates the truth that only one agent is active in the work of regeneration, that one being God.

John Owen (1616-1683), the great prince of the Puritan preachers and regarded as one of the eminent theologians of all times wrote:

To say that we are able by our own efforts to think good thoughts or give God spiritual obedience before we are spiritually regenerate is to overthrow the gospel and faith of the universal church in all ages.

As Alan Cairnes noted, “…regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit unaided by human effort or cooperation.”

Charles Hodge, the great Princeton theologian also taught:

No more soul-destroying doctrine could well be devised than the doctrine that sinners can regenerate themselves, and repent and believe just when they please…As it is a truth of both Scripture and of experience that the unrenewed man can do nothing of himself to secure his salvation, it is essential that he should be brought to practical conviction of that truth. When thus convinced, and not before, he seeks help from the only source whence it can be obtained.

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The view offered by this local church I referred to above, is teaching a synergistic (meaning a working together) view, claiming that regeneration involves not one but two agents, God and man, placing each in a place of equal power. As Lawson noted, in this view, “man must cooperate with the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit must cooperate with man. In the end, man has the power of veto. It is touted that lowly, impotent man can resist the work of the omnipotent, sovereign Holy Spirit in salvation.”

Such a view inverts the biblical teaching of regeneration which teaches that the new birth (regeneration) precedes faith. Only when God first acts upon the spiritually dead soul will it ever be enabled to respond to the love of God. Again, as Lawson noted, “Regeneration precedes faith because regeneration produces faith.” He goes on to say, “…man cannot cooperated with God in his spiritual birth any more than he does in his physical birth. In both cases, God is powerfully active and man is feeble…Telling a sinner to chose to be born again is like urging a corpse to choose resurrection.”

Is this the teaching of Scripture? Clearly so. Let me cite just a few examples, the first of which here emphasize the solitary work of God in causing this regeneration unto faith.

Jeremiah 31:33
I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it…

Ezekiel 11:19-20
19 And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them, and I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them.

Ezekiel 36:26-27
26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

Please do not think I am propping up just a few vague verses. Start with these, pray and ask the Lord to reveal the truth of this matter to your heart. In Ephesians 2 we have one of the clearest expressions of man being dead in sin, being regenerated by God, experiencing grace with the result of faith and salvation.

Ephesians 2:1
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

Ephesians 2:4-5
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ ( by grace you have been saved),

Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

So, while I commend this local church’s enthusiasm to reach the lost with the love and truth of God, their theology is greatly deficient and their approach is to entice with slick advertising and clever slogans rather than preach the full counsel of God’s Word, and believe that “salvation is from the LORD” (Jonah 2:9). May the Lord give us all discernment in such matters to proclaim the glory of God in salvation.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Growing in Grace – Purchased by Christ

Last night our Bible study explored the nature of growing in grace. I loved this paraphrase by Gardiner Spring of Philippians 1:6 saying,

It is the economy of divine grace that where God has begun a good work He will carry it on until the subject is ripened for glory.

“Ripened for glory” – being supplied with every spiritual nutrient, every sort of Scriptural atmosphere to be conformed more and more into the very likeness of Jesus Christ, my Lord. I start as nothing more than a bud, but that bud is to blossom and then offering the first indications of fruit, fruit that is green at first, but then grows and ripens into that for which the Husbandman intended.

And of what does this ripening process consist? It consists in leaving off more and more the husks of this world and cultivating more and more godliness. As Mr. Spring again wrote:

Conversion is but the first step. His work is all before him. His graces are increasingly constant and increasingly vigorous. The more he loves God, the more he desires to love Him. The more he knows of His character, does he contemplate the manifestations of His glory with rising delight.

The more he sees of the evil of sin, the more he desires to see. The more he hates it, the more he desires to hate it. The more he sees of himself the more he abhors himself, and the more does he desire to abhor himself. The more he is emptied of himself, the more does he desire to be emptied of himself; the more he desires to become poor in spirit, to feel that he is cut off from every hope, and to rest on Christ alone. The more he is engaged in duty, the more delight he finds in performing it. The more severe his conflict with the enemy, the harder he urges it and the more vigorous his resolution to maintain it to the last.

These are but some of the evidences of growing in grace; but upon an even deeper contemplation, I was reminded that Christ death for His people was that He might display the fullness of His power and grace in this ripening process. Jesus does not impart His resurrection power to bring His people only halfway to glory, but all the way. Charles Spurgeon said it so well in this afternoon’s “Morning and Evening” selection:

Our Lord Jesus, by His death, did not purchase a right to a part of us only, but to the entire man. He contemplated in His passion the sanctification of us wholly, spirit, soul, and body; that in this triple kingdom He Himself might reign supreme without a rival. It is the business of the newborn nature which God has given to the regenerate to assert the rights of the Lord Jesus Christ. My soul, so far as thou art a child of God, thou must conquer all the rest of thyself which yet remains unblest; thou must subdue all thy powers and passions to the silver sceptre of Jesus' gracious reign, and thou must never be satisfied till He who is King by purchase becomes also King by gracious coronation, and reigns in thee supreme. Seeing, then, that sin has no right to any part of us, we go about a good and lawful warfare when we seek, in the name of God, to drive it out. O my body, thou art a member of Christ: shall I tolerate thy subjection to the prince of darkness? O my soul, Christ has suffered for thy sins, and redeemed thee with His most precious blood: shall I suffer thy memory to become a storehouse of evil, or thy passions to be firebrands of iniquity? Shall I surrender my judgment to be perverted by error, or my will to be led in fetters of iniquity? No, my soul, thou art Christ's, and sin hath no right to thee.

Be courageous concerning this, O Christian! be not dispirited, as though your spiritual enemies could never be destroyed. You are able to overcome them—not in your own strength—the weakest of them would be too much for you in that; but you can and shall overcome them through the blood of the Lamb. Do not ask, "How shall I dispossess them, for they are greater and mightier than I?" but go to the strong for strength, wait humbly upon God, and the mighty God of Jacob will surely come to the rescue, and you shall sing of victory through His grace.

As we move along in this endeavor known as progressive sanctification, this growing in grace, let us be aware that it is only possible by the grace of God and only as we recognized that Jesus has purchased all of who we are, body, soul and spirit.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

An Encouraging Thought

One of my dear friends, a lady in the church, touched my heart by sharing with me the following anecdote that she recently posted on her blog (click here).

Our Pastor Prays REALLY Long Prayers

Okay... so my 6 year old daughter, after a conversation with her and my 3 younger children about the precious Gospel said, "Mommy, you know how our pastor prays really, really, really long prayers?"(I did not know how to respond to that, so I kind of nodded my head in a circular motion wondering what was coming next)She then continued, "I want to pray just like that because I love Jesus so much."

I humbly hope that my prayers are as sincere as this little girl's heart.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Ways to Discourage Your Pastor

I know I have been on this “list” kick as of late and so I see no reason as to why I should break the pattern now. While I was at the Shepherd’s Conference I was blessed with a number of books, one of which is entitled, “Life in the Body of Christ” by Curtis C. Thomas. Some of you may already know that Curtis Thomas (attending the Bible Church of Little Rock) is the brother of Bill Thomas who attends Hope CBC. Anyway, as I have been reading through this book on the “privileges and responsibilities in the local church”, I came across this list in keeping with the “pastoral” motif, a list entitled, “Ways to Discourage Your Pastor.”

Now, I submit this list as a resource of things NOT to do. But please understand how grateful I am that the vast majority of these things are not presently evident at Hope CBC. I thought it would just be good to ponder these things. So, below is an excerpt of Thomas’ book:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

More and more good men are leaving the ministry. Their reasons may include a lack of commitment, a serious sin in their lives, a felling of inadequacy, the pressure of public responsibilities, erratic discouragement caused by church members; something which Hebrews 13:17 says should not occur. How do we discourage our pastors? Here are some ways:

• Listen to the Scriptures being taught, but don’t obey the teaching.
• Show irritation when an important point in the pastor’s message lengthens the pastor’s sermon five or ten minutes beyond its usual length.
• Start a gossip chain.
• Always expect other members to do the work that needs to be done.
• Consistently show up to the church services five to ten minutes late.
• Tell your pastor that the nursery is not your responsibility.
• Be mildly negative about most leadership decisions.
• Go to the lake on summer Sundays rather than to church.
• Pay your pastor so little that he cannot adequately support his family.
• Start a church project but let it die by your lack of perseverance.
• Regularly fall asleep during the sermon because your Saturday nights are taken by late activities.
• Look on your pastor as a “hired-hand” rather than as the shepherd of your soul.
• Let your pastor alone do all of the home and hospital visitation.
• Start a squabble within the membership.
• Fear men rather then God.
• Talk frequently about the weaknesses of the church.
• Never let your pastor know that you are praying for him and his family.
• Complain to your pastor about others.
• When the leadership mentions important financial needs, keep billfold tightly closed.
• Refuse to sing any of the new melodies.
• Always want to go back to “what it used to be like” in the church.
• Resent new people who come into the fellowship.
• Automatically assume your pastor’s motives are questionable.
• Fail to realize that your pastor must keep some things in confidence and thus cannot explain some things fully.
• Assume that there is only one way to do things – and your way is the correct one.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Just some more food for thought.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Praying for Your Pastor's Wife

Yesterday’s post was how you might pray for the Pastor and included some great insights by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I am grateful for finding that she also wrote up an article entitled, “How to Pray for Your Pastor’s Wife” – and so, I post it for your edification and encouragement (or is that for my wife’s encouragement?).

31 Days of Prayer for Your Pastor’s Wife

By Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Day 1
Pray that your pastor’s wife will love God with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength. Pray that God’s Spirit will work in her heart in power, and that she will value and follow biblical priorities. (Deut. 6:5; Matt. 6:33)

Day 2
Pray that she will cultivate strong character and uncompromising integrity. Pray that her testimony will be genuine, and that she will guard her heart. (1 Tim. 1:5; 3:7; Prov. 4:23)

Day 3
Pray for her personal walk with God—that her soul and spirit will be nourished and strengthened in her times with Him. Pray that she will spend more time in the Word of God than in reading Christian books and articles. (2 Tim. 2:15-16; Ps. 119:7)

Day 4
Pray that your pastor’s wife will counsel and teach with discernment through the wise use of Scripture and faith in God’s power. (Ps. 119:99; James 1:5-6)

Day 5
Ask God to protect her marriage and keep it strong as a model of the Church’s
submission to Christ. Pray that she will respect and practice godly submission to her husband’s leadership, and that her husband will love and cherish her. (Eph. 5:23-33)

Day 6
Pray that God will protect your pastor’s wife from discouragement and bitterness when she or her husband faces inevitable criticism. Pray that she will trust in the wisdom of the Word of God to answer her critics, and commit herself into the hands of God, who judges righteously. (Heb. 12:15; Ps. 119:42; Col. 4:6; Prov. 31:26; 1 Pet. 2:23)

Day 7
Pray that your pastor’s wife will remember truth and practical principles from the Word of God during times of trial, and that the Scriptures will bring her comfort. Pray that theWord will become her delight and song when circumstances are tough. (Ps. 119:28, 52)

Day 8
Ask God to protect your pastor’s wife from the evil plots of Satan. Pray that she will not be corrupted as she rubs shoulders with the world. (John 17:15; Isa. 54:17; Ps. 91:9-11)

Day 9
Pray that God will build a hedge of protection around her marriage, and that she
and her husband will be aware of the potential for any improper relationships. Pray that their family time will be protected. (Matt. 19:6; Prov. 31:11a; 2 Cor. 10:4-5)

Day 10
Pray that your pastor’s wife will be morally pure and that she will wear the armor of God so that she will not fall into sexual temptation. Ask God to guard her heart concerning the use of free time, and that she will be especially discerning in her use of emails, the Internet, television, and other media. (Rom. 13:14; Eph. 6:10-18)

Day 11
Pray that God will bring godly friends and encouragers to your pastor’s wife and her family, to strengthen them for the ministry and to provide meaningful fellowship, accountability, and times of rest. (Ps. 55:14; 119:63)

Day 12
Pray that she will be a woman of prayer and worship, and that she will lead by example—teaching women how to walk in a close relationship with the Father.
(1 Thes. 5:17; Acts 1:14a; Mark 1:35; Matt. 4:10; Titus 2:4-5)

Day 13
Your pastor’s wife is a busy woman. Pray that she will make wise lifestyle choices in order to protect her health, especially in the areas of exercise, eating moderately, and getting sufficient rest. Pray for times of relaxation and renewal to balance the stress of ministry. (Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 9:27; 6:19-20; 10:13; Prov. 31:17)

Day 14
Pray that your pastor’s wife will focus on the Word of God and walk by faith in the fear of the Lord—rather than the fear of man. Pray that she will not seek acceptance from others or compare herself with them, but that she will discover true freedom in her position in Christ. (Prov. 19:23; 31:30; Heb. 11:6; 2 Tim. 2:15; Ps. 119:45; Eph. 1:3-12)

Day 15
Pray that she will cooperate with her husband in providing godly leadership in their home, not based on fear of what others will think, but according to scriptural truth. (Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:20-21) (If your pastor’s wife does not have children, pray that God will give her many “spiritual children” as she shares the truth of God’s Word.)

Day 16
Pray that her children will be taught of the Lord and experience His peace. Pray that the pressures of the ministry will not discourage or embitter them. (Isa. 54:13)

Day 17
Pray that your pastor’s wife will be an example of contentment, thankful for God’s
supply. Pray that her sufficiency will be in God’s abounding grace. (1 Tim. 6:6, 8)

Day 18
Ask God to provide for the financial needs of your pastor and his family. Pray that your pastor’s wife will be a wise steward in caring for her family and using funds entrusted to her care. Pray that her heart will be turned away from selfish gain and worthless things. (Phil. 4:19; Heb. 13:5; 1 Tim. 6:11; Ps. 37:25; 119:36-37)

Day 19
Pray that your pastor’s wife will use time wisely, seek God’s perspective for her
schedule and priorities, and guard against unnecessary interruptions. Pray that she will seek and obey God’s will, rather than trying to meet everyone else’s expectations. (Eph. 5:15-16; Col. 4:5; Ps. 90:12; Prov. 31:27)

Day 20
Ask God to remind her of the hope and refuge God offers her each day. Pray that she will be encouraged in God, knowing that He is a firm, secure anchor for her soul. (Ps. 9:9-10; Ps. 42:5; 71:14; Heb. 6:19a)

Day 21
Pray that your pastor’s wife will be wise in her conversations, choosing her words
carefully to encourage respect for her husband and the church, and to edify her sisters in the Lord. Pray that she will know how to respond to gossip, and that she will always speak with kindness and compassion. (Prov. 21:23; 31:26; 1 Pet. 3:10; Prov. 11:13)

Day 22
Pray that she will serve others with God’s agape love and encourage them with His wisdom and compassion. (Gal. 5:13b; Phil. 2:3-4; Prov. 31:20)

Day 23
Pray for spiritual unity between the pastor’s wife and others in the church—specially other staff members’ wives. Pray that the enemy will not be allowed to create divisions, strife, or misunderstanding in any way. (Rom. 14:19; 1 Cor. 12:25)

Day 24
Pray that your pastor’s wife will be clothed with strength and dignity. Pray that she will have a gentle and gracious spirit, and represent the Lord well as His ambassador. (Prov. 31:25a; 2 Cor. 5:20a; 1 Pet. 3:4)

Day 25
Pray that your pastor’s wife will seek God for personal revival and revival in your church and community. Pray that she will quickly repent when she sins or strays from her Good Shepherd’s side, and that she learn the will and ways of God. (2 Chron. 7:14)

Day 26
Pray that your pastor’s wife will think biblically—with the mind of Christ—and practice the expression of her faith with boldness in places of influence. (Ps. 119:46)

Day 27
Pray that she will earnestly seek God’s will and be committed to instant and complete obedience—ready for God to work powerfully in and through her life and ministry. (1 Sam. 15:22; 2 Cor. 10:3-5; Luke 9:23-24)

Day 28
Pray that she will strive for personal excellence as a “Proverbs 31” woman, and will believe God to accomplish His will in her as a virtuous woman. (Prov. 31:10-31)

Day 29
Pray that your pastor’s wife will be a woman of faith and passionate love for God, not giving in to worries, fears, or an uptight and anxious spirit. (1 John 4:18; Prov. 3:5-6)

Day 30
Pray that the Word will be her counselor, and that she will serve the Lord with gladness, and encourage others to worship with a joyful, surrendered spirit. (Isa. 61:3; Ps. 119:24)

Day 31
Pray that your pastor’s wife will be humble and authentic in her faith, not given to pride or hypocrisy. Pray that she will have pure motives and give God glory for every gain or victory. (Mic. 6:8; Gal. 6:14; John 7:17-18; 1 Cor. 10:13)

By Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Published by Revive Our Hearts, © 2006.

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How is that for a prayer list? Ultimately, my prayer is that we all learn to pray more intimately with and for one another to the glory of God.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed